How did Emperor Jiajing of the
Ming Dynasty control the government?
More “Ming Dynasty” Discussions · 260,000 Hot Discussions | The Ming Dynasty was not the most powerful of the ancient Dynasties, but why was it able to attract a large number of fans? In History, the official account of China Travel has been certified. Selected column title: “Luo Ji Thought (all 5 volumes)” Author: Luo Zhenyu Author Jiajing This is the home of the word “benefit”, “spirit” and “reason” to control power.
From Jiajing, we can have an insight into the operation of power and the process of its corruption. To what extent did
Emperor Jiajing play politics in the end?
That is to say, we can observe the rules. You Confucianists set the rules for the emperor to attend this ceremony and follow that rule. I can not recognize it. During the reign of
Emperor Jiajing, the worship of emperors reached a degree of deformity. After gaining power,
Emperor Jiajing played the husband group in the palm of his hand and kneaded them like a group.
These four years are the most corrupt four years in the history of the Ming Dynasty, not to say that there is no ability, in fact, those of Jiajing are often able, Yang Qing, Zhang He, Xia, Xu Jie, including Yan Song, are very capable.
But when these people saw this long-lived master, they had no other expression except a flattering smile, because this master only ate this set, and no one could play with him.
Emperor Jiajing did not go to court for many years, but his control of the court situation had reached a wonderful level, and the first measure of the secret service was all over the court, peeping at every micro-action.
Moreover, he would often receive something important, such as something supplementary, and then give the opportunity to do it. Moreover, he would make alchemy in the sky, write memorials in the evening, and not go to bed until five o’clock in the morning.
To cite another example, the function of the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty was to draft the imperial edict for the emperor, which was called vote drafting. When
these drafts arrived at Emperor Jiajing, there was no one who did not change them. They were often changed word by word. Even if the drafts were already in line with his wishes, they still had to be changed. Finding an unimportant place and changing a word showed that the power was still in my hands.
In his later years, in fact, he ruled in this way. He just looked at the rules of etiquette and law. This was the realm of power of Emperor Jiajing.
Membership privileges have been unlocked. The Salt Selection Column, worth ¥ 199.50, is basically known by those who have read books in China. They know that it is a reign title of the Ming Dynasty, and that there is such an emperor. Why is
he so famous?
It is because of his reign time, a total of 45 years before and after, which ranked first in the reign of the Ming Dynasty emperors. The grandson of Emperor Jiajing, Emperor Ming Shenzong of Wanli,
ranked No.1. There were 48 years in Wanli, but only three years. Since
his grandfather has been in power for 45 years, it is inevitable that he will leave a lot of relics. For example, some names appeared in the Jiajing period. Many of the artifacts made in that year were turned over and made in the Jiajing period. Anyone who
plays with ancient coins knows that there are Jiajing Tongbao and so on. He left behind more things, so the word became more famous.
But when you think about it, it’s strange that in 1945, it seems that we don’t have any impression of the emperor.
I first salvage a broken memory for my family, about Emperor Jiajing.
The first one is that Hai Rui scolds the emperor. Who is he scolding?
This is Emperor Jiajing.
The first one, Yan Song, was the most evil in the Ming Dynasty, who served the Emperor Jiajing.
Third, everyone who reads Chinese history knows that the middle and late emperors of the Ming Dynasty developed a bad disease, that is, they did not go to court.
The most famous was the Wanli Emperor, who did not go to court for more than three years, and the Jiajing Emperor did not go to court for many years. When
you put these three details together, you will have a very bad impression of the emperor.
He must be a very stupid emperor, or how can he raise a rape?
Must be a very bad emperor, or how can Zhong Hairui scold him?
You have to be a lazy emperor, or why don’t you go to court?
A lazy, bad and stupid emperor, we must have a bad impression of him.
But if you really go through the history books of the Ming Dynasty, you don’t think he is like this.
In the historical materials of the Ming Dynasty at that time, whenever Emperor Jiajing was mentioned, there was nothing good to say, but no pen dared to look at him. Basically, it was said that Emperor Jiajing was a master of Yingduan, that is, he was always wise and intelligent, and his control over the government was always tight. Don’t
you think there is a difference between the two impressions?
Until recent years, I read Li Jiexian’s “Bed”, Li Jiexian said that Jiajing was the home of the word “benefit”, “spirit” and “reason” to control power.
From Emperor Jiajing, we can have an insight into the operation of power and the process of its corruption.
Emperor Jiajing was born in 1507, and he became emperor in 1521. When he was three or four years old, he was called 15 years old according to the nominal age at that time.
Home. Think about it. When is this?
The West has just experienced a geographical discovery, Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492, and since then the history of Europe has begun a magnificent process of modernization.
Chinese history has increasingly reached the peak of the development of imperial politics, and finally tied into a dead knot. Emperor Jiajing was in this process. How
did Jiajing become emperor?
He is not because his father died, he inherited his father, his father is not the emperor. The emperor
before Jiajing was called Ming Wuzong, who was the most famous emperor in the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Wuzong of
the Ming Dynasty, who was always happy all day, set up a nightclub in the palace, called the Leopard Room, and kept several pets. He was 30 when he
died. He didn’t.
What to do?
Generally speaking, no, the elder brother and the younger brother picked another emperor among his brothers, and found that he did not, because his father was Ming Xiaozong, and Ming Xiaozong was the only one, so he had to go to his cousins to pick.
Pick and choose, the closest relationship is the Jiajing emperor. Who
is Jiajing’s kiss?
He was a different brother of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty and was given the title of King Xingxian.
His fief was in today’s Zhongxiang, Hubei, which was called Anlu at that time.
If you were a prince in the Ming Dynasty, there would be two words in your title. Sorry, your prince is not valuable.
Jiajing’s father’s name is King Xingxian, two words, not valuable.
To be valuable, such as the original title of Chengzu is called the King of Yan, which is a valuable prince.
However, the Jiajing family was only a marginalized member of the royal family. If it were not for the close relationship and the death of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty at the age of 30, it would not be his turn at all. When Jiajing became the emperor, it was a pie falling from the sky and a probability event that hit his head. It was not a good job to be a prince
in the Ming Dynasty, because there was no hope for life. Why?
Because Ming Chengzu was the king of Yan, and then started, usurped power, rebelled, and finally became the emperor.
Later, when his grandsons became emperors, they were most vigilant about their uncles, uncles, cousins and nephews, who were afraid of their rebellion and were always strict with them.
In the palace or Beijing, when you reach a certain age, you must go to the vassal state, that is, to return to your fief. Do you
think you can act like a tyrant when you get to the fief?
You’re just going to enjoy yourself there.
The so-called fiefdoms are managed by local officials, but the taxes that should be paid to the court on this land are allocated to your palace as a degree.
And Wang Ye is like a prisoner. You can’t play around. You can’t go to Beijing to have a look. You have no chance. You must apply.
And each king can not come at the same time, if it is a brother, a seal to the east, a seal to Hubei, you say that our brothers kebabs?
No, what do you two want? Are
you two princes going to rebel?
Do you want to connect in series? If you
become a prince, this generation has no worries about food and drink, but there is nothing to look forward to, just like being in prison.
Emperor Jiajing came down, basically in such a family environment, he had no hope.
But in 1521, when Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty died, there were only two people left in the whole court. The first was the mother of the dead emperor, the empress of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, the Empress Dowager Zhang at that time, and the other was the assistant of the cabinet, Yang Tinghe.
The two discussed, said the country is not the king, hurriedly sent to Anlu, Hubei, to pick up Zhu Houyu to Beijing to take office, to be the emperor.
At the beginning, these two really didn’t feel anything. First, Zhu Houyu was very old. At this time, he was only three or four years old, and his nominal age was only 15 years old.
First, when you are the emperor, this is the virtue of many generations. The older generation bought all the lottery tickets before they won the prize.
And it was the two of us who decided that you should be the emperor. You must be grateful, shit and crawl to Beijing to be the emperor.
But these two never thought, the curtain of the play has just opened, Zhu Houyu’s first appearance on the stage, showed a Machiavellian Ben, what is this thing called?
It’s called political sensitivity.
The child was not taught, was at this age, and was completely unprepared. Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty passed away in 3314, 3326, 12 days. According to the traffic environment at that time, the team from Beijing to pick him up had already arrived in Anlu, Hubei, and he was given six days to prepare for Li, so he went on the road to Beijing. After 20 days
on the road, I arrived at the edge of Beijing. After
arriving in Beijing, Zhu Houyu said that I would not go into the city first, and you should show me the etiquette of my succession first.
Ordinarily, this is also reasonable. The etiquette is ready for him. Show it to him.
He said, “No, a 15-year-old child is already politically sensitive.”.
Zhu Houyu said, what kind of etiquette is this? Let me follow Chongjin first? Anyone
familiar with the structure of Beijing knows that this is the city in the middle of the east.
Let him go from Chongjin to Donghua Palace, then succeed to the throne in Huadian Palace, and finally ascend the throne. Whose emperor am
I? Who is
my father?
My father is King Xingxian, and he has passed away in Hubei. Why should I ascend the throne as the emperor?
This is Jiajing’s political sensitivity.
In fact, this procedure is indeed a temporary addition, who added it?
We can only infer, is the queen mother Zhang do.
Zhang queen mother hit this idea is actually very simple, I when the emperor when well, suddenly died, now get an emperor, is his cousin, the question is, you first when the emperor too, who is this?
Is mine, I and Ming Xiaozong, you first adopted to my home, when I, and then you when the emperor, I am still the empress Dowager of Zhenggen. Empress Dowager
Zhang is the most motivated to this matter, to the 15-year-old emperor under a set, as long as you into this set, we can be settled.
But unexpectedly, 15-year-old Zhu Houyu saw through her, “I don’t, my mother has something else, my father has something else, why should I be your family?”?
He stayed outside Beijing and refused to enter the city anyway.
Yang Ting and anxious, repeated persuasion, no, the child sat there and acted shamelessly.
No way, the country is not the king, and this child is such a card, other he does not understand, is not.
Finally no way, Zhang queen mother side had to give in, but give in to give in, in fact, there are some transactions, what is the final etiquette? Don’t
you want to go from Chong to Donghua and come around from the east?
You’re right in the middle. Anyone
familiar with the structure of Beijing knows that the southernmost center is Zhengyang, now the front, and then the Ming Dynasty.
Then come in, after coming in, you don’t panic to be the emperor first, you first look at the spirit tablet of your dead brother, the family has given you the throne, so that you can go to say hello. After saying
hello, he went to worship the Empress Dowager Zhang, and then went to the Hall of Heaven to become the emperor. The Hall of Heaven is today’s Hall of Supreme Harmony.
This is called an emperor’s expression, in the view of Empress Dowager Zhang, you come to worship me before you become the emperor, I am a good mother.
But for Zhu Houyu, what mother is not mother?
I just happened to pass by and looked at you. Why are you my mother?
This left room for further interpretation of the amount of ritual discussion later, which was the first thing.
The first thing happened on the day of the ceremony of his succession. While the children were preparing for the ceremony, the boy suddenly read the edict of succession prepared for him and drew it up for him.
Suddenly, because of the words in the middle, he did not attend the ceremony anyway, which delayed a lot of time. Finally, he finished the ceremony by persuading him to die or live. Which sentence
is wrong?
It’s called “serving the imperial elder brother’s testamentary edict and serving the emperor.” The first half of the sentence is no problem, serving the imperial elder brother’s testamentary edict. The
problem lies in the second half of the sentence, “Feng Zong Di.” The word “Di” means heir, and “Feng Zong Di” means that I will inherit the responsibility of the ancestors of the original emperor.
The emperor can’t say, what is the responsibility of inheriting ancestors?
Your heir ancestors can include your heir father, your father is not my father, I do not heir him, because of this word began to make trouble.
But then he compromised, because he didn’t think it was very important, so he didn’t insist too much.
The third thing is to set his reign title. Now
we all know that his reign title was Jiajing, but the original reign title given to him by the cabinet and the court was Shaozhi.
The emperor can’t say this year’s title, why? The
disease lies in the word “Shao,” because this word has the meaning of inheritance. If I resolutely refuse to inherit, who will I inherit?
I do not inherit anyone, I am lucky, your family died, I became the emperor, I do not inherit your family. In
the end, he changed his name to “Chia-ching.” Look at how stubborn this is.
Emperor Jiajing’s first advantage as a political trickster was that he had extraordinary political sensitivity. He also had a second advantage, that is, he knew what to fight for and what not to fight for. He fought for things that once he stepped into the trap and got rid of them, he would fight for them.
If it is only a temporary problem, he feels that he can compromise. At the age of
15, we must repeatedly emphasize this age, which opened the prelude to a famous historical event in the history of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the ritual discussion.
The so-called etiquette discussion is a dispute about the most etiquette in this country. What are we
fighting about?
In our view today, it is ridiculous to death, that is, the relationship between Emperor Jiajing and his relatives. Doesn’t that look sick
to us? What
is there to argue about?
But at the time, it was a big deal.
Why?
Because of an imperial power system, his legitimacy comes from his imperial system, that is, who is your father, who decides whether you can be the emperor, the emperor died, he should succeed to the throne, but he did not, how to do? Adopt a child
from the royal family to the imperial system, and then pass the imperial system down from generation to generation. This is a rule that the Confucian classics insist on.
But Emperor Jiajing refused to recognize it. He said that my relatives were different, and I just inherited it to your family.
It’s not that I want to be the emperor. You invited me here. I’m not yours anyway.
This created a shield, but this shield has no suitable solution in the Confucian ritual system for the time being, which triggered the controversy. On the third day of his
succession, he issued a decree to the court, saying that he would bring my mother to Hubei. I miss my mother.
The family thought it was understandable that a child, only 15 years old, went to pick up his mother.
Two days later, he issued an edict, saying that my mother was coming soon, but you should discuss it. I called my mother, what do I call her? When I go to sacrifice my father in the
future, what shall I call him?
You take out a case. In Yang Tinghe’s opinion,
these things are not called a thing, just do it according to the rules. He wrote a memorial to the throne and made an arrangement, that is, you will call your father and mother Huangshu Xingxian Wang, Huangshu Xingxian Princess, and the dead Ming Xiaozong Huangkao, because you have adopted him. That’s the arrangement.
And Yang Tinghe felt that I was already very interesting in this arrangement. Dear father and mother, I added two words to them for your sake.
The first character is the word “emperor” of the emperor. Isn’t it very valuable?
The first word is the word “”. He used to be called King Xingxian, but now I let you call him King Xingxian. That’s enough for you.
But how do you think the emperor can accept this case? That’s what
he cares about most.
But at this time, Emperor Jiajing had already shown the character of a Machiavellian. He did not make trouble. The story he told before felt that he was a very stubborn and stubborn child.
In fact, this was not the case. At this moment, he was no longer stubborn. He sent down the memorial and said that he would re-draft it. I was not satisfied, and you should re-draft it. It’s really hard for
Yang Tinghe to think about this. An emperor doesn’t know much about etiquette. Well, I’ll give you a memorial to the throne. I’ll write down how this happened, including some examples of the former Dynasty, such as Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Yingzong of the Song Dynasty, and some Confucian scholars of the Song Dynasty, such as Cheng Yi. You can see it clearly.
You have to know the rules, which implies a kind of lesson.
This first memorial to the throne, according to our understanding of Emperor Jiajing’s spleen, he must continue to send, you discuss and draft again, can not reach my standard, I am not good at giving up.
But the family did not do so, he made a very special treatment, leaving the memorial to the throne.
What does it mean to stay in the middle without sending?
Even the emperor felt that it was not convenient for me to approve this matter, and he did not want to discuss it at home, so I stayed in the imperial city and did not send this memorial to the throne.
It is said that the purpose of staying in China is to deal with those events that want to be shelved within a time limit, that is, to forget about this matter and generally adopt this method.
But he is to achieve a set target, how can he stay in the middle?
This shows that Emperor Jiajing is a Machiavellian. He is waiting for something. What is it?
That is, there is a rift in the middle of the court, and there are traitors in the official group. Although
you Yang Tinghe is auxiliary, but also can’t cover up the sky, some low-grade officials want to rise, they want to replace your position, they know the emperor and Yang Tinghe has been on the line, these will stand out, he will wait.
The first memorial to the throne was written in May and May of 1521. When it came to July and July, I finally got it. It was called Zhang He. In fact, the first half of
Zhang Huan’s generation was not going well. He was in the examination and imperial examination until he passed the examination at the age of 47. When the
ceremony broke out, he was still an intern in the Ministry of Rites.
Think about it, a 47-year-old uncle as an intern, is also very embarrassed, according to the view at that time, 47 years old, do not look for any opportunities, a good official, go home to honor their ancestors, ready to retire at any time.
But at this time, Zhang Huan suddenly felt that the shield between Jiajing and Yang Tinghe was his best chance. To be fair
, the historical materials of the Ming Dynasty are actually very good at evaluating the morality and ability of Zhang He. Zhang He later became the assistant of the country and was the name of the Ming Dynasty.
Let’s not infer his motives. Is he trying to be opportunistic or is he trying to defend the truth?
We don’t evaluate.
In short, he was the first in the whole official group to jump out against Yang Tinghe, the first comrade-in-arms of Emperor Jiajing, and Jiajing was finally not a war.
Of course, what Zhang Huan said, what Yang Tinghe said, and the details of the pieces in the process of etiquette discussion are all the kind of chewing words of that era.
For example, from the very beginning, Emperor Jiajing felt that his uncle, King Xingxian, was not good, and wanted his father to be emperor, too. “My father is also emperor, so I don’t have to be emperor for other emperors.”.
Arguing over and over again, can you first give the word “emperor” to the emperor?
Later, it was won, and it was called Emperor Xingxian.
Then argue again, can you add the word “emperor”?
Later, he became Emperor Xingxian.
Later, he said, “Emperor Xingxian, you have to add an emperor before it, that is, mine. He can only become an emperor by relying on my light. Can you remove the word” Ben “again?”?
Later, they argued about whether Emperor Xingxian could enjoy the sacrifice of his descendants at the Imperial Ancestral Temple?
Later, they argued whether the rituals of these sacrifices could be the same as those of other emperors?
Emperor Jiajing was basically in this matter in the first half anyway, and there were all kinds of disputes. In the history of the
Ming Dynasty, there was such an emperor who had never been an emperor, but enjoyed the same treatment as other emperors.
If you see a man named Ming Ruizong in the historical records, he is the King of Xingxian. In fact, he has never been the Emperor of Heaven.
In a word, when is the most fashionable time to argue about etiquette?
It was the third year of Jiajing. To what extent did it
end up?
That is, there is a stage in which people really can’t bear to see it, saying that the whole order of the country is going to be chaotic, and we will fight with you. More than
two hundred, including Yang Tinghe’s Yang Shen, this time Yang Tinghe has returned home, in fact, was cut for, because the relationship with Emperor Jiajing is not good.
Yang Shen took over the steel gun and continued to fight. He led more than 200 officials and said, “No, we will never go home if we don’t make this matter better today.”.
He went to Zuoshun in the Palace Museum, which is today’s Xiehe. Kneel on the ground
in front of that and cry, then shake that, shouting Taizu, Taizong, no, and so on.
At this time, Emperor Jiajing was no longer as gentle, courteous, frugal and yielding as he had just succeeded to the throne. Why did he reject it? Emperor Jiajing said, “Shout, right?”? Arrest
them all. More than
two hundred, right?
Check, who took the lead, first go down to the imperial edict prison to play the board, and then the rest continue to check, more than 200, and finally there are 180 Tingzhang.
Tingzhang is to directly press and turn over the board. This is not to say that it is over to give you a humiliation. It is really a dead beating. Out of the
180, 19 of them were seriously injured and died.
Jiajing emperor Dan seized power, that kind of swift and violent attack is that I break the rules, according to my rules.
Speaking of this, you can appreciate two characteristics of his political trickery. I mentioned two characteristics earlier. First, he is particularly sensitive to politics. Second, he has a particularly good grasp of points.
Now, his third characteristic is revealed, which is called the grasp of timing and the timing of pinching, which is wonderful to the top. When it’s time to admit defeat, it’s time to admit defeat, when it’s time to wait, it’s time to attack.
Seeing this, you will still feel that the ceremony is far away from today. Those people are crazy. What are they fighting for?
Not to mention, Emperor Jiajing was addicted to fighting for this.
His reign can be divided into two periods. In the last three years, he mainly hid in the palace to make alchemy and was superstitious about Taoism. In the
first half of this year, he was a very diligent emperor, but his diligence was different from others. What he liked to talk about most was to discuss the Confucian etiquette with his classmates.
This discussion is not a ritual discussion, discussing the title of his parents, he discussed everything, the etiquette of offering sacrifices to heaven, the etiquette of offering sacrifices to ancestors, the etiquette of offering sacrifices to Confucius, as long as he did not like it, he wanted to change.
According to Li Jiexian’s observation, he said that he had read the first half of Jiajing Memoir, which was simply impossible to read. Emperor Jiajing held a study class here and a seminar there every day, tirelessly arguing with the students about these things.
And in the middle of Jiajing’s reign, two books, Ming Lun Dian and Li Quan Shu, were written about his study of the ritual system, which were not only published in China, but also sent to foreign countries. This is the academic achievement of my emperor. When
he first entered the palace, Yang Tinghe felt that the child did not understand the rules and etiquette, but later he actually became a talent and became a great academic achievement in the Ming Dynasty.
Seeing this, do you think Emperor Jiajing is also very cute? It turned out that he fought for something to respect and love. He fought for a long illness and became a doctor. Finally, he became an expert. He was also a very studious emperor. Maybe there was something cute in his character.
Wrong, Emperor Jiajing, where is this?
He is a political trickster, and he often does these things simply, two words, power.
Before we talked about this, we especially like to make all kinds of chapters and chapters on the issue of etiquette.
For example, every emperor has to have a temple name, either called Zu, such as Song Taizu, or called Zong, such as Tang Taizong, what is Zu?
Is the foundation of the founding of the country, generally speaking, the first generation of monarchs called Zu, because of the expansion of territory, after all called Zong, even like Li Shi, can only be called Tang Taizong.
But have you ever thought that there are two Dynasties in Chinese history that have two ancestors, one is the Qing Dynasty, Nurha Qing Taizu, and then Kangxi called Qing Shengzu.
Kangxi also deserved it, because the final establishment of the territory of the Qing Dynasty, the recovery of the Three Feudatories and the recovery of Taiwan, was indeed Kangxi’s.
But have you ever thought that there were also two ancestors in the Ming Dynasty, one was Zhu yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the other was Zhu Di, who rebelled and usurped the throne, later called Ming Chengzu.
This Ming Chengzu was changed by Emperor Jiajing. The original name of the temple after Zhu Di’s death was Ming Taizong. It was not
until his grandson’s grandson’s grandson, to the time of Jiajing, that he changed to such a Ming Chengzu.
Do you think it’s strange why he is so?
It’s very simple. He thinks I’m the same as Zhu Di. I didn’t pass the throne to me. I earned it.
In fact, you are still concerned about the matter of etiquette, but how deep you think about it.
Speaking of this, you may feel very strange, an emperor you put so many things every day, every day with this word to compete, you are not sick?
He’s really not sick. All he does is to consolidate his power.
To understand this, you must re-understand the evolution of Confucian ideology in China’s thousand-year history.
Confucianism has just risen, which is the result of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty dethroning all schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone.
Do you think Confucianism was respected in the Han Dynasty?
It is indeed very respected, but this “respect” is the respect in the academic circles, and in fact there is not much respect in the political status. After the
Han Dynasty, it was a very declining period of Confucianism, about 800 years.
From the Three Kingdoms to the Five Dynasties.
Don’t you think there is a Tang Dynasty in the middle? Isn’t
the Tang Dynasty a prosperous Tang Dynasty?
Yes, but in the Tang Dynasty, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism coexisted. The first royal family thought that my surname was Li, and Li was also Li. We followed Taoism.
Those people especially worshipped Buddhism, and Confucianism was often not cold among them. In fact, the position of Confucianism in the Tang Dynasty was often subtle. It was in the Song Dynasty that
Confucianism really came into being. In the Song Dynasty, there were many Confucians, such as Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao in the Northern Song Dynasty, and Lu Jiuyuan and Zhu Xi in the Southern Song Dynasty.
However, the degree of inter-confucianization in the Song Dynasty was actually not so high, mainly due to the emergence of Confucianism among the elite.
By the time of the yuan Dynasty, the Mongols did not care whether you were Confucian or not. They were prostitutes and beggars. For nearly a century, the status of Confucianism had declined. It was not
until the Ming Dynasty that Confucianism became a mainstream ideology, and the upper and middle classes of society were all Confucianized. The
Ming Dynasty was particularly interesting. Zhu yuanzhang was devoted to the independence of imperial power. He wanted to receive all the power from the emperor, and even abolished the prime minister.
But at the same time, Confucian ideology became a strong restriction on imperial power. In
Ren Yuxian’s Five Years of Wanli, Emperor Wanli was a prisoner of Confucian ideology before he was in power. Every day
the emperor was arranged by Zhang Juzheng to do all kinds of homework. He had to get up before dawn in the morning and stay up until midnight. He had to attend all kinds of ceremonies in a complicated way. He changed his clothes there every day and had to study when he was a little free. The reason why the emperors of the
Ming Dynasty showed such an unreliable attitude is related to the unprecedented strength of Confucian ideology.
The emperor could only put on a pose: the first was that I was ruthless and would not listen to you, like Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty; the second was that I would ignore you and make trouble with you, like Emperor Zhengde; the third was that I would ignore you and hide, like Emperor Wanli; Another is to admit defeat, you say what you say, such as Ming Xiaozong.
Only the last kind of Confucianism gives a good comment, leaving all the bad comments, the reputation of the Ming Dynasty emperors in history is not good, which is a kind of restriction on imperial power.
Based on this foundation, it is much easier to understand Jiajing. Why did he debate etiquette with these Confucian intellectuals every day?
It is the peak of the struggle for power.
In fact, we know from the history of the Middle Ages in Europe that, as far as the secular regime is concerned, if you can’t occupy the control point spiritually, it is very pitiful. As long as the king of
Europe offended the Pope, he would be punished at any time, and after the punishment, the secular regime would be as thin as paper and torn apart. They could
not occupy the ideological control point, which was the reason why many emperors in the Ming Dynasty had a bad fate.
Emperor Jiajing understood this truth. When we watch martial arts, there are often scenes like this. Two martial arts fighters fight and suddenly stop fighting. They jump up, along trees, or along cliffs. Why? It’s not that
he’s not going to fight, but that he’s going to fight for the control point. Emperor Jiajing is such a man.
Emperor Jiajing, after obtaining such an ideological system, really played the husband group in the palm of his hand and kneaded them like a group.
These four years are the most corrupt four years in the history of the Ming Dynasty, not to say that there is no ability, in fact, those of Jiajing are often able, Yang Qing, Zhang He, Xia, Xu Jie, including Yan Song, are very capable.
But when these people saw this long-lived master, they had no other expression except a flattering smile, because this master only ate this set, and no one could play with him. During the reign of
Emperor Jiajing, the worship of emperors reached a degree of deformity.
Why did Hai Rui scold the emperor? The family thought it was too strange. The name of Hai Rui was too strange, because there were plenty of people who scolded the emperor before and after that. For example, in the Wanli Dynasty, he scolded the emperor, saying that you had all the four diseases of wine and wealth. Such words could be written in the memorial to the throne, and it was all right.
But before Hai Rui scolded, he had already become famous all over the world.
Why? As rare as a
panda, Emperor Jiajing trembled after reading the memorial to the throne. He threw the memorial to the throne on the ground and said that he would catch it for me. I made a generation to prevent such a thing.
Later, the eunuch next to him said that he would not be arrested, and his coffin was ready. Why didn’t
Emperor Jiajing kill Hai Rui in the end?
Protect the panda, this kind of species, so “”, I have not been. In fact,
Emperor Jiajing had reached the realm of political trickery in the end?
That is to say, we can observe the rules. You Confucianists set the rules for the emperor to attend this ceremony and follow that rule. I can not recognize it.
Why can he not go to court for many years in his old age? Please note that his not going to court is totally different from his grandson Emperor Wanli’s not going to court. When
Emperor Wanli did not go to court, he called it gambling.
He means that the children are too cruel to me every day, so I can’t do anything. There were six “noes”
in Wanli: “No suburbs, no temple, no court, no criticism, and no speaking.” What does that mean?
That is, I do not go to the suburbs to worship heaven, nor do I go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to worship ancestors; I do not attend court meetings, nor do I receive them; I do not approve memorials to the throne, nor do I listen to the Confucian scriptures you tell me.
Anyway, I’m going to be a complete otaku. Shut up. Everything has nothing to do with me.
In the late period of Wanli, there was a phenomenon that the court office was empty. For example, the Ministry of Rites was now short of a minister, and now that he was dead, he had to make up for it, regardless of Wanli. At
that time, almost all the officials of the six ministries were not appointed, and the whole court was in a vacuum. In the old age of Wanli, he did not care.
However, Emperor Jiajing did not go to court for many years. This was not the case. His control over the court situation had reached a wonderful level. The first secret service was all over the court, peeping at every tiny action.
Moreover, he would often receive something important, such as something supplementary, and then give the opportunity to do it. Moreover, he would make alchemy in the sky, write memorials in the evening, and not go to bed until five o’clock in the morning.
To cite another example, the function of the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty was to draft the imperial edict for the emperor, which was called vote drafting. When
these drafts arrived at Emperor Jiajing, there was no one who did not change them. They were often changed word by word. Even if the drafts were already in line with his wishes, they still had to be changed. Finding an unimportant place and changing a word showed that the power was still in my hands.
In his later years, in fact, he ruled in this way. He just looked at the rules of etiquette and law. This was the realm of power of Emperor Jiajing. In
sociology, there is an individual division of power, called the three holes of power, which are at different levels.
The lowest level of power is to directly influence the decision, which is called the public power.
The first level is to influence the agenda of the meeting, that is to say, we are discussing whether to build a fast road today, which has an impact on the agenda. This is the secret of power.
In fact, there is a third level, that is, the form of power. I just use power to change the preferences in this society and the whole power structure, which is the influence on ideology. Emperor Jiajing had excellent performances in
these three holes, three levels and three stages.
But in fact, there is a higher level of power, which is the realm of evolution, that is, power actually has no luck on the table, but it is always present, why?
Because the best state of power is control. Emperor Jiajing is in control. That’s true. How did
Emperor Jiajing control it?
In the politics of the Ming Dynasty, there was a pivotal thing, that is, the seat of the cabinet, not the prime minister, which was called the assistant.
Emperor Jiajing had a lot of assistants. At first, it was Yang Tinghe, then Yang Qing, and then Zhang He, who rushed out to hold him in the ceremony, then Xia, then Yan Song, and finally Xu Jie.
Why so much?
This is the method of control. I first set up an assistant. I value you very much, and then put such a young man behind your buttocks. This young man, I will constantly hide him and let him attack this assistant.
Wait until it’s almost time to pull this assistant away, take this attack as an assistant, and then follow this thing behind his buttocks.
Straight is this law, it is simply a stock market, when selling without mercy, when trying to rise, the law is fierce, when bullish, he has actually stared at the next alternative stock, he is such a stock God.
Why do you play like this?
Just don’t let anyone spend too much time in this position, and get rid of you before you are fully winged, so that my emperor has the ultimate authority.
In fact, the Machiavellians of all Dynasties are like this. Just like the year before last, I heard Professor Zeng Shiqiang say, what is Chinese-style management? When a director was in a meeting, he found that they had a different point of view, and there was a young man who was always able to have another point of view. There was a quarrel on the spot. What should we do?
At that time, I did not hesitate to fiercely criticize this young man for not knowing the rules. How could he not know how to respect his family? After the
criticism, he called the young man to the office and said, “Do you know why I criticized you today?”?
How can I talk to a Comrade like that? In fact, I know that you are the only one who can live in this company. You are good. I am optimistic about you. I will hold you and promote you in the future.
The young man was so grateful that he tried his best to be the same as those from then on.
This is Emperor Jiajing’s way of playing, and the evil of all Dynasties is like this.
Next, we have to solve a problem. What’s going on with Yan Song. Isn’t
Yan Song a traitor?
What is rape?
That is, while killing the loyal and good, while corruption and bribery, while also deceiving the emperor.
But where is Emperor Jiajing easy to deceive?
Known as Dai Yingzhu, don’t you think Dai Yingzhu and a rape period have coexisted for 20 years? Who is fooling whom?
It doesn’t make any logical sense.
Yan Song’s so-called rape is mainly due to three things.
The first thing is that he communicated with foreign countries and prepared to rebel, which must be nonsense.
The first thing is that he took bribes. Later, when Xu Jie impeached him, he said that the amount of bribes was particularly huge, thirty thousand taels, one million taels of silver, and other silver jewelry, worth a million taels.
Later, after copying Yan Song’s home, he could not find the money, not even a change.
After 10 months, Emperor Jiajing asked, “Didn’t you say you had money? Where is the money?”?
Xu Jie had to say, maybe there is a rape, how to return a responsibility I do not know.
This is also false.
The third thing is that there is a so-called loyal, that is, the famous Yang Jisheng, who wrote a memorial to impeach this Yan Song, saying that he had five crimes of adultery, that is to say, he was adulterous, there are five reasons, he has a crime.
Later, Emperor Jiajing was said to have been instigated by Yan Song, so he killed Yang Jisheng. That’s what happened. It’s called killing Zhongliang. What the hell is going on here
?
Let me talk about a scene first. The Qing Dynasty became a Ming History Museum, compiling the history of the Ming Dynasty. There was a particularly famous scholar in the
Qing Dynasty, Li Fu, who sat there and said that Yan Song was not guilty at all. He said a lot, which made other people who studied the history of the Ming Dynasty silly.
Later, someone said something faintly, saying that if you say so, Yan Song is not a traitor, then Yang Jisheng is a traitor, Yang Jisheng impeached him, he is framing Zhongliang.
This sentence, Li Fu did not dare to squeak, said forget it, so it, Yan Song rape on the rape.
Why?
Because in the Qing Dynasty, the emperor has long decided that Yang Jisheng is a loyal, who decided this?
Emperor Shunzhi.
Emperor Shunzhi once ordered the writing of a play called The Story of Loyalty, which tells the story of Yang Jisheng.
The Qing Dynasty has just been built, the need for such a model of loyalty for the family to learn, Yang Jisheng when loyal, you Yan Song can only be a traitor, the case was not finalized until the Qing Dynasty.
Li Fu thought, it was the emperor’s decision, so I’d better keep silent.
Back in the Ming Dynasty, was Yan Song a traitor?
Indeed, in addition to Yang Jisheng, there is a letter from Shen Lian to impeach him, saying that he is a traitor.
But you have to make it clear that in the politics of the Ming Dynasty, when the auxiliary was called rape, this is your job, very few auxiliary has not been scolded rape.
And Yan Song when the auxiliary time, his cabinet when the study for 20 years, when the auxiliary for 15 years, if you share in such a time, was scolded rape, what is strange?
In fact, they all take the blame for the emperor.
I’m not reversing the verdict for Yan Song. If you want to see Yan Song’s chapter of reversing the verdict, I suggest you go up and search for it. It’s written by a Chinese-American historian in the United States. It’s called “New Theory of Learning from Yan Song”. You go and see whether Yan Song is wronged or not.
Here we have to say, Yan Song he is certainly not a good, but he before the summer, after Xu Jie can be bad where to go, may not necessarily.
But what is really strange is why Yan Song, before Emperor Jiajing, actually studied for 20 years and assisted for 15 years.
You should know that Emperor Jiajing’s method of “speculating in the stock market” was very sharp.
Why is that?
In fact, this is really interesting, the reason is very simple, there are the following four: First, he often can, Yan Song is the most able to understand what Emperor Jiajing thought.
Jiajing developed a broken habit in the late period, that is, he often wrote a note. What does the word mean?
Write ambiguously.
In fact, he is to let the bottom guess, but also he consolidated the authority of the species, guess to guess, found that only Yan Song this often guess.
And Yan Song later age, he was confused, but he that Yan Shifan to help him guess, also guess often accurate, is often able to one.
And write words for the emperor, that is, the kind of word of cultivation, the kind of memorial to the emperor of heaven, also write very well, this is able.
First, always be diligent.
Emperor Jiajing often sent some spies outside to show him what they were going to do after work. The
spies came back to report that Yan Song was so old and grey-haired that he stayed up late to light the lamp and write lyrics to live for you.
Emperor Jiajing said that he was really diligent at that age.
Third, Yan Song was particularly willing to take the blame for Emperor Jiajing. In fact, the Yang Jisheng incident was a pot.
What’s wrong?
Yang Jisheng to impeach Yan Song, what the five crimes of rape, later historians are saying, in fact, are sent empty, dare not say sent Hu, is not implemented.
But his letter is bad in the sentence, he told Emperor Jiajing, Yan Song is a traitor, if you don’t believe, you can ask your two, you can also find other cabinet to learn to ask.
Bad in this sentence, why?
Because there is a subtext in this sentence, that is, you are hoodwinked. Everyone knows it, but you don’t know it. This is what
Emperor Jiajing can’t stand most.
In addition, there is a place to offend his most taboo, that is, to ask him, that is, King Yu and King Jing, these two are him.
But when Emperor Jiajing was practicing Taoism, he heard a word from Taoism, saying that if you want to live a long and healthy life, you must not.
What do you mean?
That is, one of your two must be the emperor in the future, which is also one, and you are also one, which is impossible.
Emperor Jiajing said, “What’s the matter? You’re going to kill me. Let me follow the other one.”.
And what did you mention? Are
you going to take refuge in Tai to *** me?
Because of this he ordered to kill Yang Jisheng, Yan Song in the whole process of what to do, in fact, is really out of the question.
Why?
Because this involves the fourth characteristic of Yan Song, that is, he is a particularly feminine and low-key.
You can’t imagine, can you?
A traitor is not domineering and often keeps a low profile.
Yan Song was originally a well-read, but later in the Jiajing Dynasty, under the emperor who was so good at playing politics, he gradually became a man who could only protect himself and make some profits at the same time, which was pitiful.
But he is pitiful, Jiajing emperor met Yan Song is also a chess pair, will meet a good talent, because Jiajing emperor gave Yan Song under all the sets of Yan Song do not drill, these two are really sadistic met masochism, these two are not happy, mutual appreciation, belong to such a relationship. How feminine is
Yan Song?
For example, his former assistant was called Xia, and Emperor Jiajing put him behind Xia. He wanted to sow discord between them and let Yan Song attack Xia. Yan Song was not fooled by this and was very respectful to Xia. How
respectful is it?
Once he ran to Xia’s house and said, “Shall I invite you to my house for a meal?”? What is
Jia Xia’s attitude towards him?
Have meal?
I don’t even want you.
I just had a closed meal.
When Yan Song got home, the meal was already on the table. He put the place he had prepared for Xia, and then knelt on the ground. In front of his family, he knelt on the ground and read the toast he had written for Xia.
It means Xia, whether you come or not, I worship you as a God.
Of course, there are also those who spread this matter to Xia Duo, and Xia Xing.
Emperor Jiajing no matter how to instigate, this Yan Song is not to engage in this summer.
Emperor Jiajing said that if you don’t do it, you won’t be fooled, right?
I will give you a cruel one. He suddenly drove Xia out of the court, and then promoted Yan Song to be an assistant. Then he brought Xia back, pulled Yan Song back, and turned Xia into an assistant. It’s impossible for Xia not to hate you if
I move you like this.
Good, summer hate on Yan Song, give him every day to fabricate charges, accuse him and so on.
Yan Song with the whole family, ran to the summer’s house, kneeling in front of his seat, it seems to cry, I really do not mean this, and so on, is shameless.
Low-key to this extent, summer look, still quite take, want to forget it, summer underestimated this Yan Song.
Later, Xia was killed by Emperor Jiajing. You, Yan Song, didn’t move, so I had to marry him. However, I didn’t get lost.
