The fact that Consort Fan compromised and changed her stance so quickly made the Crown Prince feel relieved. He really didn't want to force Consort Fan, a veteran figure in the harem, to death with his own hands before he ascended the throne.
This was the most daring thing he had ever done. It was the first and only time he had violated the will of Emperor Hongwu. After all, a son will never dislike his mother's ugliness. Even if his mother made a mistake, she was still his mother.
He had two plans before. The first was that Lady Fan would compromise and recognize him as the new master, and everyone would pretend that this had never happened. The second was that Lady Fan was determined to carry out the Emperor Hongwu's will. He had no choice but to force Lady Fan to drink by herself, and then imitate her handwriting to sacrifice herself for her old master, Emperor Hongwu, and commit suicide.
The Crown Prince did not want to take the second path. After all, he had never had blood on his hands since he was born. From being the eldest son of a concubine who had no chance of becoming the Crown Prince, the dark and dirty things that happened in the early days were done by his mother, Lady Lu, so that he could be crowned as the Crown Prince. In order to consolidate his position and allow him to ascend the throne smoothly, Emperor Hongwu cleaned up the harem of the previous dynasty, removed all the thorns for him, and handed him the smooth scepter.
Fortunately, in order to keep the matter secret, Emperor Hongwu only gave an oral order, and there would be no evidence. Therefore, the Crown Prince dared to intercept the person who gave the poisoned wine halfway, and used both kindness and force to counter the person who gave the wine, forcing her to cooperate in lying and deceive Concubine Fan.
Without real evidence, there is room for behind-the-scenes manipulation. The Crown Prince invited Concubine Fan over, and with just a little hint, Concubine Fan understood and expressed her willingness to surrender.
As the saying goes, when a person leaves, the tea gets cold. Even if you are an emperor, your words are as good as gold, but once you lose power, your words are just bullshit. No, even bullshit still has a lingering aftertaste. Now, Emperor Hongwu is not even cold yet, but his words have already been regarded as non-existent.
Lady Fan left the palace of the crown prince to attend the funeral of Emperor Hongwu. The matter was resolved, but the crown prince did not feel relieved as expected when he looked at the pot of poisoned wine on the table. He felt chilled and terrified: at this moment, he finally understood why the emperor grandfather cared so much about power and was wary of those powerful uncles, because once he lost power, he would be meaningless and no one would listen to him. Who could bear such a gap
In an instant, the Crown Prince understood the truth that the Hongwu Emperor had been telling him for several years but he was still unable to fully understand. To be an emperor, one must first firmly grasp the imperial power. The imperial power is supreme and cannot be shared with anyone. Otherwise, it cannot be called imperial power.
After thinking it through, the Crown Prince suddenly became enlightened and understood what his future path should be.
The funeral of Emperor Hongwu was carried out in an orderly manner. The Ministry of Rites decided on his posthumous title as "Qinming Qiyun Junde Chenggong Tongtian Daxiao Gao Huangdi", known in history as Ming Gaozu. At the same time, the posthumous title of Empress Xiaoci was changed to "Xiaoci Zhaoxian Zhiren Wende Chengtian Shunsheng Gao Huangdi".
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. At the same time, the coronation ceremony of the new emperor must be carried out in full swing.
The ascension of a new monarch is like a young girl getting into her bridal sedan; she needs to be urged and begged many times, as if the bride is very reluctant to get married.
On the tenth day of the fifth month, all civil and military officials in the capital, the royal family, the military and civilians, as well as respected elders among the people, wrote letters to the emperor, asking him to ascend the throne as the emperor.
The Crown Prince refused, saying that as a grandson, he was grieving the death of the previous emperor all day long, so he rejected the request of his subjects.
On May 13, the ministers and the people once again "submitted a letter to persuade him to ascend the throne." The Crown Prince said, "The coffin of the late emperor is in the court, and the mountains and hills have not been cleared yet. As a grandfather and grandson, how can we tolerate this? Your request will not be granted!" So he refused again.
On May 13, royal family members, ministers, common people, envoys from all over the world, and even famous monks and Taoists all "knelt down and presented petitions" to request the crown prince to succeed to the throne.
According to the established rules, you must ask three times and refuse twice. You cannot refuse the third time, as you may lose face if you refuse again.
So the Crown Prince submitted a petition to the Ministry of Rites, which was responsible for ceremonies, saying, "I am in mourning and cannot bear to accept the throne. However, the princes, civil and military officials, soldiers and civilians, the elderly, and envoys from the four barbarians have all been of one mind and have submitted petitions to urge the emperor to ascend the throne. I have declined and come back. I dare not disobey the great plan of the country. I cannot reject the sincere advice of the people forever..."
What I mean is, I am sad about the death of my grandfather, but you all want me to be the emperor, and even if I give in, you still want me to be the emperor, so I will reluctantly ascend the throne!
On May 16, the 31st year of the Hongwu Emperor, the Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, held a meeting with his ministers, issued a general amnesty, and issued an edict of accession to the throne.
In the edict of enthronement, Zhu Yunwen announced that the reign title would be "Jianwen", posthumously conferred the title of "Emperor Xiaokang" on his father, Crown Prince Yiwen Zhu Biao, and posthumously conferred the title of "Empress Xiaokang" on Crown Princess Yiwen and his stepmother Chang. He also conferred the title of "Holy Mother Empress Dowager" on his biological mother, Lu, and the title of "Empress Ma". Now the second empress who ruled the country in the Ming Dynasty was also called Empress Ma.
At the same time, he also appointed his two-year-old eldest son Zhu Wenkui as the crown prince.
The Holy Mother Empress Dowager Lü moved out of the Eastern Palace and moved into the Cining Palace. The young Empress Ma also moved out of the Crown Prince's Palace and moved into the Kunning Palace.
The other two concubines were given the title of imperial concubines and lived in the Yanxi Palace in the East Palace and the Yikun Palace in the West Palace respectively. Anyway, all the concubines in the East and West Palaces had died, so there was room for the newcomers. Everything was complete and there was no need for renovation. The two concubines moved in with just their luggage.
After finally getting his family in order, Emperor Jianwen held a meeting with several ministers to discuss the next course of government. Then the eunuch came to report, "The Empress Dowager asked the Emperor to go to the Cining Palace to talk."
His mother was calling him, and as the new emperor, Emperor Jianwen naturally wanted to establish the image of a filial son, so he postponed the meeting and went to the Cining Palace.
Empress Dowager Lu quickly pulled Emperor Jianwen to the table and placed all the dishes her son liked. "Your Majesty is busy all day, and I see that you have lost a lot of weight. The Empress is young after all, and she doesn't know how to cherish you. Whoever gave birth to you should love you. I specially prepared your favorite food. Come, eat more."
After saying this, Empress Dowager Lu picked up a piece of bamboo shoots with chopsticks and placed it in front of Emperor Jianwen.
Emperor Jianwen liked bamboo, and also liked to eat things related to bamboo, such as bamboo shoots, drink bamboo leaf tea, etc. He was known for "not being able to go a day without eating bamboo".
Emperor Jianwen thought it was a big deal and wanted to laugh in disappointment. "I appreciate the Queen Mother's kindness, but I am very busy now. I have summoned ministers to discuss state affairs."
Empress Dowager Lu continued to serve food to her son. "Your Majesty's health is very important. It's just a meal. Why ask the ministers to wait? It's almost noon and everyone has to eat. I have already given the ministers food and will not let them wait."
Emperor Jianwen then began to eat. In order to save time, he ate very quickly. Empress Dowager Lu was beside him picking up food for her son. She observed her son's face and felt that he seemed to be in a good mood. She took the opportunity to say, "Now that I have become the empress dowager, Your Majesty should also mention my grandfather, the Lu family."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jianwen paused his chopsticks in the air.
After being confined in the East Palace for three years and almost being killed by a pot of poisoned wine, Empress Dowager Lu had learned some lessons. She felt that something was wrong and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Your Majesty, don't ask the Lu family to give them official positions? If they have abilities, it's fine. They can help your Majesty, but if they don't, won't they just cause trouble for you? I'm not such a short-sighted person. When my family came to ask for an official position, I sent them away on your behalf to avoid embarrassing you. But there's one thing. I'm your mother, and I'm also the daughter of your grandfather."
"I have been in the palace for many years, and I have never been able to fulfill my filial duties to your grandfather. Now that I am the empress dowager, I am even less able to do so. Your majesty's grandfather has been cautious all his life. In his old age, he should enjoy the blessing of your grandson. I am a woman of my generation, and I have no ability. So I have to rely on your son for everything. I cannot leave the palace to fulfill my filial duties, so I can only ask your majesty to do me a favor. I have seen that the empress dowagers' families in all dynasties were granted the title of Cheng'en Gong, which is just an empty title without real power. It sounds good. I don't know if my father has this blessing?"
The Queen Mother of a country was so sincere in seeking honor for her father that Empress Dowager Lu was almost moved by herself.
Emperor Jianwen felt that his mother's request was not excessive. The title of Duke Cheng'en was just a title without real power and could not be inherited. If my grandfather died, the title would be gone. Thinking about my grandfather, he was an honest man who never made trouble. In addition, Empress Dowager Lu's words were tactful. She asked for the title in the name of filial piety, which was reasonable both ethically and logically. Emperor Jianwen wanted to agree immediately, but when he thought about how he had just ascended the throne and had many things to do, it seemed a bit too hasty to confer the title of Duke Cheng'en on my grandfather before he had done anything.
Emperor Jianwen put down his chopsticks and said, "I know what the Queen Mother said, but the matter of conferring the title of Duke Cheng'en on my grandfather is a family matter as well as a state matter. I still need to discuss it with the ministers."
You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Empress Dowager Lu thought that the emperor's grandfather was conferred the title of Duke of Cheng'en, which was a matter of face for the emperor. It was just a small thing, and discussing it with the ministers was just a formality, so she smiled and said, "This is natural. Since ancient times, the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. In the end, it is up to the emperor to make the decision."
The kind and gentle appearance of Empress Dowager Lu is simply a model of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.
After lunch, Emperor Jianwen went back and convened a meeting with two ministers of state, namely Huang Zicheng, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy and the Minister of Taichang Temple, and Fang Xiaoru, a reader of the Hanlin Academy.
Huang Zicheng was the first place in the imperial examination in the 18th year of Hongwu, and was a third place in the imperial examination. He was a legitimate imperial examiner. He once went to Yanzhou with Emperor Xiaokang Zhu Biao to take care of the funeral of King Luhuang. The funeral of King Luhuang was very beautiful. Emperor Hongwu thought highly of him and promoted and trained him to be a minister of state.
Fang Xiaoru had no fame and was disdainful of taking the imperial examinations, as he thought that exam-oriented education destroyed human nature. However, he was very famous because he had a very powerful mentor, Song Lian, one of the three great poets and writers in the early Ming Dynasty, who was also the teacher of Emperor Xiaokang. Fang Xiaoru was highly respected by the literati in Jiangnan because of his poetry and reputation as a teacher, and was also included in the list of ministers of state.
One was a graduate of the officially recognized imperial examination system, the top three in the imperial examination; the other was a public intellectual with the most fans on social networks five hundred years later. The combination of the two was the core think tank of Emperor Jianwen.
Today's topic is the reduction of feudal lords.
Emperor Jianwen asked, should we reduce the power of the feudal lords? Should we get rid of the powerful uncles
Huang Zicheng: Cut.
Fang Xiaoru: Cut.
Of course Emperor Jianwen also wanted to reduce the power, otherwise he would not have asked this question. So the emperor and his ministers quickly reached a consensus: reduce the power.
Emperor Jianwen asked again: "I have so many uncles, who should I start with?"
Huang Zicheng said: "We should first target Yan. As the saying goes, to capture a thief, we must first capture the king. We should start with the King of Yan, who is the strongest and oldest."
Prince of Yan Zhu Di was the fourth child, but the second prince Zhu Chong and the third prince of Jin Zhu Gang were both dead, so the fourth child became the eldest. Moreover, Prince of Yan was the most powerful, otherwise Emperor Gao would not have detained all four children of Prince of Yan in the capital at once.
Fang Xiaoru had a different opinion: "Don't touch the King of Yan first. We should first cut off the King of Yan's wings, starting with the King of Zhou, then the King of Qi, the King of Xiang, the King of Dai and other kings. Finally, touch the King of Yan."
Prince of Zhou Zhu Su is the younger brother of Prince of Yan, Prince of Dai Zhu Gui is a great vassal king in the northwest, his fighting power is second only to Prince of Yan, and he is also Prince of Yan's brother-in-law - Princess Xu of Dai is the second daughter of Xu Da, Duke of Wei.
Huang Zicheng objected: "No, this is putting the cart before the horse."
Fang Xiaoru also opposed the other party's opinion: "It is too hasty to directly attack the Prince of Yan."
Huang Zicheng was a top scholar in the imperial examinations. He started from a grassroots position and was deliberately promoted and trained by Emperor Hongwu step by step. He looked down on Fang Xiaoru, a "famous scholar" who only knew how to talk nonsense, and said, "Reducing the power of the vassal states is actually reducing the power of the Prince of Yan. It will happen sooner or later. Speed is of the essence in war. It is better to move directly to the Prince of Yan. Otherwise, it will be a waste of effort to reduce the power of the previous vassal states."
Fang Xiaoru was proud of his mentor Song Lian, who was highly respected by many scholars in terms of poetry and prose. He thought Huang Zicheng was too pedantic and didn't know how to adapt. He said, "The Prince of Yan is a man of great talent and strategy, very similar to Emperor Gaozu. Beiping has a strong army and is brave and good at fighting. Both the Jin and Yuan dynasties rose here. If you directly weaken the Prince of Yan, he will be desperate and will definitely rebel. By then, there will be war and countless lives will be lost. Can Mr. Huang bear this responsibility?"
Is reducing the power of the vassal states just like treating them to a meal? Huang Zicheng thought it was ridiculous, but Emperor Jianwen always respected Fang Xiaoru and appreciated his poetry and prose, so he gave him face. "Since you have decided to reduce the power of the vassal states, you must be prepared for war. The Prince of Yan is not someone who will sit and wait for death. What's the point of reducing the power of his younger brother, the Prince of Zhou, and his brother-in-law, the Prince of Dai? It won't hurt the foundation of the Prince of Yan."
Fang Xiaoru said, "The Art of War by Sun Tzu says, 'In the art of war, conquering the whole country is the best, and destroying the country is the next best; conquering the whole army is the best, and destroying the army is the next best; conquering the whole brigade is the best, and destroying the brigade is the next best; conquering the whole soldier is the best, and destroying the soldier is the next best; conquering the whole squad is the best, and destroying the squad is the next best. Therefore, to win every battle is not the best of the best; to defeat the enemy without fighting is the best of the best.' If the King of Yan wants to fight, of course he can fight, but the highest realm of the art of war is to defeat the enemy without fighting. By weakening the King of Zhou, the King of Dai and other vassal kings, killing chickens to scare the monkeys, and intimidating the King of Yan, he will give up his military power and surrender voluntarily."
Huang Zicheng was a pragmatic man who hated Fang Xiaoru's high-sounding speeches. He was a little annoyed at this moment and said, "Killing a chicken to scare the monkey? Killing a chicken never scares a monkey. If you don't believe me, Lord Fang, why don't you kill a chicken to show it to the monkey? If you want to kill a monkey, just kill the monkey. Why kill a chicken?"
Fang Xiaoru could not help but hear his sarcasm and flew into a rage, "Sir Huang, we are discussing state affairs, why are you talking about killing chickens? This is totally disrespectful!"
Seeing that the two ministers were about to quarrel, Emperor Jianwen rushed over to divert the attention and said, "I roughly know what you two are thinking. This matter is of great importance. We need to discuss it with other ministers at the court meeting tomorrow. Now I have a question for you two. Should my grandfather be given the title of Duke Cheng'en?"
Huang Zicheng said, "It is customary to confer the title of Duke Cheng'en. However, although the Empress Dowager's family is noble, how can we ignore the Empress' family? The Empress is the mother of a country and the model for the whole country. If we want to give the Lu family the title of Duke Cheng'en, then the Empress' father must be conferred the title of Marquis Cheng'en. Please think twice, Your Majesty."
Fang Xiaoru was even more outrageous and objected immediately: "No one can be given an official title! When Empress Xiaoci was alive, her family, the Ma family, didn't even have an earl title. Emperor Gao was told that the Ma family could be given money and goods, but official titles and titles should not be given easily. Everyone praised Empress Xiaoci for her virtue and restraint of her relatives. Now, whether it is the Empress Dowager or the Empress, who in the harem can have greater achievements and prestige than Empress Xiaoci? Since the rules were passed down by Empress Xiaoci, they should be followed."
Emperor Jianwen nodded repeatedly and said, "You are all right. This matter involves many people. Let's discuss it after the world is stable."
Emperor Jianwen was busy until midnight and went to Kunning Palace to rest. He and Empress Ma had been married for a long time and had a very good relationship. After they got married in the 28th year of Hongwu, they gave birth to their eldest son Zhu Wenkui the following year. Now he is only two years old and has been named the crown prince.
Emperor Jianwen and Empress Ma were deeply in love and treated each other as equals. He rarely touched his two concubines. After three years of marriage, the two concubines had not conceived. Empress Ma personally helped Emperor Jianwen change his clothes. Emperor Jianwen talked to his wife about the title, "… Now I have just ascended the throne and my foothold is not stable. When the world is stable in the future, I will definitely confer the title of Marquis of Cheng'en on my father-in-law."
Empress Ma smiled calmly and said, "It's just an empty title. I don't care about it. Besides, when Empress Xiaoci was alive, no one conferred titles on my family. How could I dare to go over Empress Xiaoci's head? It's really a disgrace to me."
Empress Ma declined, and Emperor Jianwen sighed, "But I'm afraid the Empress Dowager will be disappointed."
Empress Ma shook off the quilt and said, "It's okay. I will go and persuade the Queen Mother tomorrow. She will definitely change her mind."
Emperor Jianwen held Empress Ma's hand and said, "Zi Tong is truly my virtuous wife. She gave birth to a prince for me and also shared my worries."
Empress Ma dragged her husband to the bed and said, "This is my duty. However, speaking of titles, the emperor forgot one person. Concubine Zhang from the harem took Princess Baoqing out of the six palaces and went to the Ninghe Hall. She was the only concubine of the late emperor and an elder of the emperor. The emperor wants to give Concubine Zhang a title to show his filial piety."
"Oh, I almost forgot." Emperor Jianwen slapped his head and issued an edict the next day to confer the title of Concubine Zhang as Concubine Zhang and treated her well.
Upon hearing this news, Empress Dowager Lu of the Cining Palace almost exploded with rage. While her son was in court, she lost her temper at Empress Ma, "… What is your intention? Why are you instigating the emperor to turn his elbow outward? Instead of conferring the title on a proper grandfather, you conferred the title on an outsider!"
The author has something to say: Good night everyone, Shanwei will be out tomorrow~