When Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang was still on the throne, the crown prince Zhu Biao died early, so he made his grandson Zhu Yunjiao the crown prince, but Zhu Yunjiao was too young, his power had not yet grown, and Zhu Yuanzhang paved the way for the emperor to ascend the throne, but he did not think that the Zhu family would one day kill each other.
In 1398, the 21-year-old Zhu Yunjiao ascended the throne as emperor, as Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunjiao was familiar with Confucian scriptures since childhood, gentle and elegant, but had no experience in state politics and no ability to govern the country, and the young Zhu Yunjue also knew this, so he regarded the three Confucian masters Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai and Fang Xiaoru as confidants.
Later, with the support of Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai and others, a series of measures to cut the domain began, but Zhu Di, the king of Yan, had followed Ming Taizu on the battlefield, and his ability could not be underestimated, and when one by one the kings of the clan were dealt with by Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Di could not have been unaware of Emperor Jianwen's thoughts, and when Emperor Jianwen moved zhu Di's head, Zhu Di acted.
Whether Zhu Di originally intended to usurp the throne or to protect himself, when Zhu Di marched south in 1399, everything was not important, and Emperor Jianwen could not stop Zhu Di at all, and in 1402 Zhu Di attacked the imperial capital Yingtian, and Emperor Jianwen's whereabouts were unknown from then on.
After entering Nanjing, Zhu Di began to prepare for his ascension to the throne, executing the military generals who had advised Zhu Yunjue and refused to surrender, so he asked Fang Xiaoru to draft an edict on the throne. When Zhu Di set out for Nanjing that year, Yao Guangxiao, the "black-robed prime minister," once advised Zhu Di: "On the day that the city of Nanjing is captured, Fang Xiaoru will certainly not surrender, hoping not to kill him, kill Fang Xiaoru, and the seeds of reading in the world will be extinct." ”
Zhu Di also wanted to keep Fang Xiaoru's life, as long as Fang Xiaoru surrendered to him and listened to his words to draft an edict, but Fang Xiaoru swore not to obey, and was unwilling to draft an edict for Zhu Di to take the throne. It was only a matter of time before Zhu Di ascended the throne as emperor, so he threatened Fang Xiaoru and said, "Don't honestly accuse you of the Nine Tribes."
However, Fang Xiaoru threw the pen on the ground, crying and scolding: "Death is death, I must not draft the edict, there is a kind of curse on my ten tribes." ”
The "Nine Tribes" are from the high queen mother down to the xuan sun, that is, the xuan sun, the great-grandson, the grandson, the body, the mother, the queen mother, the great-queen mother, the high queen mother; there is also a saying that the father is four, the mother is three, and the wife family is two.
Zhu Di saw that Fang Xiaoru had a resolute attitude, but he was also very angry, and he really found a clan outside the Nine Tribes, not only killing Fang Xiaoru's entire family, but also killing Fang Xiaoru's students, friends, and others, a total of 873 people.
On July 25, 1402, Fang Xiaoru generously died and made a desperate speech: "Oh, the heavens have sent down the troubles of war, who knows the reasons for this, the treacherous courtiers have fulfilled their wishes, and they have asked for the control of the country and play tricks." The loyal courtiers are angry and bitter, and the blood and tears are flowing; what else can they ask for when they are martyred for the king with these blood and tears? Whining and mourning, ah, probably not my complaints. ”
Many people thought that Fang Xiaoru's move was nothing more than a foolish loyalty to Emperor Jianwen, but many people also lamented Fang Xiaoru's unyielding integrity, how many courtiers could do what Fang Xiaoru did, and it was Fang Xiaoru who was loyal to Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Di was bound to leave Fang Xiaoru behind, leaving Fang Xiaoru, Zhu Di would always think of his usurpation of the throne.
Fang Xiaoru did not surrender, as if to tell Zhu Di that his throne was unjustly obtained, and Zhu Di's ascension to the throne as empress was also an attempt to erase everything from Emperor Jianwen.
Emperor: Don't honestly rebuke your nine tribes, Minister: There is a kind of curse on my ten tribes, and the emperor has found another clan