In history, many monarchs who have opened up territory and expanded their territory and have great talents will be more inclined to like sons who are close to their own personalities, rather than those who are contrary to their own personalities, which is a common sentiment of people, such as Qin Shi Huang Yingzheng, who does not like Fu Su with a softer personality; Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty, has a very general attitude towards the gentle prince Liu Zhao, and so on.
However, why is it different here that The Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang is different? The cruel and tenacious Zhu Yuanzhang and the crown prince Zhu Biao are two people with completely opposite personalities, why would Zhu Yuanzhang spoil Zhu Biao so exclusively? So much so that after his death, he had to give the throne to his son Zhu Yunjiao!
For this problem, the author mainly thinks that there are the following reasons!
First, because Zhu Biao is the eldest son of a concubine
This point can be said to be very important, because the eldest son will always be the first heir to the throne, so for the sake of the stability of Daming's country, for the exclusive favor of the eldest son Zhu Biao, and the estrangement of other sons, it is conducive to letting the ministers at the bottom see clearly who is the future of Daming, and at the same time, let the other 25 sons die, you have no share in this throne!
If the emperor's favor is too even, the ministers at the bottom will frantically speculate on the holy will, and if they can't understand the emperor's preferences, it is easy to sway from side to side like a wall grass, and then form a serious party struggle.
Second, it was normal for the firstborn son to be favored in ancient times
In ancient times, unlike modern times, he was deeply influenced by Confucian ethics such as brotherhood and brotherhood, and the eldest brother was like a father, and the eldest son was usually the pillar of a family, so he was naturally more favored. And most modern families are pampered with the youngest son, and there is a stark contrast between the two!
Third, Zhu Biao is not like a father but like a mother
Zhu Biao was a famous benevolent and generous prince in history, and he took the initiative to intercede with Zhu Yuanzhang on behalf of some brothers and ministers who had made mistakes many times, so that he would be spared punishment, so that he was very noble both in the Manchu Dynasty and in the minds of his brothers!
This personality is very similar to his mother, Empress Ma, and Empress Ma and Zhu Yuanzhang are a husband and wife who work together from poverty to wealth. Under these many factors, it is normal for Zhu Biao to be favored!
Fourth, to govern the country, we must be relaxed and reasonable
Zhu Yuanzhang was a very tough monarch, and under his rule the whole country was in a very tense state, and the way to govern the country was to be relaxed, and Zhu Biao's benevolence could make up for this perfectly.
The comprehensive level of the fifth and 25 younger brothers is not as good as that of the older brothers
Zhu Biao was a very perfect eldest son, although he was born in happiness, he did not have any bad habits, attached great importance to the feelings of his brothers, respected his parents, loved his brothers, and learned well in Confucianism.
Which parent wouldn't like such a well-educated son? On the other hand, his 25 younger brothers, even if they removed the advantages of Zhu Biao's eldest son, in terms of comprehensive ability, none of them could compare!
In summary, it is not surprising that Zhu Biao is deeply favored by Zhu Yuanzhang!