Gao pragmatic thought of "a little thing" again, saying that it was recorded in the history books that once a palace maid named Wang died in the East Palace - the history books were very vague about this. Ordinarily, given the size of the Eastern Palace, the death of a palace maid would not be a big deal. With the medical level at that time, it would have been easy to die from any serious illness accidentally.
However, Wang An planned to report the matter to Zhu Yijun at that time, which aroused Zhu Changluo's dissatisfaction.
It was normal for Zhu Changluo to be dissatisfied. Although he was now the crown prince, his position as heir apparent was not stable. Imperial Concubine Zheng and even Zhu Yijun, his father, always had the thought of Yi Chu. To put it bluntly, Zhu Changluo cannot make mistakes. Any small mistake may be caught and exploited by Princess Zheng, which will become the reason for him to be deposed.
As Zhu Changluo's confidant, Wang An's political fate has been tied to Zhu Changluo. Logically speaking, he should stand on Zhu Changluo's side in everything. Why did he report the death of the palace maid named Wang?
This has always been a mystery, but Gao Pragmatic has a vague guess: the palace maid surnamed Wang should have an unusual relationship with Zhu Changluo, and there is a high probability that she was favored by Zhu Changluo. The palace maid's death was most likely related to Zhu Changluo. Only in this way would Zhu Changluo be so afraid of being exposed.
From this, Gao pragmatic thought of the death of Zhu Youxiao's biological mother of Xi Zong, and the death of Zhu Youjian's biological mother of Sizong Zhu Youjian - the deaths of these two were not normal! In the past, I didn't think anything was wrong because I didn't think about it, but now that I think about it, the problem is huge.
The former died suddenly in the forty-seventh year of Wanli, and the latter died suddenly in the forty-third year of Wanli. Both of them died unexpectedly. It’s okay if one death has a strange cause, but what about two? Including the palace maid named Wang, there are at least three!
"Lie to Kangxi"
Gao Pragmatic analyzed it from the perspective of future generations, and soon came up with a guess: Zhu Changluo experienced a long period of depression and fear in his career as a prince, which may have led to some kind of mental problem in him, to put it lightly... …For example, if you have a tendency to do domestic violence, this should be normal, at least it won’t be too surprising.
Therefore, Gao Pragmatic suddenly connected these things at this time, that is, the death of the palace maid named Wang most likely made Wang An realize that Zhu Changluo's abuse of palace people in the palace had become more and more extreme, so he wanted to report it to Zhu Yijun. Stop Zhu Changluo's behavior.
Extrapolating from this point, it shows at least two points: first, even though Wang An's political interests have been tied to Zhu Changluo, he still has a certain principle in his heart and is willing to make huge sacrifices for this principle; second, Wang An's political interests are tied to Zhu Changluo's. , Wang An has a very stubborn personality. When he thinks something is right, he will try to do it.
Of course, in the end he failed to report the incident successfully, and the history books did not explain the reason for the failure. They only said that because of this incident, a rift appeared in the relationship between Wang An and Zhu Changluo. In this state of interdependence and personal grudges, the two sides ushered in Zhu Changluo's ascension to the throne.
In the forty-eighth year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun died and Zhu Changluo ascended the throne. This year was also a very special year in the history of the Ming Dynasty. There were three monarchs in the same year. In July, Shenzong passed away; in August, Guangzong ascended the throne; in September, Guangzong passed away; then Xizong Zhu Youxiao succeeded to the throne, and the following year was changed to the first year of Tianqi.
For Wang An, this is also an extraordinary year, because it is less than a year since Wang An's own death.
When Zhu Changluo came to the throne, he rewarded the old people of the East Palace as usual. As a result, Wang An's position was to serve as the eunuch Bingbi, the eunuch of the ceremony, and also in charge of the scarf and hat bureau.
It stands to reason that the new king has just ascended the throne, and the eunuchs in charge of the ceremony and eunuchs are still old people from the Wanli year. Therefore, there is no problem for several important eunuchs in the East Palace to be eunuchs. The problem is that Wang An, as Zhu Changluo's confidant, is only in charge of the scarf and hat bureau, which makes him somewhat lonely.
If compared, the eunuchs who came to Zhu Changluo after he was established as prince, such as Zou Yi and Li Shi, spent seven years less with Zhu Changluo than Wang An. However, the former was in charge of the food supervisor and seal. Admiral Dongchang, the latter is in charge of the Royal Horse Supervisor Seal, and both of them are also the eunuchs of the Li Supervisor.
No matter in terms of power, influence, or personal interests (oil and water), the Scarf Bureau controlled by Wang An cannot be compared with Zou and Li. Therefore, many people - including people at the time and people in later generations - felt that Zhu Changluo is treating others unfairly.
However, Gao Pragmatic felt that everyone might have wronged Zhu Changluo in this matter.
First of all, in the forty-eighth year of Wanli, Wang An was already in his early fifties. Of course, this age cannot be considered too old, because there are precedents for eunuchs who still hold power in their sixties or seventies. However, history books clearly mention Wang An's physical condition - he has always been in poor health, and even refused to talk much because of this. , just to "nourish Qi". Therefore, if he holds too many important positions, Wang An may not have much energy to deal with them.
Secondly, although Wang An had extensive contacts, history books also said that he was very strict in official affairs. If such a person was rashly appointed to an important position, especially where a new king succeeded to the throne, things would really happen.
Finally, although Wang An's position is relatively unprominent, he is still Zhu Changluo's chief think tank.
Zhu Changluo only reigned for a month, and Wang An was basically in charge of many of the political orders he issued, including the emperor using internal funds to reissue military pay, appointing a group of Donglin Party members, handling the personnel affairs left by Zhu Yijun, etc.
The above three points are enough to show that after Zhu Changluo ascended the throne, Wang An's weight is still very important. So, according to Wang An's qualifications, after a few years when all the old members of Shenzong are cleared away, the position of Chief Eunuch, Chief of Ceremonies, and Chief Seal Eunuch will most likely be his. It is very likely that it was for this reason that Zhu Changluo only gave Wang An a hat game to do.
It's a pity that no one knows that Zhu Changluo only took the supreme position for a month after working hard for decades. Then there is the famous "Eucalyptus Moving Palace". "Eucalyptus in the Palace" is very exciting, but there is no need to go into details here, just a brief introduction.
Li Xuanshi, the protagonist of "The Move to the Palace", is Zhu Changluo's concubine. After the death of Zhu Youxiao's biological mother, Zhu Youxiao has been taken care of by Li Xuanshi. After Zhu Changluo's death, Li Xuanshi hid Zhu Youxiao by his side, not allowing him to contact ministers, and formed a political alliance with Concubine Zheng, who was already a concubine.
Concubine Zheng was not satisfied with being a concubine and had been seeking the position of queen mother, while Li Xuanshi sought the title of queen and held Zhu Youxiao hostage to bargain with the courtiers. Then a group of courtiers from the Donglin Party rushed into the Qianqing Palace on the day of Zhu Changluo's death and snatched Zhu Youxiao out... There were several rounds of contests between the courtiers and Li Xuanshi that will not be mentioned here for the time being.
Or let’s talk about Wang An, he played a very important role in this matter. As a senior eunuch and a confidant of the late emperor, Wang An naturally had eyes and ears in the palace. Therefore, many of Li Xuanshi's actions were actually Wang An's tips to the courtiers.
When snatching Zhu Youxiao, Li Xuanshi hid him. At the critical moment, Wang An once again pointed out Zhu Youxiao's exact location to the ministers and asked him to escape from Qianqing Palace. At the same time, after the courtiers snatched Zhu Youxiao away, they placed him in Ciqing Palace. At that time, Wang An was still responsible for taking care of and protecting him.
To put it bluntly, without Wang An and Li Xuanshi hiding Zhu Youxiao as a bargaining chip, the courtiers would probably have to compromise in the end to satisfy Li Xuanshi's political demands. Once Li Xuanshi and Concubine Zheng became the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, the direction of late Ming history would likely change.
This was Wang An's move to determine the direction of history, and it was also an important reason why later generations often placed him among the powerful officials of the Ming Dynasty.
After Wang An ascended the throne in Zhu Youxiao, he actually enjoyed prosperity for a while. However, in May of the first year of Tianqi, Wang An declined Xizong's order to appoint him as the eunuch in charge of the ceremony. He was impeached by Yanguan, exiled to the Jingjun in Nanhaizi, and was killed soon after.
There are only a few words about Wang An's final downfall in the history books. Simply put, Wei Zhongxian and the Hakka family wanted to persecute Wang An. But this statement is too simplistic and does not even explain the basic situation clearly.
Gao pragmatism remembers that when Ye Xianggao, the chief minister of the imperial court at that time, commented on Wang An, he once said, "A wise man wants to make his own decisions, but he hates An's rigidity and strictness, and he cannot move freely with ropes."
In other words, the little emperor wanted to take power by himself, but Wang An had a strong personality and was very strict with the little emperor, making the little emperor feel that he was not free.
At best, this is Wang An's strict request as the "late emperor's confidant" to the young emperor who is like his nephew; at worst, it means that Wang An is not immune to the common customs and ultimately wants to be above the imperial power.
In short, Wei Zhongxian focused on coaxing the emperor to play. The more the emperor loved playing, the better he would dominate power. Wang An, however, wanted to mold and demand the emperor according to the image of a wise emperor in his mind, but instead aroused the emperor's resentment. This was probably his final demise. the real reason.
Of course, since Wang An had always been on good terms with the Donglin Party members, and since he was later killed by Wei Zhongxian, the Donglin Party was pretty good to Wang An, at least in the history books they defended him.
Gao pragmatically summarized it and came to several conclusions:
First of all, Wang An has certain cultural literacy. He has his own opinions on what kind of emperor is a good emperor, and he has the subjective intention to work hard for this.
Secondly, Wang An has a good relationship with the civil service group - both in his past life and in this life. This may be related to the fact that he has been studying in his inner study for many years. He may have recognized the ideas of civil servants to some extent, such as similar views on the world, and how ministers should assist the emperor Zuo.
Finally, Wang An's temper is stubborn and strong, and what he believes in is not easy to change. And his main insistence seems to be that to some extent...maybe he hopes to be a famous minister?
Thinking of this, Gao pragmatic glanced at Chen Ju subconsciously.
Among the great eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Ju was evaluated very well by later generations. Although he was generally not called a "famous official", he was at least evaluated as a "virtuous eunuch". Wang An was promoted by Chen Ju, and it is likely that he regarded Chen Ju as his role model.
At this moment, Gao Pingshi suddenly remembered something. Chen Ju is sixty years old this year...
It's no wonder that Gao Pragmatic didn't pay attention. Chen Ju really doesn't look old. Plus, as a eunuch, he has a fair face and no beard. He usually looks like he's in his forties. It's easy for people to forget his actual age. Considering his true age, it is completely in line with common sense to be Wang An's "political idol".
Wang An entered the inner library to study in the sixth year of Wanli. Generally, young eunuchs enter the inner library at around ten years old. Therefore, Wang An was probably born in the second year of Longqing, five years younger than Zhu Yijun and Gao Pragmatic Junchen. He is only in his early thirties this year. .
Gao Pragmatic was also surprised at this time. In his early thirties, he became the admiral of Dongchang? It seems that Chen Ju is really optimistic about him.
At this time, Chen Ju had also been thinking about Gao Pragmatic's problem for a while. Facing Gao Pragmatic's gaze, he finally came to a conclusion and said: "As long as I can talk to him rationally, he should be credible."
Gao pragmatic nodded to show that he understood, and then asked: "Does this principle refer to the distinction between direct concubines and concubines?"
"Exactly." Chen Ju finally showed a smile and nodded: "Wang An is a child that our family has grown up watching. He sometimes makes our family feel that he is quite like us. This is also One of the reasons why our family recommends him to be the admiral of Dongchang.
The position of Admiral Dongchang was very critical, and our family had many candidates we could recommend at that time. The reason why we chose him was because as long as this kid believed in the truth, he would not change easily. Our family feels that only such people are suitable to stay in such a position where big mistakes cannot be made. "
Gao Pragmatic nodded to express his understanding, and then asked: "In that case, please ask Brother Linggang to go and tell him in person, ask him to select confidants and capable people in Dongchang, and inform him about the recent whereabouts of some important people in Beijing. Find out clearly and report in time. I will draw up a list with specific goals. If Brother Linggang thinks there are any gaps, you can add them yourself."
Chen Ju nodded at first, and then seemed a little worried, hesitatingly asked: "Will acting like this make the outer court disgusted and cause any trouble?"
Gao pragmatic shook his head and said: "It's just to monitor irregularities, not to ask them to do other things. Even if something happens, they are just ordered to report it in time. Even if the courtiers are dissatisfied, they cannot vent their dissatisfaction, at least they will not express it verbally. Brother Linggang does not need to worry about this. .”
Chen Ju felt a little reassured and sighed: "The birth of the emperor's legitimate son should have been a great joy, but unfortunately there are no small things in the Tian family, especially when it involves the dispute between the legitimate son and the eldest son... In addition to the legitimate son and eldest son, there are also 'relatives', It really makes people dare not relax at all.”
He is the emperor's legitimate son, and his eldest son is Zhu Changluo. As for "relative", Chen Ju is naturally referring to Zhu Changxun, the son of Imperial Concubine Zheng - he is obviously extremely favored and can be said to be "relative".
Gao pragmatic also knew that the current situation was different from that in the original history. There were no longer two people competing for the crown prince's position, but three people. These three people all have their own advantages, which is very subtle.
The victory of the emperor's legitimate son is due to the word "legacy". Logically speaking, he is "destined to return to", but he has just been born. In the face of the premature death rate of this era, he still has a strong uncertainty. It will take at least two or three years. After three years of observation, I found that if the child is very strong, then his status will be stable.
Zhu Changluosheng is older, and according to the tradition of "Guolai Changjun", he also has some advantages. However, in the Ming Dynasty, this was not worth a penny in front of the literal word "嫡". It's just that many people have already bet on him, so he still has some chances. In addition, the emperor's legitimate son has not passed the period of high incidence of early death, so it cannot be considered completely eliminated.
Zhu Changxun mainly relies on his parents' favor. If you want to ask the emperor how he feels about the empress and Concubine Zheng, the high pragmatism after today's meeting is absolutely certain that in Zhu Yijun's mind it should be like this: the empress is the perfect queen, and Concubine Zheng is the perfect woman.
His favorite is Concubine Zheng, but it's not that he doesn't love the queen, it's just that the queen is too "queen", so he feels a certain alienation. But he knew how good the queen was, so he would not do anything detrimental to the queen.
Speaking of which, Zhu Yijun's current entanglement can be felt even by Gao Pangshi.
"You and I are ministers, as long as we do our duty as ministers." These were the last words Gao Pragmatic said to Chen Ju tonight. After saying this, Chen Ju said goodbye to Liu Ping and left.
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Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Cao Mianzi" and "FunnyChe" for their monthly support, thank you!
PS: I paid attention to Putin today. The update is a bit late. It’s my fault...
