Huangming

Chapter 45: The Struggle for Power and Influence, the Dispute Over Posthumous Titles and Temples (Please continue reading!)

Half a month has passed since Zhu Changluo's death. During this time, the Donglin Party and Fang Congzhe's Zhejiang Party have been locked in a tug-of-war over how to determine the emperor's posthumous title and temple name.

First, a Donglin Party official submitted a memorial requesting the execution of Fang Congzhe, accusing the Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe of "admitting murder by administering medicine" and demanding severe punishment.

This memorial directly ignited factional strife, and the controversy over the posthumous title escalated into a political purge.

Next, the Ministry of Rites initially proposed the posthumous title "Emperor Zhen," but Fang Congzhe's Zhejiang faction proposed the posthumous title "Emperor Yi."

The character "贞" is taken from the "Explanation of Posthumous Titles" which states "pure and chaste is called 贞". It alludes to the fact that Zhu Changluo died an unnatural death (the Red Pill Case), and the responsibility of the Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe and the imperial physician Li Kezhuo needs to be investigated.

Its political intention was to characterize Zhu Changluo as a "persecuted virtuous ruler," attributing the malpractices of the Wanli era (mining supervisors, tax commissioners, and the struggle for the succession) to the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction, thus creating momentum for the Donglin Party to seize power.

The character “懿” means “mild and conservative”, and the Zhejiang Party’s intention is very clear: to evade responsibility and protect Fang Congzhe and other officials involved in the incident.

The posthumous title proposed by the Zhejiang Party naturally met with fierce opposition from the Donglin Party members.

Impeachment memorials rained down on him, and Fang Congzhe, feeling guilty and knowing he had indeed done something wrong, dared not confront the Donglin Party members head-on and chose to back down.

On the sixth day of the ninth month, he hinted to the Hanlin Academy to change the name to "Emperor Zhen'an".

The character “安” is chosen to mean “tolerance and non-contention”, thus downplaying the political sensitivity of the Red Pill Case and maintaining the stability of the bureaucratic group.

Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe and many Zhejiang Party officials were involved in the Red Pill case. If their posthumous titles directly point to "unnatural deaths," it will trigger a large-scale political purge.

Therefore, Fang Congzhe asked Sun Ruyou to mediate.

The result was still rejected by Yang Lian and the officials of the Six Ministries.

The two factions also argued endlessly about the temple name.

The Donglin Party insisted on "Guangzong," with "Guang" meaning "to inherit the mandate of Heaven and restore the great cause," emphasizing the inheritance of orthodoxy and the rectification of wrongs.

The temple name and posthumous title are linked.

The character “Zhen” symbolizes his adherence to the righteous path, while his temple name “Guangzong” highlights his historical status. Together, they construct the image of Zhu Changluo as a “wise ruler who suffered misfortune,” providing a legal basis for the Donglin Party to purge the former officials of the Wanli era.

The Donglin Party members' vying for posthumous titles and temple names was essentially a power struggle, a way to legitimize their rule.

The Qi-Chu-Zhe faction proposed the temple name "Xizong" to downplay Zhu Changluo's historical role and avoid the complete negation of Wanli's old policies from affecting their own interests.

If Zhu Changluo were excessively praised, the vested interest groups of the Wanli era (such as mining supervisors, tax collectors, and border generals) would be purged. Therefore, the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction attempted to ease the conflict by using a mild temple name.

The Donglin Party pressed on relentlessly.

Fang Congzhe is now under immense pressure and is seeking the emperor's help.

"Your Majesty, I, Fang Congzhe, the Grand Secretary, respectfully wish Your Majesty good health!"

Fang Congzhe knelt down and bowed.

"I am well, Grand Secretary, please rise and be seated."

Wei Chao had already arranged a small stool, and Fang Congzhe sat on it with half his bottom on it, looking somewhat awkward.

Being the Grand Secretary is no easy task.

The position of Grand Secretary, especially during the first year of the Taichang era, was even more difficult.

"Your Excellency has come so early in the morning. May I ask what urgent matter you wish to report?"

Fang Congzhe took a deep breath and said, "In seven days, the late emperor will be buried. However, the matter of his posthumous title and temple name remains unresolved. This matter concerns the foundation of the nation and is of great importance. This old minister must be careful and cautious. I hope Your Majesty can prioritize the overall situation."

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "I am still young and do not know many things. I wonder how I can prioritize the overall situation?"

Fang Congzhe looked at the new ruler with suspicion. Are you genuinely unaware, or are you pretending?

As the Grand Secretary, Fang Congzhe dared not underestimate the young emperor and respectfully said, "The selection of temple names and posthumous titles is originally intended to honor ancestors, but now it has degenerated into a dispute in the court. It is not for the sake of respecting ancestors, but for the sake of killing people."

Seeing that the emperor remained silent and showed no emotion on his face, Fang Congzhe had no choice but to continue: "He who has rendered meritorious service to the people is called Xi. The late emperor inherited the throne and continued the imperial lineage. Although he died less than a month after ascending the throne, this temple name is still appropriate."

That's right, the temple name Xizong is considered to be above average.

Unlike the derogatory posthumous titles such as "Yang" and "Li".

Zhu Youxiao asked the question knowing the answer already.

"The temple name submitted by the Ministry of Rites is 'Guangzong'."

Fang Congzhe quickly replied:

"Your Majesty, please allow me to report:

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau reported: In the ninth month of the first year of the Taichang reign, a comet invaded the Purple Palace Enclosure, which was an auspicious sign of "removing the old and establishing the new." The late emperor's ascension to the throne was in accordance with this sign, and he reformed the corrupt practices of the late Wanli reign, ushering in a new era for the Taichang dynasty.

The current reign title "熹" (Xi) is chosen because it is composed of the characters for "fire" and "joy," symbolizing the rising of the virtue of fire, which can transform the ominous sign of a comet into auspiciousness. In the past, Emperor Renzong of Song encountered the ominous sign of "Mars guarding the heart," but after changing the reign title to "Jiayou," the disasters disappeared. The same principle applies to using "熹" to align with the will of Heaven.

Zhu Youxiao's eyes brightened, and he asked again, "I think the temple name 'Guangzong' submitted by the Ministry of Rites has a better meaning."

Upon hearing this, Fang Congzhe immediately became anxious.

"If the temple name of the late emperor is set as 'Guangzong,' future generations will surely compare him with wise rulers such as Jingtai and Hongzhi, and criticize him for not having made significant contributions to the country; but if the character 'Xi' is chosen, it can show the world the difficulty of inheriting the throne and show sympathy for the late emperor's suffering under the control of the eunuch faction."

Emperor Xizong of Tang, who faced the Huang Chao Rebellion, was still posthumously awarded the title "Gongding" (恭定). Now, the late emperor has preserved the ancestral temples and the state during a perilous situation; how can we not show compassion but instead criticize him harshly?

Fang Congzhe, unsure whether the emperor was feigning ignorance or genuinely foolish, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and continued:

"Now, the Donglin Party members are trying to expel all the former officials of the late emperor by taking advantage of the two old cases, the 'Palace Relocation Case' and the 'Red Pill Case'."

If the temple name is set as "Guangzong", they will surely use the pretext of "restoring the ancestral system" to coerce Your Majesty into thoroughly investigating the past events of the previous emperor's time, which may once again trigger factional strife in the court.

Choosing the character "熹" (Xi) conveys a sense of leniency, both making the eunuch faction realize their crimes and restrain themselves, and quelling the controversy among the upright officials—this is the true principle of moderation.

In the end, as Fang Congzhe recalled his experiences over the past few days, two streams of tears flowed down his old face. He rose directly from the small stool, knelt on the ground, and sobbed:

"Though I am old and senile, I have been entrusted with this task by the late Emperor on his deathbed, how could I not do my utmost? In the past, when the Duke of Zhou established the rites, he still emphasized the importance of kinship; Confucius, in writing the Spring and Autumn Annals, also advocated for the protection of the reputation of superiors. I earnestly request Your Majesty to consider the late Emperor's benevolent heart and heed my humble and loyal words, which would truly be a blessing for the nation!"

"Your Excellency is wholeheartedly devoted to the country; how could I not know that?"

Zhu Youxiao stepped forward and helped Fang Congzhe up, saying with emotion, "However, Liu Yizhu, Han Kuang, and Yang Lian have rendered meritorious service in supporting the enthronement, which is why the late emperor valued them highly. How can I go against the late emperor's last wishes?"

In the first year of the Taichang reign, the Donglin Party was able to suppress the Qi, Chu, and Zhe parties primarily because Emperor Zhu Changluo was enthroned by the Donglin Party.

It can be said that without the Donglin Party members, Zhu Changluo could not have ascended the throne.

Since Zhu Youxiao inherited the throne from Zhu Changluo, he could not deny the Donglin Party. To deny the Donglin Party would be to deny the legitimacy of Zhu Changluo.

If even his own father is not legitimate, how can he, as the heir, be legitimate?

Your Majesty is indeed very knowledgeable.

Fang Congzhe wiped away two lines of tears and said, "The temple name can be 'Guangzong,' but the posthumous title must include 'An.'"

This is Fang Congzhe's bottom line.

Otherwise, if the Donglin Party were to be purged, wouldn't Fang Congzhe be guilty of regicide?

This is a crime that could cost the entire family their lives!
(End of this chapter)