Emperor Akihito was the fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the eldest son of Zhu Di. But he did not reign long, less than a year. After Zhu Gaozi's sudden death, he was succeeded by his son Zhu Zhanji, also known as Emperor Xuanzong of Ming.
Why did Emperor Akihito pass the throne to Zhu Zhanji?
At the beginning, Zhu Gaozi became Zhu Di's successor, and some people thought that it was because Zhu Di preferred his grandson Zhu Zhanji, which passed the throne to Zhu Gaozi.
This is the same as in Kangxi's time, and some people say that the reason why Kangxi passed the throne to the four brothers yinchen was mainly because Kangxi liked the Hongli calendar.
Objectively speaking, Zhu Di really liked Zhu Zhanji very much. On the night of Zhu Zhanji's birth, Zhu Di had a dream that his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, had given him a Dagui, which in ancient times symbolized power. When Zhu Dizheng was still unfinished, he got the report that his grandson Zhu Zhanji was born, and Zhu Di saw that Xiao Zhanji looked very much like himself, and his face was full of heroism, unconsciously combining him with this dream, and this incident also had a great effect on Zhu Di's rebellion.
In particular, after Zhu Di became emperor, he was even better at this grandson, not only making him the emperor's grandson, but also often taking him with him, even when he was personally conquering Mongolia.
Zhu Gaozi was not in good health and had difficulty moving, but Zhu Zhanji was strong and vigorous. This made Zhu Di very relieved, but whether Zhu Di would choose Zhu Gaozi as his successor is doubtful. After all, this risk is too great, Zhu Di absolutely has no ability to control Zhu Gaozi, so he must choose Zhu Zhanji in the future, in case Zhu Gaozi does not choose?
You must know that Zhu Yuanzhang did not make Zhu Di emperor, nor did he let him rebel, but he still couldn't help but raise an army not long after Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne.
Who will bear this risk, so as the Emperor of Daming, Zhu Di will definitely not choose a successor so hastily.
But the reason why Zhu Zhanji was able to become a successor was indeed related to Zhu Di. It should be known that Zhu Gaoji has ten sons, and Zhu Zhanji is still very good at winning Zhu Di's liking, not to mention that Zhu Di is still very attentive to Zhu Zhanji's education and training.
Under the cultivation of Zhu Di, Zhu Zhanji, who was born and intelligent, was both literate and martial.
But more crucial is Zhu Zhanji's origin, he is the eldest son of a concubine, and his mother is the famous Empress Zhang, who played a very great stabilizing role in the early ming Dynasty.
The reason why Zhu Gaozi was the successor at that time was a very crucial factor, and Zhu Zhanji was naturally the same. Just imagine, a very outstanding eldest son is still rare, so Zhu Zhanji naturally became the prince.
Objectively speaking, Zhu Zhanji was still very good as an emperor, he reigned for ten years, carried out a series of reforms, and implemented a policy of recuperation like his father, which made Daming further develop and become stronger, and he and his father Akihito ruled together with him as "the rule of Renxuan".