eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 961: Honoring the Temple Name with Merit (Grand Finale)

It was April, the joint examination of the Dingwei class had ended, and the palace examination would be held in a few days.

Generally speaking, those who pass the joint examination are basically considered to have passed the exam, but the first and second place rankings still have to wait until after the palace examination.

The palace examination was presided over by the emperor himself. If the emperor was concerned, he would set the questions himself and of course he would also arrange the rankings.

The questions in this palace examination were not that difficult. The emperor raised a question about the rise and fall of a dynasty. That is, the Ming Dynasty was experiencing another peak. How to avoid repeating the same mistakes and going from prosperity to decline?

In fact, the ancients often thought about this question. After all, changes of dynasties are common, and the reasons behind them are bound to be intriguing. There are many different articles on this issue. As long as you write down your own opinions and be impartial, there will be no problem.

But the emperor raised such a question in the 42nd year of Zhengde because he had been bedridden since the beginning of spring, so the thing he cared most about was how to pass on this beautiful country.

After the emperor dragged his sick body to read all the files, he finally decided the top three with his red hand:

Li Chunfang, who was ranked first in the imperial examination in the 1nd year of the reign of Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty, and was a Jinshi (a scholar)

Wang Shizhen, who was ranked first and second in the imperial examination in the Dingwei year of the 2nd year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty, was a Jinshi (a scholar)

In the 3nd year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Juzheng ranked third in the imperial examination and became a Jinshi!

Of course, the list of undergraduates in the Golden Hall was not arranged in this way in history, and Wang Shizhen did not have such a high ranking at all. But perhaps it was because scientific content was added after the imperial examination system was reformed, and Wang Shizhen was a learned man in history, so at this time he was not only proficient in literature and history, but also had many attainments in geography, astronomy, surveying and water conservancy.

Even the examiners thought that Wang Shizhen should be the top scorer.

But Zhu Houzhao still ranked him second. People with great talents tend to be arrogant, which is not conducive to their growth. The same is true for Zhang Juzheng being ranked third.

Soon after the results were announced, he was appointed to an official post.

The emperor made an arrangement that surprised everyone. He did not arrange for the third place winner to go to the Hanlin Garden or to be a county magistrate. Instead, he "granted" him to his most beloved grandson - Zhu Yiliu.

This child was born in the 30th year of Zhengde. He was smart and clever since childhood, but he was not loved by the emperor since childhood. Children nowadays are at risk of dying young, even those in the royal family are no exception. In fact, he was not brought into the palace by the emperor until the 40th year of Zhengde.

As the saying goes, grandparents are close to their grandchildren. The emperor is old, and it's no longer fun for his sons to all have special skills. These little kids are still the cutest.

After arriving at the palace, the emperor taught him literature, history, science, archery, etc.

To outsiders, giving Teacher Zaichui was just adding another layer of favor to the already great amount of favor.

Not only that, the emperor was also quite proud of his grandson. There were rumors in the palace that
One day, the emperor secretly watched Zhang Juzheng teaching his grandson for half an hour. Later, he appeared and asked Zhang Juzheng, "How does your grandson compare to me in my youth?"

Zhang Juzheng replied: "The emperor's grandson is the emperor's bloodline, so he is naturally as majestic and magnificent as the emperor."

Some people said that this was a rumor, especially as the day was getting closer, and there might be someone manipulating it behind the scenes, but the emperor never denied it.

The 42nd year of the Zhengde reign was also shrouded in all kinds of strange rumors. As the emperor's health deteriorated, the Forbidden City and the capital became increasingly quiet, as if the world had stopped.

Four months later.

On August 17, there was a heavy rain in the capital, but the weather only cooled down for half a day before returning to its scorching heat again.

Outside the Qianqing Palace's bedroom, Empress Xia, Imperial Concubine Jing, Imperial Concubine Xian, and Imperial Concubine Shun were all waiting. They all had sad looks on their faces and were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

As for Concubine Ning and Concubine Zhao, they died five years and half a year ago respectively. Empress Dowager Zhang passed away in the 36th year of Zhengde. The departure of these old people was also one of the reasons why the emperor was in a bad mood.

On the one hand, there is affection, and on the other hand, the people around me leaving one by one seems to be a sign that I am getting old.

As for the princes, they all came here in response to the imperial edict.

Others such as the Duke of Yue, the Duke of Cheng, the Duke of Ying, etc. were also waiting outside.

Duke Zhou Shangwen of Yue looked particularly sad. He was already 68 years old, and he was old, but he had not been eating or drinking recently. The main reason was that his life was built on Zhengde, and his family was prosperous because of Zhengde. For decades, the monarch and his subjects had gotten along well, and they had lived a comfortable and carefree life, all because of Zhengde's trust. So he really couldn't bear to let go.

The emperor often said to him, "My dear, you are my Wei Qing and Li Jing." When he was fighting outside, the emperor always took care of his worries. As a military general, with such a monarch, what more could he ask for?
Soon, a female official in a blue robe walked out.

A crowd of people also came forward, "Doctor Tan, how is the emperor's health?"

This person was the female doctor selected by the emperor in the early years of Zhengde, and she was also one of the most famous female doctors in thousands of years.

But at this moment she lowered her head and shook her head silently.

Upon seeing this, Queen Xia burst into tears and murmured, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

You Zhi, with red eyes, followed behind him and walked out. "The emperor has ordered everyone to come in."

It was even more incredible when he received the imperial decree. The eldest prince Zaihe was like a madman. He heard the sound before he actually arrived. His whole body was limp as if he was about to crawl in. "Dad! Dad!"

As for the emperor on the dragon bed, his face was pale with only a slight blush on his cheeks, and his breathing was heavy, just like an exhausted old ox. What shocked everyone even more was that there was a plum blossom-shaped bloodstain on the white cloth in front of him!
As if he didn't want anyone to see this scene, he ordered: "You Zhi, take this thing away."

"Yes."

The old eunuch was really sad. The emperor had always been good to him, so how could he not be sad?

Then everyone in the room started muttering "Your Majesty" and knelt on the ground. As for Queen Xia, she sat on the edge of the bed, holding the emperor's hand tightly and unwilling to let go.

Zhu Houzhao looked at her and smiled, "It takes a hundred lifetimes to cross the river together, and a thousand lifetimes to sleep together. Having you in the harem... ahem... is really good."

"Dad, please stop talking. The dragon's health is more important. The dragon's health is more important!"

These words were said by Zaizhen, and after he finished speaking, everyone followed suit to persuade him.

But Zhu Houzhao just struggled to adjust to a more comfortable position, "There will always be such a day."

"Your Majesty..." Queen Xia kept wiping her tears. She didn't want to do so, but she couldn't stop it.

"You Zhi, bring the will here."

Hearing these two words, everyone's heart suddenly tightened.

In fact, Zhu Houzhao knew that his health was not good, but he forced himself to announce it in public to avoid bringing adverse factors to the government.

As for Yan Song, Xu Jie and Xia Yan, no matter how indifferent they acted, they still couldn't help but take a look at the rosewood box. There was an exquisitely carved small lock on the box. After opening it, it turned out to be the imperial edict.

"The Duke of Yue."

"The old minister is here!"

"You read it."

"According to the order!"

There is no need to say much about the relationship between Duke Yue and the emperor. Although he has stepped down from his position as the commander of the Capital Garrison Military District and replaced by Duke Cheng, his prestige in the army is unmatched.

The old general took it with trembling fingers. This moment was also very sacred to him.

"The fifth prince of the Emperor, Zai Tan, is a man of extraordinary wisdom and intelligence. He is very similar to me and has noble character. He is a worthy ruler. I hereby appoint him as the Crown Prince and heir to the throne to continue the Ming Dynasty! I decree this!"

This passage has very few words, but the content is so heavy that it makes people feel suffocated.

As for the eldest prince Zaihe, he almost fainted on the spot and was about to become the next critically ill patient.

As for the important ministers and nobles, their faces changed drastically. The emperor really did not choose the best one, and in the end it was the Fifth Prince!
And what about Zaizhen himself?

At that moment he felt as if he was falling rapidly from the sky, his breathing was skipped, and he was so dazed that he forgot to thank God!
Zhu Houzhao understood that this matter was too big, so it was normal to be stunned.

Then he moved his fingers, stroking the Queen's hand, smiled at her and issued an order: "Zai'an stays, everyone else goes out. You Zhi, no one is allowed to approach, and anyone who eavesdrops will be beaten to death immediately!"

"Yes!"

By the bed, no matter how capable Empress Xia was, she was at least a sensible person. At this time, she did not ignore Zai'an's biological mother, Concubine Jing, and took her hand and walked out together.

Soon, the father and son were the only ones left in the room.

"Dad...Dad..."

The overall situation had been decided, and Zai Jin no longer cared about the throne. It was his anyway. He was extremely sad when he saw that the father who had always loved him was about to leave him.

Zhu Houzhao let out a long sigh and gathered some strength.

"Well, you will be the emperor from now on, with a heavy responsibility on your shoulders. How can you cry like this?"

Zai Jian knelt and took a few steps forward, his face already bloodshot from crying, "Dad, I don't want to be an emperor. I just want to be your Prince Rui. There's no point talking about miracle doctors, or Western doctors. Dad..."

"Zai'an..." Zhu Houzhao interrupted him, "I know my own body. Please calm down. Now I want to tell you the biggest secret in the world, which is also a secret I have kept all my life. It concerns the Ming Dynasty and the future of hundreds of millions of Han compatriots."

Zaizhen was surprised that he had not known about the secret for decades.

"Son, I will definitely remember this!"

Zhu Houzhao looked up, lost in memories. "Zai'an, remember, I am not from this era. I came from 500 years later. I look at people today just like you look at people in the Song Dynasty. One of the important reasons why the Zhengde Dynasty achieved such success is that I can see into the future. I know which people are loyal ministers, which people are talented, which systems are truly beneficial to the Ming Dynasty, and which systems have planted the seeds of major disasters."

Zai Jian was stunned for a moment. He asked in a daze, "Dad, what are you talking about?"

Zhu Houzhao did not explain, he did not have time to explain, "From now on, you have to pay attention to three major challenges. The first is the enemies from the West. They are truly uncivilized barbarians, killing and robbing wherever they go. The second is the Jurchens in the Northeast. In the original history, the Ming Dynasty was replaced by the Jurchens, causing China to sink for three hundred years.

The third is the climate. In the next 100 years, our land will experience a sudden drop in temperature, constant disasters, crop yield reduction and refugees everywhere. The third point is the most threatening. The worries of a great country are not external but internal. The true demise of the Ming Dynasty was also due to refugees. Water can carry a boat but can also overturn it. This is a true saying. So you must not relax. The prosperity will turn into decline in a moment. Remember, remember!

As for the civil officials and military officers, I have already made secret arrangements. If you do not want to use Yan Song, you do not have to kill him, just drive him away. Among the rest, the civil officials are Zhang Juzheng, Hu Zongxian, Gao Gong, etc., and the military officers are Ma Fang, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, etc. These people are all talented, especially Zhang Juzheng. Although his personal character is not good, his talent is the best among all the prime ministers. If you can use him properly, he will definitely help you a lot. "

He patted Zai's hand, "Did you remember that?"

Zai Jian nodded blankly, "Son, I remember. But Dad..."

Zhu Houzhao didn't let him speak, he really didn't have time, "Just remember it, it doesn't matter if you don't understand, think about it later. Also, if you can save the lives of these brothers of yours, try to keep them, the eldest brother's talent is not prominent, but he is my son after all, blood is thicker than water, I didn't pass the throne to him, I feel extremely guilty, I hope you will treat him well for your father's sake. If he is really restless, seal him overseas, let him live and die on his own...

As for your third brother, he has a good reputation, but he has sided with ministers and made friends with foreign officials. He has shown no remorse despite several reminders, which is disappointing. However, he has the Ming Dynasty in his heart. As long as he is content, you don't have to kill him. If he can't be used by you, then he should be exiled overseas like the eldest brother."

Zai Jian nodded frequently, "Dad, I've taken note of this. I will definitely treat my brothers well and will never let them fight among themselves so that outsiders can gain the advantage. Dad, please take a break... take a break..."

"That's great, that's great..."

The emperor's breath gradually faded.
Zai Jian was startled and screamed loudly, "Dad!! Dad!! Dad!!"

Zhu Houzhao could hear it, but he had just used a lot of effort and really didn't want to answer. He was so tired.

Zai Jian stood up and walked outside, shouting, "Someone, someone, someone!"

Then You Zhi and the others came back with the group of people, "Your Majesty!"

Then there were bursts of crying,
"Your Majesty! Imperial Physician, call the Imperial Physician!"

The emperor's chest stopped rising and falling on the sickbed, but a wisp of incense was placed under his nose, but smoke did not dissipate - he was not breathing.

You Zhi collapsed to the ground upon seeing this, "The Emperor has passed away!"

"Father Emperor!!"

"emperor!!"

Inside the bedroom, everyone burst into tears, and some of the more violent ones threw themselves on the dragon bed and could not be pulled away no matter how hard they tried.

At this time, Yan Song and Duke Yue looked at each other and nodded.

After that, they stood up, walked around the others, and knelt down in front of Zaizhen, "Your Highness, long live the emperor!"

Seeing them do so, Duke Chengguo, Duke Yingguo, Xia Yan, Xing Guan and most of the princes followed suit and said, "Your Highness, long live the emperor!"

Zai Hao and Zai Yao were actually somewhat reluctant in their hearts, but the late emperor's will was here, and so many people had kowtowed to the new emperor, so they had no choice but to kneel down and kowtow even if they were unwilling.

Finally, it was Queen Xia who bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty."

Yan Song continued, "Now that the late emperor has passed away, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Please accept my condolences, Your Majesty."

The Duke of Yue also said, "Your Majesty, you have to hold on."

"I know, I know." Zai Jian gritted his teeth, stood up and said, "My father has passed away. The most important thing for now is the funeral of the late emperor. Lord Yan."

"The minister is here."

"You should immediately draft a mourning edict and announce it to the whole country, so that everyone at home and abroad can mourn and remember the late emperor."

"The minister obeys the order!"

"Duke Yue, Prince Yu."

"The minister is here."

"From today on, martial law is imposed everywhere inside and outside the capital. You two will command the First, Second, Seventh, and Eighth Armies of the Capital Garrison Military District stationed inside and outside the capital. During the martial law period, anyone entering or leaving the city gates will be checked. In addition, during the period of national mourning, the Capital City that Never Sleeps will be temporarily closed, and all entertainment inside and outside will be stopped to commemorate the late emperor's heroic spirit!"

The two men clasped their fists and shouted, "I obey your command!"

After arranging this, Zai'an let out a sigh of relief and almost fell down. Fortunately, Prince Yu Zai'an helped him up and said, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. All the important matters in and outside the court are depending on you. Please take care of yourself."

"Thank you, second brother. I understand. Let's go to the main hall and don't disturb the late emperor's body here."

"Yes."

Before leaving, Zai looked back at the deceased emperor's body with tears in his eyes, and his heart twitched, the pain was so real. And then he thought of the emperor's last words, five hundred years, Zhang Juzheng...

In an instant he understood. No wonder the emperor wanted Zhang Juzheng to be the teacher of his third son Yiliu. So that's it... So that's it. His father had indeed arranged it a long time ago.

After that, he took his second brother's hand and led everyone out.

Watching everyone kneel down again, he thought for a moment and took a deep breath, "Lord Yan, Lord Xia, Lord Xu."

"The minister is here."

"The late emperor reigned for forty-two years and died at the age of fifty-seven, which was considered a middle-aged man. Moreover, the late emperor improved politics, loved the people, and made great achievements in civil and military affairs. He has surpassed all the saints in history and is rare in history. He can be called a ruler of a prosperous era! I should follow the precedent of our ancestors, grant him a good title, and bury him in the dragon's lair. This is the most important matter. As for the usual grace, it will not be too late to discuss it after the funeral. What do you think?"

This is about the temple name and posthumous title.

"What the Emperor said is true."

Xu Jie also said: "In addition to the late emperor's temple name and posthumous title, the emperor's reign title should also be decided as soon as possible, and all officials should be informed of it to reassure the people of the country."

This kind of thing would usually be drafted by ministers, and they would usually draft several drafts and then have the emperor approve them.

However, Zaigang was a prince for several decades, and there were so many university scholars here. He didn't want to go to any extra trouble and just wanted to draft it as soon as possible. There were many other things to do.

At this moment, Yan Song reported again: "Your Majesty, looking through the dynasties, there are few who have succeeded their ancestors and prospered to such a great extent as the late emperor. Even the emperors who revived the country only achieved minor successes, but rarely achieved great success. However, the late emperor ruled the country for 42 years and expanded the territory by no less than one million. Although he was said to be maintaining the status quo, he was actually creating something new. Therefore, I think the late emperor's temple name should be called 'Ancestor' instead of 'Ancestor'. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Zai Jian shook his head. "Father has always looked down upon such false titles. Besides, there are precedents for the temple names of emperors. Rather than calling him 'ancestor' and letting future generations make arbitrary comments, it is better to call him 'ancestor' so that the temple name of the previous emperor will be passed down through the ages. Haven't you heard that Emperor Taizong was proud to be named Li Shimin, and that Taishan was ashamed to be enshrined by Emperor Zhenzong of Song?"

This truth surprised several ministers, but when they thought about it carefully, it was indeed the case.

In fact, there was a period of confusion in the temple names at the end of the Han Dynasty. For example, in the Cao Wei family, there were several people who called themselves "Ancestors" who came from nowhere.

Until Li Shimin, such a great man was called Taizong. Do you think the people after him should feel embarrassed?

As for Li Shimin being called Taizong, it is Taizong's honor, while Song Zhenzong's Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai is a shame for Mount Tai. This is a rather harsh comment.

It also demonstrated the new emperor's ability to have profound insights into many matters.

As for the Qing Dynasty, there were several ancestors in each generation... and there is no one from the Qing Dynasty now.

Unfortunately, Taizong can no longer be used. Zhu Di's temple name was Taizong, and Chengzu was changed by his unfilial grandson, Emperor Jiajing. Zhu Di wanted to be the successor all his life, so Taizong after Taizu was just what he wanted. As a result, Emperor Jiajing changed his name to Zu, which meant that you inherited everything. You built the country yourself, so don't be embarrassed to admit it.

Zai Jian added: "The late emperor had the virtue of reviving the world and the merit of rebuilding China, so his temple name should be "Zhong". As for his posthumous title...what do you think?"

Yan Song said: "To shine over all directions is called Ming; to prevent slander and complaints is called Ming; to think far-sightedly is called Ming; to protect the people and the elderly is called Ming; to appoint the virtuous and to go far is called Ming; to gather all the differences is called Ming; to have a unique vision is called Ming; to be able to praise the humble is called Ming; to see through the colors and emotions is called Ming; to tolerate righteousness and beauty is called Ming; to observe everything is called Ming; to be able to set an example is called Ming; to make it known all the time is called Ming; to follow the way of heaven is called Ming; to stop evil and promote good is called Ming; to have a vision and to go far is called Ming; to govern the interior and harmonize the principles is called Ming; to be sincere and self-aware is called Ming; to keep quiet and know the constant is called Ming; to be sincere and to perceive is called Ming; to think far-sighted and prevent minor problems is called Ming; to be virtuous and to be clear about the principles is called Ming; to be clear about the nature of the masses is called Ming. Based on this, the posthumous title of the former emperor can be determined as: Emperor He Tian Hong Dao Wen Wu Rui Zhe Zhao De Xian Gong Ren Kuan Cheng Xiao Ming."

Ming is also a good posthumous title. The emperors before him, such as Emperor Zhao and Emperor Zhang, were all good.

As for the seventeen-character posthumous title, it is also a precedent.

Zai Jian had no other objections to this. "Then let's draft the decree accordingly. As for the reign title, we can use the two characters 'Zhihe', which comes from the Book of Rites, Zhongyong: 'Zhihe, heaven and earth are in their proper places, and all things are nurtured.' It implies the pursuit of the highest realm of harmonious coexistence between heaven, earth and man. The late emperor left behind a powerful country that far surpassed previous dynasties. I chose this name to live up to the late emperor's trust and continue to make the Ming Dynasty politically clear, socially stable and the people prosperous."

Several cabinet ministers admired Prince Rui in their hearts. After all, he was taught by the emperor himself. Not only was he well versed in state affairs, but he was also very opinionated. He was able to make sense of things and express his own ambitions.

The late emperor picked a good man.

The meaning of Zhihe is to ascend one step further to reach the highest level. Such an era name is also a good choice, so no one has any other objection.

As for letting the eldest and third princes keep vigil on behalf of the casket, and giving Empress Xia and his biological mother, Concubine Jing, good names, Zai Gang did it with ease, and his arrangements were so perfect that none of the old ministers could find fault with them.

As for the coronation ceremony, there is nothing fancy about it. The Ministry of Rites has its own set of routines, and you just have to follow them.

After this, all the ministers received the imperial edict and left. There was no telling how many things would happen during the period of national mourning, and Zai'an would be extremely hard-pressed during these days, but this was something he had to go through.

In the main hall, after everyone was arranged, there was still a sixteen-year-old young prince left. This person was Zai's brother. He stood up and took him out, saying, "Tenth Prince, my father has passed away, and my mother must be very sad. I can't take care of everything these days. I can only take advantage of the free time now. I will take you to my mother. You can accompany her more on my behalf these days."

The child looked at the somewhat unfamiliar Fifth Brother in front of him and responded crisply, "Your Highness, I obey your command."

As for the other eunuchs and palace maids around the emperor, they naturally followed the emperor's footsteps, and You Zhi wiped away her tears and exhaled a melodious sound as she did in the past.
"Your Majesty, please come!"

(End of this chapter)