Preface
The Ming Dynasty, as a shining pearl in Chinese history, and the emperors who were posthumously honored in its history constituted a picture full of glory and controversy. Some of the posthumously honored emperors deserved their fame and made brilliant achievements, while others were controversial, and their way of ruling aroused deep thought and discussion among future generations.
However, in the Ming Dynasty, how many people really justifiably ascended to this supreme throne, and how many people forcibly honored their ancestors to consolidate their dominance with the help of power struggles and political means?
Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang: The founder of the country, posthumously honoring the four ancestors
On the fourth day of the first month of the first year of Hongwu (1368), Zhu Yuanzhang, who had just ascended the throne in Jinling, immediately posthumously honored his four generations of ancestors as emperors and empresses. This is a traditional practice that embodies the legitimacy of the new dynasty and is also the highest respect for the ancestors.
Zhu Yuanzhang's family background is not prominent, they have been ordinary farmers for generations, and they make a living from farming. But Zhu Yuanzhang was not ashamed of this, but was proud of his peasant blood. In his opinion, a true monarch should be people-oriented, care about the people's welfare, and not blindly worship famous nobles.
Therefore, when he ascended the throne and became emperor, the first thing he did was to posthumously honor his four generations of ancestors as emperor and empress. This not only reflects his filial piety to his ancestors, but also shows his philosophy of governance. He wants to let the subjects of the world know that a true monarch should come from the people, breathe and share the fate with the people.
Zhu Yuanzhang's great-grandfather, Zhu Bailiu, was posthumously honored as "Emperor Dezuxuan"; great-grandfather Zhu Sijiu was posthumously honored as "Emperor Yizuheng"; grandfather Zhu Chuyi was posthumously honored as "Emperor Xizuyu"; and his father, Zhu Wusi, was posthumously honored as "Emperor Renzuchun".
These four ancestors were all farmers from humble backgrounds who made a living from farming. When it came to Zhu Chuyi's generation, his family was in the middle of the road and had to flee to Xuyi County with his son. Later, he fled all the way and finally settled in Zhongli County.
It can be said that Zhu Yuanzhang's family has suffered great changes from generation to generation, but they have always maintained their simple and kind nature. This kind of character is the root of the concept of governing the country pursued by Zhu Yuanzhang after he ascended the throne. He wants to let the subjects of the world know that a true monarch should come from the people, breathe and share the fate with the people.
This practice of revering ancestors laid a solid foundation for the Ming Dynasty founded by Zhu Yuanzhang. It not only reflects Zhu Yuanzhang's concept of governing the country, but also shows his piety and filial piety to his ancestors. In this era of focusing on the theory of blood, Zhu Yuanzhang's practice has also won him the support and trust of the people.
Zhu Biao: The prince has a grudge, and the pursuit of respect leads to controversy
Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest son, Zhu Biao, was originally a candidate for the crown prince and was canonized as the crown prince. Zhu Yuanzhang poured all his expectations into him, not only inviting famous teachers to teach him, but also gradually delegating power and letting him participate in the decision-making of national affairs.
Zhu Biao received a strict education from an early age, and under the training of both civil and military personnel, he gradually grew into a talented young man. Zhu Yuanzhang had high hopes for him, hoping that he would inherit his career and become a virtuous monarch. Therefore, when Zhu Biao was only twenty-three years old, Zhu Yuanzhang began to let him participate in the decision-making of national affairs, which shows his trust and attention.
However, Zhu Biao died of a sudden illness at the age of 38, and Zhu Yuanzhang was heartbroken. The founding emperor, who had placed too much in his primitive, lost him when he was in his prime. This was a heavy blow, and it also made Zhu Yuanzhang feel the impermanence of life and the impermanence of fate.
After Zhu Yunwen succeeded to the throne, in order to show that his legitimacy came from his father, he posthumously honored Zhu Biao as "Emperor Xiaokang". This is undoubtedly an attempt to consolidate his dominance. After all, Zhu Biao, as Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest son, far surpassed Zhu Yunwen in terms of social status and prestige at that time. If he is not given the respect he deserves, I am afraid it will be difficult for the people to accept Zhu Yunwen's rule.
However, in the Battle of Jingjing, Zhu Di (later Ming Chengzu) seized the throne, and in order to consolidate his dominance, he deposed Zhu Biao with the title of emperor. From then on, Zhu Biao could only be called "Crown Prince Yiwen". This decision sparked a fierce debate in the Ming Dynasty about the "Great Gift".
In order to maintain his authority, Zhu Di had to succumb to the pressure of the civil official group, and finally re-honored Zhu Biao as "Emperor Ruizongxian". This controversy once again confirms that the Ming Dynasty's practice of posthumously honoring the emperor has moved away from traditional etiquette and has become a tool for power struggle.
Zhu Biao never held power in his life, but he was repeatedly honored and degraded because of political struggles. His tragic fate is a microcosm of the trend of chasing the emperor in the Ming Dynasty. This practice has completely deviated from the original intention and has become a ritual of hypocrisy and deception.
Zhu Youqing: Born as a civilian, he is respected and discussed
Zhu Youqi was originally an unknown commoner prince from a humble background. But during the Zhengde period, he was suddenly posthumously honored as the "Emperor". The life experience of this "dedicated emperor" is quite legendary.
His father, Zhu Changying, was originally just a commoner, but because he married a noble concubine, he was named King Gui. And Zhu Youqi is the fourth son of Guiwang Zhu Changying, who came from an ordinary background, but was named King Xing because of his father's identity.
In the fourteenth year of Zhengde, King Xing Zhu Youqi died at the age of forty-four. According to the etiquette system at that time, he should have only been posthumously honored as the honorific title of "king", not as "emperor". However, in the following years, Zhu Youqi was posthumously honored as the "Emperor Xian".
This decision triggered the famous "Great Gifts Debate" incident. Yang Tinghe, the first assistant of the cabinet at that time, believed that Zhu Youqi could only succeed to the throne as Wuzong's younger brother if he succeeded to Xiaozong. However, Zhu Youqi resolutely refused, and finally obtained the right to posthumously honor his father as the "Emperor Gongmu Xian" at the cost of killing sixteen officials in the court.
In the decades that followed, Mr. Zhu's status was disputed. Some people thought that he was just a commoner and did not deserve to be honored, while others supported him, believing that although he was of humble origin, he was of good character and deserved to be honored.
This controversy once again confirms that the Ming Dynasty's practice of posthumously honoring the emperor has moved away from traditional etiquette and has become a tool for power struggle. Zhu Youqing's experience also reflects the prejudice and discrimination against origin in society at that time.
Even if a person is of good character, it is difficult to gain the respect and status they deserve as long as their background is not prominent enough. This practice is a departure and distortion of traditional etiquette. It is no longer out of respect for the ancestors, but has become a bargaining chip in the power struggle. This kind of hypocrisy and deception will eventually lead to the fall of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Changxun: The bitter master of the Divine Sect is undoubtedly respected
Zhu Changxun was originally the third son of Shenzong Zhu Yijun, and his status was insignificant. However, because Shenzong felt guilty about his biological mother Zheng Guifei, he made a heavy oath that he must make Zhu Changxun the crown prince.
The third son of the Divine Sect has been favored since he was a child. Shenzong has always felt guilty about his biological mother, Concubine Zheng Guifei. It is said that when Zheng Guifei was pregnant, Shenzong once had fetal gas, causing Zhu Changxun to die shortly after birth. In order to make up for this regret, Shenzong made a heavy oath that Zhu Changxun must be appointed as the crown prince.
This triggered a "national capital dispute" that lasted for more than ten years, and Zhu Changxun and his brother Zhu Changluo turned against each other several times for this. Zhu Changluo, as the eldest son, should inherit the unification. However, Shenzong favored Zhu Changxun, which also triggered a fierce power struggle within the court.
In the end, under the pressure of the civil official group, Shenzong had to establish Zhu Changluo as the crown prince, and Zhu Changxun as the blessed king, away from the Jingshi. This is a compromise and a kind of torture for Zhu Changxun. As the favorite son of Shenzong, he could have become the successor of the Ming Dynasty, but he was forced to stay away from the center of power because of the strife of palace politics.
During the Chongzhen period, Zhu Changxun was unfortunately killed, and Zhu Youzhen "sighed and wept" for this, and posthumously honored him as "Emperor Gongzongxiao". This posthumous respect can be described as justified and without any controversy. Zhu Changxun suffered a lot in his life, and finally ended in a tragedy.
But his fate has witnessed the cruel side of the imperial infighting in the Ming Dynasty, and it also reflects that the practice of chasing the emperor has become a bargaining chip in the power game. Even the most favored son of the Divine Sect could not escape this fate.
The Four Emperors of the Tang Dynasty: Distant relatives are in turmoil, and it is unreasonable to pursue respect
With the decline of the central power of the Ming Dynasty, the princes and nobles in various places rebelled and established themselves as kings. Among them, Zhu Yujian and Zhu Youlang of the Tang Dynasty called themselves "Emperor Longwu" and "Emperor Yongli" respectively.
These two self-proclaimed "emperors" were both distant relatives of the Ming imperial family. Zhu Yujian is the great-grandson of Zhu Huan, the king of Tangding, and Zhu Youlang is the fourth son of Zhu Changying, the king of Gui. From the point of view of blood relationship, they and the central royal family of the Ming Dynasty can only be regarded as distant relatives hundreds of years ago.
However, in order to consolidate their dominance, they had to posthumously honor their ancestors as emperors. Zhu Yujian posthumously honored four generations of ancestors, namely "Emperor Hui", "Emperor Shun", "Emperor Duan" and "Emperor Xuan". And Zhu Youlang posthumously honored his father, Zhu Changying, the king of Guiduan, as the "Emperor of Lizongduan".
In the Ming Dynasty, only the direct blood of the royal family was eligible to be posthumously honored as emperor. And distant relatives like Zhu Yujian and Zhu Youlang have no such qualifications at all. They did so solely to consolidate the legitimacy of their rule, not out of sincere respect for their ancestors.
The fate of these two "emperors" was also extremely tragic. Zhu Yujian was killed while fleeing, and Zhu Youlang was quickly defeated by the Qing army. Their pursuit of respect not only did not bring them the dignity they deserved, but became a laughing stock of history. It is no longer out of respect for the ancestors, but has become a bargaining chip in the power struggle.
How can a dynasty expect its subjects to be in awe when even the most basic etiquette has been distorted? Their tragic fate has also warned future rulers not to turn the traditional practice of honoring the emperor into a tool of power play.
epilogue
The trend of chasing the emperor in the Ming Dynasty, from the initial justification to the later collapse of etiquette, can be described as a microcosm. In this process, we saw Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's piety and filial piety to his ancestors, and also saw the ugly face of his descendants who would do whatever it took to gain power.
Whatever the reason, however, the practice of posthumously honoring the emperor has been completely reduced to a tool in the power game of the late Ming Dynasty. It has completely deviated from traditional etiquette and has become a hypocritical and deceptive ritual.