After Zhu Qizhen was captured and released, why didn’t Zhu Qiyu execute him? Below, the History Encyclopedia editor will bring you a detailed article introduction.
After becoming emperor, Emperor Zhu Qiyu of the Ming Dynasty carried out bold reforms and portrayed himself as the leader of the revival movement. Just as the Ming Dynasty was turning the tide, Zhu Qizhen, the elder brother of the former emperor who was captured by tile thorns, was released. There were no two tigers on the same mountain, and there was no second ruler in the country. Zhu Qiyu did not return the throne to Zhu Qizhen. When the country was in crisis, I suffered. Now that the country is peaceful, it is too cheap for you to become emperor? Zhu Qiyu definitely won’t do it. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t do it. Everyone thinks that Zhu Qiyu has made contributions and Zhu Qizhen has made mistakes.
The incompetent Zhu Qizhen, the helpless Zhu Qiyu
Since Zhu Qiyu intends to continue as emperor and does not intend to return the throne to Zhu Qizhen, why doesn’t Zhu Qizhen eradicate the root of the problem and permanently eliminate future troubles. But instead, Zhu Qizhen was imprisoned, which planted the seeds of trouble for Zhu Qizhen’s future plans.
This matter still needs to be discussed from the personal expedition of Emperor Yingzong of Ming Dynasty and the decisive battle in the Wala region. The young and energetic Zhu Qizhen always wanted to make some special achievements to consolidate his imperial power, so he easily believed the wrong suggestion of eunuch Wang Zhen and personally led the imperial expedition to suppress the Wala. But as a result, tens of thousands of elite soldiers were killed in Tumu Fort, and Zhu Qizhen was also captured by Waci and taken hostage.
When the news reached the capital, the court and the people shook. Empress Dowager Sun and Empress Qian quickly paid a bail deposit to Wala, only worried that Zhu Qizhen might make some mistakes. But a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a family cannot be without a master for a day. At that time, the Crown Prince of Zhu Qizhen was only 2 years old and could not manage the court affairs at all. In order to prevent chaos in the palace, Zhu Qizhen’s younger brother Zhu Qiyu could only be invited to ascend the throne and become the regent of the country. Zhu Qiyu was later known as the Ming Dynasty Emperor.
But Zhu Qiyu is also in an awkward situation. The old emperor is still there, and he actually made me the new emperor. Isn’t this intentionally creating hatred between our brothers? The situation at that time was very complex, just like the capture of Emperor Qin and Emperor Hui at the end of the Song Dynasty. It was possible that the Ming Dynasty would once again remake the history of the Song Dynasty.
But in the end, Zhu Qiyu took great risks to ascend to the throne and proclaim himself emperor for the Ming Dynasty. After proclaiming himself emperor, Zhu Qiyu, together with his important ministers, defeated the invasion of the Wala people. Then he worked hard and valued Yu Qian, revitalizing the declining Ming Dynasty and making the entire country full of vitality.
Zhu Qizhen was captured and returned to the court. Why didn’t Zhu Qiyu execute him to permanently eliminate future troubles
Zhu Qiyu ruled for seven years, but was eventually stripped of the throne by his brother Zhu Qizhen. He died mysteriously a month later at the age of only 30. So if Zhu Qiyu really wanted to become emperor, why didn’t he withdraw money to get rid of Zhu Qizhen?
Firstly, Zhu Qizhen may have truly wanted to return the throne to him. When Zhu Qiyu first declared himself emperor, he was deeply troubled by internal and external troubles, and did not feel the superiority that the throne brought to him. Instead, he felt that the throne was a burden and may have thought that one day he would return the throne to Zhu Qizhen. This statement is not speculative, but has factual basis.
In the early morning of the 17th day of the first lunar month in the eighth year of the Jingtai reign, Xu Youzhen came out and loudly announced, “The Emperor has been reinstated!” Upon learning this, Zhu Qiyu said, “It’s good that my brother has become the emperor
Secondly, Zhu Qiyu is too conservative. As an emperor, Zhu Qiyu did not want to bear the charge of killing his brother. If Zhu Qizhen died inexplicably, Zhu Qiyu would be suspected of killing his brother. If he could emulate Li Shimin and possess the courage and spirit of Li Shimin, then he is likely to be an eternal emperor. It is truly lamentable to be calculated by Zhu Qizhen just because one is too conservative and worried about being evaluated by history books.
Thirdly, under pressure from public opinion. What would the officials and the masses think if he immediately killed Zhuqi Town when he returned to court? An emperor who does not receive the support of officials and the people will eventually be usurped. Besides, the throne was originally held by Zhu Qizhen, and Zhu Qiyu can only be said to be an agent. But if Zhu Qizhen is detained, it will be different. Continue to worship Zhu Qizhen and make him feel at ease as his supreme emperor, just like how Li Shimin treated Li Yuan. But he was wrong. Li Shimin and Li Yuan have a father son relationship, while he and Zhu Qizhen have a brother relationship. The throne is originally passed down from father to son, and parallel inheritance between brothers will inevitably lead to chaos.
Fourthly, under the pressure of Empress Dowager Sun. As the biological son of Empress Dowager Sun, there is no doubt that Empress Dowager Sun will lean towards Zhu Qizhen. But Zhu Qiyu’s mother was a virtuous consort from the Wu family, so even if Zhu Qiyu becomes emperor now, the influence of Empress Dowager Sun in the court cannot be ignored. Looking at Empress Dowager Sun’s edict to abolish Zhu Qiyu, it can be seen how much she hated him.
Empress Dowager Sun’s edict deposing Zhu Qiyu said, “Corrupt the norms and disrupt the old system. Indulge in debauchery, alcoholism, and trust in treacherous people. Destroy the side halls of the Fengxian Palace (Royal Family Temple) and build palaces for demon prostitutes to live in. defile the Jixi Palace as a place of ordination to pay respects to lamas. Overimpose rewards, squander money, and collect endless taxes. The national treasury is empty, and the sea is impoverished. Filial piety, lack of brotherhood, lack of benevolence, and injustice are notorious, and both gods and humans are angry. Heaven is furious, and signs have been repeatedly sent down. Zhu Qiyu does not reflect, refuses to give advice, and disguises his wrongdoing. His wrongdoing is becoming more and more severe
In the edict of Empress Dowager Sun to depose Zhu Qiyu, it can be seen that Zhu Qiyu was an unforgivable villain in Empress Dowager Sun’s eyes. Empress Dowager Sun’s malicious intentions were obvious, and a generation of wise rulers was an unforgivable criminal in Empress Dowager Sun’s eyes. No wonder Zhu Qiyu died inexplicably in the end. The reason for this is self-evident, and the biggest reason why Zhu Qiyu dared not execute Zhu Qizhen should be fear of Empress Dowager Sun.
Zhu Qizhen was restored and declared emperor, but Zhu Qiyu died mysteriously
When Zhu Qiyu first became emperor, his attitude towards imperial power may have been vague, but in the middle and later stages of his seven-year reign, he undoubtedly wanted to be a good emperor. Otherwise, he would not have tried his best to turn his child into a crown prince and thus depose the crown prince of Zhu Qizhen. But in the end, the bamboo basket was empty handed. Zhu Qiyu’s child had just been crowned Crown Prince and passed away the following year. Subsequently, his wife passed away and he mysteriously died, and the throne was regained by Zhu Qizhen.
Compared to Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Qiyu is stronger in governing the country. But Zhu Qiyu ultimately failed to handle the matter of Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen returning to court properly, planting the seeds of his own downfall.
After Zhu Qizhen proclaimed himself emperor again, he also removed the temple name of Zhu Qiyu. After Zhu Qiyu’s death, the imperial tomb was destroyed, and he was not buried in the Thirteen Tombs according to imperial standards, but in the suburbs outside the city according to the etiquette of a prince. Compared with Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Qiyu is too kind to women.
If Zhu Qiyu had been more heartless and imitated Emperor Taizong of Tang, using the capture of Emperor Yingzong as an excuse to demote Zhu Qizhen to a fiefdom or execute him, then the subsequent coup of seizing the gate would not have occurred. Zhu Qiyu still couldn’t see through the cruelty of the palace struggle. From the savior of the times to a prisoner, although Zhu Qiyu reigned for only 8 years, he helped the Ming Dynasty eliminate external threats and turned the Ming Dynasty from danger to safety, earning the respect of future generations.
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