Preface
Eunuchs are a kind of deformity under the feudal society, they have lost their fertility, just to be able to better serve the emperor, the eunuch who always accompanies the emperor is not only the slave who waits by the emperor's side, but also may be the most trustworthy person around the emperor.
After all, they have no descendants, and they can't sit on the throne at all, but there are also some eunuchs who are bold, because they have special rights, and they know the emperor better than others.
This situation has also occurred many times in history, but there was a eunuch named Chen Ju in the Ming Dynasty, but this was not the case, he was not only loyal to the monarch and patriotic, but also enjoyed a clean reputation, which can be said to be a special case in Dongchang.
It can be said that he is one of the most famous eunuchs in Chinese history, and even after his death, hundreds of officials supported the coffin and was buried, and many people have gone to worship him, so what kind of person is Chen Ju?
First, hold the power
Chen Ju was elected to the palace in the twenty-sixth year of Jiajing, at first as an errand boy under the eunuch Gao Zhong, the eunuch of the ceremonial supervisor Bingbi, at this time the nine-year-old Chen Ju was only a half-grown child, but fortunately his master Gao Zhong was not a treacherous person.
Therefore, although Chen Ju was young, but fortunately, life was not particularly difficult, the next year, the army of Alta invaded the border of the Ming Dynasty, burned and looted all the way, and went straight to Beijing.
At such a critical moment, Gao Zhong stood up and responded calmly, and participated in the defense of the Ming Dynasty with full armament to defend the Ming Dynasty.
Gao Zhong's behavior of being able to stand up at a critical moment left a deep impression on the young Chen Ju and set a good example.
If Gao Zhong didn't stand up and hide behind others at that time, would it have had a different impact on Chen Ju, but fortunately, the impact at that time was good, so this also played a correct guiding role in Chen Ju's future life direction.
The so-called once a son of heaven and a courtier, in the twenty-sixth year of Wanli, the original little eunuch Chen Ju had replaced Gao Zhong's position at this time and became the eunuch of the ceremonial eunuch Bingbi.
Due to the establishment of the East Factory in the Ming Dynasty, Chen Ju, who was the eunuch of the ceremonial supervisor Bingbi, was still in charge of the East Factory, and it can be said that he was already in power at this time and also had a high position in the imperial court.
However, Chen Ju is very loyal, not that eight-sided exquisite, only knows how to steal and play tricks, so he has done eight words, "The law of the ancestors, the sage and the truth." ”
Generally speaking, it is to act according to law and stress principles. It is this attitude towards the world that makes him a clear stream among the eunuchs.
Dongchang was the emperor's eyes and ears for the emperor of the Ming Dynasty at that time, and it was also a sharp blade in the hands of the Son of Heaven that could be unsheathed at any time.
But if it is used in the wrong place, it will kill many innocent people, make the court or the people complain, and cause chaos in the system.
Take Wei Zhongxian, a traitor in the late Ming Dynasty, as an example, he relied on his identity as the governor of Dongchang, because he held great power, in order to eradicate dissidents, suppress loyal ministers, resulting in the court becoming his hall, leading to the decline of the Ming Dynasty.
It can be said that Dongchang's power is very large, and if it falls into the hands of someone with a heart, it can be deceived and concealed, so that the emperor will be deceived and the courtiers will be suppressed, so this is a double-edged sword.
Second, in a high position, honest and honest
Therefore, the position of the governor of Dongchang is also particularly important, and after Chen Ju took charge of Dongchang, because he acted reasonably and according to law, under his leadership, there were almost no unjust, false and wrongful cases, and the court also presented a politically clear situation.
Especially at that time, many ministers were imprisoned in the Criminal Department and prisons, and although some ministers committed serious crimes, Chen Ju did not hold a stand and was in a high position.
Instead, when dealing with these officials, they will be more or less accommodating, but they will not help these people to do illegal things and escape due responsibility.
This is Chen Ju's principle, he will not make mistakes in big things, but he will also have some human touch in the law, so he is loved by hundreds of officials.
The courtiers spoke highly of Chen Ju because he acted impartially and selflessly. Chen Ju not only upheld a fair attitude towards the ministers, but also did not flinch when admonishing the Wanli Emperor, and had his own set of perfect regulations in handling affairs.
Take the quarrel between the princess and the concubine as an example, Chen Ju did it very properly, and the concubine ran back to his hometown in a fit of anger, which would have a bad impact on the royal family.
Therefore, Emperor Wanli was very angry, and involved some ministers, it was in this situation that Chen Ju suggested that this was the matter of Princess Rongchang's boudoir, that is to say, this was the princess's family affair, and it was not good for the princess's reputation if it was passed out.
The minister should be asked to write a decree that the concubine returned to the county seat because of something, and then recalled it, so that the big thing can be reduced to a small matter, and the small thing will not be lost, nor will it bring trouble to the royal family.
Therefore, in terms of major and small affairs, Chen Ju managed in an orderly manner, whether it was Dongchang or the celebrant supervisor, under the leadership of Chen Ju, he spent a stable period in the Ming Dynasty.
Even after he took power, the number of people arrested by Dongchang was the smallest, and even if these people were arrested, they were done in accordance with the law, not because of their great power and arbitrary arrests, so the imperial court at that time was also a scene of political clarity.
In addition to his own ability to handle cases, Chen Ju will also persuade the emperor's gains and losses, which is more important than his ability to handle cases in some ways.
3. Hundreds of officials condoled
Later, there was also a "demon book" incident in the imperial court, involving Zheng Guifei and Wang Shiyang, the secretary of the military department, and others, who colluded with each other, and these people were all co-opted by Zheng Guifei, intending to replace the prince.
Chen Ju was in charge of investigating this matter, because the matter was important and many people were implicated, so some people took this opportunity to prepare to eradicate dissidents, and the court was in turmoil, and everyone was in danger.
But after investigating for a period of time, Chen Ju did not find the real murderer behind the scenes, and for the sake of the stability of the imperial court, he thought that he could no longer act like this, so he arrested the apparent murderer and punished him, ending the turbulent period.
Chen Ju often acts for the sake of the overall situation, although he is high and powerful, but he never abuses his power, and is a respected eunuch in the Ming Dynasty, because he is honest and quiet, he never disturbs the officials and harms the people.
Chen Ju died at the age of sixty-eight, because of his life's merits, he was given nine altars by the gods, and the shrine was entitled "Qing Zhong", just like he was honest and loyal.
And on the day of his funeral, all the civil and military officials came to mourn him, including the university scholar Zhu Geng and others, and there were many people at the funeral, causing the entire road to be blocked.
In order to highlight Chen Ju's merits, Emperor Wanli also personally sent people to protect Chen Ju's cemetery and ancestral hall.
epilogue
From the above, Chen Ju was a rare eunuch with the best reputation in the Ming Dynasty and even the entire feudal society, especially when he was buried, hundreds of officials came to mourn, which is enough to see the weight and status of Chen Ju in the hearts of courtiers.
Coupled with the specifications of Emperor Wanli's burial, all show honor, and now there are people who come to worship him, which is his admiration, and it is also worthy of learning and remembering by future generations.