The carpenter emperor Zhu Youxiao was actually an iron-fisted monarch who tried to govern the country?

After the death of Emperor Wanli, Prince Zhu Changluo, a key figure in the case of "fighting for the capital", finally succeeded to the throne. He is the Ming Guangzong who has only been in power for a month. However, even in this short ruling career, the short-lived Ming Guangzong still got a high evaluation: there are saints in ten thousand years.

Since he became king, he has first filled vacancies in various places and appointed a group of competent officials. At the same time, he effectively solved the problem of wage arrears in noisy border towns for many years. In particular, he gave subsidies to soldiers who escorted the pay to prevent these guys from stealing and coveting the pay.

During the Wanli period, he stopped the issue of "mining tax" and aroused the anger of officials and people. In just one month, the 38-year-old emperor let his ministers and workers really appreciate his diligence and skills. Of course, what everyone knows best is his "private life" ability: one night, he doted on several beautiful women one after another, so that he fell ill because of overexertion, and then took the "red pill" medicine by mistake, resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. Finally, he died young in Taicang on September 26th.

The diligent and studious apocalypse emperor

Zhu Youxiao, the Emperor of the Apocalypse, was most laughed at by later generations. First of all, he has no education and knows nothing but carpentry. Even unofficial history said that he was almost illiterate and could not read all the words. He didn't understand the minister's memorial, so he had to ask the eunuch to read it to him.

Second, if the work is not good, give up all government affairs, learn carpentry in the palace all day, and pretend to be fine when it is hot outside. However, even the official version of Ming history, which has stepped on the apocalypse the most, is always a "punch card" ridicule.

It is recorded in the Ming Dynasty that when Emperor Apocalypse was a prince, he not only listened carefully to classes, but also took notes carefully in each class. Later, he became the king of the world, but he did not dare to relax his attention to state affairs, especially in the war-torn Liaodong. Emperor Apocalypse attached great importance to it. He not only always asked courtiers to report, but also often sent his confidants to the front to investigate the situation.

Ye, the first person in the Ming Dynasty, gave a clear answer to the ability and working attitude of the apocalypse: Ye once gave lectures to the apocalypse and praised the diligence and hard work of the apocalypse emperor. Every time the courtiers give lectures, they come out in person, which makes the revision of the memorial more accurate and precise. How to answer trivial things one by one? But I hope that Emperor Apocalypse can read more classics and history in his spare time, which is good for governing the country. The apocalypse emperor replied: "I have to deal with state affairs every day, and time is very tight." I really don't have much free time. "But since you say so, I will try.

Master Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao, the Apocalypse Emperor, was called "the carpenter emperor". According to the popular saying of later generations, the emperor likes carpentry, regardless of state affairs.

"Ignoring state affairs" is debatable, but it is an indisputable fact that the technical level of the Emperor Apocalypse in carpentry is unparalleled: according to Liu Ruoyu, a eunuch at the same time, from 0755 to 79000, he transformed a large wooden barrel into an artificial fountain with his brain, and the scene was gorgeous.

I also personally designed a fully automatic folding bed, which is not only extremely light in weight, but also can be lifted lightly and can be folded at will through the operating mechanism. It was called Transformers in the17th century. In addition, in the court, such as painting, more kinds of works were created, and the apocalypse emperor himself went into battle and set up the whole process.

Because of his craftsmanship, people bought it specially: he ordered eunuch Xu to take his woodworking products to the Beijing handicraft market for anonymous sale, which caused a sensation at once, and each product actually sold for 32 thousand silver.

Eye-catching batch name

The most common trick of the Ming dynasty border guards was to exaggerate the wind, which was either political achievements or a bright future.

However, in front of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, this set is often missed: in November of the sixth year of the Apocalypse, Yuan Chonghuan, a famous Liaodong star, performed a play, saying that he had made remarkable achievements in building a city outside the customs. Besides, if this continues, I will

With such an impassioned confession, Lun Zhi's answer is very calm: since he is farming outside the customs, he will become a soldier. Since everyone goes to the farm, can the training be guaranteed? What will happen if corruption occurs when so much land is developed at once? The land was recovered under the eyes of the enemy. What would you do if someone came to rob food? You said that if the enemy didn't surrender, you would take them alive. Ministers are very happy to see this, but in my opinion, how can it be so easy to fight? When you are fighting, you can't say you won. You'd better keep your feet on the ground

In Liaodong under the rule of Yuan Chonghuan, everyone is a soldier.

You let me down.

In many party member's memories, the first year of the Apocalypse is indeed a day worthy of our deep memory: at that time, Emperor Apocalypse ascended the throne first, and party member, who worked hard after Saddle, was promoted: Ye Shou set a record, served as an official minister, an imperial envoy to Zuo, an imperial envoy to Guang Luqing and an imperial envoy to Zuo. This long list is not only the big brother of Dong Lin's party. From administrative power to personnel power to supervision power, these gentlemen who always flaunt justice have seized it. History books call this period "Gongman Dynasty", which is an aggressive inner and outer hall.

However, not long after the throne sat down, this group of outstanding celebrities began to drive the young apocalypse emperor crazy. This is not because these people like to look for other projects, but because they not only look for other projects, but also do nothing. According to the apocalypse in February of the second year, the apocalypse emperor said: Liaodong has fallen, and national affairs are urgent, but you are still arguing. If this happens in the future, I won't tolerate it.

However, the indignation of the apocalypse seems to have no effect, and this group of people remains the same. So two months later, the apocalypse continued to write a sad letter: I just said that you are not allowed to make rumors, you are not allowed to attack indiscriminately, and you are still making trouble. Since the rise of Nurhachi, the national finance has been tight and the army has suffered heavy casualties. You can't think of any good ideas except quarreling. All the troubles of national affairs are caused by you.

This time, the apocalypse emperor made a cruel attack. In the future, if the minister plays pranks again, it will not be the grief and indignation of sending a letter, but the real salary and punishment. But the minister should argue or argue, and the retreat or retreat. Until the apocalypse four years ago, Lin Dong party member Yang Chai was still scolding Wei Zhongxian. This time, the whole thing was loudly reprimanded, and then the Lin Dong Party Group went out.

Super intelligence work

Emperor Apocalypse cared about the Liaodong war, not verbally, or just listened to the instructions in the report. What surprised courtiers was his powerful intelligence gathering ability: According to the Revelation, Ming Xi Zong Baoxun wrote to the cabinet, informing him that Jin Nurhachi colluded with the traitor Li Maolong, intending to bribe Mongolian tribes in Panjiakou and escape from the Central Plains as Mongolian cavalry. Then the local authorities will order close surveillance, and each side of the road should carefully clean up spies and check the aliens entering and leaving. More importantly, pay the troops in Liaodong, Mao and other places to punish them for being late.

This imperial edict is the acme of intelligence work, which almost stunned the cabinet ministers collectively. Only Sun Chengzong, the teacher of the Apocalypse Emperor, replied weakly: "The latter Jin has always been cunning and should not be reliable. However, after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the information that surfaced proved that the information of the Apocalypse was very reliable.

The more confused, the more worried.

After the fall of Guangning, Emperor Apocalypse was more worried about things around him and did a lot of related work, but what was the effect? According to historical records, the Liaodong policy of the Ming Dynasty led to famine in some places. A barrel of grain can be sold for eight taels of silver, but there is no grain bought with money. Cattle that can kill and eat meat sell 120 silver. Many hungry people became gangs, joined forces to grab cattle and horses, and then killed each other, and chaos continued. The historical materials to record this tragic scene are called Old Archives of Manchu Dynasty, and the place where this tragedy happened is Liaodong under the rule of the late Jin Dynasty.

Prosperous times are enviable.

The seven years of the reign of Emperor Apocalypse were a miserable world in which eunuchs were autocratic, the emperor was fatuous, and the people were miserable. There are many historical records about this "terrible" in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

For example, Chen Shun, a member of Amin Dynasty, recalled in The Apocalypse Year: "During the Apocalypse Year, in my hometown in the south, a barrel of rice and 20 yuan could not be sold. Ten Penang islands only sold two pence, a barrel of salt sold three pence, and a catty of meat sold six or seven pence." Besides, servants pay very low taxes and have meals twice a year. All walks of life are boring and happy.

Thousands of miles away in Chongzhen, Henan people are hungry, which is a different scene during the apocalypse. According to Gone with the Times, local officials at that time were relatively clean and almost never extorted money.

Every village is safe and stable, and there is a bumper harvest all year round. Even the old peasants put on luxurious clothes, rode out, visited relatives and friends, and drank and watched plays. Their spare time life is very rich, and the entertainment circle is particularly developed.

Anyone who is hard-working and plain-living, and goes out in old clothes, will be ridiculed as "dirt". This statement is even more detailed in the missionary Zeng Dezhao's Brief Introduction to the Changes of Henan Province: in a big city like Hangzhou, there are actually more than 300 ships entering and leaving Hong Kong every hour, and there are countless houses in rural areas. The daily traffic in the city is similar to the holidays in big European cities.

Farmers are strong, simple, hardworking and skilled in agricultural production, but at the same time they have dumped several streets in Europe. This wonderful record was also circulated in Europe at that time. For Europeans who can't get there, it may be painful to read about such a prosperous world and compare it with miserable Europe.

The landscape map of South Fan Kuai in Ming Dynasty is equivalent to the history of Greater China. This folk painting delicately reproduces Jinling's prosperous social production, economic life and historical features in the middle of Ming Dynasty.

Make money and stabilize people's hearts.

The recognized problem faced by emperors in the late Ming Dynasty was worrying about money. After the reign of the Apocalypse Emperor, what is even more worrying is that the Liaodong War cost a lot of money, the Shezhi Rebellion in the southwest, the Juye Rebellion in Shandong, and the Dutch fleeing from Penghu in the southeast also spent a lot of money to quell the rebellion and maintain stability. Besides, after seven years in power, there were snowstorms in Yan 'an, locusts in Jinan, windstorms in Suzhou, earthquakes in Lingqiu, earthquakes in Yuncheng, and a big explosion in Wang Gong factory in Beijing, which required a lot of money for relief and appeasement. But where does the money come from? The Forestry Movement Party once suggested adding Liao Xiang so that farmers could pay their bills, but it was rejected by the apocalypse. In addition, they also wrote to poor areas in the north, such as Suining and Zhili, asking for tax relief on money and grain.

But the funds still need to be raised. Apocalypse's solution is to reduce expenses, starting with the imperial clan nobles and limiting the excessive demands of the governors. Then take the action of Guanbai, lay off a large number of employees, and clean up the redundant personnel in Wu Wen. Second, the focus of open source rectification has shifted to industry and commerce, and the main tax collectors are eunuchs. The first is to weave through Jiangnan and collect taxes from southeast industry and commerce. At the same time, rectify the salt policy and levy a salt tax. At the same time, vigorously rectify various industrial and commercial taxes, aiming at these wealthy businessmen and the literati behind them: if the country is in trouble, you rich people should cut meat to serve the country.

The financial effect of the apocalypse is very obvious. The tea tax in Zhejiang alone is 200,000 yuan per year. Several times before Wanli, the tax inspector was painstakingly sent to collect fees, but his annual fee did not exceed 654.38+10,000 yuan. As for the serious consequences, in addition to attracting a lot of criticism, the most direct reference is the price: in the year of the apocalypse, the average price of rice has been stable at around 1, 2.5, 1 stone. Chongzhen for half a year, people's livelihood is stable.

Wei Zhongxian is for the people.

In addition to conventional means, Apocalypse also captures a typical case: the case of Nanjing Mint. During the reign of Emperor Guangzong of Ming Dynasty, Nanjing Mint Bureau mastered the currency issuance of Ming Dynasty and became the reserve army of Dong Lin Party. this

In the second year of the apocalypse, the copper coins issued by the mint dropped to three copper coins and seven lead coins, and the color was not as good as that of folk counterfeit coins. For Lin Dong, the middle advantage is cleanliness and neatness. Besides, these people can not only make money, but also play well. They went to the riverside scene in Tomb-Sweeping Day and boasted that although we have made some benefits, we are all subsidizing the state treasury, and the profit from it is not tens of thousands of dollars.

The consequences of this nonsense are very serious. Not only was the monetary system of the Ming Dynasty corroded, but the common people also rebelled spontaneously. Seeing the rejection of the masses, the Lin Movement Party simply cheated to the end, forcing businessmen to accept the bad money they issued, which led to a large number of businessmen fleeing. The resulting riots lasted for eight months.

At this critical moment, the apocalypse finally made up his mind and sent his own personal commander Wei Zhongxian to maintain stability. Wei Zhongxian, like a wolf out of the cage, firmly grasped the handle of Lin Dang. He not only promptly investigated and dealt with corrupt officials, confiscated their insatiable property and stabilized the mood of the masses, but also decisively decided that silk and cotton merchants in the southeast region could only pay taxes in silver in view of the bad reputation of copper coins.

This economic war is of great significance. As far as Wei Zhongxian is concerned, he took this opportunity to copy Lin Dong's lair, made a fortune with his property, and completely defeated his political opponents. As far as the apocalypse is concerned, what is more important is that the court finally made a fortune.

Eunuchs also have true feelings.

Wei Zhongxian is usually charged with one crime, that is, he is suspected of "rebellion". However, in the seventh year of the apocalypse, the apocalypse emperor Zhu Youxiao finally passed away. According to reports, Wei Zhongxian, who has always been calm, lost his temper on the spot, cried in the palace hall, and finally stopped crying, staring at Zhu Youxiao's coffin. No one can hear anything he says. Evil as he is, he really has feelings for the emperor who has been with him for more than 20 years.

Zhu Youxiao skyline

Actually, I know everything.

During the reign of Zhu Youxiao, the most famous event was the autocratic power of eunuch Wei Zhongxian. When people talk about Wei Zhongxian's evil deeds, they often say that he has "turned over a new leaf". In other words, all the bad things he did were done in the name of the last emperor Zhu Youxiao. However, in the seventh year of the Apocalypse, that is, ten days before Zhu Youxiao's death, Zhu Youxiao insisted on supporting his sick body to inspect the cabinet, and said that everything Wei Zhongxian did made him very happy. From beginning to end, he maintained absolute trust in Wei Zhongxian.

Flattery and support

Zhu Youxiao died at the age of 23 after only seven years in office. As for the cause of his death, Shi believes that the real trigger is a scene. In August of the seventh year of the Apocalypse, I went drinking by boat with eunuch Wang and Wei Zhongxian. Suddenly, a strong wind blew and Zhu Youxiao slipped into the water. Although he was saved, he coughed and bled every night.

According to modern medicine, this disease is called "edema". Later, there was a "panacea" in Ming history, euphemistically called Lingyinlu, which was actually a kind of rice soup. After drinking it, Zhu Youxiao's condition worsened and he became bloated all over.

On August 0, Zhu Youxiao called his brother Zhu Youjian to the palace. Finally, he said, "Brother, you must be a holy king like Yao Shun. Then he died of illness. According to "Shangshu Howard Wei", during his illness, Zhu Youxiao never took too many antidotes except magical drugs. In other words, he postponed his death.

Huo, who provides magic medicine, is a hardcore confidant of the county. He probably didn't expect that his casual flattery ruined their biggest supporter.