During Zhu Yijun's first ten years in power, his mother Li Tai was a listener because of his young age. The Empress Dowager entrusted all military and political affairs to Zhang Juzheng, and through a series of legal changes, such as the enactment of whipping decrees, promoted social and economic prosperity, which is known in history as "Wanli Zhongxing".
However, after Zhang Juzheng's death, from November of the 14th year of Wanli (1586), Zhu Yijun began to drink and drink heavily, and there were even rumors that he contracted opium smoke.
Because of the dispute over the imperial throne, he quarreled with the cabinet for more than ten years, and later, he simply did not leave the palace for thirty years, but asked about state affairs, did not participate in sacrifices, did not participate in court meetings, did not meet ministers, did not approve official documents, and did not listen to lectures. By 1589, Zhu Yijun no longer appeared, and "people staying in office" and "Cao Zhi long empty" became important issues in cabinet politics. In the twenty-fifth year of Wanli, Xie Jie, the right attendant, denounced Shenzong for neglecting his government, and after assuming the throne, his political affairs were not as good as before, saying: "The emperor is filial to his family, respects his ancestors, is studious, diligent, respects heaven, loves the people, is economical, obedient, kind, and loyal, all than before."
As a result, in Zhu Yijun's later years, those high-ranking officials who entered the dynasty as officials had never even seen the appearance of the emperor. Linjiang County Ling Qian Ruogeng, who was imprisoned by Zhu Yijun for 37 years and never got out of prison, his son Qian Jingzhong wrote: "Within 37 years, his father was weak, his whole body was festering, his hands and feet were swollen, his body was covered with scaly wounds, and he had a lump on his feet, and he could not walk. Deaf in both ears, blind in both eyes, unable to move his hands and feet, unable to walk on his legs, and having difficulty breathing, he is considered half dead. ”
Shoufu Li Tingji was also ill and asked for his resignation one hundred and twenty times in a row, but did not receive any response, and finally he resigned and left. Forty years of Wanli, Shangshu Sun Piyang"
In the later years of Zhu Yijun's reign, due to his ignorance of imperial politics and indulged in selfish desires, the government's administrative apparatus fell into a state of chaos and inefficiency. Officials have used the opportunity for personal gain, and corruption is a serious problem. The decision-making of the imperial court lost its timeliness and scientificity, and the governance of the country came to a standstill.
In addition, Zhu Yijun's abandoned government affairs also made foreign affairs mishandled. For envoys from foreign countries, Zhu Yijun lacked attention and response, which led to the obstruction of exchanges with foreign countries. At this time, the aggressive acts of Spain, Japan and other countries gradually increased, while the resistance of the Ming Dynasty decreased significantly, which brought a great threat to the country's security.
In general, the political desertion of Zhu Yijun's later reign caused chaos in the Ming government, increased corruption, and poor handling of foreign affairs, which had a serious negative impact on the country. This was also one of the important reasons for the decline of the late Ming Dynasty.
The political desolation of Zhu Yijun's later reign also led to the exacerbation of the country's financial difficulties. Because he ignored the imperial government, the management and regulation of the country's finances were also neglected. Officials at all levels have exhausted all means to accumulate wealth, and corruption has intensified, resulting in the depletion of the national treasury, serious fiscal deficits, and even the inability to pay military salaries.
In order to solve the financial difficulties, Zhu Yijun frequently collected taxes and increased the number of servitude, which placed a heavy burden on the people. However, this approach only treats the symptoms but not the root causes, and has further exacerbated social unrest and public grievances. The people's living standards have declined, and social dissatisfaction has risen, resulting in the destruction of social order and the accumulation of dissatisfaction among the people.
In addition, because Zhu Yijun did not participate in the DPRK's politics for a long time, his ability to judge and respond to the country's internal and external situation was also greatly reduced. The external troubles and internal troubles faced by the Ming Dynasty could not be dealt with in a timely and effective manner, which led to the gradual decline of the regime and the weakening of the country.
In general, the political abolition of Zhu Yijun's later reign led to the Ming government's financial difficulties, imbalances in social order, and loss of its ability to respond to domestic and international situations. The accumulation of these problems was eventually one of the important factors leading to the decline of the Ming Dynasty.