Speaking of the most famous emperors of the Ming Dynasty, many people will first think of The Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, followed by the two emperors Jiajing and Wanli, followed by Zhu Yunjiao, Tianqi and Chongzhen Emperors, and then Akihito Zhu Gaozi, Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen, Ming Dynasty Emperor Zhu Qiyu, and Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao.
For many people, if they can know all of the above emperors, they can already know the history of the Ming Dynasty very well; most people, I am afraid, can only say three or four of them; as for the Ming Emperors who are not mentioned above, in the minds of many people, I am afraid that they are a role in playing soy sauce, in short, a lifetime of doing nothing, mixed eating and waiting for death!
But in fact, there was another emperor in the Ming Dynasty, although he had always been unknown, but he was the best in the official evaluation of the Ming Dynasty; in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty people, he was not inferior to the famous Han Wendi and Song Renzong; as for his merits, he was even more evaluated by Zeng Guofan as comparable to Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang.
So, who is this emperor? His name is Zhu Youfan, and Ming Xiaozong is also!
Speaking of Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youfan, he is also a different kind among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty! Because his grandfather, father and son are all well-known figures, but he himself is very low-key.
Ming Xiaozong's grandfather was the Ming Yingzong who had been captured in the Tumubao Incident; as for his father, he was the Chenghua Emperor who favored Wan Guifei, who was 17 years older than himself; as for his son, it was even more unfortunate, he was the Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao, who favored the great eunuch Liu Jin and built the leopard house.
Perhaps it is precisely because the grandfather, father and son are too high-profile, so That Ming Xiaozong is unusually low-key, so that in the minds of many people, he has no sense of existence at all. But the so-called low-key people are often people with real ability, and Ming Xiaozong is such a person.
In the official history of the Ming Dynasty, people deliberately used such a passage to evaluate him: "Three generations or less, called the wise lord, Emperor Wen of Han, Emperor Renzong of Song, and Emperor Xiaozong of my Ming Dynasty." ”
Zeng Guofan, a famous minister of the late Qing Dynasty, also commented on Emperor Xiaozong of Ming: "Since ancient times, Yingzhe was an extraordinary king, and often won the prosperity of people. Such as Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wen of Tang, Emperor Renzong of Song, Emperor Shizu of Yuan, and Emperor Xiaozong of Ming. At that time, they were all erect, Junyan Yuntun and Kun Yao's compendium. ”
In other words, in Zeng Guofan's mind, Ming Xiaozong was an emperor who was comparable to emperors such as Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Yuan Shizu, and Emperor Renzong of Song. So, what did this Ming Xiaozong do, and how could he deserve such a reputation?
Emperor Xiaozong of Ming, whose mother was the daughter of Theoshi (紀氏) of the Guangxi Ji surname, was captured in the palace as a palace maid after the Ming army quelled the rebellion of the Ji surname, mainly responsible for managing the emperor's private money in the palace.
Once, Ming Xianzong occasionally passed by and saw that the Ji clan looked very beautiful, so he deliberately stayed overnight. The next day, Ming Xianzong put on his pants and left, leaving the matter behind him and not giving Ji any name.
Of course, Ji Guifei did not have any hope, but as a result, not long after that time, she actually found out that she was pregnant, and the news of her pregnancy was quickly known to Wan Guifei, who was favored by Emperor Mingxianzong; since Wan Guifei herself could not have children, she naturally did not want other lives, so as not to shake her position in the future, so she sent someone to beat up the child that Ji was pregnant with.
Fortunately, Ji's popularity was very good, and the palace people sent could not bear to do it, so they tricked Wan Guifei that the child had been beaten up; then Wan Guifei demoted Ji to live in the cold palace; later, Ji Shi secretly gave birth to Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youfan in this cold palace, and then the eunuch Zhang Min secretly helped raise him until he was six years old.
During these six years, neither Wan Guifei nor Emperor Mingxianzong, nor even Manchu Wenwu knew of the existence of Emperor Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youzong.
Until one day, when Zhang Min was combing Ming Xianzong's hair, Ming Xianzong looked at his growing white hair and couldn't help but sigh: "I see that I am already old, but I don't have a son!" Seeing this scene, Zhang Min immediately knelt down and informed Ming Xianzong of the truth.
Subsequently, when Ming Xianzong first saw his thin son who had not yet cut his fetal hair and dragged it to the ground because of his long-term confinement, he couldn't help but burst into tears. On the same day, Emperor Mingxianzong announced to the world that Zhu Youfan was made crown prince and that Ji Shi was made a concubine.
Seeing that everything was about to be bitter, but The Ji clan and those who had helped the Ji clan were not blessed to enjoy it! Soon after Ji Shi was crowned as a Lady Concubine, he suddenly died violently in the palace; as for the eunuch Zhang Min and the palace man who gave Ji Shi a fetus, they also committed suicide and died.
Although the official did not give them why they died, everyone knows that this is obviously inseparable from Wan Guifei. However, because Wan Guifei had the protection of Emperor Mingxianzong, no one could help her? Even in the end, Wan Guifei extended the magic grasp to Ming Xianzong Zhu Youfan!
Fortunately, at a critical juncture, Empress Dowager Zhou, Ming Xianzong's mother, fearing that Princess Wan Guifei would poison the crown prince, personally raised her grandson in her own Renshou Palace, which allowed him to grow up safely in the palace.
After Ming Xiaozong ascended the throne and became emperor, although Wan Guifei had died at that time, her family was still there, but Ming Xiaozong did not retaliate against Wan Guifei's family, he chose to meet and smile and take revenge!
Ming Xiaozong is such a generous and tolerant person!
In the following eighteen years, Emperor Xiaozong of Ming devoted all his thoughts to the state, and in the civil rule, he lightly dispensed with thin endowments, appointed Wang Shu, Liu Daxia and other upright ministers, and actively reversed the corrupt situation in the government.
In terms of martial arts, he has recovered the Hami region of Xinjiang three times, defeated the invasion of the little prince of Tatarstan and the fire sieve many times, resulting in Annam, Siam, Uszang, Ryukyu, Champa, Samarkand, Huolaza, Java, and Japan coming to the Ming Dynasty every year to pay tribute.
According to the historical records, in the 18 years of Ming Xiaozong's reign, the people of the Ming Dynasty lived and worked in peace and contentment, there was not a single peasant uprising, and the population increased by 10 million to reach as many as 60 million people, and the Ming Dynasty also ushered in Zhongxing, known in history as "Hongzhi Zhongxing".
In addition, Ming Xiaozong also had very rare and valuable behavior, first, he treated his subordinates very leniently, and in the Ming Dynasty, where he liked the officials of the court staff at every turn, Ming Xiaozong had never whipped the ministers in his life, and he could push his heart and mind with them, so the monarchs of this dynasty could be described as intimate.
On the other hand, Ming Xiaozong was also the only emperor in Chinese history who only married one wife, and he can be regarded as the earliest practitioner of monogamy.
Thinking back to that year, Ming Xianzong handed over to Ming Xiaozong was a chaotic government and a withered national strength, Ming Xiaozong shouldered this responsibility at the age of eighteen, and in the following eighteen years, he used his tolerance and diligence to turn the tide, so that the Ming Dynasty got ZTE, and let the Ming Dynasty pass a period of peace in economic prosperity and the people living and working in peace and contentment!
Although Emperor Xiaozong of Ming was not as famous as Emperor Hanwu of Qin and Emperor Songzu of Tang, and could not even catch up with Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, he used his generosity to make his people truly enjoy a happy life, let his courtiers feel the warmth of the emperor, and make the barbarians from all sides submit to it.
In a sense, the eighteen years of Ming Xiaozong's reign were the era when the happiness index of the military, civilians and officials of the Ming Dynasty was the highest!