Daming Jingtai: I am the eternal benevolent king

Chapter 474 Post-war recovery: The family ties of the royal family, from the school to the inspection ()

In the blink of an eye, it is the seventeenth year of Wanli.

The economic recovery of the Ming Dynasty was on the right track, but Zhang Juzheng once again challenged the imperial power.

He believed that the abolition of the imperial system and the introduction of a new system were the trend of history.

But overthrowing the emperor system is popular, but the person who overthrows it will often be reluctant to let go of the emperor system.

There are too many people in history who are reluctant to part with the throne.

There are only a handful of people who can really give up the throne, and they are saints.

After all, saints are in the minority, while lay people are the most numerous.

Those who overthrow the throne often still sit in that position.

Funny isn't it?
There are only a few people in the ages who can completely look away and really don't want it.

Zhang Juzheng is definitely not that kind of person.

He is a man with a strong desire for power. During the years when he resigned and returned to his hometown, he almost never left the house, and his face was visibly aging.

After regaining control of the world, he became younger and younger in his sixties.

Such a person is willing to give up the throne to others?

His so-called overthrow of the imperial system is nothing more than turning the Zhu family into the Zhang family and moving the throne to his own family.

Zhang Juzheng seized the opportunity and launched an attack on Emperor Wanli.

Emperor Wanli had been staring at him for a long time.

He regarded his second rise as a step towards realizing his political ambitions.

Emperor Wanli also regarded Zhang Juzheng as his biggest enemy. He had been observing Zhang Juzheng and monitoring his layout.

In the past few years, I have also figured out that Zhang Juzheng will attack the imperial system for the second time.

This time, the Royals made a mistake.

Zhang Juzheng first magnified this mistake and then took the opportunity to attack the imperial system.

The second son of Emperor Wanli, Zhu Youjian's father-in-law was seriously corrupt and violated disciplines, and was protected by Zhu Youjian. After Zhang Juzheng found out, he did not immediately attack, but encouraged Zhu Youjian's father-in-law to continue corruption.

The second time, Zhu Youjian was covered up again.

Rumors suddenly appeared in the newspapers, but they were suppressed by Zhang Juzheng.

I thought this matter was over.

However, during the inspection in Beijing in the 18th year of Wanli, the imperial censor held on to him and even asked Emperor Wanli to depose Zhu Youjian from his position as county king and demote him to a commoner.

The person who reacted the most to this incident was his elder brother, Prince Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao objected fiercely and defended his younger brother to the death.

This gave Zhang Juzheng an opportunity to take advantage of.

Corruption was a big problem in the Wanli Dynasty.

Because the Wanli Dynasty had no money, they eliminated corruption several times in the early years and cut off the flesh of the powerful to feed the people.

When Zhu Youjian made a mistake, he was naturally held back from top to bottom.

Zhang Juzheng had the biggest reaction.

Emperor Wanli could not bear to part with his son Zhu Youjian. When Emperor Longqing was there, he said that his two grandsons, one emperor and the other a wise king, would support the Zhu family clan in the future and continue the emperorship for at least fifty years.

Facts have proved that Emperor Longqing had a good vision.

When Zhu Youxiao was favored by civil and military officials, he had to say that the prince was wise.

Zhu Youjian has excellent abilities. Over the years, he has helped Zhu Youxiao to govern, and his brothers have cooperated closely.

What gratified Emperor Wanli the most was that the prince was not jealous of his younger brother, but rather loved him very much. His younger brother Zhu Youjian never coveted his elder brother's throne, but instead helped him wholeheartedly.

The two brothers worked well together and handled everything in the previous dynasty in an orderly manner.

Moreover, he can also compete with Zhang Juzheng.

This shows the political ability of these brothers.

Zhu Youjian still made a mistake. His princess was a well-known virtuous concubine, but his father-in-law was not very good. He was reluctant to eat rice at home and only ate whole grains every meal... Anyway, what Zhu Youjian saw was every meal. A meal of coarse food.

He didn't know what his old father-in-law ate while he was away. Anyway, people said it was extremely luxurious.

Princess Zhou is his virtuous wife, and his ability to become a virtuous king is closely related to the princess's help. His princess could have stepped to the stage and become an official, but for the sake of her husband's future, she quietly stayed behind the scenes to support him.

The most important thing is that his wife is somewhat similar to the emperor's sister-in-law Zhang Yan, and is as virtuous as the emperor's sister-in-law...

Therefore, when his father-in-law begged him for the first time, he subconsciously thought that his father-in-law was not a wasteful person, his salary was definitely enough to live on, and it was impossible for him to embezzle.

His father-in-law also said that he was unjustly accused, so he believed it. After all, it was not a big deal. He was a county king, not a prince. What's more, it was his father-in-law who only embezzled tens of thousands of dollars. He was framed. He should suppress it first and find out later. , if it is true that his father-in-law is corrupt, he will not hesitate to enforce the law impartially.

During the investigation, his father-in-law committed corruption for the second time.

He no longer believed his father-in-law.

However, his good wife knelt in front of him and begged him to help her father. He could not refuse his wife to kneel in front of him and beg, but only this time.

This was the second cover-up. At that time, he did not expect that it would lead to such bitter consequences.

He was indeed smart, but he also had his limitations and made mistakes.

It is only right for a clan king to make some mistakes, so that the emperor, officials and the world can rest assured that he has not coveted the throne.

On the contrary, only virtuous kings with virtuous reputations should be careful.

Zhu Youjian thinks it doesn't matter, he doesn't mind stains, he just needs stains.

As a result, Zhang Juzheng seized the opportunity and made a big fuss, criticizing the imperial system. Someone else wrote an article to eliminate the privileged class and establish a new political system of equality and democracy.

Although the article is written vaguely, it actually points to the imperial system.

I believe that King Zhu Youjian belongs to the privileged class. Because of his family ties, he uses public weapons for personal use and disregards the laws of the country.

As public opinion fermented, abuses continued one after another, and there were already calls for King Xin to be deposed from the throne and demoted to a commoner.

Emperor Wanli was also reducing public opinion and diverting attention.

Obviously, Zhang Juzheng's skills are higher. He has been preparing for more than ten years and has been waiting for today.

Therefore, in the 19th year of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng, who was in his eighties, launched a second resistance to the imperial power.

Prince Zhu Youxiao protects his younger brother to the death.

He and his younger brothers are not much different in age, but he raised King Xin and several younger brothers by himself, especially King Xin. Although they are half-brothers, King Xin's mother died young, and King Xin raised him in In the Queen's Palace.

When the prince was ten years old, Emperor Wanli and his wife passed away. From then on, Zhu Youjian lived with the prince, and the two brothers were inseparable.

Their grandfather, Emperor Longqing, was still alive at that time.

Emperor Longqing loved his two grandsons very much, but he often beat and polished them. When the prince was sixteen, he sent them to live among the people for four years.

Those four years were the most painful four years for them, and they also made the two brothers closer.

After returning, Zhu Youxiao got married first, and Zhu Youjian got married two years later.

After Wanli ascended the throne, Zhu Youjian also lived in the East Palace with his elder brother. This was a treatment that other princes did not have. It was Zhu Youxiao who chose the letter of King Xin.

King Xin should be called King Xinjun to be precise.

But Zhu Youjian does not have the word "county". This is what distinguishes him from other princes, which shows the good relationship between brothers.

This is also the reason why the prince defended his younger brother to the death today.

Zhu Youjian knelt in front of the East Palace Gate.

Zhu Youxiao's eyes were bloodshot: "Gu disagrees! You are Gu's younger brother, Gu will not allow you to be criticized by thousands of people!"

"Brother, only by dethroning me can the anger of the world be quelled."

Zhu Youjian's eyes were firm: "I covered up the evidence of my father-in-law's crime. The evidence is solid. I have no reason to refute it. It's my fault that I made the decision without consulting you at the time. I made the same mistake twice."

Zhu Youxiao wanted to help him up: "Don't blame yourself like this. This is Zhang Juzheng's political method. He forced the royal family to make mistakes. Even if there is no Qin, he will launch an attack on the imperial system. This is his mission."

But Zhu Youjian refused to get up: "After all, it was me who made the mistake, and I must take responsibility."

"You are my brother, I must protect you!" Zhu Youxiao was even more determined.

He is protecting his younger brother and also protecting the imperial system.

Grandfather spent his whole life to preserve the imperial system and had the greatest hope for their brothers, which could not be destroyed in one day.

"Brother, the top priority is to protect the imperial system. My throne is irrelevant. Even if I no longer have the throne, as long as you are willing to give me a chance, I can still get my throne back with my own efforts."

Zhu Youjian lowered his voice and said: "The top priority is to defeat Zhang Juzheng. As long as the imperial power wins, what I will get back in the future is the title of prince!" But Zhu Youxiao grabbed him resolutely: "There are only two people in the Ming Dynasty who are awarded titles based on their merits." One is Yu Qian, the other is Wang Yue."

"He's still just the prince."

"You want to take this road. When will it be closed?"

"You don't have to worry about this anymore. You just need to go back to the house and take care of your family. Leave the rest to me. Trust me!"

After the brothers quarreled, Zhu Youjian couldn't defeat his brother.

Subsequently, Colonel Zhu You launched an attack on Zhang Juzheng.

To Zhang Juzheng's expectation, Emperor Wanli stood on the sidelines and did not end directly. Instead, he remained silent, obviously waiting for Zhang Juzheng to make a move.

Zhang Juzheng could see that he was waiting for the younger one to be defeated before the older one could defeat him.

Haha, it’s useless if you all come together.

Zhang Juzheng had already made a foolproof plan.

Public opinions abounded. Zhang Juzheng and the prince were fighting back and forth, and the prince gradually fell into a disadvantage. At this time, rumors emerged among the people that Zhang Juzheng's son had cheated in the imperial examination.

Zhang Juzheng didn't care at all. The selection of his two sons as Jinshi was indeed an operation. The first time he dismissed the prime minister, he was impeached because of this matter. The key is that both of his sons were deprived of citizenship.

He has five sons in total. The youngest son passed the exam last year because of his real ability.

Because his youngest son's surname is not Zhang, and his place of birth is not under Zhang Juzheng's name, many people don't know that he has a younger son in his family.

This younger son was his way out in case of failure in the political struggle. Even if he failed, even if he was executed, he would still have a bloodline outside the family.

Of course, with his merits, as long as he is not treason, he will never be executed by the clan.

He was mainly worried that his sons would not be able to support the family, and what would happen after the decline was considered a rainy day for the next fifty years.

This time the target of the rumors is his youngest son.

Zhang Juzheng was calm and calm. His son was not his weakness. This kind of outstanding person at the top of the Chinese historical pyramid had almost no weaknesses himself.

Prince Zhu Youxiao's attack was ineffective, but under Zhang Juzheng's attack, the prince's reputation was greatly affected.

In the 20th year of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng, who was in excellent health, suddenly became seriously ill.

Zhu Youxiao, who was in the whirlpool, suddenly escaped, and all attacks were defeated. Those voices accusing the prince and King Xin suddenly disappeared, and even the Imperial Procuratorate changed their tone.

When Zhang Juzheng became seriously ill, the emperor rarely left the palace and went to the Taishi Mansion in person to express his condolences to Zhang Juzheng.

However, after taking the medicine, Zhang Juzheng's body deteriorated even more and he was about to die. The key point is that Zhang Juzheng was already eighty-four years old, so it was reasonable for him to suddenly fall ill.

But the timing of falling ill is worthy of discussion.

Emperor Wanli and Zhang Juzheng talked secretly for half an hour. That night, Zhang Juzheng died of illness.

It is said that Zhang Juzheng had tears on his face because he was forced to death by the emperor.

Emperor Wanli's good reputation began to decline.

But Zhang Juzheng is dead when he is dead.

The attack on Zhu Youxiao suddenly collapsed, and Zhu Youjian was released.

Taking advantage of the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhu Youjian entered the palace to express his gratitude and secretly asked his father, what happened to Zhang Juzheng?

Anyone with a discerning eye would know that it was his father who took action.

But how to do it, no one knows.

"He is my senior brother. I am seventy-four this year. At this age, who knows when one day he will be gone?"

Emperor Wanli refused to admit it.

He did not liquidate Zhang Juzheng's party members, but gave Zhang Juzheng the highest-level funeral, the highest-level posthumous title, and posthumously made Zhang Juzheng the king, worthy of enjoying the Ancestral Temple.

The first civil servant in the Ming Dynasty to be posthumously awarded the title of king.

It can be said to be the ultimate favor.

And this, no matter how you look at it, looks like Emperor Wanli's move to get rid of suspicion. The more you look at him, the more suspicious he becomes.

Historians fairly evaluate Zhang Juzheng's life as the civil servant with the greatest contribution to the Ming Dynasty and a contemporary national scholar.

Emperor Wanli personally said that the three people who contributed the most to the Ming Dynasty: Xu Da, Yu Qian, and Zhang Juzheng.

To be able to rank Zhang Juzheng with the previous two is already the highest praise.

In the 22nd year of Wanli, Emperor Wanli fell seriously ill. When he was confused, he told the prince: "We must treat Zhang Juzheng's descendants kindly, privately, he is my classmate, and publicly, he has made great contributions to the country."

"I know that you hate him. Because you believe in the king, you have always wanted to deal with him."

"No way."

"If you even liquidate Zhang Juzheng, who will serve the Ming Dynasty in the future?"

"This involves the country, and you have to put the overall situation first."

"After you become emperor, you should separate one of Zhang Juzheng's descendants and join the nobility, becoming a marquis. This can be regarded as your favor to the Zhang family."

"Remember, don't break Ming's rules."

Zhu Youxiao could tell that Emperor Wanli owed Zhang Juzheng.

It just proves that Zhang Ju was killed by his father.

Zhu Youxiao was suddenly shocked. Emperor Wanli seemed to be motionless in these years, but in fact, he bribed the people around Zhang Juzheng and could attack Zhang Juzheng at any time.

Therefore, Emperor Wanli trusted Zhang Juzheng.

His father did not give him this clue, which means it has been cut off.

Zhu Youxiao ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, and changed his reign name to Tianqi.

Emperor Wanli went to the temple with the title of Shenzong, and his posthumous title was Xian.

Emperor Tianqi only had two sons, and he had a grandson early, so there was no problem in passing on the throne smoothly.

After he succeeded to the throne, he couldn't wait to let King Xin come out to govern on his behalf and preside over the government together with his prince, without worrying that King Xin would become a powerful minister.

Even though the courtiers tried to persuade him, Emperor Tianqi persisted in his own way.

Fast forward to the fourth year of the Apocalypse, when the prince was out on inspection, he suddenly fell seriously ill. He died of the illness after two years of delay, leaving only two daughters and no sons.

The throne of Ming Dynasty experienced twists and turns again.

The prince, the grandson designated by the previous emperor died, and there was a problem in the inheritance of the throne.

The prince did not leave a son, mainly because he was still young, only thirty years old when he died. He already had two daughters, and he would have a son sooner or later.

He is the legitimate son, and Zhu Youxiao's other son is the concubine.

Fifty-eight-year-old Zhu Youxiao has only one son left. This son should be the one to inherit his throne. There is no surprise.

However, Zhu Youxiao hesitated.

He looked at his brother.

Apart from his eldest son, the one he loves most is his younger brother Zhu Youjian. The key is that Zhu Youjian's ability is stronger than him.

In the six years since he ascended the throne, major national affairs have basically been completed through consultation between the three of them.

The prince died young, and the other son was obviously unable to be reused. The best option was to let the younger brother take the throne.

But, would his other son agree? Will the courtiers agree? Will my brother agree?
From the perspective of the courtiers, there must be an emperor who is easy to control and who is more compliant with the people.

And Zhu Youjian showed his sharpness, especially after being cheated by Zhang Juzheng, he cut off his love and became more capable and sophisticated.

He is more like a Zhengde emperor, conscientious and only doing things without looking at the consequences.

He may not die well, but he must be a good emperor.

This is also the reason why Emperor Tianqi prefers him.

If the eldest son was alive, he would not consider his younger brother at all. But if the eldest son died young and the concubine could not be reused, he must be responsible for the emperor's inheritance.

The current imperial system has become shaky after Zhang Juzheng's two attacks. People sitting in this position must walk on thin ice and cannot make any mistakes or be caught.

To be the emperor of 6 billion people, you have to be stared at by the eyes of 6 billion people, and you have to be stared at with such critical eyes.

The imperial system was crumbling.

This allowed the clan to unite and unite the nobles to maintain the bottom line.

Therefore, Emperor Tianqi had to consider King Xin.

(End of this chapter)