"The Longest Living Man" Who is the most perfect emperor in Chinese history? Why do you say he is the most perfect?

If we regard the emperor as an ordinary person, then I think Zhu_tang may be the best emperor in history. First of all, as a man, he is a dedicated man. He has only one wife in his life, and that is his Queen Zhang. In Chinese history, no emperor could do this. At the same time, he was also an emperor with a tolerant and kind heart. His biological mother was killed by his father's favorite Concubine Wan Gui, and he himself was almost killed by Concubine Wan Gui. However, after he ascended the throne, he did not pursue Concubine Wan Gui's family, but dismissed them. In addition, as an emperor, he can really be called a good emperor. During his reign, he reversed the decline of the Ming Dynasty since the British Empire. The prosperity of the country and the peace in the fields brought the national style of the Ming Dynasty to its peak again. It is called "Hongzhi Zhongxing" in history. It can be said that this is an emperor with almost no shortcomings, so I say he is the most perfect emperor in Chinese history.

From 1488 AD to 1505 AD, the country was named Hongzhi. Emperor Xiaozong's name was Zhu_tang, and he was the third son of Xianzong. He ascended the throne at the age of 18 and died at the age of 36, reigning for 18 years. During the Hongzhi period, there was neither the exclusive power of officials, eunuchs, or eunuchs, nor any drawbacks. Therefore, the Hongzhi Dynasty is called the wisest political period in the history of the Ming Dynasty, and Xiaozong is also described as a wise man in history books. Zhu Guozhen, a scholar in the late Ming Dynasty, said: "Three generations are called sages: Emperor Wu Ming, Song Renzong, and Xiaozong." He believed that Xiaozong was the master of the generation after the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and was on an equal footing with Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, and was highly regarded.

He also spoke highly of filial piety, which mainly consists of eight words, namely "respect, diligence and love for the people". His diligence, tolerance, respect for Confucian officials, and sympathy for the people's livelihood won unanimous praise from Confucian scholars and was regarded as the best monarch model in the history of the Ming Dynasty. He accepted the advice of Confucian scholars and acted in accordance with their requests as much as possible. Therefore, he is also compared to King Cheng of Zhou, which means that he can follow the guidance of Zhou Gong. From the perspective of personal accomplishment, Xiaozong was not as obsessed with indoor art as his father, but he had profound attainments in poetry, piano, painting, etc. In terms of governing the country, he appointed ministers with filial piety, modified the Ming system, and showed consideration for the people's sentiments. In fact, he created a prosperous era in the history of the Ming Dynasty. The humanities in this prosperous era were also impressive.

Xiaozong's personal achievements first benefited from his early legal access to the position of crown prince. When he was six years old, he was named prince by his father Xianzong. When I was nine years old, I got married and gave a speech. For the Crown Prince, speeches were the beginning of formal education. Officials in charge of education are generally well-educated people. For example, Liu Jian, Cheng et al. All are lecturers. He is from Anfu, Jiangxi Province, a member of Peng Sheng, and is affiliated with Wan'an. His character is not very good, but after all, he is the number one scholar in Jingtai in five years. Liu Jian is from Luoyang, Henan. Yan Yuxi and Bai were disciples of the Neo-Confucian master Xue_ in the early Ming Dynasty. It is said that he is the author of the "History of the Ming Dynasty" and the director of Xiuning County, Zhili Prefecture in the south of the city. When he was 10 years old, he was called a child prodigy and was recommended to study at Hanlin Academy.

It is said that Cheng was the most knowledgeable among the coaches of the Prince of the East Palace at that time. From these three people alone, we can know that we attach great importance to the education of the crown prince. Once the Crown Prince gives a speech, it must be given every day except when it is windy, rainy, snowy, hot or cold. The reading content is four books, as well as classics and history. The general format is to read a book in the morning and chat in the afternoon. The lecture was held in the back hall of Mandarin. In addition to studying, the emperor also had to practice calligraphy, assisted by specialized assistant ministers. He writes 100 words every day in spring, summer and autumn, and 50 words every day in winter. So in a sense, talents from all over the world were gathered to educate the crown prince. Therefore, Xiaozong received a very formal nine-year education. He started lecturing at the age of 9

In addition to the education of ministers, it is said that the eunuch Ji Qin in the palace also had a great influence on him. When Xiaozong was nine years old, the old man dictated Zhu's "Biography of Hedong Xue_" to the prince every day. It was precisely under the dual education of the imperial court and the imperial court that the young Zhu Zhentang was not as dissolute and indulgent as the later Ming Dynasty emperor. Of course, according to the deified propaganda of ancient emperors, Zhu_tang was born to be a wise monarch. It is said that although Zhu_tang lost her mother when she was 6 years old, she would "mourn like an adult" when her mother was lost in childhood, which had a profound impact on filial piety. Perhaps the kindness, gentleness, and tolerance of filial piety, in addition to Confucian education, also stem from the mentality of a weak person in childhood. Xiaozong best demonstrated his tolerance when dealing with Concubine Wan Gui. Although it is said that his mother Ji was killed by Concubine Wan Gui, after Xiaozong ascended the throne, when an official asked to punish the deceased Concubine Wan Gui and her people, he believed that this was against the wishes of the previous emperor and refused to accept it.

However, what is interesting is that according to Confucian education, especially the Ming Dynasty’s emphasis on Neo-Confucianism, the knowledge possessed by the emperor should focus on mastering ethics and morals and understanding history, rather than poetry, calligraphy, painting, piano and harp. Kind of small skills. However, among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, filial piety was the most rigorous Confucian ethics, but he was unwilling to give up his artistic hobbies. Turning to the "Four Books and Chapters", you can see that Xiaozong had five volumes of poetry collections, but unfortunately it is no longer available today. Qian was a famous scholar in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. He wrote the first poem "History of the Ming Dynasty" throughout his life. Among them, "Dynasties" by Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty includes:

Adjusting Yuan Jing to raise this body, but this body is innocent.

The Zhou family is eight hundred years old, and the safety of the country depends entirely on the people.

Frankly speaking, this poem is not well written. The first two sentences still have a certain charm of bodybuilding skills, but the last two sentences are most in line with the taste of Confucian scholars, that is, "taking Tao as a text."

Qian believes that the poem was excerpted from the "Poetry of Ode to Huai" by Li Dongyang, a court official of Hongzhi, and was copied together with the words of praise by the great poet Li Dongyang. Some of them said: "The king's words are axioms, but virtue and merit are the three immortals."

There is a saying in ancient China called "the three immortals", which means virtue, merit, and words. There is a collection of poetry that can truly be considered immortal. Because the poem also mentioned that "the light of Zhou lasted for eight hundred years", referring to the eight hundred years of Zhou Dynasty's rule, B also thought of another metaphor. In his view, filial piety is not only comparable to China's Song Renzong, but also to King Zhou Cheng - "Xiao Zong, King Zhou Cheng of this dynasty, and Emperor Xiaowen of Han"!

In addition to his interest in poetry, Xiaozong also liked painting and playing the piano. Jiang Shaoshu of the Qing Dynasty mentioned Xiaozong's love for painting and piano teaching. In the eyes of literati, the emperor loved music, and I was worried that he would slip into the abyss of enjoyment in the future. As a result, some officials responsible for supervising national political affairs came to persuade Xiaozong not to indulge in vocal music, but to pay more attention to self-cultivation. Xiaozong always accepted it on the surface, but privately he said to the eunuchs around him: "What's wrong with playing the piano?" This generation said. "I mean, what's the conflict between playing the piano and government affairs? I hope you say too much. Although he didn't agree with Yan Guan's warning, he didn't mind, which showed his tolerance.

He also tried his best to avoid criticism from literati. For example, he was good at painting and there were many painters in the palace. Once, he gave the painter Wu Wei some colored satin. He was worried that the ministers would chatter about it if they found out. Su knows! "It means, come on, don't let those mean scholars know. The reason why Xiaozong was unanimously praised by Confucian scholars is because he always left enough sympathy for Confucian scholars on the surface.

The emperor practiced one man, one man The wife system.

Huang Zongxi, a thinker in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, once wrote an article "Lu Tang Collection", which specifically criticized the autocratic monarch. One sentence said: "Separate the children of the world. Give me happiness. "In ancient China, there were probably very few adult emperors who were not promiscuous. Most of them had three palaces and six courtyards, and groups of concubines. Especially the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. However, there was an exception for Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, and that was General Zhu's Shitang. Some people say that he might He is the only monogamous emperor in China. He has only one queen in his life and no other concubines. According to the election system after the mid-Ming Dynasty, Zhang's father Zhang Luan was generally a scholar. , entered the Imperial College in the name of Xianggong. In other words, he was sent from a local school to the highest institution in the country and became a student of the Imperial College. Zhang was born in such a literati family, so tutoring was naturally possible. On February 6 of the third year, Zhang married the then Crown Prince Xiaozong. In September of the same year, Zhang was officially named queen. On September 24 of the fourth year of Hongzhi, Queen Zhang married her eldest son, who later became the queen. Wu Zong. Zhu Houzhao was born with a very handsome face, "better temperament than Bingyu, radiant", and very decent manners. So Xiaozong loved this son, and naturally he also loved Empress Zhang. The person I love the most, I live like a folk couple. "Like folk lovers, the emperor and the queen lived together every day. This was rare in the private life of feudal emperors.

As a harem with heavy makeup, filial piety is really inexplicable. It may be as follows Reasons:

First of all, Xiaozong himself had a gentle personality, was deeply influenced by Confucianism, and had no special interest in men and women.

Secondly, Xiaozong was kept secret in order to avoid being persecuted when he was young. He was raised in a palace until the age of 6. He was deeply aware of the competition and jealousy among concubines, and the consequent fights between concubines, so this may be one of the reasons why he did not want to have too many concubines. 1.

Thirdly, Zhang Hou's character may be lively, attractive, and filial. History calls Zhang Hou "arrogant and jealous" from her later political struggles. Judging from the role played, Zhang Hou is by no means an ordinary person.

Fourth, Minister Xie Qian’s warning. At first, it was normal for the emperor to accept a concubine. Under normal circumstances, the minister would not object. For example, during the Chenghua period, since Xianzong had no son at the age of 289, the ministers wrote to the emperor to accept his concubine. So, why did Xie Qian bother? In February of the first year of Hongzhi, Ma Yu and Zuo Shao were the supervisors. Guo Yong asked for a preliminary selection of palace ladies. After Xiao was deposed, he chose two women as wives. At that time, Zuo Chunfang and Zuo Hema, the attendants of the Hanlin Academy, said: "We must prepare for the Sixth Palace." Three years of troubles should be forgotten. Now that the mountains are not gone, I believe the shade is still fresh. Why does this happen? "It means that the emperor's choice of wives and concubines is a matter of course. However, Zhongxian's mausoleum has not yet been completed, and the thatched cottage when the emperor died was still new. Why should we talk about choosing concubines? Xiao claimed to rule the world with filial piety. He once formulated a three-year filial piety system for loyal emperors. "For three years, it was easy to see the palace without ringing bells or beating drums, and without North Korea's congratulations. "Therefore, as Xie Qian said, the issue of selecting women as concubines was shelved.

Later, the editor-in-chief of "The Book of Filial Piety" criticized it, believing that this move was to please the then Queen of the Central Palace, Zhang. But Some people defended Xie Qian, saying that Xie Qian's advice on choosing a wife was not to prohibit filial piety, but to ask the emperor to wait for a period of time before choosing a wife. However, due to Xie Qian's situation, although the issue of choosing a concubine was discussed many times. Mentioned, but did not get Xiaozong's approval. Therefore, Zhang, who became the crown prince in the 23rd year of Chenghua, not only officially became the queen after Xiaozong ascended the throne, but also became a special favorite until Xiaozong's death.

Xiaozong and his wife loved each other deeply. Although they are enviable, they have a certain influence on the emperor.

First of all, the Hongzhi couple's single-minded relationship led to the emperor having relatively few children. Empress Zhang gave birth to two sons and three daughters for Xiaozong. However, the emperor's second son Zhu Houhui and his eldest daughter Princess Taikang died one after another. Therefore, Zhu Houzhao is the only descendant of Xiaozong. Later, Zhu Houzhao had no sons, and Xiaozong's bloodline was cut off. In the eyes of some ministers in the early 16th century, it was really frustrating that such a wise emperor had no future. Later, a group of ministers insisted that Zhu Houzhao and Shizong call Xiaozong an "imperial examination". This mentality emerged after the establishment of Xiaozong. Filial piety was only passed down, since Wuzong had no children, Sejong succeeded to the throne as King Bing. This situation triggered a major political event in the mid-Ming Dynasty - Li, which had a profound impact on the history of the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty.

Secondly, the dedicated relationship between Xiaozong and his wife created the domineering attitude of Hongzhi’s relatives, Zhang Yanling and Zhang Heling. As the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. She became Queen Zhang and was favored by Xiaozong, which brought great prosperity to the Zhang family. His father, Zhang Luan, moved to Ningbo in the fourth year of Hongzhi's reign and later changed his name to Hou. After his death, he was posthumously granted a permanent position. Queen Zhang's two younger brothers were also sealed one after another.

Zhang He took his stepfather Zhang Luan as Hou Ninghou. In the early period of Zhang Yanling's feudal rule, in the 16th year of Hongzhi, he was also known as Jianchang Hou. Xiaozong also promoted the family temple in Zhangjiali, the queen's hometown. It is said that Zhang Luan did not become domineering because of his daughter's wealth, and still kept a distance from scholar-bureaucrats. However, Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling's brothers and their spouses suddenly became rich, and they inevitably became arrogant. They allowed their families to plunder other people's fields and fishing villages and do some illegal things. The ministers made suggestions to Xiaozong, asking them to investigate Zhang's illegal activities. So Xiaozong sent his minister Du Xun and eunuch Xiao Jing to verify. But it was confirmed, but because the queen refused to deal with her brother, there was no way to deal with it.

Besides, when the queen was angry, Xiaozong also had to pretend to be angry. Later, Xiaozong called Xiaojing and said to him: "I believe everything you said." Then, I gave Xiaojing some money, and the matter was over. Among the ministers at that time, like Wu Shizhong, almost all were convicted for impeaching Brother Zhang.

The ministers made suggestions to Xiaozong and asked them to investigate Zhang's illegal activities. So Xiaozong sent his minister Du Xun and eunuch Xiao Jing to verify. But it was confirmed, but because the queen refused to deal with her brother, there was no way to deal with it.

Perhaps, in Xiaozong's view, although Brother Zhang has shortcomings, he is the queen's younger brother after all, and ordinary small shortcomings can be forgiven. Of course, he also knew the consequences of letting the Zhang brothers go, so he hoped to let them meet through his teachings. Once, the emperor visited Nangong accompanied by the empress, prince, empress dowager, Mrs. Jin, and senior brother Zhang. At dinner, the Queen, Prince and Lady Kim left. Xiaozong called Zhang Heling alone. People saw Zhang Heling taking off his work from a distance and kowtow to the emperor. Since then, Brother Zhang's behavior has been more restrained. Later, during the transition period from the dynasty to Jiajing, Brother Zhang was favored by Sejong because he supported Sejong's accession to the throne. However, their final fate was tragic: they died in prison and died in history. This is of course due to Sejong's ingratitude, but their arrogance cannot, which undoubtedly gave people an opportunity to take advantage of it.

Zhang’s later life was desolate and unspeakable. First he lost his husband Xiaozong, then his son Wuzong, and then he was forced by his nephew Sejong and had to beg Sejong to spare his two younger brothers. However, before her death, Zhang Heling died in prison. She was killed five years after her death. She has a keen sense of the nobility and impermanence of imperial power!

A moral person.

Xiaozong created a prosperous era in the Ming Dynasty, and there are many things worthy of praise in his governance. Describing these political events in detail is not easy. In short, the core of the filial piety strategy is the appointment of ministers.

During the Hongzhi era, famous officials emerged in large numbers. The college students and six ministers in the cabinet are all smart, capable and moral gentlemen. Three college students, Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and Qiu Zhuo, as well as the sixth-generation upright official Wang Shu, are all famous scholars and ministers. There is a saying in Chenghua: "The paper is old and the six ministers are made of clay." The meaning is very clear. The great scholars Wan An, Liu Ji, Wang Yi, and the six ministers are nothing but incompetent people. On the other hand, the Hongzhi Dynasty had many talented cabinet ministers.

We can see that in October of the 23rd year of Chenghua, Wan An, who had a bad character, was dismissed from his post, and Xu Pu was elected to the cabinet only one month after taking office. In November, Liu Jian was appointed as a cabinet member; in the fourth year of Hongzhi, Qiu Zhuo entered the cabinet; in the eighth year of Hongzhi, after Qiu Meng died, Xie Qian and Li Dongyang were appointed cabinet ministers; in September of the fourteenth year of Hongzhi, Qin Zhuo entered the cabinet. Xu Pu was a native of Yixing in the south of Zhili at that time. He was a bachelor in the first year of Hongzhi. Xu Pu's auxiliary style was "quiet and law-abiding", which was consistent with Xiaozong's character. In addition, there is no power struggle between Xu Pu and his colleagues Xie Qian and Li Dongyang, and they cooperate closely.

The harmonious relationship between ministers will naturally form a kind of "civilian power" that checks and balances the imperial power. This model effectively corrected the derailment of Emperor Hongzhi in 1497. In February of the tenth year of Hongzhi, Xu Pu and others visited the emperor and asked him to stay away from the eunuch Li Guang who lured him to the banquet, spend more energy on government affairs, and have more contact with Confucian officials. It turns out that since the eighth year of Hongzhi, he served as Emperor Xiao for eight years. It is said that he "acted according to the dynasty and gradually picked up the characters", which means that he later became the imperial court. In the eyes of Confucian scholars, this was the beginning of the emperor's decline. But unlike most emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Xiaozong accepted the opinions of his ministers very humbly.

In March of the tenth year of Hongzhi, the cabinet academicians Xu Pu, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian were summoned to discuss government affairs. After discussion, the emperor served tea to the ministers and then dispersed. Convening ministers to discuss national affairs was called "major events" at the time. According to the records of "Original King", there were probably four other times. It is conceivable that the cabinet ministers would be summoned in person to discuss national affairs like this. Therefore, on the one hand, we can see the harmony between the emperor and his ministers during the Hongzhi period; on the other hand, it can also be seen as Xiaozong's trust in Confucianism and its officials.

Except for the cabinet bachelor, the six ministers of Hongzhi are all decent people. For example, Prime Minister Wang Shu played a very important role in Hongzhi politics. Wang Shu was a native of Sanyuan, Shaanxi Province, and a native of Zongguan. In his adulthood, he was famous for his uprisings of the Tengxia and Pingda Yao people and for pacifying the Jingxiang refugees. But because he dared to speak out and offended Zhiwang, he had to become an official in Nanjing. Although Nanjing was also one of the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty, the six ministries in Nanjing were actually just idle officials. During the Jinji period, Wu Tingju resigned from his official position at the Nanjing Industrial and Commercial Institute, causing the poems of Bai Juyi and Zhang Yong to become the leisurely style of Nanjing official circles. "My monthly salary is one hundred thousand, and the imperial court hired me as an idler." "Fortunately, there is a history of idlers in Jiangnan."

However, Uncle Wang still dared to say it in Nanjing. At the end of the 20th century, there was a saying in official circles: "Twelve departments in two cities have only one uncle Wang." Therefore, after Xiaozong ascended the throne, he listened to the suggestions of ministers and appointed Wang Shu as prime minister. When there was no prime minister in the Ming Dynasty, officials were the leaders of Zhu Qing. They are responsible for investigating and appointing officials and have greater powers than other ministries. When Wang Shu was in the official department, he recommended all gentlemen. It is said that Uncle Wang took his seventh son Wang Chengyu to Beijing. Every day, Wang Chengyu would receive visiting courtiers and celebrities for his father, talk to them, and then truthfully tell his father his observations. Therefore, from November of the 23rd year of Chenghua to November of the 6th year of Hongzhi

In addition to trusting ministers, Xiaozong also requested to strengthen inspections of ministers and workers, which involved the improvement of the inspection system. Meng Sen once said: "The legislative creation of the Ming Dynasty was all under the control of the crown prince. In the Xiaozong Dynasty, there were efforts to cultivate the Ming Dynasty." This means that the system of the Ming Dynasty had been basically established when Zhu Yuanzhang ruled Ming Taizu. Later emperors were able to come up with a wise political system, namely filial piety. Therefore, Xiaozong has always been considered the master of ZTE. The system construction in the early years of Hongzhi was mainly reflected in the compilation of "Dian Lun" and the establishment of a six-year supervision system for Beijing officials.

When Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang ruled Ming Taizu, the system of the Ming Dynasty was basically established. Later the emperor was able to come up with a wise political system, namely filial piety.

Assembly code is a compilation of laws and regulations. In the tenth year of Hongzhi's reign, he ordered the compilation of "The Classic of Filial Piety". The editor-in-chief at that time was Xu Pu, a college student. Five years later, in the fifteenth year of Hongzhi's reign, the "History of Ming Dynasty" was completed. It should be said that the compilation of "Da Ming Shu" provided the foundation for the system construction of the Hongzhi Dynasty. Xiaozong created many systems on this basis. For example, the ancestral hall system stipulates that the ancestral hall system is "one room, one emperor".

In June of the 17th year of Hongzhi, officials below the fifth rank were ordered to conduct inspections every six months. This system was used until the Ming Dynasty. The six-year inspection often became the focus of party disputes in the late Ming Dynasty. Because once an official leaves after being investigated, it is difficult for him to get another chance to serve as an official, so there is no chance for him to turn over. Therefore, various political forces always use the opportunity of inspections to attack the other side. Of course, this was the first unintended consequence of Takashi's establishment of the system. But the six-year supervision system implemented by Beijing officials at that time played a great role in combating official corruption.

Among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Xiaozong was the most benevolent. He attached great importance to the famine policy and asked governments at all levels to set up Changping Station to deal with the famine. In terms of punishment, he demanded severe punishment. At his behest, some secret agencies known for their cruelty, such as the Royal Guard, became benevolent. Therefore, during the Hongzhi period, the politics were clear and the economy was developed. In terms of culture, Li Dongyang's Chaling Poetry School and Qiu Meng's Neo-Confucianism emerged, which are called the new millennium.

On May 7, the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, Xiaozong died. It is said that Xiao Zong occasionally catches a cold. Eunuchs, the ambassador of Taiyuan Hospital, court judge Liu, physician Gao Tinghe and others secretly prescribed the medicine, causing Xiaozong to accidentally take the medicine and die from a nosebleed. Before he died, he told his ministers, "You are happy in the East Palace. You are a very good gentleman." At that time, his cn Zhu Houzhao was 15 years old. Later, Datong's nephew Zhu Houzhao inherited Zhu Houzhao, but he was not born. At that time, "the mountains and rivers were exhausted, and people mourned" and "the cries shook the sky." In October of the same year, Xiaozong was buried in Tailing.