In Chinese history, although the eunuch was powerful, few people worshipped him after his death. However, there was such a Ming Dynasty eunuch who not only won the trust of the emperor during his lifetime, but was also respected by later generations of kings after his death. Emperor Kangxi even personally decreed that his cemetery should be properly placed. What was so remarkable about this eunuch that made the kings of the past treat him so well, and what is the legendary story of his life?
1. Tian Yi's early experience
Tian Yi, the word Zhongxian, is a native of Luoyang, Henan. He was born into a poor family, his parents died young, and he lived a life of exile since he was a child. Although Tian Yi's family is poor, he is gifted and intelligent, diligent and studious. By the age of seven, he was already able to recite Confucian classics such as the Analects and Mencius, and by the age of 10, he was well-read and knowledgeable.
However, fate made people, when Tian Yi was 12 years old, because his family was too poor to continue his studies, he was forced to be sent to the palace as a eunuch. That year coincided with the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty. Tian Yi, who first entered the palace, although he was still young, his humble and courteous, diligent and dedicated attitude was soon appreciated by the chief eunuch. The chief eunuch placed him in the position of celebrant and was in charge of ceremonial affairs in the palace.
The celebrant was an important institution in charge of court etiquette in the Ming Dynasty and had a lofty status. During Tian Yi's work as the celebrant supervisor, he was conscientious and hardworking. He strictly followed the rules of court etiquette and never slackened. At the same time, he also humbly consulted the older eunuchs for advice and constantly enriched himself. Gradually, Tian Yi rose to prominence in the palace with his outstanding ability and good conduct.
After the death of Emperor Longqing, Ming Muzong Zhu Zaiyuan succeeded to the throne as Emperor Longqing. At the beginning of Emperor Longqing's accession to the throne, the affairs in the palace were complicated, and he urgently needed his right-hand man to assist him. After a period of investigation, Emperor Longqing found that there was a young eunuch named Tian Yi among the celebrant eunuchs, who was not only conscientious and responsible, but also humble and courteous, and quite talented. As a result, Emperor Longqing promoted Tian Yi to his personal eunuch, who was responsible for conveying the emperor's will.
Since then, Tian Yi has begun to make a name for himself in the court. He was cautious and loyal, and no matter what task Emperor Longqing gave him, he could complete it brilliantly. At the same time, Tian Yi is an upright person, never flattering, and flattering. He dared to speak out and give advice to Emperor Longqing. Emperor Longqing became more and more important to this young eunuch, and he often had long talks with Tian Yi to discuss state affairs.
In the sixth year of Longqing, Emperor Longqing died, and his son Zhu Yijun succeeded to the throne as Emperor Wanli. At the beginning of Emperor Wanli's accession to the throne, the government was chaotic and traitors were in power. He urgently needed a loyal advisor for the country and the people to assist him. So, Emperor Wanli thought of Tian Yi. He knew that Tian Yi was the confidant of the first emperor, he was upright and cautious, and he would be able to share his worries.
As a result, Emperor Wanli officially promoted Tian Yi to the eunuch of the ceremonial supervisor Bingbi and was in charge of the confidential affairs in the palace. Since then, Tian Yi has become a hot celebrity in the palace. Not only did he win the trust of the emperor, but he also had a lot of prestige in the court. Although Tian Yi leaned towards the government and the opposition, he was never pampered and arrogant, always humble and cautious, and worked diligently. He is strict with himself, never uses power for personal gain, and is dedicated to the country and the people.
Second, Tian Yi's political achievements in the palace
After Tian Yi served as the eunuch of the ceremonial supervisor Bingbi, he did his best for the court and slept at night. During his tenure as the celebrant superintendent, he not only strictly followed the court etiquette, but also put forward many practical reform measures, which greatly improved the work efficiency of the ceremonial superintendent.
In the second year of Wanli, a serious locust plague occurred in the capital, and the local people had no harvest and their lives were in trouble. After learning of this, Tian Yi immediately went to Emperor Wanli and asked the imperial court to reduce taxes and distribute relief food to relieve the people's difficulties. Emperor Wanli adopted Tian Yi's suggestion and issued a decree to reduce taxes in the capital area and allocate a large amount of grain to help the victims. Tian Yi's measures not only alleviated the plight of the people, but also won him the reputation of "loving the people like a son".
In the fifth year of Wanli, due to successive wars, the treasury was empty. In order to raise military expenses, the imperial court decided to levy a mining tax. This tax is mainly aimed at non-governmental mineral exploitation, and the tax rate is as high as 30 percent, which seriously increases the burden on the people. After Tian Yi learned of this, he wrote to Emperor Wanli many times, stating the disadvantages of the mining tax and imploring the emperor to abolish the mining tax.
At first, Emperor Wanli ignored Tian Yi's request. But Tian Yi was not discouraged, he played again and again, listing all kinds of hardships brought by the mining tax to the people. At Tian Yi's insistence, Emperor Wanli finally agreed to abolish the mining tax. When the news came out, the whole country was jubilant, and the people praised Tian Yi as "today's virtuous minister".
During his tenure in the palace, Tian Yi also presided over the construction of many royal gardens. One of the most famous is Changchun Garden, located in the western suburbs of Beijing. Changchun Garden is built on the mountain, the scenery is beautiful, the pavilions and pavilions are scattered. When Tian Yi built Changchun Garden, he not only took into account the needs of the royal family, but also paid more attention to the ecological environment of the garden. He adopted a local approach to preserve the original topography to the greatest extent, making Changchun Garden a royal garden with a perfect combination of man-made and natural.
After the completion of Changchun Garden, Emperor Wanli praised Tian Yi. He personally inscribed the plaque of "the first garden in the world" for Changchun Garden to show his love for Changchun Garden. Since then, whenever the spring flowers bloom, Emperor Wanli will come to Changchun Garden to enjoy the flowers and enjoy the beauty of nature here.
In addition to Changchun Garden, Tian Yi also presided over the construction of Jingming Garden, Phoenix Ridge and other royal gardens. These gardens not only provided a place for the royal family to play, but also became outstanding representatives of classical Chinese garden art. Tian Yi's talent in garden construction has also been widely praised by the world.
With Tian Yi's efforts, the work efficiency of the celebrant has been greatly improved, and the court etiquette has become more standardized and orderly. At the same time, Tian Yi also worked for the welfare of the people and made suggestions for the country, becoming the mainstay of the Wanli Dynasty. He has made great achievements in politics, economy, culture and other aspects, and has won the support of the monarch and the people.
3. Tian Yi died in his later years
Tian Yi has served in the palace for decades and has made great contributions to the imperial court. However, as he grew older, his body also weakened. In his later years, Tian Yi wrote to Emperor Wanli many times, asking to return to his hometown, but Emperor Wanli politely declined. Emperor Wanli relied heavily on this loyal old minister and was reluctant to let him go.
In desperation, Tian Yi had no choice but to continue to stay in the palace. Although his body was very weak, he still insisted on working and never slackened. Whenever there was an important government matter, Tian Yi would struggle to get up and give advice to Emperor Wanli.
In the thirty-second year of Wanli, Tian Yi's body finally couldn't support it. He was lying in bed, already dying. After Emperor Wanli learned the news that Tian Yi was seriously ill, he immediately drove to Tian Yi's bedroom. Seeing that the old minister who was full of energy in the past is now yellow and thin, and he is dying, Emperor Wanli couldn't help but burst into tears.
Emperor Wanli held Tian Yi's hand tightly and said earnestly: "Aiqing has done so many things for me, I really don't know how to repay. Now that Aiqing is seriously ill, I really can't wait to exchange the throne for Aiqing's life!"
Tian Yi smiled weakly and said, "It is the duty of a minister to be loyal to His Majesty. To be so loved by His Majesty, the minister is already satisfied. The spirit of the minister in heaven will continue to be loyal to His Majesty. ＂
Emperor Wanli listened to Tian Yi's words and couldn't help but cry like rain. He ordered the imperial doctors to do their best to heal Tian Yi, but Tian Yi's condition was no longer able to recover. On the fifth day of the first month of the 33rd year of Wanli, Tian Yi died in the palace at the age of 73.
When the news of Tian Yi's death came out, the whole country mourned. The people spontaneously came to the palace gate and laid wreaths and couplets to express their respect for this virtuous minister who "loved the people like a son". The ministers of the court and the central government also wrote one after another, asking the emperor to bury Tian Yi in recognition of his merits.
After hearing the news, Emperor Wanli personally issued an order to bury Tian Yihou in the suburbs of Beijing. On the day of the funeral, Emperor Wanli personally led hundreds of civil and military officials to the funeral, and the scene was very grand. In front of the mourning hall, there were wreaths and couplets sent by people from all over the world, and people knelt down in front of the mourning hall and wept silently.
After the funeral, Emperor Wanli also issued an order to establish an ancestral hall in front of Tian Yi's tomb and ordered people to worship regularly. Since then, Tian Yi's cemetery has become a famous spot in the capital, and hundreds of people come to pay their respects every year.
Although Tian Yi has passed away, his spirit will always remain in people's hearts. His character of loyalty to the monarch and love for the people and his dedication to the people, and his feelings of dedication and dedication to the country and the people have become a model for future generations of courtiers. As a minister of the DPRK and China said in the memorial text: "The loyalty of a gentleman can be learned by heaven and earth, and the love of a gentleman will be remembered by the people forever." ＂
Fourth, the impact of Tian Yi's death
After Tian Yi's death, both the government and the opposition expressed deep condolences to this loyal minister. Emperor Wanli personally issued an order to build a magnificent cemetery for Tian Yi. Located at the foot of Wan'an Mountain in the western suburbs of Beijing, this cemetery covers an area of more than 100 acres.
In the center of the cemetery, there is a tall stone tablet, which is engraved with several big characters "The Tomb of the Late Ming Dynasty Eunuch Tian Gong". On both sides of the stele, there are two majestic stone lions, symbolizing Tian Yi's loyalty and fearlessness. There are also many pavilions and pavilions in the cemetery, which are richly decorated and magnificent.
However, what people didn't expect was that after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Tian Yi's cemetery was destroyed several times. After the Qing soldiers entered the customs, they once destroyed Tian Yi's cemetery. Tombstones were smashed, stone lions were torn down, and pavilions were burned to the ground.
However, Tian Yi's prestige did not disappear because of this. On the contrary, his deeds were widely spread among the people and became a generation of loyal ministers in the hearts of the people. During the Kangxi period, Tian Yi's descendants wrote to Emperor Kangxi and asked to rebuild Tian Yi's cemetery. After hearing the news, Emperor Kangxi greatly appreciated Tian Yi's loyal and brave character, and immediately ordered the cemetery to be rebuilt.
Emperor Kangxi wrote in the edict: "Tian Yi is loyal, brave and upright, and has done his best, and he has died after death, and he is really my minister of the Qing Dynasty." I was very saddened to hear that his cemetery had been destroyed by soldiers. Today, there is a special edict to rebuild its tomb to show loyalty and righteousness, and to comfort the souls of heroes. ＂
With the support of Emperor Kangxi, Tian Yi's cemetery was quickly rebuilt. The new cemetery is larger in scale and more elaborate in layout, and has become a major landscape in the suburbs of Beijing. Emperor Kangxi also personally inscribed Tian Yi's tombstone with the four characters "Loyalty and Righteousness for a Thousand Autumns" to show his praise.
Since then, Tianyi's cemetery has flourished with incense and has become a holy place for the people to pay homage. Every year on the Qingming Festival, thousands of people come to worship to express their admiration for this loyal minister. Many scholars with bumpy careers often come to Tian Yi's tomb to pray for the protection of this "career protector".
During the Qianlong period, when Emperor Qianlong toured south to the outskirts of Beijing, he came to Tianyi's cemetery to pay his respects. He stood in front of the tomb for a long time, full of emotion. Subsequently, he also inscribed an elegiac couplet for Tianyi Cemetery: "Loyalty, famous in history; ＂
To this day, Tian Yi's cemetery still stands in the western suburbs of Beijing and has become a famous historical site. Every year, a large number of tourists still come to visit and pay respects to the great achievements of this loyal minister. Tian Yi's deeds have also become a well-known historical story, inspiring generations of Chinese.
As the great Confucian Li Zhen of the Ming Dynasty said: "Tian Yi is loyal and righteous, and he has been famous for all ages, although he is still alive and dead, he is famous in history." The spirit of Tian Yi has become a precious wealth of the Chinese nation, and his story will be passed down forever, inspiring future generations to serve the country loyally and do their best.