Emperor Zhu Gaochi was seriously ill and was about to die. A eunuch was ordered to leave Beijing and rush to Nanjing at full speed to recall the crown prince Zhu Zhanji.
This day is the tenth day of May in the first year of Hongxi (1425).
Just two days later, Zhu Gaochi died, but it would take seven or eight days for the eunuch who left Beijing to arrive in Nanjing.
The situation was urgent, and the DPRK Minister Xia Yuanji and others decided not to announce the funeral secretly.
A few days later, Zhu Zhanji, who received the order to return to Beijing, could clearly feel that rumors were spreading in Nanjing. His subordinates advised him to lead the escort troops back to Beijing, just in case.
26-year-old Zhu Zhanji said no. He said: "As soon as I arrived in Nanjing, I would return to Beijing immediately. Who could have expected it? My father is above me and the world belongs to my heart. Who dares to have any second thoughts? My father calls me back to Beijing. How can I delay?"
However, the person who could predict and have the right heart was still alive in the world at that time - he was Zhu Zhanji's uncle and the King of Han Zhu Gaoxu.
Fortunately, Zhu Zhanji acted quickly, and Zhu Gaoxu's plan to send people to ambush the crown prince in Shandong came to nothing. The history book said, "Gaoxu's plan to ambush and invite troops to Dao was hasty and failed."
On the third day of June, Zhu Zhanji successfully arrived in Liangxiang near Beijing. Only then did Xia Yuanji and others publicly announce the death of Hongxi Emperor Zhu Gaochi. At this time, 20 days had passed since the death of Zhu Gaochi.
On the same day, Zhu Zhanji entered Beijing.
On June 12, exactly one month after Zhu Gaochi's death, Zhu Zhanji officially ascended the throne as Emperor Xuande.
A crisis over the succession to the throne has finally been temporarily alleviated.
Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji
01
But people inside and outside the court who are familiar with the character of King Zhu Gaoxu of Han know that he will never give up, and he will definitely continue to be a monster.
Zhu Gaoxu is the second son of Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. He is fierce and good at riding and shooting. In his early years, he followed Zhu Di to launch an army to quell Jingnan, and made many military exploits. He helped Zhu Di turn danger into safety several times. Zhu Di also believed that Zhu Gaoxu was "similar to himself" and had expressed his intention to establish him as the heir to the throne. Relying on his military exploits and his father's favor, Zhu Gaoxu was quite arrogant and often compared himself to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty: "Am I not as heroic as the King of Qin and the common people?"
In contrast, Zhu Di's eldest son Zhu Gaochi was obese and kind-hearted, and was not well received by Zhu Di. The ambiguous attitude conveyed by Zhu Di encouraged Zhu Gaoxu's idea of seizing the legitimate son and accelerated his pace of seizing the legitimate son. The courtiers were divided into two groups, and Zhu Di was also very conflicted.
Once, Zhu Di asked the great talent Xie Jin and others for their opinions on the issue of successor. Xie Jin said: "The emperor's eldest son is benevolent and filial, and the world is at home." Zhu Di did not say anything, and Xie Jin added: "What a good grandson of the emperor." This sentence finally touched Zhu Di, because Zhu Di had always liked Zhu Gaochi's eldest son Zhu Zhanji. .
Historical records record that when Zhu Zhanji was born, his skin was dry and cracked, like a grilled fish. Despite his unpleasant appearance, his grandfather Zhu Di liked this black baby very much. It is said that in the first year of Jianwen (1399), on the eve of Zhu Zhanji's birth, Zhu Di happened to have a dream. He dreamed that Zhu Yuanzhang gave Zhu Di a large gui that symbolized imperial power, and said to Zhu Di: "If you pass it on to your descendants, you will be prosperous forever." ." After waking up from the dream, news of Zhu Zhanji's birth came, and Zhu Di realized something. Perhaps it was this auspicious dream that further stimulated Zhu Di's desire to seize the throne of his nephew Zhu Yunwen.
When Zhu Zhanji was one month old, Zhu Di saw his eldest grandson for the first time and said that his grandson was "heroic", which was completely consistent with my dream. Since then, Zhu Zhanji left his parents and was raised by his grandparents, who devoted themselves to cultivation.
Screenshot of "The Ming Dynasty", after the Battle of Jingnan, Zhu Di said this to Zhu Zhanji
Under the training of Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanji was capable of both literary and military skills, and was quite a man of character. When Zhu Zhanji was 15 years old, Zhu Di ordered him to make a couplet, and the first couplet said: "All directions of jade and silk will gather together." Without thinking, Zhu Zhanji knelt down and kowtowed, saying: "Unify the country, the sun and the moon." Zhu Di was overjoyed. This pattern is indeed the best candidate for the future emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
During the Yongle period, Zhu Di went on many northern expeditions. Each time, he either ordered Zhu Zhanji to accompany him so that he could experience war; or he ordered him to stay behind and develop his ability to handle government affairs. When Zhu Di appointed Zhu Gaochi as the prince, he appointed Zhu Zhanji as the emperor's grandson. On the one hand, he expressed his love for Zhu Zhanji, and on the other hand, he used the emperor's grandson to form a check on the prince who was supervising the country in Nanjing.
However, Zhu Zhanji has known that his father, Zhu Gaochi, has been in an extremely dangerous political environment since he was a child, so he has always tried his best to maintain his father's image and did not want to become a pawn to suppress his father.
Zhu Zhanji had an early confrontation with his uncle Zhu Gaoxu, who was ambitious and wanted to replace the prince. In a sense, it was precisely because of Zhu Zhanji's existence that Zhu Gaoxu became further and further away from his status as the heir to the imperial throne. Once, Zhu Di ordered his three sons Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui to visit Xiaoling together with his eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji. Zhu Gaochi stumbled and fell because he was fat and lame. Zhu Gaoxu immediately said sarcastically behind him: "Forefathers have stumbled, and future generations will know the warning." After Zhu Zhanji heard this, he immediately hit back: "More generations will know the warning." Zhu Gaoxu turned around and looked at his nephew, speechless and did not dare to continue.
In the later period of Zhu Di's reign, in order to prevent a bloody power struggle between his sons, he sanctioned the always arrogant Zhu Gaoxu. From the 15th year of Yongle (1417), he was sealed to Le'an, Shandong, and his guard force was weakened. In this way, after Zhu Di died in the 22nd year of Yongle (1424), Zhu Gaochi could successfully succeed to the throne with the assistance of important ministers in the court.
Portrait of Zhu Di
However, Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi died of serious illness less than ten months after taking the throne. At this time, the situation in the Ming Empire, in the eyes of Zhu Gaoxu, who was watching eagerly, was very similar to the situation when Zhu Di faced his nephew Emperor Zhu Yunwen. Zhu Gaoxu wanted to repeat the history of the Battle of Jingnan, and his nephew Zhu Zhanji also wanted to prove that he was not Zhu Yunwen.
After sending troops to ambush and kill Zhu Zhanji without success, and Zhu Zhanji successfully ascended the throne, Zhu Gaoxu stepped up his plans to launch his own "Jingnan Campaign." Due to the limited force at hand, he even broke down the doors of state and county prisons, released the death row prisoners inside, gave these people preferential treatment, and trained them in martial arts. At the same time, he also recruited scoundrels and social gangsters into the army. It can be said that in order to launch a war to seize the throne, no stone is left unturned.
Zhu Zhanji, on the other hand, acted as weak as his dead father and responded to Zhu Gaoxu's requests. In order to test the heft of the new emperor, Zhu Gaoxu kept making some excessive demands, but unexpectedly Zhu Zhanji fulfilled them all. This made Zhu Gaoxu act more recklessly, thinking that his nephew was not that smart and scary. In fact, Zhu Zhanji stood still because he wanted Zhu Gaoxu to expose himself and commit suicide, so as to win moral and public support.
Part of "Zhu Zhanji's Picture of Enjoyment"
In August of the first year of Xuande (1426), Zhu Gaoxu, who could no longer hold himself back, finally rebelled.
Zhu Zhan, Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, basically wanted to order military generals to lead troops to conquer, but Yang Rong, one of the "Three Yangs in the Cabinet", reminded him that Zhu Gaoxu had already expected that you would not be able to personally conquer the throne just after you came to the throne. When the power comes, everything will be solved.” Another important minister, Xia Yuanji, also used the past story of Li Jinglong, the head coach of the Southern Army in the Jingnan Campaign, to defect to Zhu Di, and advised Zhu Zhanji to fight in person, otherwise once the commander of the conquering army was taken over by Zhu Gaoxu, the story of the Jingnan Army would really happen again.
Therefore, Zhu Zhanji made up his mind to lead the expedition himself, and he overwhelmed the rebels with great momentum. None of the soldiers who had agreed with Zhu Gaoxu to raise troops dared to act rashly. Zhu Zhanji's army surrounded Le'an, and his generals requested to attack the city. Zhu Zhanji refused, and just fired artillery outside the city to show off his muscles to scare the rebels. Soon, the morale of the rebels collapsed, and Zhu Gaoxu left the city and surrendered under strong pressure.
Zhu Zhanji put down Zhu Gaoxu's rebellion without bloodshed, eliminating a potential "Jingnan War" and consolidating his authority as the new emperor.
Zhu Zhanji didn't want to be accused of killing his uncle, so in the end he just deprived Zhu Gaoxu of his title. According to some unofficial records, three years later, in the fourth year of Xuande (1429), Zhu Zhanji went to see how his domineering uncle was doing. Unexpectedly, Zhu Gaoxu suddenly stretched out his kick and knocked Zhu Zhanji to the ground, then looked up to the sky and laughed. Zhu Zhanji was so angry that he ordered his guards to cover Zhu Gaoxu with a large copper vat weighing 300 kilograms. But Zhu Gaoxu was very strong and rose up from the vat. Zhu Zhanji then ordered to pile firewood around the copper vat and light a fire for roasting. Zhu Gaoxu was roasted alive.
02
After putting down Zhu Gaoxu's rebellion, the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty handed over their military power to Zhu Zhanji, Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty. Only with his power consolidated can Zhu Zhanji be remembered by history in another image.
The Ming Dynasty under the rule of Zhu Zhanji was marked as the "Rule of Renxuan" in history books. Historical books have spoken highly of Zhu Zhanji, and it can be said that he received rave reviews. For example, "History of the Ming Dynasty" commented on him like this:
(Zhu Zhanji) After taking the throne, the officials will be competent in their duties, the government will be smooth, the discipline will be established, the warehouses will be full of envy, the households will be happy, and there will be no disasters in the year. It is the sixtieth year since the Ming Dynasty. People's spirits are gradually getting better, and there are signs of peace. If a strong vassal suddenly rises, it will be immediately flattened, the surrounding dust will be swept away, and the cunning bandits will be frightened. The emperor's heroic posture and wise strategy will be compared to the warriors of the ancestors.
Since Zhu Gaochi, Renzong of the Ming Dynasty, reigned for a short period of less than ten months, it is generally believed that the "Rule of Renxuan" was attributed to Zhu Zhanji, Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty. But in fact, Zhu Gaochi had changed many policy directions of the Yongle Dynasty within a few months. You know, Zhu Di fought for the throne in the first half of his life, and fought for the legitimacy and legitimacy of the throne in the second half of his life, so he launched many "big projects", such as moving the capital to Beijing, sending troops to Annan, five personal expeditions to Mobei, and sending Zheng Zheng to the throne. and large fleets sailing to the Western Seas, etc. These policies all have the characteristics of an expansionary empire, but they extremely consume people's power and imperial power. After Zhu Gaochi succeeded to the throne, he almost completely opposed Zhu Di's expansionary policy, and instead readjusted the empire's ruling policy from the perspective of caring for the people, shrinking, and maintaining the status quo.
For Zhu Zhanji, on the one hand, his education and ruling ability all came from his grandfather Zhu Di, on the other hand, he succeeded to the throne after the short reign of his father Zhu Gaochi. When he ascended the throne, he had realized that he was facing He is faced with the choice of two paths: Should he inherit his grandfather's expansion path or his father's contraction path?
This choice was crucial to the direction of the Ming Dynasty empire.
Zhu Zhanji reigned for ten years (1425-1435), which happened to be between the 60th and 80th years of the founding of a dynasty. Historians analyze that every dynasty will encounter a development bottleneck between 60 and 80 years after the founding of the country. This bottleneck is named mid-dynasty disease. By breaking through this bottleneck and overcoming the mid-dynasty disease, the empire will be able to usher in governance. Otherwise, the society will be plunged into turmoil, and in severe cases, it may even affect the life and death of the dynasty.
In any dynasty, there should be a degree of expansion-contraction policy. Regardless of national strength, blindly expanding, resorting to militarism, or overwhelming the people with large-scale projects, the outcome may be as short-lived as the Qin and Sui dynasties. The two emperors Ren and Xuan of the Ming Dynasty were able to continue the legacy of their fathers and ancestors, largely because they had mastered the "degree" of national power.
It is undeniable that Zhu Di's expansionary national policy during his reign was of positive significance, but the consumption of national power was also unprecedented. In particular, the simultaneous implementation of several major projects put the Ming Empire in a state of severe overload of national power in the late Yongle Dynasty. Not only that, Zhu Di was ruthless in his administration. He once massacred the remaining officials of the Jianwen Dynasty, and later massacred the prince's officials and family members on a pretext, which filled the court with a bloody atmosphere of terror.
During the reign of Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji, their father and son ended the political terror and replaced it with benevolent rule, which stabilized and regained the people's hearts and ushered in the golden age of development of the Ming Dynasty. Historians compare this period to the Wenjing rule of the Western Han Dynasty.
Portrait of Zhu Gaochi
However, it is difficult to develop and maintain success. Zhu Zhanji finally chose to inherit his father's political path, but he was actually burdened with huge moral and public pressure.
In October of the fourth year of Yongle (1406), due to civil strife in Annan, Zhu Di ordered to send troops and occupied Annan in eight months. Then he established Jiaozhi County and completely integrated Annan into the territory of the Ming Dynasty. However, Annan did not remain quiet. Various armed uprisings to resist the Ming Dynasty and restore the country came one after another, causing the Ming Dynasty to invest huge human and financial resources in the local area. After Zhu Gaochi succeeded to the throne, he began to adopt some soft appeasement measures in an attempt to ease the anti-Ming sentiments of the Annan people and stabilize regional order. Li Li, the leader of the Annan Uprising, gradually gained power in the confrontation and dealings with the Ming army. After Zhu Zhanji succeeded to the throne, he learned that the Ming army on the front line had been defeated many times, and immediately signed an edict to take tough measures against Annan.
However, on the second day after signing the order, Zhu Zhanji secretly summoned cabinet academicians Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong to discuss the situation in Annan. Before the formal conversation, Zhu Zhanji specially told the two of you that I will only tell you two about today’s conversation, and you must not leak it.
Zhu Zhanji told the two of them that he wanted to inherit his father's legacy and just make Annan a vassal state. One tribute every three years would be like the system of the Hongwu Dynasty. In this way, "China would also save the labor of war." However, if I really do this, commentators will inevitably say that I have "abandoned the legacy of my ancestors."
After finishing speaking, Zhu Zhanji once again told the two of them not to leak the secret.
Later, when Zhu Zhanji appointed Wang Tong as the chief military officer to lead the army to conquer Annan, he further expanded the scope of the Tongqihui to include Jian Yi, Xia Yuanji, Yang Shiqi, and Yang Rong. Zhu Zhanji once again expressed his wish to "make Annan a country of its own, so as to protect the lives of the people in this area and also to give rest to the people in the middle of the country." Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong, who had originally passed the Qi, now supported Zhu Zhanji, saying that his decision was "quite a saint." They said that every time he conquered Annan since the Han and Tang Dynasties, the gains outweighed the losses, and our dynasty should not fall into this quagmire again. However, Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji, who had not passed the Qi, expressed their opposition. They said that Annan was just a clown doing evil now. Once he gave up, it would not only damage the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, but more importantly, all the efforts he had made in the past 20 years since his founding would be in vain. .
Portrait of Xia Yuanji
Zhu Zhanji did not receive the expected results from this conversation.
This is exactly what Zhu Zhanji is worried about. If any major decision made by the emperor cannot get the unanimous support of the important ministers in the court, if it continues to be implemented, it will definitely be infamy for the ages. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty seemed to have great power, but except for the two heroes Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, the other emperors actually lived in the cage of the system. He can act according to his own will, but he has to consider and measure the consequences of his willfulness at any time. Even on the matter of abolishing the Queen, Zhu Zhanji had to communicate with the cabinet ministers five or six times to seek support and obtain their unanimous consent before he dared to change the Queen's name on the grounds that Queen Hu was sick and childless. Sun is the queen. What's more, what is being discussed now is territorial issues. The pressure on Zhu Zhanji's heart must be great.
The development of the situation ended up being resolved in an unexpected way. Zhu Zhanji wanted to give up Annan in a dignified manner, so he continued to send troops into Annan, relying on crushing victories to prop up the empire's face. However, he successively sent three regiments: Wang Tong, Liu Sheng, and Mu Sheng, but they were all defeated by Annan's army. Finally, after the Ming army was defeated, they negotiated peace with Annan and passively recognized Annan's independent status.
But in any case, the enemies of the Ming Dynasty Empire were in the north, not the south. Zhu Zhanji did not continue to invest manpower and financial resources in the Annan battlefield, and it was the right choice to abandon Annan at the right time. His ruling policies were basically the continuation of his father Zhu Gaochi, but there was one thing he opposed - he gave up his father's plan to move the imperial capital back to Nanjing, and instead continued his grandfather's decision to set the imperial capital in Beijing. He knew exactly in which direction the enemies of the Empire lay.
There is a theory that Zhu Zhanji chose to continue to use Beijing as the imperial capital to satisfy his personal fascination with side affairs. Influenced by his grandfather, he likes to patrol the border, and the occasional good news on the border can make him intoxicated. This was the beginning of the Ming Dynasty emperor attaching great importance to but despising the enemies in the north. Unfortunately, this characteristic of Zhu Zhanji was passed on to his son Zhu Qizhen, Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty. Tan Qian, a historian in the early Qing Dynasty, said that the Tumubao Incident in 1449 was caused by this.
Stills of "The Ming Dynasty"
03
The Tumubao Incident in 1449 that almost fixed the Ming Dynasty's reign in 1981 actually had an institutional cause hidden behind it. This system was established during Zhu Zhanji's reign.
Among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanji was a person who knew how to introspect. There was a good harvest somewhere in the empire, and as usual, the officials would brag that the emperor's sacred heart moved heaven, saying, "Whatever the sacred heart desires, heaven will allow it." Zhu Zhanji couldn't stand this kind of flattery, and he would ask back, if Tianguo is allowed to do so, how can there be floods and droughts in other parts of the empire? Or our good governance is not enough. We, the monarchs and ministers, should work harder.
However, Zhu Zhanji was not a perfect emperor. He has his faults too. Outside official history books, he is a well-known "Cricket Emperor" who likes to fight crickets and turned this hobby into a political mission, causing many human tragedies. According to the historical data of North Korea, he was still a lolicon who liked young North Korean girls. While he was still attending the funeral of his grandfather and father, he couldn't wait to send eunuchs to North Korea several times to obtain young virgins.
Most importantly, he was an emperor with artistic talent. He was proficient in writing poetry, painting, making utensils, and playing well. He was the first generation of artist emperors trained by the Ming Dynasty court. In turn, he also shaped the culture of the Ming Dynasty court, a court style that tended to be extravagant and gorgeous. After him, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty had more or less unique personal preferences. The problem is that historical experience tells us that artist emperors are often unwilling to devote their whole body and soul to governing the country. They prefer to spend their time on displaying their artistic talents.
Later, Zhu Zhanji would also indulge in various arts and fun without any scruples.
Zhu Zhanji's paintings
You should know that this dynasty had abolished the prime minister during the period of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, and power communication was nominally between the emperor and the six ministries responsible for specific government affairs. However, even Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, who devoted themselves to being emperors, were unable to handle the heavy daily management tasks, let alone Zhu Zhanji, who often had to be an artist to indulge himself.
The power vacuum was eventually filled by the cabinet. But the people in the cabinet are not just willing to be the emperor's communication machine. They must not only obey the emperor's will, but also obey Confucian disciplines, and use Confucian concepts and ancestral laws to test whether the imperial power is properly exercised. If there is any inappropriateness, the cabinet will There will also be conflicts with the emperor. This is the institutional factor that the emperor dare not and cannot act arbitrarily.
Zhu Zhanji is a "smart man". In order to reflect the imperial power to a greater extent and avoid excessive restrictions from the cabinet, he introduced the system of joint assistants to the government in the imperial power-cabinet system, that is, the cabinet proposes the treatment of various memorials through "votes" The opinions were then decided and approved by the emperor (i.e., "red approval"). At the same time, the eunuch Si Li Bingbi was authorized to sign and approve the cabinet votes on behalf of the emperor.
Under this system, "the votes of the cabinet had to be determined by the approval of the internal eunuchs." The cabinet was controlled by the ceremonial eunuchs who represented the imperial power. The power of the emperor and his servants, the eunuchs, was further expanded and strengthened. . Those emperors who were lazy in government affairs and indulged in entertainment could safely use domestic slaves to control the cabinet and thus the political situation. Did you see that Jiajing and Wanli, the two most typical emperors in the Ming Dynasty who did not go to court, were still able to control the political situation? This was really thanks to Zhu Zhanji's institutional design.
In order to allow the eunuchs' domestic slaves to better serve the imperial power, Zhu Zhanji began to transfer to senior civil servants to teach the eunuchs how to read and write.
However, no system can be perfect. Zhu Zhanji was freed from the heavy government affairs and could be a free and elegant emperor with great power. However, the harm of eunuchs also began to show.
From the central government to the local government, from the military to the civil affairs, during Zhu Zhanji's reign, eunuchs became more involved in government affairs, causing great harm to society. During the Xuande period, almost all border towns had eunuchs guarding them. These eunuchs often believed that they were the people around the emperor and were above the general military officers, interfering with military affairs and doing whatever they wanted. Zhu Zhanji also handed over the most elite firearms and artillery troops to the control of eunuchs. The eunuchs who controlled military affairs were able to compete with generals from various places. It can be seen that during this period, eunuchs had already obtained part of the military power.
In Chinese history, the Ming Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty were the three dynasties that suffered the most serious disasters caused by eunuchs. In the early Qing Dynasty, some people reflected on the reasons for the demise of the Ming Dynasty and pointed out that "the Ming Dynasty was not destroyed by rogue bandits, but by factory guards (eunuchs)." And Zhu Zhanji was the key person who made the eunuch power rise strongly.
In fact, the Ming Dynasty almost did not have to wait until 1644, but in 1449.
In the tenth year of Xuande (1435), Zhu Zhanji died young at the age of 36. Zhu Zhanji's mother, Empress Dowager Zhang, temporarily became the core figure in the court, but the eunuch Wang Zhen quickly became the central figure in the court by virtue of his favor in the Xuande Dynasty, his institutional advantages, and his special relationship with the young emperor and Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen. After defeating San Yang and the old lady in the cabinet, he began to monopolize government affairs, and eventually led the young emperor to take risks and fight with the northern barbarians, which led to the Tumubao Incident in 1449 - even the emperor was kidnapped by the Mongols.
Historians believe that it was Wang Zhen's autocratic power and Ming Yingzong's incompetence that led to the Tumubao Incident. However, under the circumstances at that time, the capable veterans and the adjusted and improved system during the Zhu Zhanji period were unable to prevent this fiasco. occur. In this sense, the Tumubao Incident was a general outbreak of hidden political dangers during the Xuande period, a tragedy of the cabinet-officer system, and a tragedy left by Zhu Zhanji’s personal legacy.
Although Zhu Zhanji was unable to witness this tragic scene with his own eyes, did such a talented emperor, after establishing the Renxuan reign, ever think that the Ming Dynasty would quickly decline? The unsustainability of the prosperous age will also greatly undermine the prosperous age itself.
If there is a cause, there must be an effect, and if there is an effect, there must be a cause. Even if you cannot see the cause and effect of your own choices, they will still wait for the ultimate judgment of history.
references:
[Qing Dynasty] Zhang Tingyu and others: "History of Ming Dynasty", Zhonghua Book Company, 1974
[Qing Dynasty] Gu Yingtai: "The Chronicles of Ming Dynasty", Zhonghua Book Company, 2018
Zhao Zhongnan: "The Biography of Emperor Xuande", China Society Publishing House, 2008
Chen Wenyuan: "Review of the Beginning and End of Xuande's Abandonment of Annan in the Ming Dynasty", "Jinan Historiography" Vol. 4, 2005
Zhu Hong: "On the Other Side of Xuanzong in the Ming Dynasty", "Ming and Qing Dynasty" No. 1, in 1999 Emperor Zhu Gaochi was seriously ill and was about to die. A eunuch was ordered to leave Beijing and rush to Nanjing at full speed to recall the crown prince Zhu Zhanji.
This day is the tenth day of May in the first year of Hongxi (1425).
Just two days later, Zhu Gaochi died, but it would take seven or eight days for the eunuch who left Beijing to arrive in Nanjing.
The situation was urgent, and the DPRK Minister Xia Yuanji and others decided not to announce the funeral secretly.
A few days later, Zhu Zhanji, who received the order to return to Beijing, could clearly feel that rumors were spreading in Nanjing. His subordinates advised him to lead the escort troops back to Beijing, just in case.
26-year-old Zhu Zhanji said no. He said: "As soon as I arrived in Nanjing, I was about to return to Beijing. Who could have expected it? My father is above me and the world is at home. Who dares to have any second thoughts? My father calls me back to Beijing. How can I delay?"
However, the person who could predict and have the right heart was still alive in the world at that time - he was Zhu Zhanji's uncle and the King of Han Zhu Gaoxu.
Fortunately, Zhu Zhanji acted quickly, and Zhu Gaoxu's plan to send people to ambush the crown prince in Shandong came to nothing. The history book said, "Gaoxu's plan to ambush and invite troops to Dao was hasty and failed."
On the third day of June, Zhu Zhanji successfully arrived in Liangxiang near Beijing. Only then did Xia Yuanji and others publicly announce the death of Hongxi Emperor Zhu Gaochi. At this time, 20 days had passed since the death of Zhu Gaochi.
On the same day, Zhu Zhanji entered Beijing.
On June 12, exactly one month after Zhu Gaochi's death, Zhu Zhanji officially ascended the throne as Emperor Xuande.
A crisis over the succession to the throne has finally been temporarily alleviated.
Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji
01
But people inside and outside the court who are familiar with the character of King Zhu Gaoxu of Han know that he will never give up, and he will definitely continue to be a monster.
Zhu Gaoxu is the second son of Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. He is fierce and good at riding and shooting. In his early years, he followed Zhu Di to launch an army to quell Jingnan, and made many military exploits. He helped Zhu Di turn danger into safety several times. Zhu Di also believed that Zhu Gaoxu was "similar to himself" and had expressed his intention to establish him as the heir to the throne. Relying on his military exploits and his father's favor, Zhu Gaoxu was quite arrogant and often compared himself to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty: "Am I not as heroic as the King of Qin and the common people?"
In contrast, Zhu Di's eldest son Zhu Gaochi was obese and kind-hearted, and was not well received by Zhu Di. The ambiguous attitude conveyed by Zhu Di encouraged Zhu Gaoxu's idea of seizing the legitimate son and accelerated his pace of seizing the legitimate son. The courtiers were divided into two groups, and Zhu Di was also very conflicted.
Once, Zhu Di asked the great talent Xie Jin and others for their opinions on the issue of successor. Xie Jin said: "The emperor's eldest son is benevolent and filial, and the world is at home." Zhu Di did not say anything, and Xie Jin added: "What a good grandson of the emperor." This sentence finally touched Zhu Di, because Zhu Di had always liked Zhu Gaochi's eldest son Zhu Zhanji. .
Historical records record that when Zhu Zhanji was born, his skin was dry and cracked, like a grilled fish. Despite his unpleasant appearance, his grandfather Zhu Di liked this black baby very much. It is said that in the first year of Jianwen (1399), on the eve of Zhu Zhanji's birth, Zhu Di happened to have a dream. He dreamed that Zhu Yuanzhang gave Zhu Di a large gui that symbolized imperial power, and said to Zhu Di: "If you pass it on to your descendants, you will be prosperous forever." ." After waking up from the dream, news of Zhu Zhanji's birth came, and Zhu Di realized something. Perhaps it was this auspicious dream that further stimulated Zhu Di's desire to seize the throne of his nephew Zhu Yunwen.
When Zhu Zhanji was one month old, Zhu Di saw his eldest grandson for the first time and said that this grandson was "heroic", which was completely consistent with my dream. Since then, Zhu Zhanji left his parents and was raised by his grandparents, who devoted themselves to cultivation.
Screenshot of "The Ming Dynasty", after the Battle of Jingnan, Zhu Di said this to Zhu Zhanji
Under the training of Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanji was capable of both literary and military skills, and was quite a man of character. When Zhu Zhanji was 15 years old, Zhu Di ordered him to make a couplet, and the first couplet said: "All directions of jade and silk will gather together." Without thinking, Zhu Zhanji knelt down and kowtowed, saying: "Unify the country, the sun and the moon." Zhu Di was overjoyed. This pattern is indeed the best candidate for the future emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
During the Yongle period, Zhu Di went on many northern expeditions. Each time, he either ordered Zhu Zhanji to accompany him so that he could experience war; or he ordered him to stay behind and develop his ability to handle government affairs. When Zhu Di appointed Zhu Gaochi as the prince, he appointed Zhu Zhanji as the emperor's grandson. On the one hand, he expressed his love for Zhu Zhanji, and on the other hand, he used the emperor's grandson to form a check on the prince who was supervising the country in Nanjing.
However, Zhu Zhanji has known that his father, Zhu Gaochi, has been in an extremely dangerous political environment since he was a child, so he has always tried his best to maintain his father's image and did not want to become a pawn to suppress his father.
Zhu Zhanji had an early confrontation with his uncle Zhu Gaoxu, who was ambitious and wanted to replace the prince. In a sense, it was precisely because of Zhu Zhanji's existence that Zhu Gaoxu became further and further away from his status as the heir to the imperial throne. Once, Zhu Di ordered his three sons Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui to visit Xiaoling together with his eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji. Zhu Gaochi stumbled and fell because he was fat and lame. Zhu Gaoxu immediately said sarcastically behind him: "Forefathers have stumbled, and future generations will know the warning." After Zhu Zhanji heard this, he immediately hit back: "More generations will know the warning." Zhu Gaoxu turned around and looked at his nephew, speechless and did not dare to continue.
In the later period of Zhu Di's reign, in order to prevent a bloody power struggle between his sons, he sanctioned the always arrogant Zhu Gaoxu. From the 15th year of Yongle (1417), he was sealed to Le'an, Shandong, and his guard force was weakened. In this way, after Zhu Di died in the 22nd year of Yongle (1424), Zhu Gaochi could successfully succeed to the throne with the assistance of important ministers in the court.
Portrait of Zhu Di
However, Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi died of serious illness less than ten months after taking the throne. At this time, the situation in the Ming Empire, in the eyes of Zhu Gaoxu, who was watching eagerly, was very similar to the situation when Zhu Di faced his nephew Emperor Zhu Yunwen. Zhu Gaoxu wanted to repeat the history of the Battle of Jingnan, and his nephew Zhu Zhanji also wanted to prove that he was not Zhu Yunwen.
After sending troops to ambush and kill Zhu Zhanji without success, and Zhu Zhanji successfully ascended the throne, Zhu Gaoxu stepped up his plans to launch his own "Jingnan Campaign." Due to the limited force at hand, he even broke down the doors of state and county prisons, released the death row prisoners inside, gave these people preferential treatment, and trained them in martial arts. At the same time, he also recruited scoundrels and social gangsters into the army. It can be said that in order to launch a war to seize the throne, no stone is left unturned.
Zhu Zhanji, on the other hand, acted as weak as his dead father and responded to Zhu Gaoxu's requests. In order to test the heft of the new emperor, Zhu Gaoxu kept making some excessive demands, but unexpectedly Zhu Zhanji fulfilled them all. This made Zhu Gaoxu act more recklessly, thinking that his nephew was not that smart and scary. In fact, Zhu Zhanji stood still because he wanted Zhu Gaoxu to expose himself and commit suicide, so as to win moral and public support.
Part of "Zhu Zhanji's Picture of Enjoyment"
In August of the first year of Xuande (1426), Zhu Gaoxu, who could no longer hold himself back, finally rebelled.
Zhu Zhan, Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, basically wanted to order military generals to lead troops to conquer, but Yang Rong, one of the "Three Yangs in the Cabinet", reminded him that Zhu Gaoxu had already expected that you would not be able to personally conquer the throne just after you came to the throne. When the power comes, everything will be solved." Another important minister, Xia Yuanji, also used the past story of Li Jinglong, the commander of the Southern Army, to defect to Zhu Di during the Jingnan Campaign, and advised Zhu Zhanji to do the expedition himself, otherwise once the commander of the expeditionary army was taken over by Zhu Gaoxu, the story of the Jingnan Army would really happen again.
Therefore, Zhu Zhanji made up his mind to fight in person and overwhelmed the rebels with great momentum. None of the soldiers who had agreed with Zhu Gaoxu to raise troops dared to act rashly. Zhu Zhanji's army surrounded Le'an and his generals requested to attack the city. Zhu Zhanji refused and just fired artillery outside the city to show off his muscles to scare the rebels. Soon, the morale of the rebels collapsed, and Zhu Gaoxu left the city and surrendered under strong pressure.
Zhu Zhanji put down Zhu Gaoxu's rebellion without any bloodshed, eliminating a potential "Jingnan War" and consolidating his authority as the new emperor.
Zhu Zhanji didn't want to be accused of killing his uncle, so in the end he just deprived Zhu Gaoxu of his title. According to some unofficial records, three years later, in the fourth year of Xuande (1429), Zhu Zhanji went to see how his domineering uncle was doing. Unexpectedly, Zhu Gaoxu suddenly stretched out his kick and knocked Zhu Zhanji to the ground, then looked up to the sky and laughed. Zhu Zhanji was so angry that he ordered his guards to cover Zhu Gaoxu with a large copper vat weighing 300 kilograms. But Zhu Gaoxu was very strong and rose up from the vat. Zhu Zhanji then ordered to pile firewood around the copper vat and light a fire for roasting. Zhu Gaoxu was roasted alive.
02
After putting down Zhu Gaoxu's rebellion, the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty handed over their military power to Zhu Zhanji, Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty. Only with his power consolidated can Zhu Zhanji be remembered by history in another image.
The Ming Dynasty under the rule of Zhu Zhanji was marked as the "Rule of Renxuan" in history books. Historical books have spoken highly of Zhu Zhanji, and it can be said that he received rave reviews. For example, "History of the Ming Dynasty" commented on him like this:
(Zhu Zhanji) After taking the throne, the officials will be competent in their duties, the government will be smooth, the discipline will be established, the warehouses will be full of envy, the households will be happy, and there will be no disasters in the year. It is the sixtieth year since the Ming Dynasty. People's spirits are gradually getting better, and there are signs of peace. If a strong vassal suddenly rises, it will be immediately flattened, the surrounding dust will be swept away, and the cunning bandits will be frightened. The emperor's heroic posture and wise strategy will be compared to the warriors of the ancestors.
Since Zhu Gaochi, Renzong of the Ming Dynasty, reigned for a short period of less than ten months, it is generally believed that the "Rule of Renxuan" was attributed to Zhu Zhanji, Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty. But in fact, Zhu Gaochi had changed many policy directions of the Yongle Dynasty within a few months. You know, Zhu Di fought for the throne in the first half of his life, and fought for the legitimacy and legitimacy of the throne in the second half of his life, so he launched many "big projects", such as moving the capital to Beijing, sending troops to Annan, five personal expeditions to Mobei, and sending Zheng Zheng to the throne. and large fleets sailing to the Western Seas, etc. These policies all have the characteristics of an expansionary empire, but they extremely consume people's power and imperial power. After Zhu Gaochi succeeded to the throne, he almost completely opposed Zhu Di's expansionary policy, and instead readjusted the empire's ruling policy from the perspective of caring for the people, shrinking, and maintaining the status quo.
For Zhu Zhanji, on the one hand, his education and ruling ability all came from his grandfather Zhu Di, on the other hand, he succeeded to the throne after the short reign of his father Zhu Gaochi. When he ascended the throne, he had realized that he was facing He is faced with the choice of two paths: Should he inherit his grandfather's expansion path or his father's contraction path?
This choice was crucial to the direction of the Ming Dynasty empire.
Zhu Zhanji reigned for ten years (1425-1435), which happened to be between the 60th and 80th years of the founding of a dynasty. Historians analyze that every dynasty will encounter a development bottleneck between 60 and 80 years after the founding of the country. This bottleneck is named mid-dynasty disease. By breaking through this bottleneck and overcoming the mid-dynasty disease, the empire will be able to usher in governance. Otherwise, the society will be plunged into turmoil, and in severe cases, it may even affect the life and death of the dynasty.
In any dynasty, there should be a degree of expansion-contraction policy. Regardless of national strength, blindly expanding, resorting to militarism, or overwhelming the people with large-scale projects, the outcome may be as short-lived as the Qin and Sui dynasties. The two emperors Ren and Xuan of the Ming Dynasty were able to continue the legacy of their fathers and ancestors, largely because they had mastered the "degree" of national power.
It is undeniable that Zhu Di's expansionary national policy during his reign was of positive significance, but the consumption of national power was also unprecedented. In particular, the simultaneous implementation of several major projects put the Ming Empire in a state of severe overload of national power in the late Yongle Dynasty. Not only that, Zhu Di was ruthless in his administration. He once massacred the remaining officials of the Jianwen Dynasty, and later massacred the prince's officials and family members on a pretext, which filled the court with a bloody atmosphere of terror.
During his reign of Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji, he ended the terrorist politics. He replaced him with benevolence, stabilized and recovered the hearts of the people, so that the Ming Dynasty ushered in the golden period of development. The historian compared this period to the governance of the Western Han Dynasty.
Zhu Gaochi portrait
However, it is difficult to develop, and it is difficult to keep success. Zhu Zhanji finally chose to inherit his father's political path, and in fact he also carried huge morality and public opinion pressure.
In the four years of Yongle (1406) in October, because of Annan's civil strife, Zhu Xi ordered to send troops to occupy Annan in eight months, and then set up Jiaozhi County to completely incorporate Annan into the Ming Dynasty. But Annan did not be quiet because of this. All kinds of armed uprisings against the Ming and Fukani country have made the Ming Dynasty invest in huge manpower and financial resources in the local area. After Zhu Gaochi succeeded, he began to make some flexible soothing measures attempting to alleviate the anti -defactions of the Annan people and stabilize the regional order. Annan's uprising head Lili, he gradually sat in the confrontation with the Ming army and Zhou Xuanzhong. After Zhu Zhanji succeeded, he learned that the Ming Army had defeated many times, and immediately signed a order to take tough measures on Annan.
However, on the second day of the signing order, Zhu Zhanji secretly convened Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong to discuss the situation of Annan. Before the formal conversation, Zhu Zhanji told the two. Today's conversation, I only told you that you must not leak out.
Zhu Zhanji said to the two that he wanted to inherit his father's legacy and let Annan a subsidiary country. In three years, he tribes the system of the Hongwu dynasty. In this way, "China also provides the labor of soldiers." However, it really did this, and the discussion can inevitably be said to "abandon the karma of the ancestors."
After that, Zhu Zhanji told the two again not to leak.
Later, while Zhu Zhanji appointed Wang Tong as the general soldiers led the army to conquer Annan, he further expanded the scope of the ventilation meeting into the four people: Yiyi, Nathara, Yang Shiqi, and Yang Rong. Zhu Zhanji once again expressed his willingness to "make Annan's own country, the people of the whole party, and the people who rest in China." Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong, who had passed anger, supported Zhu Zhanji at this time, saying that his decision was "not losing the monarch", and said that every time Han and Tang dynasties had conquered Annan, I had to lose it. I should not be caught in this mud. However, the righteousness and Xia Yuanji who had not been able to pass at first expressed their opposition. They said that Annan is just a clown. Once abandoned, it will not only damage the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, but more importantly, it will be in vain for 20 years since the ancestor. .
Natsuhaki Yoshi
In this conversation, Zhu Zhanji did not receive the expected results.
This is what Zhu Zhanji is worried about. Any major decision -making of the emperor, if he cannot get the unanimous support of the North Korean and Central Ministers, it will continue to carry out the fame. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty seemed to have great power, but except for Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Xi, the other emperors actually lived in the cage of the system. He can do it according to his own will, but he has to consider and measure the consequences of willfulness at any time. Even in the incident of abolition of the queen, Zhu Zhanji had to communicate with the Cabinet's major ministers five or six times, and after obtaining their unanimous consent, he dared to change the reason for Queen Hu's illness and no children. Sun is the queen. What's more, what is discussing is the territorial issue now. Zhu Zhanji's pressure in his heart must be great.
The development of the situation was finally solved in an unexpected form. Zhu Zhanji wanted to give up Annan in a decent form, so he continued to send troops into Annan, and to support the face of the empire by relying on crushing victory. However, he sent Wang Tong, Liu Sheng, and Mu Sheng, all of which were broken by the Annan army. Finally, in the case of defeat of the Ming Army, he discussed with Annan and passively acknowledged Annan's independence.
But anyway, the enemies of the Ming Empire were in the north, not the south. Zhu Zhanji did not continue to invest in manpower and financial resources on the Annan battlefield. It is the right choice to abandon Annan in a timely manner. His ruling policies are basically the continuation of his father Zhu Gaochi, but there is one. He is opposed -he abandoned his father's plan to move the emperor back to Nanjing. Instead, he continued to decide his grandfather and set the emperor in Beijing. He clearly knew which direction of the enemy of the empire.
There is a saying that Zhu Zhanji chose to continue to use Beijing as the capital to satisfy individuals' fascination with the side. Affected by his grandfather, he liked to patrol, and occasionally on the border, he could get intoxicating him. This is the beginning of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty but also despising the enemy in the north. Zhu Zhanji's characteristic was unfortunately inherited to his son Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen. The historian of the early Qing Dynasty said that the change of the civil castle in 1449 was far because of this.
Stills of "The Ming Dynasty"
03
In 1449, the changes in the civil fort in the 1981s of the Ming Dynasty Guozheng had hidden an institutional cause behind it. And this system was determined by Zhu Zhanji during his reign.
Among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanji was a person who knew herself. The empire was harvested somewhere, and the bureaucrats should be touched by the emperor's holy heart to move to the sky. Zhu Zhanji couldn't stand this touting. He would ask, how can there be a disaster in other parts of the Empire? It's still our good politics, and I should work harder.
However, Zhu Zhanji is not the perfect emperor. He also has his problems. In addition to the official history books, he is a "Emperor of the Emperor" known as the world. He likes to fight, and turns this hobby into a political task, causing a lot of tragedies in the world. In North Korea's historical materials, he is still a loli control of a young girl in North Korea. During his grandfather and his father's funeral, he couldn't wait to send eunuchs to North Korea for his young virgin several times.
The main thing is that he is an artistic emperor. Writing poetry, painting, utensils, playing well, he is proficient. He was the first generation of artist emperors trained by the court of the Ming Dynasty. In turn, he also created the culture of the court of the Ming Dynasty, a palace style that tends to be extravagant and gorgeous. After him, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty was more or less personal. The problem is that historical experience tells us that the artist emperor is often reluctant to use his whole body and mind to govern the country, and they are more willing to spend time on artistic talents.
Later, Zhu Zhanji would also indulge in various arts and play.
Zhu Zhanji's paintings
You know, the prime minister had been abolished during the period of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. However, even Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Xi who studied the emperor was difficult to do it with heavy daily management affairs, let alone Zhu Zhanji who often split out to be an artist's indulgence.
Power vacuum was ultimately filled by the cabinet. However, the people in the cabinet are not willing to be the emperor's conveying machine. They must not only follow the emperor's will, but also obey the rules of Confucianism, and check whether the imperial power is properly exercised with the Confucian concept and the ancestor's law. It will also conflict with the emperor. This is an institutional factor that the emperor dare not or wants to do.
Zhu Zhanji is a "smart person". In order to greaterly reflect the imperial power and avoid excessive restrictions of the cabinet, he introduced the system of Si Li Supervisor's joint assistant government in the system of imperial power -cabinet, that is, the cabinet proposes to handle various chapters through "votes." Opinions will be approved by the emperor's decision -making (that is, "criticism of red"), and at the same time authorize Si Li Bing's eunuch to represent the emperor to sign the counter voting to criticize the cabinet.
Under this system, "the counter voting of the cabinet has to be determined by the internal supervision of the red". . Those emperors who are lazy to politics and have been delayed by the amusement can be relieved to control the cabinet to control the cabinet in the future, and then control the political situation. Seeing it, the two most typical emperors of the Ming Dynasty later, Jiajing and Wanli, can still control the political situation. This is really given by Zhu Zhanji's institutional design.
In order to allow the eunuch's slave to better serve the imperial power, Zhu Zhanji began to be adjusted as senior civilians to teach eunuchs to read and literate.
However, it is impossible for any system to be perfect. Zhu Zhanji was liberated from the heavy government affairs. He could be a chic and powerful emperor who was in charge. However, the disaster of eunuch began to show.
From the central government to the local government, from the military to civil affairs, during the reign of Zhu Zhanji, the degree of intervention of eunuchs was greatly deepened, which caused great harm to society. During the Xuande period, almost all the border towns had eunuchs. These eunuchs often argued that they were people around the emperor. They were over the general soldier and interfered with military and political. Zhu Zhanji also handed over the most elite firearms and artillery troops to the eunuch control. Mastering the eunuchs of the military and political eunuchs had the ability to compete with generals. It can be seen that during this period, eunuchs had obtained some military power.
In Chinese history, the Ming Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty were the three most serious dynasties of eunuchs. In the early Qing Dynasty, some people reflected the reason for the death of the Ming Dynasty and pointed out that "the death of the Ming Dynasty did not die in the flowers and died in the factory guard (eunuch)." And Zhu Zhanji is the key person who has made eunuchs strong.
In fact, the Ming death almost did not have to wait until 1644, but in 1449.
In the ten years of Xuande (1435), 36 -year -old Zhu Zhanji died early. Zhu Zhanji's mother, the mother of Zhang, temporarily became the core figure of the Central DPRK, but eunuch Wang Zhen relied on his pet in the Xuande Dynasty, his institutional advantages, and the special relationship with the little emperor and Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen. Defeated the Cabinet's three Yang and the queen queen, began to monopolize the government, and finally guided the young emperor to adventure to fight against the northern prison, which caused the change of the civil castle in 1449 -even the emperor was taken away by the Mongolians.
Historians believe that Wang Zhen's authority and the incompetence of Ming Yingzong have led to the change of civil fort. occur. In this sense, the change of civilian castle is the general outbreak of political dangers during the Xuande period. It is a tragedy of the cabinet -Si Li Jian's restraint system, and it is also a tragedy left by Zhu Zhanji.
Although Zhu Zhanji couldn't see this tragic scene with his own eyes, such a talented emperor, after creating Ren Xuanzhi the world, had any thoughts that the Ming Dynasty would quickly usher in the decline? The unsustainable sustainability of the prosperous world will also greatly reduce the prosperity itself.
If there is a cause, there must be an effect, and if there is an effect, there must be a cause. The cause and effect you choose, even if you can't see it, will wait for the ultimate judgment of history.
references:
[Qing Dynasty] Zhang Tingyu and others: "History of Ming Dynasty", Zhonghua Book Company, 1974
[Qing] Gu Yingtai: "The End of the History of the Ming Dynasty", Zhonghua Book Company, 2018
Zhao Zhongnan: "Emperor Xuande Emperor", China Social Press, 2008
Chen Wenyuan: "Ming Xuande abandoned the first test of Annan", "Jinan History", the 4th series, 2005
Zhu Hong: "On the Another Face of the Ming Xuanzong", "Ming and Qing Dynasties", the first series, 1999
