Preface
In the memory of history, Emperor Jiajing was a monarch who ruled for a long time, and his reign left many stories that people talk about. One of the most notable, however, is his six amnesty initiatives.
However, despite the amnesty in the world, there is only one person who is unwilling to let go. What kind of identity does this person have, and what kind of story does he have? Why is Emperor Jiajing the only one who is so resolute towards him? Today, let us trace this magnificent history...
1. The path of the wise little emperor to the throne
In 1521, the Ming Dynasty ushered in a new emperor. This 14-year-old boy was the later famous Jiajing Emperor Zhu Houxi. At that time, after the death of Zhu Houzhao of Ming Wuzong, Zhu Houxi, as the prince, was ready to enter the Forbidden City and ascend the throne.
According to custom, he should enter through Dong'anmen and reside in the Wenhua Palace. But this clever little emperor made a request: I will enter through the noon gate and make a great gift to the Son of Heaven. This request immediately aroused the dissatisfaction of Yang Tinghe, the first assistant to the cabinet.
Yang Tinghe believes that Zhu Houxi should inherit the heirship of Xiaozong Zhu Youzhang, not his biological father Zhu Youqi. Therefore, he insisted that Zhu Houxi should enter through Dong'anmen to show his inheritance of Xiaozong's identity.
However, the clever little emperor did not buy it. He smiled slightly and said, "Don't let me enter the noon gate?" Then I won't enter, I don't deserve this emperor, I'll go home for dinner first." Faced with this stubborn young man who was unwilling to recognize others as his father, Yang Tinghe could only compromise.
It can be seen from this incident that Jiajing is extremely sensitive to his biological father's identity, and would rather not be the emperor than recognize someone else as his father. This laid the groundwork for the later Great Rites Debate. Zhu Houxi's move not only shows his wisdom and wisdom, but also reflects his insistence on his own identity.
As a 14-year-old, he already possessed extraordinary political insight and decisiveness. He was reluctant to be forced into his own position, and this independence and self-awareness laid the foundation for his later reign.
Although Yang Tinghe is the first assistant of the cabinet, he can only compromise in the face of this stubborn little emperor. This shows that even those at the highest level of power cannot easily suppress an assertive monarch. Zhu Houxi's move laid the foundation for his strong rule in the future.
2. Great Gifts: The argument that your father is not your father
The core of the Great Rites Discussion incident is about the issue of Emperor Jiajing's biological father. A group of people, represented by Yang Tinghe and his son, believed that Jiajing's "father" should not be his biological father, but should be Emperor Xiaozong. They are known as the "heirs".
Another faction, led by Zhang Xuan, believed that Jiajing's "father" was his biological father, and was called the "Jitong faction". In this regard, Emperor Jiajing spoke highly of it: "This theory, my father and son have been fully committed!"
This controversy over "your father is not your father" can be said to be the most fierce debate in the political history of the Ming Dynasty. Both sides decided that their views were more plausible, and so a protracted war of words ensued. After Yang Tinghe retired, his son Yang Shen inherited the banner of the "Jitong faction" and continued to argue with the "Jitong faction".
Yang Shen even initiated the famous "Zuoshunmen Incident", led more than 200 officials to mourn, and shouted the slogan "National Soldiers, One Hundred and Fifty Years, Fighting Righteousness, Today".
Behind this controversy is a reflection of the complex entanglement of interests within the scholars of the Ming Dynasty. The "heir faction" believed that Jiajing should inherit the heir of Xiaozong, so as to ensure the stable inheritance of the dynasty.
The "Jitong faction" believes that Jiajing should inherit his biological father, which is more in line with the traditional principle of "brother to brother". Both sides are trying to defend their political status and interests through their own views.
After Emperor Jiajing heard of the "Zuoshunmen Incident", he directly ordered all these officials to be punished. This scene was spectacular, and it also demonstrated the tough attitude of Emperor Jiajing. He does not want to be forced on his identity, but sticks to his position. This decisive determination also laid the foundation for his later reign.
3. The aftermath of the Great Rites Debate
The result of the Great Rites Discussion incident not only affected the process of Emperor Jiajing's accession to the throne, but also caused the beginning of vicious party disputes in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. Yang Shen, who was spanked in the Great Rites Discussion, was exiled to Yunnan again before the injury was recovered.
Yunnan was not a good place at that time, and Yang Shen spent more than 30 years of difficult years there. Even when it was time to go home, Yang Shen's application was never approved. In the end, he sneaked back to his hometown of Sichuan on his own initiative, but Sichuan officials sent him back for fear of offending the emperor.
Emperor Jiajing reigned for 45 years and granted amnesty to the world 6 times, but he never forgave Yang Shen. In the end, Yang Shenke died in a foreign land, and left the famous "Linjiang Immortal" before his death. Yang Shen's experience reflects Emperor Jiajing's revenge.
As a powerful monarch, he is not willing to tolerate any challenge to himself. Even Yang Shen, who was spanked in the Great Rites Discussion incident, could not escape Jiajing's revenge. This practice not only damaged the credibility of the imperial court, but also exacerbated the contradictions within the scholars.
In addition to its contribution to the history of Chinese literature, another consequence of the Great Rites Debate Incident was the initiation of vicious party strife in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. Prior to this, the controversy of the Ming Dynasty scholars and doctors was mostly focused on the confrontation with the emperor, which was a healthy counterbalance. However, after the Great Rites Debate, the debate between the scholars and doctors turned to attacking each other, and there was no bottom line.
At the same time, this kind of partisan struggle often manifests itself in moral arguments, in which both sides raise the stick of morality, not to talk about right and wrong, but to grasp the motive and accuse the other party of being a bad person. This approach not only reduces the quality of the debate, but also puts the two sides in a quagmire of ambiguity and reduces administrative efficiency. Therefore, the evil consequences caused by the Great Rites Discussion Incident are long-term, and can even be said to be the foreshadowing of the fall of the Ming Dynasty.
epilogue
From a small "your dad is not your father" controversy to the vicious party struggle that finally led to the middle and late Ming Dynasty, this history has also left us with a profound enlightenment. In political struggle, we should not be too obsessed with moral arguments, but should analyze the essence of the problem objectively and rationally.
At the same time, unity and cooperation within the scholars were also the key to maintaining the stability of the dynasty. We should take the lessons of history as a warning. Let's explore more little-known stories of the Ming Dynasty and feel the epitome of the decline of this once glorious dynasty.
The rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty reflected the characteristics and drawbacks of traditional Chinese political culture. Only by understanding these histories can we better understand and change the current political ecology and contribute to China's future development.