Zhu Houcong's delay in appointing a prince made Zhu Yuanzhang and others a little dissatisfied, because the prince is the foundation of the country's inheritance and stability. The undecided position of the prince will make many princes have undue ambitions. As an emperor, you should try to avoid such things happening. , especially if there are several outstanding princes, then the delay in establishing a crown prince will make the battle for the right to inherit the throne more cruel. Zhu Yuanzhang knew the dangers of this, so he established Prince Zhu Biao early from the beginning. identity, and beat the other princes from time to time, warning them not to have undue ambitions.
"Because of Zhu Houcong's indulgence, the dispute between the princes in the court became more and more serious. In the 39th year of Jiajing, former Zuo Chunfang Zuozhongyun Guo Xiyan first spread rumors in the capital, saying that Yan Song wanted to murder Zhu Zaijing. He ensured that Zhu Zaizhen became the crown prince, and when public opinion aroused, he immediately asked King Jing Zhu Zaizhen to join the vassal, and established King Yu Zhu Zaijing as the crown prince. Zhu Houcong was very angry after seeing the memorial, and ordered Guo Xiyan to be executed in anger, but Although he killed Guo Xiyan, in order to make the rumors disappear as soon as possible, Zhu Houcong had no choice but to decide in October of the same year to let King Jing Zhu Zaizhen join the vassal, and the fiefdom was chosen to be De'an Mansion in Huguang near his former fiefdom."
"Although King Jing Zhu Zaizhen became a vassal, Zhu Zaijing was not established as the prince. In the forty-one year of Jiajing, Yan Song fell and Xu Jie became the chief minister of the cabinet. Despite this, Zhu Zaijing still could not ensure that he could get the throne. The position of crown prince. In the forty-third year of Jiajing, Zhu Houcong mentioned to Xu Jie the old story of Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, who established the crown prince, and asked Zhu Zaijing whether he would regret not being able to serve him for a long time, implying his dissatisfaction with Zhu Zaijing. "
"Zhu Houcong's words were heard by the eunuch. The eunuch secretly told Zhu Zaizhen the news. Zhu Zaizhen asked Shu to go to Wudang Mountain to pray for Zhu Houcong. Zhu Houcong ordered Xu Jie to draft an edict. Just when Xu Jie was in great trouble. , news of Zhu Zaizhen's illness came, Xu Jie took the opportunity to make a plan to let him recover well without leaving. Unexpectedly, news of Zhu Zaizhen's death soon came. In this way, Zhu Zaijing became Zhu Houcong The only son, thus ensuring his position as the crown prince."
Zhu Zaijing looked at Jiajing Zhu Houcong with a complicated look. His throne did have a lot of luck. To be honest, before Zhu Zaizhen died of illness, Zhu Zaijing didn't have much confidence in the throne because Zhu Houconn didn't know much about him. His attitude made him feel that he could not compete with Zhu Zaizhen. Unexpectedly, all the remaining sons of Zhu Houcong died in the end, and the throne fell to him without any suspense.
Jiajing Zhu Houcong's heart was very complicated. If he had a choice, he would indeed not hand over the throne to Zhu Zaijing. After all, he was the least lovable of his sons.
"In the forty-fifth year of Jiajing, Zhu Houcong fell seriously ill. At this time, Gao Gong, an old official of Prince Yu's palace, entered the cabinet. Zhang Juzheng and Chen Yiqin were appointed as the right minister of the Ministry of Rites and the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel respectively. Their rising status meant that Zhu Zaijing was about to inherit the throne. There’s a very clear relationship.”
"Zhu Houcong was carried from Xiyuan to Qianqing Palace when he was critically ill. He passed away before he could summon Zhu Zaijing. Xu Jie, then the chief minister of the cabinet, immediately asked Zhu Zaijing to enter the palace to preside over the funeral, and drafted a posthumous edict. It was announced the next day, and after three attempts by civil and military officials to persuade him to advance, Zhu Zaijing finally held a coronation ceremony and announced his change to Longqing. He then named his son Zhu Yijun and established him as the crown prince the following year."
The son he disliked became the emperor. To be honest, Zhu Houcong didn't know whether he should expect Zhu Zaicheng, the emperor, to do well or not.
If the emperor did a good job, wouldn't it mean that he was short-sighted? After all, if he had no choice, he would definitely not let Zhu Zaijing ascend the throne. But if Zhu Zaijing does not do well, Zhu Houcong will feel unwilling to think that his country will eventually be given to a waste. Therefore, Zhu Houcong's mood is very complicated at this time. Even he himself does not know what to expect from Zhu Zaijing next. Such performance.
Zhao Changge cleared his throat and continued: "After Zhu Zaijing ascended the throne, he began to reform the problems left by Zhu Houcong. On the day he ascended the throne, he ordered the release of Hai Rui, who was imprisoned by Zhu Houcong. Later, he was persecuted for admonishing Zhu Houcong when he was in power. The officers rehabilitated and overturned the verdict, and at the same time punished some members of the clan, King Zhu Xian of Liao, who had flattered him during the Jiajing Dynasty, as well as some civil and military officials."
"At the same time, he demolished Taoist temple altars, banned fasting, arrested the alchemist Wang Jin and others, and also ordered the disqualification of his grandfather Ruizong Zhu Youqi from being a heavenly match, in order to cater to the public opinion against Zhu Houxun's pursuit of honoring his father."
Zhu Houcong was so angry that the veins on his neck popped out when he heard this. Sure enough, he had a reason to hate his son. This kid dared to disobey his orders just after he ascended the throne in order to cater to those who were against him.
"Although this boy is lecherous, the things he did when he ascended the throne are pretty good." Zhu Yuanzhang gave his own evaluation.
Zhao Changge nodded: "Yes, Zhu Zaijing did some practical things when he first came to the throne. Unfortunately, it didn't take long before he began to disappoint his subjects. He didn't like to talk much when he was in court, and he rarely took the initiative. Expressing his position or asking ministers, in the first year of Longqing, he repeatedly announced his absence from the court, and repeatedly refused to offer sacrifices to the ancestral temple and enjoyed himself in the palace, which aroused dissatisfaction and controversy among the ministers. Unfortunately, in the face of these, Zhu Zaijing did not have any It means that he is still addicted to women."
Zhu Houcong, who caught the opportunity, immediately said dissatisfiedly: "There is a reason why I don't like you, because I have known a long time ago that you are not the material to be the emperor at all."
Zhu Zaijing used to be very afraid of his father, but now that he is also the emperor, Zhu Zaijing feels more confident.
"If you had the choice, I would have no chance to become the emperor. It means God is helping me." Zhu Zaijing said calmly.
Good guy, the boy who used to be submissive when he saw me now dares to choke him in front of him. Sure enough, he has become more courageous after becoming the emperor.
Seeing that the two people were about to quarrel, Zhao Changge immediately continued to tell: "Zhu Zaijing disliked others admonishing him very much, so he used court tactics against those officials who advised him. In Zhu Zaijing's "Duan Gongyuanmo" "Under the circumstances, all operations in the court were handed over to the cabinet. There were nine cabinet members in the Long Qing Dynasty, the most important of whom were Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng. These three were all very talented, and Fighting against each other.”
"At the beginning of the Longqing Dynasty, Xu Jie and Gao Gong were competing for power. Xu Jie used his reputation as an official to force Gao Gong and his associate Guo Pu to resign. However, Xu Jie offended a lot of people because he persuaded Zhu Zaijing. The eunuch Zhang Juzheng also joined forces with Gao Gong and colluded with the eunuch Li Fang to force Xu Jie to resign and make Li Chunfang the chief minister of the cabinet."
