Among the Ming emperors, there were many strange people, but Chenghua emperors Zhu Jianshen and Ming Xianzong were great people.
We only need to say a few words about how good this man is: He loved Wan Guifei, who is 19 years older than him all his life, but almost killed his son Ming Xiaozong because of this woman's willfulness. He seldom went to court during his ruling career, which was the first time for Ming to have a rest. Wide range of interests. Besides indulging in alchemy, even some of my favorite literary books have become the best-selling erotic books in the Ming Dynasty. Hand-painted "Unity and Harmony", its unique artistic creation level is amazing, leaving a deep impression on future generations. Imitations can be sold at any high price. The works of the best otaku among historians of all ages are, in turn, enthusiastic criticism. The most severe criticism is the article "Appointing an Adulter". My favorite cronies around me are either alchemists, immoral monks who corrupt Buddhism, or Ge Lao, an ancient scholar who wrote adult literature and studied physiological and health sciences. Of course, the most famous is Wang Zhi, a eunuch who once set up courtiers professionally. This chaotic scene also made outstanding contributions to the later development of martial arts films: this period was regarded as historical materials, and the new Longmen Inn, which is still popular among the public, was remake repeatedly.
There is also a reason for being so severely criticized. The direct consequence of the devil's dance was that the administrative efficiency of the Ming government almost stopped eating during this period. Those who can get the answer from the local newspaper within ten days and a half months are even uneasy about their performance. From the cabinet to the six ministries, there was not a collective business meeting. People call it "six books, three pavilions and old clay sculptures", which is very vivid. This wonderful political scene is very famous in later generations. However, what is unknown to future generations is the great emperor's governance achievements. The most vigorous thing to scold him is "fortunately well-off." These simple four words are great.
The word "well-off" is the ideal of governing the country realized by emperors in China. For example, Ming Chengzu, who is very enterprising, clearly put forward the goal of "the people live a well-off life" at the beginning of his administration and struggled for it all his life. However, Ming Xianzong, who rarely shouts slogans in Zhu Jianshen, can't see how to work. On the contrary, he was repeatedly scolded by later generations for his extreme laziness. Unexpectedly, he quietly realized this great ideal. Because the emperor can sum up all kinds of bad places, but he has a recognized good: generosity to ordinary people.
2, the rich emperor
In Zhu Jianshen and Ming Xianzong, the most generous thing in life is to avoid it. That is to say, tax cuts for ordinary people. This activity is a traditional welfare throughout the ancient history of China. Especially when the country suffers from natural disasters, immunity is the first magic weapon to stabilize people's hearts. Even in peacetime and sunny days, the emperor sometimes has a kind heart, and he will wave his hand to avoid it, thus creating an image of loving the people. But in the Ming Dynasty, taboos became more common and calligraphy became more popular. According to Zhu Yuanzhang's will, as long as there is a disaster, not only the local area, but also the neighboring provinces and counties should be tax-free. Later, a complete scientific evaluation system was formed. According to the damage degree of the disaster and the location of the disaster area, different disaster relief shares are set. When it comes to the intensity of disaster relief, many contemporary historians are most interested in the "prosperous times of kanggan" in the Qing Dynasty. This figure is indeed considerable, but the biggest difference between the Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty is that he often "postponed", that is, temporarily relieved you of your responsibilities, and then made up for it to avoid the fifteenth day of the first month.
In addition, as far as taxation means are concerned, the Qing Dynasty was very strict, and it was always the practice not to pay taxes. Jin Shengtan was a writer in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, he had formed the habit of resisting taxes and lived a comfortable life. After entering the Qing dynasty, he continued to resist taxes and was immediately beheaded. As for the Anbaili Uprising that was still going on during the Qianlong period, the fuse was also a "delaying tactic" strongly advocated by the Qing Dynasty, which pushed the people back alive. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty, except a few people like Chongzhen, began to be greedy for money in the later period, and most of them were enthusiastic and sincere in this matter. For example, Zhu Yuanzhang made a provision for exemption from military service in the Ming Dynasty, and he spent his whole life giving people money and food relief. According to the general examination of the sequel, this is "too old to stand", but there are too many statistical data to come. All in order not to force debts in the future. It's really free to wave. Among the emperors with detailed statistics, Ming Xianzong Zhu Jianshen was a very generous emperor.
Emperor Zhu Jianshen was actually unlucky. After he ascended the throne, he caught up with one of the two periods of frequent natural disasters in the Ming Dynasty. From his whole reign to the early reign of his son Ming Xiaozong, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters in China were very high. According to Xin Luwei, "for 23 years, nothing is cool." During his reign, there were 52 large-scale floods, droughts, locust and hail disasters and many earthquakes. Every year. What do you mean by natural disasters? Emperor Chongzhen in the late Ming Dynasty was tortured by Li Zicheng all his life, so he must have a deep understanding. Compared with the crazy Emperor Chongzhen, the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty could not be shaken by killing officials and raising flags, while the cadres around Zhu Jianshen were more famous for their collective retreat. It's hard to please flattery except intrigue. Civil strife has also occurred many times, and there have been two refugee uprisings in Jingxiang. Guangxi Datengxia Uprising shocked the whole country.
The border problem invaded by the northern Tatars suddenly escalated into a serious problem. When he first ascended the throne, he looked at the throne every day and could not speak. He just kept sighing to the minister. what do you think? This is the rhythm of collapse. But he survived all internal and external crises. The once fierce riots in Central China and Southwest China were not only successfully suppressed, but also developed the Huguang Economic Zone. The Tatars in the north were beaten several times by him, and he almost captured the Tatar Khan alive. This fair performance stems from his famous advantage: generosity.
How generous is Zhu Jianshen? Let me tell you something first. Later generations always talk about Zhu Jianshen's weaknesses, and when they hear about state affairs, they can't help sighing. However, the fact of more selective blindness is that what makes Zhu Jianshen sigh most is the local disaster. I heard that ordinary people can't eat, and they often look sad. But when he ended the relationship, he was serious. Every time, he ordered the Ministry to arrange disaster relief immediately. Once the Ministry asked for money, but he actually "gave it". In other words, pay with private money. He has been giving people money and food all his life, and the amount is terrible. Nearly 20 million stones have been lost from official grain in 23 years alone. Tian Min doubled its tax revenue and food aid. Only in the twenty-first year of Chenghua, Shandong, Nanzhili, Sichuan, Henan, Shanxi and other provinces reduced or exempted 2.5 million stone land taxes. According to the State Council, this is basically the annual average.
Besides generous debt relief, money is also generous. In addition to opening official warehouses for disaster relief many times, they often pay for themselves. According to the statistics of Ming History, he allocates at least 302,000 silver dollars from his own vault to help the disaster-stricken areas almost every year.
More commonly, sometimes the disaster is urgent, and it is too late to send money and vegetables now. When officials complain, they obviously don't blink and immediately pay for themselves. According to Lu, similar bridges are staged many times every year.
Generosity is also very effective. Objectively speaking, although Ming Xianzong is lazy at work, he dotes on adulterers. But as far as the ability of Emperor Chongzhen is concerned, it is the selection of key cadres. Those clowns with improper talents can play with him and get appropriate benefits, but they can't be placed in key departments. People who really hold key positions, especially government officials in key fields, are senior officials. Han Yong, who put down the rebellion in Datuxia, Xiang Zhong, Hong Chau, who put down the unrest of Jingxiang refugees, and Hong Chau, who planned Jingxiang's post-war reconstruction and defeated Wang Yue of Tatar, all came from his wise knowledge of English and bold radical changes. The so-called "God fainted and I was moved" is a true portrayal of his 23 years in power.
It is also in this situation that, due to the effective employment of key positions, even if the national machinery often stops eating, as long as Zhu Jianshen generously invests enough funds, it will give money to keep it alive. So dangerous, through many difficulties.
Ask Zhu Jianshen why he can't afford it. In fact, it is also very simple: first, he established the imperial manor system, in which the emperor owns real estate in his own name and the income is the emperor's private money. Secondly, he is also very smart economically. In the Ming Dynasty, land annexation was serious, land tax decreased sharply, but commodity economy began to prosper. Zhu Jianshen set up eight currency customs in time, adjusted the business tax moderately, and gained rich profits. Pockets filled the loopholes in the country and gained self-confidence.
Therefore, due to Zhu Jianshen's generosity, even though natural disasters occurred frequently, China's people's livelihood economy still grew at a high speed during Chenghua years. In addition to the evaluation of Wei Lu's Happy Club, he also gave a high evaluation: re-examine Ren Xuan's rule in Sri Lanka. In other words, it reproduces the rule of Daming Ren Xuan and the glory of golden decade.
As far as the social development of Ming Dynasty is concerned, Chenghua period has become an important transitional period: because ordinary people have spare money, the political atmosphere is relaxed and extravagance prevails. The consumption boom is heating up, and folk handicrafts are booming. Accustomed to eating, living and wearing plain clothes, the Ming people began to pay attention to the taste of food and clothing, and even set off the "Korean Wave". The ponytail dress when the Korean delegation paid tribute was very eye-catching. As a result, the personality of the Ming Dynasty aroused people's interest, and men and women followed suit and became a fashion.
Under this trend, the quality of life of Ming people has become more refined since then. Later, before the air, the prosperous civic culture began to heat up. Exquisite Chenghua porcelain has also become an immortal witness of this era. Like the scenery above, there is a familiar name in history: Chenghua Xinfeng.
3. The same generosity, but different means.
However, Zhu Jianshen was so generous, but it was hard to hide an embarrassing reality: during his 23 years in power, the administrative efficiency of the whole dynasty dropped sharply year by year. When his son Zhu Youtang came to power, Daming was already overstaffed. Terrible natural disasters are still bothering us endlessly. Due to Zhu Jianshen's long-term inaction, Daming did not fundamentally solve the problem, and the water conservancy facilities were in disrepair. After Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty ascended the throne, it immediately caused great trouble: the Yellow River suffered two disasters, and the prosperous Jiangnan suffered a disaster before /0. Zhu Jianshen was generous all his life and made himself rich.
At a critical juncture, Ming Xiaozong was also very calm. What makes him better than his father is his actions. First of all, we should make full use of our own strength, rectify the official atmosphere, and eliminate corrupt and lazy old ministers. At that time, Wang, Wensheng and other provinces and cities, which were personally selected and settled by local governments for a long time, were also promoted to Beijing to take charge of the overall situation. Daming government, speed up all-round
The problem of money is more serious. First of all, cutting meat, starting from personal life, legal fees have been reduced again and again, and money is dug out of the teeth. Second, open source. Compared with his father's cleverness, Ming Xiaozong is a big move. The policy system of real levy and the monetary discount system of agricultural tax are two magic weapons of modern reformer Zhang: the predecessor of experiment method and flogging method. industry
In addition to being as generous as his father, Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty introduced a new method: work instead of relief. He initiated the most thorough regulation of the Yellow River since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, mobilized 250,000 people in the disaster area, and appointed outstanding hydrologists Bai Ang and Liu Daxia to preside over the regulation, using the latest technology to correct river siltation. These things are well done. The Yellow River in the north has ensured peace for nearly a hundred years, and the land south of the Yangtze River has since become a granary. More directly, large-scale projects have fully absorbed the labor force in the disaster areas, minimizing the risk and success of civil strife.
The Ming dynasty, which successfully escaped the threat of disaster, ushered in another golden age in history: Hongzhi Zhongxing.
Master Hui Yuan, the ancestor of Pure Land Sect in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, has been practicing in Lushan Mountain for more than 30 years and has never been to the West Lake. One day, Confucian scholar Tao Yuanming and Taoist Lu came all the way. They had a good time together. Later, Huiyuan sent them down the mountain. When I arrived at Tiger Creek, I heard the howl of the tiger from time to time, but I was too enthusiastic to realize it. It was not until they crossed the Tiger Creek that they were shocked, but they immediately laughed. Inadvertently, they broke the troubles of Huxi. Laughter conveyed their indescribable joy and naturally became a wonderful voice, which was passed down through the ages. This allusion also reflects the efforts of the Song Dynasty to reconcile Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Emperor Cheng used San Xiao's allusions to express his views. He believes that although Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism belong to the three religions, "the three are one, unite as one, forget right and wrong, and live in harmony."
"History of the Ming Dynasty" conforms to the characteristics and requirements of ancient cartoons in terms of expression form and conception method, but there is no irony in the theme, but it has the flavor of praising cartoons, which is its characteristic.
According to historical scholars' research, in view of his father Zhu Qizhen's unjust imprisonment of the Ministry of War, Yu Qian, Zhu Jianshen ordered the rehabilitation after he ascended the throne and advocated the unification of the imperial court. This may be one of the reasons why the majestic emperor made this humorous picture.