prosperous age

In the history of the Ming Dynasty, there are two emperors whose women cannot be ignored: Wan Zhen'er and Zheng Mengjing.

In historical records, their names were not recorded, so the same two characters were added after their surnames – “Imperial Consort”.

Wan Zhen'er was from Zhucheng County, Qingzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province. She was a concubine of Emperor Xianzong of Ming, Zhu Jianshen, and was the most honored in the imperial harem.

When Wan Zhen'er was four years old, her father, Wan Gui, was exiled to Bazhou because of his mistake. She was then selected to enter the Ming Dynasty court and initially served as a maid to Empress Xiaogongsun.

After growing up, she was sent by Empress Dowager Sun to the Eastern Palace to serve Zhu Jianshen, who was then the Crown Prince, as a palace maid during Zhu Jianshen's childhood.

Emperor Xianzong ascended the throne at the age of eighteen, and Wan Zhen'er was thirty-five. Whenever Emperor Xianzong visited the inner palace, Wan would accompany him. She was Emperor Xianzong's most beloved wife throughout his life.

In the first month of the second year of the Chenghua reign, she gave birth to the eldest son of Emperor Xianzong of Ming. Emperor Xianzong was overjoyed and specially dispatched an imperial envoy to offer sacrifices to various mountains and rivers. In the third month, he conferred the title of Consort Wan upon her. In the eleventh month of the same year, the eldest son unfortunately died of illness. In the tenth month of the twelfth year of the Chenghua reign, she was further promoted to Imperial Noble Consort.

In the first month of the twenty-third year of the Chenghua reign, Consort Wan died suddenly at the age of fifty-eight. Emperor Xianzong of Ming suspended court for seven days in mourning and posthumously honored her as the Respectful, Solemn, and Glorious Imperial Noble Consort. She was buried in the southwest of Tianshou Mountain.

Wan Zhen'er was the first person in Ming Dynasty history to hold the title of Imperial Noble Consort throughout her life until her death.

In the early years of the Hongzhi reign, Imperial Censor Cao Lin requested that Consort Wan's posthumous title be revoked, while Xu Xu, the Assistant Magistrate of Yutai County, requested the arrest of the physicians who had examined Empress Dowager Ji at the time, as well as the arrest of Consort Wan's family members, in order to investigate the true circumstances of Empress Dowager Ji's death.

However, Emperor Xiaozong said that this went against the wishes of the late emperor and refused them.

Perhaps because her family had fallen on hard times since childhood, young Wan Zhen'er was very sensible and well-behaved, and was deeply loved by Empress Xiaogongsun.

After the Tumu Crisis in the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, Zhu Qizhen was captured by the Oirat Mongols. Since the country could not be without a ruler for a day, Empress Dowager Sun appointed Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, to temporarily assume the throne and established Zhu Jianshen as the crown prince.

It was at this time that Wan Zhen'er was also sent by Empress Dowager Sun to take care of Zhu Jianshen, who was only three years old.

From then on, the young crown prince and Wan Zhen'er were inseparable.

Later, Zhu Qiyu conceived the idea of ​​deposing Zhu Jianshen and making his own son the crown prince, and put it into action, demoting Zhu Jianshen to Prince of Yi and making his own son Zhu Jianji the crown prince.

Throughout the entire process from the establishment of the crown prince to the deposition of the crown prince, only Wan Zhen'er stayed by his side to take care of him, so Zhu Jianshen developed a special feeling for Wan Zhen'er.

After the coup d'état, Zhu Qizhen successfully restored the throne, and Zhu Jianshen was made crown prince again. Until his ascension to the throne, the two were inseparable and deeply in love.

Of course, what many people are more concerned about is that Emperor Xianzong almost died out.

Coincidentally, Consort Zheng during the Wanli reign seemed to be following in the footsteps of Consort Wan, except that she had a son and almost succeeded.

Consort Zheng, whose given name was Mengjing, was selected by eunuchs when they were choosing consorts for Emperor Shenzong in September of the ninth year of the Wanli reign. In March of the tenth year of the Wanli reign, she was conferred the title of Shupin. In July of the eleventh year of the Wanli reign, she was conferred the title of Defei. In July of the twelfth year of the Wanli reign, she was conferred the title of Guifei.

On the fifth day of the first month of the fourteenth year of the Wanli reign, the emperor's third son, Zhu Changxun, was born. In the second month, he was conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort, a position second only to the empress.

In the 48th year of the Wanli reign, Emperor Shenzong Zhu Yijun passed away, leaving a will that Zheng be made empress. Zhu Changluo reluctantly agreed after ascending the throne.

When the imperial decree reached the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry submitted a memorial to dissuade the matter, and the plan to make Zheng empress was abandoned.

On May 25th of the third year of the Chongzhen reign, Consort Zheng passed away at the age of 63. She was posthumously honored as "Gongke Huirong Hejing Imperial Noble Consort" and buried in November at the tomb of Consort Consort of Emperor Shenzong Zhu Yijun on the eastern foot of Yinqian Mountain in the Thirteen Tombs area.

According to the History of Ming, Consorts Wan and Zheng did not have any sinister plots or attempts to interfere in politics or seize the throne. They were merely favored and doted on, which led to slander and defamation.

Therefore, the story circulating in later unofficial histories that Consorts Wan and Zheng secretly harmed pregnant concubines and princes out of fear of losing the throne is highly unlikely to be true.

However, the emperor's words and actions were greatly influenced by his indulgence and the resulting slander. In particular, the succession dispute occurred at the turning point from prosperity to decline during the Wanli reign, which caused the Wanli Emperor to be less concerned about state affairs and also affected his judgment of the political situation.

It was during this period that Nurhaci, after unifying the Jianzhou Jurchens, also annexed the Haixi Jurchens and the Donghai Jurchens, thus unifying the various Jurchen tribes in Northeast China.

More than a decade later, they finally officially adopted the name "Jin" and began their rebellion against the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, history has been altered, resulting in Nurhaci's capture, the Jurchen traitors Atai and Ahai who served under Li Chengliang having long since passed away, and Li Chengliang being transferred to Burma by Wei Guangde to oversee the situation.

Unless Qi Jiguang campaigned against the Jianzhou Jurchens in the eleventh year of the Wanli reign and killed Juechangan and Taksi in the process, Nurhaci might still have had a chance to try and get close to Qi Jiguang.

In the afternoon, Wei Guangde received a note from Zhang Ke in his duty room, saying that there was enough coal in heating rooms throughout the city, and many people had gathered in the rooms to avoid the cold, so the capital should be able to get through the winter safely.

He also said that the military command and the constables of Wanping and Daxing counties had been dispatched a few days ago to search for the widowed and orphaned in the villages and send them to warm rooms in the city to spend the winter. Within a hundred miles of the capital, no one should die from hunger, cold, or cold.

After Wei Guangde read the note, he immediately had Lu Bu deliver it to the Grand Secretary's office so that Zhang Juzheng could also take a look.

He had asked about it again when he was leaving the Grand Secretary's office that morning.

With Zhang Ke's note, he could finally rest assured.

Zhang Ke was reliable and steady in his work, which satisfied Zhang Juzheng.

Of course, this satisfaction refers to the work done, not the person.

If it were a matter of people, Zhang Juzheng would probably be eager to replace the ministers and vice ministers of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works with his own people.

This way, you can do whatever you want with ease and control.

This is why high-ranking officials in the imperial court form factions; without factions, there are no common interests, making it very inconvenient to command.

The cold wind persisted, and amidst the fluttering snowflakes, the Ming Dynasty entered the tenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign.

What was the Wanli era like?
Since Zhang Juzheng took office as prime minister in the early Wanli period, he has been "liquidating" the policies left by his predecessor Gao Gong while also promoting his own reforms. He vigorously promoted the performance evaluation system, reduced redundant staff, improved the efficiency of officials, and strengthened the authority of the cabinet by controlling the Six Ministries.

These measures resulted in a stable political situation and steady economic development in the early years of the Wanli Emperor's reign.

During this period, the opening of the seas was vigorously promoted, and huge amounts of silver were amassed through maritime trade and flowed into the Ming Dynasty.

Just as the influx of silver was about to trigger severe inflation, Wei Guangde intervened in time, using coinage and gold and silver regulation to mitigate the financial risks caused by the large influx of silver.

Although price increases are inevitable, they are still within a controllable range.

It can be said that the early Wanli reign of this era was more successful than the original historical record.

Later, he even formed a navy to suppress the Japanese pirates, gained half of Luzon and recovered Palembang, wiped out the Japanese pirates who had long held sway over Dongfan Island, and pacified Burma, the most powerful anti-Ming force around the Ming Dynasty.

A series of measures not only led to the rapid development of the domestic economy of the Ming Dynasty, but also continuously released a powerful influence to the outside world. The authority of the Ming Dynasty in East Asia and Southeast Asia has risen to an unprecedented level, and no one dares to offend it.

The capital city, the Forbidden City, the Qianqing Palace.

"Zhang Cheng, take a look. What does Master Wei mean by this note?"

Emperor Wanli, Zhu Yijun, held a note handed to him by the Grand Secretariat and asked a question.

"This servant is foolish; he doesn't seem to mean what Grand Secretary Wei intended."

Zhang Cheng replied with trepidation, not daring to look the emperor in the eye.

"Are you genuinely ignorant or just pretending? Are you truly unable to see it, or are you simply afraid to speak up?"

Zhu Yijun stared at Zhang Cheng and asked sternly.

When Zhang Cheng was questioned by the emperor, he immediately knelt down and dared not utter a sound.

"Get out."

Seeing this, Zhu Yijun lost interest and with a wave of his sleeve, chased him out of the imperial study.

Several eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial who had come with him also hurriedly came out with Zhang Cheng, but they dared not go far and waited in the corridor outside the palace.

"I merely bestowed the title of concubine upon someone, yet Master Wei still sends a note in? Humph." The Wanli Emperor in the room stood up and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

He was somewhat dissatisfied with Wei Guangde because he believed that it was the emperor's right to appoint concubines, and how could the cabinet interfere?

Although he knew that Wei Guangde's fate was most likely orchestrated by the two empress dowagers.

If Wei Guangde doesn't submit his memorial, should we have Zhang Juzheng, who is on his sickbed, submit it instead?

Returning to his desk, Emperor Wanli picked up Wei Guangde's note again, staring at the words "eldest son of the emperor" for a long time.

Well, he definitely didn't think much of the palace lady, she was just average-looking, and he didn't know how he had been so infatuated with her at the time.

But the crucial point is that she got pregnant and gave birth to the eldest prince.

Now, the Empress Dowager has repeatedly asked him to grant Wang a title, but he has repeatedly refused. Now, the outer court has also submitted a memorial to the throne.

He understood that if he continued to turn a blind eye this time, the scandal in the palace would no longer be able to be covered up, and Wei Guangde would have no choice but to submit a public memorial to force him to give the palace lady a title.

It's definitely not going to work to talk to Feng Bao; he's someone the Empress Dowager planted by his side.

Looking for Zhang Hong?
But this person seemed to be quite honest and reliable, and did things in a very methodical way, yet he couldn't think of any solutions.

Chen Ju, he's in cahoots with Master Wei.
Suddenly, Emperor Wanli, Zhu Yijun, felt as if he had no one of his own by his side.

He originally thought that Master Wei would help him, but he didn't expect that he still couldn't resist his mother's demands and wrote a letter asking him to grant Wang a title.

If Master Wei is like this, even if Chen Ju were summoned, he would surely advise him to listen to the Empress Dowager and give Wang a proper title.

bother.

The current Wanli Emperor is really annoying. He can't help but think of his grandfather, the Jiajing Emperor. As a child, he was brought from Anlu to the capital. Just because of whether he entered the palace through the Daming Gate or the Donghua Gate, he dared to confront Yang Tinghe, the Grand Secretary at the time.

With the statement, "The imperial edict designates me as the successor to the throne, not as a prince," he resolutely refused to follow the plan devised by the Grand Secretariat and the Ministry of Rites to enter the palace through the Donghua Gate and instead resided in the Wenhua Hall.

He also longed to defy his mother and the cabinet like his grandfather had, but he didn't acknowledge the "eldest son of the emperor" written on the note.

Even though Wei Guangde had been teaching him for the past two months, repeatedly lecturing him on the traditional hierarchy of ruler and subject, father and son, he found it all annoying and naturally didn't take it seriously at all.

The Wanli Emperor was sulking in his study when, outside the Qianqing Palace, a eunuch carrying a wooden tray with a jade cup on it strode toward the gate.

The palace attendants outside the gates dared not stop him and even bowed respectfully upon his arrival.

"Eunuch Zhang, you've arrived. What treasure have you brought for His Majesty?"

"Eunuch Zhang, please."

"Do your jobs well, and you'll get your chance someday."

The eunuch gave instructions to several obsequious eunuchs, then carefully carried the wooden tray into the Qianqing Palace.

Outside the Imperial Study, Zhang Cheng stood with several eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, waiting for any movement inside. Unexpectedly, they saw a eunuch tiptoeing in, carrying something in his hand, which aroused their curiosity.

"Zhang Jing, what are you holding?"

"Eunuch Zhang, the jade goblet that His Majesty commissioned the Silver Workshop to make was completed today, and I'm sending it over now."

What are you doing?

Zhang Jing stood outside the door and answered in a low voice. He then noticed the eunuchs waiting outside the palace gate and felt a sense of unease.

The Emperor is probably in a bad mood. If I go in now, will I be kicked out?

"Who's outside? Get in here."

They spoke softly, but the Wanli Emperor, who was in a fit of anger, still heard them and shouted angrily at the outside.

As luck would have it, the helpless Wanli Emperor was pacing back and forth in his study when he happened to walk near the door and overheard Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jing's conversation.

"It is the servant Zhang Jing (Zhang Cheng)."

Both of them were greatly surprised, but they still answered.

Immediately, Zhang Cheng pushed open the door and led Zhang Jing into the Imperial Study.

"This servant deserves to die for disturbing Your Majesty."

Upon entering, Zhang Cheng immediately knelt down.

Zhang Jing was still holding the tray in his hands, but now he also knelt down shakily.

Emperor Wanli ignored Zhang Cheng and instead looked at the wooden plate in Zhang Jing's hand. A jade cup on the plate caught his eye, and his eyes lit up.

"it is done?"

Emperor Wanli had already walked up to Zhang Jing and reached out to pick up the jade cup on the tray.

"The Silver Workshop has completed the work according to His Majesty's requirements. Please review it, Your Majesty."

Zhang Jing answered hastily.

At this moment, what the Wanli Emperor held in his hands was a gold-plated jade goblet.

The artifact consists of two parts: a gold tray and a jade jue (a type of wine vessel). The gold tray is decorated with dragon patterns, and the base is designed in the shape of a mountain to fix the feet of the jade jue. The body of the jade jue is engraved with two dragons playing with a pearl, ruyi cloud patterns, and the characters "wan" and "shou" (meaning longevity), symbolizing "long life and boundless blessings" and "long life without end".

The gold tray is inlaid with red, green and blue gemstones, using jade carving, gemstone inlay and claw setting techniques. The jade jue is made of Xinjiang Hetian white jade and is shaped like a bronze jue from the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

The carving of the jade jue is stunning. The outer wall of the spout and the tail of the jue is carved with a frontal dragon. Each dragon's front claw holds a character. The spout reads "Wan" and the tail reads "Shou". It is a treasure that ordinary people cannot look up to.

After examining it carefully for a while, Emperor Wanli seemed quite satisfied with the treasure and said, "Not bad, it suits my taste perfectly. Get up."

After Zhang Jing happily stood up, Emperor Wanli glanced at Zhang Cheng, who was still kneeling on the ground, and then said, "That's enough for today. We'll look at those memorials tomorrow."

"According to the order."

Zhang Cheng agreed, then got up and slowly left the room.

After Emperor Wanli returned to his desk with the jade goblet, he played with it for a while before noticing Zhang Jing still standing at the door.

"It seems I forgot to let him go," Emperor Wanli thought to himself.

So he put down the jade cup and asked with a smile, "Your name is Zhang Jing, Zhang Hong's godson?"

The emperor actually knew about the things that happened among the eunuchs.

Emperor Wanli only vaguely remembered seeing this person before; he was following behind Zhang Hong.

Zhang Hong was an honest man, and he wasn't on Feng Bao's side.

Thinking of this, Emperor Wanli suddenly had an idea. It was good that he wasn't one of Feng Bao or Chen Ju's men; he could ask him if he had any solutions. (End of Chapter)