Chapter 349 Chapter 348: Mu Zong and Zhu Zaihou

In the early morning of the 23rd day of the first lunar month in the 16th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1537), Shizong Zhu Houcong just got up when a young eunuch with a happy face walked through the palace gate and knelt at his feet: "The emperor is very happy! Concubine Du Kang gave birth to a prince!" The 30-year-old Zhu Houcong was overjoyed at the birth of his third son, and rushed to visit the harem excitedly.When he saw that the child was white and fat, he was pleasing to the eye, so he was named Zaihou. "Zai" refers to his seniority, and "垕" means "Emperor Tianhoutu" as the lord of the world, which shows his father's full expectation.

Fast forward 29 years.In December of the 45th year of Jiajing, Zhu Zaihou ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor after Shizong died of poisoning by taking elixir. This was Ming Muzong, and the reign name of Muzong Dynasty was Longqing.Mu Zong reigned for only 6 years. At noon on December 26th in the forty-five year of Jiajing (1566), the bells and drums of the Huangji Hall sounded together, and the 30-year-old Zhu Zaihou sat on the throne of the emperor, with all the civil and military officials kneeling three times and ninety-nine at his feet. Kowtow, the enthronement ceremony is extremely holy and extremely long.This situation and the scene can't help causing waves in Zaihou's heart, a kind of sacred feeling of "destiny is in me".

Mu Zong was one of the few emperors of the Ming Dynasty who ascended the throne as an adult, and he was not the prince appointed by Sejong.Sejong had 8 princes, but 5 died in infancy, and only the second son Zaihe, the third son Zaihou, and the fourth son Zaizhen grew up.In the eighteenth year of Jiajing, Shizong canonized Zaihe as the prince, Zaihou as the king of Yu, and Zaizhen as the king of Jing respectively.At that time, the three brothers were all young and fine.But since Zaihe died in the 28th year of Jiajing, who is the crown prince has become a major event that the world has focused on.According to the etiquette of "there is a heir to establish a heir but no heir to establish an elder", of course it is King Yu who should be crowned prince.But that's not the case.Tao Zhongwen, a favored Taoist at that time, put forward the saying that "two dragons cannot meet each other". The emperor is a dragon, and the prince is of course a little dragon.This provided Jing Wang Zaizhen with an opportunity to take advantage of.Taking advantage of his mother's favor, Zaizhen traveled around the inner palace to fight for the crown prince, and his plan was well known in the palace.Yan Song, the chief assistant of the cabinet with power over the government and the public, was also quite indifferent to Zaihou.Even the yearly gift that King Yu deserved was largely owed by him.Zaihou's fate was uncertain, so of course he didn't dare to mention it to his father, so he had to send his subordinates to give Yan Song's son Yan Shifan 1,000 taels of silver first, and then he was able to reissue it.Even though he was servile, Yan Song was still not at ease with Zaihou.One day, Yan Shifan asked Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin, the attendants of King Yu, "I heard that His Highness King Yu is not satisfied with his family, what's the matter?" This was a bolt from the blue for King Yu and his attendants!Under the circumstances that Sejong and King Yu are not allowed to meet, and Sejong obeys Yan Song's words, if Yan Song feels that King Yu is a threat, all changes may happen.Chen Yiqin was wise in his haste, and calmly argued: "The country's succession plan has already been decided. His Highness King Yu's taboo word, from the back to the soil, is obviously the owner of the land. This is the meaning of the emperor's name. Yan Ge also treats His Highness very special. Your Highness often says that only Old Man Yan Ge can be regarded as a minister of the country. May I ask where your Highness's dissatisfaction comes from?" This remark barely preserved King Yu's status.In the 40th year of Jiajing (1561 A.D.), Sejong sent King Jing to live in a fiefdom, but kept King Yu in Beijing, showing his intention to pass on the throne.But Jing Wang Zaizhen did not stop planning to seize the heir apparent after he left Beijing.After Yan Song resigned in the 41st year of Jiajing, the cabinet scholar in power became Xu Jie.One day, Sejong suddenly discussed to Xu Jie that Ming Chengzu once planned to abolish the crown prince and establish another Han king to inherit the Datong.This is a red flag.Thanks to the succession of many parties to Yu Wang Yuancheng, the danger was saved.It wasn't until the forty-fourth year of Jiajing, when Zaizhen died of illness in the feudal land, that a stone fell from Zaihou's heart - because he had become the only heir to the throne!

Zai Hou has been in the palace for many years, and has gathered around him a group of talented and insightful people, such as Gao Gong, Chen Yiqin, Zhang Juzheng and so on.These people explained ancient and modern times for Zaihou, talked about the world, and cultivated his political knowledge.Under their influence, Zai Hou was fully aware of the bad government in the last years of Jiajing.In order to gain political initiative, after Sejong's death, Zaihou immediately approved Sejong's "legacy" drafted by his confidant Zhang Juzheng and the cabinet chief assistant Xu Jie. In the name of his father, he abolished most of the maladministration that caused endless complaints from the government and the opposition.After ascending the throne, he affirmed in the edict of the enthronement that the Taoist priests who bewitched Shizong to make alchemy and seek immortality should be arrested and imprisoned, and punished by the judiciary; Exceptional purchases such as jewelry, silk and satin were all stopped; and officials such as Hai Rui who were dismissed and imprisoned during the Jiajing period due to the Shangshu speech were appointed; Taxes before Jiajing forty-three years.As soon as the edict came out, all the ministers cried out in gratitude, and the common people praised it one after another, which won the hearts of the people for a while.After some preliminary governance, the government has a new look.

On the one hand, Mu Zong was delighted by the voices of the ministers singing their praises, but on the other hand, he also saw through the intrigue of court politics.After firmly seated on the throne of the emperor, Mu Zong made up his mind to have fun in time and rule by doing nothing.He made some arrangements for this first.Like the emperors of all dynasties, Mu Zong first chose loyal and capable ministers to share government affairs and consolidate the country and society for himself.He retained his trusted ministers Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, and Guo Pu in the cabinet, and conferred important positions as cabinet bachelors to his confidants Zhang Juzheng and Chen Yiqin when they lived in Prince Yu's Mansion, and participated in important cabinet affairs; The eunuchs Huang Jin, Wang Ben, Feng Bao, Cao Xian, Li Fang and others were all placed in key positions.After this arrangement, Mu Zong thought that his court was secure and he could live in the palace and enjoy the wealth quietly.Therefore, he pushed the daily government affairs to the cabinet, and even gave up the responsibility of manipulating and coordinating the ministers.Unexpectedly, things backfired. When he let go of the government, the strife among the cabinet ministers began. One wave was not settled, and another wave broke out. This caused him to be in office for 6 years, and he was often restless.

The first cabinet turmoil happened between Xu Jie and Gao Gong, the two most important academicians in the cabinet.The dispute between Xu and Gao originated from the last years of Jiajing.Xu Jie is a veteran of the cabinet for many years, a sophisticated and smooth politician.Gao Gong was originally an attendant lecturer of King Yu, and he had great ambitions. Together with Zhang Juzheng, he was the principal and vice president of the National University (Guozijian).Xu Jie, in order to contact King Yu and pave the way for future court changes, recommended Gao Gong and Guo Pu together as cabinet scholars in the forty-fourth year of Jiajing.According to the social atmosphere at that time, Xu Jie, as the political benefactor of Gao Gong and Guo Pu, had the friendship of teacher and student, and should be respected.However, Xu Jie ignored Gao Gong's outstanding ability of being alert and sophisticated, as well as his self-esteem of demanding equal treatment after becoming a senior official, and still treated Gao Gong and Guo Pu as juniors, sowing the seeds of disputes.

In the last years of King Sejong, the offices of the cabinet scholars moved to Xiyuan along with the emperor.For the convenience of going home, Gao Gong moved his family near Xiyuan.He is over 50 years old and has no son. One is that he is worried about family affairs, and the other is that he hopes to reunite with his wife and concubine, so he often sneaks back home.When Sejong was critically ill, one day Gao Gong heard rumors that the emperor was dying, so he moved the equipment in the office home before he could verify it.Hu Yingjia knew about this matter from the official department, and proposed impeachment as dereliction of duty and disrespect.Sejong was in a coma, so of course he didn't ask about such memorials.Therefore, Hu Yingjia's impeachment did not achieve its goal, and for Gao Gong, it was "nearly dangerous".But Gao Gong is a politician who must revenge.He believed that Hu Yingjia was Xu Jie's fellow villager, and must have been instructed by Xu Jie.However, Xu Jie did not discuss with Gao Gong, Guo Pu and other colleagues in the cabinet on such a major matter as drafting the edict of Emperor Shizong, but went over them to plan with Zhang Juzheng of Yuwangfu. order.

The opportunity came quickly.In the first year of Longqing, Yang Bo, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, presided over the Jingcha.Jingcha is a routine system for the Ming Dynasty to inspect officials below the fifth rank of the central government, and it is held every 6 years.During Yang Bo's inspection of officials this time, he dismissed many officials swiftly and vigorously, and among them were officials like Yushi and Gishizhong who were usually unaffected.Whether it was intentional or unintentional, none of Yang Bo's fellow villagers in Shanxi was punished.This aroused the public indignation of the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the staff of the Sixth Division, who were responsible for impeachment.The first person to attack Yang Bo was Hu Yingjia again.Hu Yingjia impeached Yang Bo with personal anger and sheltered his fellow countrymen.This is not bad, but Hu Yingjia has forgotten her identity.As a matter of giving to the official department, he participated in it when the official department handled the Beijing inspection.He did not raise any objections beforehand, but impeached him afterwards. The generous Mu Zong was very dissatisfied with this contradictory words and deeds. Knowing that there were other secrets in it, he ordered the cabinet to discuss and punish Hu Yingjia.Gao Gong immediately seized this opportunity.

Gao Gong asked Guo Pu, who was also neglected by Xu Jie, to speak first at the cabinet meeting: "The emperor has just ascended the throne, and Hu Yingjia has turned his back on him and deceived the emperor. He should be dismissed." Gao Gong responded immediately.Seeing the situation, Xu Jie, who wanted to protect Hu Yingjia, had no choice but to agree.This upset the hornet's nest of the officials, and they all mobilized and fired at Gao Gong together.Mu Zong has known Gao Gong for many years, so of course he will not be moved by a few officials.He comforted Gao Gong not to care, and continued to work in politics with peace of mind.However, the aggressiveness of the Gao faction in the imperial court really made Gao Gong's face nowhere to be put. Gao Gong asked Xu Jie to draft an imperial decree to give the impeachment officer a court stick to silence him.During the Jiajing period, after the officials impeached a scholar, if they failed to participate in the impeachment, they would usually be punished by the court, and they might even be dismissed from office!There are laws to follow Gao Gong's request, but Xu Jie refused the request because he did not want to offend the speaker because of Gao Gong.This aroused Gao Gong's anger.He instigated his speech officer Qi Kang to impeach Xu Jie, exposing Xu Jie's younger brother and three sons as big bullies rampant in the village, with well-founded evidence.This enraged the officials under Xu Jie's protection even more. They gathered together and pointed their finger at Gao Gong. They impeached Gao Gong again and again, forcing Gao Gong to be overwhelmed. Resigned and returned home.After Gao Gong left, the officials continued to attack Guo Pu, and in September, Guo Pu also resigned.

This time the cabinet storm, Xu Jie won a decisive victory.In the future, the courtiers used the officials to attack each other from time to time.But this really broke Mu Zong's mood.Mu Zong was deeply tired of the unscrupulous speech officials who made troubles. In September of the first year of Longqing (AD 1567), the dispute between Xu and Gao in the cabinet had just come to an end, and foreign troubles began again.Tens of thousands of Mongolian Alta cavalry invaded the Great Wall, swept away Datong, and seriously threatened Beijing's flank.At the same time, the army of the Mongolian barbarians invaded the border gate of Jizhen and plundered Changli, Hebei, as far as the Luanhe River.The left and right flanking attacks plunged the capital into a panic of war.The city of Beijing was immediately put under martial law, and memorials to the enemy's situation flew in like snowflakes.The emperor, who lived deep in the palace, also deeply felt the threat of war. He ordered the ministers to discuss the defense of the capital and the strategy of border operations.During the engineering department, Wu Shilai recommended three famous anti-Japanese generals, Tan Lun, Yu Dayou, and Qi Jiguang, and advocated that they go to the North China frontier to train and prepare for war to resist Mongolian invasion.This proposition was strongly supported by great scholars such as Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng, and Mu Zong quickly approved it.Tan Lun was originally the governor of the military affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi. He was immediately recalled and appointed as the left servant of the Ministry of War and the censor of the capital of Youqian, and the governor of Jiliao and Baoding military affairs.Qi Jiguang was appointed as the deputy general of the Shenji Battalion, and soon he was appointed as the prime minister for military training in the three towns of Jizhou, Changping, and Baoding.Then Wang Chonggu, a famous general in the northwest frontier defense, was promoted to be the minister of the Ministry of war and the governor of Xuanda.The entire frontier defense in North China was managed by famous generals, which changed the slack situation of border defense that had been practiced for many years.After several famous generals took office, they resolutely rectified the border defense and made remarkable achievements.Take Qi Jiguang as an example. He took office and immediately arranged to strengthen defense.The first is to continue to build the Great Wall along the lines of Jizhou, Yongping, and Shanhaiguan, and set up 1,200 enemy towers at various important parts of the Great Wall.This kind of enemy tower with a height of more than 5 feet can be viewed from a high place. The wall of the tower is strong. The inside of the tower is divided into three floors.Relying on this kind of solid and majestic fortifications, we can not only take advantage of the critical opportunity in the battlefield, but also endure the pain of long-distance raids, and we can stick to it for a long time and echo each other.The second is to form a chariot battalion.Each of these chariots is propelled by 4 people. When fighting, it is arranged in a square formation, and the outer layer is equipped with horses to resist cavalry charges.Your own infantry and cavalry are in the formation to attack the enemy's cavalry with spears and firearms.Once the enemy retreats, the chariot formation will open the door and release cavalry to chase and destroy.Qi Jiguang also distinguished the combat missions of the local troops and the transferred troops: the local troops were dedicated to the defense of enemy platforms, and the transferred troops were dedicated to supporting the attack.After this shrewd deployment and strict training, the defense of the gate of the capital has indeed met the requirements of strict military appearance and greatly increased morale.

At the same time, the imperial court repeatedly ordered the generals along the Great Wall to seize the opportunity to ease relations with the Mongolian nobles.Xuanda Governor Wang Chonggu earnestly implemented the court's strategy and created conditions for the establishment of friendly relations.He repeatedly sent people to the Mongolian area to conduct propaganda, extensive contacts, and repeatedly issued proclamations, announcing that all civilians and soldiers who defected from abroad would be resettled and received.Due to the implementation of these policies, more and more people from Mongolia have defected.In October of the fourth year of Longqing (AD 1507), even Alda's grandson Han Naji came here.The actions of this young man became an opportunity for a major turning point in the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia, and had an incalculable impact on the stability of the border in the following decades. Bahannaji is the orphan of Ida's third son Tiebeitaiji.He was raised by Alta's wife Ikhatun.Later, the Alta couple married Biji as his wife.After marriage, the relationship between the young couple was not harmonious, so Han Naji fell in love with his aunt's daughter San Niangzi again, and married her too.Just as Han Naji was intoxicated in the sweet lingering, a sudden incident happened that made him extremely ashamed and hated - Al Da also fell in love with his beautiful granddaughter San Niangzi, and took her away.This was originally acceptable by Mongolian customs at that time.However, Han Naji couldn't bear this kind of humiliation, and in a fit of anger, he took his wife Biji, the nurse's husband Aligo, and more than 10 people to abandon their homes and rush south to Datong Pass on the Great Wall. Datong governor Fang Fengshi immediately reported the matter to Xuanda governor Wang Chonggu.After discussing with Fang Fengshi, Wang Chonggu and Fang Fengshi agreed that this is a rare opportunity.Voting Hannaji, in essence, became a hostage of the Ming Dynasty to threaten me.Therefore, Wang Chonggu instructed Fang Feng to send a guard of honor of 500 knights to grandly welcome the lovelorn young man into the governor's yamen of Datong, and place him as a guest of honor. The news of Hannaji's coming and surrender was transmitted to Beijing, which immediately aroused heated debates in the court.Some people advocate not surrendering.They cited the acceptance of the surrender of Guo Yaoshi and Zhang Hu by the Song Dynasty, which caused great war disasters as evidence, and believed that Han Naji should be sent back.Some people also suggested that it is better to kill all of them, so as to avoid future troubles.And the faction that advocates acceptance is plausible.The two sides faced each other tit-for-tat and couldn't stop arguing.After weighing the pros and cons of the overall situation, Mu Zong adopted the opinions of the acceptance school and took an important step towards the road of peace between Han and Mongolia. After sending Hannaji to the south, Ikhatun, the grandmother who raised him, cried day and night, and sent a message to Alda, who was fighting against Tubo.I answered that although he took away his grandson's lover, his love for his grandson has not changed, and he couldn't stand Ikhatun's crying, so he immediately led an army to attack the Great Wall to claim his grandson back. The border immediately became tense. The soldiers approached the city, and the government and the public were shaken. Not only the opposition believed that "acceptance" had caused disasters, but even the centrists believed that it had caused trouble.If Mu Zong's attitude also changes, all previous efforts will be wasted.Fortunately, Mu Zong was not an indecisive king who changed his orders day and night. He continued to give firm support to the acceptance faction.Under the protection of the emperor, Zhang Juzheng, Wang Chonggu and other receptionists did not change their original intentions, and actively launched the psychological war against Alda while sticking to their preparations. I answered that although the attack was aggressive, he clearly knew that since Longqing the Great Wall's frontier defenses have been strengthened day by day, the strength of the Ming army is no longer comparable to what it used to be, and this attack is not sure of victory.When I was hesitating, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty told me that the Ming Dynasty was sincere and received Han Naji with generous gifts.It wasn't that the Ming Dynasty lured Hannaji, but he hated vulgar customs, admired the culture of the Central Plains, and came here voluntarily.According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, those who captured the head of the enemy leader and his descendants could be rewarded ten thousand gold and be granted titles.It's not that we can't beheaded to claim credit, but we didn't do so for the sake of friendship between the two sides.If you want to pick him up, you should talk nicely about it.Now you are avenging your kindness and raising your troops to threaten us. Will our generals be afraid of you!Once the war breaks out, Han Naji's death will be accelerated, what good will it do you?You'd better not act rashly. What the messenger said moved me.He came here to ask for his grandson back, how could he put him to death!He immediately sent envoys to inquire about his grandson.The envoy was relieved when he saw Han Naji's radiant face in Datong, and he was relieved after hearing the news.Said to the envoy Bao Chongde: I don't want to be an enemy of the imperial court. The past wars were all the result of instigation by the traitor Zhao Quan.If the emperor can make me the king of Mongolia and lead all the tribes of Mongolia, how dare I continue to make trouble.Even if I die, my grandson will not betray the court because of the preferential treatment of food and clothing from the court. I hope the court will understand my intentions, allow us to pay tribute and become ministers, and open border trade so that the Mongolian and Han people can get what they want!The Ming Dynasty agreed to its request.Immediately, I ordered my subordinates to tie up Zhao Quan, Li Zixin and a dozen other traitors by surprise and send them to the camp of the Ming army. Mu Zong was overjoyed when he got the news of my answer and the offering of prisoners.Zhao Quan colluded with Ida for more than 20 years and repeatedly attacked, and the capital was in crisis several times, which was a worry for the imperial court.Today, I replied that it is the result of my wise decision that the traitor should be arrested.He decided to celebrate this victory with the most solemn etiquette.In December of the fourth year of Longqing (1570 A.D.), Mu Zong personally presided over the capture ceremony at the Meridian Gate Tower of the Imperial Palace, and then performed sacrifices to the heavens and reported to the Taimiao with great fanfare, showing his illustrious achievements to his ancestors. In a victorious atmosphere of glorifying ancestors, Mu Zong took the opportunity to deliver an edict: Escort Hannaji back to Mongolia with the most generous etiquette.He was very grateful to Han Naji for his decree, and reluctantly bid farewell to Wang Chonggu and others with tears.He returned to Al Da's tent wearing the red robe bestowed by the Ming Dynasty.Seeing his grandson's happy face, An Da and Ikhatun had mixed feelings, and shed tears of excitement together.Ida immediately expressed his gratitude to Mu Zong. From then on, Ida and the Ming Dynasty ended the war relationship and opened the door to peaceful and friendly coexistence. The Longqing Peace Conference was the most successful example of the Ming Dynasty in handling relations with the border minorities, and it was also the most commendable achievement of the Mu Zong Dynasty. At the beginning of his ascension to the throne, Mu Zong made up his mind that he wanted to be the master of the world, not the housekeeper; he wanted to enjoy the authority and wealth of the master without having to pay the housekeeper to worry about management.It's not that disaster is imminent and there is no way out, he is unwilling to spend time on governing the country.He thinks he has a lot of excellent and capable ministers, why should he ask for trouble to worry about that? Mu Zong's mind was clearly felt by the eunuchs who were good at observing facial expressions.The eunuchs Teng Xiang, Meng Chong, and Chen Hong, who were in charge of the power of rites, took the opportunity to induce Mu Zong to have fun, win his favor, and consolidate his position.When Mu Zong was not on the throne, he was in a delicate situation, and he was careful everywhere. His playfulness was suppressed all the time, and he didn't dare to be a little presumptuous.Now, all scruples are gone, so how can I not double the compensation?Teng Xiang and others wanted to build a palace and set up swings for him, and he was very happy; they wanted to accompany him to play shooting and hunting, and he was overjoyed.On the night of the Lantern Festival in the second year of Longqing (AD 1568), the eunuchs hung thousands of lanterns in the palace.At night, the huge palace is full of colorful lights, in various poses and with different expressions, it is too beautiful to behold.Mu Zong was so happy that he was full of praise.At ordinary times, the eunuchs also carefully arranged countless banquets, with endless delicacies from mountains and seas, and charming maids singing and dancing to accompany the wine, so that all the desires of Mu Zong, who was in his prime, were satisfied.Tired of playing in the palace, the eunuchs accompanied him out of the city.In the summer of the second year of Longqing, the eunuchs told Mu Zong Nanhaizi how the breeze in the willows, the shade of the lotus, and the endless scenery aroused him to travel.The eunuchs immediately issued an order to rush to build the dragon and phoenix ships, and arranged the big and small matters for the trip. You Xing Nanhaizi's plan was strongly opposed by the ministers headed by Xu Jie.They worried that the emperor's playful heart was getting stronger and he would be manipulated by the eunuchs, which would affect the country sooner or later, so they went to persuade them again and again.Shi Xing's memorial to Shi Xing from the official department wrote: I see that your majesty is caught in an all-night banquet, indulges in sensuality, does not ask about important affairs of the court, and a few eunuchs are domineering, the world is hopeless like this.I ask Your Majesty to pay attention to six things: one is to recharge your energy and take care of your body; the other is to study classics and imitate the sages; Not close to treacherous.Shi Xing's opinion was very pertinent, but it didn't agree with Mu Zong's thoughts.When the eunuch provoked him, Mu Zong became very angry and ordered Shi Xingting to be given sixty sticks, and he was dismissed from office as a punishment for the people. After the 60 large boards were beaten, Shi Xing was bloody and bloody, and passed out.The news quickly spread outside the palace. Shi Xing's wife Zheng mistook her husband for being beaten to death. She was so sad that she bumped her head against a pillar and died.The officials and common people in the capital were all sad when they heard the news.Soon, Xu Jie, the chief assistant of the cabinet who had repeatedly discouraged Mu Zong from visiting Nanhaizi, fell out of favor.The eunuchs took the opportunity to say a lot of bad things about Xu Jie, and Mu Zong sent him home to retire in his distress.Since then, no one has dared to stop him from letting go of his sensuality.But in just a few years, Mu Zong, who was originally in good health, exhausted his energy due to indulgence and pleasure.On May 25th in the sixth year of Longqing (1572 A.D.), Mu Zong was sitting in court when he suddenly stood up and took a few steps.The civil and military officials were dumbfounded, and they were filled with sincerity and fear.The eunuch Feng Bao and the scholar Zhang Juzheng rushed to help him.Mu Zong was helped into Qianqing Palace.University scholars Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Gao Yi were announced to the palace immediately.I saw Mu Zong leaning on the imperial couch, dying. The three great scholars knelt in front of the imperial couch, and Mu Zong ordered Feng Bao to read out the imperial edict, ordering the crown prince to succeed him after his death, and hoped that the three would assist them wholeheartedly.Gao Gong and the others burst into tears and kowtowed to thank them.The next day, the 36-year-old Emperor Mu Zong died.