Ming Dynasty: A mere unruly commoner is rebelling against the heaven?

Chapter 215: Past grudges, at that time and at that moment, are just like this moment!

At this moment, the capital city and the imperial palace were all under Yu Shen's control.

Zhou no longer had the power to say no to Yu Shen's order.

Moreover, when Zhou heard the news that Zhu Youtang was captured by the Oirat people.

It was as if all the energy and spirit had been sucked out of him, and there was no light in his eyes at all.

After Zhou learned the news, his first reaction was that those border generals had succeeded.

As a party involved in the Tumu Incident, Zhou knew all too well the methods used by these officials.

At this point, the situation is over!

"Okay, I will issue the decree of accession to the throne right now, right now."

"Go to the Imperial Household Department... and get the imperial seal..."

Zhou had no choice but to formally issue the edict of accession to the throne under the pressure of Yu Shen.

Zhu Youlang was enthroned as the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Youtang was remotely respected as the emperor emeritus.

But there was a small episode in the middle. When Zhu Youtang led the army in person, he took away the orthodox national seal of the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, the seal on Zhu Youlang's accession edict was actually a new radish seal urgently carved by the Imperial Household Department.

When Yu Shen seized Zhou's wife, Zhu Youlang watched the whole process but was unable to intervene at all.

His ability to become emperor had nothing to do with him.

It was entirely the result of mutual bargaining and compromise among the three forces of southern officials, Zhou and Yu Shen.

After Yu Shen received the edict of accession to the throne from the Imperial Household Department, he brought Zhu Youlang to the Fengtian Gate Square to accept the worship of civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty.

At this time, Zhu Youlang had already changed into a dragon robe.

He was pushed to the throne by Yu Shen without knowing it, and sat on the dragon throne that belonged to Zhu Youtang.

Yu Shen led all the officials in the capital to pay homage to Zhu Youlang.

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

As the Minister of War, Yu Shen stood at the first position on Zhu Youju's left hand, holding the highest position among the ministers.

In the past, this position was where the chief minister of the cabinet stood.

But Yu Shen was the controller of the entire capital city at this time. No one dared to oppose him standing in this position.

Although Yu Shen did not join the cabinet, he could give orders to the cabinet.

After Zhu Youlang ascended the throne, no one in the capital could oppose Yu Shen.

Even the current cabinet chief, Xie Qian, still has many dissatisfactions with Shen in his heart, but he no longer openly opposes Shen.

"My dear ministers, please excuse me..."

Zhu Youlang looked at the civil and military officials in front of him and spoke stutteringly.

After ascending the throne, Zhu Youlang was actually more afraid than excited.

Because Zhu Youqiu had no power at all.

Power does not mean that once you become an emperor, you will have power, people will listen to what you say, and you can rule the country with your mouth.

Power only exists under the army and only in the hands of those who hold military power.

The title of emperor is not valuable.

What is valuable is the power to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops.

When Zhu Youtang first ascended the throne, he had no power and was a puppet emperor for several months.

It was only later, when Zhu Youtang received systematic help and gained control of 130,000 assassins, that he began to gain power.

As long as Yu Shen, a minister who clings to military power, is still in power, Zhu Youlang will never have power.

How could an emperor without power not be afraid?

Prince Chong Zhu Jianze knew this, which was why he would never go to Beijing to serve as regent. He was afraid of becoming a puppet emperor.

Zhu Youlang accepted the ministers' kneeling worship outside the Fengtian Gate.

He also named his reign title Jingyuan, which would be officially implemented from the next year.

Of course, the reign title Jingyuan was also chosen for him by Yu Shen.

After adjourning the court, Yu Shen immediately took Zhu Youlang back to the Qianqing Palace and locked him up.

At the same time, earth-shaking changes took place in the harem.

Zhu Youlu's biological mother, Concubine Chen Shao, finally returned to the palace she had longed for.

She entered Ciqing Palace as the Empress Dowager.

Zhu Youtang's five concubines, including their maids-in-waiting, were moved to Chongzhi Hall in Hongqing Palace by Yu Shen's order.

Hongqing Palace is the Nan Palace.

It was built by Zhu Di for Zhu Zhanji during the Yongnian period.

Zhu Zhanji lived here before he ascended the throne.

Later, in the first year of Jingtai, one year after the Tumu Incident.

Several cabinet elders who had originally worked together with Yu Qian to support Zhu Qiyu's ascension to the throne found that things were becoming increasingly wrong.

Originally, after the Battle of Tumu, they got along very well with Yu Qian. Each of them benefited from it and were quite satisfied.

But the problem is that after the Battle of the Capital, Yu Qian's personal reputation has reached an unprecedented level.

At that time, everyone in the capital only knew about Yu Shaobao, but they didn't know that there was also an emperor and a group of cabinet officials.

Yu Qian's power expanded to the extreme, and then he made a low-level mistake.

Yu Qian began to monopolize power!

Yu Qian did not regard the officials of the six ministries as human beings at all, and he didn't even care about the elders in the cabinet.

Yu Qian used Zhu Qiyu to exercise dictatorial rule. Yu Qian did not discuss any court affairs with the six ministries, but directly sent them to the Silijian.

The eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department at that time was someone Zhu Qiyu brought from the Prince of Qin's Palace.

The Imperial Household Department took Yu Qian's order to ask Zhu Qiyu, and Zhu Qiyu always had two reactions: "Agree with the superior" and "Follow the superior's order"...

What Yu Qian said is right, so just do as he said.

As a result, the status of the cabinet and the six ministries became very awkward.

No matter what the matter is, you, Yu Qian, can get things done by yourself. Then what are we old guys in the cabinet for?
At that time, Yu Qian was only 51 years old, while the cabinet's Minister of Personnel Wang Zhi and Minister of Rites Hu Yi were both in their 70s.

Moreover, Yu Qian had been exiled for nineteen years and had only been an official in the capital for more than a year. His colleagues in the capital were not even familiar with him.

By doing this, aren't you being too disrespectful to us seniors?
At this time, Emperor Yingzong's cabinet began to remember the good things about Emperor Yingzong.

Although they and Yingzong continued to fight during the Zhengtong period, it was at least better than standing aside like they are now.

Therefore, Wang Zhi and Hu Yi of the cabinet began to plan to bring back Emperor Yingzong.

In addition, starting from the spring of the first year of Jingtai, the Oirat Mongols began to invade the border on a large scale.

The Oirat attacked fourteen towns on the Ming Dynasty border in succession, bringing tremendous military pressure to Yu Qian and Yang Hong.

While fighting, Yesen also sent envoys to threaten Zhu Qiyu.

As long as the Ming court does not bring Emperor Yingzong back, the Oirat will not withdraw its troops.

We must fight until the Ming court brings Emperor Yingzong back.

However, Zhu Qiyu and Yu Qian would never allow Emperor Yingzong to return to Beijing.

Wang Zhi and Hu Yi, together with officials from the six ministries of the cabinet, wrote several letters in succession, requesting Zhu Qiyu to bring back Emperor Yingzong.

But the first person to stand up and oppose Emperor Yingzong's return to Beijing was Yu Qian!

Moreover, Zhu Qiyu's attitude was always to discuss it later.

They kept dragging it on and on, and no order was given to bring back Emperor Yingzong.

Zhu Qiyu and Yu Qian wished that Zhu Qizhen would die outside, so how could they let Zhu Qizhen return to the capital?
But the cabinet also had a solution. The Right Censor-in-Chief Yang Shan at the time was sent as an envoy to Wala.

At that time, Zhu Qiyu just asked Yang Shan to go over there for formality and did not let Yang Shan go to pick up Emperor Yingzong at all.

But Yang Shan had already discussed with the cabinet and secretly brought Emperor Yingzong back to the capital.

Wang Zhi, Hu Yi and others were discussing what kind of ceremony to use to bring back Emperor Yingzong. Yu Qian and Zhu Qiyu were still opposing Emperor Yingzong's return to Beijing.

When bringing Emperor Yingzong back, the Ming court did not send a single soldier. Only Yesen sent 500 cavalrymen to escort Emperor Yingzong back to Beijing.

After arriving in the capital, the guards around Emperor Yingzong were the twenty Oirat warriors given to him by Oirat Yesen.

After Emperor Yingzong returned to Beijing, Zhu Qiyu saw that everyone had been brought back, and he had no choice but to urgently have Emperor Yingzong imprisoned directly in the Nan Palace.

The Jinyiwei placed Emperor Yingzong under house arrest and strict control. The palace gates were not only locked but also filled with lead, and food could only be passed in through a small hole.

All the large trees that grew beyond the palace walls were cut down, for fear that Emperor Yingzong would escape.

Emperor Yingzong lived in the Nan Palace for eight years.

During this period, Zhu Qiyu and Yu Qian tried every means to get rid of Emperor Yingzong, but both failed.

It is rumored that Zhu Qiyu was kind and could not bear to kill his brother.

Does that mean he doesn't want to kill?
He can't kill it!
Zhu Qiyu dreamed of killing Zhu Qizhen, but as a puppet emperor, how could he have the ability to kill a retired emperor who was under strict protection?

First of all, there were twenty Wala warriors given to Zhu Qizhen by Yesen, who followed Zhu Qizhen day and night.

Even when Zhu Qizhen was sleeping, they had to surround him.

Zhu Qizhen didn't dare let those people from the Ming Dynasty get close to him, for fear of being assassinated by Zhu Qiuyu and Yu Qian.

Secondly, the old ministers of the former Zhengtong Dynasty were all protecting Zhu Qizhen.

After all, quarreling with Zhu Qizhen is better than being a maid for Yu Qian, right?

Finally, it was because Zhu Qizhen’s biological mother, Empress Dowager Sun, still controlled the harem.

Don’t even think about the eight years Zhu Qizhen was imprisoned in Nangong.

A total of nine children were born, four of whom were princes.

Zhu Qiyu stayed in the palace for eight years and didn't even lay an egg.

Zhu Qiyu's son and daughter were all born during the Zhengtong period.

Do you really think Zhu Qiyu is infertile?

Do you really think Zhu Qiyu doesn't want a child?

It’s just that some people don’t want the imperial lineage to fall into the hands of Zhu Qiyu’s lineage.

Not only was Zhu Qiyu unable to have children, he couldn't even protect his already born children.

If Zhu Qiyu had been obedient and not thought about passing the throne to his son, his son Zhu Jianji would have been able to live to adulthood.

As a result, Zhu Qiyu insisted on deposing Zhu Jianshen from the position of crown prince and making Zhu Jianji the crown prince.

Now that's good. The prince was appointed in the third year of Jingtai, but he died in the fourth year of Jingtai.

For the next four years, Zhu Qiyu was unable to give birth to a son, and eventually his family line ended.

Zhu Qiyu not only failed to protect his son, he couldn't even protect his queen.

Zhu Jianji's biological mother, Zhu Qiyu's second empress, Hang, suddenly died in the seventh year of Jingtai.

In the end, Zhu Qiyu could not even save himself.

In the eighth year of Jingtai, Zhu Qiyu suddenly fell seriously ill and died soon after!
It is worth mentioning that Zhu Qiyu's empress, Wang, was deposed and demoted to the position of deposed empress by Zhu Qiyu because she opposed making Zhu Jianji the crown prince.

But Wang lived until the first year of Zhengde, when she died of old age.

He was seventy-nine years old at the time.

(End of this chapter)