As we all know, an unfortunate childhood can ruin a person's life. People who emerge from tragic experiences often become extreme, violent, and even hate society. In the middle of Ming Dynasty , Zhu Youtang had suffered a lot since his birth. However, instead of taking revenge on anyone, he became a wise king.
In August 11475, eunuch Zhang Min was combing Zhu Jianshen's hair in the Qianqing Palace. When Zhu Jianshen found that his white hair was slowly falling to the ground, he felt sad and couldn't help but sigh:
"I am old and I still don't have a son. There is no one to succeed the Ming Dynasty."
Zhang Min was full of surprise. After looking around, he suddenly He knelt down on the ground and cried: "Your Majesty has a son for a long time, but he has been hiding and dare not show up."
It turned out that Ji, who was favored by Zhu Jianshen 6 years ago, gave birth to a son Zhu Youtang for him. However, after Zhu Youtang was born, he was taken away by Zhang Min and given to Queen Wu in the cold palace to raise. This matter has never been known to outsiders. Looking at the skinny Zhu Youtang, Zhu Jianshen was so excited that he cried with joy:
"He looks just like me, he is my son!"
Three months later, Zhu Youtang was established as the prince. However, not long after Zhu Youtang entered the East Palace, his biological mother Ji died in the palace for no apparent reason and committed suicide. The eunuch Zhang Min even ended up committing suicide by swallowing gold.
So why did Zhu Youtang have to hide in the cold palace for 6 years before he dared to meet Zhu Jianshen? Why did his mother commit suicide? How did he become a wise king?
Tragic childhood
Speaking of Zhu Youtang, you have to mention his grandfather Zhu Qizhen. When Zhu Qizhen was young, despite the opposition of his ministers, he insisted on leading troops to conquer Wala . As a result, he was defeated by Tumu Fort , and he was captured alive by Wala. After being captured in Zhuqi Town, the Oara people once attacked the city of Beijing, and the Ming Dynasty was in danger.
As the saying goes, "In troubled times, heroes emerge." The chaos created by Zhu Qizhen was eventually put down by his younger brother Zhu Qiyu and the famous minister Yu Qian. However, after Zhu Qiyu ascended the throne, he deposed Zhu Qizhen's eldest son Zhu Jianshen and instead established his youngest son Zhu Jianji as the crown prince. Since ancient times, deposed princes have never had a good end, not to mention that the current emperor is still his own uncle.
Zhu Jianshen, who was only 5 years old, experienced the warmth and warmth of human relationships and the warmth of the world in the deep palace. The eunuchs and maids who used to flatter and please him left him one after another. Only Wan Zhen'er , who was 17 years older than him, took care of him consistently. As the saying goes, "A friend in need is a friend indeed". After years of getting along with each other, Zhu Jianshen, who had lost his mother's love since childhood, gradually developed a serious dependence on Wan Zhen'er. After Zhu Qizhen was restored and Zhu Jianshen ascended the throne, Wan Zhen'er transformed into the most favored concubine Wan Zhen'er in the Sixth Palace.
Wan Zhen'er was acrimonious and extremely jealous. When Zhu Jianshen first came to the throne, she took advantage of Zhu Jianshen's love for her to overthrow the Queen Wu. As for Zhu Jianshen's other concubines, Wan Zhen'er even beat and scolded them. After her own son died in infancy, Wan Zhen'er extended her clutches to other princes, so that even six years after Zhu Jianshen ascended the throne, he still had no biological son of his own.
In 11465, Zhu Jianshen used Zhao Fu as his general to conquer the Yao rebellion in Guangxi. After Zhao Fu defeated the chieftain of Guangxi, he brought his daughter Ji into the palace and served as a palace maid. As an emperor, although Zhu Jianshen dotes on Wan Zhen'er, he also loves other women. After he discovered the beautiful Ji, he fell in love with her.
An unexpected move by Zhu Jianshen made Ji pregnant with his child. At that time, Concubine Wan Gui was infertile and resented the pregnant concubines and maids. After hearing that Ji was pregnant, she immediately sent a palace maid to force Ji to abort the child. However, the palace maid was soft-hearted and lied about Ji's illness, deceiving Wan Zhen'er. Although Ji escaped death, she "cannot escape the crime" after all. She was put into Anletang by Wan Zhen'er and worked as a handyman.
Ten months later, Ji gave birth to Zhu Youtang. However, as soon as the child was born, he was taken away by Zhang Min, the eunuch sent by Wan Zhen'er. Zhang Min originally wanted to follow Wan Zhen'er's will and drown Zhu Youtang, but after all, he had followed Zhu Jianshen for many years and understood Zhu Jianshen's thoughts. Therefore, Zhu Youtang was secretly hidden in the cold palace of the deposed Empress Wu and raised in secret.
Wan Zhen'er trusts Zhang Min very much, and she has long forgotten about the deposed Wu family. Therefore, the young Zhu Youtang was able to avoid death. Although Zhu Youtang was raised by the Wu family, the Wu family was the deposed queen after all, so Zhu Youtang's food and clothing expenses were no different than that of a beggar. More importantly, Zhu Youtang could only hide in the dark and cold palace, never seeing the light of day. His childhood life was extremely miserable.
A Mingjun of a Generation
In 11475, when Zhu Youtang was 6 years old, Zhang Min took the opportunity to recommend him to Zhu Jianshen. Zhu Jianshen was very happy after seeing Zhu Youtang. He made Zhu Youtang the prince, but he was indifferent to his biological mother Ji. The appearance of Zhu Youtang disrupted Wan Zhen'er's plan. She vented all her resentment on eunuchs such as Zhang Min and Huai'en. She cursed countless times: "How dare you deceive me? I want to make their lives worse than death. "
Out of fear of Wan Zhen'er, Ji hanged himself shortly after Zhu Youtang was established as the prince, and Zhang Min also chose to commit suicide by swallowing gold. At that time, Zhu Jianshen knew that Wan Zhen'er had poisoned his own son, but he did not show any sign. Therefore, Zhang Min and Ji chose to commit suicide, which can be regarded as a kind of relief.
After Zhang Min died, Zhu Youtang's life was in danger. Zhu Jianshen's biological mother, Queen Mother Zhou, raised Zhu Youtang in Renshou Palace despite Wan Zhen'er's objection. The appearance of Zhu Youtang did not reduce Zhu Jianshen's love for Wan Zhen'er. On the contrary, Zhu Jianshen became more and more obsessed with her. Therefore, Wan Zhen'er put aside her grudges and no longer opposed other concubines to give birth to a prince for Zhu Jianshen.
However, Wan Zhener always harbored resentment towards Zhu Youtang. She once summoned Zhu Youtang to her palace for dinner, but in Wan Zhen'er's palace, Zhu Youtang, who was worried that she would poison her, refused to eat or drink. Wan Zhen'er was so angry that she cursed: "You treat me like this at such a young age." You can't eat me when you grow up."
In 11485, Wan Zhen'er finally caught the incident where the eunuch Liang Fang was dissatisfied with Zhu Youtang and persuaded Zhu Jianshen to abolish Zhu Youtang. Zhu Jianshen was obedient to Wan Zhen'er, and his concubines gave birth to other princes for him one after another. Zhu Youtang was no longer his only successor, so he issued an imperial edict to abolish Zhu Youtang and replace him with other princes.
However, Zhu Jianshen was mediocre in his later years, and the courtiers' expectations for Zhu Youtang far exceeded that of the emperor. After hearing that Zhu Jianshen wanted to abolish Zhu Youtang, they all wrote to him to advise him. Qintianjian even used the Taishan earthquake as an excuse to extend the causal relationship to the "rebellious prince". In the end, Zhu Jianshen gave up the idea of abolishing the crown prince.
Two years later, Wan Zhen'er died of illness, and the depressed Zhu Jianshen also died. The 18-year-old Zhu Youtang was able to successfully ascend to the throne. As an emperor with a "childhood shadow", Zhu Youtang's performance surprised everyone.
At that time, Wan Zhen'er and Zhu Jianshen died too hastily, and their comrades who had followed them in doing evil had no time to prepare, and Zhu Youtang ascended the throne. Wan Zhen'er's younger brother Wanxi had participated in countless cases of framing and murdering Zhu Youtang. When he heard that Zhu Youtang had ascended the throne, he was ready to die.
Those ministers who were already dissatisfied with the Wan clan for bringing trouble to the world also sent letters to remonstrate and had Wanxi killed. However, Zhu Youtang let Wanxi go. Zhu Youtang did not kill the Wan family due to personal hatred, which reflects his broad mind. But for the common people who had been oppressed by the Wan family for decades, the new king's rise to power failed to give them the "justice" they wanted.
Zhu Youtang was a very diligent emperor. In his childhood, his tragic experiences caused him to be in poor health.But after he ascended the throne, Zhu Youtang never missed the morning court. He also restarted the afternoon court, which had long been abandoned by the Ming emperor. Even in the afternoon, he had to hold sutra banquets and give lectures, learn the knowledge of governing the country every day, and serve for himself. Replenish energy. Among the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty, even Zhu Yuanzhang was not as diligent as Zhu Youtang.
In addition, Zhu Youtang is also very frugal. As an emperor, Zhu Youtang had very simple meals three times a day, and his clothes were rarely made of fabric. Unlike many emperors who claimed to be "frugal", Zhu Youtang used actions to fulfill his promises, and for his whole life.
Of course, the most different thing between Zhu Youtang and other emperors is that he advocated monogamy. In that era of three wives and four concubines, and three thousand beauties in the harem, it was commendable that Zhu Youtang, as the emperor, was able to be consistent. His love affair with Queen Zhang also became a model for future generations.
died of serious illness
Since the reign of Zhu Youtang, the Ming Dynasty has experienced a rare period of peace and prosperity. He rarely went to war abroad in his life, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment and lived a prosperous life. Therefore, during Zhu Youtang's reign, he was also called "Hongzhi Zhongxing".
However, Zhu Youtang was not an emperor without faults. He favored the powerful official Li Guang, reused eunuchs, and supported his relatives to govern, which laid hidden dangers for him in the later period of his reign. And his obsession with , Buddhism and has also earned him a lot of notoriety.
As a conservative king, Zhu Youtang can only tinker with things and lacks major achievements. He is not as good as Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di who radically reformed the bad government, and he is not as good as his father Zhu Jianshen in turning the tide. The famous minister Zhu Guozhen once compared Zhu Youtang to the emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty and said: "Three generations below, only emperors Han Wen, Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty and I, Emperor Xiaozong, can be called wise masters."
In fact, in terms of personal character, Zhu Youtang is far better than Song Renzong. His lack of sex with women and his frugality are things that cannot be compared with Song Renzong. But when it comes to governing the country, the two have different approaches but similar goals. When the crisis of the dynasty gradually emerged in the Northern Song and mid-Ming dynasties, neither Song Renzong nor Zhu Youtang could make fundamental changes and guide the dynasty to further prosperity. They gave one generation a comfortable life, but harmed several generations.
505, Zhu Youtang, who became ill due to overwork, was dragged down and became terminally ill at the age of only 36 years old. Since he had only one son, his throne undoubtedly fell into the hands of Zhu Houzhao . Zhu Houzhao was young and liked promiscuous pleasures. Zhu Youtang couldn't let go of him, so he specially appointed Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and others as auxiliary ministers. He tearfully cared for him in front of his bed.
However, shortly after Zhu Youtang's death, Zhu Houzhao built a leopard room at Xihua Gate for his own entertainment. The prosperous age left by Zhu Youtang disappeared. However, the dynasty's shortcomings that he once ignored gradually magnified during the Zhu Houzhao and Jiajing reigns, seriously threatening the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.
