One of the great characteristics of Emperor China is that there are many wives and concubines, the best of which are like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty and Emperor Wudi of Jin Dynasty. The number of harem beauties is enough to form a reorganization division. Even if it is as bad as Guangxu, there are three concubines. The so-called monogamy seems to have nothing to do with emperors forever. In fact, one of the hundreds of emperors in China really only married one wife all his life. He belongs to Emperor Xiaozong of Ming Dynasty, and his only wife is Queen Zhang.
The reason why Zhu Shitang is like this has a lot to do with his miserable childhood.
Zhu Shitang (1470- 15O5) was the ninth emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The third son of Xianzong. 23 years before the reign of Xian Zong, he favored Wan Fei. This Wan Guifei is more than ten years older than Xianzong. He has served Xian Zong since he was a child. Wan Fei's birth was not beautiful. History says that his waist is like a bucket, and his face drags his aunt. However, in front of Xianzong, it was "only three thousand people were gathered together, and the six palaces were wiped out."
Xianzong's mother, Empress Zhou, once asked him strangely why he loved Wan. Xianzong replied that only when Wan was around could he sleep well. Later generations said that Xian Zong suffered from hernia, but Wan Guifei was good at touching, so Xian Zong could not live without her. Wan Guifei was pregnant once when she was young, but unfortunately she miscarried. Because of her age, she never gave birth to a child again. Wan Guifei was very sad. She vented her anger on other concubines. All pregnant women were secretly poisoned or killed by her, even the prince could not escape.
By the sixth year of Xianzong Chenghua, Xianzong didn't even have a son. In the third year of Chenghua, Xianzong once loved an obscure imperial secretary, Ji Shi. After Ji's pregnancy, she was reported by Wan and sent someone to harm him. Ji's popularity is very good, and the imperial secretary sent to him is reluctant to start. When he returned to Wan Fei, he lied that he had a tumor in his stomach instead of being pregnant, so Ji secretly gave birth to the later Prince Zhu Shitang. Under the careful care of a group of ladies-in-waiting, the little prince grew up to 6 years old, which was widely circulated in the harem, but Wan Guifei never knew it.
Xianzong's sons died one after another, and Xianzong was deeply hurt by this. One day in the ninth year of Xianzong, thirty-year-old Xianzong asked eunuch Sharla Cheung to comb his hair. Xianzong looked at his haggard face in the mirror and worried that Sharla Cheung was old, but there was no prince yet. Sharla Cheung immediately knelt down and told the story of Jishi's children. Wayne, the eunuch in Li Si Prison, also testified for Sharla Cheung. Xian zong was overjoyed when he heard this, so he called someone to meet the little prince.
The little prince is very witty. When you see Xianzong, you kowtow and call dad. Xianzong immediately informed the cabinet of the news of the birth of the prince and granted amnesty to the whole world. Wan Guifei cried her eyes out when she heard the training. She gnashed her teeth with hate. She swore that she would take responsibility and quickly killed Ji. Eunuch Sharla Cheung knew that she would eventually die, and she swallowed gold and committed suicide. However, the young Dan was blessed, and soon (1475) he was made a prince and was taken back to the harem by the Empress Dowager Zhou. Wan Guifei failed to do harm several times. You Min thrived under the care of Empress Zhou, reading and writing, lecturing on classics and practicing martial arts, and finally laid a solid foundation for becoming a famous monarch in the future.
On one occasion, Wan Fei invited the prince to visit her palace and provided some snacks, but she didn't eat anything because she was afraid of poison. Wan Fei was afraid, thinking that Xianzong would be dead after a hundred years, and she destroyed you in front of Xianzong. At this time, Xian Zong had several princes, and he was also good at abolishing princes. After repeated persuasion by Wan Fei and eunuch Liang Fang, Xianzong finally decided to take it easy, and called Li Si eunuch Wynn to make a plan. Unexpectedly, Wynn hit his head and refused to accept it. Xianzong was helpless, and Wynn's director Li Si pressed the handprint and wanted to continue to store it easily. During the stormy time, the Taishan earthquake in Dongyue, Qin Xiang reported that the earthquake was related to the Prince. Xianzong was superstitious, afraid of provoking widespread indignation and resentment, and finally shelved the idea of easy storage.
Wan Fei failed to seize the cache. In the spring of the 23rd year of Tang Xianzong, she got sick and died of depression soon. Xianzong was convinced of this, and sighed with self-effacing, Wan Fei has gone, and I won't live long. In April of this year, Xian Zong was really ill, and in July he called the Prince Fuzheng. In August, Xian Zong died and went underground with his beloved Wan Fei. Xiao Min succeeded to the throne with the title Hongzhi.
Xiaozong experienced ups and downs since he was a child, and he had a narrow escape. So after he acceded to the throne, he was clean and wise, especially in his private life. Throughout his life, there is only one queen Zhang, and there are no other concubines. Xiaowen and Queen Zhang are friends in need and loving couples. They must sleep together every day, read poems and paintings, listen to the piano and watch dances, talk about the past, discuss the present and share the past with each other. This casual move has created a special record through the ages, and it is also one of the evidences of Zhu Shitang as a wise king.