Zhang Juzheng has two sides: angel and demon. He was a real hero, a lonely hero...
This is Mr. Chen Zemin's evaluation of him.
Indeed, as a ruler of the world, Zhang Juzheng was calm and calm; but once the heavy responsibility was on his shoulders, he chose to retrograde in the face of the fierce wind, and strangled the reins of the Ming Dynasty that was about to lose control with the determination of a strong man to break his wrist.
Zhang Juzheng film and television stills (played by Tang Guoqiang)
History is like a changeable face, and the change of kings of the Ming Empire has also risen and fallen like their courtiers, sometimes at dawn, sometimes at dusk.
The Jiajing Emperor took over the throne from Emperor Mingwuzong Zhu Houzhao, and for 45 years, his son Emperor Mingmuzong Zhu Zaiyuan was silent for 6 years, and then, the Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun, the longest reigning emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was about to ascend to the throne.
Time flies, the cabinet is also like a bus, and the first assistants are in position at their respective stations: Yan Song drives away Xia Yan, Xu Jie overthrows Yan Song, and then the high arch replaces him.
Gao Gong was only tall and eight buckets, but he was arbitrary and arbitrary, which made chaoli and outward curses, and after Ming Muzong, his political career was also nearing the end. This means that a new first assistant will be ready to come out, and without asking, this person is Zhang Juzheng.
However, Zhang Juzheng's becoming the first assistant to the cabinet was not so smooth.
When Zhu Zaiquan was dying, Gao Gong hurriedly rushed from outside the palace all the way to the Qianqing Palace, fixed his eyes on it, and there were 5 people kneeling in the house.
They were: the Empress, the future Wanli Emperor and his birth mother Li Shi, the second assistant of the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng, and the Imperial Horse Supervisor Feng Bao, the eunuch and viceroy of the East Factory.
Gao Gong was very puzzled, why did Zhang Juzheng come before him, and why did this dead eunuch appear here?
In fact, Gao Gong did not know, because of his domineering, these two people, one inside and one outside, had already joined forces to achieve an alliance. And their joint efforts will soon put the Ming Dynasty into the fast lane and flourish for 10 years again.
High arch film and television stills
Zhu Zaituan was speechless, and after he was dying, Feng Bao immediately took out his will from the head of the bed, which read:
Feng Bao and the cabinet jointly assisted the new emperor.
Gao Gong almost dropped his jaw and stared at this person who lacked things and few pieces, Feng Bao glanced at him arrogantly, and Gao Gong turned to Zhang Juzheng, who was calm and self-assured, as if to say, there is still an iron wall between us and an unbreakable wall.
But Feng Bao and Gao Gong are different, and their hatred can be described as incompatible. At that time, Gao Gong appointed himself as an imperial master, controlled the cabinet, and repeatedly promoted Chen Hong in the selection of eunuchs in charge of the ceremonial supervisor, and did not take Feng Bao in his eyes at all, hoping to completely cut off his back road to becoming the first person in the inner court.
In this way, Feng Bao and Zhang Juzheng took what they needed, hit it off, and walked together for the common goal.
However, Gao Gong thought that he was in a trench with Zhang Juzheng, and at the same time, he planned to play a good song and shot. History of The Ming Dynasty. Zhang Juzheng's biography contains:
Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne, arched the lord Tou Chong, punished the dictatorship of the lieutenants, and asked the priest to return the cabinet.
The gist of it was: Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne, and Gao Gong, because the emperor was young and suffered from the dictatorship of eunuchs, was listed separately to ask the emperor to suppress the celebrant and return power to the cabinet.
This time, Gao Gong planned to kick Feng Bao to the imperial tomb to grow vegetables, but Zhang Juzheng did not expect that Zhang Juzheng leaked secrets to Feng Bao.
As the world knows, after Zhu Zai's death, the Wanli Emperor and his mother, Empress Li, orphaned and widowed, lived in fear, and the most feared thing was that "the lord was suspicious of the country", and the crazy ministers threatened the young emperor to respect themselves.
Feng Bao seized this point one by one the power of the superintendent of ceremonies also belongs to the state instrument, why should it be given to the cabinet? And the high arch also uses a "also" word.
Feng Bao cried and cried darkly; Empress Li also cried, crying very bitterly,rather than having a single family, it was better to continue the separation of the three powers, not to mention that Feng Bao was trustworthy, and the reason why he fought for power was nothing more than to protect their mother and son, and there was no other plan.
Empress Li and Feng Bao are in the same frame film and television stills
The end of the high arch has arrived.
The next morning, he came to the main hall on his toes, wanting to listen to the edicts of the empress dowager and the emperor who belittled the celebrant.
After the reading, Gao Gong was completely confused, and the edict detailed his arbitrariness and dictatorship, which boiled down to: The cabinet arbitrarily wielded power, ignored the Jiangshan Society, and told the old man to return to his hometown with gao gong and leave Beijing on the same day.
The back of the high arch was like a dagger inserted, gushing with blood, and he couldn't believe the scene in front of him, and then collapsed on the ground.
At the same time, Zhang Juzheng leaned down, mixed up the high arch with his large hand, and then hired a mule cart for him outside the Xuanwu Gate.
Returning to the main hall, together with Gao Yi (a member of the cabinet), he asked the empress dowager of the two palaces to leave the high arch, but it was approved to send him back to his hometown with the horses of the post.
Soon, Gao Gong left the capital, and a few years later, he died in his hometown. Before dying, he still remembered Zhang Juzheng's grace of rescue.
After the event, Feng Bao was promoted to the post of Superintendent of Ceremonies and the Eunuch of the Indian Eunuch, becoming the first person in the Inner Court; Zhang Juzheng became the first assistant. From this day on, Zhang Juzheng officially stepped onto the highest stage of the Ming Dynasty, leaving the empire with 10 years of astonishment.
Feng Bao film and television stills
Let's start Zhang Juzheng!
Zhang Juzheng (1525-1582), a native of Jiangling County (present-day Jingzhou City), the capital of Jingzhou, Hubei Province, was known as "Zhang Jiangling" according to his birthplace.
He also has a nickname: Bai Gui. The name is related to a dream by his great-grandfather.
One night, my great-grandfather dreamed that the bright moon fell in his own urn, and then a white turtle surfaced, and "Gui" belonged to one of the ancient magic tools, hence the name.
Zhang Baigui was witty and intelligent since childhood, and became a well-known prodigy in Jingzhou Province at a very young age.
In 1536 (the fifteenth year of Jiajing), he participated in the tong examination and was greatly loved and pitied by Li Shiao, the prefect of Jingzhou, who instructed him to aspire from an early age and be loyal to the country, and changed his name to Juzheng Yitang (居正一正一堂) to be upright and upright.
A year later, participating in the township examination, a xiongwen impressed Inspector Gu Xuan, secretly saying: The future national instrument is also! However, because the writing was too arrogant, Gu Xuan deliberately let him fall behind, on the grounds that if jade wanted to become a large instrument, it still needed to be polished and finely carved.
In 1540 (the nineteenth year of Jiajing), Zhang Juzheng successfully passed the township examination and became a lifter. This time, Gu Xuan no longer blocked, nor could he stop it. History of The Ming Dynasty. Zhang Juzheng's biography contains:
He untied the rhinoceros belt as a gift, and said: The king should be the king of the waist on the other day, and the rhinoceros should not be enough to be a man.
The gist of it is: you will wear a jade belt in the future, and the rhinoceros belt will not bind you.
The author sighs here, I have to admire Li Shiao, Gu Xuan's insight into the divine eyes of thousands of miles, or perhaps, at that time, Zhang Juzheng's articles and ideas have long exceeded their cognition.
Zhang Juzheng film and television stills
The following year, Zhang Juzheng was admitted as a jinshi, was given the title of Shu Jishi, and together with Xu Jie, the second assistant of the cabinet, specially studied the allusions of the national dynasty chapter, and was deeply valued.
Please note that the title of Shujishi is not a specific official position, but it is the key to opening the door of the cabinet (to enter the cabinet, you must first become a Shujishi).
In addition, Zhang Juzheng can stand out, or it is related to his looks. History of The Ming Dynasty. Zhang Juzheng's biography contains:
Ju Zheng is a man, with a beautiful face and eyebrows, and must grow to the abdomen. Brave to do things, Haojie promised himself. However, there is a city government in the depths of the sinking, and it is unpredictable.
This shows that although the diploma is important, it is only with a handsome face that can complement each other, and this point, Zhang Juzheng is a qi life.
At this time, the Cabinet of The DPRK and China was busy, and the power struggle was like a net covering the ground. Zhang Juzheng was a bystander, and he knew that there was still a long way to go to cross this threshold.
In the twenty-eighth year of Jiajing (1549), Zhang Juzheng did not want to be silent, a "Treatise on the Neglect of The Times and Politics", the first Chen Zhi body "flesh and blood qi", painfully referred to the five diseases of "bloated fistula", and systematically expounded his own reform ideas.
This song was like a muddy sea, and was ignored by the Jiajing Emperor. But let a person never forget, this person is Yan Song.
No matter how terrible the terrifying waves were in the future, no matter how much Yan Song and Xu Jie fought each other, as Xu Jie's protégé, Yan Song still looked at him with admiration. History of The Ming Dynasty. The Biography of Zhang Juzheng records:
Yan Song is the first assistant, and those who are jealous of the rank and the good rank are hidden. Ju Zheng is free, and Song yi is in charge.
The gist is: Yan Song is the first assistant, jealous of Xu Jie, and those close to Xu Jie avoid it. However, Zhang Juzheng was very calm, and Yan Song also valued him.
In this matter, Yan Song and Xu Jie found a point of convergence for the first time, throwing away door valves and prejudices against each other, and vigorously admiring and protecting this wizard. It can be seen that the phrase "knowledge is power" will be incorruptible.
Yan Song film and television stills
Literati may have their own arrogance. Because Song Shu could not be approved, Zhang Juzheng deliberately took sick leave to return to his hometown of Jiangling for tourism. And it's been three years.
In the past three years, Zhang Juzheng had planned to completely give up, but the farm rent and the hard work of the people could not let him go. He discovered many problems among the people, so he said in the "Inscription of Jingzhou Capital":
The land endowment is uneven, the poor are unemployed, and the people are suffering from annexation.
He hurt the people and the injustice of his family and country, and this idea ignited the fire in his chest and once again made him ambitious.
And to realize the ideal in your heart, there is only one way, go to Beijing and find your own position.
In 1557, Zhang Juzheng was again inaugurated in the Hanlin Academy. But in the face of the political struggle between the vicissitudes and the life and death, Zhang Juzheng gradually matured and found a way, that is, like the teacher Xu Jie:
The inside is not crowded, the outside desire is muddy, and the camera moves.
In other words, in the face of the wild waves, calmly and calmly, reclusively, once the light reappears, it will go up against the current, whether it is night or dawn, whether it is difficult or dangerous, never shake - this may be the potential of Zhang Juzheng to become a great politician.
Seven years later, after Yan Song nodded, Zhang Juzheng entered the Right Chunfang Right Yude and Guozi Supervision Division, at the same time, Xu Jie recommended him to serve as a waiter for Zhu Zaiyuan, the Prince of Yu.
In the Yu King's Mansion, Zhang Ju was infected with Zhu Zaituo, whose prestige was second only to gao gong, thus opening up contacts and doing enough homework for the future soaring. Soon after, he was promoted to the position of left attendant of the bureaucracy and a scholar of Dongge University, and entered the cabinet and participated in the government.
Zhu Zaikun film and television stills
Well, let's go back to the previous article, Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao finally ushered in his era after driving away the high arch.
Here to add: There are several important reasons why Zhang Juzheng can make drastic moves and be keen on reforms in the future.
1: Feng Bao is in charge of the inner court, and all government decrees can be unimpeded, reaching the states, provinces and border customs in the fastest time;
2: Zhang Juzheng won the trust of Empress Li, the biological mother of the Wanli Emperor, and Empress Li agreed to let him go, which was extremely important, equivalent to obtaining a key to the heavens;
Ye Shi records that Empress Li admired Zhang Juzheng's appearance and demeanor, and once promised herself. However, zhengshi did not, and the author did not dare to say anything in vain, but I personally firmly believe that Zhang Juzheng's future liquidation must be related to this reason.
3: Wan Li is young and unable to pro-government - history is such a coincidence, Zhang Juzheng successfully took advantage of this gap period.
Ming Shi Yun:
The emperor is humble and has entrusted himself to Juzheng, and Juzheng also takes the world as his own responsibility, and the ideal style of China and foreign countries.
In 1573 (the first year of the Wanli Calendar), Zhang Juzheng opened the curtain of reform.
This year, the "Examination Law" was vigorously implemented. Controlling the six departments with six sections, and then controlling the six sections with the cabinet, completely changing the "although the above governors are sincere, and the ones who listen below are constantly defiant", starting from the source, "although thousands of miles away, they are pursued downwards and nights", and the officials are newly ruled.
In the fourth year of the Wanli Calendar, local officials were required to vigorously collect taxes, and those who did not have 90% were punished. In that year, 4.35 million taels were overcharged, an increase of 74% over the last year of Longqing.
Realized: In recent years, the positive endowment has not been lost, and the prefectural treasury has been enriched.
Zhang Juzheng and Empress Li are in the same frame film and television stills
In the ninth year, Zhang Juzheng ordered the implementation of a whip law nationwide. This is another major reform in Chinese history after the two tax laws of the Tang Dynasty. This made the enlistment one, and opened a precedent of "spreading out into acres".
This measure dealt a severe blow to the bureaucratic landlord class and protected the interests of the common people, but it provided an opportunity for officials at all levels to expropriate and extort.
Militarily, due to the previous "Longqing Peace" and the Mongols, the two sides divided each other into jade veils, and the pressure was reduced.
At the same time, Qi Jiguang was ordered to guard Jimen Gate, Li Chengliang was guarding Liaodong, and more than 3,000 "enemy stations" were built on the front line of Shanhaiguan and Juyongguan, always guarding against the invasion of northern cavalry.
Partially open the frontier, obtain the war horses needed by the Taibu Temple, and set up tea and horse mutual markets in Datong, Xuanfu, Gansu and other places, so that the Mongols can rely on the Central Plains and keep the border quiet.
In this way, the land in the country increased by 3 million hectares compared with the Hongzhi period, and the grain stored in Taicang could be used for ten years, and the pressure on the government was greatly alleviated.
Zhang Juzheng succeeded!
Pictures of the Great Wall
Next, Zhang Juzheng, a high-ranking and powerful person, is completely a fierce prime minister, with a wise eye that can recognize heroes, but acts domineeringly, and it is difficult to tolerate sand in his eyes.
Ye Shi records that after Xu Jiezhishi, in order to protect his field property in the Gyeonggi area, he arranged for his son to give Zhang Juzheng 30,000 taels of silver. And the "History of Ming and Zhang Juzheng Biography" seems to confirm this statement:
And the arch guest structure is 30,000 gold in the steps of the right step, and the arch is in the right place. Ju Zheng's color changes, referring to the oath of heaven, and the resignation is very bitter.
The gist is that Gao Gong, in order to suppress Zhang Juzheng, once mentioned this matter insinuatedly, but Zhang Juzheng refused to admit it, which is said to be an important reason for his break with Gao Gong. According to another legend, Zhang Juzheng's extravagance is no less than that of any horizontal official.
Okay, back to the main text.
Zhang Juzheng also did something that made future generations criticize, and this matter was to win affection.
Zhang Juzheng won the film and television stills
On September 25, the fifth year of the Wanli Calendar (1577), bad news came from the hometown of Jiangling, and his father Zhang Wenming died, and at the crossroads of this reform, Zhang Juzheng encountered unprecedented challenges.
Is it to go home to Ding Worry (serve the funeral for three years and bury the father) or to win affection (stay in the DPRK and wear filial piety to mourn)? Zhang Ju is being pushed to the cusp of the storm.
According to various sources, the officials headed by Li Youzi advocated Zhang Juzheng's affection, while cabinet members Zhang Siwei and Lü Qiuyang believed that they should go home and worry and act filial piety to the children of others.
What about the attitude of the Wanli Emperor? The edict soothed, repeatedly retained, and finally exercised the power of life and death to calm the matter.
On the surface, Zhang Juzheng seems to be on the side of morality, but the author has his own opinion.
1: Returning to the hometown of Ding worry means that the reform cannot be continued, and the previous efforts may be abandoned;
2: Some people support and prove that Zhang Ju is in the middle of the dynasty, others oppose it because of the situation, in line with feudal etiquette, and this is exactly what Zhang Juzheng must guard against, otherwise he will be subjected to crazy retaliation and be in a situation of no return;
3: The emperor's tears and retention are actually a show, which basically represents Empress Li's panicked heart;
4: The achievement of Zhang Juzheng made "Wanli Zhongxing" into "Zhang Juzheng Reform", destined to make him a great politician and a famous person in history.
Here again: not all eunuchs in the history of the Ming Dynasty were useless, and Feng Bao was a leader, who combined wisdom and literature and art to make great contributions to this reform. Of course, selfishness and greed are very similar to other eunuchs.
Tadashi Tsugei Images
On July 9, 1582, in the tenth year of the Wanli Calendar (1582), Zhang Juzheng became ill and died of illness in the copywriting.
The Wanli Emperor mourned bitterly, and for him to quit the dynasty for three days, he presented the pillar state with the title of "Wen Zhong".
However, all this is an illusion. Soon, Zhu Yijun shouted wildly, and finally swept away the shadow that made him feel frightened, and then suspended the reform, negated Zhang Juzheng's great achievements, and personally destroyed the hard-won good situation.
Not only that, he also carried out crazy revenge on Zhang Juzheng: confiscated all the family property, decided to whip him to death, fortunately someone stopped him.
But Zhang Juzheng's family was doomed— dozens of people were sealed off in the palace, the rooms were nailed with nails, and soldiers were ordered to guard them without giving food. Including domestic servants, most of them starved to death in the room, and the heavens and the earth were moved by their emotions.
Wanli Emperor film and television stills
Postscript: From their respective standspoint, no matter how future generations evaluate Zhang Juzheng, the author always believes that Zhang Juzheng is keen on reform, moving forward in the wind, at least in that decade, raw and strangled the reins of the Ming Dynasty that is about to get out of control.
Reference: History of the Ming Dynasty. History of The Ming Dynasty. Tales of the High Arch. History of The Ming Dynasty. Zhang Juzheng Biography" and so on
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