30-year-old Zhu Houzhao died in the leopard room, what is the leopard room? Why should women be afraid?
Throughout the history of the Ming Dynasty, each of the 16 emperors in power had its own unique characteristics. Some are known for their bravery and good fighting, such as Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di; Others pay more attention to government affairs and construction, such as Zhu Gaochi; There were also some who were lazy or fond of handicrafts, and even had an emperor who was regarded as a brilliant monk. The merits of these emperors during their reigns were mixed, and later generations also had various opinions on their evaluations.
However, there was only one emperor who was deeply humiliated, and he was considered a disgrace to the Ming Dynasty. Even in later generations, concubines would mention him when teaching unsuccessful princes to warn future generations not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Zhu Houzhao was a emperor known for his playfulness. Although it is human nature to be playful, when a playful person sits on the throne, he often becomes extravagant, regardless of the suffering of the people. However, such actions are also difficult to achieve good results in the end. Zhu Houzhao died at the age of 30 in a leopard house he had built himself.
So, what is this leopard house sacred? Why do people feel terrified whenever they hear its name?
As a child, Zhu Houzhao was highly anticipated by his father Zhu Youzhu and Empress Zhang, and he read the books of sages and sages and received the teachings of Song Lian and Song Fuzi, the most learned in the palace. In the process of getting along, Zhu Houzhao showed his dedication to learning and his ability to take exams. However, at the same time, he also liked to play with the eunuchs of the harem, so that he was not only proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, but also enjoyed carefree fun in his spare time.
Song Lian had long thought that he had cultivated a prince who was expected to become the Ming monarch, believing that this was a sign of the prosperity of the Ming state. However, with the death of Zhu Youji, Zhu Houzhao succeeded to the throne and became emperor. At this time, he realized that he was already the supreme ruler of the country, and that he was no longer bound by any constraints, and that no one could teach him the etiquette anymore.
Zhu Houzhao is not a villain, even if he ascends the throne, he does not show any ** tendency. However, the cynicism deep inside him is gradually revealed.
He rarely participated in government affairs, but fortunately, Zhu Youzhu left behind a group of capable civil officials to assist him during his lifetime. Under the management of these civil officials, the Ming Dynasty still prospered.
However, Zhu Houzhao did not like these bureaucrats because they were always against what he wanted to do. On the contrary, he liked the sleek eunuchs around him, who always amused him, including the great eunuch Liu Jin.
Liu Jin and Zhu Houzhao grew up together since childhood and knew the emperor's deepest desires. Therefore, he proposed to build a special building on the southwest bank of the Taiye Pond in the Forbidden City, known as the "Leopard Room", which could meet all the needs of the emperor. Zhu Houzhao was very happy when he heard this, and despite the opposition, he took out the silver from the treasury and established this special place.
The name Leopard House has become synonymous with the absurd. So, what exactly is a leopard room? Why do women change color at the mention of the leopard room, and they don't even dare to step into it? At the beginning, we may be able to understand that the leopard house is a huge zoo, and Liu Jin gathered rare and exotic beasts from all over the country in order to cater to Zhu Houzhao.
From leopards, pigeons, white rabbits, to elephants, lions, to eagle houses, deer farms, tiger cities, etc., all kinds of animals are kept in captivity in the same space, which is undoubtedly a huge paradise for the emperor.
According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty", since the beginning of the second year of Zhengde, the leopard house has been continuously improved, until the completion of the seventh year of Zhengde, with a total of more than 200 houses. In the final leopard room, there are not only various animals, but also wind and dust places, mazes, Buddhist temples, school fields, and so on.
Although the official record of the construction of the leopard house cost only 240,000 taels**, the actual cost far exceeded this figure. 240,000 taels of silver is probably not enough to collect thousands of birds and beasts.
After the leopard house was built, Zhu Houzhao refused to go out again. He felt that this place was simply a paradise on earth, where all his desires could be satisfied. He was here for 14 years.
He has never been involved in government affairs for the past 14 years. If it were not for the firm support of the Korean Chinese official community, perhaps the Ming Dynasty would have fallen long ago. Zhu Houzhao didn't care about this, until he died, he still indulged in the leopard room.
Why does the leopard room make so many women smell and change? Zhu often asks that naked women be coexisted with wild animals to observe their reactions in order to add to the fun of the game.
This kind of ** hobby made him a veritable faint monarch and spurned by future generations. The leopard room was seen as a place for the emperor to have fun, and once the women entered it, they became the emperor's prey.
The Leopard's Room was a strictly enclosed place where women endured humiliation and torture, all of which were despicable tactics employed by eunuchs to curry favor with the emperor. Therefore, when they hear the word leopard room, women are terrified because this place is like a hell for them.
Zhu Houzhao's life can be called absurd and bizarre. For a person from a wealthy background, it may be acceptable to make some unusual moves, but when he is on the throne, every word or deed may affect the life and death of the people, and even inaction will bring disaster to the country, and the responsibility will be entirely on the emperor.
However, it is a pity that Zhu Houzhao is unaware of this. He only knows how to pursue personal self-interest, and ignores the overall interests, so he is nicknamed the faint king by later generations. In contrast, after the death of other emperors, they left behind an era of peace and prosperity, and the country and the people were peaceful, but Zhu Houzhao left only a humiliating impression.