History of Wanli (1) Zhu Yijun (1563-1620), Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, was the third son of Zhu Zai, Emperor Mu Zong of the Ming Dynasty. In the second year of Longqing, he was established as the crown prince. In the sixth year of Longqing, Mu Zong died, and 10-year-old Zhu Yijun came to the throne. The following year, he was changed to Wanli. In the early days of his accession to the throne, facing internal and external troubles, Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the cabinet, presided over the new policy of the Wanli Dynasty. During his pro-government period, he was diligent in government affairs for a period of time. After that, he launched the "Three Major Wanli Expeditions" militarily, put down the Kuai Bai Rebellion and the Yang Yinglong Rebellion, and helped North Korea to repel the Japanese pirates. In the later period, he ignored the government affairs and often dismissed the government. The Jurchens rose rapidly in the Northeast and defeated the Ming army in the Battle of Sarhu. After that, the Ming Dynasty declined. Reigning for 48 years, he was the longest reigning emperor in the Ming Dynasty. The temple name is Shenzong, the posthumous name is Fan Tianhe, Daozhe, Sudun, Jianguang Wenwen, Wu Anren, Zhixiaoxian Emperor, and he is buried in Dingling of the Thirteen Tombs. Ming Shenzong's life can be divided into four stages. Before the age of 10, it was the period of Prince Yu and the Crown Prince of the Longqing Dynasty; from the age of 10 to 20, the period of the little emperor, he was just a symbolic authority, and everything was governed by the great scholar Zhang Juzheng. After the age of 20, during the period when he was in charge, he was diligent in government affairs for a period of time; in the later period, although he did not go to court, it did not mean that he did not care about things. He personally presided over the three major campaigns of Wanli, which is evidence of this. 1. The Prince Period On August 17, the 41st year of Jiajing (1562), Zhu Yijun was born in Prince Yu¡¯s Mansion and was Zhu Zai¡¯s third son. The birth of Zhu Yijun brought joy to Prince Yu's palace. The palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and there was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate him. It was very lively. However, this festive atmosphere soon disappeared, and was replaced by a terrifying phenomenon in which everyone was in danger. It turned out that Zhu Yijun's grandfather, Emperor Jiajing, was not happy about the birth of his grandson, but felt resentful. Therefore, no one dared to report Zhu Yijun's birth to the emperor, let alone give him a name. It wasn't until he was 5 years old that the imperial grandson got the name Zhu Yijun. Emperor Jiajing became even more paranoid in his later years. He was afraid that King Yu Zhu Zaihe would threaten his throne. King Yu was not allowed to see him even during the New Year and holidays, let alone to greet him in ordinary times. This abnormal father-son relationship brought a mental toll on King Yu. He was very uneasy, but Zhu Zaihe knew that the traditional Chinese law of succession after death of father and son could not be changed. It was this that supported him, gave him hope and comfort, and allowed him to wait quietly for the opportunity, because Emperor Jiajing At this time, he was the only heir. As he wished, Emperor Jiajing died of illness in 1566, and his first last words were to let Prince Yu Zhu Zaihe succeed him. In the same year, Zhu Zaihe ascended the throne as Emperor Muzong. Zhu Yijun endeared himself to his father. In the second year of Longqing (1568), Zhu Yijun was established as the prince. He was just 6 years old at that time. One day, his father was galloping in the palace and ran very fast. Zhu Yijun said to his father: "Your Majesty is the lord of the world. Be careful not to fall." After hearing this, Emperor Mu Zong jumped off the horse happily and hugged him in his arms. arms and give rewards. Empress Chen was ill and moved to another palace. Zhu Yijun went to visit her every day with her mother, Concubine Li. Empress Chen liked him very much when she heard his footsteps, and she always reluctantly got up and went out to greet him. The queen brought scriptures to question him, and Zhu Yijun always answered fluently, which made Li very happy. Because of his relationship, the two palaces get along very harmoniously and harmoniously. Zhu Yijun¡¯s education was very strict, which was why he was able to work diligently when he took the throne. After Zhu Yijun was established as the prince, Emperor Mu Zong appointed Zhang Juzheng as the prince's tutor. Whenever the prince studies, the cabinet ministers and the prince's masters will give their best guidance. Zhu Yijun's mother, Mrs. Li, was a typical good wife and mother in Chinese feudal society. She has very strict requirements on her son's study and life. If he doesn't study well, he will be punished by kneeling for a long time. Even after Zhu Yijun became emperor, she did not relax. It was precisely because of the dedicated guidance of the prince, grand master and other ministers, Li's strict discipline, and his own efforts that Zhu Yijun made rapid academic progress and learned many skills in governing the country and the people. However, while Zhu Yijun was concentrating on studying, his father, Emperor Mu Zong, began to abandon his plans and pursue a hedonistic life due to changes in status and environment. He pushed all national affairs to Zhang Juzheng, but he indulged in wine and sex. He lived in the harem all day long, indulged in lust and had fun. Due to excessive indulgence, his health became worse and worse. Even when his condition was at its most serious, he still indulged in lust and did not listen to the advice of his ministers. 2. Ascension to the throne as emperor In the sixth year of Longqing, Emperor Longqing passed away with his distinguished guests. The 9-year-old crown prince received his ministers in mourning clothes. According to the traditional "persuasion" procedure, all officials used the most sincere words to request that the crown prince become emperor. The first two requests were rejected by the crown prince because his father had just passed away and he could not control his grief. How could he be in the mood to think about personal fame? It was not until the third time that he reluctantly complied with the request on the grounds that the ministers said that the country should be given priority. This process of rejection and acceptance was as orderly as a rehearsal. Since he has ascended the throne of the emperor, he must follow all kinds of etiquette. In the same solemn ceremony, Emperor Wanli conferred the title of "king" on some of his brothers, uncles and nephews, named their wives "princesses", and approved the marriages of their children. And the most solemn ceremony,Instead, he gave the title of "Empress Dowager Rensheng" to his aunt, Queen Chen of Longqing, and the title of "Empress Dowager Cisheng" to his biological mother, the imperial concubine Li of Longqing. The Cisheng Empress Dowager Li had a great influence on Emperor Wanli, because except for her, no other person could give him true natural love. However, after Wanli ascended to the throne, according to royal customs, an invisible distance existed between the Queen Mother and the Emperor, making the natural communication between mother and son extremely inconvenient. For example, not long ago Wanli ordered the emperor to fill the palace where Cisheng lived. After the completion, she did not express her gratitude in a friendly tone. Instead, she asked a bachelor to write an article praising the emperor's pure filial piety. Recite verse by verse while kneeling. This article became an important document of this dynasty because it could set an example and inspire the people across the country. Sometimes, Wanli used puppet shows in the palace to please the Queen Mother. Before she got off the sedan chair, he had to kneel in front of the court to wait for her to come. But maternal love is the most profound feeling after all. Many years later, even though Emperor Wanli's chances of coming to court became increasingly rare, he still came to the Huangji Gate in person to accept the congratulations of hundreds of officials whenever Cisheng's birthday was celebrated in November. ¡°Not long before this, Wanli canonized his beloved concubine Zheng as the imperial concubine, and announced the etiquette in advance so that the relevant yamen could make necessary preparations. When the news came, one person raised objections to Shangshu in the matter. The reason was: according to ethics and customs, this kind of honor should first be given to the emperor's eldest son's mother, Concubine Gong. Mother, coming from behind, is really putting the cart before the horse. Although this objection caused Wanli's temporary displeasure, the canonization ceremony was still carried out as planned. But no one thought that this small episode would actually be an opportunity for a far-reaching political struggle, which would lead to the confrontation between the emperor and his officials for decades to come, and would involve the entire empire.