"Taking history as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall." As the last dynasty in China's feudal history established by the Han Chinese, the demise of the Ming Dynasty has always been most regretted. For decades, people have been pursuing the cause of the Ming Dynasty, trying to find the real culprit. The so-called "deep love and deep responsibility" After Ming died in Wanli, the call for Ming to die in the apocalypse has also become higher and higher. After all, in the mainstream of historical public opinion, the Emperor of the Apocalypse is an out-and-out emperor. Apart from his penchant for carpentry, spoiling eunuchs, and soliciting voices, he was almost useless. And it was his dim-witted incompetence that created the castrated party that was full of power, and their party fought together, excluded dissidents, killed the virtuous, and fished the people, completely disrupted the chaos and buried the splendid rivers and mountains. But, is that the case? In this regard, I will talk about some thoughts on the "dimwitted incompetence" of the Emperor of the Apocalypse.
Young Tianzi - Zhu Youxiao
One: The Way of the King - The Balance of the Little Emperor
In 1620, emperor Taichang, who reigned for only 30 days, died suddenly because he took the wrong medicine (the red pill case), and Zhu Youxiao, who was only sixteen years old, succeeded to the throne under the auspices of the Donglin Party and established the name "Heavenly Revelation".
The apocalypse of the first succession was either grateful for the support of the Donglin Party members, or because of the superstitious literati, the political power of the dynasty was in the hands of Donglin, but the so-called "Zhongzheng Ying Dynasty" situation was not only of no benefit to the Ming Dynasty under the river, but further stimulated the ambitions of the Donglin Party to establish the "Donglin Empire". They are united in spirit, supported from top to bottom, the party is fighting against differences, and they are purging dissidents. The hundred officials and colleagues who refused to cooperate and were neutral were classified as "Qi Party, Chu Party and Zhejiang Party" according to their affiliation. Then, under the pretext of "Jingcha (a system of Examination of Jingguan by Ming Dynasty officials, which was carried out every six years)", they were either dismissed from their posts or demoted from Beijing on the charge of "behaving recklessly, eating vegetarian food in a corpse position, and being a great beetle of the country". After that, they also referred to "the eunuchs headed by Wei Zhongxian and Ke Baba as eunuchs" and demanded that the Emperor of Heaven "fight fiercely and thunder, gather literature and martial arts, and severely interrogate the Ministry of Punishment on the charges of "persecuting the former emperor's former subjects, violating the system and interfering in the government's politics, guiding the king's evil, and committing adultery."
Statue of the Donglin Party
The "Way of Literature and Martial Arts" is being anxious about the trend of the Donglin Party gradually becoming a tail. Simply taking advantage of the strong wind of Wei Zhongxian, who yang Lian and others demanded to be killed, he did the opposite, and promoted Wei Zhongxian to be the eunuch of Bingbi, the superintendent of ceremonies, to command the affairs of the inner court, and to assist the emperor in handling the secrets. In other words, how much ability can Wei Zhongxian, who was born as a disciple of the Floating Prodigal Son of the City Well, have? How could the Emperor of the Apocalypse, who had been in his care since childhood, not know? But wasn't the reason why Wei Zhongxian was promoted was precisely because his cunning was talentless, mediocre and easy to control?
The Emperor of The Apocalypse, who had promoted Wei Zhongxian, took advantage of the situation to retreat into the background and hide in the Forbidden Palace, thus avoiding a head-on confrontation with the Donglin Party. On the one hand, he studied the carpenter's craft he loved, and on the other hand, he manipulated the chess pieces and remotely controlled the situation.
Unlike the Han and Tang dynasties, the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty were unusually clear about their positioning—the royal dog, the cunning Wei Zhongxian, after reaching the top. His master's mind was full of fire, and he began to wantonly gather the Qichu and Zhejiang three-party party members who were squeezed and suppressed by the Donglin Party. Work together and work together to resist the Donglin Party. Under the planning of Cui Chengxiu and others, the Donglin Party "Qingliu" in Beijing was almost purged by means of the "coinage case" and the "investigation of corruption". Later, he used the strong wind of "Wang Wenyan's prison" to kill Yang Lian and others on the charge of "the party is the same as the others, greed for power and bribery". The Donglin Party was greatly frustrated, fell apart, and completely lost its ability to stir up trouble. The rapid rise of Wei Zhongxian's "castrated party" successfully balanced the repeatedly defeated Donglin Party. The treacherous and reef-strewn imperial court was temporarily at peace. The court of the Ming Dynasty, which was worried about internal and external troubles, could finally free up its hands to pass through the land of Liaodong.
Weather map of the situation in Eastern Liaoning for five years
Two: The young Tianzi is heavy on the side of the work. Pay attention to Liaodong, and have many strategies and strategies
The young Tianzi re-enacted his work and went to the Ling Yan Painting Pavilion in person. Teach the courtiers to write the picture books, and the chief will use the hall as a screen." In traditional public opinion, due to the deliberate rendering of the "History of Ming" and the deliberate carving of clear notes, the Emperor of The Apocalypse, in addition to liking carpentry in people's images, is to spoil the eunuch Wei Zhongxian, who is an out-and-out unscrupulous emperor. But what about the facts?
Emperor Sun Chengzong
1. Regarding the political struggle between the dynasties: In the second year of the Apocalypse, wang Huazhen, the governor of Liaodong Province, was credulous and petulant, and the battle was improperly defended, and the news came that the Donglin Party members had blamed most of the responsibility on Xiong Tingbi in order to protect Wang Huazhen (the core figure of the Donglin Party and a disciple of Ye Xianggao, the head of the dynasty). For a time, the words and officials played one after another, prevaricating each other, and pulling quarrels in many ways, and the matter of the "defeat of Quang Ninh" was put aside, and no one cared about it. The apocalypse, who was deeply disgusted by this, had to personally rebuke it:
The Daoist officials of the Shu Sect have repeatedly neglected and made no right arguments. The liaozuo fell because of the discord between the economy and the people, so that the officials and the people were ruined. ...... Jiang Bingqian's vain words and disorderly administration have been punished lightly, and now he has formed a party and has already seen everything. Not sympathetic to the country's needs... Erbu Yuan then passed on to all the officials of all sizes, and in the future, it is necessary to be humble... Do it in a down-to-earth manner, no empty words. No matter how much they still talk nonsense and confuse right and wrong, they will never tolerate it. ”
Subsequently, seeing that hundreds of officials were disturbed and distracted by lawsuits, and the phenomenon of sitting on grain grain did not improve, the Emperor of the Apocalypse had to solemnly rebuke again:
There is a purpose before, and it is not allowed to go out of business without permission... What is the scene of nothing for the country and the people, wanton noise, and loud litigation? Among them, it is difficult to be admissible in terms of non-justice, and it is difficult to come from the slave chief... No recovery plot seen... The new juniors, the eyes and ears of the division, have no impartiality, and specialize in revenge. Reckless words, confusing state affairs... After that, all the officials of the Road should be humble and conscientious and jointly participate in state affairs. If there are any more parties and slanders, they will not be tolerated in accordance with the ancestral charter.
It can be seen from this that Xiang Xiang, who was smeared as an unlearned emperor of the Heavenly Revelation, obviously had deep pain for the major affairs of the imperial court, and was even more deeply disgusted by the phenomenon of people in the imperial court being overwhelmed and forming parties to drill camps.
Emperor Zhu of the Apocalypse
2: Regarding the strategy of liaodong war and defense: According to the "Records of Emperor Xizong", the Emperor Tianqi was not only diligent and studious, astute and eloquent, but also paid close attention to the war situation and border defense affairs in Liaodong, and did not dare or forget it for a moment.
Also in the second year of the Apocalypse, in the face of Wang Zaijin's strategic plan of "removing the barrier and retreating to Shanhaiguan", the Emperor of the Apocalypse, who was deeply aware of the fact that he was in charge, immediately ordered his teacher Sun Chengzong to personally go to Liaodong to investigate, "comprehensively checking the feasibility of the actual strategy." After receiving Sun Chengzong's judgment that "in the Jin pen tongue is more self-rapid, but Shen Xiong is not able to be broad". That is, Sun Chengzong, who was forced to exclude public opinion, was appointed as the governor of Jiliao, and gave Shang Fang the sword, and promised the right to "engage cheaply and decide on the battlefield". It is fully responsible for the construction of the "Guanningjin Defense Line". Where is this attitude of "being afraid of things and making good plans" and the decisive decision of "examining and approving plans and making decisions on the spot", where is the so-called "eunuch and upright power, like a puppet"? After Sun Chengzong went to Liaodong, because he was given the full power of the emperor and the situation that there was no constraint on internal and external smoothness, Sun Chengzong, who was only knowledgeable, boldly used young military generals such as Ma Shilong, Yuan Chonghuan, Zhao Lijiao, and Zu Dashou. He also constructively proposed that Mao Wenlong should be stationed on Huludao and Shen Yourong should enter GuangluDao, so as to achieve the purpose of attacking from the north and the south, echoing from east to west, and clamping down on Houjin. After Sun Chengzong's drastic reform and construction, the Liaodong defensive line was established, and the situation was greatly determined. After the apocalypse, Hou Jin was not able to pass the level one step.
Seeing that the war situation in Liaodong was becoming more and more stable, the Emperor of The Apocalypse not only did not relax. On the contrary, it is more vigilant and concerned. In the sixth year of the Apocalypse, Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Jiliao, sang a chapter, believing that "the reclamation of Tutun and the construction of the city and the defense of the city" would be enough to consume houjin and force him to surrender. In this regard, the young and weak Emperor Tianqi not only did not be paralyzed, but criticized Yuan Chonghuan in an extremely serious tone, accusing him of "lightly attacking the enemy and arrogantly indulging" and expecting him to "do what he does, needs to move from time to time, and must not be lazy."
"This book says that if a slave does not surrender, he will be captured... In terms of decay, slaves may not be surrendered, nor will they be trustworthy; war will be won, and victory will not be lightly discussed. Doing what you do requires movement from time to time. Just also, strange in it. It is good to forgive and to be good."
Not only that, but even in Qing Xiu's "History of Ming", it was also mentioned that the Apocalypse was quite important, and often excluded the eunuchs of the inner court from collecting information and materials about Liaodong in and around the capital and in the border areas.
"The emperor is good at detecting the border situation, and the east factory is sent to close the door, and the matter is reported, and the name is 'more important'"
Castrated Party Wei Zhongxian
"Today's people only say that the apocalypse is dusk, and the favor is castrated and the party is virtuous" But who ever thought that if the apocalypse is really a useless dimwitted monarch, then why should he put down the "chaos of extravagant Chongming" and try to save the "dangerous situation in Liaodong"? If the Heavenly Apocalypse Dynasty is really a eunuch dictatorship, then why can Sun Chengzong, the leader of the Donglin Party, always be in office and be quite blessed? It can be seen that Wei Zhongxian's suppression of the Donglin Party was entirely tacitly approved by the Apocalypse, and the suppression itself was judged and differentiated. But such a large-scale political struggle, there will be a declaration of personal vendetta is inevitable.
Carpenter's instruments
Three: Young heart, astute and eager to learn Zhu Youxiao, who has a wide range of interests
Whenever the Emperor of the Apocalypse is mentioned, what pops out of his mind is the keywords such as "the carpenter emperor and the favored eunuch". But what I want to say is that the emperor is also a human being, so why can't he have some personal preferences?
For the monarch of a country, we cannot take the usual "benevolence and morality" as a requirement, such as King Huiwen of Zhao is suspected of "killing his father", Emperor Wen of Han has the suspicion of "killing his nephew", Tang Taizong has the name of "killing his brother and marrying his sister-in-law", and Song Taizong has the legend of "candle shadow axe sound". But even so, it did not prevent them from becoming a generation of ming kings. Why did this "purely personal virtue" become evidence of his absurdity of government?
It is true that if I say this today, it is bound to attract great criticism, but what is the harm? The earliest record of the Apocalypse abandoning the government because of "squire tricks and obscenities" originated from the Ming Dynasty eunuch Liu Ruoyu's "Discretionary Chronicles", but the creation of this book has a big premise, that is, at that time, Chongzhen ascended the throne and eradicated the castration party in order to seize power, Liu Ruoyu was in a suspicious place, naturally did not dare to have an attachment to Wei Zhongxian, otherwise once he disagreed with Chongzhen's major policies, he was bound to be doomed. But even so, he still vaguely pointed out in the text that the apocalypse who liked to play lacquer carving did not "slacken the government".
Do despicable deeds and listen to the government
"The former emperor is good at galloping horses, good at martial arts, and very good at water play,...... The holy nature is good at building houses, and whoever wields his axe and saws, that is, skilled workers cannot reach it. And good painter... Create day and night, become happy, rejoice soon and abandon, abandon and become, not tired also. ...... Or there may be a close cut to this chapter,...... While taking care of the contempt, he listened with his ears. After the song was completed, YuYin said: 'Er, they go with their hearts, I know'. So the handle of Tai Ah moved down. ”
The sentence "While managing things and listening with one ear" in the text is enough to show that the young Emperor of the Apocalypse has never forgotten his duty as the "king of a country". And the so-called "so the handle of Tai'a moved down" is just Liu Ruoyu's speculative words, of course, this is more like a slanderous statement to cater to the present.
The so-called "rumors stop at the wise", but once the rumors are used by people who do not know the truth or have a heart, it will be a heinous disaster and it will be difficult to stop. Liu Ruoyu's "confession" arrived in the Qing Dynasty, and after Wang Shichen's interpretation, it became:
"There is an old palace supervisor who says: 'Ming Xi Sect is in the palace, good at making small pavilions, axes and pounds do not go to hand, carving exquisitely.' Whenever Wei Zhongxian served the emperor to make a meal, he played in the chapters of the various ministries, and the emperor said: "Ru haosheng look at it, don't deceive me." Therefore, the castration power is getting heavier and heavier, and the emperor is not enlightened. ’
"Chibei Even Talk" by Wang Shichen
In other words, who is this Wang Shichen? His grandfather was originally Wang Xiangjin, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty, and after the death of the Ming Dynasty, the Wang clan, who did not have the consciousness of "eating the king's Lu and bearing the worries of the king", quickly fell on the thighs of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Wang Shichen himself actively responded to the government's call to take the Manchu Qing Imperial Examination. Since the seventh year of Shunzhi (1650), he has passed through various tests such as the township examination, the meeting test, and the Pengshu Kedian examination, and then smoothly entered the official field and became a "loyal subject" of the Qing Dynasty. As for his brothers Wang Shilu, Wang Shixi, Wang Shihu, etc., he also had a talented name and a great name.
"The layers of the book are trapped, and the fog is cleared to see the real gold. In addition to the talent article, I advise you to read and think more."