My father is Jiajing

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth month of the sixth year of the Longqing reign, the coffin of the late Emperor Jiajing was placed in the Qianqing Palace.

The reason for choosing this place, rather than the Fengxian Hall where the previous emperors' remains were placed, was because Zhu Zaiji felt that he would not live in the Qianqing Palace now, and he did not think that the Qianqing Palace was anything special.

In addition, Zhu Zaiji was genuinely heartbroken and grieving over the passing of the Jiajing Emperor. Therefore, Zhu Zaiji naturally took it upon himself to place the Jiajing Emperor's coffin in the Qianqing Palace.

So that even in the final stage of his life, he could enjoy the utmost imperial honor!

Zhu Zaiji, dressed in plain clothes, knelt before the coffin of the Jiajing Emperor. Meng Chong, who was standing beside him, held the edict on posthumous title drafted by Zhu Zaiji himself.

After Zhu Zaiji kowtowed to the Jiajing Emperor, he stepped back, stood up, and turned to the officials and nobles who were keeping vigil for the Jiajing Emperor inside and outside the hall.

Zhu Zaiji's voice was deep and firm, echoing in the silent mourning hall of the Qianqing Palace.

"I wish to bestow upon the late Emperor the temple name 'Holy Ancestor' to commemorate his merits during his forty-five years on the throne!"

Grand Secretary Gao Gong, Second Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, the six ministers, and a host of nobles all knelt on the ground, and were all taken aback upon hearing this.

Several Grand Councilors, including Li Chunfang, Zhao Zhenji, and Hu Zongxian, also wore expressions of astonishment.

Clearly, none of these people expected that His Majesty the Emperor would bestow such great posthumous honor upon the Retired Emperor!
It should be noted that, according to the traditional etiquette and rules, emperors who succeeded to the throne, such as the Jiajing Emperor, were not qualified to be called ancestors.

Only those emperors who had made pioneering contributions could be honored as "ancestors".

However, Zhu Zaiji is now determined to bestow the title "Holy Ancestor" upon the Jiajing Emperor, and he is announcing it publicly. This shows that the emperor is truly determined to defy public opinion and bestow upon the deceased retired emperor a posthumous title of infinite honor.

Moreover, the title "Holy Ancestor" that Zhu Zaiji wanted to bestow upon the Jiajing Emperor was unprecedented, just like the title "Chengzu" that the Jiajing Emperor bestowed upon the Chengzu Emperor.

To be honest, the officials were really shocked and put in a very passive position by Zhu Zaiji's sudden actions.

It's important to understand that since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, only Emperor Taizu (Zhu Yuanzhang) has been called "Zu" (祖). Although Emperor Chengzu (Zhu Di) had outstanding achievements, he was ultimately called "Chengzu" (成祖) rather than "Shengzu" (圣祖). For Zhu Zaiji to now elevate the Jiajing Emperor to such a high position is truly baffling!
As the Grand Secretary, Gao Gong knew at this moment that he had to stand up and say something.

Otherwise, if this matter causes negative discussion later, it will be seen as a failure on his part as the prime minister.

So at this moment, Gao Gong hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and cautiously spoke: "Your Majesty, I believe that the matter of bestowing the title of Grand Emperor Emeritus upon the late emperor is acceptable..."

"The Grand Secretary need not say more."

Zhu Zaiji raised his hand to interrupt, his gaze calmly sweeping over the officials in the hall.

He then said solemnly, "I know your concerns, but I want you to know even more how outstanding the achievements of the Retired Emperor are!"

After saying this, Zhu Zaiji raised his hand and waved it. Meng Chong understood and immediately stepped forward from the side, unfolding the imperial edict he was holding.

Meng Chong read aloud:

"The Jiajing Emperor succeeded to the throne for over forty-five years. During his reign, his achievements were unparalleled, and his virtue was as bright as the sun and moon, rivaling the ancient sage rulers!"

"Firstly, the emperor established grand rites and rituals, honoring the original source of life, rectifying the foundation of the nation, and consolidating its roots; his merit lies in virtue and filial piety!"

"Secondly, the Emperor initiated the Jiajing New Deal, which included land surveys, reform of the bureaucracy, and revitalization of the court; his achievements benefited the country and its people!"

"Thirdly, the Emperor's strategic planning quelled the Japanese pirate threat, pacified the southeast, reopened the sea ban, revitalized trade, and brought prosperity to the Ming Dynasty; his achievements are both past and present!"

"Fourth, the Emperor was good at recognizing and employing people, repelling Altan Khan, protecting the capital, managing the northern deserts, stabilizing the frontier, and reopening the Western Regions; his achievements were no less than those of the Han and Tang dynasties!"

"Fifth, the Emperor valued culture and moral education, continued the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, and also funded the compilation of the Pharmacopoeia of the Ming Dynasty. His achievements in cultural governance will shine for thousands of years!"

"Sixthly, the Emperor did not cling to power and abdicated in favor of me, laying the foundation for the Longqing era, which has led to the powerful and prosperous Ming Dynasty we see today..."

Meng Chong read aloud every word written in the imperial edict in his hand. After hearing this, none of the officials present could stand up and refute a single point, because what he said was all true.

These are all things that Emperor Jiajing did or that happened during his reign.

Now that His Majesty the Emperor has listed all these merits and attributed them to the late Emperor Emeritus, who would dare to object?

For a moment, all the officials in the mourning hall fell silent!

Finally, Zhang Juzheng was the first to kowtow, bowing to the coffins of Zhu Zaiji and the Jiajing Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty is wise, and the late Emperor Emeritus's achievements truly deserve the title of 'Holy Ancestor'!"

The other officials, upon hearing Zhang Juzheng's voice, still felt somewhat uneasy.

But it seems that at this moment, in this setting, there is truly no reason to refute it.

Therefore, all the officials present, whether they were high-ranking officials in office or nobles and earls with only honorary titles, bowed their heads and prostrated themselves, saying, "We second this proposal. The Emperor's achievements are unparalleled, and he should be honored as the Holy Ancestor, with his name forever preserved!"

Zhu Zaiji nodded slightly as he watched the officials kneeling and submitting, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He knew that no one in the court dared to openly oppose him, but there must be discussions about it in private.

So what? With the current Jiajing Emperor's achievements, he is already worthy of the title "Holy Ancestor"!
Moreover, Zhu Zaiji also needed to elevate the posthumous status of the Jiajing Emperor to further demonstrate the prestige of his own position.

Therefore, no matter what, Zhu Zaiji would defy public opinion and elevate the posthumous honors of the Jiajing Emperor to a new level!
As expected, the imperial decree caused a stir throughout the court and the country.

Inside the Hanlin Academy, several compilers were discussing in hushed tones.

"Holy Ancestor...is this temple name too much?"

An old scholar, a Hanlin scholar, frowned when he heard that the emperor wanted to give the retired emperor the temple name of "Holy Ancestor".

"Yes, although the retired emperor had made outstanding achievements, he was, after all, the successor emperor. How could he be ranked alongside the Taizu and Chengzu emperors?"

One person chimed in, also expressing their own opinion.

"Hush, be careful!"

When a clever young scholar heard this senior daring to comment on the merits and demerits of the retired emperor, he thought he was really taking himself too seriously.

Moreover, every single reason given in the Emperor's edict is irrefutable. For them to still be whining about the retired Emperor being a successor and therefore unable to be called an ancestor is simply a sign of being bookish and foolish.

The young and clever scholar couldn't bear to see his colleagues suffer because of their inappropriate words, so he kindly reminded them: "Seniors, the reasons the Emperor gave are not wrong, and the Emperor's mind is made up. It is not a good thing for us to keep discussing and questioning the Emperor's decree here."

Upon hearing the young scholar's words, the others who wanted to chime in immediately fell silent.

Meanwhile, among the common people, the emperor's decision to bestow the temple name "Holy Ancestor" upon the retired emperor did not elicit such a strong reaction; in fact, many people supported it.

Because in the eyes of many ordinary people, their lives have only started to get better over the past one or two decades.

In the past two decades, apart from the current emperor's six years, the rest of the time was spent by the retired emperor.

Therefore, the public's evaluation of Emperor Jiajing after his death was extremely high.

"When our Emperor Jiajing was in power, the Japanese pirates were defeated and routed. Now, even their homeland has been taken over by our Great Ming Dynasty and renamed Yingzhou Island."

"And those Tartars on the grasslands, ever since they were defeated in the outskirts of Beijing, they've become as docile as lambs and dare not venture south again."

"Isn't it all thanks to our Emperor Jiajing that we ordinary people can live and work in peace now? He's passed away, so why can't he be called the 'Holy Ancestor'?"

In a teahouse in the Beijing Special Zone, an elderly man who had lived through the war felt the good life he had now all the more deeply.

So when he said these words, all the guests in the teahouse nodded in agreement.

Moreover, some people find tears involuntarily streaming down their faces when they think about something emotional.

It is evident that in the past two decades, Emperor Jiajing's reputation has undergone a complete 180-degree turn!

It's important to understand that if history hadn't been altered and everything had unfolded according to the past, the current Jiajing Emperor would not have achieved such a glorious posthumous reputation.

They might even be subjected to all sorts of fabrications, smears, and ridicule.

After all, if you look back at the original history, the Jiajing Emperor in that account was really a scoundrel!
Although in the original history he was still supreme, still extremely intelligent, and still invincible in political maneuvering.

However, in the last twenty years of his rule, he did very few things that were beneficial to the people.

Therefore, the Jiajing Emperor has such a good posthumous reputation and is so fondly remembered by the people.

This shows just how significant the changes have been in the last twenty years!

"Yes, I heard that our Emperor Jiajing even sponsored the compilation of the 'Pharmacopoeia of the Ming Dynasty' by the divine physician Li. Now this pharmacopoeia has truly saved countless lives! It is truly a great achievement that benefits generations to come!"

Another person chimed in with a sigh.

Clearly, the current Jiajing Emperor has truly achieved "winning fame both before and after his death"!
Moreover, what ordinary people care about is always the most practical thing.

They didn't look at any sequel to the Yongle Encyclopedia, nor did they look at anything else. They only talked about the "Pharmacopoeia of the Ming Dynasty," which was of most concern to them. This alone shows that Emperor Jiajing handled this matter very well!

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Zaiji is still observing mourning for the Jiajing Emperor.

As for the discussions in the court, they were ultimately just undercurrents that couldn't be brought to the forefront for Zhu Zaiji at the moment. As long as no one dared to openly oppose them, the matter was a foregone conclusion.

If anyone dares to stand up and oppose, Zhu Zaiji wouldn't mind using the banner of loyalty and filial piety to take the opportunity to clean up those old and small fry he didn't like!
"Father, do you see? Your achievements will be remembered by the world forever."

Zhu Zaiji muttered to himself, a resolute glint in his eyes.

He knew that bestowing the temple name "Holy Ancestor" upon the Jiajing Emperor was not only to honor the Jiajing Emperor's achievements and status, but also to consolidate his own rule.

He was about to face even greater difficulties and dangers.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it shakes the very foundation of the nation!
Therefore, Zhu Zaiji had to expand and elevate the power in his hands to an unlimited extent!

Only in this way can Zhu Zaiji do more and make more changes in the future!

Otherwise, even if he does some things, they will only remain superficial and will not bring about any profound change.

Moreover, although his reputation might be terrible after he did these things, Zhu Zaiji wouldn't care.

Because this was of no importance to Zhu Zaiji.

He felt that he was still the "Zhu Yuan" he once was, and that his current identity as Zhu Zaiji was just a disguise he was using.

Moreover, if this vest can shine and be used to its fullest potential in his hands, then it will be an extremely glorious thing for Zhu Zaiji!

Therefore, Zhu Zaiji was not like ordinary emperors who cared about their posthumous reputation!

All he cared about was the present and the future, as long as he could make the Ming Dynasty stronger and more vibrant in his hands, and bring new hope and direction to the world.

That would be enough for Zhu Zaiji!
Therefore, Zhu Zaiji had to grant Emperor Jiajing the title of "Holy Ancestor," which was both an affirmation of Jiajing and a strengthening of Zhu Zaiji's power during the Longqing reign!

The following day, the cabinet, the Grand Council, and all the ministers in Beijing, including the six ministries, jointly submitted a memorial formally requesting that the Jiajing Emperor be given the temple name "Shengzu" and the posthumous title "Qintian Lüdao Yingyi Shengdi Xuanwen Guangwu Hongren Daxiao Su Emperor"!
Gao Gong and Li Chunfang led the cabinet and the Grand Council members in front, followed by the ministers and officials of the Six Ministries.

They all came to the front of the Qianqing Palace and solemnly knelt before Zhu Zaiji:
"Your humble servants have proposed that the late Emperor Emeritus's achievements befit a thousand autumns and his virtue match that of Heaven and Earth. He should be honored with the title of 'Holy Ancestor' to glorify his holy virtue and set an example for all generations!"

Zhu Zaiji, who was observing mourning for the Jiajing Emperor, stood up, turned his gaze to the civil and military officials before him, and replied in a clear and elegant voice, "Granted."

From then on, the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was given the temple name "Shengzu" and was historically known as the Ming Shengzu!

Years later, when the historians were compiling the "Annals of Emperor Shengzu" in the History of Ming, they began by writing:

"Emperor Jiajing, the Holy Ancestor, inherited the decline of Emperor Wuzong and revitalized the Ming Dynasty. He reformed the government internally and repelled foreign invaders externally. His civil and military achievements are comparable to those of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu..."

In the common people's hearts, he is still used to calling him "Emperor of Longevity". But whenever the words "Holy Ancestor" are mentioned, no one has any intention of making fun of him. Everyone is solemn and respectful, remembering the great monarch who expanded the territory of the Ming Dynasty and carried on the legacy of the past!
It is clear that as long as the achievements are accomplished and the people live well, then even the highest honor is well-deserved for Emperor Jiajing!
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