When Emperor Mingmuzong Zhu Zaiyuan (1537-1572) was born at an inopportune time, his father, Emperor Mingshizong, believed in the Tao, suppressing behaviors that affected the Tao, so that he could not have entertainment activities. After Sejong's death, Muzong succeeded to the throne, and the entertainment nature was released without restraint, reigning for 6 years and dying of illness at the age of 36.
Myung Sejong Web Image
There were many officials who advised Muzong to exercise moderation, and occasionally accepted opinions and did not punish those who were lenient, but most of them refused to advise, and often imposed heavy punishment on officials who touched the scales of rebellion. For example, at the beginning of Longqing, Muzong ordered the household department to buy the jewel, but the junchen advised him not to listen, so Yushi Zhan looked up and played: "Not long ago, the yan official advised him to buy the jewel, but he was reprimanded. In the past, Zhongyu abstained from tang not to be close to the sound and not to cultivate goods; summoned the king of Wu to play with people's loss of morality and playthings to lose their minds; Tang and Wu could receive the ordination of the two subjects, and the screen went to play well, so the light of saintly virtue returned to a thousand years. If you are extravagant all your life, you cannot be stopped, you will indulge in indulgence, and your wealth will be exhausted and the people will be poor. His Majesty's good end of play gradually enlightened, and the bad news of disobedience, the result of the multitude of Hinayana temptations, the harm is very great. Moreover, the jewels and pearls, the more the eunuch's house, the more urgent the request, the higher the price, why use the useful money, consume the useless things? ”
Ming Muzong web image
But Muzon ignored it. When Muzong was moved to the palace because Empress Chen dissuaded her from "quite a bit of a delay", Zhan Yangpi wrote another letter, accusing Muzong of violating "holy virtue" and preparing to be severely punished by Muzong, but this time Muzong only asked Zhan Yangpi not to "speak in vain".
Empress Chen Web Images
For Muzong's tolerant attitude, "Chinese and foreign surprises are too much, and they are inspired by the benefits of protection." However, In the end, Muzong could not tolerate Zhan Yangpi's extreme advice on his entertainment behavior.
When Zhan Yangpi inspected the Ten Treasuries and found that Muzong "took the silver of the household department before and used it to prepare for the emergency", but the internal officials and supervisors obeyed the order to "create all the money in order to create Aoshan Mountain, repair the palace garden, make swings, build dragons and phoenix ships, and manage the gold cabinet and jade basin", he suggested that Muzong should "deeply reflect" on this, and if there is a person who has a good time to meet, he will be guilty of the crime." Mu Zong couldn't bear it, so he used the excuse to "remove him from the court staff and remove him from the treasury". (Biography of Ming Shi Zhan Yang Pi)
Throughout Muzong's six years in power, although there was no major crime that brought calamity to the country and the people, it was not as quiet and frugal as the ming and qing official history said. During his short six-year reign, it can be said that entertainment was a great pursuit.
At the expense of the people's strength and cost, he purchased cat's eye emeralds, transferred the silver of the ministry to build the palace garden, swing, dragon and phoenix ships, and made a lantern play on Aoshan Mountain, rode and hunted in the palace garden, paraded martial arts in the teaching field, and was obsessed with the entertainment with the palace women, so that the empress who advised her was beaten into the palace. Even during his father's funeral, he also feasted and sang, and mixed with the palace women.
Muzon's entertainment is like a volcano that has been suppressed for a thousand years, and once the conditions are ripe, it will erupt like a fierce eruption of hot magma, which cannot be stopped at all. Despite the repeated advice of his courtiers, Muzong's will to maintain his entertainment was unmoved, even to the death of entertainment. In May of the sixth year of Longqing, Muzong, who was terminally ill due to excessive entertainment, collapsed in the palace, ending the era of longqing.
The content is compiled from: Xie Sheng Xie Gui'an "Blowout after Repression - Ming Muzong's Court Entertainment Life", The Forbidden City, February 2011, thanks to the author and the magazine for providing information, if there is any problem private message contact