Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Zhu Gaochi's Courage and Mysteries

The big fat man Zhu Gaochi who had gone through all kinds of hardships finally ascended to the throne and was named Hongxi. Facts have proved that this bloated fat man is indeed a benevolent and tolerant emperor. Under his obese and disabled appearance, there is a gentle heart that is not disabled. After he ascended the throne, he immediately ordered the release of Yang Pu, who was still studying in the cell, and called him into the cabinet.At this time, Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong were already members of the cabinet.One of the strongest cabinets in the history of the Ming Dynasty - the "Three Yang" cabinet was formed.

But at this time, a problem arose. Although everyone knows that the cabinet is the institution most trusted by the emperor and has the greatest power, since these cabinet members are only fifth-rank officials, it is really difficult to make those second-rank ministers bow their heads to them of. This problem seems to be easy to solve. If so, let’s change it. It’s okay to raise the cabinet bachelor to the second rank, right? Things are not that simple!Change it if you say it?You dare to reform the system left by your father before its bones are cold?Orthodox civil servants have always been very reasonable on this issue.

But it doesn't seem to work if you don't change it. The problem has to be solved. Among the countless countries and nations in the world, the Chinese can definitely rank among the top few in terms of intelligence, and one of their greatest wisdom lies in flexibility.If this doesn’t work, then change the method, anyway, it’s enough to achieve the goal. The so-called "this road is blocked, I will take a detour" is the concentrated expression of this wisdom. Zhu Gaochi did not change his father's setting of bachelor's degree, but set up a part-time job system. He appointed Yang Rong as the Minister of Taichang Temple, Yang Shiqi as the Minister of Rites, Jin Youzi as the Minister of the Ministry of Households, and also served as a cabinet scholar.In this way, a small official who was only a fifth-rank official suddenly became a third-rank official, and it was convenient to do things.

The goal was achieved, and the father's system was not violated. Since then, this part-time job system has lasted for more than two hundred years and has become one of the fixed systems of the cabinet. Such things abound in subsequent history, and every time I see this, I have to marvel at the wisdom of the Chinese. After he ascended the throne, Zhu Gaochi did not forget those friends who had been in trouble with him back then. In the first year of Hongxi (1425), he repaid his friends with his own behavior. In the eyes of ordinary people, the emperor rewarded his ministers with nothing more than a reward and a few words of praise, but this Zhu Gaochi's way of repaying was really surprising, and it was extremely rare among the emperors of all dynasties.

One day in April of the same year, after Zhu Gaochi dispersed, Yang Shiqi and Jian Yi were left behind. He had something to say to these two people. In that heart-pounding struggle that year, countless people betrayed him and turned their backs on him. Only these two people still followed him faithfully in his extremely difficult situation. Needless to say, Yang Shiqi, although Jian Yi was low-key, But always by his side. Years passed, and the waves washed away the sand. These two people who have gone through trials are not only his subordinates, but also his friends. Zhu Gaochi looked at his two friends and said affectionately: "I have supervised the country for 20 years, and villains have been trying to frame me. No matter how difficult the situation is, how dangerous the situation is, or the pain in our hearts, the three of us will bear it together. Thanks to my father Renming, I am what I am today!"

Looking back on the difficult years before, Zhu Gaochi felt a lot, and shed tears while talking. Yang Shiqi and Jian Yi also broke down in tears, and said: "The brilliance of the late emperor was also touched by His Majesty's sincerity, filial piety and benevolence." In this way, the three friends who had experienced hardships and bitterness cried together. In my opinion, this expression of true feelings is far more expressive of Zhu Gaochi's gratitude than those gold and silver jewels. Zhu Gaochi did not live up to Yang Shiqi's expectations, he is indeed a good emperor.

Although he was a short-lived emperor, he reported to his father before he was seated on the throne, but during his short period of one year in power, he... (some words omitted below) maintained the prosperity of the Ming Empire . Why should it be omitted, because the content of these praises to the emperor is the same, such as resuming production, being diligent in government affairs, and so on.I really don't want to write these clichés and nonsense, and you probably don't like to read them. If you want to delve deeper, you can refer to relevant textbooks. In my opinion, these are the duties of the emperor, and what can truly embody Zhu Gaochi's generosity and leave him an immortal reputation is this:

We have already said that Zhu Di died in July of the 22nd year of Yongle (1424). According to regulations, if there are no special circumstances, the crown prince can ascend the throne as emperor immediately after his father's death. In the first year of his reign, he had to wait until the second year, when his father's body was completely cooled, before he could establish his name. For example, when Zhu Di died in July of the 22nd year of Yongle (1424), Zhu Gaochi immediately ascended the throne and had his own year name Hongxi.From July to December is actually his reign period, but this period can only be counted in the twenty-two years of Yongle, and only in the second year (1425) can it be called the first year of Hongxi.

During this period of time, it is the adaptation period for the crown princes. In layman's terms, it is to step out of the shadow of their fathers. Orders and policies are all according to the script. Even if you want to be the master of your own country and change the world, most of them will not choose this time. But it was this loyal and honest Zhu Gaochi who dared to change his father's order during this period of time before he had a firm foothold. In the eyes of many ministers at the time, this was a treasonous thing. But in my opinion, Zhu Gaochi's change is really good, and it is very satisfying!

One day in November, Zhu Gaochi suddenly issued an edict that all the family members of the ministers who were fined and confiscated as slaves during the Jianwen Emperor's period because of Jing Nan, will be pardoned as ordinary people and given land to let them live and work in peace. At the time of Jing Nan, Zhu Di killed countless people and punished countless slaves. Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, Fang Xiaoru and others were also classified as traitors. However, at this time, his son Zhu Gaochi suddenly made such a decree, which caught many ministers by surprise.But what surprised them even more was yet to come.

Zhu Gaochi then asked the minister: "Are there any descendants of Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng?" It took a long time for the minister to react, and replied: "Qi Tai had a son who was only six years old, so he was spared death and was fined to be guarded on the border. Huang Zicheng has no descendants (it was later learned that Huang Zicheng had a son who changed his surname and escaped, and was later pardoned). " Zhu Gaochi pondered for a long time, and said: "Forgive Qi Tai's son, take him back." He then asked, "Does Fang Xiaoru have any offspring?" The ministers were dumbfounded. Fang Xiaoru?Are you talking about Fang Xiaoru who exterminated ten clans? The ten clans are all extinct, where are they going to find their descendants?You don't want to make fun of the dead, do you? But the emperor has already issued an order, so let's check it out. This investigation also found out that although there are no descendants, there is indeed a relative. Fang Xiaoru's father, Fang Keqin, had a younger brother named Fang Kejia, and this Fang Ke family had a son named Fang Xiaofu (Fang Xiaoru's cousin), who was also fined at the time and was sent to the border, and finally returned home. Compared with these benevolent acts, what is even more surprising is a sentence Zhu Gaochi said. Zhu Gaochi said in front of the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty: "Many ministers in the Jianwen period were killed, but people like Fang Xiaoru are loyal ministers!" The ministers below were dumbfounded again, completely silent. Loyal minister?Didn't your father say they were traitors?Did you change it at your place?So your father still killed the wrong one? In such a controversy, Zhu Gaochi completed his feat. When his foothold was not stable, Zhu Gaochi dared to correct his father's mistakes with his sense of justice and conscience. He was not afraid of people's words and opposition. This is an undoubted feat. True kindness also requires courage. Zhu Gaochi is a brave man. Although this Ming Renzong was short-lived and only served as emperor for one year, ranking second to last among all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, this incident alone was enough for him to be worthy of the word Ren in his posthumous title, and worthy of him. The good name of a generation of heroes. If this Ming Renzong is allowed to continue working, I believe that the Ming Empire will surely prosper and prosper, but it still obeys the old saying - "A good man does not live long". In May of the first year of Hongxi (1425), only ten Zhu Gaochi of the Moon Emperor was seriously ill and died shortly thereafter. This kind emperor ended his life, but his righteous deeds will always be remembered. At least those pardoned will remember. The seat of the emperor is empty again, but this seat is destined to not be too long, many people are waiting in line. Zhu Gaochi is seriously ill, and the wise and mighty prince Zhu Zhanji is naturally very concerned, but in addition, there is another pair of eyes fixed on the throne, which is naturally our old friend Zhu Gaoxu. Although Zhu Gaoxu has been defeated repeatedly, he has been defeated repeatedly. With the determination and perseverance of imperialism, he has persisted in plotting and sabotaging for decades. Zhu Gaochi is very kind and did not punish him for it. Just a warning.But this rogue brother became more and more arrogant and domineering. Now that Zhu Gaochi was seriously ill, he also started another conspiracy of his own to seize the throne. Learning the lesson from last time, Zhu Gaoxu strengthened his intelligence work and arranged many eyeliners to keep an eye on Zhu Gaochi at all times, not to ensure his safety, but to determine when he will die. His plan was like this. Considering that the three major battalions in the capital had to clean up the shrimp soldiers and crab generals under his own hands, he was not sure about sending troops to attack, and it was almost tantamount to suicide. He decided to take Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Gaochi's son, into surgery. He was going to wait for the news of Zhu Gaochi's death, and immediately ambush soldiers on the road, and when Zhu Zhanji passed by for the funeral, he would kill him in one fell swoop, and then take advantage of the chaos to ascend to the throne. Zhu Gaoxu is very confident in his plan, how can he be confident?From the time of committing the crime. As I said before, his fief is in Le'an, Shandong, and the prince Zhu Zhanji is in Nanjing (according to the convention, the prince guards Nanjing). As long as the news of his death comes out, the prince will definitely set off from Nanjing, and it will take a long time, but he Soldiers can be arranged leisurely to wait for the arrival of the prince. Le'an is very close to the capital, while Nanjing is far away from the capital. When Zhu Gaochi died, I, Zhu Gaoxu, got the news first. When you hear the news and come to the capital, my soldiers will already be waiting for you on the road! I have plenty of time to commit the crime, Zhu Zhanji, just accept your fate! Zhu Gaoxu's idea should be said to be good, but unfortunately, he encountered a very strange thing, which not only made his plan fail, but also left a mystery in history. In May of the first year of Hongxi (1425), Zhu Gaochi passed away. Zhu Gaoxu was very happy when he got the news. He estimated that it would be some time before Zhu Zhanji arrived here. He calmly arranged soldiers to prepare for an ambush. But something unexpected happened, he was ready, but waited and waited, Zhu Zhanji just didn't come, and before Zhu Gaoxu could say whether you will come tonight, he received a sad news——Zhu Zhan Ji has rushed to the capital and succeeded him as emperor. Weird, really weird! Could it be that Zhu Zhanji can't fly, or can he predict the future? This is not only Zhu Gaoxu's question, but also the question of future generations. Regarding this point, there are many different records in historical materials. Some say that Zhu Gaoxu's attack on the prince was just a rumor. In fact, the prince rushed to the capital calmly after receiving the funeral report. Some said that Zhu Gaoxu was not ready and waited until the prince passed. Send troops out to ambush. There is another statement that is even more shocking: Zhu Zhanji knew about his father's death earlier than Zhu Gaoxu. The distance of the journey is an objective fact. As long as the reporter did not set up a tent on the road and sleep for a few days and nights, Zhu Gaoxu from Le'an would definitely know the news earlier than Zhu Zhanji from Nanjing.Back then, there were no telephones, telegrams, or airplanes. Even if you tried to scratch your head, you couldn't find the reason and method why Zhu Zhanji knew the news of his death earlier than Zhu Gaoxu. In fact, there is a way, and it is the only possibility. If this statement is true, we can only draw one conclusion: Zhu Zhanji could not predict the future, but created the future. He murdered his own father. If you are dissatisfied with this inference, please don't throw bricks at me, because this inference is not my first. In fact, the cause of Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi's death has always been an unsolved historical case. So far, there are several theories. One It is said that Zhu Gaochi indulged in sexual desires, coupled with illness, and eventually died of illness. Another theory believes that his son Zhu Zhanji murdered him because he could not wait for his father to pass the throne, because there were some signs before and after Zhu Gaochi's death (such as the enthronement etiquette has been prepared) It shows that Zhu Zhanji may be ready to take the throne. Let's not talk about him in the former, but only in the latter. In fact, Zhu Gaoxu is very likely to set up an ambush on the road, because from his behavior of rebelling after Zhu Zhanji had already ascended the throne and the situation was unfavorable. Look, his determination to commit trouble is great.Such a good opportunity, he should not miss it. So why didn't he meet Zhu Zhanji? There are several reasons for this. It may be that Zhu Zhanji bypassed the main road, or Zhu Zhanji heard that his father was seriously ill and set off early. It is more likely that Zhu Gaoxu had Get ready for missed opportunities. For this question, it is impossible for me to give any answer or even inference. This may be destined to be another eternal mystery. The charm of history may lie in the fact that there are always countless mysteries for people to explore, but they can never find the answer. It doesn't matter whether he died of lust or was murdered, anyway, it is not a natural death (very few emperors can meet this honor). We can only come to a certain conclusion in the end: Zhu Gaochi died, and Zhu Zhanji succeeded him. That's all. Of course, we should not forget the poor conspirator Zhu Gaoxu. This comrade has been conspiring for decades but has achieved nothing. He has seen cooked ducks fly away many times. To be honest, it's really sad and pitiful that the conspiracy actually got this job. If you want to judge the most successful conspirator, Yao Guangxiao will definitely be ranked in the top three, and Zhu Gaoxu is destined to lose his name to Sun Shan. But if you want to judge the most pitiful and funny conspirator, Zhu Gaoxu will definitely be able to do his part and be among the best. It's really sad, the sad schemer Zhu Gaoxukong has been waiting like this for decades, his patience has worn out, and in his heart, he has made a wish: Make up your mind, overcome all difficulties, and definitely rebel!