If the emperor has a virtuous wife, it is a good thing, and the famous empress dowager of the Tang Dynasty has made positive contributions to the country. And the Ming Dynasty empress emerged many empresses, Empress Xu of Zhu Di.
Empress Xu's name was Xu Miaoyun, the eldest daughter of the Ming Dynasty general Xu Da, and belonged to a prominent family. Among the empresses of the Ming Dynasty, she created 3 records, and Zhu Di did not make an empress for 17 years after her death. What is the charm of Xu Miaoyun that makes a generation of tyrants Zhu Di so obsessed?
The most noble Empress of the Ming Dynasty
Most of the empresses of the Ming Dynasty were of commoner origin, and their family wealth was not too noble, which may affect their vision and knowledge to some extent. This is the difference between the original ecological families and the different personalities. And Xu Miaoyun was born very noble, she was the daughter of the Ming Dynasty general Xu Da, who belonged to the Tiger Woman of the General Gate, that is, a strange woman who could write and fight.
His father, Xu Da, was not only a founding hero of the Ming Dynasty, he and Zhu Yuanzhang belonged to good brothers and had great merit in the project of destroying the Yuan Dynasty. Privately, he was a good father, and Xu Miaoyun had been carefully educated by the family since he was a child, and he was a strange woman at that time. Not only is the literature good, but also knows how to arrange troops, which can play a major role in the future.
The record of Xu Miaoyun in the history books is that you are young and quiet, good at reading, and called female students. Being able to be called a sentient being means that she is familiar with the history of the Scriptures, and she can also give lectures to others, which is highly respected by the world. Although she is a girl, her talent is not inferior to her brothers in the family. According to records, she has a super high memory, has the ability to never forget, and the "ink" in her stomach is very high.
"A woman and a hundred families to ask", Zhu Yuanzhang heard about her ability in the palace, and then he took the initiative to ask the Xu family for affection. The two sides reached a political marriage, which belongs to the "strong alliance", compared with the blind marriage and dumb marriage in the past, Xu Miaoyun and Zhu Di are acquainted. In Hongwu 6 years, she was selected by Empress Ma to be a female official in the palace, which was considered to be "cultivating" her daughter-in-law in advance to see how her character was. In the ninth year of Hongwu,200, the two sides were officially married, and Xu Miaoyun was crowned princess of Yan and became the daughter-in-law of Zhu Yuanzhang.
Assist husbands in starting a business
"Even the magpies on the branches are noisy, and the talented and beautiful people like to start a family", and the two lived a very sweet life after marriage. In the second year after marriage, she gave birth to her first child, Princess Yong'an, and in the second year, she gave birth to her eldest son, Zhu Gaoyu, and completely sat firmly in the position of Princess Yan. After marriage, Xu Miaoyun followed her husband Zhu Di to sit in Beiping and started her career of "virtuous help". In ancient China, "the male protagonist is outside, the female protagonist is inside", but Xu Miaoyun did more than expected.
In fact, Beiping was the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, and the scale of construction was quite large, and Zhu Di was under great pressure when he first arrived in Beijing. Every day, the government affairs are busy with "anxiety", and they have to deal with Mongolia in the north. Xu Miaoyun was in charge of everything in the house, kept in order, and basically did not have to let Zhu Di worry about it outside. The family did not need him to manage, let Zhu Di devote himself to politics wholeheartedly, and his career was thriving.
Zhu Di was not only a woman around Xu Miaoyun, as a clan king, there would definitely be a concubine. But his relationship with his wife is very good, Zhu Di's first 7 children are all born to Xu Miaoyun, which is "evidence". In addition to extending his heirs for the Zhu family, he also assisted haofu Jun in governing Beiping, and had a high prestige in the Yan Dynasty. Although she is a princess, Xu Miaoyun's life is very simple, there is no luxurious living habits, and she is very recognized by the elderly.
The Battle of Jingnan played an important role
During the Xuanwumen Rebellion, empress dowager Was very supportive of Li Shimin's rebellion, and Xu Miaoyun also played the same role in the Battle of Jingnan. As a woman, the advice she gave to her husband worked well. Zhu Di fought outside, and she took her son Zhu Gaoyu to guard the "base camp" of Beiping and resist Li Jinglong's attack. At the time of danger, he personally climbed the city tower to encourage everyone, personally supervised the battle despite the danger, and carried the siege of the southern army.
This battle is really very crucial to Zhu Di's career, and if he loses, he will lose the "base camp". After all, those who stayed in Beiping at that time were all old, weak, sick and disabled, and their combat effectiveness was not high. In this case, it is based on wisdom, some like the "empty city plan" in the Three Kingdoms period, and most of the defense suggestions come from Xu Miaoyun. In other words, the son rushed in front, and the mother stabilized the overall situation in the back, miraculously "saving" Beiping.
With Xu Miaoyun's support behind his back, Zhu Di can fight around with all his heart and no worries. In June of the 4th year of Jianwen, Zhu Di officially ascended the throne as emperor in Nanjing, and considering the political instability, he did not take Xu Miaoyun over at the first time. After clearing away the hidden dangers, he took his wife to Nanjing and sent his two sons to the river to pick up Xu Miaoyun. He even personally went to the palace gate to welcome his wife into the palace, which was a supreme honor.
He died in his prime
Xu Miaoyun was the third empress of the Ming Dynasty, but the canonization ceremony was the most solemn, and the Panlong Button Seal was chosen. He also asked the officials of the Ministry of Rites to announce the canonization of the edict outside the Chengtian Gate, which belonged to the separate announcement to the world, and also highlighted Xu Miaoyun's military feats. After becoming empress, Xu Miaoyun kept his duties in mind. Every day, he cared about Zhu Di's diet and living, and took care of the affairs of the palace. Influence was also used to positively influence the previous dynasty, such as proposing tax breaks and caring for the people.
Xu Miaoyun, an old minister of the Jianwen Emperor, was very tolerant and advised to choose talented people and arrange them in the imperial court. And we can't kill innocents indiscriminately because of their past, which has a great impact on the Yongle Dynasty. Many of Emperor Jianwen's former subjects were willing to be used by Zhu Di to quickly stabilize the situation in the imperial court and successfully complete the "excessive" power. For her mother's family, Empress Xu was very strict and opposed Zhu Di's canonization of her family. Instruct the children of the Xu family to abide by their duties and not to think otherwise.
And Xu Da's children and their descendants have always kept in mind the principle of loyalty, and the Xu family has produced many loyal subjects. For her and Zhu Di's children, Xu Miaoyun carefully taught and gave good expectations to the eldest son, and naturally the requirements were very strict. As for the other children, they were also strongly restrained, and no one dared to be a demon when she was alive. In addition, Empress Xu also raised her "little sister-in-law" Princess Baoqing, because her birth mother died early, and Zhu Di handed over her sister to her wife. Although she is an "aunt", she is like a biological mother and daughter.
Just when everything was developing in a good direction, Zhu Di did not expect that his wife, who had accompanied him for more than 30 years, fell seriously ill. Even if you look for a famous doctor, you still can't save your beloved wife's life. He was only 46 years old when he died, which is a pity. Before his death, he wished his husband to cherish the people and treat his relatives well.
After that, she stayed in Nanjing, and was not buried until after the completion of the Changling Underground Palace, and she was the first person to be buried in the Ming Dynasty's Ming Tombs.
brief summary
After Xu Miaoyun's death, Zhu Di was depressed for a long time and missed his wife in his heart. He even made a decision not to make another empress for 17 years, just to remember his beloved wife. In 1424, Zhu Di died of illness on a expedition, and before his death, he was instructed to be buried next to Empress Xu to accompany his wife. According to the ancient standards for judging women, Empress Xu was definitely a good wife, a good queen, and a good mother. No matter which aspect is done well, it deserves the praise of future generations, and Zhu Di's marriage to her is the greatest luck in this life.