Preface
There are many sad moments in history, and one of the shames of the Ming Dynasty was the capture of Zhu Qizhen by Wara. As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Qizhen was caught in the hands of an enemy, which is a huge shame and an amazing event in Chinese history.
However, what is even more shocking is that despite being captured, Zhu Qizhen was able to come back alive. This question has been bothering historians and researchers, sparking countless speculations and discussions. How did Zhu Qizhen get out of the control of Wara and return to the Daming Palace? Let's uncover the story behind this history and explore the reasons for it.
The grievances and hatred between the Ming Dynasty and Warat
At the beginning of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, its national strength was strong, and it once made the Quartet tribes submit. However, over time, the power of the Ming Dynasty also gradually weakened. By the time of Zhu Di of Ming Chengzu, the Mongol tribes had been divided into two camps, Tatar and Warat, of which the Warat tribe rose in the western region and became increasingly powerful.
The leader of the Warat tribe can also be described as an ambitious steppe eagle. He was a master of scheming and a knack for using tributaries. Every year, Yexian would lead the tribe to Beiping to pay tribute, and always received rich rewards from the Ming Dynasty. This not only strengthened the strength of the Warat tribe, but also satisfied the greed of Yexian.
However, in 1439, the fourth year of Zhu Qizhen's accession to the throne, the situation changed. The Ming Dynasty began to shrink its rewards to the Mongol tribes, which undoubtedly angered Yexian. He was determined to no longer be satisfied with the annual tribute, but to obtain more resources from the Ming Dynasty through warfare.
Battle of Tumubao: The Ming army is defeated and the emperor is captured
In the summer of 1449, he also led the Warat army to the south and attacked the Beiping City of the Ming Dynasty. This battle, which was later known as the "Battle of Tumubao", ended in a crushing defeat for the Ming army.
On the battlefield, Zhu Qizhen personally led the army to meet the battle, but in the end it was difficult to resist the fierce offensive of the Wara army. When the Ming army collapsed, Zhu Qizhen had nothing to do, so he could only sit cross-legged and wait for the arrangement of fate.
At this moment, the Warat soldiers noticed that Zhu Qizhen was unusual and immediately brought him to Yexian. I was overjoyed when I learned that this captive was actually the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He realized that with such a "hostage", he could unscrupulously demand more wealth and resources from the Ming Dynasty.
As a result, the original plan was immediately changed. He openly declared that he wanted to send Zhu Qizhen back to the Ming Dynasty in an attempt to reduce the resistance of the Ming army. At the same time, he also sent people to inform the ministers of the Ming Dynasty to go out of the city to meet the emperor, in a vain attempt to achieve his goal.
The response of the ministers of the Ming Dynasty
However, the ministers of the Ming Dynasty were not fooled. After Zhu Qizhen was captured, Yu Qian and others did not send people to sue for peace, but quickly elected Zhu Qiyu as the new emperor, and at the same time ordered the generals of Biansai to actively prepare for war.
When the Warat army arrived at the border, Yexian's ruse did not succeed. According to the orders of the imperial court, the generals guarding the pass resolutely refused to open the door. In desperation, he could only choose to forcibly break through the pass and finally arrive near Beiping City.
In the defense of Beiping City, Yu Qian commanded the Ming army to take a series of effective measures. He sent the Shenji battalion and crossbowmen to attack the Warat army, and finally caused the Yazen army to retreat.
It was also a helpless move
The first plan failed completely. He was unable to gain any benefits from the Ming Dynasty, and was worried that he would be cut off by the Ming army, so he could only choose to retreat and take Zhu Qizhen away.
In Wara's camp, the treatment of Zhu Qizhen can be described as very generous. He often personally slaughtered horses and lambs to entertain the emperor, and also performed courtesies to Zhu Qizhen. This courteous attitude undoubtedly stems from Yexian's deep understanding of the emperor's status.
I also knew that with a Ming Dynasty emperor as a hostage, I could get more benefits from it. Therefore, he has been trying to curry favor with Zhu Qizhen in various ways, hoping to profit from it.
Zhu Qizhen's tenacity and wisdom
In Warat's camp, although Zhu Qizhen was a prisoner, he was treated well. He not only treated him as a king, but also often slaughtered livestock to entertain him. This kind of courteous attitude stems from Yexian's deep understanding of the emperor's status.
However, Zhu Qizhen was not fooled by Ye Xian's rhetoric. He always kept a clear head and resolutely refused some of Yexian's requests, such as marrying his sister.
In Ye Xian's eyes, Zhu Qizhen is a rare "hostage", but for Zhu Qizhen, he just wants to return to the Ming Dynasty as soon as possible, even if he is an ordinary person, guarding the mausoleum of his ancestors is enough to make him satisfied.
This kind of tenacity and wisdom impressed the first. Although he had been trying to gain benefits from Zhu Qizhen, he finally chose to send him back to the Ming Dynasty safely. This was not only because he could not get any benefits from the Ming Dynasty in the first place, but also because the situation had changed so that he had to make such a choice.
Zhu Qizhen returned to the Ming Dynasty
In 1450, he also brought Zhu Qizhen to Datong Pass again, trying to get the Ming ministers out of the city to meet the emperor. However, Guo Deng, who was defending the city, resolutely refused this request. At the same time, it was also discovered that the Ming Dynasty was secretly rescuing Zhu Qizhen, for example, Guo Deng, the general of Datong, had sent people to try to recapture the emperor.
In this situation, we are also faced with a dilemma. The "hostage" emperor in his hands had lost its usefulness, and the other Mongol tribes had sued for peace with the Ming Dynasty, and once the agreement was reached, the Ming Dynasty's military objectives would be aimed at Warat. It is also obvious that he cannot compete with the Ming Dynasty alone.
In the end, he could only choose to send Zhu Qizhen back to the Ming Dynasty. At that time, more than 70 people were specially sent as escort envoys and personally saw off the half-day journey. It is said that he even knelt on the ground and cried for a long time during the farewell, which shows how much he attached importance to this emperor's captive.
After Zhu Qizhen returned to the Ming Dynasty, he did not immediately restore his position as emperor. Instead, he was placed under house arrest in Beiping until 1457, when he deposed Emperor Jingtai and re-ascended the throne as emperor through the "Rebellion to seize the door".
epilogue
What kind of story is hidden behind Zhu Qizhen's ability to return to the Ming Dynasty from the Wara camp unharmed? On the surface, it seems that Zhu Qizhen was trying to use Zhu Qizhen to disrupt the political situation of the Ming Dynasty, but in fact this is not the case.
The reason why Yexian finally chose to release Zhu Qizhen was mainly because he could not get any benefits from the Ming Dynasty, and coupled with the change in the situation, he had to make such a choice.
And for Zhu Qizhen, what happened to him in Wara is also quite interesting. Although he was a captive, he was hospitalized by Yexian, which stemmed from Yexian's deep understanding of the emperor's status. Zhu Qizhen also showed his tenacity and wisdom, always kept a clear head, and refused some of Yexian's requests.
We are deeply impressed by this history. It not only reflects the helplessness and panic of the Ming Dynasty in the face of foreign invasion, but also shows the tenacity and wisdom of a captured emperor.