The imperial succession in the history of the Ming Dynasty is full of twists and turns. However, after the death of the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di, his eldest son Zhu Gaochi succeeded to the throne and became the fifth emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Surprisingly, Zhu Gaochi had 10 sons, but during his lifetime, none of his sons dared to compete with Zhu Zhanji for the throne. What is the reason for this?
First of all, we need to understand Zhu Gaochi's family background. Zhu Gaochi is the eldest son of Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, and his mother is Empress Xu. During Zhu Di's reign, he has always placed high hopes on Zhu Gaochi, hoping that he can become his own ** person. However, Zhu Gaochi's personality disappointed Zhu Di greatly. Zhu Gaochi's cowardly personality and lack of decisiveness and courage made him repeatedly lose in political struggles. This made Zhu Di very dissatisfied, but for the sake of the stability of the family, he still made Zhu Gaochi the crown prince.
However, Zhu Di did not give up on cultivating Zhu Gaochi because of his character. He hoped that through strict education and training, Zhu Gaochi would become a qualified emperor. Under Zhu Di's teaching, Zhu Gaochi gradually grew into a responsible and responsible person. This made Zhu Di regain confidence in him, and his reputation in the court gradually increased.
In the twenty-second year of Yongle (1424), Zhu Di died, and Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne as Renzong. During the reign of Injong, although he did not do much in politics, he made certain contributions to culture and education. He attached great importance to the imperial examination system and selected a group of talented talents, who contributed to the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.
However, Renzong's physical condition was not good. Soon after his accession to the throne, he fell ill with a serious illness. This made it impossible for him to deal with state affairs personally, as his father did. Under these circumstances, Injong had to entrust state affairs to his close ministers. This also led to the gradual rise of the powerful ministers in the court, laying a hidden danger for the later struggle for the throne.
Renzong had a total of 10 sons, the most famous of which was Zhu Zhanji. Zhu Zhanji is the second son of Renzong, and his mother is Li Guifei. Li Guifei was born in a famous family, and her father was Li Dongyang, a famous literary scholar in the Ming Dynasty. Li Guifei is smart and clever, and she is deeply favored by Renzong. Therefore, when Renzong was seriously ill, he decided to pass the throne to Zhu Zhanji.
However, this decision did not receive the support of the ministers of the DPRK and China. At that time, there were two main factions of powerful ministers in the court: the Yang faction headed by Yang Rong, and the Xia faction headed by Xia Yuanji. Both factions expressed opposition to Zhu Zhanji's succession. They believe that Zhu Zhanji is too young to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the state. Moreover, they are worried that Zhu Zhanji's succession to the throne will pose a threat to their interests.
In this case, Renzong had to reconsider his decision. He decided not to pass the throne to Zhu Zhanji for the time being, but to make him the crown prince and let him learn how to govern the country by his side. At the same time, he also ordered to strengthen the training of other princes, hoping that they would become the pillars of the country.
However, Injong's decision did not change the attitude of the ministers of the court. They continued to obstruct Zhu Zhanji's succession, and some even secretly plotted a coup d'état in an attempt to overthrow Renzong's rule. Under these circumstances, Injong had to take tough measures to eliminate the opposition forces one by one. This series of political struggles has made the situation between the DPRK and China increasingly tense.
However, in the midst of this political struggle, there was one prince who remained silent. He is Renzong's eldest son, Zhu Zhanji's elder brother, Zhu Zhandong. Zhu Zhan has a calm personality and knows how to endure and wait. He knew that competing for the throne with his younger brother at this time would only exacerbate the dispute between the court and the country and bring greater disasters to the country. Therefore, he chose to endure in silence and wait for the time to come.
Finally, in the twenty-second year of Yongle (1424), Renzong died of illness. Before his death, he passed the throne to Zhu Zhanji, who was only 12 years old. At this time, the ministers of the court and the central government no longer had the strength to oppose it. They could only accept this fact and pledge allegiance to the new emperor.
After Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne, he was Xuanzong. During his reign, the country was politically stable and economically prosperous. He adopted part of Renzong's policies, strengthened the importance of the imperial examination, and selected a group of talents. He also opened up his territory to the outside world and consolidated the statehood of the Ming Dynasty. These achievements gradually increased his popularity among the people, and he became a respected emperor.
And Zhu Zhan was silent in this battle for the throne. He did not compete with his brother for the throne, nor did he express hostility towards his brother. On the contrary, he has been quietly supporting his younger brother and helping him stabilize his power. This brotherly friendship made them a pair of close comrades-in-arms in later days.
In short, Zhu Gaochi had 10 sons, but none of them dared to compete with Zhu Zhanji for the throne. The reason for this is related to both the education of Injong and the attitude of the ministers of the court. It was this complex political environment that enabled Zhu Zhanji to smoothly inherit the throne and become an outstanding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. And those who have tried to challenge his authority will not escape the punishment of history in the end.
In this era full of strife and contradictions, Zhu Zhandong's choice is undoubtedly wise. Instead of being blinded by power and lust, he chose loyalty and fraternity. This quality has made him leave a glorious mark in the long history of the future, and he has become a hero worthy of our respect and remembrance.
And Zhu Zhanji's success has also left us with a profound enlightenment: In this world, real strength does not come from power and wealth, but from inner firmness and conviction. Only those who have this kind of power can stand tall in the torrent of history and become a great man of a generation.
Nowadays, when we look back on this period of history, we can't help but sigh: the road to the throne inheritance of the Ming Dynasty is full of twists and turns and ups and downs. However, it is on such a path that we see the brilliance and greatness of humanity. These brilliance and greatness will always shine in our hearts and inspire us to pursue higher ideals and goals.
What do you think?