Speaking of Emperor Jiajing, what can not be ignored is the "great ceremonial controversy" when he ascended the throne in his early years, and Zhang Cong, one of the most important protagonists, should not be ignored.
As one of the twenty-four histories, "Ming History", the evaluation of Zhang Cong is particularly objective and credible: "be bold and resolute, not avoiding grievances." Dare to speak out in front of the emperor, and do not shy away from it." "He made a great contribution to the country's society during his administration, and he is widely praised by later generations.
Ming History Review
However, no one is perfect, and Jin Wu is barefoot. There is undoubtedly a trace of dirt in his glorious image. His temperament is fierce, and his revenge is extremely strong. He "does not protect the kind", and he will be the four dynasty veteran Yang Tinghe. Yang Yiqing was forced to step down from politics. This was a defect and was widely criticized by future generations.
experienced setbacks
Zhang Jing's life was extremely set. When he was young,
had great ambitions in the world, he was clever and easy to learn, and he had read books on etiquette. At the age of thirteen, he wrote the poem "Ti Clan Brother Noodle", comparing himself to Wolong, and helping the common people.
However, Mencius once said in "Born in Worry, Died in Ease": "Heaven will descend to the people, and he must first suffer from his will...".
"Born in Worry, Died in Ease"
was full of ambitions when he was twenty-four years old, he took the exam in one fell swoop. After that, the ability to gain fame seems to have left him. In countless imperial examinations in his life, he failed and failed. . The frustrated teenager has entered middle age, and he has completely lost his enthusiasm.
But the sky seemed to ignite a spark for him again.
At the age of forty-seven, this desolate middle-aged man met someone who changed his life. According to historical records, he was named "Xiao Banxian" and was proficient in a set of theories of fortune-telling. "From then on, I became a Jinshi for three years, and I became a sudden expensive for another three years."
Zhang Cong made up his mind to take the exam again, participated in the Ministry of Etiquette exam, and finally passed the exam.
However, his results were not satisfactory. He could not enter the cabinet to make suggestions for the emperor and realize his childhood ambitions.
is good at seizing opportunities
The discouraged Zhang Cong does not know that an opportunity is approaching quietly at this time.
In the 16th year of Zhengde, Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao, the most noisy emperor in the history of the Ming Dynasty, died and had no children.
In accordance with the feudal dynasty's "brother and brother and brother" method, Yang Tinghe, then the cabinet's chief assistant, after discussing with the Queen Mother, decided to place the emperor as a younger brother of Ming Wuzong and the son of King Xingxian, a collateral feudal lord. He was only fourteen. The year-old Zhu Houhu was named Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty.
After Emperor Sejong of the Ming Dynasty
succeeded to the throne, a generation of cabinet ministers headed by Yang Tinghe asked Zhu Houhuo to rename Zhu Houzhao's parents as his biological parents, provoking a dispute with the emperor.
Zhang Cong keenly realizes that this is an opportunity. He who has been studying etiquette in his childhood is very upset about this.
On July 1st of the 16th year of Zhengde, he played "Yi Da Li Shu" and formally stood on the side of the emperor and fought against Yang Tinghe, who was in power at the time.
The courtier Yang Yiqing, who was with Yang Tinghe, read Zhang Jingshu at home and praised him for what he said as a saint. Ming Dynasty thinker Wang Shouren also "happy to say".
The isolated and helpless Ming Shizong found an ally, and the most far-reaching ceremony of the mid-Ming Dynasty began.
In the repeated struggles, Yang Tinghe chose to resign and return to his hometown and quit the political arena. His son Yang Shen was also exiled twice and exiled to remote areas. He stayed with books all his life.
Yang Ting and
Zhang Cong achieved a complete victory and was reused by the emperor. He also gained the opportunity to enter the Ming Dynasty government affairs center, bringing a different future to the future of the Ming Dynasty and the world.
squeezed out the benevolent
suddenly outstanding Zhang Cong did not get his wish to successfully enter the cabinet, because his imperial examination results were not satisfactory, with the support of the emperor, Zhang Cong was in favor of Yang Yiqing, a cabinet minister, finally entered the center of the Ming Dynasty. .
Yang Yiqing
, but he did not have a report, a trace of dirt in his glorious image of life is revealed here.
In Jiajing six years, he served as an official for six years. He was appointed official to the Ministry of Rites and a bachelor of Wenyuange. He was reused by the emperor.
He kept attacking Fei Hong, who was the chief minister of the cabinet when he was in order to gain power quickly, and looked forward toYang Yiqing could be the same enemy as him, but Yang Yiqing rejected him and asked the emperor to recall the former cabinet minister Xie Qian. Since then, the two have a rift.
Jinyiwei Nie Nengqian couldn't understand Zhang Cong's dignified face. He impeached Zhang Cong and wanted to put him to death after Zhang Cong knew about it. He happened to be stopped by Yang Yiqing, and Zhang Cong turned against Yang Yiqing.
He began to retaliate against Yang Yiqing. Together with his good friend Gui E, he was impeached in the letters again and again. The emperor finally believed, and Yang Yiqing was forced to resign and return home.
However, Zhang Cong did not let Yang Yiqing go. After he returned home, he framed him for corruption and perverted the law. In the end, Yang Yiqing died of illness in his hometown.
After that, Zhang Zhang continued to write letters to slander the old friends of Yang Yiqing and Yang Tinghe. The minister hated him deeply and had a long-lasting resentment, but he was helpless.
These things made Zhang Cong criticized by later generations and even concealed his achievements.
has a lot of achievements
Although Zhang Cong’s temperament led him to squeeze out the benevolent and be criticized by later generations, his life's contribution to the Ming Dynasty cannot be erased. After the great etiquette controversy, Zhang Cong was extremely reused by the emperor, and began to make progress. In September of the eighth year of Jiajing, when Yang Yiqing was dismissed and returned to his hometown, he succeeded as the chief minister of the cabinet.
During his reign, he had two sleeves and a cool breeze, and he was sculpting his bones. He devoted himself to the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhang Cong
He was good at reforms
At that time, the phenomenon of land mergers was extremely serious, the rich and powerful occupied a lot of land, and the farmers had no land to plant. They lived a life of leaving their homes and the people were not living. He dared to carry out reforms, which relatively improved this phenomenon and made the society stable. , Also stabilized the Ming Dynasty rule.
He was wise to reform
. The selection of talents in the feudal dynasty relied on the imperial examination system, but the world’s talents may not be able to pass the imperial examination selection, such as himself, so he devoted himself to reforming the imperial examination system and improving the overall quality of examinees. The improvement of the quality of officials has enabled the court to have more talented ministers.
In addition, he also attaches importance to school education, assesses the ability of teachers, and improves the overall style of study. These measures promoted the recruitment of talents in the Ming Dynasty, and had a profound impact on future generations. He had the courage to reform
. He was not afraid of the nobles and hated evil like hatred, and vigorously promoted the system of sweeping out corrupt officials.
His anti-corruption system harmed the interests of a group of dignitaries and was resented by others. During his reign, the impeachment memorial never stopped. But he was not afraid at all, because all the measures were conducive to the development of the country and were supported by the emperor.
He never squanders the law to profit from his relatives because of his position as a high-ranking official, and he has repeatedly warned his family not to pretend to be arrogant and deceive others because of himself.
died from a serious illness
Jiajing fourteen years ago, the rugged and ups and downs in the first half of his life, the second half of his life, the old man was seriously ill, he asked the emperor to agree to return to his hometown, after many detentions, the emperor agreed.
Zhang Cong, who was unhealed for a long time, greeted the god of death. In February of the eighteenth year of Jiajing, he died of illness at his residence at the age of 65.
Zhang Cong's life contributed greatly to the development of the Ming Dynasty, and brought a turn for the precariousness of the Ming Dynasty. Everything became a brand-new future. When he was old and sick, the emperor kept many times, but unfortunately passed away. People in later generations of
were puzzled and even misunderstood this courtier, because he was widely criticized for his exclusion of good people, and he was not a survivor of political intrigue.
Even so, his merits far outweigh his mistakes.