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Hongwu 31 leap year on the tenth day of the first month of May (June 24, 1398), for the Ming Dynasty, this was a fateful turning point, because on this day, the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang died at the Yingtian Imperial Palace (present-day Nanjing Forbidden City) at the age of 71.
(Note: This article refers to age, according to the old custom, all use imaginary age, the same below.) ）
The death of Zhu Yuanzhang, the ming emperor, marked the end of a great era and the beginning of another era of chaos. And the bane of all this stems from the question of heirs.
(Portrait of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang)
Zhu Yuanzhang had 26 sons, but he never hesitated for an heir, and the eldest son, Zhu Biao, was the only candidate for the crown prince in his heart. The reason is very simple, in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, to fight the world requires a strong lord, and to rule the world requires a benevolent king.
Among the many princes, the fourth Zhu Di was most similar to Zhu Yuanzhang, the same Wen Tao martial strategy, the same tough and fierce, but Zhu Yuanzhang recognized Zhu Di's ability, but did not like him. Zhu Yuanzhang's most important is only Zhu Biao, who is benevolent and generous, friendly and brotherly, and has all the qualities of a virtuous prince, and what is even more rare is that at the same time, Zhu Biao is particularly strategic and assertive, soft and rigid, and even dares to compete with Zhu Yuanzhang in person.
Unfortunately, tian was jealous of the talent, Hongwu twenty-five years, Zhu Biao died of wind and cold, only 38 years old.
(Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao stills)
The white-haired man sent the black-haired man, and Zhu Biao's death brought a huge blow to Zhu Yuanzhang, who was in his grief and faced an urgent problem to be solved, that is, the selection of a new prince.
As mentioned above, Zhu Yuanzhang had 26 sons, and one Zhu Biao died, and it is reasonable to say that he still has many choices. However, Zhu Yuanzhang did not take the usual path, and he resolutely bypassed all his sons and directly established his grandson Zhu Yunjiao as the emperor's grandson and inherited the unification in the future. Because Zhu Yunjiao is Zhu Biao's son, the father and son are very similar in ability and personality.
Zhu Yuanzhang vigorously defied the public opinion and resolutely established Zhu Yunjiao as the crown prince, but he was not without concerns. Zhu Yuanzhang understood that Zhu Yunjiao was young and weak, and in the future, he would certainly have few doubts about the lord and the country, and his foundation would be unstable. Therefore, in his later years, Zhu Yuanzhang did not hesitate to kill the heroes, the purpose was to clear the way for his grandson to ascend the throne smoothly. In addition, his sons, who had heavy soldiers, also became the objects of his jealousy.
(Yan Wang Zhu Di still)
After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang made all his sons the king of the domain and let them guard all over the country. These princes, who have both royal blood and military strength, will undoubtedly become the biggest threat to Zhu Yunjiao in the future, and for this, how could Zhu Yuanzhang, who is scheming and calculating, not think of it. Therefore, this worry continued until Zhu Yuanzhang's death, which was reflected in his dying edict.
Zhang Tingyu's compilation and revision of the "Ming History, Volume III, Benji No. 3" completely includes Zhu Yuanzhang's last will and testament, the original text is as follows:
"For one year of the thirty years of the Mandate of Heaven, we have accumulated our hearts in distress, and we have been diligent and diligent every day, and we have done good to the people." Nai is humble, without the knowledge of the ancients, good and evil, not far away. Now the natural principles of all things are there, and there are their mournful thoughts. Emperor's grandson Yun Jiong Ren Ming filial friend, the world returned to the heart, should ascend to the throne. Internal and external civil and military ministers work together to assist the government and reassure the people. Funeral rites are not used in gold and jade. The Xiaoling Mountains and Rivers do not change their works because of their reasons. The subjects of the world, weeping for three days, are released and do not hinder marriage. The kings are in the kingdom, and they do not go to the capital. Those who are not in the order, push this order to do so. ”
The core content of this testament is actually the following three articles:
First, pass the throne to Zhu Yunjiao;
Second, the funeral is from Jane, quick burial;
Third, kings are not allowed to go to Beijing to mourn.
(Stills of Zhu Yunjiao)
According to the "History of Ming", Zhu Yuanzhang was only 7 days apart from his death to burial, which was very abnormal in the royal family that paid attention to sacrifice etiquette, and did not conform to the imperial burial regulations. However, this is not a filial piety for descendants, but a clear requirement of Zhu Yuanzhang in his will.
In addition, the ancients paid more attention to filial piety than today's people, even if the ordinary people, the father died, the son must also go home to mourn, and even resign the official and return to the hometown, Ding Worry (shou filial piety) for three years. The royal funeral rites are harsher and more cumbersome. Zhu Yuanzhang was in Nanjing, and the princes were guarding all over the country, and according to common sense, once Zhu Yuanzhang died, his sons must go to Beijing to mourn in order to fulfill their filial piety. However, Zhu Yuanzhang explicitly demanded in his will that all the kings of the clan should not enter the capital to mourn, which was even more abnormal.
This is really a testament worth playing, and the author believes that the second and third articles actually serve the first article.
(Zhu Yuanzhang stills)
Zhu Yuanzhang's greatest worry on his deathbed was that Zhu Yunjiao would not be able to succeed to the throne smoothly, and he asked for a quick burial, that is, he was worried that the night would be long and dreamy, and he asked the kings not to go to Beijing to mourn, that is, he was afraid that his sons would use the excuse of running for funerals to raise troops into Beijing and create a rebellion against their grandsons.
Zhu Yuanzhang's will and testament are really well-intentioned, and for the sake of a smooth transition to the throne, he did not hesitate to aggrieved himself, preferring to violate the imperial regulations and be buried quickly, preferring not to get his children and grandchildren to fulfill filial piety, and also to ensure that Zhu Yunjiao ascended the throne smoothly.
Of the three last words in Zhu Yuanzhang's will, the last two were mainly aimed at Zhu Di, the King of Yan, who knew that his son was like his father, and Zhu Di was the most powerful and ambitious, so Zhu Yuanzhang was the least assured of him. However, people are not as good as heavenly calculations, Zhu Yuanzhang's organs have calculated everything, poured out everything, and in the end they have not been able to keep Zhu Yunjiao's throne. Soon after Zhu Yuanzhang's death, Zhu Di usurped the Daming River and Mountains through the Battle of Jingnan, and history failed to develop according to Zhu Yuanzhang's expectations.
References: History of the Ming Dynasty, Records of the Ming Dynasty