On August 12, the 22nd year of Yongle, Zhu Di, the emperor of Yongle, died of illness in Yumuchuan, with satisfaction and regret, with a body of glory and controversy, at the age of 65.

During Zhu Di's reign, he reformed the organization and set up the Guizhou Chengxuan Political Envoy Department, which consolidated the border defense between the north and the south and maintained the integrity of China's territory. Zheng He was sent to the West many times, which strengthened friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries. At the same time, he also ordered people to edit the "Yongle Canon" and dredge the Grand Canal. In 1421, the capital was moved to Beijing, which played a very positive role in strengthening the rule of the Ming Dynasty. During his reign, he will develop from the devastation situation after the Jingjing Disaster to a prosperous era of economic prosperity and strong national strength, which is known as the "Yongle Prosperous Era" in history.

When the crown prince Zhu Gaochi heard the bad news, he cried and fainted for three days, and the water and rice did not enter for three days. Finally, with the support of the ministers, Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne in the Taihe Palace, and this year he continued to use the name of the first emperor Yongle, and next year he changed his name to Hongxi.

Emperor Hongxi asked Yang Shiqi and others to discuss, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, Yang Pu, Jin Youzi, Xia Yuanji are the prince's team, and they are the ministers of the humerus left by Zhu Di to him.

If in normal times, more than a million subjects and ordinary people are on duty, or open shops and do business, or walk the streets and alleys, or visit relatives and friends, it is very lively, but now it is a little deserted, the streets are in a hurry, there are few customers in the restaurants and teahouses, and the white filial piety clothes are hung everywhere.

Yongle Emperor Zhu Di was a guest, and the entire Beijing Division suddenly quieted down, and Zhu Gaochi ordered the subjects of the world to only serve filial piety for three days, not exceeding the scale of the emperor's grandfather Zhu Yuanzhang in accordance with the etiquette system of the emperor's grandfather. But Zhu Gaochi is a filial son, and while sending someone to Yumuchuan to pick up his father's dragon body, he took filial piety to the office and kept filial piety for three months.

Zhu Di's death also means the end of an era, this era began with Zhu Di Fengtianjing and snatching the throne of his nephew, his father Zhu Yuanzhang killed heroes in the later period, resulting in Zhu Yuanzhang having no available generals in the later period, Zhu Yunwen was defeated step by step, Zhu Di took over the Ming Dynasty full of holes, internal and external troubles, in this case, he established his own authoritative rule, fought against foreign aggression, made the territory of China more complete, repaired the Yongle Grand Canon, promoted culture, moved the capital to Shuntianfu, and stitched up the differences between the scholars and the people in the north and south, Send Zheng He to the West to promote the prestige of the Ming Dynasty and promote exchanges with foreign countries.

After the barbaric destruction of the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty was the implementation of the national hierarchy, the exploitation of the people, especially the Han nationality, the Han nationality in the Central Plains was a great destruction, the Yuan Dynasty only talked about force, despised culture, enclosed a lot of fertile land as manors and pastures, gave to the aristocracy, the people were displaced, and almost returned to the slave society from the feudal society. Later, the commoner Zhu Yuanzhang successfully resisted and established the Ming Dynasty, which ended the days of Han enslavement. Zhu Di pushed the prestige of the Central Plains Dynasty to the peak again, it can be said that Zhu Di almost recreated China, and it is precisely because of this merit that no matter how much it is smeared by later generations, it cannot deny Zhu Di's greatness.

Chen Yuan escorted Zhu Di back to Beijing all the way from Yumuchuan, and felt sad about the departure of a generation of emperors.

Returned to the capital, a grand funeral was held, Chen Yuan was like a wooden man, followed by kowtow, the emperor died, there are too many etiquettes to be paid attention to, and if you are not careful, you will be judged to be disrespectful.

After staying in the palace for three days, he couldn't really meet Zhu Gaochi alone, but he saw Zhang, who was already the queen, Chen Yuan's heart was inexplicably hot, and Zhang didn't look at him, as if nothing had happened.

For more than a month, Chen Yuan barely slept a day, and he didn't have time to go back to see his family, but only exchanged a few words with his father-in-law Jianyi in private. When everything was finally over and he could go back, Wang Zhen suddenly came to Chen Yuan and shouted, "Oh no, Your Majesty has fainted!" ”

Chen Yuan's worried situation finally happened, Zhu Gaochi was already in poor health, the old man died, and Zhu Gaochi, who was the most filial piety, fainted many times because of excessive grief, in fact, during this time, Zhu Gaochi didn't think about tea and dinner every day, and his body was already seriously overdrawn.

In this way, how can we manage the government?

Chen Yuan hurriedly followed Wang Zhen to see the new emperor, his fat figure, yellow robe were specially customized, his face was pale, and his lips were trembling slightly.

In front of the bed, Yang Shiqi and other scholars were there.

Fortunately, Zhu Gaochi was only in a coma for a while, and soon woke up under the treatment of the imperial doctor, which made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

"You're all here?" Zhu Gaochi said weakly.

"Your Majesty, you have to protect the dragon body." Yang Shiqi touched his tears and said, he was really worried about Zhu Gaochi's body.

Zhu Gaochi shook his head: "It's an old problem." ”

"The whole country, still waiting for Your Majesty's arrangement, please Your Majesty's condolences, cheer up, the world is very fortunate, the people are very fortunate." Xia Yuanji Road.

Zhu Gaochi sighed: "Since I was born, the imperial examination has been in the middle of the war, this Ming Dynasty, he has suffered a lot, he has borne infamy, he has suffered a lot, as a son, I have not been able to help anything, whenever I think of it, I can't help but be sad-" As he spoke, he left tears, and Xiao Huangmen hurriedly took a handkerchief and wiped it for His Majesty.

Everyone present was moved, and finally said, "Please mourn Your Majesty." "Zhu Gaochi has been ignoring political affairs for a month, this is autumn, the grain tax, the construction of the new emperor's imperial mausoleum, and the arrangements for the funeral of Zhu Di's concubines have not been dealt with, and the ministers are busy like ants on a hot pot.

"You guys go out first." Zhu Gaochi waved his hand.

Look at me, ministers. I look at you, and I see that Zhu Gaochi has closed his eyes, and he is really helpless, and he can only wait for His Majesty to get better. worried, thinking that Zhu Di, the ruthless emperor, was gone, and he could have a big fight with the benevolent prince, but the benevolent lord ascended the throne, and he was sick every day, and he couldn't do anything.

Chen Yuan followed them out, but heard Zhu Gaochi say, "Retreat, you stay." ”

The ministers are you look at me again, I look at you, yes, the new emperor still spoils this young man.

After the ministers all went out, Wang Zhen also led the little yellow door out and closed the door.

"Your Majesty, take care of yourself."

Zhu Gaochi struggled with difficulty, unable to sit up, and Chen Yuan couldn't help him, so he heard him say sadly: "You tell me about the details of my father's funeral, what did my father say?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Yuan told the details of the night of the shower.

Zhu Gaochi listened attentively, and when he heard that there was no light around his father's funeral, and it was very desolate, he couldn't stop being sad, crying and exclaiming, "Father, the sons are not filial, and the sons are not filial." ”

"Your Majesty is nothing more than sad, and when Your Majesty left, his expression was very peaceful." Chen Yuan then told Zhu Di about summoning Zhu Gaosui. Hearing his father's evaluation of his three brothers, he was kind, the second brother was violent, and the third brother was ranked low, Zhu Gaochi had mixed feelings. In fact, he has always known that he does not like his father, only he is the eldest son, and with the support of the ministers, he can finally ascend the throne smoothly.

"How is the second brother and the third brother on the surface?"

"Your Majesty—" Chen Yuan hesitated.

"Tell me the truth."

"Your Majesty was entrusted on his deathbed, and Weichen persuaded him, and King Zhao expressed his obedience to His Majesty's rule, and without the support of King Zhao, King Han practiced martial arts in the army every day and did nothing."

Zhu Gaochi smiled with difficulty: "My two younger brothers have long been dissatisfied with me, and the poor father and emperor are still planning for me before leaving, retreat, your merits, I remember it in my heart." ”

"It's Your Majesty's blessing, the minister has no merit, and the minister has two recitals, please accept it."

Chen Yuan usually rarely makes suggestions, Zhu Gaochi looked solemn and asked, "Say it." ”

"First, the prince was established early, and His Royal Highness the grandson was originally canonized by the first emperor, so it is logical that he should be established as the prince."

Zhu Gaochi was stunned for a moment, and immediately knew the far-reaching nature of Chen Yuan's suggestion, although he won the battle for the throne, but the two younger brothers still had military power in their hands. His health is very poor, once something happens, he can't deal with it in time, and only when he establishes the crown prince can the prince justifiably order the ministers.

"Yes, there's a second one."

"Second, the minister has been hearing the harem crying for the past few days, it turned out that His Majesty wanted to let the concubines of the first emperor be buried, and the ministers thought it was impossible, and the former Qin Emperor was buried with terracotta figurines, which was praised through the ages, Your Majesty-" It turned out that starting from Zhu Yuanzhang, the concubine burial system began to prevail again.

When Zhu Yuanzhang died, there were forty-six palace people who were buried. When Ming Chengzu Zhu Di died, there were more than 30 palace people who were buried. In the Korean "Records of the Li Dynasty", it was recorded that the palace maids at that time gave Zhu Di a funeral: "After the more than 30 palace maids waiting for the funeral finished eating, they were led into a palace, and the miserable cries shook the palace. The palace maids were sent to the wooden bed in turn, and the eunuchs pressed the heads and necks of the palace maids into the ferrule of the ribbon, and then pulled the wooden bed, and the palace maids stopped breathing in the fierce struggle, and hung one by one like pheasants with long necks. At that time, when one of Zhu Di's concubines, Han, died, she kept calling out to her nurse: "Mother, I'm going!" Mother, I'm going!" The shouting continued, and the bed was removed.

Zhu Gaochi shook his head: "The funeral of the concubine is a rule left by the emperor's grandfather, and my father has been wronged all his life, how can he not let a few people accompany him?" ”

"Your Majesty's governance of the country, based on benevolence, the Ming Dynasty has been founding for more than 60 years, and all kinds of waste are waiting to be revived, and it needs to be carried forward in the hands of Your Majesty, filial piety, and etiquette, the first emperor is Your Majesty's father, then the first emperor's concubine is Your Majesty's mother, Your Majesty buried her mother, what is filial piety? The burial of the living is really against human ethics, please think twice. ”

After Chen Yuan finished speaking, Zhu Gaochi's face was extremely ugly, but he didn't have a seizure, and it made sense if he thought about it carefully.

After a quarter of an hour, Zhu Gaochi said slowly: "Qing is reasonable, but the rules of the emperor's grandfather cannot be abolished, so those who are voluntarily martyred will be given knighthoods to their families, and those who are not willing to be martyred will move to another palace." "That's where the emperor's concubines live, and now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, they are about to move their places.

Chen Yuan sighed in his heart, knowing that Zhu Gaochi had made a lot of determination and adopted his opinion, and he could not completely abolish the burial of the living. Because of the knighthood, many people can't do it in their lifetime, and the emperor can be knighted by the funeral, and the family will enjoy the happiness, and there will be people who are willing, but there will not be many martyrs, and if you want to abolish the funeral, you have to take it step by step.

After saying his opinion, Chen Yuan retired, and just outside the door, he met the crown princess - no, the current queen, this is the first time he has met since returning to Beijing, and the two of them couldn't help but tremble.

"See the Queen."

Zhang was stunned, raised his eyes and saw that Zhu Gaochi was asleep inside, and couldn't help but glance at Chen Yuan. That elegance is peerless, so that Chen Yuan almost climbed down, my mother, I don't want to die.

"Three days later, Tongjiao Temple." She said it in a low voice, but Chen Yuan heard it clearly.

In his stunned moment, the queen said lightly: "No courtesy." Then he went into the palace to see the emperor.