The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 24 Don’t Be a Canary in a Cage
Being an emperor in the Ming Dynasty was actually quite miserable.

No matter what the emperors of the Tang and Song dynasties and the Qing dynasty wanted to do, most of the ministers just advised them, and no one dared to openly obstruct them.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were not like this. Except for Emperor Hongwu and Emperor Yongle, other emperors basically had to listen to the civil servants. If they did not listen, the consequences would be very serious, and the consequences would become more serious as time went by.

During the Zhengde and Jiajing dynasties, the emperor could at least leave the palace or leave the capital. After the Jiajing dynasty, the emperor became a canary in a cage. He was not allowed to go on tours, leave the palace, or even leave the capital.

Longqing, Wanli, Taichang, Tianqi and Chongzhen never left the capital. It was not because they didn't want to, but because the civil officials did not allow them to.

During the Chongzhen reign, the country was on the verge of destruction. Emperor Chongzhen wanted to move the capital to Nanjing. He proposed it three times, but each time he was killed by the civil servants.

Even if you die as the emperor, you are not allowed to leave the palace or the capital!

As a result, Emperor Chongzhen really died in the palace.

The civil officials even euphemistically called it "The emperor guards the national gate, and the king dies for the country."

Chongzhen was not guarding the national border at all. He was imprisoned in the palace by civil officials and could not leave.

In fact, the most fundamental reason why civil officials did not allow the emperor to go on tour was that they did not want the emperor to see how miserable the people were living, and they did not want the emperor to see how well they were living!
If the emperor saw that many of the people had become refugees, looking for grass roots and tree bark to eat everywhere, and that whole mountains of grass roots, tree bark, and even leaves had been eaten up, while the civil servants were living a life of wine and meat, what would he think and what would he do?
They couldn't let the emperor see these things, so there was no way for the emperor to go on tour.

The emperors of the Qing Dynasty at least had a summer resort, so they could leave the capital to escape the heat when the weather was too hot. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty did not have a summer resort. After the Jiajing Dynasty, it was really impossible for the emperor to leave the capital.

The civil officials will definitely block all the doors out of the capital!
The reason why Wanli issued a seemingly absurd imperial edict was actually to find an excuse to leave the capital.

He doesn't want to be a canary in a cage, he wants to fly freely in the sky.

Flying freely in the sky does not mean that he wants to run around and play everywhere.

He wanted to break free from the constraints of civil servants, take back the imperial power, act freely, save the Ming Dynasty from crisis, and lead the Ming Dynasty into a true revival and prosperity.

If you are imprisoned in the palace and cannot go anywhere, that is definitely not an option. How can you build a good car behind closed doors? If the emperor doesn't even know what his world looks like, how can he govern it well?

Many things cannot be seen or done in the palace.

The civil servants wouldn't let him go and see, but he insisted on going out to take a look!

He knew that if he directly said that he wanted to leave the capital, he would definitely be blocked by the civil servants and would not be able to leave the imperial city.

So he ordered the construction of a summer resort.

Zhang Siwei naturally rejected it without even thinking about it.

Then, his rebellious temper came back.

He seems to be ill again.

You don't allow me to build a summer resort, right? I want to build it anyway!

Early in the morning at about 1 a.m., when the sky was just getting light, tens of thousands of imperial guards poured out of Xi'an Gate and lined up directly from Xisi Pailou South Street to Deshengmen in the north of the capital.

Tens of thousands of Jinyiwei who had been prepared near Deshengmen also swarmed out of the city gate and lined up all the way to Anji Bridge on the Wenyu River north of the capital. Qi Jiguang had already been waiting on the other side of the Wenyu River with tens of thousands of elite troops from the Beijing Camp.

Wanli took Queen Wang and her entire family, as well as several dukes and Concubine Zhang Shun, out of the imperial city in several carriages and headed north.

He even ordered the newly built waterwheel to be dismantled and taken away.

Zhang Siwei was stunned when he received the news.

Who could have imagined that Wanli would be so reckless.

This kid actually ran out of the imperial city without saying a word!
Can he get the little emperor to leave the capital?
No!
The question is, does he dare to stop Wanli?

If Wanli did not leave the imperial city, it would be easy to deal with. He could just summon hundreds of officials to kneel outside Xi'an Gate to block the way.

It was difficult to get stuck after Wanli left the imperial city.

At this moment, the line from Xi'an Gate to Desheng Gate is full of imperial guards. Even if he wants the civil officials to block Desheng Gate, they can't get through.

As for him riding a horse himself to chase after them, that was impossible.

Little Wanli was obviously ill.

If this guy goes crazy, he might even order the imperial guards to chop him to pieces.

He never does things by himself, so it's impossible for him to do such a dangerous thing himself.

It’s better to let Empress Dowager Li, this self-righteous and stupid woman, do this kind of thing!
He just thought about it for a moment, then hurried to the Cining Palace to "discuss" with Empress Dowager Li.

Soon, Empress Dowager Li ordered Zhang Jing to lead hundreds of Dongchang soldiers to ride out of the imperial city from Dong'an Gate, and then go out of the city from Anding Gate in the northeast of the capital to block Wanli.

The result was that Zhang Jing was blocked.

Because the official road from Deshengmen to Anji Bridge was full of imperial guards and Jinyiwei. Wanli did it on purpose, they didn't just have tens of thousands of imperial guards and Jinyiwei guarding along the way.

After their convoy passed, the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards would follow in neat rows, completely blocking the official road.

There was no choice but for Zhang Jing to take a detour.

He circled for nearly an hour and caught up with Wanli's convoy when they were almost at the south bank of the Wenyu River.
Shan Sinan saw someone riding a horse around the right side of the official road. He immediately waved his hand and led hundreds of imperial guards on horseback to block the way, shouting, "Stop, what are you doing?"

Seeing this, Zhang Jing could only rein in his horse and bow, saying, "General Shan, I'm here to convey the Empress Dowager's order."

Shan Sinan's face turned stern and he said sternly, "What do you mean by the Empress Dowager's decree? I am following His Majesty's orders to accompany you and protect you. If you dare to take another step forward, don't blame me for being rude."

your mother.

Okay, you have more people, I can’t beat you.

Zhang Jing was helpless and could only scream at the carriage team: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother has ordered that you cannot leave the capital!"

Damn it, this stupid woman is just a tool for others!
The carriage team actually stopped in response.

Wanli stood directly on the high shaft of the first carriage and shouted at Zhang Jing, "What do you mean the Empress Dowager has issued an order? Am I the emperor or is she the emperor?"

What should I say to you?
Zhang Jing could only say politely, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother said that you have to handle state affairs and review memorials, and you cannot leave the capital."

Can you believe this?
Do you have a brain?
Wanli was really angry.

This stupid woman is so easily fooled. It is as easy for Zhang Siwei to fool such a stupid woman as drinking porridge.

Many things in history were done by Zhang Siwei who deceived Empress Dowager Li, but in the end all the blame was put on him.

Do you still want to bring disaster to my kingdom?

Do you still want to lock me up in the palace and play with me like a canary?

He pointed at Zhang Jing's nose and cursed, "You pig-brained people! You believe everything Zhang Siwei says. Just because I'm away from the capital, I can't handle state affairs? Just because I'm away from the capital, I can't review memorials?"

You called the Queen Mother a pig-brained person!
Zhang Jing said helplessly: "Your Majesty, state affairs are more important. The Queen Mother asked you to return quickly."

Wanli ignored him and continued to roar: "I am the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, not a prisoner in a cage. I can go wherever I want, and you have no right to stop me!"

How can this be done?
Zhang Jing could only pretend to be pitiful and said, "Your Majesty, please go back. If you don't go back, I won't be able to report to you."

It's none of my business if you can't get your job done.

Wanli still ignored him and roared: "Who are you reporting to? You don't know who the current emperor is, right? You want to rebel, right?"

That's what I said.

I want to rebel?

Zhang Jing shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, Your Majesty, it was the Queen Mother who asked you to go back."

I just want to tell that woman that I have grown strong enough and Zhang Siwei can no longer use her as a tool to control me.

From then on, the sky was high and the birds could fly freely.

You still want to lock me in a cage? Dream on.

Having said this, I am too lazy to say more.

Wanli pointed directly at Zhang Jing's nose and roared, "Get out! If you don't get out, I'll kill you."

"Long live the Lord."

Before Zhang Jing could say anything, Shan Sinan drew his sword and shouted, "Your Majesty told you to get out, didn't you hear? Are you trying to see if your neck is harder or my sword is harder?"

"Clang, clang, clang." The sound of swords being drawn was heard, and hundreds of imperial guards' light cavalry drew out their shining swords.

Zhang Jing saw this and quickly bowed and said, "I'll take my leave."

After saying this, he turned his horse around and ran away in disgrace with hundreds of Dongchang soldiers.

This is the advantage of controlling force. If you don’t obey, just kill you!

Seeing this, Wanli became even more determined to engage in militarism.

The prosperity of the Ming Dynasty was achieved through fighting, not through compromise.

(End of this chapter)