Before dying, the emperors of ancient China would summon some ministers to ask them to assist the new emperor in the aftermath, and these people were the ministers who took care of the order! It is reasonable to say that the chancellor is a talent left by the old emperor to the new emperor and should be reused. However, in the last years of the Ming Dynasty, a terrible thing actually happened, a minister who took care of his life was actually severely tortured by the Jinyi guards, and finally his head was nailed into an iron nail and he died tragically in prison! So who was the most miserable minister of the Ming Dynasty?
First, outspoken and bold to become a minister of life
This person was Yang Lian, a famous courtier at the end of the Ming Dynasty! According to records, Yang Lian is a native of Guangshui, Hubei Province, who established the ideal of taking the world as his own responsibility in his youth, and came to Wuxi thousands of miles away to exchange and study with Gu Xiancheng, Gao Panlong and other Donglin Party members, and later became a rising star of the Donglin Party. In 1607, Yang Lian was admitted to the rank of jinshi, who had considerable political achievements during his tenure in Changshu County, and "raised the honest official first" in the appraisal, thus entering the dynasty as an official, and in 1620 he was appointed as a military clerk.
After the death of Emperor Myeongshinzong, Zhu Changluo, who succeeded to the throne, soon fell ill, causing concern among the government and the public. Yang Lian's official position was very small, but he dared to write to Zhu Changluo, pointing out that there were some problems. Due to the fierce rhetoric, people were worried about Yang Lian, believing that the emperor was going to carry out the court staff. Although Zhu Changluo was seriously ill, he was not confused, and he knew that Yang Lian was a loyal subject! Therefore, when Zhu Changluo summoned the heavy ministers, he deliberately let Yang Lian, who had a humble official position, join him, "Gentle words for a long time, the number of ripples." In this way, Yang Lian became one of the ministers of Gu Ming.
Second, deeply favored by the emperor, he decided to swear to die in retribution
According to Yang Lian's official position, he was not qualified to be summoned by the emperor at all, but Zhu Changluo not only summoned him, but also made Yang Lian a minister of gu orders. In this regard, Yang Lian was grateful to Zero, "Grateful for the pre-care of the young minister, and vowed to repay with death." After Zhu Changluo's death, his favorite concubine Li Xuanshi manipulated the emperor's eldest son Zhu Youxiao and refused to move out of the Qianqing Palace, with the intention of interfering in the government. Regardless of his personal safety, Yang Lian resolutely launched the action of "moving the palace", which is the "palace transfer case".
However, not long after, there was a power struggle within the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Mingxi Zhu was favored by the school to believe in the nursing mother Keshi and the eunuch Wei Zhongxian, and the two were in cahoots with each other, causing a miasma of smoke and miasma throughout the imperial court. Yang Lian stood up again, and in June 1624 he wrote to Emperor Mingxi, listing Wei Zhongxian's twenty-four counts. As a result, this matter was learned by Wei Zhongxian, who took advantage of his presence in the inner court to "curb the emperor from not being a court for three days." Since then, Wei Zhongxian has decided to kill Yang Lian.
Third, the iron bone is zhengzheng and thus flows through the ages
Later, Wei Zhongxian fabricated the crime of "blaming Lian for great disrespect and no one to pay tribute", and exempted him from being a commoner. Subsequently, Xu Dahua, a henchman of Wei Zhongxian, "impeached Lian and the Guangdou Party for the same dissent, recruited power and bribed", and then sent someone to arrest him and send him to Beijing. At that time, Xu Xianchun, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, was a henchman of Wei Zhongxian, and he severely tortured Yang Lian, beating him to the point where "flesh and bones were cracked" and "marrow blood splashed". After that, Xu Xianchun tortured Yang Lian's head, beating him to the point where his teeth and cheeks were "completely removed."
These cruel Jinyi guards used brushes made of steel needles to scrape Yang Lian's body. This is not the end, Xu Xianchun hit Yang Lian's chest with a copper hammer, causing the "flank bone to be broken". Twenty-six days after Yang Lian was imprisoned, he was eventually killed by Xu Xianchun. According to records, these cruel Jinyi guards nailed Yang Lian's head with iron nails. Before his death, Yang Lian wrote in his suicide note: "I hope that the country will be strong, the saints will be strong, and the sea will enjoy the blessings of peace for a long time." Lian is a body without bones, and the corpse is for the maggots, and the original is willing. ”
References: 1. Ming Shilu; 2. History of Ming; 3. Ming JiBeiluo; 4. "Blue Blood"