If we want to talk about the ancient masters of power, we have to mention That Emperor Sejong Zhu Houxi (1507-1567), especially the imperial power technique was played like a fish in his hands. Maybe his other nickname is more understandable than Quan Shu, that is, alchemy! That's right, the alchemy tycoon, the Jiajing Emperor.
Jiajing Emperor
In the darkness, there is a destiny of heaven, destined for Jiajing's extraordinary life. Why? Also from the previous emperor Zhu Houzhao (reigned 1505-1521), this Zhengde Emperor may be a little strange to everyone, talking about his deeds, you will also be stunned.
The Imperial Driving Pro-Mongol Victory of Yingzhou (more than a little bit stronger than his grandfather Zhu Qizhen) Imperial Driving Pro-Conquest quelled the rebellion of the King of Ning (this was still on the way, the King of Ning was captured alive by Wang Yangming, who was the inspector at that time) This Wang Yangming looked very familiar, that is, the master of psychology Wang Yangming. There was also a leopard house to play, which is estimated to be the world's first and largest zoo at that time.
Seeing this, you may ask, this also likes the beast is still quite brave, and what is the relationship with Jiajing. Coincidentally, it is reasonable to say that such a strong person should live for a long time, and the heirs are even more worried, and how can it not be Jiajing's turn. At the age of 30, he died suddenly in his prime and failed to leave an heir. This emperor fell to this Jiajing Emperor.
Yang Tinghe
Jiajing has been intelligent and knowledgeable since childhood, and knows the norms of etiquette. He was only 14 years old when he became emperor. In other words, I am 14 years old, and I am also very smart but not necessarily more knowledgeable than him. It is not surprising to say that at the age of 14, he was proclaimed emperor and at the mercy of his ministers. But our Jiajing is different, and we are not willing to be manipulated. He came up and put the minister who pushed him to the top, and came to get off the horse. In ancient times, mourning took 3 years to fulfill filial piety. Due to the great events of the imperial throne, Jiajing served the mourning period (his father died in 1519) and was ordered to enter the capital and enter the throne.
On April 20 (1521) of the 16th year of Zhengde, Emperor Wuzong died, and on the 22nd, the imperial court sent a delegation to Huguang'an lu. When Zhu Houxi accompanied the delegation to the outskirts of Beijing, he quarreled with the old courtier faction headed by Yang Tinghe. Because the imperial court wanted to greet Zhu Houxi with the etiquette of a prince, Ju WenhuaDian (the prince's residence) was inheriting the throne. Zhu Houxi, who was only 14 years old, had his own ideas, but did not agree, and said, "The will is to take the throne of the emperor, not the crown prince." Yang Tinghe and other officials also disagreed, so the two sides were deadlocked for several days, and finally had to order the empress dowager to persuade the Qunchen to enter and be enfeoffed in the suburbs. Enter from the Daming Gate and take the throne at the Fengtian Hall (the place where the emperor ascended the throne). On May 27, 166, Zhu Houxi officially assumed the throne as emperor and changed his name to Yuan Jiajing the following year. Judging from this incident, the compromise of Yang Tinghe and other old courtiers was actually the first appearance of Jiajing's political means.
Jiajing wears a crown of incense
At the beginning of the great ceremonial dispute, Jiajing knew that he had just entered the throne, and his power was not stable enough, but when he insisted on his own views and fought between the conservative faction led by Yang Tinghe, he was still able to maintain a delicate relationship with Yang Tinghe, which showed the cleverness of Jiajing's means. Until the third year of Jiajing (1524), after three years of contraction of power, when arguing over who was the Jiajing Emperor (father in the patriarchal sense), Jiajing punished them with various punishments as follows, suspended, and punished sixteen people for the dead, so that no one dared to argue anymore. This is the famous Zuo Shun men incident. This can be seen that the full-fledged Jiajing showed his ability and arbitrariness over power, so that the imperial power was concentrated in his hands rather than constrained. Yang Tinghe resigned as a threat, and Jiajing pushed the boat along the water to agree to Yang Tinghe's request. The three-and-a-half-year ceremony ended in Jiajing's victory, when Jiajing was only 17 years old!
After another 14 years, in the seventeenth year of Jiajing (1538), Jiajing's biological father was posthumously recognized as emperor and changed his tomb to Xianling, and the great ceremony ended with the comprehensive victory of Jiajing. If Jiajing wins without a little means, I am afraid that no one will believe it. It was the battle of wits and courage with the ministers in the great ceremony that honed the Jiajing Emperor, who was already very clever. Most of the officials who were promoted by the Great Ceremony to obey Sejong were also promoted quickly by Jiajing's confidants, and Zhang Xuan was the representative. (You wonder why the Great Ceremony is so important, not only important but also indispensable, because Jiajing has completely taken power through the Great Ceremony and supported some officials who support him.) ）
Alchemy Tycoon
The real display of Jiajing's strength was still when he did not go to the dynasty for more than twenty years in the middle and late period, but he still controlled the country's economic and political affairs. The great ceremony can only be said to be a small test of the cattle knife, and in the eighteenth year of Jiajing (1539 AD), that is, before the end of the great ceremony, only one son died prematurely. As an emperor, of course, he was very anxious (at that time, Jiajing was more than thirty years old, and in ancient times he could get married at 15, not to mention that he was still the harem of the emperor's family) So he asked the immortals for divine medicine, and actually played a role in the three sons in a row, Jiajing believed that Fang Shi was bent on asking, and delegated power to the cabinet secretary. No longer ascending to the throne, the great power is firmly in control. Jiajing cultivators love to write green words, throughout the Jiajing dynasty cabinet chief assistant Yan Song controlled the government for twenty years, known as the qingzi prime minister, a hand of beautiful green words is also the reason why he is deeply liked by Jiajing.
Yan Song
After the change of the Palace, Jiajing moved to Beiyuan, and for more than twenty years he was no longer in the Upper Dynasty, concentrating on refining Dan and seeking the Tao. Don't think that if you don't go to the dynasty, you will not care, whether it is finances or power is firmly in your hands. The killing of these direct ministers by Xia Yan Shenlian was an example, because Jiajing not only needed capable people, but also people who could listen to their own words and understand their own minds. Of course, it is better to be able to carry the pot for Jiajing and write green words, and what Jiajing wants is to take power himself. So who would such a person be? Xia Yan, Yuan Wei, Li Chunfang, Yan Song, and Xu Jie were all not, because each of them was following in the footsteps of others, but none of them sat in the cabinet position for a long time. You will say Yan Song, but Yan Song is more able to do things with an imperial heart, right? It can only be said that I prefer Yan Song, the back pot man. Although Yan Song's father and son controlled the government for twenty years, they were replaced by Jiajing who abandoned Xu Jie, who made the old ninja famous. Think about the powerful, then deep-rooted Strict Party? It's not that Jiajing wants to change it.
Jiajing changed more than a dozen first assistants in one dynasty, so that the fight between the ministers came to life, whether it was the cabinet or the celebrant or the East Factory Jinyi Guard, it was the emperor's decision, the power of appointment and dismissal was in the hands of Jiajing, and then after the recall, after the comeback, the recall was recalled, and the minister was toyed with between the minister and the shareholder. The eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty did not have the chaotic government of the eunuchs in the Han and Tang Dynasties, and the cabinet did not decentralize the imperial power of the successive prime ministers, and the power was concentrated in the hands of the emperor alone. The use of people to control people is all between Jiajing's thoughts. The cleverness of the means is rare in ancient times.
Harry
No one is perfect, and Jiajing did have drawbacks in the later period, and it is still impossible to ignore his superior personal ability and the cleverness of political means. Jiajing used capable people such as Yan Song and "ghost talent" Yan Shifan, incorruptible and Hai Rui, and hu Zongxian Qi Jiguang in the military. There were countless celebrities of his time, such as Li Shizhen, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng, the "divine power". If you are not well-trained, if you don't really manage affairs in 20 years, you may not know how miserable it will be if you change others. It is not so much that Jiajing likes alchemy, but rather that alchemy is a hobby, and the art of imperial power is his specialty. See what the official said
bibliography:
"History of Ming", "Biography of Yan Song", "Records of Emperor Ming Shizong", "The End of the Chronicle of Ming History"