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Speaking of the drama of imperial power, why did the uncle and nephew "love and kill each other"?
It is said that on the lively historical stage of the Ming Dynasty, there is such a play, which can be called the pinnacle of family infighting. The protagonist is our upcoming Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji and his "good" uncle Zhu Gaoxu.
These uncles and nephews, one is the fifth head of the Ming Dynasty, young and promising, and is quite loved by the people; the other is a high-powered royal nobleman who could enjoy all the glory and wealth, but he is ambitious and always wants to do something.
No, a battle for imperial power is quietly unfolding between them.
Speaking of which, you may have to ask: Since this Zhu Zhanji is a Ming Jun, why is he still ruthless to his own uncle?
There's a lot of story. Listen to me slowly.
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Zhu Gaoxu, the uncle of the "drama spirit", how long is his road to "death"?
Let's talk about this Uncle Zhu Gaoxu first. This man has not been a fuel-efficient lamp since he was a child. The physique is as strong as a cow, and his temperament is also very fierce.
On the battlefield, it was a miracle that made the enemy fearful. It's a pity that his reincarnation skills are not very good, and he failed to become the eldest son of his father Zhu Di. It's okay now, he doesn't have his share in the throne, so he can only watch his brother Zhu Gaochi ascend to the throne of the crown prince.
But this Zhu Gaoxu, who is he a master who is willing to accept his fate? Staying in the capital, he pondered all day long how to make a stumbling block for his brother and seize the throne.
His little Jiujiu has long been seen and remembered by Zhu Zhanji. As for Zhu Zhanji, he is not a vegetarian. He assisted his father Zhu Gaochi to avoid the second uncle's plots again and again.
After Zhu Gaochi died suddenly, he ascended to the throne with lightning speed, for fear of leaving any opportunity for this "drama spirit" uncle to make trouble.
And yet, it turns out: you can never wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep. Zhu Gaoxu is such a typical example. His obsession with the throne is higher than the sky and deeper than the sea!
Afraid that his nephew Zhu Zhanji had already sat firmly on the dragon chair, he still wanted to rebel and seize power. So a battle for imperial power officially kicked off between uncles and nephews.
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Zhu Zhanji's "Huairou Policy" VS Zhu Gaoxu's "Death Challenge", who is more skilled?
At first, Zhu Zhanji was quite polite to this uncle. After all, everyone is a family, so why use knives and guns when things can be resolved peacefully?
So he gave Zhu Gaoxu generous treatment, increased his income, and sent some local products from time to time to show his care. It's a pity that this Zhu Gaochu is like a spoiled child, the more he gets used to him, the more he kicks his nose in the face.
Finally one day, Zhu Zhanji's patience was completely worn out. Because this uncle actually openly rebelled and tried to overthrow his rule!
This is good, Zhu Zhanji, who originally wanted to give a little color, directly ordered the rebellion: The tiger does not exert his authority, you and I am Hello Kitty! As a result, of course, Zhu Gaoxu was defeated and surrendered, and was demoted to a concubine and imprisoned.
But that's not all. During a visit, this uncle, who did not know the gravity of the matter, stretched out his foot and tripped the emperor! What a naked provocation!
Zhu Zhanji was furious: I have put up with you for a long time! So he ordered Zhu Gaoxu to be covered in a large copper vat and a raging fire was lit around the copper vat -- let's have a "barbecue" uncle!
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The "barbecue" conference in the copper vat and the "lonely defeat" on the road to imperial power
This "barbecue" meeting can be described as earth-shattering and weeping ghosts and gods! The firelight reflected half of the sky and also illuminated Zhu Zhanji's angry and resolute face.
He saw his own shadow in the firelight—a lonely and determined image of the emperor. In order to maintain the stability of the imperial power, he can give up everything, including family affection.
And what about Zhu Gaoxu in the copper vat? He struggled and wailed in the flames, and finally turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared into the long river of history.
His ambitions, his desires, were reduced to ashes with this fire. Perhaps at the last moment of his life, he really understood what it meant to be cocooned and self-immolation.
After this "barbecue" conference, Zhu Zhanji completely got rid of this annoying uncle. He became more and more stable on the road to imperial power, and became a real "lonely defeat".
However, in the dead of night, will he think of the relatives who once accompanied him to grow up, but eventually died at his hands?
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The Game Theory of Imperial Power and Family Affection – Who Is the Final Winner?
Looking back on this game of imperial power and family affection, we can't help but ask: Who is the final winner? Is it Zhu Zhanji, who has stabilized the imperial power? Or Zhu Gaoxu, who died and the clan was destroyed?
Actually, there is no set answer to this question. Because everyone in this game pays a huge price and is rewarded (or punished) accordingly.
Although Zhu Zhanji stabilized the imperial power, he lost his family relationship with his uncle, and Zhu Gaoxu, although he was once ambitious, ended up in a tragic end. The grievances and entanglements between them are like a never-ending tragedy, which makes people sigh.
Then the question arises: If Zhu Gaoxu had been content and happy, and kept to himself, would he have a better ending? If Zhu Zhanji had paid more attention to family affection and resolved contradictions, would he have been able to become a more perfect Ming Jun?
These questions are like unsolved mysteries, which are incomprehensible. But then again, history has no ifs, only results and consequences. What we future generations can do is to learn from it and take it as a warning.