A wise queen should know when to admit ignorance if she is not deaf or dumb. Ever since the third year of Hongwu, when Emperor Hongwu decided to start the feudal system among kings that had been abandoned for a thousand years, the court ministers have been voices of opposition. Now, eleven years have passed, and ministers still often submit memorials of opposition.
The Hongwu Emperor even abolished the position of prime minister, monopolized power, and forcibly implemented the feudal system.
Empress Ma was well aware of the drawbacks and hidden dangers of the feudal system. Wasn't the lesson of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion in the Western Han Dynasty enough? However, the ministers could oppose it, but she could not. On the contrary, she had to mediate and persuade the furious Emperor Hongwu, who wanted to execute the ministers, to calm down.
Because she is the queen.
As the stepmother of the princes, if the father wanted to give some things (military power and fiefdom) to his sons, if the stepmother objected, it would be unkind. The stepmother had to protect the sons, this was her responsibility, just like the evil deeds of the Qin Wang, who was worse than an animal, and the Hongwu Emperor wanted to punish the Qin Wang, so Empress Ma had to take off her hairpin and wait for punishment, begging the Hongwu Emperor for forgiveness, and taking the responsibility for improper discipline on her own head.
For example, the crown prince refused to preside over the funeral for Concubine Sun and went on a hunger strike with officials from the Ministry of Rites. Empress Ma clearly despised the crown prince for his disregard for human ethics, but she still dragged her weak body to the Qianqing Palace to plead for the crown prince.
Just like in later generations, whenever someone makes a mistake, most people’s comments will be “what did your mother teach you”, and very few people will say “what did your father teach you”. In terms of moral education, from ancient times to the present, it has been a “widowed” education, and mothers have been forced to take responsibility for their mistakes.
As the mother of the country, if the emperor wanted to kill loyal ministers in a rage and the queen did not persuade him, she would be just a figurehead and failed to fulfill her duty as the mother of the country.
However, the court rules are that the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs, and the queen cannot have any say in national policies, otherwise the ministers' saliva will flood the Kunning Palace and clamor to depose the queen.
Do you see the contradiction? This is a typical case of wanting the horse to run fast but not giving it any grass to eat. When a queen's responsibilities far outweigh the power she can exercise, what else can she do except keep silent and pretend to be ignorant
Someone else jumped out and said, "You knew it was wrong, why didn't you try to persuade others by risking your life?"
Come, come, please let this person die first.
If death could persuade a great founding emperor like Emperor Hongwu, then the Censorate of the Ming Empire could be renamed a slaughterhouse.
They understood each other very well. Empress Ma gave Hu Shanwei a few simple pointers, and Hu Shanwei immediately understood how to strike a balance when facing Emperor Hongwu in the future.
First of all, regarding politics and state governance, no matter what one's true intentions are, one must stand on the same boat with Emperor Hongwu. This is a matter of principle. If one touches the dragon's reverse scale, one will die. Even Empress Ma dared not touch it, so how could I, Hu Shanwei, count myself as a scallion
Secondly, the way Hongwu Emperor governed his family and his country was the same. He was first and foremost an emperor, leaving only a very small part of his personality to be a father and a husband. For him, family was country, and country was family. Family and country were one.
So don't expect to convince Emperor Hongwu with emotions; using interests is more effective.
Hu Shanwei, who "survived the disaster", summarized the "Secrets of Ming Dynasty Court Civil Servants" from just a few words of Empress Ma. This was the reason why she would often walk on the line of death in the future, but would always "pass through a field of flowers without getting a single leaf on her."
Empress Ma gave Hu Shanwei the scroll of the Ming Dynasty Feng Shui painting.
The "Imperial Record of Filial Piety and Kindness" was promulgated, and Concubine Sun was the first person to be buried according to the new ritual system. The Hongwu Emperor bestowed the posthumous title of "Chengmu" on her and gave her a high evaluation: "... She was diligent in her duties and kind to her subjects. When the country was first established, she was vigilant and helped the country. Her virtue was the best among the concubines, and her achievements were helpful to the imperial court."
In the end, Consort Mu Sun was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Without Concubine Sun, Empress Ma felt very lonely. She became even more silent than before and often sat alone in the study for the entire day without turning more than a few pages of the book in her hands.
Every day, the concubines from the six palaces in the east and west would come to Kunning Palace to pay their respects to Empress Ma, just like the officials going to court. Empress Ma would not see them at all. Hu Shanwei asked the concubines to bow behind the curtain and then sent them away.
In fact, Empress Ma was not sitting behind the curtain at all. Without Concubine Sun, she didn't want to see the concubines, and she couldn't stand the smell of makeup on the concubines.
If it weren't for Emperor Hongwu coming to Kunning Palace, Empress Ma wouldn't even say a word for a day. With six bureaus and one department in place, all palace affairs followed the old rules, and with Cao Shanggong, the "mountain guardian Tai Sui", and Fan Gongzheng, the "sea patrol Yaksha" in charge, Empress Ma didn't care, and the palace affairs were not neglected, and they continued to proceed in an orderly manner.
Everyone knew that the Emperor and Empress were in a bad mood, and no one in the six palaces dared to bring bad luck upon themselves. The autumn of the Ming Dynasty court passed in bleakness and depression.
Entering winter.
The palace maid brought the charcoal basket, and Hu Shanwei, who was waiting outside to be summoned, whispered, "Put it down, I'll replace it."
The red charcoal in the study had to be refilled every hour to keep it warm. Hu Shanwei went in with the charcoal basket and found that Empress Ma had fallen asleep on the table on the couch, with a scroll of books on the floor.
Hu Shanwei did not dare to wake Empress Ma. He brought a pillow and a quilt, cleared the table, then gently helped Empress Ma lie down, covered her, picked up the book, and used the tongs to add charcoal to the brazier.
Just when they had added half of the baby, they heard a faint noise outside. Hu Shanwei went out to check what was going on. It was Concubine Lu from the Eastern Palace who came to Kunning Palace with the seven-year-old Crown Prince Zhu Xiongying and the four-year-old second grandson Zhu Yunwen.
The Crown Prince Zhu Xiongying was the eldest son born to the former Crown Princess Chang. Zhu Yunwen was the second child in the Eastern Palace and was born to Concubine Lu.
Concubine Lu's eyes were red from crying, Zhu Xiongying remained silent, and Zhu Yunwen was confused.
Hu Shanwei first led the two grandchildren to the warm room to eat snacks and asked the little palace maids to play with them. Then he invited Concubine Lu to the side hall and ordered the palace servants to bring hot water and rouge and powder. "Please ask Concubine Lu to dress up. Even if you have an urgent matter to see the Queen, you should not look untidy. If you cry, it will scare the grandchildren."
Concubine Lu wiped away her tears and said, "I know I was reckless. I knew that the queen was not in good spirits, but I still trespassed into Kunning Palace. However, the situation is urgent and there is really no other way. I had no choice but to come to the queen for help. I also ask Hu Siyan to pass on the message."
Hu Shanwei asked, "Why are you so panicked?"
In fact, it is still the same old story, and it is related to the rebellion case of Hu Weiyong, the former prime minister of the Ming Dynasty. Song Lian, the Eastern Palace Taifu, is known as one of the three great poets and writers in the early Ming Dynasty, along with Gao Qi and Liu Ji. Gao Qi is the poet that Mu Chun "will never forget even if he becomes a ghost", because Gao Qi wrote the preface to the "Du'an Collection" of the Jiangnan monk Daoyan, and Hu Shanwei was a loyal reader of Daoyan.
Song Lian was the prince's most respected teacher, but Song Lian's second son Song Yan and eldest grandson Song Shen were both involved in Hu Weiyong's rebellion. The reason was very simple. Song Lian was the Eastern Palace's Taifu, and Song Yan and Song Shen also served in the palace at the time, walking in front of the emperor, and were the secretaries of Emperor Hongwu.
Three generations of the family were in the palace and enjoyed great glory. The Song family was the real-life version of "A Bed Full of Huts".
In the case of Hu Weiyong's treason, the Embroidered Uniform Guard discovered that Song Yan and Song Shen were "secretly colluding" with Prime Minister Hu Weiyong. Emperor Hongwu was furious and killed the entire family of Song Yan and Song Shen. Although Song Lian was innocent, he was implicated because of his son and grandson and was also sentenced to death by guillotine.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao respected his teacher and went to the Imperial Study to plead for his teacher Song Lian, asking Emperor Hongwu to spare Song Lian.
Emperor Hongwu killed the Song family because he had full trust in the three generations of the Song family. He unprecedentedly ordered three generations to serve the emperor. However, Song Yan and Song Shen had a private relationship with Prime Minister Hu Weiyong. How could he allow others to sleep soundly beside his bed
If those serving the emperor collude with the prime minister, it would be an almost fatal threat to the emperor.
How much trust the Hongwu Emperor had in the three generations of the Song family, how disappointed he was in them at this moment. As for Song Lian's innocence - he couldn't even manage his sons and grandsons, and he still called himself innocent? All of you go to hell!
Crown Prince Zhu Biao urged the Hongwu Emperor: "Father, Song Yan and Song Shen deserve to die. I have no objection. But Song Lian is one of the three great poets and writers of the Ming Dynasty and a leader in the literary world. If Song Lian is implicated, it will probably chill the hearts of scholars all over the world. Scholars will discuss your majesty's killing of innocent people and harm the harmony of heaven."
Emperor Hongwu cut off the wooden handle of a thorny cane used to punish palace servants and threw it to the ground, "Pick it up."
“This…” Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked embarrassed. This man was like a hedgehog and he had no idea where to start.
Emperor Hongwu said, "You cannot hold this staff. I will pull out these thorns, polish them and give them to you. Isn't it wonderful? The people I killed today are these thorns. They are insidious and cunning. They talk about benevolence and morality, but secretly they are greedy. They colluded with Hu Weiyong and wanted to divide my power. They wanted to undermine me and deceive me. My imperial power will be passed on to you and the descendants of the Zhu family for generations. How can I allow others to share a piece of the pie?"
"Song Lian is a talented man. I know that. Otherwise, I would not have asked him to be the Imperial Tutor of the Eastern Palace and your teacher. But Song Lian failed my trust. His son and eldest grandson wanted to rebel against me, but he didn't know? Well, even if he really didn't know, the Jinyiwei found evidence. According to the law, treason should be executed. He should be ashamed and commit suicide to apologize. Why does he want to live? Isn't it just to ask you to plead for him? Prince, you are being used."
Crown Prince Zhu Biao knelt down and begged Emperor Hongwu, "Your Majesty, according to the law, treason should be punished, but in addition to the rule of law, there is also human feelings and mercy. I beg Your Majesty to pardon Song Lian."
"Mercy?" The Hongwu Emperor laughed angrily. "My mercy is for the common people. Being merciful to criminals is cruelty and irresponsible to the imperial power. Prince, you can be merciful, but you cannot be coerced or used by others with mercy."
The prince argued, "It is not possible to fight violence with violence. Above us there are rulers like Yao and Shun, and below us there are people like Yao and Shun."
This means that a benevolent monarch will lead to benevolent people. A violent monarch will lead to violent people. As the saying goes, a good horse deserves a good saddle, and a broken pot deserves a broken lid.
Well, from a Confucian theoretical point of view, that is true. However, as a crown prince, if you blindly follow Confucianism and your thoughts are trapped by it, then that will be troublesome.
Emperor Hongwu was furious and chased the prince to beat him up. Emperor Hongwu was born in a rural area of Fengyang. According to his experience, if a child is disobedient and turns against his parents, it is probably because he was spoiled and will behave himself after a few beatings.
When Concubine Lu of the Eastern Palace heard that the prince was beaten, she hurriedly dragged her two grandchildren to Kunning Palace and asked Empress Ma to plead for the prince. The Crown Princess Chang had passed away, and as a concubine, she thought she had little face, but it was different for the grandchildren. Empress Ma would save the prince.
The prince was beaten more than once for contradicting the Hongwu Emperor. Every time, Empress Ma rushed to put out the fire. Empress Ma always cleaned up the mess for the prince and the princes, and she felt very tired, but she had to go.
If Empress Ma knew that the prince was being beaten but did not persuade the emperor, she would be criticized for being "unkind".
Hu Shanwei knew that the matter involved the reputation of Empress Ma, so he did not dare to delay and went to the study to wake her up.
Empress Ma was taking a short nap, not sleeping soundly. While the maids were helping her wash her face and get dressed, Hu Shanwei explained the whole story in a few words.
Empress Ma's face was sallow and she looked sick. The maid was about to apply some powder on her face, but she waved her hand and said, "No need. Let's go."
He also instructed Hu Shanwei: "Go and tell Concubine Lu not to bring the two grandchildren to the imperial court, and not to talk about this in front of the children. It is not appropriate to let the grandchildren watch their father being beaten by their grandfather. It will hinder the royal family's affection."
Hu Shanwei did a very good job. First, he separated Concubine Lu from the two imperial grandchildren. It was best for children not to get involved in matters between adults, especially political matters.
"Yes." Hu Shanwei responded.
Empress Ma stood up in front of the dressing table. Suddenly, stars appeared in her eyes, her vision became blurred, and her body went limp. Fortunately, Hu Shanwei was young and strong, and he supported Empress Ma.
Empress Ma fell down on the embroidered cushion, and Hu Shanwei said, "Your Majesty is not in good spirits, don't force yourself."
Queen Ma shook her head weakly, "No, what about the Crown Prince? Alas, this child has a good heart, but he always can't figure out the difference between the crown prince and the literati."
Hu Shanwei's eyes turned around the study, and his gaze stopped on a picture. "Your Majesty, I have a way. You can save the prince without leaving your house. You just need to..."
Empress Ma followed Hu Shanwei's gaze and saw a painting called "Carrying a Child". It depicted the year when Crown Prince Zhu Biao was five years old. Emperor Hongwu was defeated by the enemy and his army was in disarray. In the chaos, Empress Ma tied Zhu Biao to her back with a rope, ran away with him on her back, stole a horse, and escaped.
To commemorate Empress Ma's life-saving grace, Zhu Biao later learned to paint and depicted this incident in a picture. The young Empress Ma was carrying her child on her back and leading a horse. One foot was already in the stirrup and she was about to jump onto the horse, while behind them, the pursuers were approaching.
The painting perfectly depicts the tense atmosphere. The prince presented it as a gift to Empress Ma, who kept it hanging in her study.
Hu Shanwei talked about how to deal with it, and advised Queen Ma, "The Crown Prince is already 26 years old, a mature Crown Prince, he should know how to save himself, and can't always rely on you to save the situation. Your Majesty is not feeling well, it's impossible for you to catch up every time. What if... wouldn't it be your fault again?"
After hearing Hu Shanwei's idea, Empress Ma felt that her health was indeed unable to hold on, so she agreed.
Hu Shanwei helped Empress Ma to rest, and ordered the palace servants to summon Ru Siyao to come and treat the Empress. He took down the "Carrying Child" painting from the study, rolled it up, and went out holding the scroll in both hands.
Concubine Lu was full of anticipation, but she was stunned to see only Hu Shanwei coming out. "Hu Siyan, where is the Queen?"
Hu Shanwei said, "The Queen was not feeling well, so she sent me over."
The author has something to say: Today's update is a little late, and it will definitely be early tomorrow.
Ahem, although the update is late, I still shamelessly ask for comments and nutrient solution~
100 red envelopes will be sent out tonight. Congratulations to the reader "Jinjiang Literature City" for receiving a big red envelope of 100 points.
№11 Netizen: Jinjiang Literature City Review: "Hu Shanwei" Score: 2 Published time: 2019-01-09 21:51:16 Reviewed chapter: 79
aaa! Diary of a Madman!