How did 16-year-old Chongzhen kill Wei Zhongxian within three months?

Last night, Beloved went to see Xiuchundao 2: Shura Battlefield. The film tells the story of how Zhu Youjian plotted to ascend to power in the late Ming Dynasty and fought against the power of the eunuch Wei Zhongxian. A security guard named Shen Lian was involved in this matter for no reason. Although history is mixed with truth, Chong Jun feels that this is one of the few outstanding martial arts films in recent years.

Today I love you to tell the story behind the movie Xiuchun Dao. Let's first take a look at the story of how a 16-year-old boy named Emperor Chongzhen battled wits and courage with a 59-year-old eunuch from an absolute monarch, and finally forced Wei Zhongxian to commit suicide in just three months.

Sword and Shadow: Succession

The time goes back to 1627 AD, the seventh year of the Ming Dynasty's Apocalypse.

Zhu Youxiao, Emperor Xizong of the Ming Dynasty, had a funny nature and was the best carpenter in the world. This year, he fell into the water while playing in a rowing boat and fell into the root of the disease, which could not be cured for a long time.

Seeing that the 22-year-old Emperor Zong was critically ill and had no heirs, Empress Zong became anxious. On the eleventh day of the eighth lunar month, Empress Zhang took advantage of the absence of the feuding Wei Zhongxian and hurriedly asked Zong: "What will be the consequences if Your Majesty speaks out?"

Zhu Youxiao, who usually plays in the park, Now it is clear, saying that must be my brother, King Xin Zhu Youjian.

So, Xizong immediately summoned Xin Wang Zhu Youjian, entrusted him with the throne, and said: "My brother, be Yao and Shun!" Ming Xizong's younger brother Wang Xin Zhu Youjian said: I Brother, be like Yao and Shun!

Listen, this sounds too familiar.

It is said that Zhu Changluo was the short-lived father of Emperor Xizong. He only served as emperor for a month before passing away. Seven years ago, he passed the throne to his eldest son Zhu Youxiao, who later became Xi Zong. Emperor Zong. Unfortunately, Zhu Youxiao had been emperor for seven years, but the Ming Dynasty was still making a fuss.

Before his death, Ming Xizong told his younger brother Xinwang that after you ascend the throne, you must help save my Queen Zhang. And Wei Zhongxian is a great and good man, dedicated, cautious and loyal. "You can do great things!"

"Nine years old": Factory Master

Wei Zhongxian, this name is too familiar.

Yes, he is the eunuch known as the "Nine Thousand Years Old". Some people even call him the "Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Years Old" Wei Changgong, Wei Gonggong, and Wei Zhongxian. They ruled during the Western Tianqi Period Beijing.

To become a celebrity around the emperor, Wei Zhongxian had to start with his sword dancing.

It is said that Wei Zhongxian was from Suning, Hebei today. The eldest brother was a scoundrel when he was young and often gambled with a group of local ruffians. Once he lost a bet, Wei Zhongxian was forced to panic. In anger, he entered the palace with a knife and became a eunuch.

What a hero.

Wei Zhongxian entered the palace during the Wanli period. After entering the palace, he made a good eunuch partner named Chao Wei, but Wei Zhongxian was dishonest. In an instant, he hooked up with Zhu Youxiao's nanny Chao Wei. Because of this old framework, Wei Zhongxian began to flourish after Xizong ascended the throne.

After seven years of development, by the time Xizong was about to die, Wei Zhongxian was already a "thousand-year-old" who respected the Ming Dynasty. His power spread throughout the Forbidden City, and everyone from the eunuchs in the palace to the Dongchang, Xichang, and Jinyi guards, to the ministers in the court and border generals all obeyed his command. In Yang Lian's words, the entire Ming Dynasty seemed to be "loyal" at home and abroad.

The minions around Wei Zhongxian and the eunuchs in the inner court were supported by Wang Tigan and others, and the civil servants in the inner court were supported by the Minister of War. Cui Chengxiu was a flatterer and had a number of subordinates including five tigers, five tigers, ten dogs, ten boys, and forty grandsons. All over the imperial court, all over the Ming Dynasty, it seems that this "nine-year-old" has the final say.

Youth: Chongzhen

It was in this murderous atmosphere that Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian rose to the top majestically.

In the movie Xiuchundao 2, the King of Faith Zhu Youjian showed loyalty to the "factory man" Wei Zhongxian, gained Wei Zhongxian's recognition, and finally inherited the throne.

History is not without this possibility. Because without Wei Zhongxian's support, or at least his acquiescence, it would not be easy for Zhu Youjian to succeed him.

It is recorded that on August 11th, the seventh year of Tianqi, Emperor Xizong’s edict was inherited by King Xin Zhu Youjian.

Eleven days later, on August 22 of the lunar calendar, Xizong died and Zhu Youjian succeeded to the throne.

But after Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, Wei Zhongxian quickly discovered that something seemed not quite right.

At first, 59-year-old Wei Zhongxian thought that 16-year-old Zhu Youjian was just a doll, and it was obviously easy to play with him.

But the 16-year-old new emperor Zhu Youjian is not as stupid as his younger brother Ming Xizong. This young man is too forbearing.

After Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, he already felt the dangers inside and outside the Ming Dynasty. He did not dare to eat the food in the palace, because most of the eunuchs and maids around him inside and outside the palace were arranged by Wei Zhongxian, so he could only secretly eat the cakes hidden in his sleeves. At night, the young emperor even ordered all candles in the main hall and bedrooms to be lit because he feared a traitor would try to assassinate him in the darkness.

In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youjian said: "I am a young man.". The virtues of ancestors, but only obey the laws; when it is difficult to govern the people, they can be flexible. "

Formal management is the first step in his upcoming operation, and the target of the operation is undoubtedly Wei Zhongxian.

Concession: seizing power

However, Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian was very tolerant at first. On the surface, he was respectful to Wei Zhongxian, but secretly he began to eliminate the eunuchs around him step by step.

He first dismissed some unknown people around him, and then selected some new eunuchs. To serve himself.

He then ordered Wei Zhongxian's cabinet minister Huang to resign and return to his hometown; then he asked Li and a group of Wei Zhongxian's confidants to take leave of absence and Wei Zhongxian, who felt bad, tried to tell the young emperor Zhu Youjian. , Your Majesty, I want to resign as the admiral of Dongchang, but Chongzhen deliberately refused to agree because he felt that the time had not yet come and he still needed to wait, so he still tried his best to "retain" this "factory prince"

From the inside out, Emperor Chongzhen began to peel off the cocoon layer by layer, gradually eliminating Wei Zhongxian's influence.

Emperor Chongzhen was methodical and step-by-step, which also led to the division of some swing factions in the court who had taken refuge in Wei Zhongxian. .

Seeing that the new emperor might have to deal with national affairs, the new Nanjing Zheng Tong envoys Yang Xiu and Li Ke gave Chen Er a guess about the little emperor's intentions, so the minister impeached Wei Zhongxian's old subordinate Cui Chengxiu, the minister of war. , saying that he had done many bad things in the past, such as persecuting Lin Dong Party members, but Chongzhen suppressed it temporarily;

Soon, Yang Weiyuan, who had followed Wei Zhongxian but was not reused, also wrote to Cui Chengxiu many times, reprimanding him for " "Betrayal of factory officials internally and externally, proficient in government affairs externally, and corrupt", thus starting a public opinion storm in which courtiers attacked Wei Zhongxian's power. After the 16-year-old Chongzhen ascended the throne, he began to seize power step by step.

Chongzhen's strategy However, he seemed to be unmoved, but in fact he secretly encouraged those ministers who opposed Wei Zhongxian to use Wei Zhongxian's former confidants to launch a mass movement against Wei Zhongxian's crimes.

Only the 16-year-old Emperor Chongzhen had the ability to mobilize the masses to fight against the masses. , but he knew this very well.

Those Lin Dong party members and people who had been suppressed and persecuted by Wei Zhongxian for many years also began to break out, and a large number of memorials appeared like a snowflake, among which Qian listed 10 of Wei Zhongxian's crimes. Major crimes, such as "merging the emperor", "contempting the queen", "conducting soldiers", and "fatting the people"

Chongzhen was shocked when he saw it. He immediately called Wei Zhongxian and asked the waiter to read them to Wei Zhongxian one by one. Listen. Every time he finished reading, he scolded Wei Zhongxian and said, “What kind of words are these? "As a result, Wei Zhongxian could only kneel on the ground and kowtow, not knowing how to defend himself.

Eliminate: Wei Yan

Wei Zhongxian was frightened.

He was originally illiterate. A well-educated street gangster, he was forced to become a eunuch in his middle age. He did not expect that because he hooked up with Xizong's nanny or even his apprentice, his power came too quickly. Therefore, he was always afraid. Imperial power. All along, Emperor Chongzhen was seizing power step by step, making Wei Zhongxian feel helpless and didn't know what to do.

So Wei Zhongxian urgently found Xu Yingyuan, the old eunuch beside Emperor Chongzhen, and asked him. He interceded with Chongzhen on his behalf and pretended to resign.

Unexpectedly, Chongzhen took over the role, approved Wei Zhongxian's resignation, and quickly appointed his subordinates to control important positions such as Dongchang, Jinyiwei, and Jingshi Patrol. He also arrested and imprisoned Wei Zhongxian's cronies such as Cui Chengxiu, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, and dismissed Wu Chunfu, the Secretary of the Party Department, etc. official position, and thus quickly took control of the power in the DPRK.

In the seventh year of the Apocalypse, on the first day of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, Emperor Chongzhen, who had just ascended the throne for two months, issued an edict: "I have seen the repeated crimes committed by the ministers against Wei Zhongxian, and I all know that Zhongxian will not repay the country. , They only cultivated the party privately, stole the power of the country, and enjoyed great achievements. There are too many to mention. "Their abuses of the people will last forever. "

At this time, Wei Zhongxian was horrified. Seeing the 16-year-old little emperor acting vigorously and resolutely, he gradually took control of the real power in three months, while his accomplices were demoted and arrested. Wei Zhongxian was frightened. He obediently led hundreds of followers and quickly headed towards the Ming Empire's ancestral mausoleum in Fengyang, Anhui Province according to the instructions of the little emperor.

But Chongzhen did not spare him and then ordered a security guard to hunt him down. Wei Zhongxian was preparing to arrest him and return him to Beijing to continue his confession. When Wei Zhongxian learned the news, he knew that life would be worse than death, so when he was in Fucheng, Hebei, he drank with his accomplices until midnight and then hanged himself.

At this point, "Nine Thousand Years" Wei Zhongxian, who had been in power for seven years, was declared dead in just three months

Empire: Afterglow

But Chongzhen insisted and ordered Wei Zhongxian's body to be removed. He dismembered his body and hung his head in the Hejian Mansion for public display; and then ordered Wei Zhongxian's concubine Kaixi to be executed. While raiding Kaixi's house, Chongzhen accidentally learned that Wei Zhongxian had secretly raised eight pregnant women in the palace. The palace maids, intending to imitate Lu Buwei's original story, package them as the so-called illegitimate children of Xizong in order to rebel and usurp the throne.

After killing Wei Zhongxian, Chongzhen continued to clean up the eunuch forces at lightning speed. At this time, Xie Han and others who left the country in the year of accession were recalled to the palace. Stills from Xiuchundao 2: King of Faith Zhu Youjian's plan. Seizing power.

In just three months, the 16-year-old emperor took drastic measures to regain control of the Ming Dynasty's supreme power.

For a time, the dawn of hope reappeared. p>

However, Chongzhen failed to save the dilapidated Ming Empire. Seventeen years later, in 1644, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty hanged himself in Jingshan Park in Beijing. Before his death, he left a mark on his clothes. He wrote the following last words: "When I die, I want to embarrass my ancestors, and I want to use my crown to cover my face. If the thieves are divided, no one will be hurt. "

Two years after Xiuchundao, His Royal Highness Wang Xin, who was holding back tears, ascended the throne at the age of 16. This young emperor who vigorously eradicated eunuchs finally stayed in the afterglow of the Ming Dynasty.