Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 3 The Enchanting Court _ Chapter 4 Unconscionable Love
Zhu Qizhen’s last wish
After experiencing countless sword flashes and power struggles, Zhu Qizhen finally ushered in a peaceful and stable life. In this tranquility, he reached the end of his life.
In the eighth year of Tianshun (1464), Zhu Qizhen was thirty-eight years old. It should be said that this was not a very old age. However, at this time, Zhu Qizhen was seriously ill and was dying.
Having exhausted all his energy, the only thing he can do now is to wait quietly for death to come.
This emperor's life was not glorious. He favored evil villains, was defeated in battles, was a prisoner, a prisoner, and killed loyal ministers. To say that he was a good emperor, you would not even believe it.
But he is a good man.
He trusts almost everyone around him, from Wang Zhen to Xu Youzhen, to Shi Heng, and Li Xian. No matter whether these people are loyal or traitorous, no matter what kind of environment they are in, he can treat people kindly and calmly.
Zi Ruo, the robbing Mongolian soldiers, the guards, Boyan Timur, and Ruan Lang all eventually became his friends.
But facts have proven that good people cannot be good emperors.
In the first month of this year, Zhu Qizhen summoned his son on his sickbed. Zhu Jianshen, who had also suffered a lot of turmoil, handed over the important responsibilities of the empire to him.
Then, the dying emperor thought for a long time and told Zhu Jianshen his last wish. It was this last wish that added the brightest color to his life.
"Since Emperor Gao, many people from the harem have always been buried when the emperor died. I can't bear to do this. I don't want to be buried after my death. You must remember that this kind of thing will not happen again in the future!"
"I will definitely do it."
Zhu Jianshen, who was kneeling in front of the bed, solemnly made his promise.
Since Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty have formulated an extremely cruel rule. Whenever the emperor dies, someone from the harem must be buried, not to mention Zhu Chongba and Zhu Laosi, but also the honest Zhu Gaochi and the generous and benevolent Zhu Zhanji.
There is no exception. Now this inhumane system has finally been abolished by this famous bad emperor in history. It cannot but be said to be a kind of irony.
Zhu Yuanzhang unified the world, established an empire, and left a name in history. Zhu Di swept through the remaining Yuan Dynasty and traversed the desert. Their prestige remains to this day. They are all legends we talk about today. Their achievements will always be remembered by people.
But behind their great achievements are countless bones on the battlefield, wailing widows and young sons at home, and unknown cries in the palace. One emperor's achievements are worth more than ten thousand withered bones!
Zhu Qizhen finally accomplished what his ancestors failed to do. This was not accidental. He was not as famous as his ancestors, nor did he have as great achievements as them, but Zhu Qizhen had something that his ancestors did not.
The ability to have (or be unwilling to have) - to understand the pain of others.
Since ancient times, emperors have rarely understood the living environment of the so-called ordinary people. As long as these people do not rise up to rebel, other problems can be ignored, let alone the joys and sorrows, the ups and downs.
But Zhu Qizhen did it. At least in terms of abolishing burial, he understood the pain of the innocent people in the harem. Eight years ago, he changed from a domineering emperor to a prisoner, and then to a prisoner.
When clothes came and food came, he stretched out his hands, when food came and opened his mouth, until they ran out of food and clothing, hugging each other for warmth. This painful experience gave him a deep understanding of the sadness of being in a difficult situation and relying on others, and also how difficult it is for a weak person to survive.
So at the last moment of his life, he decided to go against his ancestral rules and rescue those innocent people.
It should be admitted that this is a brave and great act.
In this world, no one has the right to take away the life and dignity of others without reason.
Although he has done many stupid things and wrong things in his life, in my opinion, he is more like a "person" than those magnificent emperors.
We can evaluate Zhu Qizhen’s life in one sentence:
He is a good man, but not a good emperor.
In the first month of the eighth year of Tianshun (1464), Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen ended his legendary life at the age of thirty-eight. Prince Zhu Jianshen succeeded to the throne, and a dynasty that made people laugh and cry began.
Ming Xianzong Zhu Jianshen
A friend once asked me to help him solve a problem: he and his girlfriend have a good relationship, but because his girlfriend is two years older than him and his family is opposed to it, he can't make up his mind and wants to ask my opinion.
I thought for a moment and told him a story, the story of Zhu Jianshen.
miserable childhood
Generally speaking, the childhood of an emperor may not be happy, but it will never be miserable. The same was true for the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Of course, the first entrepreneur, Comrade Zhu Chongba, was an exception.
But Mr. Zhu Jianshen's childhood seems to be described by this word. Objectively speaking, this man was indeed exhausted and suffered enough. Although he finally succeeded in succeeding to the throne and became the emperor, if you have studied him
The history of development, I believe you will also say sincerely:
Brother, it’s really not easy for you!
In the twelfth year of Zhengtong (1447), Zhu Jianshen was born. He was the future successor to the throne. In today's terms, he was born with a golden key in his mouth. However, no one would have thought that just two years later, his life would be tragic.
will start.
In the 14th year of Zhengtong (1449), his father Zhu Qizhen led the army on an expedition, but he became a meat bun and beat up dogs - never to return. At the most critical moment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Jianshen accepted his recommendation and was promoted.
He was honored as the crown prince at the age of two when his teeth were not yet fully grown.
Two-year-old Zhu Jianshen naturally had no idea that the reason why he was appointed crown prince at this time had an extremely complicated political background.
At that time, Zhu Qizhen was defeated and captured, and Zhu Qiyu was about to take his brother's place. The wily Empress Dowager Sun had already expected that this brother would not give up. In order to prevent the throne from falling apart, she hurriedly made Zhu Jianshen the crown prince, and took this as a measure.
In exchange for supporting Zhu Qiyu’s ascension to the throne.
Although the Empress Dowager Sun succeeded in establishing Zhu Jianshen as the prince, she knew very well that people in the palace were sinister. She could not tell when Mr. Zhu Qiyu would pull off a trick like eradicating the roots, and she herself could not be with her precious grandson all the time.
, to ensure safety, she made a decision: sending one of her cronies to protect Zhu Jianshen.
She never dreamed that it was this inadvertent decision that changed Zhu Jianshen's life.
The confidant she sent was a palace maid named Wan. From then on, the palace maid began to take good care of the young child Zhu Jianshen.
That year, she was nineteen years old and he was two years old.
Facts have proved that Empress Dowager Sun's political feeling was very accurate. After Zhu Qiyu secured the throne, he had no intention of returning it. Not only did he seek re-election, he also wanted his son to be re-elected. So in the third year of Jingtai (1452), he
He bribed the ministers, abolished Zhu Jianshen's status as prince, and made his son Zhu Jianji the prince. Although Empress Dowager Sun was extremely unconvinced by this change, she had nothing to do.
These politicians fought for their own interests, but no one realized that their actions had already kicked off a tragedy.
Zhu Jianshen, who was already five years old at this time, naturally didn't know what the adults were doing. He just wandered around the palace every day. Because he was in danger and his status was unstable, everyone thought that he would be abolished sooner or later, so
Not many people were willing to get close to the so-called crown prince and were very indifferent to him.
Since he was two years old, isolation and loneliness have been haunting this young child. For him, childhood is gloomy. And in this gloomy life, the only person who can bring him comfort is Aunt Wan.
No matter how indifferent the people around him were to him, and no matter how much they rejected him and refused to play with him, Aunt Wan always stayed with him, comforted him, and took care of his life. Although his mother Zhou Guifei also often
He came to visit him, but Zhu Qiyu's eyes and ears were everywhere in the palace. In order not to cause trouble, he always came and went in a hurry. In his young heart, this person who stayed by his side day and night was his trustworthy support.
In this way, Zhu Jianshen and his Aunt Wan lived together and lived a deserted and peaceful life. But one day, this life was broken. A group of people suddenly broke into Zhu Jianshen's palace and said to him aggressively, "You
You can no longer use the title of Prince. From now on, you will be called King Yi.
Then these people told him that King Yi had no right to continue living here, and you should get out of the palace immediately, because your cousin Zhu Jianji will soon move in and become the owner of this place, the new prince.
The next thing to deal with is the layoff and dismissal of the former prince and the current eunuchs and maids around King Yi. In terms of use value, the waste prince is worse than a waste tire. This is because waste tires can be recycled, and according to history
Experience shows that a deposed prince will always be scrapped to the end and permanently scrapped.
People have known this truth for a long time, so the scene that often occurs at such moments is that trees fall and hozens scatter, and people around them pack their bags and leave Zhu Jianshen to find another bright future.
Faced with this sudden change, the palace maid named Wan behaved differently from ordinary people. She did not speak, but silently watched those people leaving, and silently prepared the clothes for Zhu Jianshen to leave the palace.
Five-year-old Zhu Jianshen didn't know exactly what happened. He only knew that he would move out here soon, and those familiar faces would soon leave him. There were no answers in his mind, only doubts and worries.
"Will you leave too?"
"No, I will always be by your side to accompany you."
She finally did this.
In the third year of Jingtai (1452), Zhu Jianshen was deposed as King Yi and moved out of the palace.
This year, she was twenty-two years old and he was five years old.
Zhu Jianshen's life as King of Yi began. Facts have proved that this was the darkest period in his life. Although his father had returned from Mongolia with great honor, he was immediately entrusted with the heavy responsibility of a prisoner and was imprisoned in Nangong to work hard.
He was too busy to meet with him, and because he had moved out of the palace, his mother, Concubine Zhou, could not come out of the palace to see him. In addition, he was surrounded by Zhu Qiyu's men, who were monitoring his actions all the time.
If someone catches him, he may go one step further from being a deposed prince to becoming a deposed prince who died young in childhood.
Five-year-old Zhu Jianshen, without the care and love of his parents, without the patient guidance of his teachers, is in an unpredictable place, living a life where he does not know what will happen tomorrow. He may be pulled out and beheaded at any time, or after a certain meal
He suddenly suffered from food poisoning and died of a sudden illness. For him, every day could be the end of his life, and every day was a painful struggle, and this life lasted for five full years.
In this desperate environment, she was the only one who always stayed by his side, took care of him, and comforted him. No matter what difficulties she encountered, she never wavered.
For Zhu Jianshen, this person has become his mother, his friend, his support, and an inseparable part of him. In those dark days, this person supported him and went through the most difficult times with him.
moment.
Five years later (1457), Zhu Jianshen's father once again won the throne. His hard days finally came to an end, and the situation changed. He moved back to the palace again and resumed his status as prince. Naturally, she was still with him.
beside him.
This year, she was twenty-seven and he was ten.
During his tenure as the Prince of the East Palace, the increasingly mature Zhu Jianshen gradually developed subtle feelings for this woman who was seventeen years older than him. I believe that during this period, their relationship underwent special changes.
Regarding these situations, his father Zhu Qizhen and mother Zhou Guifei were aware of it, but they did not stop it. Instead, they selected three women for Zhu Jianshen as candidates for the queen, waiting for him to be selected for canonization after he ascended the throne. Because they believed
, this palace maid named Wan will never become a queen. When Zhu Jianshen grows up and becomes sensible, he will naturally leave her.
In the eighth year of Tianshun (1464), Zhu Qizhen died of illness and Zhu Jianshen succeeded to the throne. From then on, this maid of ten thousand palaces officially became the emperor's concubine.
This year, she was thirty-five and he was eighteen.
So what about the Queen!
Although the court politics of the Ming Dynasty were very complicated, with princes, nobles, civil servants and generals all appearing on stage, rolling up their sleeves and fighting with each other, but in my opinion, in terms of the level of fighting, the beauties in the harem are also at the same level.
It's very high, and with a smile and a gesture, it can kill someone. It can be said that a woman is not inferior to a man.
Regarding this issue, in fact, dear Comrade Hua Mulan taught us a long time ago:
Who says women are inferior to men!
The prince Zhu Jianshen became the emperor, and the maids of the palace also became the concubines. It can be regarded as a complete achievement. At this time, the concubine Wan had gone through many turmoils and was nearly 40 years old. But what surprised everyone was that this woman actually got the emperor Zhu Jianshen.
Many people don’t understand most of his love.
The emergence of this situation is not just a matter of understanding for the young women in the harem. They are very angry and unconvinced: Why does such a woman get special favor?
Among the women who were unconvinced, the highest-ranking one was Queen Wu.
Speaking of Miss Wu, she has a strong background and background. I think when I was running for the queen, the judges (Zhu Qizhen) first selected Miss Wang, but this Miss Wu relied on her family background.
He was a high-ranking official and had a wide network of contacts. He actually found someone to deal with the judges, conducted secret operations, and squeezed Miss Wang out. She eventually became the queen.
You must know that Zhu Qizhen personally decided on the choice of queen. So what kind of magical power does Miss Wu have that can change Zhu Qizhen's decision?
This is because she knows a very powerful person - Niu Yu.
We don’t need to introduce too much about this person, only two points are enough: 1. He was Zhu Qizhen’s trusted eunuch; 2. Qi Zhen summoned two people before his death, one was Zhu Jianshen and the other was him.
With such a person taking care of her, it would be easy for Miss Wu to become the queen, and there really would be no need to make any unspoken rules.
With such a backstage and network of connections, the young and beautiful Miss Wu naturally did not take the thirty-five-year-old Aunt Wan seriously. She absolutely could not bear to be ignored by Zhu Jianshen, so she thought of a way to deal with Aunt Wan.
Unfortunately, it turns out that this is not a good approach.
Perhaps because she was too young after all, Miss Wu didn't consider the consequences at all, and went straight to Aunt Wan, pulled her back and beat her up.
This method can be described in four words: simple and crude. Of course, there is a theoretical basis for her slap in the face. She is the queen after all, so she calls it - rectifying the discipline of the harem. This slap in the face
Aunt Dewan almost lost her life and also helped many concubines in the harem to breathe a sigh of relief. At this time, Miss Wu could be said to be majestic and very popular.
It is said that the strongest wind is a level 12 storm, and Miss Wu's actions are truly stormy. But facts have proven that in history, the strongest wind is not a storm, but a pillow wind.
Concubine Wan was beaten and complained to Zhu Jianshen when she returned home. In this fight, Empress Wu relied on her family background and status, while Concubine Wan relied on her favor and trust. So what was the result?
Naturally, Concubine Wan won (it was the emperor who had the final say).
When Zhu Jianshen heard that Concubine Wan was beaten, he was very angry and took action immediately.
He abolished Miss Wu's title of queen, and she had only been queen for a month. In addition, Miss Wu's father was also dismissed from office and exiled from the army, and Niu Yu, an old friend of the Wu family, was also implicated.
The former Chief of Ceremonies was sent to Xiaoling to grow vegetables and became a vegetable farmer.
What is even more unbelievable is that Sun Boring, who had stepped forward to put down the rebellion, was also dismissed from his post because it was said that he was related to Niu Yu.
The empress was dismissed after only working for a month. This was unheard of, and so many unrelated people were involved in the matter. The impact was really bad. Cabinet members Li Xian and Peng Shi spoke to Zhu Jianshen, hoping that the emperor could
Think twice and take it back.
Zhu Jianshen just smiled and did not answer or explain. He just doted on Concubine Wan as always.
One year later (1466, the second year of Chenghua), Concubine Wan ushered in a turning point in her life. In the first month of this year, she gave birth to a son for Zhu Jianshen. Zhu Jianshen was overjoyed when he heard the news and immediately made her a noble concubine.
The clan worships heaven and thanks the ancestors for their blessings.
If nothing unexpected happens, Concubine Wan Guifei's son will definitely become the successor of the empire in the future, but unfortunately, this scene did not happen in the end.
The next year, the prince fell ill and died young. Concubine Wan Gui was already thirty-eight years old this year, and it was almost impossible for her to have any more children.
This incident severely hit Zhu Jianshen, but it did not affect Zhu Jianshen's love for Concubine Wan Guifei. At this time, Zhu Jianshen was only 21 years old, and it was the time when he was a young man, but he was uncharacteristically staying with this older woman day and night.
I never seem to get tired of being around you.
Zhu Jianshen was not in a hurry, but the ministers below were anxious. Cabinet member Peng Shi was probably in charge of the Women's Federation. Seeing that Zhu Jianshen was so devoted to Concubine Wan Guifei, and this middle-aged woman was obviously past childbearing age, she was worried that the emperor would have no heirs.
So it came into play
The civil servant group took the world as its own responsibility and had to take care of all matters, no matter how big or small, in the spirit of neighborhood committee work. They wrote a very special memorial to the emperor.
This memorial can be regarded as a strange article. I won’t write down the specific content. The general meaning is:
Your Majesty the Emperor, you have many concubines in your harem, but you still have no son. I think this may be because your Majesty loves a certain person too much, so I hope your Majesty can share your love with other concubines. This is a national plan.
.
I really didn’t know it, and I was shocked when I saw it. Mr. Peng Shi actually interfered in the emperor’s private life, and openly wrote a letter to advise the emperor to find other wives to keep in touch with him (classical Chinese “rain and dew share”). Ordinarily, an ordinary emperor would see this
Such a clerk would have jumped up and scolded me: "Do you still need to care about me sleeping with my wife?"
But the reaction of Mr. Zhu Jianshen was even more unexpected. He was not angry at all, he just said calmly:
"This is my private matter, you let me make my own decision."
Then he remained the same.
The confusion of the ministers has reached the extreme. They don't understand. This Concubine Wan Gui is not outstanding in appearance and is old. Why can His Majesty the Emperor ignore so many young and beautiful women and only favor her?
Zhu Jianshen understood the doubts of the ministers, but he did not want to explain anything, because he knew that these people would not understand.
In those lonely and helpless years, she was the only one who stayed by my side and accompanied me through countless wind and rain, always remaining the same and never leaving.
Yes, you will never understand.
In this world, you don’t need a reason to love someone, and you never have.
unexpected gain
For Zhu Jianshen, Concubine Wan Gui is his wife, the kindest and most trustworthy person in the world, but unfortunately he doesn't know that Concubine Wan Gui has another hidden face.
You know, although Zhu Jianshen is a very dedicated person, he is the emperor after all, and he can never only favor Concubine Wan Gui. He will often find other concubines or maids in the harem, and Concubine Wan Gui has never objected.
Both parties seemed to be in peace, but Zhu Jianshen seemed to have ignored an important doubt all along: why did he not have any children after so long?
Zhu Jianshen never imagined that the reason for this situation was that all the concubines or maids who were pregnant with his children were forced to have abortions! And it was the concubine Wan Guifei who was loved by thousands of people who did this immoral thing.
But no one has ever told Zhu Jianshen these things. The reason is simple: they dare not.
If things continue like this, perhaps the next emperor, Mr. Zhu Youtang, will have to find another place to be reincarnated. But at this time, Concubine Wan Gui's real enemy appeared, and it was this person who completely broke Concubine Wan Gui's wishful thinking.
Funny to say, Concubine Wan Guifei's opponent was not selected, but beaten out.
In the early years of Chenghua (1465), Dadengxia, Guangxi.
Han Yongzheng, the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the commander of the expeditionary force, stood at the entrance of the canyon, looking up at the cliffs above. In order to quell the rebellion of local officials in Guangdong and Guangxi, he led his troops to march thousands of miles to get here, but found that the mountain was dangerous and the direction was difficult.
Xun, many years of experience in leading troops told him that this was the best place for an ambush.
Just when he was worried about not being able to find a safe way out of the mountain, his subordinates excitedly reported to him that they had found a dozen local Confucian scholars and village chiefs in front, who were familiar with the nearby terrain and were willing to lead the way for the army.
Han Yong said: Take me to see it.
He walked slowly to the locals, did not go up to them and shook hands with them warmly, thanking them for their upcoming contributions to the motherland, but he laughed unexpectedly:
"Just a few of you dare to commit an assassination! Arrest them all!"
The Confucian scholars were shocked, but the people around them were all confused. The soldiers immediately came forward to search them, and sure enough they found sharp weapons for assassination on their bodies.
The subordinates were very surprised: How did you know that these people were sent by the rebels?
Han Yong said with a smile: "Don't you understand? This place is in the wilderness, the roads are difficult to navigate, ghosts come to hang out, and there are rebels nearby. How can there be Confucian scholars and leaders moving around? Who else could he be but a spy and an assassin?
"
This incident was reported to the rebels. The uneducated local officials were very surprised. They thought that Han Yong had special powers and were shocked as a god. Their morale was severely hit. Soon after, Han Yong divided his troops into five groups to attack the Dadengxia rebel camp.
The army was vulnerable to a single blow and was completely annihilated.
After the victory, Han Yong stood on the top of the mountain, overlooking the big vine in the mountain. The so-called Big Teng Gorge was named after this vine. It has always been regarded as a sacred object by local officials and worshiped.
Han Yong smiled and asked the captured native official: "What is this vine used for?"
The local official was very dissatisfied with his teasing attitude and replied with a serious face: "This vine stretches across the cliff. It disappears during the day and only appears at night. It is a godsend here."
A smirk flashed across Han Yong's face and he said to the soldiers beside him: "Bring me the axe!"
Before the local officials could react, Han Yong suddenly raised his ax and chopped down the vine with all his strength. The sacred object was cut in two with the ax and turned into waste.
At this time, the local officials were all stunned. They were all dumbfounded and looked at Han Yong in panic, but Han Yong just smiled relaxedly:
"Don't get excited, everyone. It doesn't matter if the vine is broken. Just change the name. I've made up my mind. From now on, this place will be called Broken Vine Gorge."
This is the famous Chenghua Liangguang Rebellion and the Battle of Duanteng Gorge in the history of the Ming Dynasty. This event can be considered a big event, but if compared with the subsequent events caused by this event, it can only be regarded as trivial.
.
It’s hard to believe that the thrilling scenes that followed were actually caused by such a small thing:
After putting down the rebellion, Han Yong was preparing to return to the DPRK. At this time, one of his subordinates asked him for instructions:
"We have captured many local people, what should we do with them?"
Han Yong replied casually:
"This is not easy. Just hand it over to the local government and put it under strict control in your hometown."
Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered something and added:
"Go and pick out some young ones, both men and women, and I'll take them back to Beijing."
It is necessary to explain here that Han Yong's behavior can be regarded as an old habit. Whenever prisoners were captured in border battles in the Ming Dynasty, some men and women would always be selected to go to the capital and sent to the palace or the palace for different uses.
Generally speaking, women will be arranged to be palace maids, while men are more miserable. Their new profession is more unified - eunuch. This is how the great Comrade Zheng He entered the palace.
Han Yong never dreamed that his move would have a profound impact on the Ming Empire and lead to two completely different results - eight years of panic and chaos, and eighteen years of prosperity and peace for the country and the people.
Because among the people who entered the palace, there was a man and a woman. The man's name was Wang Zhi, and the woman's surname was Ji, whose name is unknown.
The man hasn't come on stage yet, so let him wait first, and the girl named Ji will become the most terrifying enemy of the infinitely beautiful Concubine Wan Gui.
the most powerful weapon
Miss Wu's fate made everyone know a common sense: this inconspicuous middle-aged woman was the emperor's favorite person, and if you offended her, you would die.
Miss Wang, who took over the position of the queen, was also frightened. She would often visit her and ask her regards, fearing that Wu Mian would have a whim and tease her when she had nothing to do. That would be very bad. It is no wonder that Empress Wu has
She has a powerful appearance, a reputation, and a fierce attack, but Concubine Wan Gui ended her tenure as queen with just a small report, killing people invisibly, which is really powerful.
At this time, Concubine Wan Gui seemed to have become the real ruler of the harem, shouting in the east, drinking in the west, pointing in the direction and scolding the north. Whenever a concubine or maid in the harem got pregnant, she would immediately instruct her men to force an abortion. She was so majestic that she would die if she could not give birth.
If you don't let others live, you can really say that you are extinguishing your descendants and unifying the world.
It was at this time that Miss Ji from Guangxi entered the palace. At this time, she left her hometown and was alone, timidly staring at the strange things around her. No one would have thought (including herself) that not long after, this
The shy and timid little girl will shake up Concubine Wan Gui's seemingly stable power and status.
Miss Ji was assigned to the palace and became an ordinary palace maid. However, unexpectedly, this palace lady was loved by almost everyone in the palace as soon as she entered the palace, because people soon discovered that she was a very easy to get along with.
She was originally the daughter of a local official in Guangxi. She was pampered and could read and write, but she never complained about being reduced from a young lady from an official family to a palace maid. Even though people bullied her and gave her a lot of dirty work,
She didn't care, she just finished it silently.
Although she has no power, no background, or even extraordinary looks, she possesses the most powerful weapon a woman has - kindness.
She treats everyone sincerely and never cares about anything. She just completes the tasks assigned to her wholeheartedly. Due to her outstanding performance, her superiors assigned her an important position - warehouse manager.
Generally speaking, managing a warehouse is not really a decent job, but Miss Ji is very prosperous as a warehouse keeper. This is because the warehouse she manages is quite special - the money bank.
More importantly, the money bank she manages is not the national treasury, but the internal treasury. It is necessary to explain here that the money stored in the treasury is the country's money, which is managed by the Ministry of Household Affairs, while the so-called internal treasury stores money.
It was the emperor's private money, which he took charge of himself, and did not need to be handed over to the wives in the harem (not easy). This also laid the foundation for everything that happened later.
One day in the fifth year of Chenghua (1469), Miss Ji was carefully checking the warehouse as usual, and a person walked in.
This dear friend was Comrade Zhu Jianshen. I wonder if he had nothing to do and wanted to count money in his own vault, so he went all the way into the warehouse and met the warehouse manager, Miss Ji.
This is the first encounter between them.
Zhu Jianshen didn't care about the little girl in charge of the warehouse at first. He only cared about the money in the warehouse. After patrolling around, he began to ask about the income and expenditure of the warehouse.
But as he kept asking, Zhu Jianshen suddenly discovered something very interesting.
There were many women in the harem, and many of them had rarely seen the emperor for several years. Therefore, whenever they actually met, they were often "excited, trembling hands, unable to say a word." Zhu Jianshen was already used to this scene.
, but this time, the usual scene did not happen.
The little girl in front of me is very special. Although she met her for the first time, she responded fluently, and her expression was natural, neither humble nor overbearing. She answered questions clearly and orderly, without being nervous. She seemed not to realize that the person in front of her was the one that many concubines were competing for.
The object is the emperor who rules the world.
The quarrels and intrigues in the harem seemed to have nothing to do with her. After answering Zhu Jianshen's questions, she stepped back and stood aside quietly without saying a single unnecessary word or asking a single unnecessary question. In her
In her eyes, managing the warehouse is her only job. She doesn't want to acquire anything, nor does she want to compete for anything.
If you are not self-righteous, you will be outstanding; if you are not self-defeating, you will be successful; if you are not proud of yourself, you will be strong; if you are not self-righteous, you will be strong; therefore, no one in the world can compete with you! - "Tao Te Ching"
Zhu Jianshen was deeply moved. This little girl who was looking at the warehouse had no pretentious manners, nor was there any clever and probing thoughts. She only had an easy-going and friendly attitude as plain as the breeze and flowing water, but that was enough.
He fell in love with this little girl. Of course, since he was the emperor, he didn't need to go through the complicated process of getting to know each other better, exchanging greetings, and meeting both parents, and just "happily" happened directly.
Things after that were unexpectedly uneventful. The warehouse manager, Miss Ji, did not become as prosperous as described in many harem novels. This was not surprising, because with her character, she would not take the initiative to ask Zhu Jianshen for anything.
After that, she still managed her warehouse as usual and never talked about this incident to anyone. To her, it seemed that this incident had never happened.
But God decided to give her an extraordinary fate. Not long after, she found out that she was pregnant.
According to common sense, in ancient times, if a woman was pregnant with the emperor's child, it was a huge event. The local government would go to the woman's home to beat gongs and drums, set off firecrackers, and discuss future cooperation matters.
Burning incense sticks to the ancestors with tears in their eyes, and those Feng Shui gentlemen would also go to the ancestral graves of this family to do theoretical research. In short, there are two words - scenery.
But the environment that Miss Ji faced at that time should be described with two other words - dangerous.
Because the harem was under the jurisdiction of Concubine Wan Gui at that time, and the sound that Concubine Wan Gui could not bear the most was the cry of a baby. For her, this was tantamount to the roar of a death knell. For her status, she had to eliminate
Kill all new lives that may pose a threat to her - including those about to be born.
Out of a mother's nature, Miss Ji wanted to keep her soon-to-be-born child, so she concealed it in many ways. Unfortunately, Concubine Wan Gui eventually found out about her pregnancy, so the ruler of the harem decided to send her
A trusted maid went to deal with the matter - to abort the child who was about to be born.
The person who took away her child was coming, but Miss Ji had no countermeasures. She was in the harem, with nowhere to escape, and nowhere to redress her grievances. She knew very well that the children of many concubines had been dealt with in this way before.
And as a small warehouse manager, what can she do?
There is no way to heaven and no way to escape to earth.
Concubine Wan Gui's confidant finally came. She walked into Miss Ji's humble residence, looked at her bulging belly and panicked eyes expressionlessly, turned around and left without saying a word.
Then she returned to Concubine Wan Gui's palace and replied with her answer:
"She is physically ill, but she is not pregnant."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
I was not able to find the name of this palace maid in the history books. This is not surprising, because in the eyes of later historians, she was just an insignificant figure. However, in my opinion, in the history of princes and generals, she also has her own
The title of a person with a conscience.
Concubine Wan Gui was concealed, and the child in Miss Ji's belly finally survived. The harem returned to its former peace, but under this calm appearance, things had just begun.
In the seventh month of the sixth year of Chenghua (1470), Ji Mao.
With a loud cry, Miss Ji finally gave birth to a boy after experiencing painful childbirth. Like all mothers, she looked at her child with joy, looked at this newly born life, and hugged him tightly.
into her arms. She has no parents, no brothers and sisters, because even if they did not die in the war, they are destined to never see each other again.
Now she finally has her only relative in this world - her son.
This is a happy moment, her lonely life finally has sustenance and hope.
But her happiness did not last long, because this cry also alarmed another person in the harem, a woman full of loss and hatred.
She finally found out about the birth of this child, and the flames of jealousy burned in her heart. Why did she have a child, but I didn't! I am the ruler of the harem, the emperor's most favored woman, and no one can take this child.
Take everything away from me!
She gave the order:
"Drown that child!"
The person who accepted the order was named Zhang Min. He was just an ordinary eunuch, but I hope everyone can remember this name.
He was ordered to go to Miss Ji's residence, opened the door, and saw Miss Ji and the nursing baby in her arms.
This time, Miss Ji no longer panicked. After so many ups and downs, she knew exactly what was about to happen.
She said calmly:
"Do what you have to do."
Zhang Min stood at the door, watching the mother and child quietly, motionless. After a long time, he walked in and carefully took the child from Miss Ji's hand.
"The child is not safe here, so leave it to me. You can come see him again later."
He didn't look at Miss Ji's shocked expression, and walked out with the child in his arms.
Zhang Min took the child away and found a vacant house in the palace to settle the child. He also discussed with other eunuchs in the palace and squeezed some money out of their pitiful income to buy milk cakes.
Wrapped in honey, she feeds the child who has no milk to eat. When no one is paying attention, Miss Ji will often come to visit her child.
From then on, this child became the greatest joy in the boring life of the harem ladies and eunuchs. They all liked this child for the simple reason that as ordinary members of this cold harem, they could never have their own
child.
But as the child grew up day by day, Zhang Min and others gradually discovered a new problem: they could not raise him.
Live this child.
Zhang Min is an ordinary eunuch, not a ceremonial supervisor, and his colleagues and the palace ladies who know about it are just at the bottom of this splendid harem. They have no additional income. Apart from their own expenses, they have no money left every month.
They don't have any money to spend. Although this child doesn't have to go to a nursery school or pay school selection fees, let alone attend various tutoring classes, even so, they still can't afford the cost of raising him.
Miss Ji has no other solution to this problem. She is just a small warehouse manager with no extra income and cannot afford to raise her own children.
If everyone can't afford it, should they give it to Concubine Wan Gui? Just when they were at a loss what to do, another person spoke.
"Then leave it to me to raise you."
It was the former Queen Miss Wu who said this.
Although she is a former queen, after all, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. Miss Wu's family is rich and powerful, so raising a child is not a problem. Of course, her motives are not that simple. It is still her final goal to defeat Aunt Wan.
The purpose, no matter what, is that this child can survive.
For the next five years, Miss Ji's child has been living in the palace. Although he cannot go out to play, he has been happy under the care of her mother, Aunt Wu, Uncle Zhang and countless unnamed internal prison maids.
Growing up - at least happier than his father.
The days passed and the children grew up day by day, but these people living at the bottom of the harem did not realize that they had created a miracle.
From the sixth year of Chenghua (1470) to the eleventh year of Chenghua (1475), for five years, there was an additional child in the tight harem. Almost all the eunuchs, maids, and concubines knew this, but they
But without exception, they remained silent and kept this secret.
There is only one person who doesn't know - Concubine Wan Gui.
This is not a story, but a true historical fact. It is a historical fact that happened in the harem, which is famous for fighting for favor and fame. Here, people gave up their selfish desires and conspiracies, kept this secret, and proved the power of kindness.
After reading history for many years, the only thing I discovered is that for thousands of years we seem to be repeating the same game - the game of power and interests. It is an endless power struggle and conspiracy that is extremely boring.
.But this incident seemed to be an exception, and it really touched me.
Our ancient country has a long history, which seems to have no end in sight, but I have always maintained my enthusiasm for these old papers.
Because I always believe that behind those words filled with bloodshed, massacres, victorious kings and defeated bandits, and intrigues, the glory and greatness of human nature will always exist.
final choice
This child who grew up eating hundreds of meals lived happily in the harem. For him, with his mother's company and so many uncles and aunts doting on him, every day's life was happy, but Ji
The girl understands that this kind of life will not last long, and she and her child will eventually have to face the final judgment of fate.
The day has finally arrived.
In the fifth month of the eleventh year of Chenghua (1475), Ding Mao.
Zhu Jianshen sat in front of the mirror. A eunuch was standing behind him combing his hair. He looked at his haggard appearance in the mirror. He sighed deeply. Although he was not yet thirty years old, he was not old.
It was fine that he was dying first. What he was really worried about was another thing.
"I don't have a son yet!"
When Zhu Jianshen was worried about his infertility problem, the man standing behind him was also thinking about his choice in pain - to tell or not to tell?
The eunuch combing his hair is Zhang Min.
That summer six years ago, he was ordered to get rid of a child. Faced with the lonely mother and child, he finally disobeyed the cold order and chose his own conscience. For five years, he got along with the child day and night, watching
He grew up day by day and spent many happy days, but he knew very well that this matter would eventually come to an end. This child must be recognized by his father in order to survive and become the heir to this empire.
Now the time has come.
But he also understood very well that he was just an ordinary eunuch with no power and power. If he told the truth, with the power of Concubine Wan Gui, he would definitely die.
The day the truth is revealed will be the day of death.
This is the most painful moment in Zhang Min's life. If he wants this child to survive, he must give up his own life.
Other than that, there is no choice.
Zhang Min, who had always been humble and in a humble position, with a flattering smile all day long, finally made the last choice in his life - a great decision.
"Your Majesty, you already have a son."
parting
Zhu Jianshen turned around in surprise and looked seriously at the eunuch who was combing his hair for the first time.
"What did you just say?"
"Your Majesty, you already have a son."
Zhu Jianshen stared at Zhang Min who was kneeling on the ground motionlessly. After confirming that he was not insane, he asked dubiously:
"Where?"
But this time, Zhang Min did not answer his question immediately, but chose to remain silent.
Zhu Jian suddenly became suspicious and asked sharply:
"Why don't you answer?"
Zhang Min, who had been kneeling on the ground and groveling for half his life, raised his head, looked at Zhu Jianshen fearlessly, and made a condition:
"I know that if I tell you this, I will definitely die, but as long as the emperor can make the decision for the prince, I will have no regrets in dying."
That's it, I believe I made the right decision.
Zhu Jianshen was shocked by the little person in front of him. He knew that a person who had the courage to say this would not lie.
"I promise you, tell me where it is."
Then he learned that he had a son who was already five or six years old and was playing in the Anle Hall in the harem.
At this time, Zhu Jianshen couldn't care about anything. He rushed to the harem with joy and immediately sent someone to Anle Hall to pick up his son, the future successor to the Ming Dynasty throne.
At this time, the harem was in chaos. Everyone knew that the emperor sent someone to pick up the child. The eunuchs and maids were very happy, and the concubines also came to Miss Ji's residence to congratulate her.
This is also a very natural thing. Since ancient times, mothers have been valued by their children. If Miss Ji keeps her child, she will soon become Concubine Ji or even Empress Ji, and may even replace Concubine Wan Gui as the ruler of the harem.
Miss Ji sent away the people who came to congratulate her with a smile, then she closed the door and said her final goodbyes to her son.
She bid farewell to her relatives in the war, was captured into the palace, and continued her life in loneliness until the appearance of this child. After six years of hard work and a narrow escape from death, she and her child finally made it to the day they came out.
But at this moment, Miss Ji did not feel the slightest joy, because she knew very well that although the throne was beckoning to her son, death was getting closer and closer to her.
Concubine Wan Gui will not hesitate to kill everyone who is her enemy. In this palace, no one can protect her safety, even if she is the mother of the prince. The father of the child, the weak Zhu Jianshen, can do nothing about it
.
She looked at her child, her only relative in the world, dressing him with her own hands for the last time, holding him tightly in her arms for the last time, and crying goodbye to him:
"My child, I won't live much longer after you leave. When you go there, you see a man in yellow clothes with a beard. That is your father. Be careful in everything from now on. Mother will never be able to accompany you again.
."
The young prince didn't know what happened, why the people around him were acting so strangely today, and why his mother cried bitterly. He only knew that he was leaving here and going to another place to find a bearded man.
people.
Leaving his crying mother, this child walked out of the place where he lived for the first time six years after his birth, left his mother, got on the sedan that greeted him, and embarked on an unknown road.
Soon, he reached the end of the journey, where his father was waiting for him.
Because he lived in seclusion, the prince did not have a haircut until he was six years old, and his hair hung down to the ground. He stumbled towards the man in yellow clothes who was sitting on a chair and staring at him.
Zhu Jianshen looked at the child walking towards him, and his excitement could no longer be suppressed. He immediately went forward, hugged the child, put him on his lap, and looked at him carefully.
Soon, he started crying. With tears streaming down his face, he hugged the child tightly and said loudly:
"This is my son, this is my son, he looks like me!"
No paternity test, no identification, no evidence is needed, this is my son, there is no doubt about it.
He took the child back to his palace and informed his mother, the Queen Mother Zhou, and all the ministers that he had a son.
Everyone cheered, and Queen Mother Zhou was even more excited. She hugged her hard-won grandson and refused to let go at all. Everyone was happy that there was a successor to the Ming Empire, with only one exception.
The woman in the harem was so angry that she almost lost her mind. The people sent to perform the abortion ignored her, and the people sent to murder her were concealed. Everyone knew about the existence of this child, but no one told her.
"You all lied to me!"
The desire for revenge swelled violently in her heart.
Let the child and her mother disappear, let everything go back to the starting point, and no one who dares to deceive me will be let go!
The child who had been hiding in the palace for many years could finally live an upright life. He had his own palace, his own maids and eunuchs, his own subordinates, and his own name - Zhu Youtang.
Miss Ji also became Concubine Ji and officially became Zhu Jianshen's legal wife. This little girl from Guangxi seemed to have ushered in a turning point in her life. But it turned out that her judgment of her own destiny was very accurate.
One month after Zhu Youtang entered the palace (June of the 11th year of Chenghua), Concubine Ji died in the harem residence. The cause of death is unknown.
There is no final conclusion about the way she died. Some said she was forced to commit suicide, and some said she died of a sudden serious illness. However, the cause of her death did not seem to cause much controversy. Those in later generations were particularly keen on digging up people's privacy. Historians surprisingly did not show much interest in this matter.
Because everyone knows the name of the murderer and the motive for the murder.
This little girl from Guangxi ended her life. Until now, we still don’t know her name, her family members, or even her exact age. Because she was not good at talking, most of the time after entering the palace, She just quietly did her job, accepting the tasks assigned to her by others, and never talked about her hometown and relatives to anyone.
Twelve years later, her son, Zhu Youtang, who had become the emperor, mobilized countless people to search for her mother's family background and relatives. Officials at all levels in Guangxi spontaneously mobilized, from the chief envoy to the county magistrate, and even those who had gone on an expedition that year. The generals under Han Yong in Guangxi went to battle shirtless and changed their careers to become household registration inspectors. They dug three feet into the ground for nearly ten years and turned the entire territory of Guangxi upside down. They caused chaos everywhere, but in the end they only found a few people. A liar who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune. In desperation, Zhu Youtang had no choice but to build an ancestral hall in the local area and register a title to commemorate his grief for this great mother.
In history, she was ultimately just a flash in the pan, a woman whose name was not even left behind.
But I still remembered her name - a mother who tried her best to protect her children, a kind woman.
Upon hearing the news of Concubine Ji's death, the eunuch Zhang Min sighed with a wry smile:
"Sooner or later this day will come."
A few days later, he committed suicide by swallowing gold in the harem.
When a person has to die, suicide represents dignity and struggle.
On the day when he combed Zhu Jianshen's hair, Zhang Min made a promise to God to exchange his death for the child's survival. God was very fair on this issue. He fulfilled his obligation and gave the child happiness. He also exercised his rights in his life and sent Zhang Min on a road of no return.
I checked and found out that in terms of official career, the eunuch named Zhang Min was really unsuccessful. From beginning to end, he was just a door supervisor. Today, this position is also called "door guard" or "door guard". Gatekeeper".
But this extremely ordinary eunuch who looked after the gate did something that countless famous ministers and ministers might not be able to do. Faced with the threat of death, he chose his conscience.
Give up your life, stick to your beliefs, and fulfill your commitments. This behavior is called sacrificing your life for righteousness.
Zhang Min is a person who sacrifices his life for righteousness.
survivor
Concubine Ji and Zhang Min both died. In just one month, Zhu Youtang lost the two people closest to him. At this time, he didn't understand what grief was, but occasionally wondered why his mother never came to see him again. he.
At the same time, the shadow of death is quietly hanging over this child. For Concubine Wan Gui in the harem, this child is an extremely dangerous person. He will take away Zhu Jianshen's favor. So another murder conspiracy is about to be implemented. .
Some people may wonder, is there no one to take care of such evil behavior?
You know, although Aunt Wan is old, she is not a fool. There is a reason why she dares to get rid of everyone she hates so unscrupulously.
She watched Zhu Jianshen grow up and knew the emperor very well. If she could sum up Zhu Jianshen's character in two words, it would be cowardice. To be fair, Zhu Jianshen was not confused and his IQ was not low. He was considered a normal child, but his childhood The shadow of his mother made him very weak and had a strong Oedipus complex (on this issue, you can refer to Mr. Freud's theory four hundred years later), so he was extremely dependent on Concubine Wan Gui.
What is there to be afraid of with such a guy?
Seeing that Zhu Youtang was about to die, another woman stepped forward to save everything. Although Concubine Wan Guifei was in charge of the harem, she could not afford to offend this woman no matter what.
This person is Zhu Jianshen's mother, the Empress Dowager Zhou. According to her seniority, Concubine Wan Guifei still calls her mother. Speaking of this Empress Dowager Zhou, she has seen a lot of things in the world. Think of the changes in the orthodox civil engineering and the mysterious case of Jingtai Golden Sword. The light of swords and the shadows of swords came and went, but the Queen Mother Zhou held on. The little fame that Concubine Wan Gui had done could only be regarded as a small scene of gentleness and drizzle.
"Give the child to me and see who dares to lay a finger on him!"
With an order, Zhu Youtang moved into the Queen Mother's Renshou Palace. Now Wan Guifei was completely out of luck.
However, history tells us that class enemies will not be willing to fail. Soon after, Zhu Youtang received a warm invitation from Concubine Wan Guifei, hoping that His Highness the Crown Prince (who had been enthroned at this time) would come to visit.
Zhu Youtang didn't think too much. He loosened his belt and was ready to go on the road. At this time, Queen Mother Zhou stood up and told him solemnly:
"When you go there, you can't eat anything! Remember this!"
"What if you must let me eat it?"
"Just say you're full!"
When they arrived at the place, Concubine Wan Gui indeed brought out a lot of delicious food and said to Zhu Youtang pleasantly:
"Eat something."
Zhu Youtang stopped his saliva and gave an answer that he didn't want:
"I'm full."
Normally, things would end here, but little Zhu Youtang, things are unpredictable.
"Then let's have some soup."
It’s over, I’ve never been taught this!
He lowered his head and began to think about the standard answer, but Concubine Wan Gui on the side was still urging her to say that this child was really serious. After holding it in for a long time, her face turned red, and finally she said a shocking sentence:
"I'm afraid it's poisonous!"
Concubine Wan Gui was stunned. Looking at the innocent-looking Zhu Youtang, she almost fainted and fell to the ground: You kid is too straightforward.
The conspiracy was turned into a conspiracy, and now it was completely out of the question. It didn't matter whether there was poison in the soup or not. His Highness the Crown Prince got over his addiction and returned home.
Concubine Wan Gui’s last message before she fainted:
"If this kid dares to do this now, he won't be able to eat me in the future!"
From then on, Concubine Wan Guifei was like a defeated rooster, completely losing her former majesty and not daring to abort other people's children. Comrade Zhu Jianshen also took advantage of the good situation of opening up, became more and more brave, and gave birth to his second child. He had four sons (the first two died in infancy, and Zhu Youtang was the third). After that, he gave birth to more than ten sons one after another, completely erasing the bad reputation of infertility. But he would never have thought that, except for the prince, In addition, the fourth-born prince finally became the emperor after experiencing numerous turmoils.
These things will have to wait until forty or fifty years later. It is better to arrange the appearances of the adults from the Chenghua period first. They can't wait any longer.