aha ▁played ▁a ▁decis ive ▁role ▁with ▁the ▁execution ▁of ▁M ing ▁loyal ist ▁Zh eng ▁Zh il ong ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁K ang xi ▁reign . ▁Later , ▁he ▁became ▁ent ang led ▁in ▁political ▁and ▁personal ▁disput es ▁with ▁O bo i ▁during ▁the ▁Emperor ' s ▁minor ity . ▁Event ually , ▁he ▁split ▁decis ively ▁with ▁O bo i . ▁O bo i ▁was ▁looking ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁power ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁hands ▁through ▁dis cred iting ▁the ▁other ▁three ▁reg ents ; ▁S oni ▁was ▁old ▁and ▁fra il , ▁and ▁E bil un ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁weak . ▁Su ks aha ▁thus ▁became ▁O bo i ' s ▁only ▁serious ▁political ▁rival . ▁A ▁few ▁days ▁after ▁S oni ▁died ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 6 6 7 ▁and ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁able ▁to ▁medi ate ▁these ▁conflicts , ▁Su ks aha ▁asked ▁to ▁ret ire ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁old ▁age ▁and ▁ill ness . ▁▁ ▁Poss ibly ▁on ▁the ▁advice ▁of ▁O bo i , ▁the ▁K ang xi ▁Emperor ▁immediately ▁ordered ▁the ▁D eli ber ative ▁Council ▁to ▁investigate ▁Su ks aha ' s ▁mot ives . ▁Two ▁days ▁later ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 , ▁the ▁Council ▁ordered ▁Su ks aha ▁and ▁all ▁his ▁male ▁kin ▁arrested ; ▁on ▁September ▁ 4 , ▁it ▁found ▁Su ks aha ▁guilty ▁of ▁twenty - four ▁" gra ve ▁cr imes " ▁and ▁recommended ▁that ▁he ▁be ▁executed ▁by ▁slow ▁s lic ing . ▁They