The rule of Renxuan is one of the three great prosperities of the early Ming Dynasty, and it is called the five great prosperities of China along with the rule of Wenjing in the Han Dynasty and the rule of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty. During this period, the Ming Dynasty was politically clear,the national strength was at its peak, the world was stable, and the economy developed rapidly. The people who created this prosperous era were Emperor Akihito Zhu Gaozi and Emperor Mingxuanzong Zhu Zhanji, of whom Emperor Renzong reigned for less than a year, and Emperor Xuanzong was only twenty-six years old when he ascended the throne. At the same time, they also had the king of Han and the king of Zhao around them, intent on rebellion and seizure of power. Under such circumstances, how did the frail Renzong and the young Xuanzong create the rule of Renxuan?
Renzong
Many people believe that Zhu Gaozi's ability to become crown prince is completely the light of his son Zhu Zhanji. In fact, Zhu Dichuan was located in Zhu Gaozi, and there was a consideration of Zhu Zhanji, but if it was said that without Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Gaozi's crown princeship would be abolished, and it would be too underestimated for this Renzong.
Renzong was obese and frail, but he was by no means an incompetent man. Zhu Gaozi was good at pacifying the soldiers and rallying people's hearts, and during the Battle of Jingnan, Li Jinglong led an army of 500,000 to besiege Zhu Di's rear, but was stopped by Zhu Gaozi with tens of thousands of people, and was never able to break through the city. This battle was also an important turning point in the Battle of Jingnan.
During the Northern Expedition of Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, Zhu Gaozi supervised the country as a crown prince, and he was diligent in government affairs, practicing what he preached, and trying to coordinate the overall situation by all means, while ensuring the grain and grass materials of Zhu Di's Northern Expedition, minimizing the burden on the people. Zhu Gaoxu's two younger brothers, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaoxuan, often attacked the crown prince in front of Zhu Di on the grounds that Zhu Gaozi did not fully support the Northern Expedition, which made Zhu Di very dissatisfied with Zhu Gaozi. However, Zhu Gaozi still did not change his original intentions, and the civil officials in the court respected him very much, and most of the ministers in the cabinet were also from the Prince's Palace.
Zhu Gao was called Renzong, and he was indeed worthy of the word "Ren". When Zhu Gaozi was still crown prince, both the King of Han and the King of Zhao coveted the throne, and they repeatedly plotted to seize power and usurp Zhu Gaozi's inheritance. However, after the matter was revealed, Zhu Gaozi in turn interceded for the two younger brothers, which made Zhu Di not hurt the killer.
After Emperor Renzong succeeded to the throne, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaoxuan always disobeyed his rule, and there were many provocations in their words and deeds. Emperor Renzong never retaliated against the two men, and after he ascended the throne, he also added the title of King of Han and gave him the title of son. Of course, Zhu Gaoxu never appreciated his brother's generosity.
Emperor Renzong reigned for less than a year, but during these months, Emperor Renzong did many things. First of all, Emperor Renzong's rehabilitations against unjust imprisonment, such as the "Ten Tribes" massacre of Fang Xiaoru, a loyal minister of Jianwen, and the unjust case of Xie Jin, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, were all rehabilitated during this period. Emperor Renzong also pardoned many officials who had been imprisoned for opposing Zhu Di's Northern Expedition, such as the former Hubu Shangshu Xia Yuanji and others. Then, Emperor Renzong formed a cabinet under the leadership of the "Three Yangs" and began to carry out reforms to adjust the administrative policies of the Yongle period. In addition, Emperor Renzong pardoned the families of officials who had been exiled to the border during the jianwen emperor's reign and Yongle, and allowed them to return to their original places. This series of measures greatly alleviated the contradictions within the Ming ruling clique and also laid a solid foundation for Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji.
It is just a pity that this emperor of leniency was too short-lived, and only reigned for one year, if "the year of heavenly leave, the year of recuperation, and the prosperity of morality, wouldn't it be better than Wen and Jingbi Longya." (History of the Ming Dynasty)
Xuanzong
Compared with Renzong, who sought perfection, Zhu Zhanji's life was much more dashing. Zhu Zhanji was Zhu Di's favorite descendant, and there was no one, so it can be said that it was his birth that strengthened Zhu Di's determination to rebel. On the day of Zhu Zhanji's birth, Zhu Di, the King of Yan, had a dream in which he dreamed that his father Zhu Yuanzhang had given him a great gui and said to him, "The grandson of the inheritance, the eternal qichang.". After waking up from the dream, Zhu Di felt that this was an auspicious dream, and at this time, someone reported that his grandson Zhu Zhanji was born. Zhu Di hurried to look at it and found that this little grandson looked very much like himself, and he said happily: "Er's heroic face is overflowing, and Fu Wu dreams." This is the blessing of the Ming Dynasty" ("History of Ming")," which played an important role in Zhu Di's rebellion.
Zhu Di regarded Zhu Zhanji as the meat of his heart, and he personally selected teachers and asked them to teach Zhu Zhanji carefully. During Zhu Di's Northern Expedition, he would always take his young grandson Zhu Zhanji with him to let him know how to fight and hone his courage on the battlefield. After returning from the conquest, Zhu Di would also take Zhu Zhanji to the countryside to see and let him understand the hardships of the lower-class people.
It can be said that the Ren Religion taught Zhu Zhanji the way of doing things; the teachers taught Zhu Zhanji the way of a gentleman; and Zhu Di taught Zhu Zhanji the way of being a king. With a good education, the young Zhu Zhanji was already well-educated, meticulous in his thinking, and outstanding in ability. When Zhu Zhanji was still a grandson, he helped his father to defuse the blows of the two uncles many times, but this also made Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaoxuan very jealous of Zhu Zhanji.
Emperor Renzong died less than a year after his reign, while Zhu Zhanji was still in Nanjing, and when Zhu Gaoxu learned the news, he prepared to intercept and kill Zhu Zhanji on the way. However, Zhu Zhanji was calm, and after he returned to Beijing safely from the interception, he dealt with his father's affairs while tightening the guard of Beijing City, and then smoothly ascended the throne.
After Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne, Zhu Gaoxu, who had a heavy army in his hands, saw that his nephew was young and thought that he could take advantage of it, so he raised an army to rebel. However, Zhu Zhanji was not easy to live with, and he followed his grandfather Zhu Di on the Northern Expedition since he was a child and grew up in the military. Therefore, Zhu Zhanji personally marched and soon put down the rebellion. After capturing Zhu Gaoxu, Xuanzong again approached Zhu Gaoxuan, the King of Zhao, and forced him to surrender his military power, and since then, the instability within Xuanzong's ruling clique has finally been completely eliminated.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign, he was full of talents, he had "Three Yangs", Jian Yi, Xia Yuanji and other famous ministers, Wu had the British Gongzhang Fu to defend the Ming Dynasty, and locally he also had pragmatic and capable ministers such as Yu Qian and Zhou Chen.
With the assistance of Sanyang and others, Xuanzong carried out reforms, he eliminated some of the maladministrations during the Hongwu and Yongle years, implemented benevolent government, rested with the people, developed the economy, straightened out military affairs, stabilized border defense, and eased relations with neighboring countries.
Under the rule of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong, the Ming Dynasty developed steadily in economy, rising national strength, and extremely clear politics, entering a golden age, which historians call "the rule of Renxuan" or "the prosperity of Renxuan". Gu Yingtai praised Renzong and Xuanzong in the "Ming Chronicle at the End of the Chronicle": "Ming has Ren and Xuan, Yu Zhou has Cheng, Kang, Han has Wen and Jing, and the style of three generations has been passed. ”
Unfortunately, however, both Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong died young, so that Ren xuan's prosperity lasted only eleven years and then came to an abrupt end. After Zhu Zhanji's death, his son Zhu Qizhen marched in person, but this led to the change of Tumu Fort, and the Ming Dynasty has since declined. This is a huge pity.
Resources:
History of the Ming Dynasty