Young Son of Heaven

Ming Yingzong sits on the statue axis

In the second year of Xuande (1427), Sun gave birth to the eldest son Zhu Qizhen for Zhu Zhanji of Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty. Immediately, Zhu Qizhen, who was born four months ago, was made the crown prince, and his mother Sun was the queen.

In the first month of the spring of the tenth year of Xuande (1435), Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty died, and the crown prince Zhu Qizhen ascended the throne, and the following year changed the name to orthodoxy. The Empress Dowager Zhang is honored as the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Sun is honored as the Empress Dowager. [3]

Before Zhu Qizhen ascended the throne, after Xuanzong's death, there were rumors in the palace that King Xiang would be established as the emperor. At that time, Empress Dowager Zhang summoned her ministers, pointed to the crown prince Zhu Qizhen and said, this is the new monarch. So Zhu Qizhen successfully ascended the throne. The new monarch was only nine years old, and the lord was suspicious, so the ministers asked the Empress Dowager Zhang to listen to the government. Empress Dowager Zhang did not allow it. Even so, state affairs are still in the hands of the Zhang family, who has become the empress dowager.

Zhang's status is respected, but he does not reuse his own family, and he does not even allow his relatives to interfere in state affairs. also called Wang Zhen to scold him twice in three days, which effectively hit Wang Zhen and made Wang Zhen dare not do bad things when she was in power. At that time, Wang Zhen was not arrogant and excessive, and it can be seen that Zhang's vision is very far-sighted. She reused the old ministers since Renxuan, among which Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Yang Pu are quite famous, known as "Three Yangs" in history. During Sanyang's tenure as an auxiliary minister of the cabinet, he stabilized the border defense, rectified the rule of officials, and developed the economy, which made the Ming Dynasty prosperous. There is a saying in the seventh volume of the Ming scholar Jiao Hong's "Yutang Congyu": "In the orthodox world, Wenzhen (Yang Shiqi) is Xiyang, and Wenmin (Yang Rong) is Dongyang, because they are the first. Wending (Yang Pu) county wang, every book of Nanjun, the world is called Nanyang. Xiyang has a phase talent, Dongyang has a phase industry, and South Yang has a phase. Therefore, when talking about my dynasty and virtuous appearance, I must say Sanyang. ”

In the early years of orthodoxy, Empress Dowager Zhang and Sanyang ruled the country, and the Ming Dynasty was quite prosperous. However, the good times did not last long, in the fifth year of orthodoxy, Yang Rong died (nicknamed Wenmin), in the eighth year of orthodoxy, Empress Dowager Zhang died (nicknamed Empress Chengxiao Zhao), in the ninth year of orthodoxy, Yang Shiqi died (nicknamed Wenzhen), and in the eleventh year of orthodoxy, Yang Pu died (nicknamed Wending).

With the death of Sanyang and the death of the Queen Mother, the eunuch Wang Zhen, who had always been favored by Emperor Zhu Qizhen, began to emerge and make waves. The politics of the Orthodox Dynasty began to slip into a slippery slope. At that time, the emperor grew from a young son of heaven to a hot-blooded young man, and he had the ambition of stabilizing the country. [4]

Civil engineering changes

Ming Taizu expelled the Tartars and settled in the Central Plains. Ming Chengzu moved the capital to Beijing, and the Son of Heaven guarded the country. The expulsion and the defense are nothing more than the Mongols in Mobei. The Mongols fled back to Mobei, and the Northern Yuan was divided into two: Warat and Tatar. Between Warat and Tatar, they competed with each other. During the Orthodox years, Warat gradually became stronger, and from time to time it invaded the territory of the Ming Dynasty by moving south. In particular, the real power faction of Warat, Taishi Yexian, often deceived various rewards from the Ming Dynasty in the name of tribute. Because the Ming Dynasty prides itself on being the superior kingdom of the Celestial Empire, for the envoys who pay tribute, no matter what the tribute is, they will always exchange gifts and rewards, and they will be distributed according to the head. In this case, the number of envoys was increased until it reached more than 3,000 people. [5]

At that time, Wang Zhen, the eunuch who was in charge of the government, was quite dissatisfied with this and ordered the reward to be reduced. In the name of this, he also waved his army south, approaching Datong and threatening Beijing.

Emperor Zhu Qizhen was in his twenties at the time, and his grandmother and a group of old ministers had passed away, so it was a good time for him to show his strength, and he was quite annoyed to see the northern Tartars so presumptuous. Wang Zhen took advantage of this to encourage the emperor and suggested that he drive the expedition in person. The ministers of the court dissuaded, but the emperor did not listen, firstly, to imitate his father, Ming Xuanzong, who had personally conquered and defeated the king of Han under the advice of Yang Rong; secondly, in order to prove himself, not to mention that the Ming Dynasty was at its peak, and it was a barbarian, so I was afraid that he would not succeed?

At that time, the main forces of the imperial court were all in the field, and it was difficult to assemble in a hurry. So the emperor temporarily gathered 200,000 people from near the Beijing Division, known as 500,000 troops, and drove the expedition in person. In order to convince his mother, Empress Dowager Sun, he made the two-year-old prince Zhu Jianshen the crown prince, and let his half-brother Zhu Qiyu be in charge of the country.

Civil Engineering Situation (Click to enlarge image)

The army went on the expedition, but who knew that the sky was not beautiful, and the heavy rain continued. When the army arrived near Datong, they found corpses all over the field, and the supply of grain and grass was not enough, and the army's heart was shaken. As a result, the emperor had the intention to withdraw his troops. In order to take care of the emperor's face, Wang Zhen did not go out for long and returned to his division in a daze, which was too embarrassing, so he suggested a detour to Ulzhou. At the same time, Wang Zhen's hometown is in Ulzhou, if the emperor returns to his hometown with him, wouldn't it be better than returning to his hometown in clothes and brocade to exhale and raise his eyebrows?

Ulzhou is very close to Datong, and the approach of the Warat army to Datong is not a joke. The ministers objected, feeling that it would be dangerous to delay time in this way. Wang Zhen didn't listen, but the emperor sympathized with Wang Zhen and gave him a chance to show his face. The army was ready to march and head to Ulju.

Unexpectedly, Wang Zhen was worried that the army would pass by and trample on his own crops, and suggested that the army should withdraw according to the original route. When the army marched to the vicinity of Huailai, the baggage did not catch up. So, Wang Zhen ordered to stay in place and wait. [7]

Just outside the city of Huailai, the Warat army caught up with the Ming army and trapped the emperor and others in the civil fort. The water source was cut off, and the army was in turmoil. So, when he also pretended to negotiate peace, the Ming army was fooled. also took advantage of the unpreparedness of the Ming army to launch a general attack and annihilate it in one fell swoop. Emperor Zhu Qizhen was captured, Wang Zhen was killed by Fan Zhong, and ministers such as the British Duke Zhang Fu and the military department Shangshu Kuang Yu were killed in battle. Historically, it is called the "Civil Fort Change", or the Civil Engineering Change. It was the fourteenth year of Orthodoxy (1449). [8]

Emperor Nangong

After capturing the emperor, Warat Taishi was also worried and happy at first, happy that even the emperor of the Ming Dynasty was caught, and worried that he didn't know whether to kill or stay. However, his younger brother Boyan Timur suggested that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty should live in strange goods, so it was better to keep him so that he could ask the Ming Dynasty for money. I also thought that this proposal was good, so I saved the emperor's life.

I also wanted to deceive in the name of the emperor, but unfortunately the Ming Dynasty did not agree. The ministers led by Yu Qian advised Empress Dowager Sun that the country should not be without a king for a day, let alone in this time of crisis. As a result, Zhu Qiyu, the king of servants, was proclaimed emperor, and Zhu Qizhen, who was captured, was appointed as the emperor. At the same time, he ordered the border generals not to have private contact with Warat, even if Warat used the name of the emperor, they did not need to deal with it.

He was also annoyed and angry, and attacked Beijing. was defeated by Yu Qian and other Ming Dynasty civil and military forces. In the Battle of Beijing, the Ming army repelled Warat. In desperation, Warat retreated into the desert.

The following year, the new emperor changed to Jingtai. It was August of that year, nearly a year after the capture of Emperor Zhu Qizhen. Warat could not get benefits from him, and was defeated by the Ming army many times, so he sent people south to sue for peace, saying that he was willing to let Zhu Qizhen go back. He was willing to let him go, but Emperor Jingtai was not happy.

"Ming History Biography 58" contains: "In August, the emperor hunted in the north and lasted for a year. I also saw that China had no quarrels, and I wanted to beg for peace, and the envoys came frequently, so please return to the emperor. The minister Wang Zhi and other envoys were welcomed, and the emperor was displeased and said: "I didn't want to ascend to the throne. Qian calmly said: "The position of heaven has been decided, Ning Fu has him, Gu Li should be greeted as soon as possible." In case he is deceitful, I have a resignation. The emperor changed his appearance and said: "From you, from you." "Successively sent Li Shi and Yang Shanxiang. ”

Emperor Jingtai sent Yang Shan and others to investigate, but Yang Shan took the opportunity to welcome and bring Emperor Taishang back. So, after being detained in Saibei for a year, Zhu Qizhen embarked on the road back to his hometown. On the second day of the eighth month, he set out from Yexian's station and arrived at Juyong Pass on the 14th. On the 15th, a sedan chair and two riders quietly entered Andingmen. The emperor who has been hunting for a year has finally returned.

Regarding the meeting between Zhu Qizhen and Zhu Qiyu's brothers, there are different accounts in history. "The End of the Ming History Chronicle" rendered that the two shouted and asked for warmth, and they humbled each other. "Ming Shilu" has only one sentence: "The emperor greeted him at Dong'anmen, drove into the South Palace, and hundreds of civil and military officials greeted him." ”

Whether it is a cold greeting or a cold eye, in fact, the Emperor Taishang, who returned to Beijing in the first year of Jingtai, has been locked in the South Palace for seven years.

In the past seven years, Emperor Jingtai not only locked the gate of the Nangong and filled it with lead, but even sent brocade guards to keep it under close control, and even food could only be passed through small holes. Sometimes, there is a lack of food and clothing, which leads to the original distribution of the Emperor Taishang, the queen of money, has to make some female celebrities by herself, and ask someone to take them out and sell them to supplement the family. In order to prevent anyone from contacting the Emperor Taishang, who was under house arrest, Emperor Jingtai even cut down all the trees near the Nangong Palace, making it impossible for people to hide.

In this way, the Emperor spent seven years under house arrest in a state of panic. [9]

A change in the door

During the reign of Emperor Jingtai, he reused the minister Yu Qian and others to govern the country, which was quite orderly. However, in order to make himself a king for generations, he not only put his brother under house arrest, but even insisted on abolishing the crown prince Zhu Jianshen in the third year of Jingtai and replacing him with his son Zhu Jianji. All kinds of deeds have been criticized by future generations. As a result, Zhu Jianji died young, and the position of crown prince was vacant. In the eighth year of Jingtai, Emperor Jingtai suddenly became seriously ill and bedridden. For a moment, people were panicked. I don't know who will take over this huge empire.

At that time, Wuqing Marquis Shi Heng, Governor Zhang Xu, Taichangqing Xu Bin, Left Deputy Imperial Shi Xu Youzhen, and the eunuch Cao Jixiang under the former Wang Zhenmen began to plot to support the emperor. In the early morning of the seventeenth day of the first month, Shi Heng and Xu Youzhen led thousands of troops to control Chang'an Gate and Donghua Gate. The group smashed open the gate of Nanguan, knelt down in front of Emperor Zhu Qizhen, and shouted in unison: "Please ascend the throne Your Majesty." Zhu Qizhen was helped to ascend to the public opinion, and the group immediately rushed to Fengtian Temple. His Royal Highness's guards shouted loudly, and he shouted, "I am the Emperor too." The guards had no choice but to retreat.

On the morning of the 17th, according to the custom, the hundred officials waited in the room outside the noon gate before the fifth watch. Suddenly, the bells and drums in the palace rang in unison, the official door was wide open, and Xu Youzhen announced loudly that the Emperor Taishang had been restored. The stunned ministers and officials had no choice at this time, and under the urging of Xu Youzhen and others, the whole team joined the official to congratulate. After a lapse of eight years, Zhu Qizhen finally sat on the throne of Fengtian Hall again and became the Ming Emperor again.

Shi Heng and others broke open the gate of Nangong and welcomed Zhu Qizhen to reinstate, which is known as the "change of seizing the door" in history, and also called the restoration of Nangong. [4]

Two emperors coexisted

On the seventeenth day of the first month of the eighth year of Jingtai, Zhu Qizhen was reset, and on the twenty-first day of the first month, it was changed to Yuan Tianshun.

On the day of the reinstatement, he issued an order to arrest Yu Qian, the secretary of the military department, and Wang Wen, the secretary of the ministry. Du Yu Shi Xiao Weizhen suggested that the two be executed for the crime of treason. The emperor hesitated, saying that Yu Qian had merit in resisting Warat back then. Xu Youzhen said, if you don't kill Yu Qian, you will be nameless. The emperor finally agreed, and on the 22nd, Yu Qian and Wang Wen were executed for the crime of treason, and their families were confiscated. Subsequently, the civil and military officials recommended by Yu Qian were affected.

In a hurry, the emperor did not have time to depose Emperor Jingtai, and it was not until the first day of February that he remembered to depose Emperor Jingtai as the king of Yu. Therefore, in just a few days, there were two legitimate emperors in one imperial court, which cannot but be said to be a miracle.

In February, the emperor deposed Zhu Qiyu as the king of Yu and placed him under house arrest in Xiyuan. The king died at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve. The emperor still seemed to be angry, and gave him a vicious name, called 戾. With the gift of the prince, he was buried in Xishan.

On the sixteenth day of the first month of the eighth year of Tianshun (February 23, 1464), the emperor died at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve, and was buried in Yuling, with the temple name Yingzong.

Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen reigned twice before and after, a total of 22 years. Thirty-seven years of life, seven years of prince, fourteen years of emperor, eight years of solitary confinement, and finally eight years as emperor. The young man does not know the taste of sorrow, the blood of the wanton northern expedition, coupled with the hesitation of falling from the throne and the panic of no freedom, he finally regained it, and he is diligent in his work, such a life is not complicated. [10]

Yingzong's edict to abolish the funeral system of palace concubines since Ming Taizu was, to a certain extent, perhaps a little inspiration after his tribulation.