In 1662, the Shunzhi Emperor passed away, and the eight-year-old Kangxi ascended the throne. Before his death, Shunzhi appointed Oboi, Ebilun, Suksaha, and Sonin as the four regent ministers to assist the young Kangxi.
Among the four regent ministers, Sony ranked first, responsible for overseeing memorials and red approvals, but he was old and lacked energy. Suksaha ranked second and was a highly capable man. Ebilun ranked third; he was slick and shrewd, only seeking to protect himself. Oboi ranked fourth but was the most ambitious of them all.
Oboi followed Qing Taizong Huang Taiji on military campaigns from a young age, displaying exceptional bravery in battle and earning numerous military merits, leading Huang Taiji to call him a warrior of the Qing Dynasty. After becoming a regent minister, he restrained himself somewhat in front of the highly respected Sony. However, as he saw Sony's health gradually decline, his ambitions quickly swelled. To seize control of the court, he colluded with Ebilun to jointly oppose Suksaha. After Sony's death, Oboi became even more reckless, showing no regard for the young Kangxi, and always stood ahead of Ebilun and Suksaha at court sessions.
In 1667, the fourteen-year-old Kangxi Emperor was able to personally handle court affairs. For the past five years, Kangxi had been biding his time and enduring hardships, determined to achieve great things. Yet on the very day he assumed full power, he received a memorial from Suksaha requesting permission to guard the tomb of the late Shunzhi Emperor. Deeply puzzled, Kangxi said to his ministers, "Suksaha has proposed going to guard the late emperor's tomb, claiming that only in this way can he avoid being killed. He was one of the regents appointed by the late emperor, and I truly cannot understand who would dare to harm him."
After hearing this, Oboi was extremely displeased. The next day at court, he presented a memorial to the Kangxi Emperor listing twenty-four charges against Soni's son, Suksaha, and demanded that the emperor order the execution of Suksaha and his entire family. The Kangxi Emperor, well aware of Suksaha's character, knew these charges were completely fabricated and decided to reject Oboi's memorial. Seeing that the emperor would not comply with his demands, Oboi brazenly approached Kangxi, rolling up his sleeves as he walked, nearly striking the emperor in the face. Frightened, Kangxi looked around at the assembled civil and military officials, only to see them all with their heads bowed, not a single person daring to speak. In the end, Oboi declared that Suksaha would be executed by hanging.
This incident deeply moved Kangxi, making him realize that only by eliminating Oboi could he secure his throne. To this end, he began planning Oboi's removal. He consulted with Songgotu, the son of Sony, and they ultimately decided to first placate Oboi, then train a group of warriors to subdue him when he was off guard.
To stabilize Oboi, Kangxi, after Suksaha's death, appointed Oboi as a first-class duke and grand tutor, even praising him lavishly, leading Oboi to believe that Kangxi was afraid of him. Subsequently, using practicing wrestling as an excuse, Kangxi requested Oboi's permission to select a hundred young men from noble families to enter the palace and train with him. Oboi, thinking Kangxi was indulging in pleasure and losing ambition, paid no attention and readily agreed.
After this, Kangxi stopped attending to state affairs and spent every day practicing wrestling with those young men. Oboi had not seen Kangxi for several days and felt uneasy in his heart; he did not want to lose the power and status he had worked so hard to obtain due to carelessness. Therefore, he decided to go to the palace to see what trick Kangxi was playing.
One morning after the morning court session, Oboi went to the rear palace to look for Emperor Kangxi. A eunuch told him that Kangxi was practicing wrestling with a group of young men. Oboi went directly to the wrestling ground, where he saw Kangxi and the youths having a lively time. Oboi stood there for a long while, but Kangxi pretended not to notice him. Growing impatient, Oboi said to Kangxi, "Your Majesty, I have matters to report."
"Grand Secretary Ao, don't say anything yet—what do you think of these young men's skills?"
Oboi, known as the foremost warrior of the Manchus, had no regard for these young men and was somewhat displeased with Kangxi's attitude, replying, "They are skilled, but they can only serve as playmates for Your Majesty."
"I can see that Grand Secretary Ao believes they are no match for you at all. You are the greatest warrior of the Great Qing Empire, and I would truly like to see your skills in action—so why not let them spar with you for a bit of fun?"
Stimulated by Kangxi, Oboi took off his clothes, fought ten youths alone, and easily won.
Kangxi deliberately praised Oboi, saying: "The Great Qing's number one warrior truly lives up to his reputation. With Grand Secretary Oboi assisting me, I can rest easy."
Kangxi's behavior completely put Oboi at ease, causing him to stop paying attention to the emperor's actions. As a result, Kangxi had ample time to train his wrestlers. After a period of training, Kangxi saw that the time was ripe and decided to subdue Oboi.
One day, Oboi entered the palace for an audience with Emperor Kangxi as commanded. As he swaggered through the palace gate, it suddenly slammed shut, separating him from his guards. Before Oboi could even react, dozens of strong young men rushed at him. Even though Oboi, hailed as the foremost warrior of the Qing Dynasty, was robust and highly skilled in martial arts, he could not fend off this sudden capture. The youths bound him with ropes, leaving him unable to escape. At that moment, Songgotu, who had been hiding behind Kangxi, stepped forward, produced an imperial edict, and read it aloud in a loud voice. Only then did Oboi realize he had fallen into Kangxi's trap. Furious, he shouted, "I, Oboi, have fought countless victorious battles alongside the Taizong Emperor, yet today I am defeated by a young, inexperienced hand!" Kangxi ordered Oboi to be taken to prison, and not long after, he was executed.
After eliminating Oboi, Kangxi personally took control of the court. Thereafter, he governed diligently, making the Qing dynasty increasingly prosperous.