Ming Hsiao Zhu Yu Fan image
01
Emperor Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youzhu favored Empress Zhang alone in this life, did not have concubines, only five low-grade ladies, but did not go to their beds at all.
Resulting in thin offspring.
In addition to his eldest son, Zhu Houzhao, he only gave birth to a second imperial son, Zhu Houwei, and accidentally died early.
Compared with other princes, Brother Houzhao's life is not too happy. The chair in the Fengtian Temple has no competitor.
I grew up in the stars and moon.
But Xiao Houzhao's character is not flawed.
The prince of the Great Qing Education said not to learn from Zhu Houzhao, which was actually embarrassing.
In the extant "Records of Emperor Wuzong of Ming", the cabinet ministers did not hesitate to praise Zhu Houzhao's performance when he was crown prince at the beginning:
...... Sitting in the morning and noon, when the banquet moves, Rong Yi is solemn, not less presumptuous, the lecturer will open his arch when he retreats, and give the appearance of respect, and the next day, cover up the book and recite the teachings very well... Emperor Xiaozong was lucky to read the business, and he led the palace staff to go to welcome and send off, idle in etiquette, greeting peace and drinking, and respectfully did not violate it. Filial piety loves it very much, and if you have travel, you will follow it, and if you see something, you will enlighten as you go; In order to learn, or to hear that he is quite good at riding and shooting, thinking that the Ke Jun soldiers, the sixth division of Zhang Huang, will not forget the meaning of danger, and the forbidden of Fu ...
At a glance, it seems to be definitely a glorious template for the heir of the Ming Jun, and his performance in the late Zhengde Dynasty is almost the same.
The president of the "Records of Emperor Wuzong of Ming" was Yang Tinghe, and the final draft was made by the Jiajing Emperor Zhu Houxi.
These two people are first-hand witnesses of the incident, and the other is a cousin who sits in Zhu Houzhao's position but is not directly related by blood, there is really no need to grease him, so the use of materials can be completely fidelity.
02
However, Zhu Youzhu still couldn't worry about Zhu Houzhao, and the day before he died, he appointed three ministers of Gu Ming to his precious son, that is, the cabinet trio at that time: Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian.
In May of the eighteenth year of Hongzhi (1505), Emperor Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youzhu died, and Emperor Ming Wuzong Zhu Houzhao officially made a grand appearance from then on!
Mingwu Sect Zhu Atshō image
In the same month as Zhu Youxiang died, the northern Mongol neighbor Dayan Khan (known as the Little Prince in Ming history) lost no time in slamming into the bar: launching a southern invasion.
A great battle broke out between the two sides at Yutailing (Yutailing, Wanquan District, Wanquan District, Zhangquan, Hebei).
In this battle, although the Ming army held on for seven days and nights, it still ended up with a total annihilation:
In the army, 2,165 people were killed, 1,156 were wounded, more than 6,500 horses were lost, and men and women, animals, and equipment were plundered. The speaker said: It is unprecedented after his own military disaster.
It is regarded by the government and the public as the biggest defeat of the Ming court since the change of Tumu Fort, and there is no one.
In October, Dayan Khan ran to Gansu to grab a circle, and there was chaos everywhere on the nine sides.
However, the Manchu ministers were helpless and did nothing, except to see when the Mongols would be happy and retreat satisfied.
Zhu Houzhao sneered in his heart, Dad had nothing else except leaving a false empty shelf of "Hongzhi Zhongxing".
The treasury is empty! The border army is in ruins! Water leaks everywhere on the nine sides! The civil officials and old men don't use their farts!
So this must be changed!
03
How to change it?
After all, the cabinet trio has the power to take care of orders in name, Daming rules the world with filial piety, and Zhu Houzhao can't hit his father in the face as soon as he comes to power.
With his eyes rolling three times and twice, Brother Houzhao had an idea - to carry the eunuch group out again to fight with the old guys like the civil officials!
This is also a preserved repertoire in Chinese history. Whenever eunuchs played an important role in successive dynasties, there were all signs of the imperial power.
This is the "Eight Tigers" we now know, namely: Liu Jin, Ma Yongcheng, Gu Dayong, Wei Bin, Zhang Yong, Qiu Ju, Gao Feng, Luo Xiang.
Nowadays, various historical materials are full of "eight tigers" from the beginning of Zhu Houzhao's accession to the throne, guiding Zhu Houzhao to fly eagles and lackeys every day, ignoring the imperial government.
In fact, the "Eight Tigers" only later became famous in history.
Zhu Houzhao's control over the eunuchs was several notches higher than that of other emperors, and he did not find the chief eunuch who was righteous at that time.
At that time, Liu Jin, the highest-ranking member in the Bahuli, was the head of the Bell and Drum Division, and the daily work of the Bell and Drum Division was to manage the royal opera team.
Shen Defu's "Wanliye Compilation" contains:
"All the plays in the inner court are subordinate to the bell and drum division."
To put it bluntly, it's eight companions.
They did not have the slightest foundation in the inner court, and there were great eunuchs on them, and they couldn't turn over the waves at all.
Even if it is scrapped later, Brother Houzhao will not be distressed, but if he can play with civil officials, it will make a lot of money.
Call them "Eight Tigers", those old guys from the outer court.
The reason why the cabinet is anxious to get rid of the "eight tigers" is mainly because they think their hands are too long.
04
Previously, the cabinet used the edict of Emperor Xiaozong in his hand to limit the control of eunuchs (directly under the emperor) over the army and taxes, but these things were not followed because of Liu Jin;
There was no money in the palace, and Liu Jin was the first to jump out of the idea: scatter all the eunuchs in the palace to serve as town guards, and they would naturally get the money back when they left the palace.
Brother Houzhao blossomed and ordered them all to be complied with.
Liu Jin was thus promoted to the rank of internal eunuch and governor of the 12th regiment.
But it undoubtedly made the cabinet ministers very angry—the money obtained by the eunuchs was not sent to Hubu and Taicang to increase their KPIs; The eunuchs forcibly get money and leave a piece of shit in the locality, but they want the old men to wipe it!
To sum up, Liu Jin hung up in the hearts of Qunchen.
The Ming History 192 Eunuch I contains:
Emperor Xiaozong's posthumous edict dismissed the central government supervisor gun and the city gate supervision bureau, but Jin Junge could not do it, and persuaded the emperor to order the defenders of the inner court to pay ten thousand gold. It also set up the Imperial Estate, which gradually increased to more than 300 houses, and there was a great disturbance in the Kinai. The emperor was happy, gradually credited, entered the internal official supervisor, and the governor's regimental camp.
05
Liu Jian, the head of the cabinet, went home and wrote a song: Emperor, you can't reuse eunuchs, there was Zhao Gao calamity Qin before, and the second dynasty died; Recently, Wang Zhen has the power, and the change of civil engineering...
Brother Houzhao received the music and replied "got it", and then continued to do his own thing, and more eunuchs appeared around him.
Immediately afterwards, Shangshu Zhang Sheng of the Ministry of Rites and the six departments gave four people in the incident and more than ten people from the imperial history of the capital inspection court to take turns to ask for the removal of the "Eight Tigers".
As a result, it was again mud cows into the sea.
Liu Jian half-gambled and half-threatened Zhu Houzhao: "Emperor, if you continue like this, we won't be able to do this job!" The cabinet resigned en masse! Please be smart!
What Liu Jian didn't expect was that Zhu Houzhao didn't eat this set at all, and he choked back in public so that he couldn't get off the stage:
"There are so many heinous dead eunuchs under the sky, and there are countless traitors in your civil service group who can do bad things! I don't say, you guys understand it in your own hearts! ”
Everything in the world is bad for internal officials! Courtiers and bad deeds are often ten or seven, and the gentlemen also know it!
Liu Jian almost sprayed a mouthful of old blood on His Majesty: Emperor, how can you push the truth out with your tongue?!
06
Zhu Houzhao's attitude shows that it is useless to simply reason.
Liu Jian and the others had to go sideways.
In October of the first year of Zhengde (1506), Yang Yuan, the supervisor of the five senses (official name, zhengba pin), wrote a letter saying:
"Before entering the imperial throne of Taiweiyuan, there are different exchanges between east and west."
Confusion is Mars. In the eyes of the ancients, Mars represented the disaster star, and its appearance has always been considered a precursor to natural disasters and even the collapse of countries.
As soon as Yang Yuan was stunned, the imperial history of various disciplines moved and followed up one after another, saying: Please the emperor immediately depose the "Eight Tigers", otherwise it will cause even greater disasters!
I have to say that this trick of true spirit, Zhu Houzhao was frightened: the matter of ghosts and gods, it is better to believe in it, not to trust it, what if it is fulfilled?
Zhu Houzhao deliberately alienated the "Eight Tigers" and others.
The official Shangshu Hanwen struck while the iron was hot, led the six departments and nine qings, and came another round of bombing.
Zhu Houzhao's head grows: although the "Eight Tigers" can make him happy, the current situation has threatened his rule, and he has to push them out as substitute ghosts.
Zhu Houzhao sent people to find Li Rong, the eunuch in charge of the seal of the superintendent of ceremonies, and Wang Yue, the chief of the book, and the three of them made a total communication: send the "Eight Tigers" to Nanjing to live idle, and Wang Yue immediately announced it to the cabinet to appease the hearts of the people of the dynasty.
(Li Rong is an old man who grew up watching Zhu Houzhao, Wang Yue's daily relationship with civil officials is not bad, Zhu Houzhao did not let the two of them get involved in the war between the eight tigers and the cabinet, it was nothing more than wanting to use them as buffers, after all, be a person and leave a line, and see each other well in the future.) ）
But when the news reached the cabinet, Liu Jian and others did not buy it: We spent so much effort, but only sent them to Nanjing to live idle? In case the emperor remembers them one day and calls them back again, isn't it in vain?!
No way! Eight Tigers must die! No negotiation!
07
In order to be safe, Liu Jian also pulled up a finger with Wang Yue: "Prince Wang, getting rid of the Eight Tigers will be beneficial to you without any harm!" ”
Wang Yue originally wanted to be a melon-eating mass, but after Liu Jian's reminder, Wang Yue made up his mind: the eight tigers are deeply favored, and it is difficult to guarantee that they will not covet their position in the future... It really should have destroyed the eight tigers together!
Wang Yue returned to the palace and urged Zhu Houzhao to directly kill the Eight Tigers, and at the worst, he would charge the Nanjing Jing Army!
PS：
The so-called clean army is not to let the eunuchs who have made mistakes become soldiers, but to let them empty the toilet and wash the toilet.
There's a lot of doorways in this --
If there is a dead opponent on it, in a few days there will be a report from the Nanjing side, saying that so-and-so lost his foot and drowned in the pit when he poured the toilet.
Like the later Feng Bao, Wang An and others are treated like this.
08
Qunchen and the great eunuch worked together to suppress, now Liu Jin and the others are dead, right?
No!
Because there is a traitor among the courtiers, and the position is not low, he is the new official Shangshu - Jiao Fang.
The reason why Jiao Fang turned his back on the group was mainly because of his identity - he is now the official Shangshu, the first person in the foreign court, if he can have the opportunity to let the current cabinet vacate a few chairs, won't he be able to ascend to the sky in one step?!
In addition, Jiao Fang has the most characteristic problem, which can be called the first person in the Ming Dynasty: he particularly discriminates against officials of southern origin.
Whenever a southern official is dismissed, Jiao Fang will be happy like the New Year, and even buy firecrackers to go home.
In the cabinet at that time, Xie Qian's hometown was in Yuyao, Zhejiang, a southerner; Li Dongyang, an indigenous to Beijing, but his ancestral home is Chaling, Hunan Province, and he is still a southerner; Liu Jian is a northerner, but he and two southerners control the cabinet, and in Jiao Fang's eyes, this is a traitor to the north!
09
Jiao Fang's fire line surrendered, and he went to find Liu Jin without sticking his feet.
Liu Jin's method is very primitive, one word: cry.
Tears fell, crying made Zhu Houzhao very embarrassed.
"Emperor, the slaves really don't want to die!"
"I won't let you die, but you need to go to Nanjing now to avoid the limelight."
"However, Wang Yue colluded with the courtiers, they must put the slaves to death!"
"Huh?"
When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he was stunned on the spot.
Dead Cave is found!
For the emperor, he was not afraid of the noise of the courtiers, nor was he afraid of the house slaves making trouble, he was afraid that these two groups of people would put their hands on and put themselves in bags!
Civil officials actually colluded with the inner court! Who dares to keep this kind of domestic slave who eats inside and outside?
Liu Jin saw that Zhu Houzhao's face was uncertain, and added another fire: "Emperor, you have grown up!" ”
Even if my father asks me to honor you as Sir and let me study with you, in the end, you are all migrant workers of the Zhu family!
Zhu Houzhao immediately passed on the decree: Liu Jin was promoted to the post of superintendent of ceremonies, Bingbi, Qiu Ju was promoted to supervise the East Factory, Gu Dayong was appointed to supervise the West Factory, and Zhang Yong and others took over the imperial horse supervisor and governor of Jingying.
Wang Yue and his fellow party Fan Heng and others in Si Lijian were all arrested and imprisoned.
10
And Qunchen still knows nothing about all this.
Liu Jian was still busy planning, and he wanted to launch a "thunderous blow" against the Eight Tigers when he went to court the next day, forcing Zhu Houzhao to kill them no matter what.
When Liu Jin announced the results of Wang Yue's treatment, Liu Jian understood that he had lost completely this time, and there was no good fruit to eat if he stayed, sighed, and offered to resign.
Li Dongyang and Xie Qian followed closely and also submitted their resignations.
But the final result was to allow Liu and Xie to return to their hometowns, and Li Dongyang stayed.
The reason for this is first, because Li Dongyang is not as radical as Liu Jian and Xie Qian in dealing with the Eight Tigers;
Second, because both Zhu Houzhao and Liu Jin needed Li Dongyang to stay and support them as a signboard, after all, the Ming Dynasty did not have a precedent for removing all the cabinet elders at once.
11
In this battle, the biggest winner is none other than Jiao Fang.
Old Master Jiao just gave Liu Jin a piece of news, and he was directly promoted from Shangshu to the second assistant of the cabinet.
After that, Jiao Fang took refuge under Liu Jin.
Liu Jin also officially began his five-year "emperor" years of monopoly...
And for civil officials, it is necessary to kill him back! Otherwise, there will be no chance to turn over.
Exactly, here comes the help...
—To be continued—