In ancient times, it was the norm for the common people to "smell the wine and meat of Zhumen, and there were frozen bones on the road". The imperial relatives of the Ming Dynasty can be described as rich in clothes and food, and lived a luxurious life. But did you know that one of these imperial relatives lived more nourishingly than the emperor?
He is Zhao Hui, the son-in-law of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. This old man not only witnessed the change of the nine emperors of the Ming Dynasty, but also took in nearly 100 concubines, and lived to be 91 years old before he died.
From the son of a military attache to a relative of the emperor
Zhao Hui is the son of a small military attache from a humble background.
Zhao Hui's father, Zhao He, is just a thousand households with only five grades. In the era of war and chaos, being able to mix an official and a half-job is already a good background. This is in the city of Nanjing, whether it is high or not, whether it is low or not, anyway, life is passable.
Zhao He relied on his hard work on the battlefield to climb to this position. In addition to supporting his family, he can also save some spare money for his son to study. It's a pity that Zhao Hui is not that material, and he can't read the book, so he can only inherit his father's business, take over his father's class, and guard the Jinchuan Gate of Nanjing City. To put it bluntly, he is a "gatekeeper".
Who knew that the good times would not last long, and Zhao Hui's father died soon after.
However, it was in this broken place that Zhao Hui met his noble Zhu Di. On this day, Zhu Di paraded to Jinchuan Gate and saw Zhao Hui standing under the city gate, showing talent and grandeur, so he couldn't help but look at it twice.
Zhu Di asked about Zhao Hui's origin, and Zhao Hui answered them one by one, and his speech and demeanor were neither humble nor arrogant, which left a deep impression on Zhu Di. Why did Zhu Di notice Zhao Hui at this time? This has to start with his sister Princess Baoqing.
Princess Baoqing is Zhu Yuanzhang's old daughter, and she is spoiled to the sky, and several brothers are also spoiled, especially Zhu Di, although the difference between the two is 35 years old.
As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang died, Zhu Di handed over his sister to his daughter-in-law, Queen Xu. In the eyes of Queen Xu, this sister is just like her daughter.
Seeing that his sister had grown up, and when he reached the age of talking about marriage, Zhu Di was worried. He didn't want his sister to marry far away, and he didn't want his sister's family affairs to be involved in politics. This delay, Princess Baoqing was 19 years old, and she was an "old girl" at that time.
In order to find a wishful husband for his sister, Zhu Di began to look everywhere. No, I fell in love with Zhao Hui at a glance. Don't look at Zhao Hui's background, but he is handsome and speaks at a high level, just looking at his appearance, he is a perfect match with Princess Baoqing!
Zhu Di had a candidate in mind, and sent someone to check Zhao Hui's details overnight. As soon as he inquired, Zhao Hui's father sacrificed his life for the country, and his son inherited his father's business. When Zhu Di heard this, he looked at Zhao Hui differently.
Seeing Zhao Hui, Zhu Di's eyes lit up, and he said secretly: "This kid is good, talented, and understands the rules, recruit him into the door, yes!" "
In this way, Zhao Hui became a concubine by mistake and became a relative of the emperor. Since then, he has bid farewell to the hard life of serving in the army and lived a life of fine clothes and food. There were more eunuchs in the palace than he had before.
Of course, Zhao Hui knew in his heart that he could have today because of the emperor's grace. Although Zhu Di treats him well, he treats him as a brother-in-law, not a brother. The face of the royal family, he has to defend Zhu Di to the end. If you make a slight mistake, you won't be able to save your head.
Therefore, Zhao Hui obeyed Zhu Di's words and obeyed him. Zhu Di asked him to go to war, and he put on his clothes and charged into battle.
Take 100 concubines, poor and extravagant
A knife on the head of the color word. But for people like Zhao Hui, beauty is his favorite. It is said that he took nearly 100 concubines in his life, a model of "3,000 beauties" who are alive and well.
After Princess Baoqing married him, she felt quite happy at first, but it didn't take long to find out that there were other women outside. Bao Qing was angry, and quarreled with him a lot.
But Zhao Hui is a master who does not enter the oil and salt, and his attitude of admitting mistakes is first-class, and it is impossible to change it. Baoqing is not a pungent character, and he has no problem with him, so he was so angry that he couldn't afford to get sick, and he died soon after.
Zhao Hui can be regarded as completely liberated now, spending all his time drinking outside, accepting concubines from room to room, and escaping the rhythm of three thousand in a harem.
Even the saint at that time, Zhu Zhanji, had no choice but to turn a blind eye to him. After all, in terms of seniority, Zhao Hui is still his aunt and grandfather.
And whether they are relatives of the emperor or the widows of their aunts and grandmothers, it's hard to say anything. Besides, Zhao Hui has a good backer, and the emperor supports him, but he is still worried about a bad life?
But the sky is not afraid, the earth is not afraid, and people are afraid of words. Zhao Hui, the legendary colt, although he flew on the branches and became a phoenix, the rumors behind him also followed.
Some people say that he relied on a handsome face, married a princess, and since then he has been worry-free and has enjoyed all the wealth in the world. This chic day has made many people envious. In the face of these gossips, Zhao Hui just smiled, he didn't have time to break with others.
Besides, how many people can understand the heart-wrenching taste of his wife's untimely death, leaving him alone? Since then, Zhao Hui has become worried, often sitting for a day, not knowing what to think.
But he is such a man who "does not eat fireworks in the world", but he did his best for the Ming Dynasty later. When Zhu Zhanji was in power, Zhao Hui was his right-hand man, and he handled all the major national affairs and trivial matters in an orderly manner, which reassured the emperor a lot.
Later, Zhu Zhanji died young, and the young Zhu Qizhen succeeded him. This "Ming God of War", I'm afraid everyone is not familiar with it. When the young lord ascended the throne, the heroes were ready to move, and the situation between Korea and China was precarious.
At this time, Zhao Hui, who was based in Nanjing, became an important arm of Zhu Qizhen. Even the annual ancestor worship ceremony was given full authority to him.
Zhao Hui naturally has a rod and scale in his heart, and the young master is powerless and difficult to convince the public. He can only severely suppress his subordinates and let them know that there is a difference between monarchs and ministers. Perhaps it is precisely because of this loyalty that Zhu Qizhen respects this aunt and grandfather very much.
Zhu Qizhen sent him to Nanjing to be the affairs of the Zuo government, and asked him to go to the filial piety tomb every year to offer incense. This kind of honor can also be enjoyed by Zhao Hui, an old minister.
With the emperor's trust, Zhao Hui was even more exhausted. He recruited talents, corporal Lixian, many local officials in Nanjing did not refuse to scold him, and beautiful girls were sent to his house one after another.
In the blink of an eye, there were hundreds of people in Zhao Hui's harem. In Zhao Hui's view, these talents are the pillars of the Ming Dynasty, and respecting them is respecting the future of the Ming Dynasty.
After nine dynasties, it witnessed the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty
After the death of Princess Baoqing, he was not implicated, but relied on his status as a relative of the emperor to be like a fish in water in the court, and his power was monstrous.
Just when Zhao Hui thought that he was going on like this in his life, Zhu Qizhen killed Wara, but he never returned, leaving the throne behind. The court blew up the pot this time, and quickly helped Zhu Qiyu onto the dragon chair again.
When the new emperor ascended the throne, Zhao Hui's big Buddha was naturally indispensable. Don't look at him cynicism, he still has the demeanor of a general at critical moments.
The court was in turmoil. Zhao Hui, a "relative of the emperor", naturally can't stay out of the matter. Empress Dowager Sun summoned members of the royal family to Beijing to discuss countermeasures, and Zhao Hui, the highest-ranking minister at that time, became a key figure.
Zhao Hui knows very well that if he does not make meritorious service at this time, when will he wait? He made a quick decision, sold his property, raised a huge amount of money, and rushed to the capital under the stars. After a generous speech, the wealthy businessmen and magnates helped one after another, and Zhao Hui brought a lot of gold and silver to solve the urgent needs of the imperial court.
Not only that, Zhao Hui also supported the newly enthroned Ming Dynasty Sect Zhu Qiyu and helped him stabilize the hearts of the army and the people. With the support of Zhao Hui, Zhu Qiyu successfully ascended the throne and led his army to defeat Warat and drive them out of the Great Wall.
I thought the world was too peaceful, but who knew that it would be another twist and turn. The captured Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen was released, and Zhu Qiyu had no choice but to give him the honorific title of "Emperor Taishang", and the two were embarrassed to be together.
How can Zhu Qizhen be willing? With the support of Empress Dowager Sun, he launched the "Rebellion to seize the door", re-ascended the throne, and imprisoned Zhu Qiyu.
Zhao Hui's life is not easy now. He once supported Zhu Qiyu, and now he has become a thorn in Zhu Qizhen's side. Instead of sitting back and waiting, take the initiative to resign. Zhu Qizhen was also happy to push the boat, approved his resignation, and let him go back to his hometown to retire.
In this way, Zhao Hui lived a free life and lived a fairy-like life. From Ming Chengzu Zhu Di to Ming Xianzong Zhu Jianshen, he served eight emperors successively and spent most of his life in the center of power. During this period, he witnessed the heyday of the Ming Dynasty and the process of its decline.
By the time of Chenghua, Zhao Hui was already in his nineties. It is said that he was lying on the bed and chanting "Long live the emperor". His children and grandchildren are full of officials, officials are officials, and those who are businessmen are doing business, and their lives are prosperous.
After Zhao Hui died, Zhu Jianshen of Ming Xianzong personally dressed him in linen and filial piety and held a grand funeral. In the Ming Dynasty, where the hierarchy was still strict, this was a great favor. From this detail, it can be seen that Zhao Hui's status in the court is very high, and the emperor's favor for him is deep.
And he took a group of concubines in his later years, more than the concubines of the emperors of the previous dynasties combined. In this regard, some people said that he was indulging in alcohol and pretending to be crazy and stupid, so that Zhu Qizhen could relax his vigilance. Some people also said that he was just enjoying the second half of his life and making up for the regrets of his previous hard work.
No matter how outsiders speculate, he has come to an end in the sound of dogs and horses, and has experienced eight emperors and nine generations of the Ming Dynasty in his life, and in the 276-year history of the Ming Dynasty, he has met half of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty.
Epilogue:
Zhao Hui experienced the most glorious period of the Ming Dynasty and witnessed its decline.
In the turbulent era, being able to rise to the top and be a great minister requires extraordinary intelligence and skill. Zhao Hui was able to stand tall in the court and serve the eight monarchs, relying on his ability.
He did not have great talent or earth-shattering feats, but he single-handedly held up half of the sky in the political arena of the Ming Dynasty. Perhaps Zhao Hui's success lies in the fact that there is no eternal power, only the wisdom of improvisation.