Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 66 The Fate of History

In the original history, there was only seven days between Zhu Yuanzhang's death and his burial.

According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty: The Benji of Taizu": "(May) Jiayin, the emperor was not hesitant...the leap month was guiwei, and the emperor's illness became serious. Yiyou died in the West Palace at the age of seventy-one...Xinmao was buried in Xiaoling Mausoleum .”

"History of the Ming Dynasty: The Chronicles of Emperor Gongmin" also records: "In the leap month of the 31st year, Taizu died. Xinmao was the emperor's throne. A general amnesty was granted to the world, and the next year was regarded as the first year of Jianwen. On this day, Emperor Gao was buried in Xiaoling. The edict Three years of mourning.”

Zhu Gaoxu believes that the main reason why Zhu Yunwen was eager to bury Zhu Yuanzhang in history should be because he complied with Zhu Yuanzhang's last wish.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhu Yunwen to do this in order to protect Zhu Yunwen. As long as Zhu Yunwen could successfully succeed to the throne, it would become an established fact that he would be the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the kings who were enfeoffed in various places would not dare to commit rebellion.

Otherwise, Zhu Gaoxu believed that Zhu Yunwen's older vassal princes and uncles who held military power would be unconvinced by allowing a young boy to come to the Ninth Five-Year Plan. They would most likely secretly lead troops to Beijing in the name of attending a funeral and launch a coup. For example, the ambitious vassal kings such as King Yan and King Ning.

Now history has been changed, Zhu Di followed Zhu Yuanzhang's death and became the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but Zhu Yuanzhang still could not escape the fate of being buried seven days after his death.

Just like Zhu Di failed to escape the fate of succeeding to the throne as a vassal king!
"Does Mr. Zheng have something to say?"

Seeing Zheng Yi raise his head slightly, Zhu Di asked.

Zheng Yi, the Minister of Rites, did not answer, but looked left and right, scanning the many palace people kneeling on both sides of the mourning hall, and responded to Zhu Di with eyes full of meaning.

Zhu Di was not angry at this, nor was he surprised. Instead, he frowned slightly and fell into deep thought. He knew what Zheng Yi meant.

Zhu Yuanzhang once told Zhu Di during his lifetime that after his death, his harem concubines must be buried, even those who gave birth to sons who were still vassal kings were no exception.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang specifically told Zhu Di that the "harem concubines" he referred to did not include Zhang Meiren.

Zhang Meiren, whose original name was Zhang Xuanmiao, was the biological mother of Princess Baoqing, the sixteenth daughter of Zhu Yuanzhang. She was also the only concubine in history that Zhu Yuanzhang did not allow to be buried with him.

Today's Princess Baoqing is only three or four years old. Zhu Yuanzhang loved her very much during his lifetime and spared Zhang Meiren's life so that she could raise the little princess.

This is the reason why Zhu Yuanzhang did not let Zhang Meiren be buried with him.

Zheng Yi had been ordered by Zhu Yuanzhang to draft edicts many times, so it was extremely normal for him to know some secrets.

It was fine for the other concubines to be buried, but Zhu Di was very hesitant whether Concubine Guo Ning should be buried with her.

After Queen Ma died that year, Zhu Yuanzhang did not appoint another queen, but handed over the power of the harem to Concubine Li Shu.

Soon after, Concubine Li Shu also died of illness, so Zhu Yuanzhang handed over the power of the harem to Concubine Guo Ning.

During the Hongwu period, the imperial concubine did not add the word "emperor", but Concubine Li Shu and Concubine Guo Ning added the word "emperor" before their titles, which shows Zhu Yuanzhang's love for these two people.

Zhu Di considered that Concubine Guo Ning's current status and power, coupled with the military power held by her brother Wu Dinghou Guo Ying, might threaten his dominance in the future, so he hesitated.

After waiting for a moment, Zheng Yi found that Zhu Di had not spoken. He thought that Zhu Di did not understand the hint he had just given, so he raised his head slightly again, still looking left and right.

He glanced over the many palace people kneeling on both sides of the mourning hall, especially the concubines of Zhu Yuanzhang's harem headed by Concubine Guo Ning, who stayed for a long time.

"Let me think again."

Hearing Zhu Di speak, Zheng Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, it was really difficult for him to express his request for Zhu Yuanzhang's harem concubines to be buried in front of the palace people kneeling in front of his soul.

This is too cruel, Zheng Yi can't do it!

At this time, Zhu Di began to carefully recall the details of the past when Zhu Yuanzhang discussed the matter of burial with him, and found that this was done deliberately by Zhu Yuanzhang in order to prevent the harem from interfering in politics.

There are many examples of harems intervening in politics in history, such as the famous Empress Wu Zetian and the Empress Dowager Lu Pheasant of the Western Han Dynasty.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang had to arrange everything before his death so that Concubine Guo Ning and other concubines could be buried with him to prevent the harem from intervening in politics again.

Precisely because there were lessons from Han and Tang harems involved in political affairs, Zhu Yuanzhang had always been very strict with his concubines and prohibited them from participating in court affairs.For Zhu Di, it didn't matter whether Concubine Guo Ning died or not. The biggest reason for his hesitation was that he was afraid of Guo Ying, the Marquis of Wuding who held military power.

He is not afraid that Wuding Hou Guo Ying will rebel because of the sacrifice of Concubine Guo Ning. Now there are more than 40 guard posts in and around the capital alone, totaling more than 20 elite soldiers, and there are millions of soldiers across the country. When the time comes, he Just send troops and it will be leveled.

What Zhu Di was worried about was that when the swords and soldiers came together, the ambitious kings would definitely take the opportunity to cause chaos, which would lead to chaos in the world.

That's not what he wants to see!

However, if Concubine Guo Ning is not allowed to be buried, it will violate Zhu Yuanzhang's last order.

At this time, he has not officially held the enthronement ceremony in Fengtian Hall. If he openly violates Emperor Daxing's orders, it will give people a clue and allow those with ulterior motives to get a handle.

After thinking about it, Zhu Di immediately made a decision.

He first worked up his emotions and cried for a while in public.

After everyone's attention was attracted, Zhu Di stopped crying, looked at the concubines of Zhu Yuanzhang's harem who were kneeling on the ground with choked sobs, and announced the order with tears in his eyes: "You Si, according to the emperor's decree, he will be buried as a relative of the palace! "

After Zhu Gaoxu heard this order, two words instantly came to his mind - human sacrifice!
Human sacrifice is an ancient funeral system that originated in primitive society. However, because this system was too cruel, it was abolished in the early Western Han Dynasty. Since then, few people have been sacrificed in the Central Plains Dynasty.

Zhu Di would not forge Zhu Yuanzhang's will in matters such as human sacrifice.

Because after his order is issued, many of Zhu Yuanzhang's harem concubines who are kneeling before his soul will be forced to drink poisoned wine, mercury or commit suicide soon, and then be buried with Zhu Yuanzhang in the Xiaoling Mausoleum tomorrow.

This matter will be recorded in the annals of history, and Zhu Di dare not risk the disapproval of the world and do whatever he wants.

But why did Zhu Yuanzhang want to reverse history and implement human sacrifice again?
Zhu Gaoxu suddenly thought of Wuding Hou Guo Ying and his sister Huang Ningfei Guo.

Guo, who was given the title Huangning Concubine by Zhu Yuanzhang, was the third woman to take charge of Zhu Yuanzhang's harem after Empress Ma and Concubine Li Shu.

Her brother is Guo Ying, the Marquis of Wuding who now holds military power.

"History of the Ming Dynasty" once wrote: "The Taizu of the Ming Dynasty learned from the misfortune of women in the previous generation, established the outline and established the discipline, and placed strict emphasis on internal education."

Zhu Gaoxu knew that Zhu Yuanzhang had always been a ruthless and suspicious person, and he never wanted his relatives to interfere in politics to happen to his descendants.

This should be the real reason why Zhu Yuanzhang asked the concubines in the harem to be buried.

He sighed in his heart, no wonder Zhu Yuanzhang handed him a secret edict ordering Wuding Marquis Guo Ying to serve and retire. It should be to prevent Guo Ying from being used by people with ulterior motives in the future, and then raise troops to resist the rule of the new king Zhu Di.

If there is any change in Guo Ying in the future, Zhu Gaoxu can show the secret edict of the late emperor and force Guo Ying to take up an official position and provide for his retirement in the name of the late emperor.

If Guo Ying disobeys orders, he will be found guilty of treason, and the court can justifiably kill him.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu secretly gave Zhu Yuanzhang a thumbs up in his heart. He was indeed the foresighted Emperor Hongwu!

"Your Majesty, His Highnesses the King of Zhou and the King of Chu have arrived at the gate of the Imperial City Palace and now request to enter the palace to pay homage to Emperor Daxing. Please make your decision."

At this moment, Zhang Yu, the commander of the imperial army's vanguard with a white cloth tied on his head, walked quickly to the mourning hall, knelt down on one knee and confessed to Zhu Di.

Zhu Gaoxu was very close to the memorial tablet of Zhu Yuanzhang, equivalent to being at the feet of Zhu Di, so he heard clearly what Zhang Yu reported.

"Where are the guards of King Zhou and King of Chu now?" Zhu Di asked.

Zhang Yu replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, Commander Qiu (Qiu Fu) has been ordered to stop the guards and take them to the camp outside the city to rest."

"In that case, let my two younger brothers enter the palace to pay homage to Emperor Kao."

Zhu Di was silent for a while, and then said.

(End of this chapter)