Chapter 5 2. Empress Chenghua

Empress Dowager Zhou was the biological mother of Ming Xianzong Chenghua Emperor and the concubine of Ming Yingzong Zhengtong Emperor.Empress Qian of Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty was well-educated, intelligent and virtuous, especially when Yingzong was captured and lived in seclusion, she cried day and night, showing extreme femininity.However, Empress Qian had no children, and concubine Zhou gave birth to a son Zhu Jianshen, who became the crown prince and later became Emperor Chenghua. The Zhou family is from Changping, Beijing.Because she gave birth to a son, the son was the prince, and the mother was honored by the son, so she was named a noble concubine.Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty died at the age of 38, and Zhu Jianshen succeeded to the throne at the age of 18.According to the provisions of the "Daming Huidian": "When the son of heaven ascends to the extreme, and enshrines his mother or concubine as the empress dowager, he will be honored." Empress Dowager. "Daming Huidian" also stipulates: "Afterwards, the empress dowager may be praised by celebrations, and two or four characters will be added as the emblem." Empress Dowager Shengci Renshou".After the death of Emperor Chenghua, her grandson Ming Xiaozong Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youtang succeeded to the throne, and Emperor Hongzhi honored his grandmother as the Empress Dowager.

The sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty were very different in terms of cultural attainment and personal morality. Some emperors even did a lot of absurd things.However, all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were extremely filial to their mothers and grandmothers, without exception. "History of Ming Dynasty" records: "Xianzong is in power, and the empress dowager is extremely filial. Once every five days, Yanxiang must be close. The empress dowager wants to do whatever she wants, and she is afraid of being unhappy." ("Ming History · Empress Biography" Volume 13) This is Believable.

The Empress Dowager Zhou was kind.When Emperor Xiaozong came to the throne, the Empress Dowager was also extremely filial.The empress dowager (who was the empress dowager at the time) was sore and healed for a long time. She ordered the officials to say: "Since the emperor hated the generation, I will be in the throne and Changle. The emperor Xianzong will be raised by the world, and it will be like a day for twenty-four years. Here is an occasional patient. Ulcer, the emperor called out to the sky at night, in order to ask for his order, he stopped the banquet in the spring suburbs, and asked him to see Weiqin, so that he could get old (di, meaning "get", not "bottom") Kangning. Looking at the past and looking at the present, father and son For the two generations, the filial piety is the same, and it is very commendable.” (Volume 13 of "History of the Ming Dynasty Concubine Biography")

Empress Dowager Zhou also has a story.Because Empress Qian treated her sincerely when she was in trouble, Emperor Yingzong of Ming Dynasty promised her to be buried together after her death.However, Emperor Xiaozong Hongzhi of the Ming Dynasty encountered a dilemma: on the one hand, his grandmother, Empress Zhou, was unwilling to be buried with Empress Qian, and Empress Zhou was very kind to the emperor's grandson, Emperor Xiaozong Hongzhi. In the palace of the palace, the province looks at all directions.In the winter of the eleventh year of Hongzhi (1498), there was a fire in Qingning Palace, and the Empress Dowager moved to Renshou Palace.Next year, the renovation of Qingning Palace will be completed, and the Empress Dowager will still return to Qingning Palace.The Empress Dowager’s younger brother, Changning Bo Zhou Yu, had land endowment at home, and the officials requested to check it, but the emperor said forget it.The Empress Dowager said: "How can I smear (wei, meaning "wrong") the emperor's law because of me!" How can I not abide by the laws of the country because of me!Therefore, the land beyond the land was returned to the government.In March of the seventeenth year of Hongzhi (1504), the Empress Dowager Zhou died and was buried in Yuling together.In the fifteenth year of Jiajing (1536), he moved to the mausoleum together with the two empresses Ji and Shao.Later, Empress Dowager Xiaoke, mother of Mu Zong, Empress Dowager Xiaoding, mother of Shenzong, Empress Dowager Xiaojing, mother of Guangzong, Empress Dowager Xiaohe, mother of Xi Zong, and Empress Dowager Xiaochun, mother of Sizong, all followed this etiquette system. ("History of Ming Dynasty Biography of Empresses" Volume 13)