Chapter Twelve: Zhu Zhanji is a good comrade

  Zhu Zhanji

  Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji

  Zhu Zhanji was a good emperor, not just a little good, but very good.

  He was diligent in government affairs, restored production, cared about the hardships of the people, and often went on private visits to the countryside. However, he did not do it in the manner of Emperor Qianlong's southern tours. He traveled incognito, without pomp, did not impose burdens on local governments, and only brought a few guards with him each time.

  One time, he went to pay respects at his father's tomb (Yuling), and on the way back, he passed through Changping (now Beijing's Changping District). He saw several elderly farmers working very hard in the fields. The emperor naturally liked this kind of model laborer, so he called over a nearby guard to summon one of the farmers for questioning. He asked why they were working so diligently, and since the farmer probably didn't know his identity, the emperor got an answer that he absolutely did not expect.

  The farmer replied, "We plant in the spring, weed in the summer, and harvest in autumn. If we slack off at any time, our livelihood for the year will be ruined. We can't even pay the land rent, let alone support our wives and children. All we can do is work non-stop every day."

  Zhu Zhanji sighed, and only then did he understand that these people were working so desperately not for his kingdom or dynasty, but just to survive.

  This answer also made Zhu Zhanji very embarrassed, and he could only mediate by saying: "Then you can rest in the winter."

  This time it was the farmer's turn to sigh. He said: "In winter, the government's corvee labor will be dispatched, and we still have to go out to work."

  Zhu Zhanji looked at the farmers in the fields with their perpetually bent waists and felt deeply moved, ordering his guards to prepare to return to the palace.

  The peasant could hardly have known the identity of the person who was questioning him, and he could never have imagined that his conversation with this person would be passed down in history.

  Zhu Zhanji returned to the palace and wrote an article overnight, describing his experience this time. He sent it to all the ministers and said emotionally: "The people are so hardworking just to make a living, how can we not cherish their strength?"

  Of course, whether the emperor's sighs can touch these old politicians is uncertain, but from this story we can see that Zhu Zhanji is a wise man and one who can sympathize with the suffering of the common people.

  In fact, because his grandfather Zhu Di was too powerful, whoever dared not to obey him would be beaten, and sometimes he would even find trouble with others for no reason. Although it seemed very impressive at first, it also increased the burden on the people. When the army went out to fight, they needed food, laborers, and a lot of money. Zhu Di himself did not farm or make money, so he would ask his subordinates for it. The officials naturally wouldn't farm either, so they would put all the burdens on the common people.

  By the late Yongle period, many places had already appeared to be deserted and production had suffered great destruction. Zhu Zhanji did not have his grandfather's grand ambitions, but he understood that it was now time to rest and recover.

  Fortunately, his father left him assistants like "Three Yangs". Faced with the current situation of declining people's livelihood, Zhu Zhanji was eager to make a big move.

  But before he could start his big plan, he had to take care of one person first.

  It's finally come to rebellion!

  Mr. Zhu Gaoyi finally couldn't bear it anymore.

  He lamented that he had chosen the wrong profession, why did he have to go into a field of intrigue, this line although not very competitive, but requires extremely high quality, although there are successful people like Yao Guangxiao as his glorious model, but also can't guarantee his own success.

  To be a successful villain or conspirator, the key is to improve one's own quality.

  Zhu Gaoxu's quality is not good, after decades of plotting and scheming, nothing has been achieved, several emperors have risen and fallen before his eyes, now even his own younger generation Zhu Zhanji has come to power, as a plotter, Zhu Gaoxu's career is a failure, and he really mixed too poorly.

  What's even more unbearable is that his intention to rebel has become an open secret, from the emperor down to the common people, everyone knows that this gentleman wants to rebel. The biggest feature of being a conspirator is to work secretly and underground, in comparison, Mr. Zhu Gaoxu can be considered a shame to this industry, and is also ridiculed by his peers.

  More than 20 years of nothing to show for it, the rebellion was made known to all, and everything not only insulted Mr. Zhu Gaoxue's character but also his intelligence.

  I don't want to wait anymore, nor can I bear it any longer! Brother, it's not easy for me to have mixed for over 20 years! I'm rebelling!

  Zhu Gaowei was excited, but he didn't lose his mind. Before the rebellion, he sent his trusted aide, Mei Qing, to the capital to find someone. He believed that with years of friendship, this person would definitely stand on his side. As long as he could pull this person over, everything would be settled!

  In the seventh month of Xuande 1 (1426), Mei Qing sneaked into the capital to find Zhu Gaoxu's good friend, Zhang Fu.

  Zhang Fu warmly received him, after sharing a friendly conversation, he inquired about Zhu Gaoyu's intentions and Meng Qing's purpose. It can be said that Zhang Fu was a straightforward person, without any nonsense. He didn't even have time to arrange a place for Meng Qing to sleep, and instead had him tied up and sent to Zhu Zhanji overnight.

  Friend? Friendship? Bah! Time is pressing!

  Zhu Zhanji learned of this news but did not want to take action and hoped for a peaceful resolution.

  To achieve this goal, he sent the central official Hou Tai to Le'an, Shandong to find Zhu Gaoyu, hoping that the other party could rein in their horses.

  But what happened next was beyond everyone's expectation.

  Hou Tai came at the behest of the Emperor, and was met by Zhu Gaocuo, who was arrogant and overbearing. This rebellious brother was full of pride, and actually sat facing south when meeting the imperial envoy, with an air that seemed to say "I'm rebelling, who's afraid of me?"

  But what Zhu Gaoyu said next was clearly his true intention:

  "In the Jingnan era, without my efforts, there would not be today. As a result, Zhu Di listened to slander and had me banished to this place. Renzong wanted to use gold and silk to entice me, while the current emperor wants to use ancestral rules to suppress me. How can I possibly stay in this place for long?"

  Then he voluntarily showed his troops and military equipment to Hou Tai, saying with a bare face:

  "This will suffice to conquer the world! Go back and tell your lord (report to your master), bring those treacherous officials who have been inciting him to me, and then we can continue our discussion (and I'll get what I want)."

  Look at these words, so-called "return to your lord" and "slowly discuss what I want", giving three points of color, but wanting to open a dye shop! The word "shameless" is worthy of it.

  From ancient times to the present, scoundrels like Zhu Gaogui all have a common characteristic: they themselves engage in sinister plots, yet always like to frame others, giving them face while being shameless.

  Dealing with such a rascal, it's really unnecessary to talk about reason, the best way is to give him a loud slap.

  You're actually very fragile

  Things have come to this, and it's time to take action. Zhu Zhanji convened a military meeting to discuss how to quell the rebellion. At that time, all the ministers thought that Yang Wuhou Xue Lu should be sent to lead the troops to quell the rebellion, while Zhang Fu was even more enthusiastic, hoping to lead 20,000 soldiers to sweep away his old friend.

  Yang Rong raised an objection, believing that under current circumstances, if the Emperor personally led the campaign, he would definitely be able to defeat Zhu Gaoxu in one move.

  Zhang Fu was dissatisfied and started arguing with Yang Rong. The two sides were deadlocked, and the matter reached an impasse once again.

  Zhu Zhanji was also indecisive, sending troops out to fight would be easy, but victory could not be guaranteed, and personally leading the expedition would have momentum, but the danger was too great, and safety could not be guaranteed.

  At the moment when he was hesitating, Minister Xia Yuanyi only used one sentence to firmly establish Zhu Zhanji's determination to personally lead the expedition:

  "Has His Majesty forgotten about Li Jinglong?"

  Li Jinglong? Yeah, that's the one, Li Jinglong the rice bucket.

  At that time, Jianwen Emperor handed over the military power to this rice bucket, and as a result, he was defeated. Thinking of the end of this rice bucket, Zhu Di immediately made up his mind to personally go on a punitive expedition!

  Who says Li Jinglong is a useless waste? From this matter, it can be seen that even a useless waste can be useful. At least his foolishness has served as a warning to later generations, and his merits are boundless!

  In August 10, 1426, Zhu Zhanji personally led the expedition to Luan, and the army moved swiftly. By August 20, they had already arrived outside the city of Luan.

  Zhu Gaogui is indeed a rascal, but even a rascal wants to achieve something, and relying on trickery won't work; some real skills are still needed.

  He originally thought it was Xue Lu bringing troops to quell the rebellion, and didn't take it seriously. He hadn't expected his own good nephew to come in person, and he panicked, trying to organize the soldiers to resist, but few listened to him.

  It was at this time that Zhu Gaoyu discovered how fragile he was.

  Zhu Zhanji was indeed no ordinary person. On his military campaigns, he once asked his ministers:

  "What do you think Zhu Gaoyu will do?"

  There was a minister who replied: "Le An is too small, he may attack Jinan to resist the great army."

  There were also officials who said: "He has been in Nanjing for many years and will certainly lead troops south."

  Zhu Zhanji smiled and shook his head, saying: "You are all wrong. Jinan is close but not easy to attack, and the army marches quickly, he can't even attack in time. Nanjing is even more impossible, his subordinates' families are all in Le'an, how could they be willing to go south?"

  "He will always be waiting for me in Le'an."

  It is indeed true that Zhu Gaoxu had always been in Le'an, but it was not because he wanted to fight to the death, but rather because he had nowhere else to go.

  After the arrival of the great army, they did not launch a fierce attack, but only fired cannons and shot arrows at the defenders on the city wall. Although it was not a real attack, the momentum was very intimidating. The defenders in the city originally had no fighting spirit, and now they were even more disheartened and fled in disorder.

  Zhu Zhanji fully understood the situation on the battlefield and the psychology of the soldiers, so he sent someone to tie the imperial edict to an arrow and shoot it into the city. The edict stated that the principle of punishing the main culprits and not asking about the accomplices would be followed, and two prices were set for Zhu Gaoyu: one for capturing him alive and another for killing him. The people in the city immediately became restless, and even the guards beside Zhu Gaoyu had their own plans. When they looked at Zhu Gaoyu, their eyes were like those looking at a golden pig's head.

  Zhu Gaoxu was in a desperate situation, so he sent someone to deliver a letter expressing his willingness to surrender and leave the city, but only hoped for one night's time to bid farewell to his relatives before beheading himself.

  Zhu Gaoyi said so and did so.

  The next day he prepared to open the city gate and surrender to Zhu Zhanji, but his general Wang Bin held him back and spoke some stern words:

  "I would rather die in battle than be taken prisoner!"

  Zhu Gaogui was stunned, he himself had prepared to surrender, but this subordinate still had such backbone. He immediately regained his spirit and declared that he would live or die with the city!

  After delivering a passionate and stirring speech, Zhu Gaoyu walked back to his command position with his head held high and chest out.

  Then he changed into a small road, sneaked out of the city and went to surrender to Zhu Zhanji, and also made his surrender speech:

  "I deserve ten thousand deaths, it's all up to Your Majesty to decide!" (I am guilty of death ten thousand times over, only by the order of Your Majesty)

  The farce ended here.

  Zhu Gaoxu is a thorough villain, unable to succeed in plotting or rebelling, not only lacking quality but also lacking integrity. A month ago, he was still boasting "returning to report to his lord" and "awaiting discussion on what I desire", but a month later, he became "I am guilty of death, only awaiting your majesty's orders".

  Not doing well as a good person, can't even be a bad one, such a living treasure really leaves people speechless.

  Zhu Gaogui, your name is weak.

  In this farce, Zhu Gaoyu played the role of a clown, but this play also inadvertently created a small character.

  After Zhu Gaoxu came out to surrender, according to the rules, the emperor had to send someone to condemn his crimes, in layman's terms, scold him, of course, this task was impossible for the emperor himself to do.

  So the emperor assigned an imperial historian by his side to complete this task of scolding, but what the emperor absolutely did not expect was that the imperial historian he casually assigned would scold with such flair and brilliance.

  After receiving the order, he stepped forward and faced the former powerful king, without any fear or timidity. He began to enumerate his crimes, scolding him loudly and clearly, with a stern expression that made everyone turn their heads in surprise. (His words were sharp and clear, his tone was severe and awe-inspiring.)

  Zhu Gaogui's fragile heart suffered another heavy blow, and under the severe attack of this imperial censor, he was scolded to the point where he couldn't lift his head, trembling uncontrollably on the ground.

  This scene left a deep impression on Emperor Zhu Zhanji, who was convinced that this man must be a talent to be cultivated. Upon his return, he immediately ordered the dispatch of this person as an inspector in Jiangxi (note: not as a governor).

  Inspecting outside the capital is indeed the duty of a censor, and it's not considered a promotion, but the emperor's move clearly intends to temper this person before reusing him.

  In history, it's not uncommon for treacherous and evil people to gain the emperor's favor and trust through some accidental brilliant performances, thus causing trouble for the country (such as He Shen), but in fact, Zhu Zhanji didn't misjudge this time. This loud-voiced imperial censor was indeed a rare talent.

  Twenty years later, he would stand out and strive to save the country from danger and achieve great success, leaving a lasting legacy.

  The name of this imperial censor was Yu Qian.

  The End of the Farce

  Although this rebellion ended in a very dramatic way, the comedy didn't end there. Mr. Zhu Gaoxue will continue to perform his hilarious act for us in the sequel of "Zhu Gaoxue's Rebellion".

  Zhu Zhanji was indeed a magnanimous person. Although many people advised him to kill Zhu Gaocuo, he did not do so and only imprisoned him in the dungeon of Xianmen Gate. It can be said that he had already shown great kindness to Zhu Gaocuo, but Zhu Gaocuo was a man who refused to repent until death.

  One day, Zhu Zhanji thought of his uncle and went to visit him. Before they had exchanged a few words, Zhu Gaoxu suddenly stretched out his foot and kicked Zhu Zhanji to the ground.

  Every time I see this place, I am at a loss, always unable to understand how Zhu Gaoyi thinks, whether his brain is filled with mush.

  Since your foot can hook him, it means the two of you are already very close. You can go up and bump into him, bite him, pinch him, or kick him, all of which would be effective. With so many methods available, you chose to just hook him once, like a naughty little kid's prank, it's really frustrating and laughable at the same time.

  The farce is not over yet, Zhu Zhanji, who was secretly calculated, was very angry, and the honest man also got angry, so he ordered a copper pot of 300 kilograms to be covered with Zhu Gaizhi, which means that he would not let him move again. But what happened later was really unexpected.

  Mr. Zhu Gaogui suddenly stopped being a comedian and started practicing weightlifting, he had great strength, and surprisingly lifted the vat, but because his head was covered and couldn't see clearly, he could only stumble around everywhere.

  Just stay still then, why must you move?

  This move will cost him his life.

  Zhu Zhanji witnessed the whole farce from start to finish, and he could no longer tolerate it. He then sent someone to hold down the large jar, found a lot of coal, pressed it on the jar, ignited the coal and burned it red, killing Zhu Gaoyu.

  This method of execution is very similar to the way a famous Jiangnan dish called "beggar's chicken" is made, but the name should be changed to "beggar's pig (Zhu)".

  Mr. Zhu Gaogui ended his colorful life in this way, and his life was a step-by-step failure from being a conspirator to a comedian and then a weightlifter, but we really have to thank him for making our history so colorful with his humorous actions.

  I have repeatedly doubted the authenticity of this record, because I really can't understand Mr. Zhu Gaoyi's behavior and reasons, suspecting that he is a mentally abnormal person. But in history, people's behavior is indeed difficult to understand.

  Regardless of whether Mr. Zhu Gaogui's spirit was normal or not, and whether the historical records were true or not, Zhu Zhanji finally got rid of this last burden and wholeheartedly became a wise and just ruler.

  Zhu Zhanji's reign was not long, only ten years, plus his father's reign, also only eleven years. However, the brief eleven-year period of their joint rule is widely regarded by later historians as comparable to the "Wenjingzhizhi" and is considered a golden age in Chinese history.

  Why such a high evaluation? Where does the prosperous age come from? It comes from recuperation and tranquility.

  In fact, the self-development ability of the common people in feudal society is not bad. Even if you don't give them ideological education, they know that they need to eat, make money and live a good life. As long as the government doesn't keep increasing taxes and labor services every day, giving these overburdened people some breathing space, they will work hard.

  Ming Xianzong was such an emperor who did not disturb the people. He didn't have his grandfather's great talent, but he knew that ordinary people also need to make a living and should be given space to survive.

  During his ten-year reign, he worked diligently every day, overworked, listened to the opinions of his ministers, handled various state affairs, and was able to properly handle conflicts with Mongolia without resorting to force whenever possible. As a result, there were no major incidents during his rule.

  It's not a good thing for people like me who tell stories, but it was a great merit for the common people at that time.

  A good emperor is like a good referee on a modern football field, his presence is everywhere, tirelessly running around, but never easily interrupting the rhythm of the game, even if foul play occurs, he can stop it in time and exit in time, without making himself the protagonist on the field.

  This is what a good judge should be like.

  Not disturbing the people's lives, increasing their burdens, doing what they should do, governing the people like water, and leading them with favorable circumstances is the highest realm of an emperor's governance.

  Such an emperor is a good emperor.

  Zhu Zhanji was a thorough and good emperor, and from the perspective of governing the country and pacifying the people, he was much stronger than his grandfather.

  Zhu Zhanji's Sorrow

  Zhu Zhanji was a wise ruler and a good emperor, but he also had his own sufferings.

  Is there anyone in the world who can make the emperor suffer?

  Yes, such people really exist. They are those officials who usually kneel down in the grand hall and appear to be very respectful.

  These ministers are not as obedient as they seem. Behind their humble appearance is a huge and terrifying entity with tremendous power.

  Since the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examination system has cultivated many civil servants and established a civil servant system. After several hundred years, this system finally flourished in the Ming Dynasty and nurtured a byproduct. Those elite who jumped into prominence through the imperial examinations formed an enormous powerful group - the civil servant clique - through their relationships as fellow provincials, fellow students, and colleagues.

  Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi was a recognized honest man, good emperor, but this good emperor was scolded by a minister named Li Shimian. Zhu Gaochi's behavior was very good, how could he be scolded? Where did this come from?

  Originally, Mr. Zhu Gaozhi did a few things after he ascended to the throne, wanting to change his maidservants, which seemed like an ordinary request for a new emperor, and also renovated the palace (not on a large scale), finally due to physical discomfort, he had not attended court for several days to meet with officials.

  These things seem to be no big deal, but Li Shimin wrote a very long letter, scolding the emperor, with strong logic throughout, without using any dirty words, and of high level. The following is an excerpt:

  So-called repairing palaces - "This is what is called exhausting the people's strength"

  The so-called selection of maidservants - "This is what is meant by being cautious and having few desires" (this sentence is quite harsh).

  What is meant by having several days without attending court - "This is what is called diligent governance" (Has Li Shimin ever taken a rest?)

  But it's not over yet, the harshest words are at the end. In conclusion, "This is what is meant by 'studying to be a good person'".

  The above can be translated into plain language as being extravagant and lecherous, with a negative attitude towards work and neglecting one's duties.

  Although Zhu Gaogui had a good temper, he couldn't help but beat Li Shimin. His anger was also justified. He worked diligently and conscientiously, but despite these small problems, he was given such a big hat, which was really embarrassing. After all, it was still a feudal society at that time, but this Li Shimin had some modern democratic consciousness, not taking the emperor as an official, and scolding him like that, no wonder Zhu Gaogui got angry.

  Zhu Baozi was so angry that he fell ill, but Li Shimin, who had been beaten, survived and when Zhu Zhanji ascended to the throne, he actually released the man who had scolded his father and even praised him.

  To be frank, what Li Shimin said indeed needs to be corrected, but as an emperor of a feudal society, these behaviors are not enough to be labeled with such a big hat. In fact, behind the so-called straightforward remonstrance, there is a complex historical and political background.

  Li Shimin's actions were not isolated, he represented a group of people, that is, the civil official clique.

  The characteristics of the bureaucracy group are as follows:

  Devouring books of poetry and especially the classics, studying day and night what is known as the Way of Sages.

  Insist on being lenient with others and strict with oneself, using the standards of a saint to demand from others.

  Skilled in scolding people, fighting, and gang fights.

  Die for a good cause, and your name will be remembered in history.

  It should be noted that this is only a general characteristic of the civil servant group and does not deny the positive significance of the civil servant group. In fact, there are also many excellent civil servants who are strict with themselves.

  Ming Xuanzong worked hard and diligently, did not indulge in sensual pleasures, and had no other hobbies. It should be said that there was nothing to criticize him for, but the officials who were good at studying problems still found a loophole.

  This Ming Xuanzong had no particular hobby, but he had a small one - fighting crickets in his spare time. Although this is not considered a healthy physical activity, it's also not a bad habit.

  The emperor also has his own way of leisure, you can't let him do a set of radio exercises every day as entertainment.

  But even this small hobby was criticized by the officials many times, and later it is unknown who was so cruel as to give this good emperor, who had worked himself half to death for his work and country, the nickname "Cricket Emperor".

  That's going too far.

  Their behavior can be described as overcorrecting, no matter who is the emperor, it's probably unbearable. You want to beat him, but that would still make him a hero, being beaten for speaking out for justice in the past was an honorable thing.

  Like Li Shimin, for example, after being beaten, he was not only unrepentant, but also felt proud and honored to have been beaten.

  During the reign of Ming Xianzong, the power of the civil official group was further developed, and the power of the cabinet became increasingly large, with the so-called "ticket draft".

  Piǎo nǐ, also known as tiáo zhǐ, refers to the draft opinions of ministers on various memorials and their attachment to the memorials for imperial review.

  The emergence of the ticket is inevitable. Zhu Zhanji obviously does not have the same work energy as his ancestors, and he is still busy with daily chores and cannot handle many memorials personally. Therefore, he arranged for the cabinet members to review the memorials on his behalf and put forward opinions on how to deal with them, which would also make him much more relaxed.

  Some people may ask, in that case, what power does the emperor have left? Isn't he being stripped of his powers?

  Everyone can rest assured that, except for a few exceptions, the emperors of ancient and modern times are not fools. The right to approve the cabinet's draft is only given to them so that they will do their job. The emperor still has a trump card in reserve, specifically used to suppress the power of the cabinet.

  This signature is the power of consent.

  Don't forget, the minister is just an employee of the emperor. Whether a policy can be implemented or not, the minister can only offer opinions and then write "please review" before submitting it to the emperor for approval. If the emperor disapproves, no matter how many thousands of words you've written, it's all useless.

  Zhu Di effectively grasped this point, mobilizing the enthusiasm of his ministers to work hard, but also preventing them from becoming arrogant and turning against their master. All memorials that had been drafted and reviewed could only be implemented after receiving the emperor's endorsement.

  Because the emperor used a red pen for endorsements, the emperor's power was called "endorsement in red".

  By this time, during the reign of Ming Xizong, the emperor's power was formally divided into two parts: "piāo nǐ" and "pī hóng". Zhu Yuanzhang would never have dreamed that in less than thirty years, the political system he had painstakingly built up would be easily smashed and altered.

  In the more than 200 years of Ming dynasty history that followed, the power of "ticket drafting" was always held by the Grand Secretaries, while the power of "vermilion endorsement" was not always in the hands of the emperor. Before long, this power would be seized by another group of people who rose to the political stage.

  These people are eunuchs.

  Ming Xuanzong had never done anything bad in his life, nor was he fond of wine and women. Except for being criticized a few times for liking to fight crickets, there were no other misdeeds, but one thing was an exception.

  Some later generations even believed that the wrong thing done by Ming Xuanzong laid a hidden danger for the destruction of the Great Ming Dynasty.

  What exactly did he do that was so harmful and inhumane?

  To put it bluntly, he didn't do much, just got involved in some educational business - teaching eunuchs to read.

  In the first year of Xuande (1426), Ming Xuanzong suddenly ordered the establishment of "Neishutang" to teach eunuchs to read books. Everyone should know that in China, where the concept of passing on the family line is extremely serious, those who become eunuchs are only doing so out of necessity and for a living. These people naturally had no culture, and Zhu Zhanji's purpose in opening this school was precisely to teach these eunuchs to read and write.

  But he would never have thought that this cultural enlightenment movement not only swept away the eunuchs' illiteracy, but also swept away the last obstacle to their entry into politics.

  It's not hard to be a bad person, but it's very difficult to be an extremely bad person. An uncultured bad person can only commit petty crimes like theft and robbery, at most causing trouble for their neighbors. However, a well-read bad person can bring disaster to the country and harm people all around.

  From the subsequent development of things, Zhu Zhanji's move indeed cultivated a lot of extremely bad people.

  Many people think that Zhu Di's move was indeed wrong, but his intention was just to let these eunuchs learn some culture and had no other motives.

  Is it really like this?

  I think not. In my view, Zhu Zhanji was intentional. Legally speaking, it means that he knew his actions would lead to the eunuchs' interference in government affairs, but hoped for or allowed such a result to occur.

  This emperor was thick-skinned but not stupid, and this move of his had political intentions.

  But in order to reveal the secret behind this behavior of his, we must introduce our next topic:

  How eunuchs were made.

  How Eunuchs Are Made

  To clarify, this topic has nothing to do with physiology and does not delve into the fatal blow that takes a life. Instead, it discusses this special group and their true reasons for participating in politics.

  The term "eunuch" is very familiar to everyone, and most people will also add a "dead" word before this title, scolding people is refreshing and easy to understand.

  In fact, in the Ming Dynasty, it was not an easy thing to mix with eunuchs. The so-called eunuch is the leader of the eunuchs, and not everyone has the qualifications to be called a eunuch.

  Not to mention eunuchs, even wanting to be an ordinary official is not easy. In the Ming Dynasty, being a eunuch was a highly sought-after job.

  It's not easy to make a living in this world, even if you have the courage to endure that one cut, you still need to be lucky enough to enter the palace. Don't think it's simple to become an eunuch, it also requires selection and interviews. Official castration sites only castrate those who have been selected. To say something cold, if others don't look up to you, you won't even have the qualification to be castrated.

  In the Ming Dynasty, many people castrated themselves without official permission and then ran to Beijing to become eunuchs. Many of them were not selected and returned home to end their lives, but there were also successful ones (such as Wei Zhongxian who became very famous).

  By the mid-Ming dynasty, due to too many people wanting to become eunuchs, many ambitious individuals who wanted to devote themselves to the eunuch career did not have the opportunity to be processed by the authorities and took the initiative to cut off their offspring. However, they were unable to enter the palace later. They could not start a family or establish a business, and could only wander around, making them an unstable factor in society.

  In response to this situation, the later Ming government promulgated a very special decree:

  Strictly prohibited from self-castration!

  All I can say is that this is a wonderful world.

  In the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs had many levels. When they first entered the palace, they could only serve as dianbu, changsui, or fengyu. If they performed well, they could be promoted to jiancheng, and then further promoted to shaofu. The superior of shaofu was the famous taijian.

  It's clear that becoming a eunuch is really not easy at all.

  Eunuchs had a specialized institution, with twenty-four departments, including twelve monitors, four bureaus and eight offices. Only the highest leader of eunuchs could be called Taipan. These twenty-four departments were divided into different tasks, not only handling palace affairs but also handling some government affairs.

  In fact, among these eunuchs' departments, there are also differences in weight and importance. The heavier ones hold great power, while the lighter ones are as light as a feather. A newly entered palace eunuch who wants to make a name for himself must first see which department he is assigned to.

  If you are assigned to the Imperial Guard or the Royal Stables, then congratulations are in order. Your eunuch career will be bright and promising. With continued hard work, it is possible to either bring glory to your ancestors or leave a stench that lasts for ten thousand years.

  Because these two institutions are the most powerful eunuch institutions, the Department of Ceremonial Affairs is in charge of internal and external memorials, equivalent to the emperor's private secretary. As we mentioned earlier, the emperor gave the power of drafting to the Grand Council, and he himself retained the power of endorsement.

  By the time of Ming Xianzong, due to the large number of documents, Zhu Qizhen himself did not have time to read them all, so he would let the people from the Department of Ceremonial Affairs copy down the contents according to the prepared drafts, and act on his behalf in exercising the power of vermilion endorsement.

  The person who wrote on behalf of the emperor had a special title - the eunuch who held the pen for the imperial ceremonies.

  Thus, the sole power to veto the cabinet's decisions fell into the hands of the eunuchs who held the brush.

  By the late Ming dynasty, emperors no longer managed state affairs. Some eunuchs would take matters into their own hands, issuing edicts arbitrarily, and officials below them could not even file complaints. Because your complaint can only be filed to the emperor, but the person who reviews the complaint on behalf of the emperor is likely to be the person you are complaining about, so can you get the complaint through?

  It can be seen from this that the eunuch who holds the pen is in a high position and has great power.

  However, this eunuch who held the pen was still not the most powerful eunuch. Above him was another - the Eunuch in Charge of the Imperial Seal.

  This is easy to understand, in China where the culture of seals is very developed, no matter how much you write, if I don't give you my seal, you can't do anything.

  Once the eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Household Department took over as the head of the Eastern Depot (such as Feng Bao and Wei Zhongxian), they truly wielded enormous power, shaking the entire country. In fact, almost all famous eunuchs of the Ming dynasty came from the Imperial Household Department; if there were an exhibition hall for famous eunuchs back then, the Imperial Household Department would undoubtedly have had the most portraits on display.

  The eunuchs of the Imperial Guard have left their posts.

  As an ambitious young eunuch, you should take these people as idols, strive hard and fight to leave a name in history! (Of course, generally speaking, it's usually infamous)

  If you are fortunate enough to become the head eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, it means that your eunuch career has reached its brilliant peak, and you have become a model among eunuchs, a successful person among eunuchs.

  If you also happen to have done some bad things, then your reputation will not be limited to this generation, but will be passed down through the ages for people to discuss and curse over tea and dinner.

  If you didn't get into the Imperial Censorate, but instead entered the Imperial Stables, then I'd like to congratulate you as well. This is also a good place, although it may not have produced as many famous people as the Imperial Censorate, there are still quite a few, such as the renowned Wang Zhi and Gu Dajun, who can be your role models.

  It must be explained that this so-called "Yu Ma Jian" is not in charge of horses, but rather manages the imperial military tally.

  By now everyone should also know why Yu Ma Jian is a promising department.

  The Department of Ceremonial Affairs and the Imperial Stables were one literary and one martial, becoming the most prestigious eunuch departments. All the palace eunuchs spared no effort to enter these two departments.

  There are good and bad things, if you unfortunately get assigned to Zhidiandian and Duzhidian, then you're in trouble.

  Because these two monitors have impressive names, they are actually in charge of only one thing - cleanliness and hygiene.

  These two monitors are not only in harsh conditions, but also no one looks up to them, and there is no office space (it seems that it is not needed), and they work hard sweeping leaves in autumn and snow in winter.

  Such departments naturally cannot attract many young officials.

  Having introduced the struggle history of eunuchs, let's talk about their participation in politics.

  In the eyes of many people, eunuch politics is probably such a scene:

  On a dark and windy night, in a gloomy house, several sinister eunuchs were plotting under the faint candlelight.

  A eunuch with a sly smile (standard expression) said to the person next to him: "The Minister of Works, Wang So-and-so, is obstructing our plan to seize power, we must get rid of him!"

  At this time another eunuch also sneered and said: "I think it's better to get rid of Servant Lang Zhang first."

  The eunuch leader (usually the worst one) spoke up: "Follow the plan, eliminate those loyal officials, and then replace the emperor. We'll take over the throne!"

  In the past, people's impression of eunuchs was that as soon as they were mentioned, they would be associated with scoundrels, and then the loyal ministers in the imperial court would fight tirelessly for justice and ideals against the scoundrels. If they succeeded, it was a victory of justice over evil; if they failed, it was a human tragedy.

  Is it really like this?

  I don't think so, people often focus too much on the actions of those so-called loyal ministers, but rarely discover how terrifying these ministers are.

  In our previous topic on how the prime minister was cultivated, we analyzed the division of power between the emperor and his ministers in the Ming Dynasty, using a tug-of-war metaphor. The emperor and his ministers stood on either side of the rope, constantly tugging at it. Zhu Yuanzhang was an excellent athlete with great physical strength, and during his lifetime, no one could pull the rope away from him.

  His son Zhu Di was also a sports ace, although he set up an inner cabinet, but still able to grasp the initiative.

  When it came to Zhu Zhanji, the situation was greatly different. The civil officials' clique was extremely powerful, and even the emperor couldn't control them.

  In the eyes of many people, the emperor can do whatever he wants and no one can control him. However, in reality, it was not easy to be an emperor in the Ming Dynasty. Those ministers were like a swarm of flies, not only would they give you their opinions, but sometimes they would even mock and satirize you, and you couldn't do anything about it.

  Ming Renzong was kind-hearted, but he was scolded to the point of being out of breath because of trivial matters. His son Zhu Zhanji behaved properly and only liked fighting crickets, but those people also took it as a crime to criticize him. The common people have their own hobbies, and the emperor can't have any.

  One end of the rope is an extremely powerful force, those seemingly upright ministers in our eyes have sufficient power to control the government, they are knowledgeable, strategic, capable and have many colleagues and peers.

  But this end of the rope is held by the emperor alone.

  The so-called supreme power of the emperor is nothing in the eyes of the big shots in the civil service group, scolding you, satirizing you, that's for the sake of national affairs, that's loyal advice, can you say they're wrong?

  Moreover, these old men cannot be killed or easily beaten; if you kill them, can you handle the official business by yourself?

  Labour model Zhu Yuanchang can naturally stand up and say: Kill them all, I can do it!

  But Zhu Zhanji couldn't say that.

  Twenty years after the death of Emperor Taizu, the balance was lost and the cabinet group that had gained voting rights became more powerful. The emperor alone could no longer hold on. If this continued, he would be manipulated at will by his ministers.

  Struggling to hold on, Zhu Zhanji was being pulled away step by step. At this moment, he saw someone standing beside him and said to the person, "You come, let's pull together!"

  From then on, this person participated in tug-of-war and became an important part of the game.

  His name is just called Eunuch.

  Eunuchs are more reliable

  I believe everyone now understands the emperor's suffering, he is not all-powerful, he also needs people, the ministers are well-read in poetry and books, but they don't necessarily listen to him, and to control these disobedient people, the emperor can only choose eunuchs.

  Are eunuchs really all bad people?

  At least the emperor did not think so, in his view, these people were very good, they had been with him since childhood, flying kites with him, playing with him, serving as his horse to ride, and being very obedient.

  We often misunderstand the relationship between eunuchs and emperors. In fact, many emperors who grew up with eunuchs since childhood regarded them as their own family members. If you were an emperor, would you prefer a companion who has been by your side since childhood, with whom you can talk about anything, and who is very obedient, or those ministers who are always serious, criticizing you, and interfering with your actions?

  I think anyone would choose the former.

  The power of the civil official group in the morning had reached a very arrogant level. They not only interfered with state affairs, criticized the emperor (some were indeed intentionally picking faults), but also monitored the emperor's private life. The emperor was not allowed to play truant, be lustful, or indulge in drinking, although they themselves did these things, but did not allow the emperor to do so (such as Zhang Juzheng).

  Thus, the emperors were left with only one choice:

  Let the eunuchs go to restrain the ministers.

  If we understand this point clearly, we will not be surprised at the favoritism Wang Zhen received, nor will we be indignant about the dictatorship of Liu Jin and Wei Zhongxian.

  Because their emergence is an inevitable development of the political system in the Ming Dynasty. Without Wang Zhen, there would be Li Zhen; without Liu Jin, there would be Xu Jin.

  Eunuchs were forcibly pulled onto the emperor's political chariot, they weren't born as treacherous and evil people, the actions of those officials weren't necessarily better than theirs, it's just that they were born lowly and had some psychological issues, so their behavior was more extreme and easier for people to resent.

  Looking at the entire Ming Dynasty, there were many bad eunuchs and not a few good ones. However, it is very strange that no matter how rampant the eunuchs were, they could never threaten the emperor's position. It should be noted that in Chinese history, the dynasty with the most powerful eunuchs and the most arrogant was not the Ming Dynasty, but the Tang Dynasty.

  In the late Tang Dynasty, eunuchs completely controlled state power and could even set up or abolish emperors, becoming the de facto supreme ruler of the country. In the Ming Dynasty, although the eunuchs held power and formed cliques, the emperor only needed to write a small note to deal with them (Ming Wu Zong).

  Through the above analysis, we should have a general understanding of Ming Xizong's purpose in ordering eunuchs to read books. This wise emperor would not do anything without a reason.

  He wants to cultivate not cultured and pursuing eunuchs, but warriors.

  Warriors who fight for him are enough to counter the literary group.

  Eunuchs are just pawns in the emperor's hands, nothing more.

  Thus, Zhu Zhanji dispersed the power concentrated by his ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang again, giving the right to draft memorials to the Grand Secretariat and the right to endorse with vermilion ink to eunuchs as proxies. However, it must be noted that due to the importance of the latter right, although Ming dynasty emperors entrusted eunuchs to endorse documents on their behalf, they never relaxed their grip on this power. Of course, there were exceptions, and the following three people are representatives: a naughty child, a lazy insect, and an engineer.

  It can be seen that this is a solid political power system, the struggle for voting rights and veto power is actually the struggle between the civil servant group and the emperor and his agent eunuchs.

  In other words, whoever can control both the power of the pen and the power of the seal is the real emperor!

  Is there such a person?

  It should be said that there are indeed some, in my opinion, three people have achieved it. Although the ways and reasons for obtaining both major powers at the same time are different, coincidentally, the ruling periods of these three actual controllers of the country correspond to the dynasties of the three non-power-grabbing representatives mentioned above.

  These three emperors who did not have the surname Zhu were respectively: "Established Emperor", "Chief Living Taishi" and "Nine Thousand Years Old".

  These three gentlemen will also be the protagonists of our next article. Here's a brief introduction to what "Chief Living Buddha" means.

  In the Ming Dynasty, the highest civil official was not the Prime Minister, but three honorary titles - Taishi, Taifu and Taibao. Although these three titles were all first-class, there were also differences in size, with Taishi being the largest. Everyone knows that so-called honorary titles are often given to the dead, and those who can get these three titles after death are also very powerful people.

  Of course, there are some more powerful people who have received these three titles during their lifetime. The first person to be awarded the highest civil official title of Taishi while still alive was this brother who controlled the power. In addition, he was also awarded the title of Taifu, and the honor of "Living Taishi" plus "Living Taifu" in the Ming Dynasty is only one person. It can be seen that this person is very powerful.

  In a sense, the political landscape of the late Ming Dynasty was established on the foundation laid by Zhu Zhanji. This structure cannot be said to be good or bad, because it seems to be the only way to balance the powers of all parties.

  Just let it be and get by like this.