Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 2 Ten Thousand Kingdoms Come to the Dynasty _ Chapter 10 The Last Secret
He pacified the world, moved the capital to Beijing, established the Grand Ceremony, communicated with Southeast Asia, and shocked the world, pacified Annan, and suppressed Mongolia.
The above is the history of Comrade Zhu Di's main political achievements. In the first ten years of his administration, he kept busy and worked hard, put in a lot of effort, and achieved many achievements. It was these achievements that won him the title of a generation of heroes.
Lord's reputation.
He did things that many emperors in history failed to do, but he did not feel tired at all, because in Zhu Di's mind, power was the motivation for his work. Holding power was like taking stimulants. Power
It has become a kind of drug for him, which he cannot live without even a second, and no one can take it away.
It seems that people like him do not and cannot have friends.
But Zhu Di still has friends, in my opinion, at least one.
bid farewell
In March of the 16th year of Yongle (1418), Qingshou Temple in Beijing.
Zhu Di walked into the temple with hurried steps. He did not come to worship Buddha. The purpose of coming here was to say goodbye to a person and a friend.
Eighty-four-year-old Yao Guangxiao was no longer able to get up to greet his friend. His long military career and extremely heavy staff work had exhausted all his energy. The conspirator who was over sixty years old but still full of ambitions was gone, replaced by
Just a helpless old man lying in bed.
At this time, Yao Guangxiao had a lot of emotions. The encounter in the eighteenth year of Hongwu (1385) not only changed Zhu Di's life, but also changed his own destiny. From then on, he worked for this ambitious man and came up with all kinds of tricks.
A life of hard work, eating, living and working together (rebellion should be considered a kind of labor) cultivated a deep relationship between him and Zhu Di, and Zhu Di actually became his friend.
It is not surprising that the friends of careerists are usually conspirators.
After Zhu Di obtained the throne, Yao Guangxiao suddenly changed from a poor monk to a rich abbot. He could ask Zhu Di for a house, a car (carriage), a beautiful woman, gold and silver treasures, and Zhu Di would definitely satisfy his request. Because he laid down
He is fully qualified to be the number one hero of this country.
But he doesn't want anything.
The gold and silver rewards were returned, the palace maids were returned, and the houses and mansions were returned. He did not grow his hair, and went to court with a bare head. After returning home, he changed into monk clothes, lived in the temple, and continued to be his monk.
.
The purpose of his rebellion was just to realize his ambition. Once his ambition was realized, he would be satisfied. In addition, he also knew very well that his "friend" Zhu Di was not a kind person at all. He would never tolerate someone who knew too much about him.
Secrets that people smarter than him have always kept by his side.
So he hid himself and just wanted to live peacefully.
Looking at his life, there is really not much comedy. He was unsuccessful in his youth and started his own career when he was sixty years old. He was still engaged in rebellion, a special industry that was full of fear and had no labor insurance. Don't wait too long until the rebellion is successful.
Swagger can only continue to be a vegetarian in the temple, and he has no hobbies like smoking, drinking, and visiting brothels. It can be said that his life is really boring.
He planned to overthrow a regime and participated in the re-establishment of another regime, but achieved nothing. In the eyes of some people, apart from earning a reputation as a conspirator who helped others do evil, his life was in vain.
His tragedy doesn't stop there. His previous behavior was just to follow his own example, and he was not a bad person. He also tried to dissuade Zhu Di from going on a killing spree. Although he did not succeed, he could still tell that this person
He is not a cruel and easy-to-kill person.
But this does not reduce his notoriety, because after all, he is an unjust person who instigates rebellion. It does not matter what others think. What hurts him most is that even his only relative and close friends around him also scorn him.
In August of the second year of Yongle (1404), Yao Guangxiao returned to his hometown of Changzhou. At this time, he was already an important minister of the imperial court and was named the Prince's Young Master.
What he expected happened.
His parents have passed away, and his closest relative is his sister. He rushes to his sister's house excitedly, hoping that his relatives can share his glory, but his sister shuts the door on him (sister does not accept it), and he is helpless.
Therefore, he had to go to see Wang Bin, his good friend in his youth, but Wang Bin did not want to see him (Bin also did not see him), so he only asked someone to bring him two sentences. These two sentences were concise and comprehensive, and deeply expressed Wang Bin's feelings.
Emotions towards him:
The monk is wrong! The monk is wrong!
Yao Guangxiao finally experienced the feeling of betrayal and separation. Although he was poor before, he still had relatives and friends. Now he was in power and had official robes on his body, but people around him were leaving him one after another.
What he heard and witnessed greatly stimulated Yao Guangxiao. From then on, apart from going to court to work during the day, he spent the rest of his time hiding in the temple and living a life similar to that of an ascetic, as if he wanted to reflect on his past behavior.
This kind of life tempered his body, but it also brought him longevity. This monk, who was only seven years younger than Zhu Yuanzhang, actually lived to the age of eighty-four in one breath. If he continued to argue, even Zhu Di would probably not be able to survive.
He is expected to break Zhang Dingbian's record.
But all this is just a hypothesis. Now he is lying on the bed, dying, looking at his friend named Zhu Di.
Zhu Di, who was in a complicated mood, also looked at Yao Guangxiao. People like him who made their fortune through rebellion were most afraid of rebellion. So he tightened his grip on the power in his hands and doubted anyone who came close to him, and the person in front of him was the only exception. This one
god
A mysterious monk helped him seize the throne, but he took nothing away from him. He was a low-key person. He understood his temper, character and every move. His level of maneuvering even exceeded his own, but he never showed it. He was very measured. This is really a man.
Smart man!
Only such smart people can be Zhu Di's friends.
In this last meeting between the two parties, they talked a lot. What is strange is that they all talked about some national affairs. Yao Guangxiao did not mention his personal affairs at all. This seems to be normal. We have been getting along for decades.
We know each other very well, so there is nothing private to talk about.
Zhu Di knew very well that Yao Guangxiao was no longer alive. He was a person with a strong purpose in doing things. Naturally, he would not talk to him about national affairs at the last moment of his life for no reason. He would definitely make some request.
Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao continued to talk like old friends, but deep in their hearts, they were both waiting for the last moment to come.
When they finally finished speaking, the two fell into silence.
Yao Guangxiao finally spoke, and he made the last request in his life:
"Your Majesty, please release Pu Qia."
Zhu Di was silent.
As expected, he made this request.
Yao Guangxiao, who can be called the best counselor in the world, actually made such a request before he died. Who was this Pu Xia, who could make Yao Guangxiao still care about his safety so much at the last moment of his life?
In fact, Pu Qia's personal safety is not that important, just because there is a secret hidden in this person, and there is an answer that Zhu Di has been searching for for more than ten years.
This secret is the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen.
Sixteen years ago, a fire burned down the palace and also wiped out the traces of Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen. When Zhu Di led a large group of firefighters to the scene, what was left to him was only a pile of ruins and no living or dead bodies.
embarrassing situation.
From then on, the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen became a major concern for him. In order to find out the answer to this question, Zhu Di tried every means to find people everywhere. As long as there was any clue, he would catch it.
At this time, someone tipped him off, and there was another person who knew the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen. This person was Pu Qia.
Pu Qia was the chief recording monk of Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen. It is said that he was the one who arranged Zhu Yunwen's escape at that time. Although it is a rumor, this person had a close relationship with Zhu Yunwen, and he was indeed very likely to know Zhu Yunwen's whereabouts.
When Zhu Di heard about it, he was overjoyed and imprisoned Pu Qia. As for whether he tortured Pu Qia and how Pu Qia responded, there is no historical record and we certainly don’t know. But what we can be sure of is that he did not torture Pu Qia.
He got what he wanted from Qiaozhi, because it was not until he died twenty years later that he found the answer to the question.
But Pu Qia has been unable to see the light of day since then. He is not only a special political prisoner, but also a political prisoner who will never be released. The reason is very simple. If he does not tell the whereabouts of Zhu Yunwen, he will not let him go.
If he had told the truth, Zhu Di would never have released the insider from prison. According to Zhu Di's character, he would have probably killed someone and silenced him.
If nothing unexpected happens, Pu Qia will spend his whole life in a prison cell.
But now, an accident happened.
Zhu Di knew the weight of Yao Guangxiao's request and Pu Qia could not let it go. However, after all, this was his old friend's last wish in his life, so it was really difficult to make a choice.
Yao Guangxiao looked at the silent Zhu Di intently. He knew that the emperor in front of him was thinking and preparing to make a decision.
"Okay, I promise you."
Yao Guangxiao was relieved. He had seen with his own eyes that countless people died under his conspiracy. From Fang Xiaoru to Huang Zicheng, Ling Chi, and genocide. These extremely cruel crimes happened in front of him. He had tried to dissuade him, but he was unable to do anything. Although these
People did not die directly by their own hands, but he was indeed the initiator of all this.
Although he was not a good man or a believer, he was not a demon who dehumanized humanity. The cruel political struggle and the departure of his relatives and friends made him reflect on his behavior. Many people died because of him, but he survived carrying his sins.
So at the last moment of his life, he made this request.
Not to redeem Pu Qia, but to redeem his own soul.
Yao Guangxiao, who was spiritually liberated, finally also gained physical liberation. On March 18, Yao Guangxiao died of illness in Qingshou Temple in Beijing at the age of 84.
The greatest conspirator of the Yongle period finally passed away with a smile on his face. He paid a lot, but seemed to get nothing. He spent the first half of his life working hard to realize his ambitions, but in the second half of his life he lived alone and burdened with guilt.
Anyway, for him, it's all over.
Zhu Di kept his promise and released Pu Xia, not out of kindness, but out of a promise to his old friend.
The throne was seized, the capital was moved, the grand ceremony was completed, Nanyang was visited, Annam was pacified, Oara and Tatar were no longer able to sing.
Now my only old friend is gone too.
This scene has almost played out now. At that time, the thirty-one-year-old young man Zhu Di rebelled and finally conquered the world. After that, he began his own rule and created his own era.
In these long and short decades, he did what he should do, and he also did what he shouldn't do. But taken together, he is indeed a talented and strategic emperor who is rare in history. Listed above
It was difficult to accomplish any of the political achievements he had made, but he accomplished them all in just over ten years.
It's really not easy to do what he does as an emperor.
Ordinarily, with such achievements, Zhu Di should be satisfied, but in fact, he was not. Every day when he sat on the throne, every night when he slept in the palace, one thing always lingered in his mind, waving like a nightmare.
If you don't get rid of it, you will never stop it.
Yes, the talented and strategic Zhu Di was thinking about and fearing this matter every day and night when he was in power.
Zhu Yunwen, are you dead or alive? Where are you now?
Zhu Di, you don't have to wait much longer, you will know the answer soon.
In the 20th year of Yongle (1422), Arutai, who was in trouble, began to cause trouble again. He led his army to attack the border of the Ming Dynasty. His original intention was just to make a small fuss and commit robbery. It is estimated that the Ming Dynasty would not take him.
Well, this theory may work on others, but unfortunately, his opponent is Zhu Di, who never compromises.
Zhu Di heard that the younger brother who had been beaten twelve years ago was not convinced again, so he did not say much. Although he was already in his sixties (55 years old at the time), his aggressive and fierce personality had never diminished.
If you don't accept it, I'll beat you until you do!
In March of the same year, Zhu Di went on another personal expedition. The army marched toward Tatar in a mighty manner without encountering any decent resistance along the way. In July, the army arrived at Shahunyuan (name of the place) and approached Arutai's hometown.
Is there any consequence of Arutai's non-resistance policy?
The answer is no.
The reason why Arutai did not resist was simple: he was incapable of resisting.
This man who once determined to restore the Mongol Empire has transformed into a petty thief. He can only rob, rob and make trouble. He has no way to retreat from the enemy. The only response is to run away with his wife and children.
After wiping out Alutai's lair, Zhu Di prepared to regroup and return to the court. Since the three guards of Wuliangha and Alutai had colluded with each other at that time, Zhu Di decided to teach his former subordinate a lesson on the way back.
He ordered the troops to march westward and said: "Wuliangha will definitely retreat westward when he knows that our army is coming. Just wait for them there."
The subordinates looked at each other, wondering which way they were retreating, how did you know?
But the emperor naturally listened to what he said, and the army immediately moved to the west. In August, it reached the Qilar River and met Ulyanha's army and tribe.
Wu Liangha was very panicked, but Zhu Di was very excited. According to the current retirement system, he has reached the retirement age. Although according to the classification, he should be a cadre at the department level or above. It is estimated that he can still work for a long time. But in Chinese history, the emperor
At his age, there are very few people who still kill people with a knife.
When he encountered the enemy, he drew his sword and rode upright. At the age of fifty-five, he once again led the cavalry into the enemy's formation and defeated Wu Liangha (beheading hundreds of people and leaving the rest scattered).
After that, he led his army to pursue and wiped out Wu Liangha's lair in one fell swoop, and then returned home with satisfaction.
Judging from Zhu Di's various behaviors and experiences, he is a person who loves and is intoxicated with war, and a natural warrior.
God did not treat this emperor who loved fighting badly. Just a year later, he once again personally conquered the Tatars. However, the reason for this expedition was very strange. It was obvious that he was looking for trouble.
In July of the 21st year of Yongle (1423), the border general reported that Arutai might (note this) attack the border. Originally this was just an ordinary border report, but Zhu Di said nothing and immediately prepared to conquer it himself.
Everyone has said that it is only possible, and since the border officials can receive the information, they must be prepared. Why does His Majesty the Emperor need to personally take action?
Even if Arutai really wanted to attack the border, he would probably say: "I haven't taken action yet, even if it is a small fight, why do you have such a big battle?"
In fact, Zhu Di’s motivation is very simple:
To be honest, I just want to hit you, what can you do?
It seems that the preemptive policy was not invented by a certain big country today. It is a rule common to all powerful countries in history.
In August of the same year, Zhu Di went on his fourth personal expedition. After receiving the news, Arutai, thousands of miles away, immediately began to pack his things and prepare to flee. He was used to playing the role of a fugitive and mastered the rules of action and code of conduct of this role.
——I will run as soon as you come, safety first.
This was an unsuccessful expedition. Since Arutai escaped completely, Zhu Di had nothing to catch and had to return to the court.
Although the expedition was fruitless, Zhu Di received an unexpected gift during the expedition, a gift that was extremely valuable to him.
This gift is the answer he has been searching for for twenty years.
final answer
Hu Xi finally came back.
Sixteen years ago, he accepted a secret mission and traveled alone across the two provinces, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, visiting temples and temples, just to find the whereabouts of Zhu Yunwen. After ten years of hard work, he achieved nothing.
Hu Hui knew very well that Zhu Di was definitely not a negotiable person. Since he accepted this task, his fate had only two endings. Either find Zhu Yunwen, or continue to search until he dies and another person takes over.
he.
With no companions, no friends, nothing to talk to or anything to talk to, Hu Hui has been searching hard for more than ten years. During this period, he never returned home. Even after his mother died, he could not go home to visit, because before the mission was completed, he had no
The right to go home.
Zhu Di was not a mean person. He knew the hard work of this job. In the fourteenth year of Yongle (1416), he finally called Hu Hu back and appointed him Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites. He was promoted from a small job to
The second in command of the Ministry of Rites, Hu Hui became the envy of everyone, but only Zhu Di and Hu Hui themselves knew that all this was just a reward for Hu Hui's secret work.
After ten years, Hu Hui failed to find Zhu Yunwen, so he had to return to the court to serve as his official.
Does this person really still exist? Maybe he will never be found in this life.
An appointment three years later broke Hu Xi's fantasy.
In the seventeenth year of Yongle (1419), Zhu Di once again ordered Hu Di to patrol Jiangsu and Zhejiang. This appointment seemed ordinary, but it was actually the beginning of another search. We have reason to believe that this time Zhu Di obtained accurate information.
Zhu Yunwen is in this area!
Must find him!
However, there was no news from Hu Hui for several years, and now even Zhu Di almost lost confidence.
Hu Hui has been searching, and Zhu Di has been waiting. Twenty years have passed, and the agreement between the two young people has become an agreement between the elderly. Zhu Di's health is getting worse day by day. I'm afraid he won't be able to wait much longer, but the agreement continues.
, and must continue.
Just when it seemed that Zhu Yunwen was about to be classified as a missing person forever, things took an unexpected turn.
This question that had been suspenseful for twenty years was finally answered on a mysterious night.
Late one night in the twenty-first year of Yongle's reign (1423), Zhu Di was sleeping in his cabin during the expedition (the emperor had already fallen asleep). Suddenly, the chamberlain came to report that someone had come to see him.
Zhu Di was very unhappy when he was woken up. This is human nature. Even ordinary people don't want to be woken up from their dreams while they are sleeping. But when the chamberlain said the name of the person who came to see him, Zhu Di felt like he was electrocuted.
Immediately, all his sleepiness disappeared, and he ordered to summon this person immediately. And the person who came to wake Zhu Di late at night was none other than Hu Hui (when he heard Hui's arrival, he got up and summoned him in a hurry).
Zhu Di's heart was full of excitement, expectation and fear. He knew very well that without his order, Hu Hui would never be able to come back privately. At this moment, Hu Hui came to visit late at night without asking for permission for only one reason - he found
That person.
Hu Xi met Zhu Di and told him everything she knew. The two talked for a long time (everything they heard was correct, and the four drums were omitted... and the doubts were finally cleared up).
I believe many people will ask, what exactly did they talk about, and what is the answer to this mystery that has been suspenseful for twenty years?
I must tell you with great sadness that I don’t know either.
Frankly speaking, I feel ashamed to say this now. Hu Hu did not deceive Zhu Di in the end. Although he made Zhu Di wait for sixteen years, he did bring him the answer.
And from the time I told this mystery to the end of the mystery, countless historical events have been interspersed, and a long time has passed, but in the end I still cannot give you a definite answer.
To be honest, I don’t seem to be blamed for this. As I said before, this article is written by collecting a variety of historical materials and analyzing them by myself. Although I also used some records such as notes from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the main basis is still the "Ming Dynasty"
"Records", "History of Ming Dynasty" and other official historical materials.
I'm not a timid person, but I really don't dare to make up such a major historical suspense issue. There is no historical data, so I can't write about it. But don't be disappointed, because although I can't give a conclusion, I can
Be able to reason and draw a conclusion.
You must know that historical materials are dead, but people are alive. One of the responsibilities of historians is to discover living secrets from the dead words of the past.
Let's start this reasoning and strive to discover the truth hidden behind history. During this reasoning process, we will get three inferences:
First of all, from the above record, we can know that Hu Hui’s mission was indeed to find Emperor Jianwen, and Zhu Di was still so excited when he was woken up in the middle of the night. We have also analyzed the reasons. Unless the mission has been completed, Hu Hui is
There is absolutely no courage to leave one's post without permission.
From this we get the inference 1. Hu Hui completed his mission and brought news about Emperor Jianwen.
Next is the most important part, and also the most controversial part. What did Hu Hui say to Zhu Di?
This seems to be an unproven question, but in fact, as long as we grasp the clues and make some inferences based on Corollary 1, we can know the content of the conversation between the two people that night.
What would Hu Hui say to Zhu Di when he arrived late at night? There are several possibilities:
A. I have not found Emperor Jianwen and have no news about him. I came here so late to wake you up just to tease you.
Conclusion: Impossible.
Reason: Zhu Di would not entrust such an important job to a mentally disturbed person.
B. I found the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen, but he is already dead.
Conclusion: The possibility is small.
Reason: Although I was not present at the time, I can infer that what Hu Hui told Zhu Di was not this sentence, because there is a very crucial sentence in the history books that can prove my inference:
"I know what I heard is correct. If I miss the four drums, I will come out."
Have you seen, "If you leave something behind, you will find something out"! If you say that a person is dead, even if you are an autopsy examiner, you will not be able to tell it for such a long time anyway. Hu Hu is a calm and taciturn person, and has a top-secret mission. This is definitely not the case.
A person who likes to talk nonsense, so we can infer that this is not what he told Zhu Di.
We draw the final conclusion C.
C. I found Emperor Jianwen and talked with him.
Conclusion: Very possible.
Reason: Both of the above inferences are incorrect. This is the most likely conclusion left.
In this way, we combined historical data and used the elimination method to get the second inference:
Inference 2. Hu Hui found Emperor Jianwen and talked with him.
Combining Corollary 1 and Corollary 2, we finally come to the end of this mystery - what did Emperor Jianwen say to Hu Hui?
This seems to be absolutely impossible for us to know. We are not even sure what Hu Hui said to Zhu Di. How can we know what Emperor Jianwen said to Hu Hui?
In fact, as long as we analyze it carefully, we will find that we can know it.
Because what Emperor Jianwen said to Hu Hui must be the content of the conversation between Hu Hui and Zhu Di!
Hu Xi was not the kind of official who would go around looking for people to chat when he was full. He shouldered an important mission and must complete it. When he found Emperor Jianwen and talked with him, he would definitely tell Zhu Di all the contents of the conversation, because this was the right thing to do.
It was the most important part of his mission. So we can be sure that what Hu Hui told Zhu Di on that mysterious night was exactly what Emperor Jianwen told Hu Hui.
Now we know clearly that as long as we know the content of the conversation between Hu Hui and Emperor Jianwen, we can understand the content of the conversation between Hu Hui and Emperor Jianwen. So what exactly did Hu Hui and Emperor Jianwen talk about?
What is certain is that they will not talk about the weather, the price of goods and other issues. In addition to paying homage to Emperor Jianwen and reminiscing about the past, Hu Hui, a courtier at that time, must have only one topic in his conversation - your plans.
Your Majesty, you are still alive, so what do you want?
We have reason to believe that Zhu Yunwen gave Hu Hu an answer.
And on that mysterious night, it was exactly this answer that Hu Hui told Zhu Di.
What is Emperor Jianwen's answer seems to be a secret that we cannot know.
However, in fact, we can understand this secret, because the answer to this secret is exactly our third inference.
The key to unlocking the secret is still in the historical data - "The doubts are finally solved."
Free, completely free, twenty years of doubts, worries, expectations, guilt, and fears all disappeared after that night.
It should be noted that we can also infer that Emperor Jianwen should still be alive when Hu Hui and Zhu Di talked.
Because Hu Hui was a civil servant, and later he was appointed as Shangshu because of his great contribution in this matter, and became one of the five ministers of Tuogu under Xuanzong of Ming Dynasty. During the search process, in order to keep it confidential, he was kept alone.
Zhizong, a person like him cannot do anything to kill people and silence them. And his late-night visit to Zhu Di fully demonstrated that he had not informed Zhu Di of the news about Emperor Jianwen before.
Of course, after the conversation, it is difficult to say whether Zhu Di will send someone to cut the grass and remove the roots.
But I want to believe that Zhu Di did not do this. In my opinion, he is not an inhumane person. His cruel behavior is just to ensure his throne. Now more than 20 years have passed, and he has become an old man.
, and after getting that answer, he should give up.
Corollary 3. Answer.
"Twenty years have passed, and I don't want to fight anymore. Just feel free to be your emperor. I just want to continue living alone."
I believe that this is the final answer, because only this answer can calm this dispute that has lasted for more than 20 years and completely relieve the fear of these two people.
The one who sits on the throne is liberated by the spirit; the one who hides among the people is liberated by the body.
I won't argue with you anymore, just be a good emperor.
I will not look for you anymore, just be a common man and live peacefully.
The uncle-nephew dispute finally came to an end. For the sake of power, the pair of relatives went from jealousy to hatred to fighting each other, killing each other. In the end, the uncle defeated the nephew and won the throne.
But the matter did not end there. Although the person who ascended the throne had great power, he was always worried, lest he wake up one night and lose what he had just gained like the last loser.
Because it is not terrible to have nothing, but what is terrible is to lose it after getting it.
The person who was driven out was even worse. He had to give up his life of glory and wealth and hide among the people. He had to avoid the pursuit of the people in power. He had to stay anonymous and just want to continue to live.
This cruel mental and physical torture lasted for twenty years, more than 7,000 days and nights, enough to drive anyone crazy.
Once you get power, you seem to have everything. But in fact, many people don't understand that in the game of power, you have no chance to rest. Once you participate, you must keep playing until you fail or die.
A lot was gained, but even more was lost.
This is the price they have to pay, whether they are winners or losers.
Once you embark on this path, you cannot look back.
The fate of dying on the journey
In any case, Zhu Di finally got relief. Although he came a little late, he still came after all. At least he would not bring this question into the coffin.
It can be regarded as an eye-opener for God, because if this answer had come a year or two later, Zhu Di would have had no choice but to see his father with regrets, but now he can finally live a comfortable life for a few days without any worries.
Zhu Di's spirit was liberated, and the days after this should be relaxing and happy for him, but this is probably God's last gift to him, because death has quietly approached him.
In the first month of the 22nd year of Yongle (1424), Arutai began to resume his old business, robbing along the border of the Ming Dynasty, and invading Datong. At this time, Zhu Di's health was already worse than before, but in order to completely solve the problem, he still
With great reluctance, he mounted his war horse and led the army to the battle for the fifth time.
Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your son and help him clean up his enemies so that he can be the emperor with peace of mind in the future. Even if he can't leave much legacy, I will leave you a peaceful life.
Fatherly love throughout the ages has generally been like this.
As usual, Zhu Di selected several ministers to go on the expedition with him, and among the people he selected, one would play an extremely important role in the near future.
This person is Yang Rong.
In June, the army set out to reach the Dalannamul River, which was the original haunt of Arutai. However, the buildings were now deserted. Arutai, a habitual robber, had already packed up his bags and fled.
After repeated searches, Arutai was still nowhere to be seen, but Zhu Di's health was getting worse day by day. The ministers argued:
Zhang Fu expressed his willingness to receive a month's worth of food himself and lead his army deep into the desert to capture Arutai.
Yang Rong said that the army has already arrived. If it continues to stay, food and grass will inevitably be insufficiently supplied, and it must be dispatched as soon as possible.
Zhu Di listened to their argument numbly and issued an order:
return after victory.
He was also tired of the life of following famous generals on expeditions as a boy, to rebelling in Jingnan as a youth, and then as an adult to go to Mongolia and sweep across the desert. Fighting for decades, killing countless people, and galloping on the battlefield.
Although it is energizing, it is also exhausting.
Better go home.
In July, when the army arrived at Cuiweigang, Zhu Di, who was ill all over, summoned Yang Rong, and the emperor and his ministers had a last conversation.
Zhu Di said: "The prince has been very familiar with government affairs after so many years of training. When I return, I will hand over the power to him. I will spend my remaining years in peace and live a peaceful life for a few days."
Yang Rong was overjoyed, but did not show it. He responded: "His Royal Highness is loyal and benevolent, and will definitely live up to His Majesty's expectations."
Zhu Di, who was seriously ill, smiled. He had won and defended the country. Now that his son was very capable, the Ming Empire would surely become stronger in his hands, and he could finally enjoy peace.
But what Zhu Di didn't expect was that he could no longer return home.
Maybe God also learned from Zhu Di's style of doing everything he could, and he was destined to let this emperor who loved war and fighting end his life on the road.
After the army arrived at Yumuchuan, Zhu Di's originally strong body finally failed to hold up, and he died of illness in the military camp at the age of sixty-five.
Sixty-five years ago, the baby was born in the flames of war, experienced countless storms, and finally found his destination on the journey and gained eternal peace.
In my opinion, dying during the expedition was the best way for him to end his life. This is how this legendary emperor ended his life.
This seems to be a kind of fate, a fate of being born in war and dying on the journey.
According to past habits, we should write an overall evaluation of this emperor. In fact, there are many versions of the evaluation of this legendary emperor in previous Ming history materials, and I think the most outstanding one is the commentary in "History of the Ming Dynasty".
Although there are many errors and problems in "History of the Ming Dynasty", at least in my opinion, there is no equal in the evaluation of Zhu Di in the historical materials. I rarely quoted ancient texts before, at most I only quoted a few quotes to explain the source, but
This paragraph of text is really a stroke of genius. I wanted to write a review myself, but I really didn’t dare to follow suit, so I quote it as follows:
Praise says:
Emperor Wen, a young man, trained his troops, and took advantage of the beautiful land of Youyan. He was weak, and his long-term drive was introverted, and he was on the verge of conquering the world. After he came to the throne, he practiced frugality. Floods and droughts came in the morning and evening, and there was no obstruction. He knew people well and was responsible for their duties.
Da, the strategy of Xiongwu, is the same as that of Emperor Gaozu. The Sixth Division
After repeated appearances, the dust in Mobei was clear. By the end of the year, his majesty and virtue were so great that guests from all over the world were submissive. Those who were ordered to pay tribute by the court were almost thirty countries. The scope of the fall was so vast that it reached far away from the Han and Tang Dynasties! The success was fierce and outstanding.
So prosperous! However, at the time of eradication, if you act in the opposite direction, your shame and virtue cannot be concealed!
The breadth of the fall is as far as the Han and Tang Dynasties! The success is fierce and outstanding, and it is extremely prosperous!
Such a review is enough to bring a smile to your face!
He is not a good person, but he is an out-and-out good emperor.
late night conspiracy
Zhu Di ended his legendary life and finally passed away. The dead have no worries and no longer need to worry about power, money, future and other things, but the living have to consider these things.
Under the cloud of sorrow and sorrow after Zhu Di's death, there is an undercurrent hidden. Different interest groups are stepping up their actions. What they are competing for is the most valuable legacy left by Zhu Di - the throne.
As early as when Zhu Di set off on his expedition, his good son Zhu Gaoxu had already foreseen that his father might leave soon. He stepped up his planning and sent his son Zhu Zhanqi to lurk in the capital and use rapid
Horses were used to deliver news, and seven or eight groups of people would come and go in one night to report the news. In those days when there were no telephones, it was really hard for those who reported the news.
Zhu Gaoxu dreamed of wanting the throne, but he knew very well that he could only take action after confirming that his father was dead after being rescued. If the situation was not sure, he would raise his own troops. As a result, his father would pretend to be a corpse or borrow a corpse to resurrect his soul and come to him.
: "Boy, I want to imitate your father and rebel!" You don't need to fight, your defeat is already certain.
In front of Zhu Di, an expert on rebellion, Zhu Gaoxu's moral conduct was still too shallow.
So he waited patiently, waiting for the news to come.
Zhu Di's chamberlain, Ma Yun, was an inconspicuous person who usually seemed impartial. However, at this time, he also made his position clear. After Zhu Di's death, as a chamberlain, he called two people for a meeting late at night. The two people were
Yang Rong and Jin Youzi.
The three of them conspired and made the decision not to announce the funeral for the time being, but to deliver meals to the emperor on time every day to hide the news from others. They also strictly controlled the news and prohibited people in the military camp from going out to report the news without permission.
Some people may ask, after the death of the emperor, because he was still away on an expedition, it was not a common arrangement not to mourn in secret. Why is it said to be a conspiracy?
Because this seemingly ordinary arrangement actually hid a mystery. Before Zhu Di died, the minister he summoned was not these two people, but Zhang Fu!
Before Zhu Di died, he summoned Zhang Fu and conveyed his intention to pass on the throne to the crown prince. This seemed to be nothing to worry about, but the problem lay with Zhang Fu.
Zhang Fu is Zhang Yu's son, and Zhang Yu and Qiu Fu have a very close relationship with Zhu Gaoxu. They were all comrades-in-arms during the Jingnan period. On the issue of establishing a prince, the Jingnan faction supported Zhu Gaoxu.
Ma Yun summoned Yang Rong and Jin Youzi to conspire to make such an important decision. It was very unusual that Zhang Fu was not present. It was obvious that they were on guard.
Facts have proved that their worries were not unreasonable, because just a year later, on the eve of Zhu Gaoxu's rebellion, the spy he sent to the capital to find was none other than Zhang Fu.
After blocking the news, Yang Rong was given the most important mission - to return to Beijing to report the prince's funeral and prepare for the prince's succession. This secret member of the princelings who had been latent for many years finally had a place to use. He traveled day and night, and finally
The death was delivered to the prince in time.
Zhu Gaoxu was kept in the dark from beginning to end. By the time he knew the news, the prince had made all preparations and ascended the throne.
Mr. Zhu Gaoxu, you didn't guess right. Learn your lesson and come back next time. You have another chance.