Dynasties of ChinaMing dynastyMing dynasty lineage
Zhengde · Reign 1505—1521
The young emperor was fond of martial arts and wandering, favored Liu Jin and Jiang Bin, built a leopard house, and proclaimed himself a general. He reigned for sixteen years and ended without any children.
Zhu Houzhao was Xiaozong's only grown-up son and was only fifteen years old when he came to the throne in 1505. He liked to ride, shoot, and play, and favored Liu Jin and other eight eunuchs. He took care of the ministers Liu Jian and Xie Qian, but failed to kill the "Eight Tigers" and became official officials one after another. Liu Jin was in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies and held exclusive power for five years until he was exposed and executed in 1510 during the rebellion of King Anhua. During this period, Liu Liu and Liu Qi's uprising broke out in the north, and they fought in many provinces.
After that, he trusted the border general Jiang Bin, lived in Baofang for a long time, and visited Juyongguan many times to patrol the border. In 1517, he fought a fierce battle with the Mongols in Yingzhou, and named himself "Governor-General of Military Affairs, Mighty General, Chief Military Officer Zhu Shou". In 1519, King Ning Zhu Chenhao raised an army, but was quickly put down by Wang Shouren. He still patrolled the south in the name of personal expedition. In 1520, he fell into the water in Qingjiangpu and fell ill. He died of illness in Baofang the next year and had no children. His cousin Zhu Houcong succeeded him.
Wuzong was smart and good at martial arts, and he was able to accomplish something in the battle against the Mongols in Yingzhou. However, he was extravagant and indulged in Liu Jin and Jiang Bin. He lived in the Leopard House for a long time and traveled around, causing chaos in the court and frequent civil unrest. Fortunately, the operation of the cabinet and the six ministries could still be maintained. Wang Shouren and others quickly put down the rebellion of King Ning, and the Ming dynasty did not lead to a major chaos.
PoliticsThe "Eight Tigers" gain the upper hand
Liu Jian, Xie Qian and other cabinet ministers joined forces with Jiu Qing to ask Liu Jin, Ma Yongcheng, Gu Dayong and other eight eunuchs to be executed, but the incident failed. Liu Jin was in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, and Liu Jian and Xie Qian were forced to take up official positions. From then on, Liu Jin's power was overwhelming, and he was known as the "Emperor" at the time.
SocietyBuild a leopard house
A leopard house was built in the Xiyuan area, which contained a secret room, a school ground and a Buddhist temple to raise tigers and leopards and other wild beasts. From then on, Wuzong lived in Baofang for a long time without returning to the palace. He handled government affairs, entertained and played games here until his death.
PeopleWang Yangming's Enlightenment in Longchang
Wang Shouren, the chief of the Ministry of War, was punished by the imperial staff and demoted to the post of Guizhou Longchang Yicheng for rescuing Yan Guan who was arrested by Liu Jin. He concentrated on thinking in the remote Longchang and realized that "the heart is reason". Later, he proposed the "unity of knowledge and action" and founded Yangming's philosophy of mind.
Lasting legacy"Unity of knowledge and action" is still widely quoted today, and the Yangming Cave ruins in Longchang, Xiuwen County, Guizhou Province have been preserved to this day.
PoliticsLiu Jin Fu Zhu
In April, Zhu Chixiu, king of Anhua in Ningxia, raised an army in the name of attacking Liu Jin, and he was put down in eighteen days. The eunuch Zhang Yong conspired with Yang Yiqing, the censor of the capital, and used the opportunity of offering prisoners to expose Liu Jin's illegal activities to Wuzong. Liu Jin's house was confiscated and Ling Chi was confiscated.
SocietyLiu Liu Liu Qi Uprising
Brothers Liu Liu and Liu Qi from the Bazhou area of Gyeonggi Province led a mass uprising, and together with Yang Hu and other troops, they fought in Beizhili, Shandong, Henan, Huguang and other places, threatening the capital for a time. The Ming court mobilized border troops into the interior to suppress the rebellion, and the uprising failed in 1512.
MilitaryBattle of Yingzhou
In October, Wuzong personally commanded the Ming army to fight fiercely with the Mongolian Dayan Khan's troops in Yingzhou for several days, and the Mongolian army retreated. After the war, he promoted himself to a higher rank in the name of "Governor-General Military Affairs Mighty General Chief Military Officer Zhu Shou", which shocked the courtiers.
DiplomacyThe Portuguese came east
The Portuguese fleet arrived in Guangzhou carrying envoy Pillaizi to request trade. The Portuguese had previously captured Managa, which belonged to the Ming Dynasty vassal, and built a fort in Tuen Mun to plunder the population. After Wuzong's death, Pillaizi was expelled from Beijing. In 1521, the Ming army defeated the Portuguese fleet in Tuen Mun.
MilitaryKing Ning's Rebellion
In June, King Ning Zhu Chenhao raised troops in Nanchang and marched eastward along the river to attack Anqing. Wang Shouren, the governor of Southern Jiangxi, mobilized local troops to take advantage of the situation and conquered Nanchang. He defeated the rebels at Poyang Lake and captured King Ning in just over a month. Wuzong still patrolled south to Nanjing in the name of personal expedition.
PeopleDied after falling into water
In September 1520, Wuzong fell into the water while boating and fishing in Qingjiangpu, and he fell ill from then on. He died of illness in Baofang in March of the following year at the age of thirty-one and had no children. The first assistant Yang Tinghe and the Queen Mother Zhang made a plan to welcome Zhu Houcong, the crown prince of Xingxian, and arrest Jiang Bin.
A native of Xingping, Shaanxi, he served Wuzong in the East Palace and was the leader of the "Eight Tigers". After taking charge of the ceremonial department, he used his power to accept bribes, made the incident legal, and persecuted ministers. In 1510, he was exposed for treason and was executed in Lingchi.
In the middle and late periods of Zhengde, he served as chief assistant. After Wuzong's death, he used his posthumous edict to take charge of the government for thirty-seven days, punishing Jiang Bin, eliminating redundant personnel, and formulating strategies to welcome Shizong. Later, he became an official because of his opposition to Shizong due to the great ceremony.
Named Yangming, Longchang founded the Xinxue after enlightenment. In the last years of Zhengde, he visited southern Jiangxi and quelled the civil uprising in the southern mountainous area. He also spent more than a month to quell the rebellion of King Ning, and was later granted the title of Xinjian Bo.
A border general in Xuanfu Town, he won Wuzong's favor with his bravery, guided Wuzong to tour Xuanfu and Datong, and took charge of the affairs of the Beijing camp and the Leopard Fang. After Wuzong died, he was arrested and executed by Yang Tinghe.
For a long time, he planned the northwest border defense and built the border wall. In 1510, he and Zhang Yong put down the rebellion of King Anhua, and conspired to overthrow Liu Jin. In the early years of Jiajing, he became the first assistant.