Comrade | Guevara
As a legendary prince of the Ming Dynasty who missed the throne three times, Zhu Zhanyuan was the third son of Emperor Mingrenzong Zhu Gaoji, the younger brother of Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji, and his mother was Empress Chengxiaozhao of the Zhang clan, born in the fourth year of Ming Chengzu Yongle (1406). In the twenty-second year of Yongle (1424), Zhu Zhanyuan, as the grandson of the emperor, was crowned the Prince of Xiang by Ming Chengzu, but it was not until the fourth year of Emperor Xuande of Ming Xuande (1429) that he was in Changsha. According to historical records, Zhu Zhanyuan was solemn and alert, quite prestigious, and was deeply loved by his parents and brothers.
Portrait of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming
Emperor Xuanzong was a short-lived ghost who died after only 10 years on the throne at the age of 38 in the first month of the tenth year of Xuande (1435). Since the crown prince Zhu Qizhen was 9 years old and was simply unable to govern the country, in this case, some courtiers tended to support Zhu Zhanyuan as emperor, and the palace also began to falsely rumor that Empress Zhang also had this intention. However, before Zhu Zhanyuan could make a statement, Empress Zhang summoned her courtiers to the Qianqing Palace, claiming that she had no intention of helping her young son ascend the throne, and personally helped her grandson Zhu Qizhen onto the dragon chair. As a result, Zhu Zhanyuan missed the throne for the first time.
After Emperor Mingyingzong ascended the throne, he was very courteous to his uncle and made him the Prince of Xiang in the first year of the orthodox era (1436). For his nephew's courtesy, Zhu Zhanyuan was very satisfied, and he had no further plans, but the outbreak of the "Change of Tumu Fort" once again pushed him to the cusp of the storm. In the fourteenth year of orthodoxy (1449), 200,000 elite Ming troops were besieged by the Wa La army at Tumu Fort, and almost the entire army was destroyed, and the Ming Yingzong who was personally enlisted in the imperial conquest was also captured, becoming a prisoner of the Wa Lai Tai Shi Ye Xian.
Mei-Eijing Images
After the "Tumu Fort Revolution", He also first held Emperor Ming Yingzong hostage to invade the Central Plains and extorted population and wealth from the Ming Dynasty, and in order to cut off Ye Xian's thoughts, the courtiers who remained in the Beijing Division, led by the university scholar Wang Wen and the soldier Shilang Yu Qian, requested Empress Sun to establish a new monarch as soon as possible. According to Yu Qian and others, Zhu Qiyu, the prince of The Imperial Household who served as the overseer of the state, was the most qualified to succeed to the throne, but Empress Sun, because Zhu Qiyu was not her own son, was inclined to make Zhu Zhanyu the prince of Xiang the emperor, and even prepared to send emissaries to Xiangyang to greet him.
However, due to the opposition of Wang Wen, Yu Qian, and others, and the fact that the Wala army had advanced into Beijing, the situation forced Empress Sun to make compromises. On September 6 of that year, Zhu Qiyu was made emperor for the Ming Jing Emperor (also known as emperor of the Ming Dynasty). As a result, Zhu Zhanyuan missed the throne for the second time. However, Zhu Zhanyuan originally had no intention of inheriting the unification, and soon after the "Tumu fort change", he wrote to the imperial court and requested that the crown prince Zhu Jianshen (Ming Xianzong, the eldest son of Emperor Mingyingzong) be made emperor, and Zhu Qiyu would continue to serve as the overseer of the state and send emissaries to welcome back Ming Yingzong.
Portrait of Emperor Mingjing
However, when Zhu Zhanyuan's recital arrived in the capital, emperor Ming Jing was already in the middle of the day and did not play any role at all. Nevertheless, after Emperor Mingyingzong was welcomed back to the dynasty, Zhu Zhanyuan still wrote to the imperial court and asked Emperor Mingjing to treat Emperor Taishang (i.e., Zhu Qizhen) kindly, and not to be mean and unkind, so as to make the people of the world chill. Although Emperor Mingjing was dismissive of Zhu Zhanyuan's request, he still praised him based on the etiquette of the imperial court.
Emperor Mingyingzong was imprisoned in Nannei for 7 years, and finally with the help of the crown prince Shi Heng and the left deputy capital Yushi Xu Youzhen, taking advantage of emperor Mingjing's serious illness in bed, he successfully escaped from Nannei and restored the throne, known in history as the "change of the gate", when the sixth month of the eighth year of Jingtai (1457) was the sixteenth day of the first month. After Emperor Mingying's restoration, he rewarded Shi Heng, Xu Youzhen, and others on a large scale, but Shi, Xu, and others, because of their discord with Yu Qian, Wang Wen, and others, framed them for trying to establish Zhu Zhanyuan as emperor, and successfully persuaded Emperor Mingyingzong to execute Qian, Wang Wen, and others.
Portrait of Yu Qian
After Yu Qian and the others were killed, Emperor Mingyingzong also began to be suspicious of Zhu Zhanyuan, and it was not until he saw with his own eyes that his uncle had written two letters to the imperial court that year that he realized that he had misunderstood Zhu Zhanyuan. In order to express his gratitude, Emperor Mingying ordered a generous reward for Zhu Zhanyuan and summoned him to the capital to praise him in person for playing the "Golden Teng" of the Zhou Dynasty (when King Wu of Zhou was seriously ill, the Duke of Zhou prayed to his ancestors and asked for the oath he made when he died on behalf of King Wu). After that, Emperor Mingying summoned Zhu Zhanyuan to Beijing many times, and his courtesy was higher than before.
Although Zhu Zhanyuan has no intention of taking the throne, the reality of being passively involved in the turmoil of the imperial throne three times makes him have to become more low-key, and always show off and show loyalty. Zhu Zhanyuan knew very well that although Emperor Mingjing had died of illness, Emperor Mingying still hated him to the bone marrow, so he wrote a very interesting letter, suggesting that the emperor destroy the Shou mausoleum built by Emperor Mingjing for the early death of Empress Hang. Emperor Mingying agreed when he saw Shu Shu, so he sent Yousi to destroy Shouling.
Portrait of Emperor Mingxianzong
Not only that, Zhu Zhanyuan also proposed to Emperor Ming Yingzong that the deposed Wang clan (emperor Ming Jing's wife, deposed for opposing the deposing of the crown prince Zhu Jianshen, and after the restoration of Emperor Mingyingzong, he was reappointed as princess of The Prince of Hao) was expelled from the palace of Emperor Mingyingzong, but the poor brother and sister of Emperor Mingying, coupled with the latter's merits in protecting Zhu Jianshen, did not listen. After the death of Emperor Mingying and the ascension of Emperor Xianzong to the throne, Zhu Zhancheng revived the old matter, but was still rejected by the emperor. From this point of view, Zhu Zhanyuan also has his despicable and shameless side, which is really disgraceful.
Empress Wang
In the fourteenth year of Chenghua (1478), the Xiang king Zhu Zhanyuan fell ill and died at the age of 73, and Emperor Mingxian ordered mourning after hearing the news, and gave him the title of Xiangxian. After Zhu Zhanyuan's death, the Ming Dynasty officially commented that "the king was careful and prudent, devoted to filial piety, and was especially loved by Empress Chengxiaozhao." However, he can abide by the etiquette and the law, and he is far from suspicious, so although there are objections, he is not suspected by the upper and lower levels, and he can live in peace and longevity for the rest of his life" (see the Records of emperor Ming Xianzong), which can also be regarded as the conclusion of his coffin.
Historical sources: "History of Ming", "Chronicle of Ming History", "Guoyu", "Records of Emperor Ming Yingzong", "Records of Emperor Mingxianzong", etc.