Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 6 The Sunset and the West Mountain _ Chapter 14 The Road to Destruction
This is the entire secret of the success of the Donglin Party. Obviously, it does not fit in with its always positive and glorious image, so it seems understandable if it is somewhat obscure.
The Donglin Party's road to success ends here. Students, now let's talk about the next lesson: the Donglin Party's road to failure.
In my opinion, the reason why the Donglin Party failed was because of its arrogance, arrogance, and arrogance. It was not just one party, but a group of them.
If you want to find a representative of failure among this group of people, then this person must not be Yang Lian or Zuo Guangdou, but Zhao Nanxing.
Although the first two people are very famous, in terms of qualifications and status within the Donglin Party, they are simply incomparable to Mr. Zhao.
Regarding the resume of Mr. Zhao Nanxing, I have already introduced it before. He has been the leader of the Donglin Party since the time of Gu Xiancheng, the founder of the Donglin Party. He used to work in personnel affairs and stayed back home for more than 20 years. He is old-hearted and never-old.
Come back and do personnel work.
There have always been three top leaders (or spiritual leaders) of the Donglin Party, namely Gu Xiancheng, Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing.
Gu Xiancheng is dead, and in the second year of Tianqi (1622), Zou Yuanbiao also retired, and now only Zhao Nanxing is left.
Mr. Zhao not only holds the supreme position within the Donglin Party, he also occupies the most powerful position in the government - Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He controls the Donglin Party with one hand and personnel power with the other. In other words, Zhao Nanxing is the official of the imperial court.
The actual controller.
But the root of the failure is precisely this person.
The third year of Tianqi (1623) is a very special year, because this year is the year of Jingcha.
The so-called Beijing Inspection Year, also known as the Tossing Year, occurs once every six years. Officials at all levels are evaluated by superiors to repay injustice and revenge. The several Beijing Inspections during the Wanli Period were extremely enjoyable each time, and this year will not be the same.
exception.
According to regulations, the person in charge of the tormenting work is the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, that is to say, it is Zhao Nanxing.
Zhao Nanxing is a very responsible person. After careful inspection, he compiled the first list of people to get out of the court, including the following four people: Qi Shijiao, Guan Yingzhen, Wu Liangsi, and Zhao Xingbang.
If you have a good memory, you should remember the identities of these unlucky guys: Qi Shijiao, the leader of the Qi Party; Zhao Xingbang, the backbone of the Zhejiang Party; Guan Yingzhen, Wu Liangsi, the leader of the Chu Party.
The political situation at this time is roughly like this. The Donglin Party has great power, and the three parties are scattered and have become a lost dog.
It is obvious that although these brothers have suffered a lot, Mr. Zhao is not willing to give up. He must beat up the drowned dog.
This is a very egregious act. It will not only squeeze out their political status, but also squeeze out their jobs. It is really unkind.
What's even more unkind is that not long ago, the Chu Party was an ally of the Donglin Party, helping them control the power. As a result, Mr. Guan Yingzhen was kicked away without even getting a seat on his butt.
This means that the strong alliance that Mr. Wang Wenyan finally established through coaxing and deceiving has completely collapsed.
While Mr. Zhao kicked them out, he also did not forget to give these four laid-off workers a resounding title - the Four Evils. For this reason, he also wrote a commentary "On the Four Evils" to commemorate them.
Following these four, there were several people who left together. They all had the same identity: members of the Ku Klan and drowned dogs.
There is no place for me to stay here, I have my own place to stay. Since Mr. Zhao doesn’t give me food, I have to find another restaurant to eat.
At this moment, a man stood in front of them and thoughtfully told them that Zhao Nanxing was not the only restaurant owner in the world.
According to historical records, this man was a kind, fat old man with a gentle speech and a kind face.
Now, let us solemnly introduce: the best among the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty, the ultimate product of the eunuch system, a latecomer who puts Liu Jin, Wang Zhen and other ancestors to shame, a complex of outstanding bad guys, villains, and ruffians who are only a thousand years younger than Long Live—
—Wei Zhongxian.
Gangster's happiness
Wei Zhongxian was a native of Suning County, Beizhili (now Hebei Province), and his former name was Li Jinzhong.
There have been two theories about Eunuch Wei's origins in history: one says that his parents were poor farmers, the other says that his parents were street jugglers.
The argument is different, but the result is the same, because no matter farmers or jugglers, they are all poor.
If the family is poor, they naturally have no money to educate them. If they don't study, they will naturally not be literate, and they won't be able to gain fame, get promoted, or make a fortune. Children don't go to school, and their parents don't care about them, so they can only wander around the streets all day long.
In this way, the young Wei Zhongxian became an out-of-school child, illiterate and unemployed in society.
But such a tragic experience did not affect Wei Zhongxian's mood at all, because he did not feel miserable at all.
Many years ago, I studied sociology and discovered this principle: social trash (commonly known as gangsters) never have low self-esteem.
Although in the eyes of others, they are well-deserved scum, scum, and the failure of family planning, in their own eyes, being able to become a gangster is extremely glorious and worthy of pride.
Because they never think that they are messing around. For these people, fighting, brawling, and making trouble are all part of a good life. Robbing children's lollipops and completing a construction project are all self-realizations of the meaning of life, without any
the difference.
A person who does a bad thing, but never regrets or feels guilty, and feels extremely glorious and proud of it, is a qualified bad person, a pure bad person, and a bad person who is extremely bad.
Wei Zhongxian is such a bad person.
According to historical records, young Wei Zhongxian should be a very cheerful person. Although he had no money to go to school, no way to study, and no job, he never sighed and was quite optimistic.
Faced with the unfavorable situation of having no money and no future, Wei Zhongxian resolutely entered the society and had fun, and determined his life character in real life (a scoundrel in the market).
Although he is illiterate, he is eloquent (illiterate but sharp in words). He has never read a book, but he is self-taught (many cunning). What is even more rare is that although he is penniless, he has a great mind.
The specific manifestation is that he dares to gamble even though he has no money to eat (the family has no money and spends millions), and has no money to give after losing the bet, and is beaten to the point where he cannot take care of himself, but he still has no regrets. Come again next time
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To reach this level is to reach the pinnacle of success.
However, the gangster Wei Zhongxian also has a family, at least once.
When he was a teenager, his family married him a wife, and later gave birth to a daughter. The family lived well.
But for the sake of a happy gangster life, Wei Zhongxian resolutely abandoned his family. Before he became an eunuch, he went around looking for prostitutes. He left his footprints in all the brothels in the city. What little money he had at home was also spent by him.
All.
Wei Zhongxian, who was forced to visit by his creditors, finally came to his senses. After careful reflection, he discovered that he didn't have everything - he still had a daughter.
Therefore, he sold his daughter without hesitation and paid off his gambling debt with extremely firm determination and courage.
People who can do such things are no longer human. Wei Zhongxian's wife couldn't bear it, so she ran away from home and remarried. It should be said that this decision was very correct, because judging from the situation at the time, the next one to be sold was probably
she.
Wei Zhongxian, who originally only had a home, but now even his home is gone, and has nothing to sell, is once again in trouble.
Wei Zhongxian, who was forced to visit by his creditors, once again repented. After another introspection, he once again discovered that he did not have nothing, in fact, he had something more.
As long as you throw away this thing, you can find a good job - eunuch.
This is not Wei Zhongxian's personal idea. In fact, it is the consensus of many people locally.
Hejian Prefecture, Zhili Province, where Wei Zhongxian is located, has always been rich in eunuchs. Because this place is very close to the capital and relatively poor, it has always been the main production area of eunuchs in the palace, and has formed a fixed industry, which is also a major way to generate income locally.
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Even a gangster can't survive. If you have failed in life to this extent, you must give up.
After a short period of fierce ideological struggle, Wei Zhongxian established his lofty ideal of becoming an eunuch. However, when he determined to move forward bravely on the road of eunuch, he was surprised to find that it was difficult to become an eunuch.
For a long time, in people's minds, becoming a eunuch was a matter of helplessness and no alternative.
Now, I want to tell you seriously that this view is wrong. Being a eunuch is a job, an extremely popular job, and it is very difficult to become a eunuch.
In fact, the reason why the profession of eunuch appeared was because of an extremely simple reason - there were only women in the palace.
Since there are too many wives to keep busy, in order to ensure that His Majesty the Emperor does not become a cuckold (this is very possible), men are not allowed in the palace. But the problem is that the palace is too big, with thousands of people eating, drinking, having sex, and working hard.
Someone has to do it, but women can't do it, and men can't enter, so we have to use neither men nor women.
In other words, eunuchs are actually laborers who go to work in the city. The only difference is that their working place is the palace.
Since they are laborers, there are employment quotas. After all, eunuchs also have a metabolism. Only when the old eunuch dies can new eunuchs be admitted. In other words, the proportion of eunuchs admitted every year is quite low.
How low is it? I did some statistics and found that it is roughly 10 to 15 percent, and I can’t say exactly which year we will recruit people. If there is no shortage of people this year, we won’t recruit people.
For many young people who are interested in entering this popular industry and becoming qualified eunuchs, this is a very cruel fact. Because it means that among a hundred people who meet the conditions (cut off), only ten to
Fifteen people can become glorious eunuchs.
In fact, since the mid-Ming Dynasty, thousands of eunuchs (candidates) who met the conditions (had been circumcised) but were unable to enter the palace were waiting in the capital every year.
You know, if everything goes wrong and you can't become a eunuch, it will be miserable. Although eunuchs are very popular, in the final analysis, it is only the eunuch's salary income that is popular, not the eunuch himself. For this kind of "cut" people, the people
It's quite contemptuous.
Therefore, many eunuch candidates who were unsuccessfully selected could neither enter the palace nor go home. They could only hang out in the capital. Later, more and more people were mixed up, which seriously affected the stability of social security in the capital. For this reason, the Ming Dynasty
The government has issued a decree that castration is not allowed without permission.
I have always believed that everything is possible.
The reason why eunuchs are so popular is that in addition to being able to find jobs and earn a living, there is another important reason - power.
To be fair, the Ming Dynasty was a just dynasty. Any ordinary person, even if he was a poor peasant for eight generations, and his family only had one pair of pants, as long as someone could read, he could become an official, enter the court, and ultimately control the lives of countless people.
destiny.
The only problem is that, although this path is fair, it is not smooth.
Because there are a lot of ordinary people, and most of them are restless. If you want to get a spot on the gold medal list or pass the Jinshi exam, you can't just walk up. You generally have to step on - step on those who have been eliminated by you.
The Jinshi examination in the Ming Dynasty was conducted once every three years, and the average number of admissions each time was more than one hundred. In other words, on average, only thirty or forty people could enter the court and see the emperor's face every year. And the fate of everyone was decided.
Just a blank piece of paper and a few exam questions.
Same piece of paper, same question, same place.
Different people, different heads, different hands.
Whether you can get ahead can only depend on yourself, your extraordinary intelligence, understanding, and your belief that you will be able to surpass ordinary people and be different.
Therefore, I have always believed that the imperial examination system is an outstanding and scientific talent selection system. It has put an end to the corrupt clan system since the Eastern Han Dynasty and ensured the selection of talents to the greatest extent. Although it is not perfect, it cannot replace it.
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Of course, things are not over here, because when you pass the Jinshi examination and leave the imperial examination system, you will find that you have entered another brand-new system-the civil service system.
In that system, you are just an insignificant member. You have to go through qualifications, do work, and fight wits and courage. After decades of hard work, you can become the elite among the elite, and have enough IQ and experience to lead this group.
The great nation moves on.
This is the way to success for Yu Qian, Li Xian, Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng, Shen Shixing and others, and it is also the only way. Although they all have excellent talents, perseverance, and bumpy experiences, if they want to be famous throughout the ages, they must
This is an inescapable price.
On the road leading to the highest throne, only the best, the smartest, and the most talented can reach the end.
But many people don’t know that some people who are not so smart, not so good, and not so talented can also reach the end.
Because there is a shortcut in the direction leading to the end, and this shortcut is the eunuch's road.
Eunuchs do not need to read poetry and books, do not need to be trained at all levels, do not need to deal with government affairs, and do not need to struggle hard. They can overcome all the painful experiences of the civil service system and directly achieve success. They only need to please one person - the emperor.
The emperor is the boss, the CEO, the one who sticks to his word. In short, he is the one who has the last word.
The eunuch is right next to the emperor, so as long as he coaxes the emperor well, the eunuch can get power and everything he wants.
This is the whole reason why countless people voluntarily became eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty.
But what now faces the unemployed Wei Zhongxian is not only the issue of admission quota ratio, but also a more basic difficulty - the issue of castration.
After Wei Zhongxian came to power, he covered up his past history in every possible way, especially how he became a eunuch and how he entered the palace. He never mentioned it, making it confusing and unpredictable.
But this kind of behavior is like calling your own son a bastard. In the end, you can only bring humiliation to yourself.
Eunuch Liu Ruoyu, his best friend at that time and later his mortal enemy, told us that Eunuch Wei did not want to mention the history of his family because he violated the normal process of eunuch growth - he was raised from the palace.
I have always firmly believed that Dongfang Bubai is the greatest, most outstanding, and most likely self-imposed person in the world.
This is definitely not just because of his self-imposed palace, and it is definitely not for the purpose of making a living or finding a job, but for the development of Chinese martial arts.
The real reason is that after I researched the whole process of eunuch castration, I couldn't help but sigh that it not only requires courage, but also maybe some effort.
Many people don't know the technology of castration. In fact, castration is a technical job. If you think about it, you will understand that cutting something from a person's body is still an important part. If you are not careful, your life will be lost.
For many years, this business has been a family business, passed down from generation to generation, and the most advanced among them can also contract official business and obtain official certification.
Generally speaking, this level of surgery not only has high technology, but can reach the level of a cook and heal people. It can be removed quickly, and it also has supporting facilities for wound treatment and disinfection. It is very service-minded.
Therefore, it is probably for nothing that Dongfang Bubai can complete this complicated operation without any sequelae (at least I didn't see any) without decades of internal strength training as a complete layman.
Wei Zhongxian is not a martial arts master (not counting movies and TV shows), so it was really difficult for him to solve the problem by himself, so he had to find the above-mentioned professional organizations and ask for help.
But when I asked about it at the place, I found out that the service was good and the charges were high. One cut cost four to five taels of silver. I made an estimate, and it was about three to four thousand yuan in RMB.
This would put Eunuch Wei in a difficult situation. If he had so much money, he would have spent it gambling to make money. How could he do this?
To cut or not to cut, this is not a question, the problem is, there is no money.
But the reality was before us. It was impossible not to find a job, so Eunuch Wei decided to do it himself and have a worry-free future.
As expected, the amateurs could not keep up with the professionals. The sequelae of the operation were very serious and the bleeding continued. Fortunately, a kind-hearted person passed by and helped him stop the bleeding.
After successfully leaving the palace, Wei Zhongxian decided to apply, but as soon as he arrived at the registration office and asked about the admission conditions, he fainted.
The thing is, there are age requirements for recruiting eunuchs in the palace, because children entering the palace are easy to manage and teach. However, Comrade Wei Zhongxian calculated on his own fingers that he is already nearly 20 years old this year.
This can be fatal. Age is a hard indicator. The children who enter the palace with you are all children of several years old. Which eunuch master is willing to take a young man like you, which is a pure waste of food.
Wei Zhongxian was anxious, but it was useless to be anxious. The recruitment regulations were public. If you didn't ask, who could you blame?
But now, it has been cut off, and there is no way to get it back. There is no hope of being a gangster again. You know, although gangsters are very gangsters, they also look down on shemales.
Unable to enter the palace or return home, Eunuch Wei began his wandering career. He did not tell the specific situation, so I can't sympathize with him, but it is said that he lived a miserable life. In the end, he could only beg for food.
I make a living and occasionally do odd jobs.
In the sixteenth year of Wanli (1588), Wei Zhongxian, who was extremely poor, came to a family's house, where he found a job as a servant.
His destiny changes here.
Generally speaking, when ordinary people are looking for servants, they will not look for eunuchs. The reason why Wei Zhongxian successfully applied for the job is because the owner of this family is also an eunuch.
This man's name is Sun Xian, and he is a eunuch in the palace. To be precise, he is the leader of the eunuchs. His position is that of eunuch Bingbi, the eunuch of the ceremonial department.
This position is to help the emperor correct memorials. I have said it many times before, so I won’t go into details.
Wei Zhongxian cherished this job opportunity. He worked early and late, day and night. Finally one day, Sun Xian came to talk to him and said that because of his honesty, he was willing to recommend him to the palace.
In the seventeenth year of Wanli (1589), after experiencing numerous twists and turns, Wei Zhongxian finally fulfilled his dream and entered the palace as an eunuch.
Sorry, let me correct you, it’s a fire person.
In fact, all the new eunuchs, including Wei Zhongxian, were just eunuchs when they first entered the palace, not eunuchs. Some of them would not even be eunuchs in their entire lives.
Because it is very difficult to become a eunuch.
In the palace, those who can be called "eunuchs" are the highest leaders of the eunuchs. Below the eunuchs, there are young eunuchs, below the young eunuchs, there are eunuchs, and below the eunuchs, there are also senior attendants who serve as errands.
When the difference is lower than that, you are a fire person.
So what is the main job of a Wei Huo person? It roughly includes the following items: sweeping the floor, fetching water, washing toilets, opening doors, etc.
Obviously, this was not a very promising job, and Wei Zhongxian was already twenty-one years old when he entered the palace, so for a long time, Wei Zhongxian was not popular with others.
More than ten years later, Wei Zhongxian had no achievements and no reputation. Because he was older than the eunuchs who entered the palace at the same time, he was often shouted around and nicknamed "Wei Fool".
But all this is an illusion.
According to the survey (my own investigation), the fool who pretends to be the most awesome will generally not be discovered when he comes into contact with others. The person who pretends to be the fool the most will never be discovered when he comes into contact with others.
Wei Zhongxian is an outstanding representative of the latter.
When many people comment on Wei Zhongxian, they always burst into tears and wonder why the Ming Dynasty and Emperor Taizu were deposed by such an illiterate and fool.
Anyone who holds this view is a fool.
The group of people who were able to serve as officials in the Ming Dynasty and enter the core of power were basically all highly intelligent. In addition, they had been ups and downs in the officialdom for so many years. When a stranger came and looked at them for a few times, they could figure them out.
Basically, if you play tricks in front of them, you will be humiliating yourself.
In their eyes, Wei Zhongxian is a standard honest man. He is old, silly, laughs every day, and looks loyal and honest. He will do whatever others ask him to do, bully him, and take advantage of him.
He didn't care at all, so from the Ming Dynasty to today, many people believed that this person was a fool and that he could become what he was later only by luck.
This fully shows that Eunuch Wei is really powerful. After deceiving countless old foxes in the Ming Dynasty, he continues to deceive the modern masses.
In my opinion, although Wei Zhongxian is illiterate, he is also a talented illiterate. His talent is called disguise.
Most people know that they are cheating when they are lying to others, but according to historical data analysis, Eunuch Wei did not know that he was cheating when he was cheating. His deceiving attitude was extremely sincere.
During the more than ten years in the palace, he used this talent to deceive countless old tricksters and secretly made many friends, one of whom was named Wei Chao.
This Wei Dynasty, who was also an eunuch in the palace, admired Wei Zhongxian very much and even helped him find a job. The name of this job was Dianshan.
The so-called dianshan means that the harem is in charge of the food. It doesn't sound like much, except for eating and drinking, and there is nothing interesting about it.
It's okay to take care of the food, but the key lies in whose food is taken care of.
The person whom Eunuch Wei serves is the talented person in the harem. Although the name of this talented person is not famous, her son is very famous - Zhu Youxiao.
It was there that Wei Zhongxian first met the two key figures who determined his future destiny-Zhu Changluo and his son.
Although he met the big shot, Wei Zhongxian's fate has not changed at all, because there are many eunuchs around Wang Cairen, and he is just an ordinary one, and he usually does not even have the chance to talk to his master.
Moreover, Zhu Changluo was still just the prince at this time, and his position was very unstable and could be taken down at any time. Therefore, his wife Wang Cairen did not get along well and was often bullied by his other wife Li Xuanshi.
As a result, Wei Zhongxian's life was naturally very poor. In the forty-seventh year of Wanli (1619), on the twentieth anniversary of Wei Zhongxian's entry into the palace, he reached the lowest point in his life: due to the death of Wang Cairen, he was unemployed.
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After losing his job, Wei Zhongxian had no choice but to return to the palace and work as a warehouse keeper.
But those chosen by fate are destined not to slip through the net. After countless extremely complex personnel changes and mistakes, Wei Zhongxian suddenly transformed and became Li Xuanshi's eunuch again.
It was at the hands of this woman that Wei Zhongxian showed his ferocious face for the first time.
This old eunuch who had been in the palace for thirty years and was already in his fifties suddenly regained his youth. Without waiting for help, he took the initiative to approach Li Xuanshi, patted his horse and polished his shoes, and did everything he could, and finally became Li Xuanshi's confidant eunuch.
Because in his opinion, this woman who controls the future heir of the empire (Zhu Youxiao) and is as shrewd, selfish and shameless as him will have great achievements.
In the forty-eighth year of Wanli (1620), Wei Zhongxian's opportunity came.
In July of this year, Ming Shenzong died, Ming Guangzong ascended the throne, Li Xuanshi became the candidate queen, and Zhu Youxiao became the reserve emperor.
But the good times did not last long, only one month later, Ming Guangzong died again, and Li Xuanshi became a widow.
When Widow Li was at a loss, Wei Zhongxian stood up in time, enlightened Widow Li, and told her, in fact, you don't need to be disappointed, because a greater opportunity is right in front of you: as long as you hold on to the young Zhu
From school, to becoming the manipulator behind the scenes, you will get not only the title of queen or even queen mother, but the entire world.
This is a very good idea, but unfortunately it is by no means original. The old tricksters of the civil service group in the imperial court also understand this.
Therefore, under the fierce fighting of the Donglin Party members, Zhu Youxiao was snatched back, and Li Xuanshi was completely laid off. Although Wei Zhongxian jumped around and reacted actively, he did not escape the fate of being laid off in the end.
It was during this struggle that Wei Zhongxian met his destined opponent-Yang Lian.
Yang Lian is a character that makes Wei Zhongxian's hair stand on end.
The first time the two met was on the way to rob someone. Yang Lian robbed Zhu Youxiao, and Wei Zhongxian went to fight back, but was scolded back and shivered for a long time.
The second time they met, he was ordered to threaten Yang Lian, but he was threatened by Yang Lian. Master Yang also told him that if he dared to do anything against him, he would be punished by you too. Wei Zhongxian was very sensible and turned around and left.
All in all, in Wei Zhongxian's eyes, Yang Lian is a person who is not greedy for money, not lusty, not afraid of trouble, has almost no weaknesses, and is very capable of tormenting. To deal with this kind of person, Li Xuanshi is not powerful enough and must find a new master.
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However, it is a pity that in the palace at that time, the only people who were more ruthless than Li Xuanshi were the Donglin Party. Even if Eunuch Wei wanted to join, they probably would not accept him.
It seems that it is almost done. After all, Eunuch Wei is over fifty. You have to tell him not to be discouraged, but if you start over again, he will probably risk his life with you.
But the person who saved him finally showed up.
Many people know that Emperor Tianqi Zhu Youxiao liked the Donglin Party very much, and he was very interesting. Within a month of taking the throne, he created many people, asking for offices for officials and houses for houses.
But many people don't know that the first person he consecrated was not the Donglin Party. On the tenth day after taking the throne, he conferred the title of "Mrs. Bongsheng" on a woman.
This woman's surname was Ke, her original name was Ke Yinyue, and she was known as the "Ke family" in history.
unholy union
Ke is a very special surname. It is estimated that you will never meet anyone with the surname Ke in your life. And this Miss Ke is even more special. She is the best that can only be seen once in 500 years.
Before entering the palace, Ke Yinyue was the wife of Hou Er, a villager in Baoding Prefecture, North Zhili. She was extremely charming and precocious. No one knew when she would get married. Anyway, she gave birth to a son at the age of eighteen.
Her fate completely changed because in the same year, Zhu Youxiao was born to Wang Caisheng in the palace.
According to the usual practice, a suitable wet nurse must be selected to feed Zhu Youxiao.
Yinyue defeated many competitors and successfully entered the palace.
When she first entered the palace, Ke Yinyue was extremely diligent and always available. Two years later, her husband unfortunately died of illness, but Ke Yinyue showed full professional ethics and still completed her work conscientiously and did well in the palace.
But soon, the people in the palace discovered that this was a woman with a problem.
Some people reported that Ke Yinyue was often absent from work and out of the palace, his whereabouts were strange, and he often visited various entertainment venues. After investigation, it was found that Ke Yinyue had a lifestyle problem and often took the opportunity to go out for trysts.
As a wet nurse in the palace, for such behavior, the conclusion was clear and the circumstances were serious, but she was not punished. Some people discussed it, but no one reported it.
Because this seemingly ordinary wet nurse is anything but ordinary.
Normally, the job of a wet nurse is a temporary job. When the children grow up, they have to leave and do what they have to do. But Miss Ke is an exception. Zhu Youxiao was weaned, but she did not leave. When Zhu Youxiao grew up, she did not leave either.
Let's go. Zhu Youxiao is sixteen years old and has become the emperor. She hasn't left yet.
According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty, when the prince reaches six years old, the wet nurse must leave the palace, but Ke Yinyue refused to leave. She just stayed around for more than ten years without anyone caring about her because the emperor would not let her leave.
Not only was she not allowed to leave, she was also given the title of "Holy Lady". This lady was very impressive. She could ride in a sedan chair in the palace, and there was a dedicated person responsible for picking her up and off. You should know that Liu Yijing, a cabinet scholar, was a second-grade grandmaster.
The officials are all over sixty. They have been in the imperial court all their lives and have to walk in and out of the palace.
Not only that, during every year and festival, the emperor would personally go to congratulate her and treat her to meals. In the summer, he would build a shed for her and send her ice cubes. In the winter, he would dig a kang and burn charcoal for her to keep warm. She was given a house in the palace and also outside the palace.
The house is still in a prime location, right on Zhengyi Road in today's Beijing. It only takes ten minutes to walk to Tiananmen Square, and it has great potential for appreciation.
Her family also has hundreds of servants to serve her. She can come and go from the palace at will, and she can live wherever and however she wants.
The so-called Miss Ke, said Potian, is just a nanny. It is really wrong to be so powerful and arrogant.
A year later, the nanny did something even more outrageous.
In the second year of Tianqi (1622), Zhu Youxiao, Emperor Xizong of the Ming Dynasty, got married. As an emperor, it was normal to have a wife, and no one had anything to say.
But Auntie Ke (who was thirty-five years old) was unhappy and suddenly jumped out and said some nonsense. In the words of the historical book "Northern Strategy of the Ming Dynasty", it was "Ke's displeasure".
The nanny was displeased when the emperor got married. This was a rather nonsensical move. What was even more nonsensical was that Comrade Zhu Youxiao not only was not "displeased", he went to the nanny's house in person, said nice things for a long time, and immediately said that from now on I
Fortunately, I will leave it to you to take charge of it. Whichever concubine you arrange, I will spend the night there, and I will absolutely obey your orders.
This was too much. Many people were extremely dissatisfied, saying that you were a nanny who always stayed in the palace and dared to interfere in the harem. Some bold ministers went to court one after another and asked the Hakka family to leave the palace.
It was indeed a disgraceful thing to say, so the emperor had no choice but to agree under the pressure of public opinion. But on the day Hakka left the palace, as soon as he left the palace, Xizong immediately sent an order to the cabinet and said this: "I will leave the palace today."
, lunch was not eaten until late in the evening, and I thought about it until late in the evening, and was very sad. At that time, I went to the palace to offer comfort, and the outer court was not agitated.
The meaning of this passage is that Mrs. Hakka left the palace today, and I haven’t eaten lunch until now. I have been missing her all day long, and I feel very sad. I’d better let her come back to comfort me, and you ministers should stop bothering me!
Even a fool knows that there must be a very special relationship between these two people.
In this regard, Comrade Liu Ruoyu, who spent the rest of his life trying his best to expose and criticize Wei Zhongxian and dig up the flaws in his humanity, once said this in his book:
"When you come out and come in suddenly, many people are surprised. There are rumors circulating on the road, and there are many rumors that are not tolerated by the ministers."
The meaning of this sentence is that he often comes in and out, many people are surprised, and there are many rumors. Those rumors, the ministers cannot bear to mention.
This statement is no small matter.
The so-called ministers can't bear to mention it is nonsense, but it is true that they dare not mention it.
Zhu Youxiao's mother, Wang Cairen, died very young. His father had been a prince for decades and his own life could not be saved. The current generation could not handle the affairs, so there was no time to care about the next generation, so Zhu Youxiao was basically a guest.
Raised by his family.
We have been together day and night for more than ten years, and the Hakka family is "voluptuous and beautiful, and has lascivious conduct." It seems reasonable to have some kind of melon fields and plum trees, cocks crowing and dogs stealing.
In terms of age, Hakka is eighteen years older than Zhu Youxiao, which should not trigger speculation. Unfortunately, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had a criminal record in this regard. For example, Comrade Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty during the Chenghua period, and his nanny Wan Guifei,
She was nineteen years older than him, and later they even moved the quilt to live together legitimately. In terms of the age difference, Hakka was also inferior in skills and failed to break the record of ten thousand nannies. From this point of view, it is normal for some scandals to spread
.
Of course, no one knows whether there is any intrigue between the two people, and even if they know, they cannot write about it, but what is certain is that His Majesty the Emperor thinks very highly of this nanny.
Hakka was such a figure. The emperor praised her, the ministers gave her orders, and even the eunuchs and cabinet ministers who were the governor of Dongchang at that time gave her some respect.
For Wei Zhongxian, who is over fifty years old, this woman is his only chance for success and the last chance.
So, he made up his mind to overcome all difficulties and win over this person.
And the best way to win over this person is to make her his wife.
You read that right, I wrote it right, that’s the fact.
Although Wei Zhongxian is an eunuch, he can find a wife.
As a tradition of the ancient palace, eunuchs looking for wives have a long history. In fact, there is even a special term for it - eating.
Confrontation means that everyone eats together, but in the palace, if you want to confront others, they may not be willing to do so.
In the palaces of the past dynasties, there were many maids who could not leave the palace, had nothing to do, and could not get married. The long nights were unbearably lonely, and they were idle. Many people were looking for partners in the palace. But in the palace, except for the emperor,
, and there were no men. I looked around and found that the only ones who looked like men were eunuchs.
There's no other way, just let it be.
Although the eunuch is not considered a man, he is not a woman after all. Anyway, he is in name only. It is enough for everyone to live together and talk.
This phenomenon is the so-called anti-eating. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, it has been a classic play in the harem and has been performed frequently. Most emperors do not pay much attention to it, but it is still quite dangerous if you encounter a vicious one. For example, Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, is said to have been
When he saw it, it was a knife to the head without blinking.
In Ming Shenzong's generation, he still took care of it at first, but later he stopped going to court, so naturally he stopped taking care of it.
But if Wei Zhongxian wants to "match up" with the Hakka family, there is still a huge obstacle: the Hakka family already has a partner.
In fact, eating and falling in love are similar. There are also cliché plots such as the involvement of a third party, picking wild flowers on the roadside, searching for life and death, etc. But this time, the situation is a bit special.
Because the person of the Hakka family happened to be the Wei Dynasty.
I have said before that Wei Chao is an old friend of Wei Zhongxian and has introduced him to jobs. The relationship is quite good. The so-called "friends' wives should not be bullied" is really a problem.
But Mr. Wei Zhongxian once again proved his shamelessness with facts. Facing his friend's wife, he went shirtless without saying a word and had no psychological barriers.
But the people all know that there are conditions to find a partner. Needless to say, the Hakka family, the emperor's wet nurse and the popular person in the palace, was less than forty, "coquettish and beautiful, with lewd conduct", while the Wei Dynasty was
Wang An's subordinate served as the eunuch in charge of the Qianqing Palace and was also in charge of the military affairs department. He was a successful person among the eunuchs and was a good match.
In comparison, Wei Zhongxian was much poorer. He was just in charge of a warehouse, and his backer had fallen. He had little hope of poaching.
But Wei Zhongxian did not belittle himself, because he had an advantage that the Wei Dynasty did not have: courage.
As a former gambler, Wei Zhongxian is very courageous and dares to gamble. This is reflected in Hakka, who dares to spend money even though he doesn't have much money. He not only flatters Hakka, talks sweet words to her, but also often gives her gifts.
Luxurious and fashionable gifts, such as French cosmetics and high-end perfumes given today, are quite lethal.
Not to mention, he invited guests to dinner every now and then, and the price of the meal was "a table of sixty dishes costs up to five hundred gold." Translated into vernacular, a table of sixty dishes costs five hundred taels of silver.
One hundred taels of silver, which is about more than 40,000 yuan, is just one meal. The consumption level of the declining eunuch Wei Zhongxian is roughly the same.
It doesn’t matter if you are poor, as long as you are brave, this is the life principle of Wei Zhongxian. In fact, this trick can still be used today. For example, if your family is not rich, it only costs 600,000, but you must dare to use the 600,000 to buy
If you propose with a ring, you might be able to win someone back.
In addition, Eunuch Wei was illiterate, looked silly, and was extremely honest. He was really the best choice for the women in the palace. So, in just six months, the Hakka family left their old lover behind and accepted the third wife.
By.
However, in another historical book, the truth of the matter is not like this.
A few years later, a man named Song Qifeng followed his father to the capital. Because his family had a good relationship with the eunuchs in the palace, he often visited the palace. He saw and heard a lot here.
Decades later, he wrote a book about his experiences at that time and named it "The Theory of Barnyard".
The so-called barnyard grass is a weed. What Mr. Song Qifeng means is that his book is a wild road. If you read it and believe it or not, just take it for fun. He doesn't care.
But in terms of the value of historical data, this book is quite reliable, because Song Qifeng is not a Donglin Party or an eunuch Party, and there is no issue of stance. In addition, he has been in the palace for a long time, and many things have been experienced personally.
No need to talk nonsense.
The fair Mr. Song told us this in his wild cursive book:
"Although the Wei Dynasty is still corrupt, its power is not exhausted, and it uses the skills of the house to charm and win the favor of the guests."
To put it in layman's terms, this sentence means that although Wei Zhongxian was cut off, it was not clean. The second part of the sentence is not suitable for children, so I won't explain it.
According to this statement, with this advantage, it is absolutely certain that Wei Zhongxian will steal Wei Chao's wife.
With the ability to speak, the courage to spend money, and the special skills that eunuchs cannot match, Wei Zhongxian successfully defeated the Wei Dynasty and became the new enemy of the Hakka family.
To put it bluntly, dating is about falling in love, and falling in love is based on rules. You are in love with me, and if the relationship breaks down and your girlfriend is gone, you can just look for her later.
But the Wei Dynasty was more miserable, and he couldn't find a second girlfriend.
Because Wei Zhongxian was a scoundrel, and scoundrels never followed the rules. Not only did he want to steal Wei Chao's girlfriend, but he also wanted his life. In the first year of Tianqi (1621), with the cooperation of the Hakka family, Wei Chao was dismissed from his post and was assigned to another
was assassinated on the road.
The reason why Wei Zhongxian was able to get rid of the Wei Dynasty was because of Wang An.
As a veteran eunuch of three dynasties, Wang An has reached the pinnacle of his life. The current emperor, and even the emperor's father, were all supported by him. In addition, the Donglin Party are all his good brothers. He is really invincible in the world, better than Dongfang.
Bubai became fierce.
But Wang An also has a fatal weakness - he likes high hats.
A high hat is just a flattery. The saying "a thousand times wears out a person, but a flattery never wears out" is really a wise saying. No matter how smart or shrewd the person is, as long as he finds the person accurately and hits him hard, he will not be able to withstand a blow.
Since the beginning of the world, we have known that flattery has a voice.
But Wei Zhongxian's flattery broke this cliché and reached the highest level of flattery - silent fart.
Every time he met Wang An, Wei Zhongxian never took the initiative to flatter or speak, he just kowtowed. If Wang An didn't call him, he wouldn't go. If Wang An didn't ask him, he wouldn't talk. Wang An didn't talk to him much.
Say it with a humble attitude.
He did not come in vain, but in real terms. During the New Year and festivals, he gave things in a big way, and the gifts were driven home by the car. So when the Wei Dynasty and Wei Zhongxian had a fight, Wang Ping'an supported Wei Zhongxian and drove him away.
Wei Dynasty.
But he didn't know that Wei Zhongxian's target was not the Wei Dynasty, but himself.
At this time, Wei Zhongxian was already standing on the threshold. As long as he took one more step, he would be able to gain supreme power.
But Wang An was standing in front of him. He had to eliminate this person before he could move forward.
Just like before when dealing with the Wei Dynasty, Wei Zhongxian had no ideological barriers. Friends can be betrayed, and superiors can betray them. As a scoundrel, a gangster, and a scumbag, he always keeps his true nature in mind.
But what to do?
Wang An was not from the Wei Dynasty. Not only did he have a high status and seniority, he had a good relationship with the emperor, and he was also very powerful. Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou of the Donglin Party often visited his home.
With Wei Zhongxian's strength, it seems absolutely impossible to get rid of him.