【Preface】
Among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanji of the Ming Xuanzong was a very accomplished one.
In every great unified dynasty in history, the first generation of founding monarchs must be wise and heroic, but whether this regime can gain a firm foothold actually depends on the second generation. Only when the second generation is strong can the regime continue; if the second generation is weak, it will be the turn of others.
The Qin, Sui, Jin dynasties and Zhu Yunjiao are living examples.
Zhu Zhanji in "The Style of Daming"
Zhu Di's throne is not inherited, to some extent you can regard him as the founding monarch, Zhu Gaozi is the second generation, but his reign is too short, the third generation of Zhu Zhanji has become a key figure, and because of the Battle of Jingnan, Daming has suffered some shocks and buried some hidden dangers.
Fortunately, Zhu Zhanji lived up to the expectations of his grandfather and father, lifted the crisis of the king of the domain, and let the hidden dangers of the Jing dynasty disappear into invisibility, and the Daming River and Mountains achieved a smooth transition. Moreover, it continued the benevolent government during Zhu Gaozi's reign, recuperated with the people, developed the economy, and created the "rule of Renxuan" in the prosperous era of the Ming Dynasty, becoming a wise lord with high evaluation in history.
However, Zhu Zhanji is not a stereotypical image of Wei Guangzheng, he also has the shortcomings of ordinary people and moods and sorrows, has a lively temperament, and loves to play strangely. It is seriously doubted that the genes of the future Ming Emperor's love of play began from him, after all, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di, and Zhu Gaozi were not people who coveted to play.
The things that Zhu Zhanji did were staggering.
01 Visiting the door in the middle of the night
One night in July of the sixth year of Xuande, Yang Shiqi, a major minister of the imperial court, was already lying on the bed preparing to sleep, and when he was half dreaming and half awake, he suddenly heard the servant's urgent report: "Your Lord, Your Majesty the Emperor is coming!" ”
Yang Shiqi reacted half a day later, and what he felt was not flattered, but frightened. The emperor alone is the weight of the world, how can he easily leave the palace? It's the middle of the night again, why come to your own house? Could there be a coup d'état?
Hurry up and get up in your formal court dress to meet the driver. When I came out, the emperor's four retinue were in the main hall, but the emperor was gone! This surprise was not trivial, Yang Shiqi was busy asking them where the emperor had gone, and everyone may have received Zhu Zhanji's instructions, and all of them laughed and said nothing.
Yang Shiqi hurriedly found the courtyard and heard a person laughing: "Shiqi, here you are." ”
It was Zhu Zhanji, it turned out that the moonlight was too good tonight, he couldn't wait for Yang Shiqi, and he ran out alone to see the moon. Seeing Yang Shiqi so panicked, he had a kind of teasing pleasure, triumphant, and happy.
Yang Shiqi in "Daming Style"
This plot is recorded in the "Yutang Congyu" compiled by Yuanlang Jiaohu in the seventeenth year of the Wanli Calendar, and it is highly credible.
In the "History of Ming", this matter is recorded very seriously: Shi Qi is old and sick, tending to the dynasty or later, and there is no need to discuss it. Emperor tastes micro-line, night luck Shi Qi house. Shi Qi rushed out to greet him, and suddenly said, "Why does Your Majesty take it upon himself to be humble as the body of the Sheji Sect Temple?" The emperor said, "I want to talk to Qing Qing, so I come to my ear." "A few days later, two thieves were caught, and there was a conspiracy. Emperor Summoning Shiqi, tell the truth. And said: "Now and then I know the love of Qing Qing." ”
This means that Yang Shiqi, one of the "Three Yangs", is old and ill, cannot go to the court on time, and cannot report anything in time. Zhu Zhanji took the night to visit the Yang Mansion privately, and Yang Shiqi rushed out, and the first sentence was: "How dangerous it is to leave the palace in a micro-service!" You carry the Sheji Sect Temple on your body, why are you so self-effacing? ”
Zhu Zhanji said, "I have a word to say to you, so I came." "It is estimated that he still blamed Yang Shiqi a little in his heart, Emperor Ben condescended to come to see you, not only are you not happy, but you also pose like this?" Disappointed!
Heavy minister Yang Shiqi
A few days later, the palace captured two ill-intentioned thieves, and he felt that Yang Shiqi's concerns were justified, and specially summoned Yang Shiqi to inform him of this, lamenting that he now knew how much Yang Shiqi loved himself.
Both the "Yutang Congyu" and the "History of Ming" reveal how harmonious the relationship between Zhu Zhanji and his courtiers is, and it can also be seen that Zhu Zhanji is considerate and trusting of the chancellor, otherwise he would not dare to bring a small number of followers to the minister's home. Changing to the Jiajing Emperor or the Wanli Emperor did not dare to do such a thing at all.
Zhu Zhanji, who can come up with the idea of visiting the door in the middle of the night, is not a well-behaved baby who follows the rules and rules, and he is steady with a little skin.
02 Promote the weaving of tianzi
Zhu Zhanji had a nickname: "Promoting the Weaving of Heavenly Sons."
What does it mean? Promoting weaving, that is, crickets, alias crickets, all over the world, but probably only ancient China very magically invented the game of fighting crickets, Ya name "Qiuxing", also known as "Dou Promoting Weaving" and "Fighting Cockroaches". Zhu Zhanji loves to play this, and only then will he have the nickname of "Promoting the Weaving of Heavenly Sons."
In fact, there are many ancient celebrities who love to play crickets, and Zhu Zhanji is not the first. The Southern Song Dynasty Prime Minister Jia Xiangdao was a master, and also wrote a "Promoting Weaving Classic", which is the world's first monograph on crickets, with a total of two volumes, divided into two volumes, divided into endowment, shape, color, decisive victory, cultivation, fighting, disease, etc., and made a comprehensive discussion of crickets.
Although Zhu Zhanji was not as obsessed with Crickets as Jia Xiangdao, he also ordered eunuchs to go to Jiangnan to spend a lot of money to buy them, and also asked officials to assist.
According to historical records, the original text of the edict is:
"The prefect of Suzhou is in charge of the situation: Compared with the internal official An Jixiang'er, he has taken the promotion of weaving, and now he has entered the number of weavings, and there are many small and unbearable. He has been told that he will be transported to a thousand in the end, and when he arrives, he can cooperate with him to do it, and do not make a mistake. Edict. July of the ninth year of Xuande. ”
The description of this incident in the "Wan Li Ye Zhi Zhi" is: I was the most skillful at this play by Emperor Xuanzong, and I secretly ordered the suzhou prefect to enter a thousand. A moment of words: "Promote the weaving of Qu Qu, Emperor Xuande wants." ”
It is said that a tragic incident occurred as a result. There was a grain chief in Fengqiao, who was entrusted by his superiors to buy crickets, found a particularly good one, and did not have enough money with him, so he exchanged his horse. After taking it home, his wife wanted to see what the crickets that had been exchanged for horses looked like, so she quietly opened the jar to peek, but the crickets jumped out and happened to be eaten by the chickens on the side.
cricket
The wife of the chief grain chief was very frightened and committed suicide. After the grain chief returned from work, he was very sad on the one hand, and he was worried that he would be punished by his superiors without crickets, and he also committed suicide.
Pu Songling of the Qing Dynasty used this as a background to create a "Promotion of Weaving" in "Liaozhai".
Crickets were originally just wild things and not valuable; but when people gambled with crickets, the value of crickets increased; when crickets entered the eyes of the emperor, their value was multiplied by hundreds of thousands of times, and it could not be evaluated.
Zhu Zhanji's original intention was certainly not to work hard and hurt the people's wealth, because he was willing to spend money to buy it. He could only talk about the position of emperor, and he had to be careful in every move, he thought that playing crickets was just a small thing, but he did not think that his hobby was a big thing in the hearts of his subjects.
Stills from "Daming Style"
03 Love beauty
There are many interesting records about the Ming Dynasty in the Records of the Li Dynasty, one of which is that Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty always asked them to provide fish, kimchi, and beautiful women.
I think kimchi is probably their obscenity, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, not to fall in love with their kimchi. Fish may want to taste early, but it will not always be asked.
In fact, Zhu Zhanji twice sent a note to the king of the Li Dynasty, advising him not to use gold and silver utensils that were not produced in his own country as a tribute, and ordering him not to send any more exotic animals other than those requested. Probably the rare animals offered by Li Chaojin were too ordinary in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty.
However, the beauty of this item, should be true.
From the time of The Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, there were Korean beauties in the Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace; during the Ming Dynasty Zhu Di period, there were more Korean beauties in the palace; Akihito Zhu Gaozi also liked the supple Korean beauties. In other words, it is the tradition of the Ming dynasty royal family to let Korea pay tribute to the beauty.
Moreover, the real Zhu Zhanji is not as dedicated as in "Daming Fenghua", although he loves the Sun clan of qingmei bamboo horses, he also loves other beautiful girls.
The "Small History of the Ming Dynasty" records a funny and wordless thing. It is said that Zhu Zhanji went to a certain minister's house for a banquet, and the family had the idea of climbing the dragon and attaching the phoenix, and during the banquet, the beautiful little daughter came out to pour wine for the emperor, and Zhu Zhanji liked it when he saw it.
But this girl was still young, so Zhu Zhanji let her stay at home, giving her gold and silver eating utensils today, gold and jade jewelry tomorrow, and so on, just waiting for her to enter the palace when she was old. Waiting, waiting, finally waiting until the girl grew up and could enter the palace, and then, Zhu Zhanji died.
Everyone waited in vain.
The author of "Small History of the Ming Dynasty", Lü Yi, was a scholar at the end of the Ming Dynasty, who became a Taoist monk after the death of the Ming Dynasty, and the "History of the Ming Palace" made by him was included in the "Four Libraries of the Whole Book" of the Qing Dynasty, but it is impossible to determine whether the above matter is true or false, and everyone can look at it as a story.
Zhu Zhanji's lust is well documented. In addition to Hu Shanxiang and Sun Shi, he also had 12 famous concubines, and those who did not have names did not know. Although it is not too much for the emperor, please consider his age, he was only 38 years old when he died, the custom of the emperors is that the older the better, if he can live to 60, the concubines will certainly not only be this number.
Of course, lust is human nature, and as long as it does not affect the right thing, Zhu Zhanji's good looks are not a big problem. By 1433, he ordered Korea to stop paying tribute to beautiful women, probably preferring their own.
04 Eunuchs participated in politics
Zhu Zhanji's most serious illness was that he set a precedent for eunuchs to participate in politics.
In the first year of Xuande (1426), Zhu Zhanji ordered the establishment of the "Inner Book Hall" and ordered the eunuchs to study and advance.
What courses do you take? "Hundred Family Names", "Thousand Character Text", "Filial Piety", "University", "Zhongyong", "Analects", "Mencius", "Zhenguan Politicians", "Literature Examination", etc., are similar to the textbooks of readers who take the route of the imperial examination, and all of them are Hanlin bachelors, and the teaching force is first-class.
Ordinary eunuch families can't invite such high-end teachers, and the small students of small doors and small households don't even think about it. Why was the overall quality of eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty better than that of other dynasties? It is precisely because they have such learning conditions.
After that, Zhu Zhanji set up the eunuch Bingbi, the superintendent of ceremonies, and the eunuch of The Superintendent of Ceremonies.
The eunuch was the most powerful position in the Ming Dynasty's twelve prisons, known as the "internal minister". Ranked first in the Si Li Supervisor, the status is above the Bingbi eunuch, responsible for completing the final review of the "approval of red" in the Ming Dynasty's national decision-making, and if it passes, it is stamped, and if it is not passed, it is re-drafted.
The status of the eunuch Bingbi is second to that of the eunuch who holds the palm seal, and holds the power of "approving the red", and the chief bingbi eunuch is usually in charge of secret agent torture institutions such as the East Factory and zhao prison, and holds a high position of authority.
So what is "batch red"? This brings us to the decision-making process of the Ming government.
The emperor is only one person, no matter how powerful he is, he cannot handle all the government affairs, and the chancellor is the emperor's assistant. However, in order to strengthen the imperial power, Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the position of "Minister of Finance", and the six ministries were directly responsible to the emperor. This undoubtedly aggravated the work of the emperor, who ate and his children and grandchildren.
Zhu Di pioneered the "cabinet", and the cabinet at this time was only the emperor's advisory body and did not have much power; in Zhu Gaozi's time, he had great respect for the teachers who had become cabinet scholars, and the status of the cabinet was promoted; it was Zhu Zhanji who really gave the cabinet the status of "administrative center".
All important documents of the imperial court shall be drafted by the cabinet for approval, written on the ticket with ink pen, and sent to the emperor for approval, which is called "vote draft". In this way, the emperor's work was reduced, and the cabinet became the highest central administrative body above the six ministries.
The "vote" was handed over to the emperor, who gave instructions in red characters, which was called "approval of red", that is, the final decision.
Zhu Zhanji gave the power to "criticize the red" to the bingbi eunuchs, which was equivalent to putting the eunuchs above the civilian officials. He was also afraid of not being insured, and set up a palm print eunuch to do the final review. The scourge of eunuchs in the middle and late Ming Dynasty was thus buried.
Therefore, many people in later generations complained that Zhu Zhanji planted such a big thunder for future generations in order to make time for crickets or beauties to free up time.
However, we can think about it in reverse. Without the constraints of eunuchs, would the Ming Dynasty really develop better in the hands of civilian officials? Not necessarily. Even without these powerful eunuchs, the civil servants should still fight, and if they don't fight, then they should target the emperor. For the royal family, this is the most terrifying sight.
Zhu Zhanji must have also considered various possibilities before he deliberately cultivated eunuchs.
Governing the world is inseparable from civilian officials, but the DPRK and China cannot be dominant, and other forces must be used to contain them. Foreigners can't do it, and what could be better than a rootless eunuch? Because of their own imperfections, no matter how ambitious the eunuchs are, they are only a little more powerful and wealthy, and they will not be arrogant enough to want to become emperors.
As a result, the eunuch clique of the Ming Dynasty had a basis for formation.
In short, Zhu Zhanji's IQ was definitely in the top three among the Emperors of the Ming Dynasty, and no matter how playful and lustful he was, the "main business" never let go. Just like some of the students in reality, people should eat and play, but learning is still so good, it is simply envious and hateful.
Reference: History of the Ming Dynasty