A good shooter is not famous for his arrows, but because he shoots accurately.

- Buyi proverb

In the city of Nanjing, Zheng Enlai, the descendant of Saidianchi Gansiding and Zheng He's stepson, married and gave birth to two sons, one named Zheng Wanxian and the other Zheng Tingxian, so that the descendants under the name of Zheng He were passed down from generation to generation.

Although Zheng He lost his parents in childhood, experienced ups and downs, and was a eunuch, in the end, he was able to have a full house of children and grandchildren and a prosperous family, which can be regarded as a little compensation from the merciful God. The road to heaven and earth is said to be this truth.

Gong Chengxiang and Zheng Enlai were commended by Emperor Zhu Di of Yongle for following Zheng He to the West many times and contributing to the Ming Dynasty. However, Zhu Di's son, Mingrenzong Zhu Gaochi, was not interested in going to the West, and arranged two idle positions for the two of them.

Gong Chengxiang and Zheng Enlai didn't care either, and lived peacefully in Nanjing. Although the two families were Han and Hui respectively, they became world friends because of Zheng He. Their descendants always regard each other as their own relatives and often move around each other.

In the blink of an eye, time has come to the early 16th century.

In 1519, Gong Nannan, a descendant of Gong Huaizhou and the fifth granddaughter of Gong Chengxiang, was elected to the palace as a female official, and then followed Zhu Houzhao of the Ming Dynasty to tour the south.

In September of the following year, the emperor passed by Qingjiangpu on the way back, and saw the beautiful scenery on the water, and the fish flew to the shallow bottom, and immediately became a fisherman, so he drove a small boat to fish and play.

Suddenly, Gong Nannan heard the emperor shouting happily. It turned out that he saw a lot of fish when he was closing the net. He tried so hard to pull the net that the boat lost its balance, and he fell into the water.

Zhu Houzhao couldn't swim, so he was in a hurry in the water, fluttering indiscriminately.

The guards hurriedly jumped into the water and rushed to rescue him. However, he choked on the lake water in his lungs, and his body caught a cold again, which, combined with panic and palpitations, caused pneumonia. Since then, his health has deteriorated.

In January 1521, Gong Nannan participated in the grand ceremony presided over by Zhu Houzhao in the southern suburbs. When the emperor bowed down to heaven and earth, he suddenly spat blood from his mouth and fainted on the ground.

The ritual had to be terminated.

In April, Zhu Houzhao died at the age of 31, leaving no heirs.

Yang Tinghe, a powerful minister of the imperial court, acted as emperor for 37 days. He searched for an heir to the throne according to the ancestral teachings. Zhu Houzhao's only younger brother, Zhu Houwei, died young. So, he pushed up to Zhu Houzhao's father's generation. Zhu Houzhao's father's two brothers died young, and they had no children. Although the fourth brother Xingwang Zhu Youqi died, he had two sons, and the eldest son Zhu Houxi had also died, so he appointed the second son Zhu Houxi (zong) as the heir to the throne based on the principle of brother to brother.

Yang Tinghe thought in his heart: As long as he is clever enough and his IQ is high enough, he will definitely be able to be a good emperor.

The scheming Yang Tinghe made this choice, and another idea was that Zhu Houxi was young and easy to control. In his opinion, this child should be grateful to himself.

Yang Tinghe has survived three dynasties and has been in officialdom for decades, which can be described as a deep calculation. He never dreamed that this 15-year-old child was a genius enough to defeat him.

Gong Nannan has no objection to this result. She has long known that 15-year-old Zhu Houxi is Zhu Houzhao's cousin and is very smart. What she worries about is that the emperor is young and the ministers are autocratic.

On April 22, Yang Tinghe took Gong Nannan and other cadres to the fiefdom of Anlu, Hubei Province to greet Zhu Houxi and arrange for him to enter Beijing as emperor.

Zhu Houxi arrived in Liangxiang, outside Beijing, and had a first round of clashes with Yang Tinghe. According to Yang Tinghe's arrangement, the Ministry of Rites greeted Zhu Houxi with the etiquette of the prince.

Surprisingly, Zhu Houxi raised an objection: "The edict only let me inherit the throne, and did not say that I am the prince." ”

Yang Tinghe thinks that he is a veteran of the Three Dynasties, how can he obey the command of you, a hairy child? He flatly refused.

Zhu Houxi smiled confidently and calmly put forward his opinion: "If you have to arrange it this way, it's okay, but I won't succeed to the throne." ”

Yang Tinghe was dumbfounded. Only then did he realize that this hairy boy was so powerful.

63-year-old Yang Tinghe had no choice but to compromise with 15-year-old Zhu Houxi.

Seeing that the matter was finally resolved, Gong Nannan breathed a sigh of relief.

Yang Tinghe also breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know that worse trouble was yet to come.

After Zhu Houxi ascended the throne, he said that since he was already the emperor, his deceased father should no longer be the status of a vassal king, and should be posthumously regarded as the emperor.

In the eyes of the civil officials of the imperial court, this is a big rebellion. Scholars who abide by the way of Confucius and Mencius attach the most importance to the etiquette of monarchs and ministers.

Yang Tinghe stepped forward and had a second round of conflict with Zhu Houxi.

Under Zhu Houxi's step-by-step pressure, Yang Tinghe took the initiative to resign as the last resort: I am an old minister of the Three Dynasties, and most of the people in the court are my people. If you insist on what you say, I'll take a salary from the bottom of the kettle and see what you do!

Zhu Houxi was not shocked when he heard Yang Tinghe's resignation, and said flatly: "Since you want to leave, let's go." Lady Gong, you can send him more travel expenses and thank him for his contribution to the country. ”

The scheming Yang Tinghe was stunned. He hasn't experienced any storms and waves for decades? Now he actually capsized in the small gutter of Zhu Houxi.

Yang Tinghe decided to have a final showdown with the emperor. He led the ministers of the imperial court to an unprecedented unity. The opposition was overwhelming.

It was at this time that Gong Nannan saw an article written by a man named Zhang Xuan (cong). Zhang Xuan found a lot of evidence for the emperor to posthumously crown his parents, and quoted scriptures to refute the views of the ministers.

Zhu Houxi was deeply encouraged after reading the article recommended by Gong Nannan, and immediately added him to the rank of knight, making Zhang Xuan the leader of the Yili faction.

In the imperial court, there were two opposing factions: the Ritual Sect and the Protector Sect. The struggle is getting fiercer. Thanks to the emperor's support, the ranks of the Yili faction continued to expand.

The ministers of the Protectorate faction decided to collectively admonish the emperor. The incident of "blood spattering Zuoshun Gate" finally broke out.

One morning in August, it was time to show your hole cards.

Yang Tinghe's son Yang Shen entered the palace as usual. Standing in front of Zuo Shun Gate, he suddenly raised his arms and shouted: "The country has been raising soldiers for 150 years." Death is today! ”

The 229 ministers followed Yang Shen and cried loudly in front of Zuoshun's door. These civil officials are so painstakingly just to tell the young emperor - you have to listen to us!

For a while, the cry at the gate of the palace shook the sky, and there was chaos.

Zhu Houxi was naturally very annoyed, and immediately sent someone to arrest several ministers led by him and put them in prison.

The petitioning ministers were even more indignant. There was a commotion in front of Zuo Shun's door.

Zhu Houxi realized that it was impossible to reason with these scholars. He asked Gong Nannan to pass the word: "All officials who participate in the troubles will be demoted to one level above the fourth grade, and all those below the fourth grade will be beaten." Sticking is the most appropriate way to deal with these mediocre ministers. ”

The Jinyi guards quickly surrounded them from all sides, raised the wooden stick in their hands and beat the petitioning minister. The bodies of these literati are not strong in the first place, and they cannot withstand beatings at all. In one moment, 17 people died.

Zuoshun was bloodstained in front of the door.

Jinyiwei arrested 134 people and detained 86 people awaiting convictions.

Yang Shen, who took the lead in making trouble, was sent to the border Yunnan to join the army, and he was never allowed to return to Beijing. He recited his masterpiece in the south of Caiyun: "The rolling Yangtze River is passing away, and the waves are sweeping away the heroes." Success or failure turns empty. The green mountains are still there, and the sunset is red several times. On the white-haired fisherman river, accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze. A pot of turbid wine is happy to meet. How many things in ancient and modern times are laughing and talking. ”

For more than 40 years after that, no one dared to touch the emperor's authority again.

This year, Zhu Houxi was only 18 years old.

The Zuoshunmen Incident ended with the victory of the Emperor and the defeat of the Protectors. Zhu Houxi not only fulfilled his wish to posthumously crown his father as emperor, but also established his new prestige and began his autocratic rule.

Zhu Houxi issued an edict to abolish the maladministration of the Zhu Houzhao period, and killed the ministers Qian Ning, Jiang Bin and others. With the assistance of Zhang Xuan, he carried out drastic reforms, cracked down on the power of the ministers of the old dynasty, the imperial family, and the lords, dismissed the central officials of the world, reformed the imperial examination system, and reformed the foreign relatives and family seals, and achieved remarkable results.

There were many talents in that era. The literati compiled and published "Water Margin" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". "The Golden Vase Plum" and "The Legend of the Sword", "The Legend of the Phoenix", "The Legend of the Huansha" and other novels and opera masterpieces are in the process of writing

The power struggles of that era were fierce. Xia Yan, Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng are all veterans of officialdom who have read poetry and books and are deeply versed in power. The upright Xia Yan was killed by the vicious Yan Song. Yan Song didn't be happy for long. Xu Jie quickly solved Yan Song in a more ruthless way.

The young Zhu Houxi was majestic in the world, commanding hundreds of officials, using Yan Song to balance Xia Yan, and then using Xu Jie to balance Yan Song.

He only solves the big things, leaves the small things to the ministers, and then creates contradictions among the ministers and makes them attack each other. He has been constantly using power throughout his life. In his opinion, this is the only way to firmly control everything.

He's too smart, but, he's a little too smart.

Due to the long-term peace of the country, Zhu Houxi gradually lost his enterprising spirit, became increasingly corrupt, and abused the people's power to build major projects. The Ming Dynasty continued to weaken in his wisdom.

Zhu Houxi did not have no heirs at the beginning. When he was 30 years old, he finally got a noble son by relying on prescriptions. From then on, he respected Taoism, believed in magic to the point of fascination, and focused on cultivating Taoism, alchemy and scheming, so that he went mad. Because of the Taoist priest's words "the two dragons can't meet", he didn't even dare to see the prince and another son.

His respect for Taoism and reverence for ghosts and gods is closely related to the environment in which he grew up. Jing Chu is the source of Taoism. His parents were religious. The impact of hearing and seeing on him is self-evident.

Not only did he believe in the Tao, but he also demanded that all officials respect the Tao. Those who respect the Tao can be promoted to official positions and make fortunes. Those who dare to speak and advise will be cut off from their posts for the people, or killed with a cane on the spot.

Gong Nannan has reached the age of leaving the palace to get married. However, she is unwilling to be a housewife with a husband and children. She decided to follow the emperor and become a kun dao (i.e., dao gu) who practiced the Dharma in the palace.

At that time, many people had risen to heaven because of Taoism. Some literati also became prime ministers for writing Taoist ceremonies for the emperor praying to heaven. Yan Song is one of the representatives. Yan Song and his son Yan Shifan are both good at writing green words and speculating on the emperor's thoughts. Therefore, although the emperor knew about Yan Song's corruption and perversion, he was reluctant to deal with him.

Zhu Houxi was bent on the pursuit of immortality, and sent officials everywhere to search for alchemists and secret recipes.

He has been taking highly toxic mercury, realgar and virgin red pills for a long time, his health is getting worse and worse, and his temper is getting worse and worse, and he will kill the head of the minister or the court staff at every turn, causing everyone in the court to endanger themselves.

Under the pretext of selecting show girls, Zhu Houxi recruited some girls between the ages of 10 and 13 into the palace to collect the menstrual blood alchemy of virgins, in an attempt to obtain the vitality of immortality.

Once, a monk told him to use the dew every morning to make an elixir, and after taking it, he could live forever.

Zhu Houxi, who was obsessed with ghosts, organized many palace maids to collect dew for him.

In order to collect nectar, the palace maids, who were often busy until midnight, had to get up again in the early hours of the morning and go to the imperial garden to collect dew, causing more than 100 palace maids to be tired and sick.

The Xinuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, where Zhu Houxi lived at that time, was divided into two floors, with 24 beds. He changes his bed to sleep every day, on the one hand, considering personal safety issues, and on the other hand, it is also convenient for him to visit his concubines or palace maids at any time.

Zhu Houxi's reckless behavior caused the concubines and palace maids to resent him.

Gong Nannan found that some concubines and palace maids in the harem were suspicious, and secretly observed for a long time, but found no clues.

On a bitter night, Yang Jinying, Yang Lianxiang, Su Chuanyao, Yao Shucui, Xing Cuilian, Liu Miaolian, Guan Meixiang, Huang Xiulian, Huang Yulian, Yin Cuixiang, Wang Huaixiang, Zhang Jinlian, Xu Qiuhua, Zhang Chunjing, Deng Jinxiang, Chen Juhua and other 16 palace maids secretly discussed and decided to strangle him to death while the emperor was asleep.

On October 21, 1542, Zhu Houxi sent someone to inform Concubine Cao Duan that he had summoned her that night.

Concubine Cao Duan said to her best friend Wang Ningfei: "Let's do it tonight!" It's better than dying at his hands! You go and inform the palace maid Yang Jinying. ”

Concubine Cao Duan went to take a bath by herself after waiting for the emperor to rest.

Zhu Houxi slept soundly alone in the Xinuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.

Yang Jinying led a dozen young and weak palace maids and concubines and sneaked into the emperor's bedroom.

Yang Yuxiang handed a thick rope to Su Chuanyao. This thick rope is made of silk rope taken from the ceremonial guard. Su Chuanyao handed the leash to Yang Jinying again. Xing Cuilian handed the yellow silk rag to Yao Shucui. Yao Shucui covered Zhu Houxi's face with a yellow silk rag and choked his neck tightly. Xing Cuilian pressed his chest. Wang Huaixiang pressed his upper body. Su Chuanyao and Guan Meixiang held his left and right hands respectively. Liu Miaolian and Chen Juhua held down his legs respectively. When Yang Jinying tied the rope sleeve, Yao Shucui and Guan Meixiang pulled the rope sleeve hard.

Seeing that they were about to succeed, the rope sleeve was tied into a dead knot by Yang Jinying, and in the end they did not send this long-lived lord to a dead end.

The palace maid Zhang Jinlian was usually timid, but when she saw that the situation was not good at this time, she regretted it, and hurriedly ran out to report to Queen Fang.

The disheveled Empress Fang and Gong Nannan came to rescue the emperor and were pushed to the ground by the palace maids.

Wang Xiulan hurriedly asked Chen Juhua to blow out the palace lamp in Gong Nannan's hand.

Gong Nannan soon lit the palace lantern again.

Xu Qiuhua and Deng Jinxiang hurriedly extinguished the palace lights again.

Gong Nannan called a large number of eunuchs and guards to wipe out these palace maids.

Zhu Houxuan escaped death. He was in a coma for a long time due to excessive fright.

After waking up, Zhu Houxi was furious.

Empress Fang ordered Yang Jinying and other 16 palace maids to be escorted to the entrance of Xishi Street, cut off their limbs, cut their throats, and executed Ling Chi, and their heads were displayed to the public. More than 100 others have been implicated in deaths. This is the "Renyin Palace Change".

Empress Fang ordered someone to drag Concubine Wang Ning and Concubine Cao Duan, who did not report the information, to a secluded corner and hang them.

The frightened Zhu Houxi moved out of the Forbidden City in a panic and lived in the Wanshou Palace in Xiyuan (today's Beihai and Zhongnanhai, Beijing), handed over the government to Yan Song to preside, and lived in the palace to concentrate on cultivation, only seeking eternal life.

He has not been a director of the court for more than 20 years, and Yan Song has been in power for 17 years.

Yan Song established friends with the party, eliminated dissidents, and caused the military equipment to be slackened and financial constraints. Peasant uprisings were frequent. The social crisis is deepening.

In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the Tatar tribes unified the Mongolian tribes. Altan Khan was the most powerful during his reign, and repeatedly harassed the Han region of the Central Plains. In 1551, the Tatar Altan Khan came to the outskirts of Beijing, burned and looted, and left a few days later. The history is known as the "Gengxu Rebellion".

The border generals of the Ming Dynasty bribed Yan Song with most of the military rations in order to ensure the promotion of the officials, resulting in the hunger and exhaustion of the officers and soldiers, and the inability to resist the harassment of the Tatars, and often rebels.

The coastal defense along the southeast coast was very empty, and there was a shortage of warships in some important areas, which led to a large-scale invasion by pirates from the Japanese state. Although Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou and other famous anti-Japanese generals won decisive victories, in the years after 1552, the Japanese killed 100,000 soldiers and civilians in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Chun'an Zhixian Hui Hai Rui was promoted to the head of the household department, seeing that the emperor was not doing his job properly and the country was in danger, he wrote "Straight Talk about the First Thing in the World" with patriotic enthusiasm, severely criticizing the emperor for wanting to live forever, without the love of father and son, monarch and minister, and husband and wife, and then bought his own coffin, said goodbye to his wife and children, dismissed the children, and gave the emperor a death advice.

Zhu Houxi was going to kill the bold Hai Rui.

Xu Jie interceded for Hai Rui: "Hai Rui wants to be a competitive." Does the emperor want to fulfill his reputation as a loyal servant? ”

Zhu Houxi said stupidly: "Compare him to a gan, haven't I become the king of faint kings?" ”。

Zhu Houxi imprisoned Hai Rui and ignored him for 10 months.

On January 23, 1566, Zhu Houxi died of poisoning, completing his life path.

On the same day, Gong Nannan, who was a female official and Kun Dao, also mysteriously disappeared