Prince Gong

Yixin (Manchu: ᡳ ᡥᡳᠨ I-hin, Chinese: 奕訢; 11 January 1833 – 29 May 1898), better known by his title Prince Gong (or Prince Kung), was an imperial prince of the Aisin Gioro clan and an important statesman of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in China. He was the sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor, a half-brother of the Xianfeng Emperor, and an uncle of the Tongzhi and Guangxu Emperors. At a young age, he was already noted for his brilliance and was once considered by his father as a potential heir. However, his fourth brother, Yizhu (the Xianfeng Emperor), eventually inherited the throne.

In the aftermath of the Second Opium War in 1860, Prince Gong concluded negotiations with the British, French and Russians, and signed the Convention of Beijing on behalf of the Qing Empire. Following the death of the Xianfeng Emperor, Prince Gong launched the Xinyou Coup in 1861 with the aid of the Empress Dowagers Ci'an and Cixi, and seized power from a group of eight regents appointed by the Xianfeng Emperor on his deathbed to assist his young son and successor, the Tongzhi Emperor. After the coup, he served as Prince-Regent from 1861–65 and presided over the reforms implemented during the Tongzhi Restoration (1860–74). Despite his demotions in 1865 and 1874 for alleged corruption and disrespect towards the Emperor, Prince Gong continued to lead the Grand Council and remain a highly influential figure in the Qing government.