The young Emperor Fulin disliked the Manchu influence. He wanted to move away from that and wanted more outside input into his reign. 

In 1651, he issued an anti-corruption edict. He tried to root out corrupt practices and officials.  He ordered more Han Chinese into the royal household.  He brought back eunuchs. Eunuchs had been disfavored in the Qing Dynasty.

He had deep religious beliefs. He befriended a German Jesuit priest by the name of Adam Schall von Bell.  Later in his life he shifted from Catholicism to Buddhism.

He died in 1661.  There were claims he died of smallpox.  Some claim he was murdered. In his last will and testament he named his third son as his successor.  His last will and testament also named four Manchu nobles that would be co-regents for the new young Emperor.  

Fulin's reign was far too short to make an honest assessment of it.  It was largely overshadowed by his powerful and larger than life uncle, Dorgon.  Fulin's greatest legacy was he fathered the next Emperor. Maybe the greatest of all the Qing Emperors, and the subject of my next episode.

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