First, the stepfather succeeded to pacify the captaincy Zhu Zhanji and grew up. He was really smart and bookish, and won the favor of Emperor Judy. In order to make his grandson become the wise king he hoped, Judy made a lot of efforts for the growth of Zhan Ji. Seeing that his grandson grew up in a deep palace for a long time and had no contact with the outside world, he tried his best to let him know the hardships of farming and understand the people's feelings. In the eighth year of Yongle (A.D. 14 10), Judy made an inspection tour from Nanjing to Beijing, specially taking Zhan Ji with her, so that she could observe the folk customs and the hardships of farming mulberry, tell him the hardships of Zhu Maoyuan Zhang's founding and starting a business, and explain the story of the rise and fall of ancient times, so as to take it as a warning. With this as the theme, he specially compiled a book "Wu Ben Xun" for Zhan Ji, asking him to keep learning and keep it in mind. In the ninth year of Yongle, Zhu Zhanji, aged 65,438+03, became the great-grandson of the emperor. From then on, Judy took Zhu Zhanji with her and taught him at any time, or taught him the history of the Bible, or taught him the art of war, or observed the sufferings of the people, which laid the foundation for Zhan Ji to become a more wise feudal emperor in the future.
In the 22nd year of Yongle, Zhu Zhanji succeeded to the throne as the Prince. A year later, his father Zhu Gaochi died of illness, and he became the emperor of Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Set the year number as Xuande.
Like most emperors, Xuanzong announced an Amnesty at the beginning of his reign. However, he is very strict about the release of officials. Although bribery and perverting the law can be pardoned, officials must be removed for the people.
In terms of employing people, Xuanzong not only trusted and reused a group of experienced veteran ministers such as Yang Pu, Yang Rong, Yang Shiqi, Zhouyi, Xia Yuanji and Huanghuai, but also paid great attention to discovering and appointing new talents. In the third month of his accession to the throne, he informed the official department to recommend fair and honest talents to five or more people in Beijing, as well as the administrative supervision department and Fuzhou County. In order to ensure the quality of talents and prevent favoritism, it is also stipulated that anyone who is recommended to be illegal is recommended to sit together. Because Xuanzong attached great importance to official management, made good use of talents and had a good social foundation during the Renzong period, the Ming Dynasty presented a prosperous scene, which was called the rule of Ren Xuan in history. But at this moment, the last thing Xuanzong wanted happened.
Hanwang Zhu is Xuanzong's uncle. During the Yongle period, in order to compete for the position of prince, he was demoted to Zhu Gaochi for many times, and then to Le 'an (now Guangrao, Shandong) by Judy. After Injong's death, Zhan Ji went to Beijing from Nanjing to attend his funeral. Gao Xu was going to intercept on the road and then usurp the throne himself. They didn't succeed because of the haste. In the second month of Xuanzong's accession to the throne, Gao Xu sent someone to play and put forward four suggestions for benefiting the country and the people. When Xuanzong saw that this book was playing, he was very happy to say to the ministers: During the Yongle period, the ancestors of the emperor often told Huang Wei that this uncle had infidelity and should be on his guard, but Huang Wei was extremely kind to him. The four things he said today are really sincere, which shows that his uncle's old heart has changed. Therefore, Xuanzong ordered a certain department to implement Gao Xu's suggestion and wrote back to express his gratitude. In the first year of Xuande (A.D. 1426), Gao Xu sent people to Beijing to offer a plan for the Lantern Festival. At this time, someone reported to Xuanzong that Hanwang was spying on the truth in the name of offering lanterns. Xuanzong generously said that we should entertain modestly and not be suspicious. Xuanzong was responsive to Gao Xu's request. Xuanzong gave him 40 camels, chariots and horses robes 120 horses, all of which were very satisfactory.
However, all this did not affect Gao Xu. In August of this year, he still held high the banner of rebelling against the imperial court and plotting the throne.
Gao Xu first secretly sent someone to sneak into Beijing in an attempt to meet Zhang Fu, a British public servant, who captured him and sent him to the court. Later, Gao Xu asked Jin Rong, the Shandong commander, to take Jinan as an insider, intending to take Jinan first and then Beijing. At that time, Li Jun, who had just been in Jinan, learned about these situations, abandoned his family, changed his name and surname, and rushed to Beijing to call the police overnight. But before he arrived, Gao Xu made a fuss. He wrote to Xuanzong, accusing Renzong of violating the old system of Hongwu and Yongle, denouncing Xuanzong's many mistakes and denouncing Xia Yuanji and others as traitors. At the same time, he also sent a letter to the book minister to provoke the relationship between the monarch and the minister and vilify Xuanzong.
Water under the bridge. Xuanzong had no choice but to send troops to counter the rebellion. Late at night, Xuanzong summoned several confidant ministers to retreat and discuss plans. Yang Rong, a college student, suggested that Xuanzong go out in person. He believes that Gao Xu must feel that Xuanzong will not visit the battlefield just after he ascended the throne. If he is surprised, he will succeed. At this time, Zhang Fu, a British public servant, volunteered to fight, saying that Gao Xu was always bluffing, but in fact he was weak at heart. As long as there are twenty thousand soldiers and horses, we can capture Gao Xu. Xia Yuanji reminded Xuanzong Zhu Di that he was defeated, and his Emperor Jianwen only sent Li Jinglong to conquer, which ultimately failed. He also said that when he saw some generals yesterday, he looked scared as soon as he received the order to prepare for the war. If they really went to war, it would be even more conceivable. Therefore, he suggested that the soldiers should be quick, use personal expedition, and first overwhelm the other side from the momentum. Xuanzong adopted the opinions of Yang Rong and Xia Yuanji and decided to sign Le 'an in person.
Striker Lv Xue arrived in Le 'an, and Gao Xu agreed to play the next day. At this time, Xuanzong was nearly a hundred miles away from Le 'an. After learning the news, he immediately ordered the army to travel day and night. Civil servants reminded Xuanzong to be careful, but Chen Wu was afraid of an ambush between Lin Mang and advised him to go again the next day. Xuanzong decisively said that the soldiers are expensive and fast. If we can camp in the city, they will be even more powerful. Now the army is under siege, and these rabble can't afford to ambush. They drove all night and finally arrived in Le 'an at dawn, and surrounded the city.
Seeing that Xuanzong had surrounded the city, Gao Xu dared not fight and could only shoot with artillery in the city. The general asked Xuanzong to order a siege, but Xuanzong did not agree. Instead, I wrote two letters to Gao Xu to persuade him to surrender, but there was still no reply. He also wrote a letter to Gao Xu's men, ordering people to shoot arrows into the city, and the garrison in the city hurried to pass it on. Some people try to win their meritorious service awards. Gao Xu saw that the army outside the city was besieged, and the morale of the city was unstable. Knowing that the tide had ebbed, he was depressed and scared. He regretted underestimating Xuanzong and felt that he was really cornered, so he decided to surrender in order to get forgiveness. So he secretly sent someone to Xuanzong's account and begged Xuanzong to take a day off to say goodbye to his wife and children, and promised to go out of the city the next day. Xuanzong agreed to his request.
That night, Gao Xu destroyed all privately-made weapons and secret documents of the rebellion. After dawn, Gao Xu was ready to surrender out of the city. His subordinate Wang Bin tried his best to stop him, saying that he would fight to the death and would rather die than surrender and be humiliated. Gao Xu just sighed repeatedly: the city is too small, the city is too small. As soon as Wang Bin left, he quietly changed into a costume and sneaked out of Le 'an City to see Xuanzong. Xuanzong did not agree with the ministers' request for Gao Xu's execution, but showed Gao Xu the illegally stamped ministerial seal and asked him to call his sons back to Beijing together.
Xuanzong won without fighting. He punished the main counselors and generals who actively followed Gao Xu's rebellion, but pardoned most of his followers, changed Le 'an House to Wuding House, left Lv Xue and Zhang Ben, ministers, as town fathers, and led a large army to move troops to triumph.
After Gao Xu was escorted back to Beijing, he was abandoned as Shu Ren, enjoying a good life, and was imprisoned in the west, named Xiaoyao City. In the fourth year of Xuande (AD 1429), Xuanzong kindly visited Gao Xu, but Gao Xu took it by surprise and hooked Xuanzong to the ground with his feet. Now Xuanzong became angry from embarrassment and immediately ordered Hercules to find a big copper cylinder weighing more than 300 kilograms and put Gao Xu into the cylinder. Gao Xu propped up the cylinder with his courage. Xuanzong also ordered people to bury the copper cylinder with charcoal, and then burned Gao Xu to death.
Gao Ai, who was named as the King of Zhao, voluntarily handed over the guards after the high fever in Hanwang was settled, and was more cautious. At this point, Xuanzong's position has been unshakable.
Second, rectify the bureaucracy and be sympathetic to people's livelihood. Zhu Yuanzhang is very strict with bureaucracy. At the end of Yongle, the wind of official greed gradually rose, and at the time of Renzong Hongxi, due to the development of production and long-term peace, the wind of official greed intensified. Xuanzong knew that whether the official administration was clear or not was related to the rise and fall of the court. Therefore, he paid great attention to promoting and appointing honest and talented new people, dismissing mediocre officials and punishing corrupt officials.
In June of the third year of Xuande (A.D. 1428), Xuanzong boarded the imperial city and looked into the distance. Suddenly, he found a place in the distance, which was huge and powerful. He asked who was building what. However, the officials around him refused to answer and asked again and again, only to know that Wuzhong, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, privately used the wood and stones of the official factory and let people build private houses for him. Xuanzong flew into a rage and immediately ordered Wuzhong to be put into prison.
This incident once again made Xuanzong feel the necessity of strengthening supervision. Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong recommended Gu Zuo, a general history of politics. Gu Zuo, whose original name was Yin Tian, was upright, upright and powerful, and was compared to Bao Gong. After listening to Yang Er's introduction, Xuanzong immediately made a decision, and he was promoted to the suggestion of Zuo Wei Youdu.
After Gu Zuoren, he did not bear the great trust of Xuanzong. As soon as he arrived at Douchayuan, he first inspected all the suggestions in the hospital and demoted 20 incompetent officials to Liaodong, another 8 were demoted and 3 were just officials. At the same time, more than 40 honest and promising people were recommended as examiners. Chao Gang did it at one go, and Xuanzong also praised Gu Zuo's excessive behavior.
After the appointment of Gu Zuo, Xuanzong was appointed as Fujian secretariat and Nanjing secretariat. Shao was meticulous and asked Xuanzong to recall more than 20 incompetent censors. At this point, there are Gu Zuo in the north and Shao in the south, and the north and the south echo, and the corrupt officials are relieved and Ji Gang is in awe.
Xuanzong severely punished corrupt officials and showed no mercy to incompetent and ignorant mediocre officials. During Xuanzong's reign, Zhang Ying and Chen Shan, the cabinet university students, were old ministers of the East Palace, and they had a profound friendship. However, after Xuanzong came to power, they gradually found that they had little knowledge and created nothing in their posts. After his views were confirmed by Yang Shiqi and others, Xuanzong did not take sides because they were his old friends, but transferred them from the cabinet. Chen Shan was sent to teach little eunuchs, while Zhang Ying was banished to Nanjing to be a minister of rites.
Under the vigorous advocacy of Xuanzong, ministers such as Zhouyi, Xia Yuanji and Sanyang recommended a large number of honest and clean officials to Xuanzong as governors. Many of these people became honest officials in the history of the Ming Dynasty. Kuang Zhong, who became famous in later generations, was recommended as Suzhou magistrate by Zhou Yi and others in the fifth year of Xuande. At that time, the tribute burden in Suzhou was the heaviest in the country. Corrupt officials take this opportunity to practice favoritism and malpractice. Kuang Zhong was promoted to the office for the first time since he took office. Faced with a lot of official documents brought by officials, he pretended not to know anything, asked and handled them according to what they said. The officials were overjoyed and thought they had met another confused judge. Three days later, Kuang Zhong summoned officials, moved out what he had done three days ago, told them what they should do, and they stopped him. They forced him to do so, and listed their various fraudulent activities, killing several traitors they led on the spot. At the same time, all greedy, abusive and cowardly people were repelled. This incident not only shocked Suzhou County, but also spread to North Korea. Kuang Zhong won the trust of Xuanzong and the support of Suzhou people. After his mother died, according to the feudal ethics, he had to leave his post to observe filial piety for three years. However, at the strong demand of people, Xuanzong had to let him stay in Dai Xiao. Later, he was transferred, and more than 20 thousand people asked him to be re-elected in the way suggested by the governor. Xuanzong once again agreed to the demands of the people. Because Xuanzong used some officials like Kuang Zhong, Xuande's politics became clearer.
Xuanzong often told courtiers about the emperors' deeds that paid attention to rest and recuperation with the people in history, thus bringing peace and prosperity. For example, Wendi and Jingdi in the Western Han Dynasty, Wendi in the Sui Dynasty, Li Shimin in the Tang Dynasty and so on. He also paid special attention to drawing lessons from history, that is, the emperor was overjoyed and extravagant, which eventually led to great disaster and lost his country. He once compared Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty with Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and thought that although Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was overjoyed and wasted his time at home, he could still learn from the past in his later years. However, at the beginning of Tang Xuanzong's reign, although there was chastity, he was greedy for fame and gain, which eventually led to great disaster. This is the place where Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty is better than Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. In order to avoid decline from prosperity and chaos from governance, he often took Yang Di and Tang Xuanzong as his teachers. He summed up such a historical experience: the country's prosperity lies in recuperating with the people; The weakness of the country will be caused by civil war.
Based on this understanding, Xuanzong attached great importance to understanding and caring about the sufferings of the people. In March of the fifth year of Xuande (AD 1430), Xuanzong went to the eastern suburb of Changping to pay homage to the imperial tomb on his way back to Beijing. He saw several farmers working in the roadside fields, so he took several officials to the fields, dismounted and talked with the farmers, and asked them about their living conditions face to face. He took the plow from the farmers and pushed it three times, saying that I was tired after only pushing it three times, not to mention working like this all the year round. It is often said that workers are like farmers, indeed. So he gave each farmer 60 banknotes. After that, all the farmers who passed by gave money in full. After Xuanzongqin returned to Beijing, he wrote a poem "Plover" to encourage himself and his ministers. In the seventh year of Xuande's reign, Xuanzong wrote another poem "The Weaver Maid", which was painted and hung in the palace. To this end, he told the courtiers that it was not because he was good at writing poems to show off, but because farming and mulberry cultivation were the foundation of food and clothing. That's why I write poems, and I always remember them. Hanging pictures lets concubines know the sufferings of the people.
Xuanzong asked North Korea to take the lead in frugality and opposed the practice of extorting money from the people for the emperor to enjoy and enriching the state treasury. He believes that if the king manages his family diligently, the number of accounts will increase day by day, and wealth will naturally be sufficient. When he first acceded to the throne, a minister of industry suggested to him that there were not enough imperial vessels in the palace and they had to be purchased from the people. Xuanzong stopped: Wendi's clothes and curtains are not painted, which is called beautiful talk. It is said that he is diligent and loves the people. I also want to set an example by thrift. A monk who claimed to build a temple to wish him a long life was scolded by him. Everyone wants to live a few more years, he said. Ancient kings, such as Zhongzong, Gaozong, Zujia of Shang Dynasty and Wang Wen of Zhou Dynasty, ruled the country for the longest time, but what did the Buddhist and Taoist immortals say at that time? Qin Shihuang and Han Wudi prayed to God and worshipped immortals, while Liang Wudi and Song Huizong worshipped monks and Taoism. What's the effect? Unfortunately, the world doesn't understand. Xuanzong himself was not only thrifty, but also strongly opposed to the extravagance and waste of court expenses and engineering construction. When he built a mausoleum for his father Emperor Injong, he obeyed Injong's will, personally planned and practiced economy, and it took only three months to build the mausoleum. Compared with the Changling Mausoleum of Chengzu, the scale and cost of Xianling Mausoleum are much smaller. Made a good appearance for the tombs of later emperors. It was not until Sejong built the Yongling Mausoleum that it began to be extravagant and gorgeous again.
In the third year of Xuande, Zhou Yi, the official department minister, suggested to Xuanzong that in order to practise frugality, redundant officials at home and abroad should be abolished, and he immediately got his support, and instructed Zhou Yi to take charge of this matter. Officials are also prohibited from disturbing the people. Every time he set out, he repeatedly warned the soldiers that anyone who dared to disturb the people would be killed without forgiveness. Zhong, commander of the Royal Guards, suggested going to Dongguan to collect pearls. Xuanzong decided that he was a nuisance and dismissed from office. Wu Zhong, Minister of Industry, believes that Shanxi Guoyuan Temple is a place blessed by the state, so it is necessary to call for forced labor to repair the ancient pagoda. Xuanzong said: You want to build the tower for happiness, and I am blessed by the people. Rejected his request.
Exempting from land tax and opening warehouses for disaster relief are the relief measures that Xuanzong often takes for the people in disaster areas. Without asking for instructions, the county magistrate of a county in Henan distributed 1000 stone paste grain to the victims. It is a great sin to use imperial grain automatically. However, Xuanzong was not angry when he learned that, but praised the magistrate for his agility and ability. At that time, natural disasters often occurred, and people moved around to avoid famine. Many local governments often send troops to arrest refugees for fear of riots. Xuanzong ordered many times to stop this matter. He has repeatedly stressed that it is extremely heartless for hungry people to be forced into exile, drive them around and make them homeless. Sometimes, some refugees settle down in a place and gradually have a family business, but the governments in these places often expel them back to their places of origin. In this regard, Xuanzong applied for a warning. He believes that no matter where the land is, it is a national territory, as long as people can live in peace. It is this people-oriented thought that makes the folk customs in Xuande period more stable.
In December of the ninth year of Xuande, Zhu Zhanji suddenly fell ill. In the first month of the tenth year of Xuande, the famous Ming Jun, who was often praised by later generations, died at the Gande Palace in Beijing at the age of 38. In June, Zhu Zhanji was buried in Jingling, and Zhang Xiao was named Emperor, with the temple name Xuanzong, also known as Xuande Emperor in history books.