Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 3 The Evil Palace _ Chapter 6 Ming Jun
Forgiveness by Zhu Youtang, Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty
Zhu Youtang finally ascended to the highest throne. From a baby who was almost aborted, to a young child in Anle Hall, to an almost deposed prince, Zhu Youtang, who was not yet twenty years old, had gone through many hardships in life, and he would never forget it. His mother who died unjustly, Zhang Min who sacrificed his life for justice, Huai En who was upright, and all those people who paid a heavy price for him to live until now.
Although he won the final victory, his mother would never be able to see the glory of her son, and those who sacrificed for him could not repay him.
Be a good emperor, start right now, correct all the mistakes of my father, and let this empire flourish again in my hands! I want all those who have passed away to know that their efforts were valuable.
Zhu Youtang was ready to take action, and the target was the five major sects. He had already judged that these people were out-and-out trash.
The first person to be dealt with was Li Zisheng, the head of the Immortal Sect. This man still wanted to pretend to be a ghost and hang out, but Zhu Youtang didn't want to talk nonsense at all. He sent him to labor reform on the sixth day after taking the throne, and treated him Zhu Youtang neatly dismissed all the disciples under his command, including the Dharma King, the Imperial Master, the Zen Master, and the real person, with one word - get out of here.
All the disciples of the Immortal Sect lost their jobs and went home to farm. However, the leader Li Xianren still got a job - being sent to the army. However, this man's fighting methods were too vicious and he had enemies all over the world. Within a few days of joining the army gloriously, he was arrested. After being tortured to death, he finally ascended to perfection.
Then there was Liang Fang, the leader of the Spring Sect. Zhu Youtang quickly arranged a new residence for him - a cell. The eunuch finally received the punishment he deserved.
The most nervous person is Wan Xi. As the younger brother of Concubine Wan Gui and the successor leader of the later sect, he knows very well that Zhu Youtang is definitely not a good man and a woman of faith. Moreover, Concubine Wan Gui killed his mother. This is an irreconcilable hatred. It can be solved by admitting his mistake over a meal. He packed up his things and prepared for his funeral. He just hoped that His Majesty the Emperor could give him a happy ending and not do any tricks like Ling Chi and cut him more than three thousand times.
The development of things seemed to be in line with his expectations. Soon after, his home was ransacked, his official position was dismissed, and he was imprisoned. However, the last blow was delayed. Wanxi felt unsure, but it made him even more confused. Surprisingly, after some time, he was released from prison!
Even though Wanxi tried hard to figure it out, could it be that the emperor liked to play cat-and-mouse games?
Zhu Youtang knew very well who killed his mother, and many ministers also wrote letters one after another, demanding that the entire Wan family be executed in revenge. However, Zhu Youtang's reaction was beyond everyone's expectations.
He returned the memorial demanding severe punishment and concluded the matter in one sentence:
"That's it for now."
Six-year-old Zhu Youtang lost his mother forever before he could remember her face clearly. Since then, he has been living alone, and he has been marginalized and framed by Concubine Wan Guifei from time to time. For him, the name Concubine Wan Guifei means Hatred.
But when he was in power and faced with hatred, he chose forgiveness.
He forgave those who had hurt him, not because he was weak, but because he understood many things that Concubine Wan Gui did not understand.
Because we understand, we are compassionate.
After that, he recalled Huai'en who was still drinking in Fengyang and personally welcomed him into the palace to resume his original position. Huai'en did not dare to accept this great gift and was so frightened that his hands and feet trembled and he refused again and again, but Zhu Youtang insisted on doing so.
Because he knew that the old eunuch in front of him had risked his life and fearlessly protected himself. This was the honor he deserved.
There is also the former Empress Wu who once raised him. This arrogant lady only became the queen for a few months and was left in the cold palace for many years. At this time, her years had passed and she was old and beautiful. Zhu You Zang also invited her out and took care of her as his mother.
Wu Fei, who had been abandoned for more than 20 years, was moved to tears. Maybe her motives were not so simple, but for Zhu Youtang, the kindness of raising her must be repaid, and other things were not important.
Zhu Youtang is such a person, an amazing person. He does not take revenge, but only repays kindness. He is more confident than Zhu Di because he does not need to use violence to maintain his authority. He is wiser than Zhu Zhanji because He not only understands the pain of old farmers, but also understands the sorrow of his enemies. He is smarter than Zhu Houcong (sorry, this guy has not appeared yet, so he will make a cameo first), because he does not need tactics and can conquer people's hearts with only kindness.
Under his leadership, the Ming Dynasty will usher in a glorious and prosperous age.
The grudges have been settled, but there is still one faction that has not been resolved. This is the chaos faction. This faction is very special because although Wan An, Liu Ji and others were passive and sabotaged their work and planted their cronies, they did not do many terrible bad things. , Zhu Youtang has not dealt with this bunch of trash for the time being, because even if he wants to lay them off, he has to find a good reason.
If life goes on like this, it is estimated that even if Wan An and others cannot retire gloriously, they can at least resign with dignity and receive a pension. However, the brothers of the gang really do not live up to expectations. Although they keep their tails between their legs, they are still dismissed. Zhu Youtang grabbed the handle and finally caught them all in one fell swoop, finishing them all together.
One day not long after, Zhu Youtang accidentally discovered a delicate little drawer while sorting out his father's belongings. Inside was a beautifully packaged manuscript. It was kept so carefully and secretly that Zhu Youtang thought it was something. Important instructions, he was solemnly prepared to take a look at them, but this sight almost made him jump with anger.
According to records, this book is rich in pictures and text, vivid in language, and highly practical. Of course, the only shortcoming is that it is a restricted book about physiological hygiene knowledge.
Zhu Youtang was much more upright than his father, and he was disgusted with this kind of stuff. This kind of book actually became his father's relic, and he couldn't afford to lose this man, so he began to trace the source of the book.
It just so happened that the author of this manuscript was a very high-profile person who wanted to leave his name even if he did bad things. He left his name on the back cover of this masterpiece - Chen Anjin.
That's right. Zhu Youtang immediately called Huaien Jin to see him and handed him this pornographic book and a lot of documents to impeach Wan'an. He only expressed one thing: let him get out of here!
Wynn found Wan'an, handed him his masterpiece, and conveyed Zhu Youtang's book review: "Is this what a minister should do!?"
Wan An was so frightened that he trembled all over. He knelt on the ground and kept saying: "I am guilty! I regret it!" Then he performed his special skill of kowtow, and his voice was crisp and loud, resounding throughout the world.
Wynn originally expected that this would make Master Wan feel so embarrassed that he would resign. However, after waiting for a long time, Brother Wan did not mention this matter at all, except for the two sentences "I am guilty and I regret it."
He had no choice but to resort to the second trick. He took out the memorials of the ministers scolding Wan An and read them to him one by one in front of him. In this way, even the people with thicker skin than the corners of the city wall would not be able to stand up to him. Lived.
But he didn't expect that Master Wan's face was made of rubber and was bulletproof, allowing him to experience the highest level of shamelessness. Master Wan listened to these memorials and kowtowed, and the sound of nature spread throughout the world, but it was Don't mention retiring and returning home.
Wynn was so angry that his mouth was filled with smoke. Looking at this living treasure on the ground, he finally couldn't bear it anymore. He stepped forward and tore off Wan'an's tooth tag (pass for entering the palace) and gave him the final advice: get out of here.
The leader of the Mixed Faction finally couldn't survive anymore, so he packed up his luggage, resigned and left. After he left, disciples of the Mixed Faction such as Yin Zhi and others also started to clear the way, and the general trend of the Mixed Faction was gone.
In the end, only one Liu Ji was left, and this Liu Mianhua lived up to his reputation. Seeing that the situation was not good, he immediately changed his face and took the initiative to criticize the government. He even spoke out to Zhu Youtang. Zhu Youtang wanted to appoint his wife's younger brother as an official. He deliberately made trouble and said that the relatives of the Queen Mother should be appointed first, without being partial, and he was quite upright and public-spirited.
Liu Ji thought he could continue to hang out like this, but he really underestimated Zhu Youtang. This emperor grew up in struggle and had never seen anything. He had already inquired about Liu Ji's words and deeds, and knew that this was the case. Brother Cotton's nature is that he just doesn't like to talk to him, but now he actually takes the initiative to cause trouble, so you're welcome.
He sent a eunuch to Liu Ji's home and told him bluntly: You'd better retire early, otherwise you'll have to look good.
Liu Mianhua no longer pretended, he ran faster than Master Wan, immediately packed up and returned to his hometown.
The five major sects were finally wiped out and all the rubbish was driven away. Zhu Youtang could finally show off his talents. He summoned two key figures to Beijing and prepared to create his own prosperous age.
One of these two people was named Wang Shu and the other was named Ma Wensheng.
Let’s talk about Brother Wang Shu first. At that time, he was an idol figure like Lei Feng. During the Chenghua period, officials from the mixed faction sat in offices drinking tea and chatting every day. Only this man went his own way and worked hard. As the saying goes: Two Capitals Among the twelve divisions, there is only one King Shu. This shows his high prestige.
Moreover, this person also has a specialty - he dares to scold people. No matter whether he is a relative of the emperor or a high-ranking official, as long as he does something bad, he will keep his eye on him and he will not be able to escape. He will write several memorials a day and scold him until he corrects his mistake. .
Moreover, this man would put forward a lot of opinions every time he went to court, and others could not get a word in. Later, everyone developed the habit of not speaking at all in court. They looked at him first and waited for him to finish speaking before speaking. There were days when he did not speak. Knowing whether this man had strep throat, he stopped talking in court, and a miracle happened. The whole court was silent. Everyone stared at Wang Shu and raised a common question:
"Master Wang, why don't you say anything?"
Zhu Jianshen was fed up. Every day he stared blankly at Mr. Wang talking and spitting below, making him miserable. He wanted Wang Shu to retire, but this man was very dedicated and never stopped. From the early year of Chenghua (1465) to the twelfth year of Chenghua (1476), Zhu Jian couldn't stand it anymore and sent Mr. Wang to Yunnan on a business trip, and later to Nanjing to be the Minister of the Ministry of War. But even like this, he never stopped. .
Mr. Wang never forgets state affairs. Even though he is far away, he still insists on writing memorials every day, sometimes several a day. Whenever he sees these memorials, the figure of the chattering old man will immediately appear in Zhu Jianshen's eyes.
In this way, Mr. Wang continued to write until the 22nd year of Chenghua (1486). His seventieth birthday passed, but his habits remained unchanged. Zhu Jianshen could always receive his greetings in time.
There was no compulsory retirement system at that time. Unable to tolerate it, Zhu Jianshen actually resorted to a cunning trick. It happened that Ma Xian, the assistant minister of the Nanjing Ministry of War, submitted a letter requesting retirement. Zhu Jianshen approved it as usual, but added an incredible sentence:
"Wang Shu is also old, let him retire."
Hearing this sentence, everyone was stunned. Ma Xian retired. What happened to Guan Wangshu? But Zhu Jianshen also had a lot of bitterness and nowhere to pour it:
"I'm a lazy person who doesn't want to work, but I really can't stand the nagging, so I couldn't make this move. It's all because of Old Man Wang!"
Wang Shu said nothing, packed up his things neatly and returned home. He was seventy-one years old this year.
Zhu Jianshen is a muddle-headed person, and the only thing he fears most in the world is trouble. People like Wang Shu naturally do not like him, but Zhu Youtang is different from his father, he is very clear about Wang Shu's value.
So in the first year of Hongzhi (1488), the seventy-three-year-old Wang Shu was reappointed as the most important minister of the Six Ministries - the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. This man probably participated in physical exercise frequently. Although he was old, he was very motivated and went to work.
Within a few days, he began to evaluate cadres, which caused panic inside and outside the court. But it was not over yet. Soon after, he attacked the emperor.
Wang Shu said that the daily morning court time was too short, and there were many things that he could not finish talking about (in line with his characteristics). In order to be able to speak freely, he suggested that His Majesty the Emperor sacrifice his noon rest time and hold a noon court.
If this matter were to be left to Zhu Jianshen, it would be a bolt from the blue and absolutely impossible, but Zhu Youtang agreed.
This is the magnanimity of a wise king.
Wang Shu became the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and began to torment those lazy officials. At the same time, another powerful department, the Ministry of War, also welcomed their new boss-Ma Wensheng.
Funny to say, this Ma Wensheng can probably be regarded as Wang Zhi's benefactor. He is very senior. He became the minister of the Ministry of War in the 11th year of Chenghua. Since then, he has been guarding the border in Liaodong. At that time, Wang Zhi's men often caused trouble in Liaodong.
Fei provoked international disputes, but every time he caused trouble, he just walked away. The person who helped him clean up the mess was Ma Wensheng. In the end, it was Wang Zhi who took the credit.
As time went by, Wang Zhi became embarrassed. He once approached Ma Wensheng and expressed that he would give him part of his military exploits (provoking troubles). However, Ma Wensheng smiled and shook his head. He just held Wang Zhi's hand and said affectionately: "Factory."
Sir, this is not necessary, but I hope you will inform me in advance before performing meritorious service next time, so that I can make preparations in advance."
Wang Zhi was very embarrassed and held a grudge, so he found an opportunity to punish Ma Wensheng and demoted his official position. It was not until Wang Zhi's death that Ma Wensheng returned to Liaodong and still guarded his borders.
Zhu Youtang was a sensible man. He understood Ma Wensheng's abilities, so he called him to Beijing to serve as Minister of War. The new Minister of Defense was only ten years younger than Minister of Personnel Wang Shu, and he was also an old man. But his methods were even more powerful than Wang Shu's.
, he fired more than 30 corrupt officers as soon as he took office. For a while, the Ministry of War was in turmoil.
Now Ma Wensheng has stung a hornet's nest. You must know that these Qiu Ba people in the Ministry of War are all rough people, and they don't come here to show off. Some of them went home the same day they were laid off, picked up their bows and arrows, and ambush him at the door of his house, ready to wait for him. Shoot him with an arrow when you go home at night.
Ma Wensheng was also a smart man. He learned the news from his eyes and ears and hid. However, these people were not willing to give up. They even wrote an anonymous letter to slander him and shot an arrow into Chang'an Gate. Now even Zhu You Zang also got angry. He immediately ordered Jin Yiwei to solve the case within a time limit and sent bodyguards to Ma Wensheng. The matter was finally settled.
Although these two old men in their 60s and 70s have white hair, they are full of energy and have long official experience. I think when they were selected as Jinshi, some officials were still wearing crotchless pants. They were ranked according to seniority and had to be respectful when meeting. Call them seniors, and these two people have experienced great storms and are good at maneuvering. Wang Zhi couldn't do anything to them back then, let alone the little tricks of these younger generations?
In this way, after the two old seniors came to power, they started to work hard. It didn't take long to sweep away the garbage and waste from the Chenghua period, and the overall situation of the prosperous era was decided in one fell swoop.
While old cadres are showing off their might, new forces are also quietly sprouting in this prosperous era.
In the second year of Hongzhi (1489), Qiu Jun, a bachelor, accepted a special task - compiling "Records of Xianzong". This was also an old habit. Every time
When the emperor dies, his son must sort out the official records from his father's reign and make them into real records. These real records are all first-hand materials, highly authentic, and of extremely high historical value. This is how the Ming Dynasty real records we see today came about. , but because this history book is tens of millions of words long and extremely boring, it has not been widely circulated.
This is a very important but very tedious job. Qiu Jun, who happens to be the vice president, has a bad habit - laziness. He is conceited and does not want to do basic work such as querying information, so he uses the skills of his seniors I gave this job to a newcomer in the writing team who had just entered the Hanlin Academy. This newcomer was honest and accepted the task happily.
But after a while, Qiu Jun thought about it and felt that something was wrong: This was not going to work well, but it was a mess.
He hurriedly ran to find someone, and after asking, he found out that the new Hanlin didn't dare to be careless at all, and had actually finished the manuscript. Qiu Jun couldn't laugh or cry, and he took the written draft and prepared to revise it.
But when he took a closer look, he couldn't help being surprised!
Because he couldn’t change a word of this manuscript!
Qiu Jun, who has always been conceited, could not find any fault with this perfect manuscript. He asked in surprise:
"Did you write this yourself?"
After getting a positive answer, he looked at the newcomer carefully, sighed, patted him on the shoulder and said:
"Kid, do your best, you will definitely be successful in the future."
The Hanlin nodded uneasily. At this time, he did not understand the weight of this sentence.
Facts have proved that although Qiu Jun is a lazy man, he has a very original vision. The young man who wrote the draft was Yang Tinghe, who later went through three dynasties and dominated the world. He dared to make fun of Liu Jin and even the emperor did not look down on him.
Glory and prosperity
Zhu Youtang will never forget those thrilling and precarious days under his father's rule. He does not want to imitate his weak father, nor will he allow those dark scenes to reappear. In order to build his own prosperous age, he has sacrificed All the effort.
This dear man has never rested since he ascended the throne. He is an out-and-out hard worker. In order to realize his ideal of a prosperous age, he has gone all out and reviewed memorials from morning to night every day, and he has to continue For meetings, he gets up at dawn in the morning to have a morning meeting (morning meeting), and during lunch time to have a lunch meeting (noon meeting). In addition, he listens to various lectures given by ministers every day (daily lectures), and also convenes a bunch of people at intervals. Hold a large-scale forum (Jingyan).
His job is really meaningless. Apart from doing things, he just does things. He is so tired that he is almost dead and he is scolded by officials from time to time. No one protects his labor rights. The world is yours. Who will do it if you don't do it?
Zhu Youtang's efforts were not in vain, he indeed created his own era.
This is a glorious era. The Ming Empire continues to exude dazzling brilliance on the track of history, with strong national power, peace in the world, and prosperous talents.
With the support of Wang Shu and Ma Wensheng, three people entered the cabinet one after another. Their names were Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian.
These are three extraordinary people. It was they who supported the political situation of the Ming Dynasty and finally realized Zhu Youtang's ideals. These three people can be called capable officials in governing the world. They have extraordinary abilities and rely on this ability. They have established their own merits in this turbulent era. What is interesting is that the three of them have different abilities, and this difference in abilities ultimately determines their very different endings.
Liu Jian, a native of Henan, joined the cabinet in the first year of Hongzhi. He is the oldest and has the most violent temper. He is impatient and easily gets angry, but he has a unique ability - breaking. This number one in the cabinet The character has a strong ability to judge and can predict the direction of events and respond in advance. It is this ability that helped him become the most important minister during the Hongzhi period.
Li Dongyang, a native of Hunan, entered the cabinet in the eighth year of Hongzhi. He was the second-ranking figure among the three cabinet ministers of Hongzhi, and was also the most powerful one.
His personality is exactly the opposite of Liu Jian's. He is a slow-tempered person who always takes his time and will be used as a quilt when the sky falls. He also has his own unique ability - planning. This person is very good at planning and always considers everything. He made decisions only after repeated deliberation, and he thought very carefully. Most of the decisions of the cabinet came from his planning.
Xie Qian, a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, entered the cabinet in the eighth year of Hongzhi and ranked last among the three cabinet ministers. Although this man has the lowest qualifications, he has the highest academic qualifications. He was the top scorer in the college entrance examination in the 11th year of Chenghua (1475). This man not only He has read a lot of books and can speak eloquently, which also gives him an ability that is completely different from the other two people in the cabinet - Kan.
Kan, commonly known as Kan Dashan, also known as liar, Mr. Xie Qian also serves as the Cabinet Spokesperson. He is well-read in poetry and books, and he is also very eloquent. He talks about random things and often makes people confused. Whenever he opens his mouth, he even curses people and makes them confused. Yanguan, who was eating a lot of food, felt ashamed and took the initiative to retreat.
At that time, people inside and outside the imperial court had a very appropriate comment on this unique trio: Li Gongmou, Liu Gongdan, and Xie Gongyou Kankan.
These three people worked together and gave full play to their respective strengths. The cabinet they formed was extremely efficient and reliable. Its status was second only to the "Three Yang" cabinet in the history of the Ming Dynasty. If Zhu Youtang hadn't come to the throne, these three capable people would have been appointed. Sir, according to Zhu Jianshen's approach, the history of the Ming Dynasty will probably come to an end in more than a hundred years.
Of course, the reason why Li Dongyang, Liu Jian, and Xie Qian were able to flex their muscles and appease the world by relying on planning, decision-making, and talking was ultimately because of Boss Zhu’s good leadership. And more than ten years later, Boss Zhu retired to pay homage to his ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang.
It was time to report on their work. Soon after, the three of them would face a life-or-death decision, and the result of this decision finally gave them a report card on their abilities:
Flirting (talking) is not enough, making decisions (decision) is not enough, strategy is the real king.
This is also an era in which literary talents emerge in large numbers, and the Chinese culture that has been passed down for thousands of years radiates an even more dazzling light here.
The reason why Li Dongyang is said to be better than Liu Jian and Xie Qian is not only because of his outstanding strategy. Mr. Li is not only a leader in the political world, but also a leader in the literary world. His calligraphy and poetry collections are very famous. It is said that he is still alive.
In those days, autographed paintings could be hung in cultural relic shops and sold at a very high price.
Because of his great fame, he was always followed by a large group of fans and admirers every time he went out, causing him to often flee. These followers also imitated his poetry style and formed a fixed genre, which is literature.
The famous Chaling sect in history (Li Dongyang is from Chaling).
At the same time, an article by a person whose name was very similar to Li Dongyang was also widely circulated in the capital, and many supporters appeared. This person's name was Li Mengyang.
It should be noted that this Li Mengyang is not a trash figure like Jin Yongxin and Gu Longxin. In fact, in terms of his influence and fame on the literary world of later generations, Li Dongyang has to call him a senior.
Li Mengyang, a native of Gansu, was a doctor in the Ministry of Finance at that time. In today's terms, he should be regarded as an angry young man in the literary world. He ranked first in Shaanxi Province in the foreign examination and was a master of eight-legged prose, but he hated the writing style of the Ming Dynasty. He believed that at that time
Many of the articles are garbage and rubbish.
His statement caused dissatisfaction among many people: Who do you think you are? How many tricks do you have to say that others are not good enough?
Li Mengyang showed extremely abnormal modesty at this time. He said: You are right, but in fact I am not good at it, and it is impossible for you to obey me, but I know a few powerful people, and you will not be able to obey these people.
Then he listed the names of these people, and even if he didn't mention them, he wouldn't be convinced.
Who?
Li Si in the Qin Dynasty, Sima Xiangru and Jia Yi in the Han Dynasty, Li Bai, Du Fu and Bai Juyi in the Tang Dynasty.
Do you dare to challenge these people?
When the time came for Tu Qiong to meet, Li Mengyang finally revealed his true purpose and literary proposition - literature must be as good as the Qin and Han Dynasties, and poetry must be as prosperous as the Tang Dynasty.
His meaning is very clear. I am dissatisfied with the current style of writing, but I also admit that I am not talented enough to object, but these fierce people are qualified. Let us all learn from them together.
This is a landmark event in the history of Chinese literature - the retro movement. After experiencing the sway of Tang poetry, the boldness of Song lyrics, and the freshness of Yuan opera, Ming Dynasty poetry once again returned to its starting point.
His idea won the support of many people, and six of them were so famous that later generations together with Li Mengyang called them the Seven Talents, known as the "First Seven" in history.
When Li Dongyang and Li Mengyang were leading the literary world, a young man from Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province was packing his luggage and preparing to go to Beijing to take the exam to gain fame. Although he did not succeed, his reputation was better than that of all his contemporaries.
His name eventually became the pride of the Ming Dynasty, and was passed down through the ages, becoming famous for generations to come.
This man's name is Tang Yin, also known as Bohu.
There is a strange kind of people in this world. They don't seem to need to hang beams to stab their butts. They can learn and become rich by chiseling through walls. Throughout ancient and modern times, Tang Yin is such a person.
Tang Yin is a genius. People around him have described him like this since he was a child. He is indeed very smart and has a high level of reading comprehension. It seems that he does not have to put in too much effort in anything. The praise of others made him believe it to be true.
, he stopped going to school, drank and had fun all day long, and didn't even pay attention to getting fame and becoming an official.
At the critical moment when this genius was about to be wasted, his friend Zhu Zhishan came to visit him and acknowledged his talent, but also told him that if he had not had ten years of hard work, he would have dreamed of being on the gold medal list.
Zhu Zhishan is a very special person. Although he is indifferent to fame, he sincerely hopes that his friend Tang Bohu can accomplish something great.
Tang Bohu listened to his advice, declined the visitors, studied hard behind closed doors, and finally understood the way to study.
In the eleventh year of Hongzhi (1498), the provincial examination was held in Yingtianfu, Nanjing. Eighteen-year-old Tang Bohu was preparing to take the examination. Before the examination, he gathered three of his best friends for a meal. At this banquet, he was confident
He uttered wild words:
Jinke Xie Yuan gave up on me, Tang Yin, who else could I have?
This was an out-and-out arrogance, but his three friends had no objection at all because they knew that the man in front of them was qualified to say this.
The three friends who attended Tang Yin's banquet were Zhu Zhishan, Wen Zhengming, and Xu Zhenqing. The four of them were collectively called the "Four Talents in Wuzhong", and some also called them the Four Talents in Jiangnan.
Facts have proved that Tang Yin was not bragging. In this provincial examination, Tang Yin won the first place and became the Jieyuan of Yingtian Mansion. Maybe his article was so well written that the examiner at the time, Liang Chu, deliberately kept the paper.
Next, he showed it to another person. But he would not have thought that his move would cast a lot of doubts on what happened next.
The person who read the paper was Cheng Minzheng. Like Tang Yin, he was also a child prodigy when he was a child. Later he became Li Xian's son-in-law and rose to prominence. After reading the paper, he admired it very much and firmly remembered the name Tang Yin in his heart.
Soon, they will meet in the capital, because the examiner Tang Yin will face in the next year will be Cheng Minzheng.
In the twelfth year of Hongzhi (1499), Tang Yin was preparing to go to Beijing to take the exam. At that time, he was already famous all over the world. Everyone believed that an extremely magnificent and splendid future awaited this young man ahead.
Tang Yin also made no secret of his pride. His goal was no longer to pass a small Jinshi exam. He would challenge the highest honor for scholars since ancient times - winning three yuan in a row!
He has become a master of learning. With his talent and learning, Hui Yuan and the number one scholar are by no means out of reach. If everything goes well, he will become another legend after Shang Ren!
Tang Yin, who was confident, embarked on a journey to the capital, where he would gain his own honor.
But brother Tang Yin, fate is sometimes very cruel.
On the way to Beijing to take the exam, Tang Yin met a person who influenced his life - Xu Jing.
Xu Jing, a native of Jiangyin, was a fellow imperial examiner of Tang Yin. He met Tang Yin by chance on the way to take the exam. At this time, Tang Yin was already an idol figure. Xu Jing admired him very much and immediately expressed his willingness to reimburse Tang Yin for all his traveling expenses.
I want to be able to walk with my idol.
Who wouldn’t live and eat for free? Tang Yin agreed.
Xu Jing was not a well-known person. Although he was not a talented man, he was a wealthy man, and his family had plenty of money. Talent and wealth did not separate families, so the two of them lived happily all the way to the capital.
After arriving in Beijing, the two began their own busy lives. The period between their arrival in Beijing and the start of the exam was a blank period, and it was from here that things began to become confusing.
Tang Yin was destined to be a star wherever he went. He entered the examination room under the spotlight and left with a relaxed smile. The same person who left the examination room with the same confidence as him was Xu Jing.
From the day he finished the examination, Tang Yin began to prepare for the final palace examination, because a question in the examination paper made him believe that it was a certainty that he would be admitted to the Jinshi, but the rankings were different.
But not long after, a shocking news came: Tang Yin failed the exam!
Before Tang Yin could react from his surprise, a shackled officer came to him and took him to prison as a prisoner.
Before he woke up from the dream of being named on the gold medal list, he was suddenly woken up by a sap and became a prisoner. He couldn't understand what was going on even if he tried his best.
What Tang Yin didn't know was that he was not the only one who was unlucky this time. His fellow inmates also included Xu Jing and Cheng Minzheng. They were imprisoned for conspiring to cheat.
The tragedy of Tang Yin's life began here, and the culprit was that question in the examination paper.
In this year's exam, the examiner asked a very puzzling question. It is said that almost all the candidates could not find the source of the question. Some people had to hand in blank papers, and only two papers had perfect answers.
.
The examiner Cheng Minzheng immediately said that he would choose Huiyuan for this subject among the two candidates.
One of the authors of these two papers is Tang Bohu and the other is Xu Jing.
In fact, when things come to this point, there doesn't seem to be any questions. The answer shows that you are capable and no one can say anything. But the problem is that Tang Bohu's mouth is the problem.
This dear friend attended the banquet after finishing the exam. He probably drank too much and was praised a few times. His old habit of talking arrogantly relapsed. At that time, everyone was guessing who could win the Huiyuan. Tang Bohu said in high spirits
In one sentence:
"Don't fight anymore, I will be the leader of Jinke!"
Brother Tang Yin, your good luck ends here.
Everyone heard this sentence, many people did not pay attention, but more people remembered it in their hearts.
This was a sentence that Tang Yin regretted for the rest of his life, because it appeared at the wrong time and in the wrong place. First of all, this was not Wuxian County, and the person speaking was not his friends Zhu Zhishan and Wen Zhengming, but his rivals and enemies.
What's more important is that when Tang Yin said this, the transcript of the exam had not yet been released.
It is necessary to explain here that the candidates at that time were very concerned about their exam rankings. Since the admission rate for Jinshi was too low, even if they were talented and famous all over the world, they would never dare to say that they would definitely be able to pass the exam, let alone the first place in the exam.
One person?
Although you, Tang Yin, are talented and learned, you are too confident!
So when Tang Yin was still in high spirits at the banquet, countless silent people had already formed a consensus: there was an ulterior secret in this man's self-confidence.
Complaints have always been the specialty of scholars. Someone soon reported this situation to the government. The examiners did not dare to neglect and immediately reported it to Li Dongyang. After all, Li Dongyang was experienced and had already estimated the seriousness of the matter at that time. Immediately report to His Majesty the Emperor.
Zhu Youtang immediately ordered the examination papers to be verified. The facts were indeed as rumored. Tang Yin was indeed the best candidate for Jinke Huiyuan. And the person who selected Tang Yin was Cheng Minzheng.
The situation is serious and the report card has not been released yet. How could you, Tang Yin, predict it in advance? At that time, special powers did not seem to be the answer to this problem.
At this time, this matter had spread all over the city, and the public officials who had been poking their heads all day did not miss the opportunity to jump out. Zhonghua, who had a keen political sense, pointed the finger directly at Cheng Minzheng, thinking that he had betrayed the test questions in advance, so Tang Bohu and Xu Jing both Only people can answer high school exam questions.
Hua's accusation was so harsh. Originally, Li Dongyang wanted to help his brothers and let Xu Jing and Tang Bohu go home and take the exam three years later to suppress the matter. However, in this way, the matter turned into a political conspiracy. , there was a shady secret in the examination room, so we had to deal with business matters and arrested these three gentlemen.
After trial, the internal verdict of the case is as follows:
Cheng Minzheng, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites: There was no evidence of conspiracy to cheat, but his servant did sell the exam questions to Xu Jing, and the oversight was established. Conclusion: ordered to retire.
Jiangyin Juren Xu Jing: Purchasing test questions was verified and the cheating was established. Conclusion: Demoted to a minor official and not allowed to be an official.
Wu County Juren Tang Yin... Conclusion: Demoted to a minor official and not allowed to be an official.
Of course, these are all internal conclusions, and apart from the punishment results, the specifics have not been disclosed to the public.
By the way, one more thing is missing:
Report to China: Complaints are made indiscriminately and are untrue. Conclusion: demoted.
the truth
The situation is probably like this. Xu Jing bought the test questions, Cheng Minzheng's servant sold the test questions, Cheng Minzheng took the leadership responsibility, and in line with the principle that everyone has a share in the blame, Tang Yin can be regarded as sitting together.
This is a very famous incident in history. The case is very complicated and has been recorded in various historical materials. There are different opinions and it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity. However, as long as we carefully analyze the details of the case with an objective attitude and dig deeper and deeper, we will discover this case. Actually – it’s more complicated than imagined!
In fact, this so-called examination fraud case has gone through hundreds of years, but not only has it not been clarified, but it has become more and more confusing, and it has become an out-and-out unsolved case.
Let me demonstrate how complicated this case is: There are three answers we are looking for at the moment: First, whether Xu Jing bought the test questions and cheated. Second, whether Tang Yin participated in the cheating. Third, whether Cheng Minzheng knew about it.
To find the answer, we must go back to the starting point of the case. The cause of the case is the question that stumps all the talented people in the world. Unfortunately, I have not seen that question either, but it is not important. People like me can't stop answering questions. A useless person who cannot memorize the Three-Character Classic will probably hand in a blank paper even if he knows the topic in advance.
But we can learn the key point from this: This is a super difficult problem, and few people in the world can do it.
So can Xu Jing and Tang Yin do it?
As long as we consider the strength of these two brothers, we can draw the following conclusions:
Tang Yin is more likely to do it, but Xu Jing is less likely to do it.
Tang Yin is a well-known talent in the country. He has excellent academic performance and is recognized as a top student. Just like a high school student who has won an Olympic gold medal, it is only a matter of time before he will enter Peking University and Tsinghua University. Although Xu Jing is a rich man, he also passed the exam.
, is just a nobody in the country, it is unrealistic to expect his brain to open up and his IQ to suddenly explode.
So the answer to the first question is that Xu Jing most likely did buy the test questions.
The second question, I believe many people think it is not a problem. With Tang Yin’s strength, does he still need to cheat?
In fact, I think so too, but after analysis, I will find that the specific situation is not that simple.
A year ago, Liang Chu, the Nanjing examiner, handed Tang Yin's paper to Cheng Minzheng. The reason why I specifically mentioned this matter earlier is because this seemingly insignificant detail most likely contains a special meaning - hidden meaning.
rule.
And this unspoken rule has a specific name-promised disciple.
In the Ming Dynasty, if you want to choose the most enviable official position, the answer is not the minister or the minister, but the examiner. Today's examiners' main job is just to patrol the classroom and invigilate the exam, and then get some invigilation fee and leave. But at that time
, this is really a head-grabbing position.
The reason is simple, all candidates selected by this examiner will become his disciples.
The official network of the Ming Dynasty was roughly composed of two types of relationships, one was classmates (in the same year), and the other was teachers and students (disciples). The officialdom situation was unpredictable, and the metabolism was very fast. Today it is still at the ministerial level, who knows what it will be tomorrow.
Don’t just report to the King of Hell. If you want to be prosperous for a long time, you have to have a good relationship.
If you don't do well, it doesn't matter. As long as you get an examiner and select a few talents, by the end of the exam, you will be their tutor, and these brothers who have passed the exam will be invited to your home.
, first talk some nonsense, talk about the weather, and finally reveal the trump card: from now on, we are your people, please take good care of us.
You also have to be polite and say a few words, such as sharing the same boat, eating the same bowl of rice, wearing the same set of pants, etc., and then express your attitude: From now on, I will take care of you, don't worry.
There’s a buzzword to describe this scenario – win-win.
The new official's foundation is not stable. He must first find out the market situation, find a backer and then climb up. The old official must also establish his own network of relationships and recruit a few new people. Even if something goes wrong in the future, he still has hope. If it doesn't work, he can still pull him in.
A few backers set out together. You must know that in the officialdom, raising a son cannot prevent old age. If you want to retire in peace and contentment, you can only rely on disciples.
This is the so-called disciple system, and this system sometimes has a special case - appointed disciples.
This is a relatively rare phenomenon, because before the imperial examination, a certain genius who is famous throughout the country may appear, and everyone thinks that this person will definitely be successful in the future. In this case, some examiners will have private discussions with this person.
The candidate contacts him, reveals the topic to him, and makes an appointment with each other as teacher and student. In this way, no matter who wins this person's paper in the future, it will not affect the relationship that has been established in advance.
This is a very risky transaction, so the examiners do not dare to take this risk easily. Only when the person who really wants to show up can the transaction be completed.
After introducing the background, let’s look at the key question: Is there such a relationship between Tang Yin and Cheng Minzheng?
This is a question with no answer, but there are still clues.
First of all, Cheng Minzheng had chosen Huiyuan among the two papers, and Tang Yin spoke outside and said that he was Huiyuan. The more critical point is that all the papers at that time were sealed! In other words, according to regulations
, even Cheng Minzheng himself would not know who Huiyuan he had chosen.
Therefore, this question can only point to two possibilities in the end: First, Tang Yin solved that question and thought that others could not do it, so he uttered arrogant words and was unfortunately hit. Second, Cheng Minzheng met with Tang Yin in advance and gave him the test results.
topic.
This is a multiple-choice question, so you can make your own decision.
Note: Don’t ask me. Although I came up with the question, I don’t have a standard answer.
No matter how complicated it was, the case was finally closed, and the two unlucky guys and the lucky guy in the case went their separate ways.
The unlucky ones were Cheng Minzheng and Tang Yin, a good examiner and a third-rank official, who was forced to take his pension and retire home. Another brilliant genius, who could get into the Jinshi by writing with his eyes closed, was not allowed to be an official.
Punishment.
And that lucky person is Xu Jing. Although this man has also been punished, he is really a lucky person. Comrades, you should know that if you are caught cheating in the college entrance examination today, the most serious result will be that your results will be invalidated and you will go home.
To be tested. But in the Ming Dynasty, this matter was a serious matter. The penalty for cheating was usually banishment from the army. If the circumstances were serious, it might even be beheaded.
The matter was settled here. Cheng Minzheng was beaten to death by the scapegoat, and he died shortly after returning home. After Tang Yin sighed, he became disheartened about his future, wandered around brothels, and began his career as a prodigal son.
However, Xu Jing fell short of the mark and hated the imperial examinations so much that he started burning the Four Books and Five Classics when he returned home. He also warned his descendants that the so-called "everything is of inferior quality, only reading is good" is nonsense. It is better to learn something useful.
His tutoring received good results. Eighty-eight years later, his son's son's son was born, named Xu Zhenzhi. This man did not like reading and only liked traveling, so he was nicknamed Xu Xiake.
After a lot of trouble, the Ming Dynasty lost two bureaucrats, but gained a prodigal scholar and a geographer, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Having said this, I almost missed one more person. It was the complainer who made trouble to China. He also went down in history. Later, someone wrote a widely circulated play based on the legend. This play is commonly known as "Three Smiles".
It is called "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance". Because this man was nosy in those days, the screenwriter created the classic character Hua Taishi based on him in order to ridicule him. Not only did he force him to have a few silly sons, but he also arranged for Tang Bohu to abduct him.
Killing the most beautiful maid in his house can be regarded as avenging Brother Bohu.
The turmoil in the literary world eventually subsided, but Tang Bohu, who was already so unlucky, would never have thought that his misfortune had just begun, and even greater troubles were still waiting for him on the road ahead.
the only omission
Zhu Youtang is a very down-to-earth person.
He suffered many hardships since he was a child and managed to survive with great difficulty. After he was established as the crown prince, he was shaken several times and was almost deposed. The fact that he survived until the day he ascended the throne is really a blessing from God, Amitabha.
This young man has experienced too much suffering, so he hates darkness and evil. He works day and night regardless of his body, drives out useless monks and Taoist priests, stays away from traitors, appoints virtuous ministers, and devotes everything to the Ming Empire.
However, the excessive work intensity also completely wore down his body. In his twenties, most of his head was bald, and his face was very old. He looked like an uncle sweeping the streets on the street. Even Wang Shu and Ma Wensheng, who were several times older than him, were Rather, Ma Wensheng lived to be eighty-five years old, and Wang Shu set a record. This old man lived until he died at the age of ninety-three. It is said that he ate several bowls of rice on the day of his death and beat several people after eating. He died naturally after belching.
Zhu Youtang did not have that kind of luck. In his thirties, he was already seriously ill and dying, but he still worked hard as always. His health was naturally getting worse, but he didn't care at all.
Behind this peaceful age of singing and dancing, he seemed to have a premonition of the coming danger. In order to welcome that day, he must be fully prepared.
At this time, Wang Shu had retired and returned home. After several changes in the Ministry of Personnel, the minister was vacated. Zhu Youtang wanted Ma Wensheng to take over, but the Ministry of War could not do without this old man. One person could not be divided into two. In desperation, Ma Wensheng had to After taking office, he recommended a man named Liu Daxia to take his place.
Ma Wensheng's vision was very accurate. Liu Daxia was a very competent Minister of Defense. Under his leadership, the borders of the Ming Empire became indestructible.
But it turns out that the defense minister's greatest contribution was not to improve border defense, but to recommend a very key person.
In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi (1502), the Ministry of War reported that due to neglect of management, there were insufficient horses in the army, and the combat effectiveness of the border guard cavalry had dropped sharply, and it was in urgent need of management.
This was a big deal, so Zhu Youtang immediately called Liu Daxia and asked him to make up his mind. Liu Daxia thought for a while and replied to Zhu Youtang:
"I recommend a person. If this person takes charge, he will definitely achieve success within three years."
"who?"
"Yang Yiqing."
Zhu Youtang quickly found the target in his mind, because he was really a very unique person.
Yang Yiqing, the left deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, is an old man who is almost fifty years old. He is unsmiling, has a serious face all day long, and has an outstanding appearance - rather ugly.
Anyway, he was there to manage the horses, not to send an envoy, so it was him!
So Yang Yiqing, who had worked as a civil servant for more than 20 years, left the capital and came to Shaanxi (the place where horses are raised). He will receive new training in the cold wind here and wait for the test to come.
At this time, the three-person cabinet was able to make good decisions. Ma Wensheng was in charge of the staff and Liu Daxia was in charge of the military. Everything seemed to be flawless. The prosperous era of Hongzhi had finally reached its peak. But Zhu Youtang's body could no longer support it.
In May of the eighteenth year of Hongzhi (1505), the time to say goodbye finally arrived.
Zhu Youtang, who was only thirty-six years old, reached the end of his life. At this last moment, facing Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and Xie Qian who were kneeling on the ground crying, he looked back on his life with almost no regrets, and finally Realized the only omission in his life:
"At this point, I have nothing more to say, but there is one thing I am worried about."
"The prince is very smart, but he is too young and likes to play. I hope you gentlemen can persuade him to study more and become a wise man."
Ministers echoed his concerns:
"Swear not to disgrace my life!"
Looking at these three capable ministers, Zhu Youtang smiled and closed his eyes and left this world forever.
He has never enjoyed any blessings in his life, but he has suffered many sins and suffered countless vicious injuries, but he chose selfless forgiveness. He rarely experienced the emperor's honor, but he assumed all the emperor's responsibilities.
Zhu Youtang, who emerged from darkness and evil, is a bright and upright man.
So I gave him an evaluation, the highest evaluation that neither his ancestors nor descendants could get: