Chapter 51 3. Jiajing West Palace

Emperor Jiajing built Yongshou Palace in Xiyuan, which is also called "Jiajing West Palace" because it is to the west of the palace.The forty-five years of Emperor Jiajing's life as a monarch was divided by the "Renyin Palace Change" in the twenty-first year of Jiajing (1542). Generally speaking, the first half lived in the imperial palace, and the second half lived in the West Palace. Emperor Jiajing had a quirk, that is, the "four good things" - he liked to build civil engineering projects, to change the original regulations, to engage in Taoist beliefs, and to pray for immortality.

Yongshou Palace was originally the old palace of King Yan, and Emperor Jiajing changed its name to Yongshou Palace. During the "Renyin Palace Change", Emperor Jiajing was almost strangled to death by a court lady. He was in shock and wanted to move out of the palace.So, moved to Yongshou Palace.From Zhaoxing in Xiyuan, the Yongshou Palace was searched for, and not long after that, Xuanji, Gaoxuan and other palaces followed.Taking Xuanji Hall as the place of worship to heaven, it should be the Fengtian Hall of the Zheng Dynasty; taking Gaoxuan Hall as the place of inner court, it should be the Wenhua Hall of the Zheng Dynasty.The Qingfu Hall was also built as a place for incense.Later, the Zhai Palace, Zichen Palace, Wanfa Palace, etc. were built.Since Emperor Jiajing moved to Xiyuan, he no longer listened to the government, but had fasting and offering sacrifices every day and evening.All the lucky officials who entered the direct writing Xuan were all attached to them, even the cabinet ministers, who also served day and night, and no longer went to Wenyuan Pavilion.As a result, the monarchs and ministers worshiped Taoism and fought against each other for a few decades, ending with Jiajing Sheji.Until Emperor Longqing succeeded to the throne, the Yongshou Palace was razed to pastures, and the agricultural supervisor was dismissed. (Volume 1 of "Wanli Ye Huo Bian·Di She Ji")

On November 25th, the 40th year of Jiajing (1561), the fire broke out at night, the palaces were furnished, and the emperor was served by public officials.Is this skyfire?No, it was a man-made disaster.According to legend, that night, Emperor Jiajing and Shangmei were drinking and playing with fireworks in the sable tent. They were half insane, half drunk, half dreaming, half asleep, half unconscious, and half unconscious, causing a fire.Among them, it takes several years to get eight taels of ambergris, which is also simmered in the fire.In August of the forty-fifth year of Jiajing (1566), he ordered to worship the uncanonized Gong Yushang as his concubine, and gifted his father as a general of hussars and governor of the right army.The day of concubine concubine was only two days away from Emperor Jiajing's 60th birthday.According to an eunuch in the palace, the Shang family was only thirteen when he accepted grace, and he was eighteen when he was conferred the concubine. (Volume 29 of "Wanli Ye Huo Bian Wanshou Palace Disaster")

After the fire in Yongshou Palace, Emperor Jiajing temporarily lived in Yuxi Palace and moved to Xuandu Palace, but none of them were suitable for emperors to live in.When Yan Song was prime minister, please move to Nangong, which is the place where Ming Yingzong lived when he was the Supreme Emperor.After Yingzong's restoration, the Nangong Palace was completely decorated and magnificent, surpassing Yongshou Palace.However, Emperor Jiajing thought it was ominous and hated it because Yingzong abdicated and was imprisoned at that time, so he didn't want to live in it.At that time, the construction of the three halls of the Imperial Palace was being promoted, so building materials were allocated to build Yongshou Palace.Emperor Jiajing was very happy, and in less than three months, the palace was completed, and he moved to live immediately, giving him the name of Longevity.After the death of Emperor Jiajing, the palace was dilapidated, ruined and overgrown with overgrown grass. (Volume 2 of "Wanli Yehuobian · Zhaigong") Jiajing was in Xiyuan, and there was a story of luck.

Yuan Wei is lucky, but everyone hates him.Emperor Jiajing raised a cat named Lion Cat in Yongshou Palace in Xiyuan.One day, the lion and cat died, and Emperor Jiajing was very sad. To express his deep affection for the cat, he ordered a golden coffin to be made and buried at the foot of Longevity Mountain.He also ordered Confucian officials to write a eulogy for the lion and cat, and the recommendation was super-high, and he entered the heaven.All the ministers deliberately refused to delay because the topic was difficult.Only Yuan Wei, the servant of the Ministry of Rites, wrote flattery, including words such as "turning a lion into a dragon", which was read by Emperor Jiajing, and the dragon's face was very happy. (Volume 2 of "Wanli Yehuo Compilation Congratulations on Birds and Beasts") Yuan Wei's sexual behavior was unruly, Bao Xiao was impeached, and the emperor pardoned him.Editor-in-chief of "Chengtian Dazhi", plundering the beauty of others, greedy for his own merit.Yuan Wei's official rank was promoted directly, and he went to the Minister of the Ministry of Households, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, the University of Wuying Temple, and the University of Jianji Temple.Yuan Wei's character is poor, incompetent, good at flattery, outraged by the public, accumulated a lot of grievances, returned home from illness, died halfway, and was fifty-eight years old, everyone hates him. ("History of Ming Dynasty Biography of Yuan Wei" Volume 193)

There is also Wang Jin, who supervised the birth of the son of the state, deserved to die for murder, fled in fear of crime, and hid in Zhao Wenhua's home.Wang Jin presented Zhao Wenhua with fairy wine, and Wenhua dedicated it to Emperor Jiajing.One day, Emperor Jiajing asked the secret hall to support the spirit, and sent people from various places to collect Ganoderma lucidum.Ganoderma lucidum was offered from all directions and gathered in the imperial garden.Wang Jin bribed the eunuch and obtained ten thousand Ganoderma lucidum, which he gathered into a mountain called Long Live Zhishan.Wang Jin pretended to be a five-color tortoise.Emperor Jiajing was overjoyed and sent officials to offer sacrifices to the Taimiao. Yuan Wei also congratulated him and awarded Wang Jin the Imperial Physician of the Taiyuan Hospital.Wang Jin also forged "Zhu Pin Xian Fang" and "New Book of Pension", which went hand in hand with the Jinshi medicine he made.Emperor Jiajing took it and felt better.Not long after, Emperor Dajian blamed Wang Jin and others in his will, ordered him to be punished by canonical punishment, and sentenced to death in prison.Houyou Wang Jin waited for death, and made up the words for the people. ("History of Ming Dynasty Wang Jinzhuan" Volume 370)

"The traces of Zhou, the lessons of Zhou." The three palaces outside the palace are a mirror, which vividly reflects the licentiousness, misbehavior, tyranny and abuse of power and ugly souls in the harem of Emperor Zhengtong, Emperor Zhengde and Emperor Jiajing.The imperial power should be restrained, and the monarchy must be supervised.