Zhu Di had three sons, namely the eldest son Zhu Gaoxu, the second son Zhu Gaoxu, and the third son Zhu Gaoxuan. During the Yongle years, the three sons participated in the dispute for the crown prince, which really caused Zhu Di a headache. Zhu Di made Zhu Gaozi crown prince in the second year of Yongle (1404), and in the ninth year of Yongle (1411), zhu Zhangji, the eldest son of Zhu Gaozi, was made the emperor's grandson. If Zhu Di was still hesitant when he made Zhu Gaozi crown prince, then when he made Zhu Zhanji the emperor's grandson, it shows that he has really made up his mind to make Zhu Gaozi the true heir to the throne.
Zhu Di and Zhu Zhanji
However, as a father, Zhu Di's favor for his other two sons, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaoxuan, did not diminish in the slightest, so that these two sons still had illusions about the throne. Historical records clearly record that Zhu Gaoxu had a clear desire to take a wife, and Zhu Di was very angry, so he sent Zhu Gaoxu to Le'an Prefecture. After Zhu Gaoxu succeeded to the throne, he also appeased Zhu Gaoxu many times, but Zhu Gaoxu still rebelled during the Xuande years.
For Zhu Gaoxu, before Zhu Gaoxu took the domain in the fifteenth year of Yongle, the two were in the capital together, and Zhu Gaoxuan had followed Zhu Gaoxu for a long time since childhood, and the relationship between the two was excellent. After Zhu Gaoxu took the throne, Zhu Gaoxuan still stayed in the capital, and the two never had the opportunity to meet again, and the relationship would naturally fade.
Later generations believe that Zhu Gaoxuan participated in the rebellion many times, but he was favored by Zhu Di and eventually forgiven. However, I think that Zhu Gaoxuan did have the intention of rebellion, but he did not participate in the rebellion. Maybe it is because I feel that my strength is not good, and I dare not act rashly?
Zhu Gaoxuan
In the twenty-first year of Yongle, Zhu Di became seriously ill, and Meng Xian, the commander of Zhu Gaoxuan's Changshan guards, and Huang Yu, a eunuch around Zhu Di, plotted to poison Zhu Di and let Zhu Gaoxuan succeed to the throne. The matter was denounced by Wang Yu, the chief banner of the Zhao Dynasty, and Zhu Di immediately had people arrested the people involved in the case, and summoned Zhu Gaoxuan and asked Zhu Gaoxuan: "Did you do it?" Zhu Gaozhuo was so frightened that he couldn't even speak. Zhu Gaozhuo came forward to intercede, saying that it was done by the next person and had nothing to do with Zhu Gaoxuan, who did not know it. Zhu Di finally believed Zhu Gaozi's words and did not punish Zhu Gaoxuan.
"History of Ming": Emperor Yue: "How should there be this!" "To establish a virtuous person, he must be a false edict." Xian and others are ambushed, and His Majesty Yu LiaoHaiwei thousand households. Emperor Gu Gao said, "Er? "Gao Fu was terrified and could not speak. Prince Li explained: "What this subordinate person does, Gao Fu will not know." "Self-righteousness.
This was originally an assassination attempt, but there were many doubts. Although Zhu Gaozhuo exonerated Zhu Gaoxuan, there were not many people involved in Zhu Gaoxuan's case, for example, Meng Xian was the commander of Zhu Gaoxuan's Changshan guard, Huang Yu had a very good personal relationship with Zhu Gaoxuan, and others involved in the case, such as Gao Zheng, an old soldier of Xingzhou Houtun Wei, and Fu Chen Kai of Tongzhou Right Guard Town, all had contacts with Zhu Gaoxuan. The question is, why would Zhu Di believe such an excuse? Was this assassination aimed at himself? If it was Zhu Gaozhuo's plot and the son assassinating his father, which was a great act of rebellion, how could Zhu Di let Zhu Gaofu go?
Zhu Di's failure to punish Zhu Gaoxuan shows that Zhu Di really believed that Zhu Gaoxuan was not involved in the matter, and that it was indeed his men who did it privately. I think that Zhu Di did not simply listen to Zhu Gaozi's excuse for Zhu Gaoxuan, but had a certain amount of evidence. A more reasonable deduction is that Zhu Di had everyone involved in the case interrogated, and if zhu Gaozhuan had led the matter, Zhu Di would have people arrest Zhu Gaoxuan, and even if he did not kill Zhu Gaoxuan, he would also be punished. However, zhu Di received a confession that the matter was not led by Zhu Gaoxuan and had nothing to do with Zhu Gaoxuan, so Zhu Di summoned Zhu Gaoxuan and asked him directly.
Zhu Di Zhu Gao Xu Zhu Gao Fu
In the process of summoning Zhu Gaoxuan, Zhu Gaoxuan showed great trepidation, and Zhu Di did not find anything suspicious. Since Zhu Gaozhuo had nothing to do with this matter, Zhu Di certainly would not punish Zhu Gaoxuan. So back to the previous question, how could Zhu Gaoxuan have so many people involved in the case? I think he didn't participate, but he definitely knew, he just took a chance and pretended not to know. If it is successful, he is the emperor, and if it fails, this matter has nothing to do with him, and he can also shirk it.
Zhu Gaoxuan also had a complete prince's three guards in his hands, and his troops were nearly 30,000. Zhu Di had originally deprived Zhu Gaoxu of two guards and ordered him to take the throne, but allowing Zhu Gaoxuan to stay in the capital and retain three guards was enough to prove that Zhu Di loved Zhu Gaoxu and believed that Zhu Gaoxuan would never rebel. After the assassination, according to common sense, Zhu Di should also limit Zhu Gaoxuan's power and deprive him of his princely guards. In fact, after Zhu Di's death, Zhu Gaoxuan voluntarily handed over two escorts to Zhu Gaozi, which was the Domain of Zhangde Province. This shows that after the assassination, Zhu Di still firmly believed that Zhu Gaoxuan would not rebel.
Zhu Zhanji
Is Zhu Di an old fool? Of course not, Zhu Di expressed a father's love for his son with 100% confirmation that Zhu Gaoxuan would not rebel.