In October of the first year of Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty (1399), Beiping Mansion.
Outside the city of Beiping, corpses were everywhere, and rivers of blood flowed.
Tens of thousands of besieging Ming troops once again abandoned their armor and fled, and the overseers with steel swords and crossbows in their hands were instantly drowned in the torrent of rout.
Seeing this, Li Jinglong, the commander of the Ming army, couldn't help but grit his teeth with hatred. In the past few days, Li Jinglong led an army of 500,000 to besiege Beiping City, thinking that this lonely city with few soldiers and few generals could be taken down overnight, but who would have thought that this time the Ming army actually kicked on the iron plate.
The defenders of Beiping were only more than 10,000 old and weak, but under the careful deployment of Zhu Gaochi, the son of King Yan, the people of the whole city hated the same enemy, and the women and children all went to the city to defend against the enemy. Beiping City is as solid as gold, no matter how the Ming army rushes and kills, it can't shake half a point.
The failure of the siege was not enough, and what made Li Jinglong even more angry was that the hateful Yan army dared to go out of the city to sneak attack.
Under the cover of night, Zhu Gaochi repeatedly organized death squads to attack the Ming army camp at night. The sudden hostility immediately caused the Ming army camp to roar, and countless people killed each other, and in desperation, Li Jinglong had to order a retreat to camp dozens of miles away.
In this way, Zhu Gaochi led the Yan army to carry the Ming army, which was dozens of times his own, and the two sides were at a stalemate.
On this end, Zhu Gaochi is defending Beiping City, while on the other side, some people are calculating Zhu Gaochi behind his back.
One day, the eunuch Huang Yan secretly reported a message to Zhu Di, the king of Yan, who was fighting abroad: Zhu Gaochi, the prince of the world, colluded with the imperial court and intended to defend Beiping for the imperial court to fight against the king of Yan.
Zhu Di was shocked and suspicious after hearing this, and hurriedly asked his second son Zhu Gaoxu on the side: "Your brother has always been filial, will he really do this?" In an instant, Zhu Gaoxu and Huang Yan exchanged glances, and replied seriously: "My brother is indeed filial, but when Taizu was alive, he was extremely friendly with Zhu Yunwen." ”
Doing the business of losing his head, Zhu Di was worried day and night, Zhu Gaoxu's words obviously made him suspicious. What's even worse is that the Ming court also detected the subtle changes in Zhu Di's attitude towards Zhu Gaochi, and decisively played a discordant plan, swaggering to send envoys to Beiping to visit Zhu Gaochi.
Faced with danger, Zhu Gaochi didn't say a word, and immediately packed the messenger and the letter to Zhu Di's military camp to show his heart, which resolved Zhu Di's suspicion.
Subsequently, Zhu Di coerced Zhu Quan, the king of Ning, and his Duoyan Sanwei to return to Beiping, and attacked Li Jinglong with Zhu Gaochi, the Ming army was defeated and lost, and the siege of Beiping was resolved.
After this arduous battle to defend Beiping, Zhu Di couldn't help but look at his eldest son, who was dignified and quiet, and for Zhu Gaochi, this battle also further accumulated political capital, thus consolidating the position of the prince.
Akihito Sect Zhu Gaochi.
When Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi celebrated their great victory, Zhu Gaochu stared at this brother with resentful eyes in a corner, and his first conspiracy was foiled.
There is a difference between respect and inferiority, and the order of the young and the old, which is the eternal principle of the feudal dynasty.
Zhu Gaochi's title as the son was set by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Zhu Gaochu should not have been delusional about it, but the bad thing is that Zhu Di's attitude is too ambiguous.
Zhu Gaochi is obese and suffers from foot disease, so he needs to be supported by close guards every time he moves, so he often falls. And Zhu Gaochu is a man, more than seven feet tall, heroic, skilled in arching and horse, even Zhu Di thinks that Zhu Gaochu has his own style when he was young.
There is no harm if there is no comparison, and Zhu Di naturally favors Zhu Gaoxu.
It's just handsome, Zhu Gaoxu is still a tiger general. During the Jingjing period, Zhu Gaoxu followed Zhu Di to fight in the south and the north, and made many military exploits, and even saved Zhu Di from fire and water many times.
In the Battle of Dongchang in December of the second year of Jianwen (1400), the Yan army was surrounded by the Ming army of Sheng Yong's department, and under the onslaught of firearms and poisoned arrows, the Yan army was defeated. At this critical juncture, Zhu Gaoxu led the elite cavalry to kill in time, resolutely attacked the Ming army, tore open the encirclement, and helped the Yan army to get out of trouble and retreat north.
Zhu Di made no secret of his affection for this baby son who can fight well, and even said bluntly to Zhu Gaoxu: "I'm old, you should work harder, the son of the world is weak and sick." With the crazy hints of the old father, not to mention the already ambitious Zhu Gaoxu, anyone who changes will can't help but think about it.
After the success of Jingnan, Zhu Di proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing, and soon, an important question was placed in front of him: who should be selected as the first person of the empire.
The emperor's every move, the court up and down in the eyes, remembered, everyone knows, compared with Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Di prefers the second son Zhu Gaochu. Because of this, the civil and military generals of the Ming Dynasty began to choose sides and support their candidates for the prince with practical actions.
Most of the civil officials who abide by the Confucian etiquette system stand on Zhu Gaochi's side, and it is a matter of principle to establish a successor and a long-term leader, and Zhu Gaochi is lenient and benevolent and loves the people, which can be called a model of a human monarch.
Some generals chose to support Zhu Gaoxu, in their opinion, Zhu Gaoxu, who fought together in the bloody battle in the past, had the greatest merit, was more qualified to become the crown prince, and it was more in line with their interests.
In order to compete for the position of the prince, the two sides have come and gone, and there is constant friction, so the Ming Dynasty has an undercurrent and is extremely dangerous.
The courtiers fought openly and secretly, but the decision was ultimately in the hands of the emperor. As the saying goes, the palms and backs of the hands are all meat, and Zhu Di, who was in a dilemma, had to start consulting the courtiers.
One day, Zhu Di summoned Xie Jin, a scholar from Hanlin, Huang Huai, and Yin Changlong to discuss the matter of establishing a prince.
In this regard, Huang Huai bluntly said: "It is an eternal truth to establish a successor and grow up. The implication is that there is nothing negotiable, just stand up to Zhu Gaochi, and Yin Changlong also raised his hands in agreement.
When asked about Xie Jin, Xie Jin smiled and said to Zhu Di: "The emperor's eldest son is benevolent and filial, and the world is in the heart." Then he didn't forget to add: "Good saint grandson!" ”
The three words "good saint grandson" can be regarded as speaking to Zhu Di's heart, his most beloved imperial grandson Zhu Zhanji obviously added a lot of points to his father, coupled with the civil official group insisting on supporting Zhu Gaochi, etiquette and public opinion cannot be violated, Zhu Di had to think carefully, and the peaceful victory gradually tilted towards Zhu Gaochi.
The situation of Lichu is becoming clearer and clearer, and Zhu Gaoxu, who does not give up, decided to launch a final fight.
At his instigation, Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qiguo, Wang Ning, the Marquis of Yongchun, and other lords continued to lobby Zhu Di, but Zhu Di was overwhelmed, and finally cut the railroad categorically: "The merit of defending Beiping is much higher than that of the army and the subordinates, not to mention that the princes are determined by the chief." Zhu Gaochi is filial piety and virtuous, and he is the son of Taizu, and he is the real lord of the society, so you don't need to say it anymore. ”
Well, it's a no-brainer.
In February of the second year of Yongle (1404), Zhu Di canonized Zhu Gaochi as the crown prince, and at the same time named the second son Zhu Gaochu as the king of Han, and the third son Zhu Gaosui as the king of Zhao. At this point, the dust of the Yongle Dynasty's Lichu storm has settled.
Zhu Gaoxu's plan to seize the throne fell through again, but the ambitious Zhu Gaochu would not give up...
Zhu Gaoxu (stills from "Daming Fenghua").
It is the fate of all vassal kings to go to the feudal kingdom to become a vassal king, and Zhu Gaoxu is no exception.
Knowing his son Mo Ruo's father, in order to prevent Zhu Gaoxu's dog from jumping off the wall in a hurry, Zhu Di placed it in Yunnan, thousands of miles away, and Zhu Gaochu was not happy.
Missing the position of the prince has made Zhu Gaochu angry, and now he has been "exiled" to Yunnan, for his father's arrangement, Zhu Gaochu is furious, and openly shouted: "What crime have I committed to expel me thousands of miles away." ”
If you seal yours, Lao Tzu just won't go!
In the face of Zhu Gaoxu's rogue behavior, Zhu Di licked the calf deeply, but still compromised and shelved the matter of taking up the domain. Not only that, Zhu Di even let Zhu Gaoxu take charge of the Beijing Division Tiance Guard, and Zhu Gaosui commanded the Beiping Soldiers and Horses, both of whom were awarded important positions in military power.
Such an arrangement undoubtedly once again fueled Zhu Gaoxu's arrogance. So, during Zhu Di's northern expedition and the prince's imprisonment, Zhu Gaochu, who thought that there was an opportunity, united with Zhu Gaosui and launched round after round of political offensives against Zhu Gaochi.
The first is the hateful solution. Because he entered Beijing to meet the prince without permission, this Zhu Gaochi's iron fan was the first to encounter Zhu Gaochu's slanderous attacks, and was soon thrown into prison by Zhu Di, and finally buried in the snow and died.
After that, Zhu Di returned from the northern expedition, and the prince was a little late, and Zhu Gaoxu once again used the topic to play, slandering the subordinate officials of the East Palace for not assisting the prince effectively. Zhu Di, who had already lost the Northern Expedition, was furious because of this, and used the subordinate officials of the East Palace as a punching bag. Huang Huai, Yang Pu, Wang Kai, Jin Wen and hundreds of others all convicted of the crime, and Huang Huai and Yang Pu were the worst, and they were imprisoned for ten years.
Zhu Gaochi himself could not be protected, he dared to be angry but did not dare to speak, until he ascended the throne, whenever he talked about this matter with Empress Zhang, he would still cry bitterly.
The emperor's mind is unpredictable.
In addition to beating Zhu Gaochi, the shrewd Yongle Emperor did not forget to keep an eye on Zhu Gaochu's every move.
Compared with Zhu Gaochi's low-key behavior, Zhu Gaochu is obviously the other extreme. Zhu Gaoxu raised 3,000 private soldiers, plundered the people, and committed crimes, which was a conspiracy. Zhu Di was furious when he learned about it, and immediately stripped Zhu Gaoxu's clothes and tied him in Xihuamen, intending to be demoted to a concubine.
The benevolent Zhu Gaochi hurriedly came to ask Zhu Di to open the net, and in the end, Zhu Di cut Zhu Gaochu off two guards and sent him to Le'an Prefecture, Shandong Province. Afterwards, Zhu Di said to Zhu Gaochi earnestly: "I am making long-term plans for you, and I have to give up." Do you want to raise tigers? Now I have cut off his two guards and placed him in Le'an Prefecture in Shandong, very close to Beijing, and if I hear that there is a change, I can send troops in the morning and capture him in the evening. ”
Subsequently, Zhu Gaochu had to go to Le'an Prefecture to settle the domain, although he was far away from the political center, but Zhu Gaochu, who did not give up, was still watching the changes in the situation at all times, waiting for the opportunity for the Jedi to fight back.
In July of the 22nd year of Yongle (1424), Zhu Di's fifth northern expedition returned in vain, and he died suddenly when he reached Yumu River. Yang Rong and Jin Youzi, who went out with the army, were worried that Zhu Gaoxu would take the opportunity to rebel, so they kept it a secret.
The two ordered the craftsmen to make a tin bucket to seal Zhu Di's body, and executed all the craftsmen. By the time Zhu Gaochu received the news of Zhu Di's death, Zhu Gaochi had already successfully ascended the throne in Beijing, and the overall situation was decided.
So far, in this protracted battle for the throne, Zhu Gaoxu's bamboo basket has been empty, and he has lost to his eldest brother after all.
However, Zhu Gaochi, who had been a aggrieved prince for 20 years, was so blessed that he only served as the emperor for nine months and then drove to the west.
As soon as Zhu Gaochi died, the extinguished flame in Zhu Gaochu's chest burned again, and this time, he would challenge his eldest nephew, Zhu Zhanji.
Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji.
Zhu Gaoxu realized early on that his eldest nephew Zhu Zhanji was far more difficult to deal with than his honest eldest brother.
One day after the success of the Jingnan, Zhu Di took the princes and grandchildren to pay homage to the Ming Tomb. On that day, the road was slippery in the rainy weather, and Zhu Gaochi was unable to move, stumbling all the way, and he was full of foreign appearances.
In this situation, Zhu Gaoxu, who was behind him, couldn't help but mock: "The predecessors stumbled and fell, and the descendants knew the warning." ”
Just when Zhu Gaoxu was proud, unexpectedly, someone behind him said: "More descendants know the warning!" Zhu Gaoxu looked back and saw that Zhu Zhanji, the eldest grandson of the emperor, was staring at him with a gloomy face, which made him couldn't help but be shocked.
Because of this, Zhu Gaoxu has always been quite jealous of this good saint grandson. When Renzong died, the crown prince Zhu Zhanji was far away in Nanjing, and Zhu Gaoxu slapped his thigh after receiving the report, which was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Therefore, Zhu Gaoxu dispatched troops and set up an ambush on Zhu Zhanji's way back to Beijing, intending to intercept and kill him.
However, Empress Zhang did not leave him any chance. Empress Zhang, who endured the pain of losing her husband, stabilized the situation of the court and ordered Zhu Zhandong, the king of Xiang, to temporarily supervise the country, and sent Yang Rong to welcome back the crown prince. Zhu Gaoxu's assassination plan then fell through.
But Zhu Gaoxu firmly believes that there should always be a martyrdom battle of his own in this life.
On the tenth day of August in the first year of Xuande (1426), Zhu Gaoxu, the king of Han, rebelled in Le'an Prefecture and vowed to make his nephew Zhu Zhanji become Emperor Jianwen2Version 0.
For this reason, Zhu Gaoxu opened the governor's mansion of the five armies, ordered his henchmen to lead the four armies on the left and right, and arranged for his sons to serve as supervisors, while he himself sat in charge of the Chinese army. In addition, Zhu Gaochu did not forget to encourage the generals of all sides to rebel against him.
However, this is destined to be an absurd farce with no chance of winning.
At the beginning, Zhu Di, the king of Yan, led the elite border army to settle the hardships, and he still experienced nine deaths and a lifetime; Now, Zhu Gaoxu has already been cut off by his father and trapped in the small land of Le'an Prefecture.
The news of the rebellion of the King of Han quickly spread to the Beijing Division, and the court was in an uproar, and Yang Rong and others immediately played and asked Zhu Zhanji to send troops to quell the rebellion. The rebellion had to be quelled, but the emperor and the courtiers had different views on the choice of the commander of the counterinsurgency.
After all, he is his own second uncle, and when he meets with swords, it will inevitably make outsiders see jokes, so Zhu Zhanji tends to make Xue Lu handsome. The courtiers expressed their opposition one after another, and they hoped that the emperor would be able to drive the expedition in person, and Yang Rong bluntly said: "Has the emperor forgotten the old story of Li Jinglong? ”
This sentence was like a slap in the face, and it woke up Zhu Zhanji all of a sudden, and in this way, Zhu Zhanji ordered his troops and horses and personally led the army to conquer Zhu Gaoxu. As Zhu Di expected, the Ming army arrived at dawn and quickly surrounded Le'an City into an iron bucket.
Zhu Gaoxu never expected that Zhu Zhanji would dare to risk his life, drive the expedition in person, and quickly form a situation of encirclement of Le'an Prefecture. At this critical juncture, the rebel general Wang Bin was determined to swear allegiance to the death, and he cheered Zhu Gaoxu up: "Now that the two armies are facing each other, we will ask for a duel with them, and we would rather die in battle!" ”
However, the ideal is plump, and the reality is skinny. The Ming army fired a round of arrows, the sound shook the world, and everyone in Le'an City was terrified.
Under the pressure of the army, the invincible Zhu Gaoxu was still scared after all, and he was so scared that he died. He sent people out of the city overnight to ask for surrender, and asked him to say goodbye to his wife tonight, and went to the military gate alone tomorrow to blame. On the second day, Zhu Gaoxu was dressed in white and took the initiative to surrender.
At the magnificent prisoner sacrifice ceremony in Beijing, the righteous and awe-inspiring Yu Qian loudly counted Zhu Gaoxu's crimes, which can be described as deafening, and Zhu Gaochu trembled and knelt on the ground, panicking like a lost dog. At this moment, Zhu Zhanji was full of ambition and laughed.
After this battle, Zhu Gaoxu's family was deposed as concubines and imprisoned in Beijing, and his thousands of henchmen were either punished or exiled. At this point, the Han domain was uprooted, and Zhu Gaoxu never turned over.
Time blink of an eye to the fourth year of Xuande (1429), on this day, Zhu Zhanji went to visit his second uncle Zhu Gaoxu. I don't know if Zhu Gaochu had a brain convulsion or a short circuit in his nerves, but when Zhu Zhanji turned to leave, Zhu Gaochu unexpectedly stretched out his leg and tripped Zhu Zhanji, and the defenseless Zhu Zhanji fell enough and was embarrassed.
There is a way in heaven that you don't take, and there is no door in hell for you to break into!
Zhu Zhanji was furious, and immediately ordered someone to cover Zhu Gaoxu with a copper cylinder weighing more than 300 catties.
You can do it, you really can!
Subsequently, Zhu Zhanji asked people to pick up countless charcoals, piled them on top of the copper cylinder, and under the smoldering charcoal fire, Zhu Gaoxu was roasted to death. A generation of strange princes finally ended their bizarre lives in such a strange way.
The agency was too clever and mistook Qingqing's life. Zhu Gaoxu did not have Zhu Di's life, but he got Zhu Di's illness, and thought that he was only one step away from the imperial power, but he never realized that this step was a gap that he could not overcome in his life...
Unrealistic obsessions and delusions are the most harmful things in this world.
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