Chapter 20 3. Liu Jin's farce

One of the maladministration in the Ming Dynasty was the monopoly of eunuchs.Liu Jin, the eunuch of Emperor Wuzong Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty, was in power and chaotic politics, which is a prominent example.Unfortunately, the Fengtianmen (Taihemen) courtyard, where the administration is held, has also become the stage for Liu Jin to perform special farce. Liu Jin (?—1510), was born in Xingping, Shaanxi.This person was originally an eunuch of the Bell and Drum Department, and after Emperor Zhengde came to the throne, he was quite obedient and flattering, so he was highly trusted, and he was in charge of the Rites and became the chief eunuch in charge.On June 25th in the third year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1508), Emperor Zhengde Yufengtian Gate (Taihe Gate) was in charge of the government early.After the early court, all the officials kowtowed and worshiped. When they were about to leave the court, they suddenly found an anonymous document on the royal road, which was an anonymous letter.The content of the letter is to expose the illegal crimes of the eunuch Liu Jin, the chief inspector of ceremonies.The censor presented this anonymous document to Emperor Zhengde for reading.Liu Jin vented his lust on the spot, announcing that all civil and military officials were not allowed to retreat from the court, and all officials would kneel in front of Fengtian Gate.Standing on the foundation of Fengtian Gate, Liu Jin had a bad attitude, insulted the officials, and threatened the officials to report the person who wrote the anonymous letter.At that time, it was hot and hot, the sun was scorching in the sky, the heat was overwhelming, there was no shade, and there was no water to drink.The officials knelt on the south brick floor of the Jinshui Bridge for a long time, their mouths were dry, they were sweating profusely, their stomachs were hungry, and they were in unspeakable pain.From kneeling down to noon, more than ten people fainted and three died of heat stroke. (Volume 39 of "Records of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty") Liu Jin was indifferent and ordered the inner prisoner to drag the unconscious man out.After nearly a day of kneeling as a punishment, the officials did not reveal the person who wrote the anonymous letter.In a fit of rage, Liu Jin ordered Jin Yiwei to arrest and imprison more than 300 civil and military officials kneeling at Fengtian Gate, which caused a great injustice since Emperor Zhengde came to the throne.

At sunset, more than 300 court officials were arrested and imprisoned, shaking the entire capital and arousing the anger of the officials and the people.At this time, Li Dongyang, a bachelor, stepped forward and spoke out. Li Dongyang (1447-1516), a native of Chaling, Hunan.Dongyang Zaohui was able to write big characters one foot square when he was four years old.When Ming Jingtai heard about it, he liked it very much. He hugged him on his lap and gave him candy.Li Dongyang was a Jinshi at the age of eighteen, entered the Imperial Academy, and was later awarded editing.He was a bachelor of attendant lecturer, the teacher of the prince of the East Palace, and he has been a minister of the Ministry of Rites and a bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion.He has been in the court for fifty years and has been in the cabinet for fifteen years. He has lived through the five dynasties of Jingtai, Tianshun, Chenghua, Hongzhi and Zhengde, and died at the age of seventy.According to legend, Lige Old Hutong in Fuyou Street got its name because Li Dongyang once lived here.Li Dongyang was a famous writer and calligrapher in Ming Dynasty.When he returned home from the dismissal, there were a lot of guests, and many people came here to ask for writing and articles.Tangtang was the prime minister back then, but he didn't accumulate any property, and he had to rely on written remuneration to subsidize his family.One day, his wife came in with paper and ink. Li Dongyang expressed that he was tired and didn't want to write. The lady said, "If we set up a guest today, there will be no fish and vegetables in the case?" As a treat, can the table be free of vegetables and fish?Dongyang had no choice but to pick up a pen and write.There is also a story that Li Dongyang, a scholar, celebrated his birthday. Two of his disciples, Lu Duo and Zhao Yong, went to the Imperial Academy to offer wine successively.How to do it?Thinking of the dried fish brought by the folks in the kitchen, let’s take the dried fish to see the teacher!But when I went to the kitchen, I found that "I've eaten more than half of it", maybe only half a dried fish was left, so I took it to celebrate the teacher's birthday.Li Dongyang was overjoyed when he saw it, so he left the two of them and asked his wife to cook fish and serve wine, eat and drink, and went away after a very happy time. ("Ming History Lu Duo Biography" Volume 163) Dongyang's honesty and integrity can be seen from the above.It preserves the kind, honest and famous people, and is sheltered by it, and people with integrity speak a lot of wrong words, so they need to be forgiven.

anyway.University scholar Li Dongyang urgently went to Emperor Zhengde because more than 300 officials were imprisoned.He said: "Anonymous texts come from one person, and all officials pay homage to them, and they rise up hastily. How can they know?"All but one are sinners.They wear shackles and are suspicious of each other. Moreover, the weather is hot and the prison atmosphere is fumigated. If they are detained again, after a few days, people will not be able to protect themselves!Special hope that the emperor sent Lunyin, released first, and then visited secretly to find out the anonymous person, and then sentenced him to death.Li Dongyang posted the memorial, and Liu Jin also heard that the anonymous letter was written by his fellow eunuchs, so Emperor Zhengde ordered the release of more than 300 officials from prison, and no further investigation into the anonymous letter incident.

It is not the first time that Liu Jin has performed such a farce with "the power to dominate the world, and the power to let go".In March of last year, he summoned a group of ministers to the Inner Jinshui Bridge, and ordered them all to kneel and listen to his announcement of the so-called "treacherous party", including Liu Jian, Xie Qian, the great scholar, Han Wen and other five people. There are also servants, censors, and Wang Shouren (Yangming), etc. "History of Ming Dynasty Liu Jin Biography" lists 53 people.Another time, he demoted one hundred and thirty-seven people including Shangshu Wang Zuo. "History of the Ming Dynasty" said that Liu Jin "repeatedly went to prison, and his injustice spread all over the road."Liu Jin was full of crimes, and his crimes were extremely heinous, and he finally got the fate of "being thrown into the market and taking the lead".

Wang Shouren mentioned above also has a story.Wang Shouren (Yangming), born in Yuyao, Zhejiang, his father Wang Hua was the number one scholar in Xin Chou Ke in the 17th year of Chenghua (1481).He was the head of the Ministry of War at that time, and he made admonitions and offended Liu Jin.Liu Jin was furious and ordered Shouren to forty, but he recovered from death and was demoted to Guizhou.Liu Jin sent people to harm him on the road.Wang Shouren expected to be plotted against on the way, so he traveled to Hangzhou. He pretended to throw himself into the river in the middle of the night, and floated his clothes and shoes on the water. The poem left by him said: "The hundred-year-old ministers are so sad, and the river waves weep every night." Local officials believed it was true and held river sacrifices .He concealed his name and entered Wuyi Mountain.After Liu Jin was put to death, Wang Shouren rose again.

For these historical events, the eunuch Liu Jin was often blamed for the crimes.Yes, Liu Jin has important responsibilities, but the main person responsible should be Emperor Zhengde. "The upper beam is not upright and the lower beam is crooked" - the absurdity of Emperor Zhengde, and the nonsense of eunuch Liu Jin.Liu Jin is just a vicious dog. In front of the majestic Fengtian Gate, he humiliated senior officials such as scholars and ministers, and fined more than 300 officials of the imperial court to kneel.How could Liu Jin "pretend"?Therefore, while people hate the eunuch Liu Jin, they should also criticize the absurdity of Emperor Zhengde!

The two big eunuchs Wang Zhen and Liu Jin mentioned above did all kinds of bad things, and they themselves also ended up ruined.Yu Qian, Li Dongyang, Wang Zhen and Liu Jin explained from the positive and negative aspects: To be a person or an official, the four most important things are to cultivate a righteous heart, be diligent in learning, be close to righteous people, and practice righteous ways.