Chapter 6 3. Empress Wanli

Xiaoding Empress Dowager Li is the biological mother of Emperor Wanli of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, and she was born in Huo County (now Tongzhou, Beijing).She served Emperor Mu Zong Longqing in Yu Wang's mansion, and gave birth to Ming Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun.In March of the first year of Longqing (1567), Li was named a noble concubine.Emperor Wanli succeeded to the throne, and his biological mother, Li, was honored as the Empress Dowager.The old system: the emperor ascended the throne, and the empress was respected as the empress dowager. If there was a biological mother called the empress dowager, an emblem was added to show the difference.At this time, the eunuch Feng Bao wanted to flatter Concubine Li Gui, and proposed that "the empress dowagers of the two palaces should respect each other at the same time".Therefore, Zhang Juzheng, a great scholar, negotiated with the court officials, respecting the empress Chen as the "Empress Dowager Benevolent", and the distinguished concubine Li as the "Empress Dowager Merciful".From then on, the status of the two houses is equal and there is no difference.Empress Dowager Rensheng lived in Ciqing Palace, and Empress Dowager Cisheng lived in Cining Palace.Zhang Juzheng asked Empress Dowager Li to take care of the ten-year-old Wanli Emperor's daily life and move him to Qianqing Palace.

Empress Dowager Li taught the young Emperor Wanli to read, and strictly supervised and supervised him. Let me first tell the story of Empress Dowager Li teaching her son to read.In the morning, the little emperor fell asleep, so Empress Dowager Li went to Emperor Wanli's bed and shouted, "Get up!" to wake up the sleeping little emperor Wanli.He also ordered the eunuchs to support the emperor from left to right, get water to wash his face, put on his clothes, go out and board the chariot, and go to court.If Emperor Wanli was lazy and didn't study, he would be summoned in front of the Queen Mother, reprimanded and knelt down to punish him.Every time after the banquet, when he returned to the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Wanli was often asked to follow the example of the lecturer and repeat the lecture in front of the Empress Dowager.

Then tell the story of Empress Dowager Li teaching her son to be king.Once, Emperor Wanli drank alcohol at a small banquet and made the eunuchs sing.The eunuch said no, and ordered him to take down the sword and strike him.If the left and right people persuade them, they will cut off their hair.The next day, Empress Dowager Li heard that Zhang Juzheng was rumored to have strict and sparse words, and she made a remonstrance; she also ordered Zhang Juzheng to "draft a letter of guilt for the emperor" and draft a "review letter" on behalf of the emperor; its fault.Emperor Wanli cried bitterly, blamed himself, and asked to change his ways.In the sixth year of Wanli (1578), Emperor Wanli got married, and the queen mother would return to live in the Palace of Compassion. "

The latter is strict.In the early days of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng was appointed, and his name and facts were comprehensively verified. He was almost rich and strong, and the power of the empress dowager made a lot of contributions.In the later period of Wanli, the prince Zhu Changluo was not registered, so Jiang Yinglin and others asked him to be a prince, but he was relegated.When the empress dowager found out, she took advantage of the emperor's appointment and asked why.Emperor Wanli said: "He is the son of Du Ren." Because he is the son of Du Ren!The queen mother said angrily: "You are also the son of man!" Emperor Wanli was terrified and knelt down and dared not get up.Why is this?At that time, the inner court called the court ladies "duren", and the queen mother was also blessed by the palace maids to give birth to the Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun.

The courtiers asked King Fu to leave the palace and go to the feudal prince's mansion.Concubine Zheng said that it will be postponed until next year to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday.The Queen Mother said: My grandson King Lu can also come to Beijing for his birthday!Concubine Zheng had no choice but to dare to stay with King Fu, and ordered King Fu to go to the vassal. The Empress Dowager's father, Li Wei, was granted the title of Uncle Wu Qing.The Empress Dowager's natal family violated the law and ordered the eunuch to go to Wuqingbo's mansion to count their faults and act in accordance with the law.

Empress Dowager Li loves Buddha, and many Buddhist temples were built inside and outside the capital. Here is a special introduction to the Pagoda of Cishou Temple.The Pagoda of Cishou Temple is located in Balizhuang, Haidian District, Beijing.The temple was built by the Empress Dowager Li, the mother of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty. It was built in the fourth year of Wanli (1576) and completed two years later.In the temple, the Wanshou Temple Pagoda is an octagonal thirteen-story brick pagoda with dense eaves, 56.5 meters high.The Hou Temple was abandoned due to fire, and the pagoda of Cishou Temple remained isolated.

There is a story about the construction of the temple.Emperor Wanli's father, Emperor Longqing, died early, and the queen had no sons. The 10-year-old Zhu Yijun, born to Concubine Li Gui, succeeded to the throne. This is Emperor Wanli.After Emperor Wanli ascended the throne, his mother was appointed as the Empress Dowager Cisheng, but she was born as a court lady with a humble status.During a meal in the palace, the Empress Dowager Rensheng and Emperor Wanli were sitting, but the Empress Dowager Cisheng was standing and could not enter the main table.Empress Dowager Li is in a difficult situation. There is a benevolent empress dowager in the inner court, Zhang Juzheng, a great scholar in the outer court, and Emperor Wanli is only 10 years old. How can she improve her political status and high authority?This woman is too scheming!

One day, she publicly said that she had a dream at night, dreaming of Nine Lotus Bodhisattva, and claimed that she was the incarnation of Nine Lotus Bodhisattva.Historical records: "The Nine Lotus Bodhisattva, the mother of Shenzong, Xiaoding Li Empress Dowager also. The Empress Dowager loves Buddha, and there is a nine lotus seat in the palace." The Nine Lotus Bodhisattva also delivered a decree to donate money to build the Yong'an Wanshou Temple in Balizhuang outside Fuchengmen, Beijing, to worship the Nine Lotus Bodhisattva.A tall pagoda was also built in the temple, named "Yong'an Wanshou Pagoda", also known as "Cishou Temple Pagoda".

Since then, Empress Dowager Rensheng, Zhang Juzheng, and all the people inside and outside the palace looked up to Empress Dowager Li, and no one dared to bully this living "Nine Lotus Bodhisattva".Behind the pagoda, there are portraits and stone inscriptions arranged in east and west: the east one is engraved with Zizhu Guanyin and eulogy on the front, and Ruilian Fu is engraved on the back; the west one is engraved with fish basket Avalokitesvara and eulogy on the front.The second stele is exquisitely carved, with clear and smooth lines.The influence of Nine Lotus Bodhisattva lasted until the end of Chongzhen.Cishou Temple is the display of Empress Dowager Li's strategy and wisdom.

There is also Wanshou Temple.In the fifth year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty (1577), Emperor Wanli of Ming Dynasty built it for his biological mother, Empress Dowager Cisheng.This temple connects the stories of four empress dowagers.In addition to the Empress Dowager Li, there are Empress Dowager Xiaohui, the concubine mother of Emperor Kangxi, Empress Dowager Chongqing, the birth mother of Emperor Qianlong, and Empress Dowager Cixi, the birth mother of Emperor Tongzhi.After Emperor Qianlong built the Qingyi Garden (Summer Palace) and opened the long river, the Empress Dowager took a boat to the garden, rested here, and held a birthday celebration ceremony here.

In February of the forty-second year of Wanli (1614), Empress Dowager Li died and was buried in Zhaoling. In the history of more than 500 years in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were only two empresses, empress dowagers, and empress dowagers, namely, empress Zhang of Emperor Renzong of Ming Dynasty and empress of Emperor Xianzong of Chenghua.They have good external opportunities and good internal cultivation.Their own common characteristics are: accumulating virtue and doing good deeds, having a pure heart and a quiet body, a broad mind, and a noble character.As such, they became models of women in antiquity.