In less than two months, the role of the emperor's eldest grandson was changed to the emperor, which is a little reluctant for a teenager of 16 years old, especially for an ignorant teenager who has no education in Xi Zongxiang and can hardly read. However, on the first day of September in the first year of Taichang (1620), young Zhu Youxiao was faced with such a role change. As early as Wanli, Zhu Youxiao's father Zhu Changluo was not liked by Zongshen, and this grandson often left Zongshen's sight. It was not until Zongshen died that he was canonized as the great-grandson of the emperor and had the opportunity to get married and study. Unexpectedly, his father died a month after he ascended the throne, and he didn't even have time to make him the crown prince, let alone study. This year, Zhu Youxiao 16 years old looks like a teenager, but his education level is not as good as that of the eight or nine-year-old pupils now. Like a puppet, he was robbed by his foster mother Li and a group of ministers, and finally became a great monarch five days later. He nominally ruled the country for seven years, but in fact only one eunuch he trusted held power. He doesn't even know how to protect his wife and children-fortunately, he managed to protect his wife and brother effectively. During his reign, the eunuch's autocratic power reached its limit. For seven years, it seems that his mind has never matured and his understanding of the world has always been superficial. He likes to do his favorite things in the palace, such as carpentry or cricket fighting. It is said that Zhu Youxiao, a native of Xizong, has a high level in building, carpentry and painting techniques, which is "beyond the reach of skilled craftsmen". He devoted all his mind to his own drama. It is for this reason that it is possible for Wei Zhongxian to monopolize power in the apocalypse. Wei Zhongxian's autocracy is actually nothing more than the emperor's autocracy. Every time Xizong is in full swing, Wang Tigan and Wei Zhongxian will type an urgent official document from the side and finally win Xizong's sentence: "Do it with your heart, I already know." In fact, he doesn't care about anything but playing, let alone the affairs of state and the life and death of ministers. In his life, perhaps only four people are the most important, that is, eunuch Wei Zhongxian, wet nurse Hakka, queen zhangyan and letter king Zhu Youjian.
◎ Believe in King Zhu Youjian.
In August of the fifth year of the Apocalypse, accompanied by Hakkas and Wei Zhongxian, Zong visited Xiyuan and drank on the boat in the shallow water north of Qiaobei. Then he took Wang Tigan, Wei Zhongxian and two trusted eunuchs to go boating in deep water, but was overturned by a strong wind and almost drowned. After this scare, Xizong's health went from bad to worse. In the summer of the seventh year of the apocalypse, his condition worsened. On August 1 1, I summoned my half-brother Xin Wang Zhu Youjian and said to him, "Come on, my brother should be Yao Shun." The next day, I summoned Cabinet Minister Huang and said, "I was very happy when I called yesterday, but I felt a little better." I feel a little safer, just because I have arranged the funeral, so I am relieved. 10 days later, Xizong died. Zhu Youjian was the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Youjian was five years younger than Xizong in Zhu Youxiao, and he was better educated than Zhu Youxiao. This is because in the second year of the Apocalypse (162 2), Zhu Youjian was made a letter king by his brother Zhu Youxiao. 13-year-old Wang Xin, whose age was precisely when he was receiving education, was carefully set by imperial academy officials who came from Jinshi. When he 18 years old, Zhu Youxiao married him again and hired Zhou Kui's daughter as a princess. Judging from these things, although Zhu Youxiao himself is very playful, he didn't delay what his eldest brother should do. Therefore, Zhu Youjian's cultural literacy is much higher than that of his brother Zhu Youxiao. Zhu Youjian is good at calligraphy, poetry and piano. Zhu Yizun said that Zhu Youjian's calligraphy "leaps and bounds" is full of charm. Secondly, Zhu Youjian lived in a much quieter environment when he was young. Zhu Youxiao, the eldest grandson and crown prince of Zong, has always been regarded as a rare commodity by speculators in the harem, such as Li () and Wei Zhongxian. Although she lost her biological mother since she was a child, she has been growing up healthily under the support of another Li (Dongli). Li Dong's character is very upright. Influenced by Li Dong, Zhu Youjian has developed a resolute character of independent struggle and good living habits since childhood. At that time, Xizong Zhu Youxiao was childless and alone, leaving only five of the seven brothers. Zhu Youjian is already the sole heir to Zhu Youxiao. In courtiers' minds, it is believed that King Zhu Youjian's desire to inherit the throne has a long history. When chatting with some ministers in opposition, they all advocated persuading Wang Xin to leave his post as soon as possible to give lectures. Giving lectures is generally the etiquette of the crown prince. Of course, no one dares to play this kind of recitation, because it is tantamount to cursing Xi's untimely death without a queen. However, in the faithful King Zhu Youjian, it was a low-key weather. Zhu Youjian, the letter king, refused to go to court because of illness, so as not to be suspected by Wei Zhongxian.
On August 12, the seventh year of the Apocalypse (1627), Xi Zong made up his mind to let Zhongjun join the Great Unity and left him two orders: First, to do good in the palace; Second, reuse loyalty. Perhaps, Xizong never thought that Wei Zhongxian, who was careful with him, would not serve the loyal Zhu Youjian in the same way. In the last few days of Zong's death, Wei Zhongxian has been trying to think about a good strategy to deal with what might happen in the future. He wanted to live in a house, but Shi Feng, a cabinet university student, said, "Living in a house is far from being admitted, and I can't learn from him." He wanted to launch a palace coup, but Cui Chengxiu, the minister of war, said, "I'm afraid there will be vigilantes outside." In the political environment of the Ming dynasty, the possibility of changing the surname to be emperor simply does not exist. So, on the second day after JaeHee's death, Wei Zhongxian, in desperation, announced the imperial edict of Queen Zhang: "Call for succession and reunification." In the next few months, Wei Zhongxian and You Jian, the new Zhu Deling, will have a life-and-death contest. Eliminating the former dynasty seems to be a law of the political development of the Ming Dynasty, and it will also play a role in Chongzhen.
The death of Xizong on August 22nd in the seventh year of the Apocalypse (1627) marked the end of a dark era in the Ming Dynasty. Tan Qian, a scholar in Qing Dynasty, said in his "Lack of Country" that the Apocalypse is very similar to Zheng De. Zong's "Love hunting, jealousy and remonstrance (new), no difference". From this point of view, once the apocalypse, Wei Zhongxian really guilty, minister more shameless. But as the supreme ruler, Xizong is also to blame and has to take responsibility for the darkness of this era.
Zhu Youxiao's little file.
Name: Zhu Youxiao Born: November, thirty-three years of Wanli (1605).
Zodiac: year of the snake died: the seventh year of the apocalypse (1627)
23 years old, in office: 7 years.
Year number: Apocalypse posthumous title: Emperor
TempleNo.: Xizong Mausoleum: Deling
Father: Mother: Wang
First marriage: 16 years old Spouse: Queen Zhang.
Children: 3 sons and 2 heiresses: Zhu Youjian.
Most proud: I made a clever water toy, and most frustrated: my son died young.
The saddest thing: wet nurse Ke was expelled from the imperial court, and the most unfortunate thing: drowned.
Best at: civil engineering