Chapter 150

Three Kingdoms plane.

Cao Cao clapped his hands and praised,

"This woman should be the teacher of the harem for all ages! The crown prince died suddenly without chaos, the young master ascended the throne and could stabilize, the relatives were powerful and could be controlled."

"What is even more rare is that all her actions are out of public heart, not for private interest. If all emperors could have such a virtuous empress, why worry about the world not being governed?"

Zhuge Liang stood up in respect: "Yao and Shun among women, well-deserved."

"Looking at her actions, it deeply fits the way of 'the mean'—impartial, not extreme, not following.

The crown prince died and the funeral was kept secret, it is power change;

The Han Prince rebelled and advised benevolence and forgiveness, it is holding justice;

Relatives interfered in politics and strictly restrained, it is clarity.

Such a person is the pillar of the Ming Dynasty."

In the first month of the tenth year of Xuande, 38-year-old Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji suddenly became seriously ill.

In the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Zhanji lay on the dragon couch, his face sallow.

Empress Dowager Zhang sat by the couch, holding her son's hand, just like holding her husband's hand twenty-one years ago.

"Mother..."

Zhu Zhanji's breath was weak, "I... I'm afraid I can't do it..."

Empress Dowager Zhang endured the tears, shook her head and said: "Don't say silly things, the imperial physician said, if you recuperate well, you will be fine."

Zhu Zhanji smiled bitterly: "I know my own body. It's just... Qizhen is only nine years old, I am worried..."

He looked at the nine-year-old Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen kneeling in front of the couch, then looked at his mother,

"Mother... the Great Ming country, Qizhen... I entrust it to you..."

Empress Dowager Zhang's tears fell like rain, nodding heavily: "Don't worry, with me here, no one can move Qizhen's country."

That night, Zhu Zhanji passed away.

The emperor died suddenly, and the crown prince was only nine years old.

Rumors spread in the palace, and some ministers discussed privately:

"The master is young and the country is suspicious, it is better to establish Xiang Prince (Xuanzong's younger brother) as emperor to stabilize the world."

Xiang Prince Zhu Zhanzhan, who had a reputation for virtue, was also an adult prince.

For a time, the court and the public were floating.

At the critical moment, Empress Dowager Zhang once again showed thunderous means.

She ordered the palace gates to be closed, kept the funeral secret, and at the same time urgently summoned the British Duke Zhang Fu, the cabinet "Three Yangs" (Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, Yang Pu), and the Minister of Rites Hu Ying and other important ministers into the palace.

In the Qianqing Palace, the lights were bright.

Empress Dowager Zhang was dressed in plain clothes, sitting in the middle.

Nine-year-old Zhu Qizhen was held in her arms, his small face pale, his eyes full of tears.

When the ministers arrived, seeing the Empress Dowager and the young master, they already understood most of it.

Empress Dowager Zhang looked around at the ministers, her voice was not high, but every word was heavy:

"The late emperor died suddenly, the great sorrow of the country. But the country cannot be without a monarch for a day."

She pushed Zhu Qizhen forward gently, pointed at her young grandson, and cried: "This is the new emperor!"

Once the four words came out, it was like a Dinghai God Needle.

British Duke Zhang Fu knelt down first: "I, Zhang Fu, kowtow to the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

"Three Yangs", Hu Ying and other important ministers knelt down, shouting long live.

Empress Dowager Zhang wiped away her tears and said solemnly: "The Emperor is young and needs assistance."

"British Duke Zhang Fu, Cabinet Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, Yang Pu, Minister of Rites Hu Ying, you are all ministers entrusted by the late emperor.

From today on, major military and national affairs will be discussed by you and reported to the Emperor for decision.

I only hope that you will do your best to assist and keep my Great Ming country solid forever."

The ministers kowtowed: "We dare not do our best to repay the late emperor and assist the young master!"

A minister came out and asked: "The Emperor is young, please ask the Empress Dowager to hang the curtain to listen to politics to stabilize the world."

Empress Dowager Zhang refused decisively: "No! The ancestral law, the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. I have already violated the system to summon foreign ministers, which is already a last resort."

"Don't mention the matter of hanging the curtain again! You are all virtuous ministers selected by the late emperor, if you cannot assist the young master, what use are you?"

The ministers were solemn and dared not speak again.

The new emperor ascended the throne, changed the reign to Zhengtong, and was Ming Yingzong.

Zhang Shi was honored as Empress Dowager.

However, hidden dangers have arisen.

The eunuch Wang Zhen of the Sili Jian, who served Zhu Qizhen since childhood, was deeply trusted by the young emperor.

The new emperor ascended the throne, Wang Zhen's ambition was gradually revealed, and he often interfered in court politics in the name of the young emperor.

One day, Wang Zhen actually held a banquet in the palace privately, inviting several ministers who were on good terms.

This matter was learned by Empress Dowager Zhang.

She immediately ordered Wang Zhen to be summoned to Cining Palace.

Wang Zhen knelt in the hall, feeling uneasy.

He knew the majesty of this old Empress Dowager.

"Wang Zhen"

Empress Dowager Zhang's voice was calm, but it was cold,

"I heard that you held a banquet in the palace yesterday and invited Minister of Works Wang and Censor Li of the Metropolitan Procuratorate?"

Wang Zhen was sweating profusely: "Returning to the Empress Dowager, it... it was the Emperor who let the slave..."

"The Emperor let you hold a banquet?"

Empress Dowager Zhang sneered, "The Emperor is young and doesn't know the importance. You have served the Emperor for many years, don't you know the importance? What is the crime of internal officials making friends with external ministers, don't you know?"

Wang Zhen kowtowed: "The slave is guilty! The slave is guilty!"

Empress Dowager Zhang looked at him coldly,

"Considering that you have served the Emperor for many years, I will not punish you heavily this time. But you must remember—you are just the Emperor's family slave, and doing your duty in the internal court is your duty."

"The government affairs of the external court are handled by the auxiliary ministers. If you dare to cross the line again, don't blame me for not caring about the Emperor's face!"

"Yes! Yes! The slave will never dare again!"

Wang Zhen kowtowed repeatedly, his clothes soaked with sweat.

For the next few years, Wang Zhen really restrained himself a lot and did not dare to abuse power publicly.

In the early years of Zhengtong, the court was clear, "Three Yangs" were in power, and the national strength was prosperous, all relying on Empress Dowager Zhang sitting in town.

In the tenth month of the seventh year of Zhengtong, Empress Dowager Zhang was seriously ill.

She knew her time was running out, and summoned Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Yang Pu to the couch.

"I... I'm afraid I can't do it."

Her breath was weak, but her eyes were still clear,

"The Emperor is young, and still needs you to do your best to assist. There are three things, I am worried about, and I want to entrust you."

"Please instruct, Empress Dowager." The Three Yangs knelt and cried.

"First, restrain the internal officials. Wang Zhen, his ambition is not small. I am here, he is still afraid; after I leave, he will definitely cause trouble. You must be vigilant at all times and not let eunuchs interfere in politics."

"Second, cherish the people's strength. The world is peaceful now, but the people are hard-working. Whenever there is construction, think about the hardship of the people, save if you can, and exempt if you can."

"Third..." she gasped for a moment, "Teach the Emperor. The Emperor is intelligent, but young and active, easy to believe in slander. You must often persuade him with the way of a benevolent monarch, so that he... so that he does not go wrong."

The Three Yangs kowtowed and cried: "We will remember!"

Empress Dowager Zhang closed her eyes slowly, and after a long time, said softly: "Go. Tell the Emperor... Grandmother... can't accompany him anymore..."

That night, Empress Dowager Zhang passed away at the age of sixty-one.

Posthumously titled "Empress Chengxiao Gongsu Mingde Hongren Shuntian Qisheng Zhao", and buried with Renzong in Xianling.

She experienced six dynasties of Hongwu, Jianwen, Yongle, Hongxi, Xuande, and Zhengtong, and assisted three emperors of Renzong, Xuanzong, and Yingzong.

Not attending the court but the court order was strict, not interfering in politics but the world was peaceful.

The brilliance of the "Renxuan Prosperity" of the Great Ming has her indelible achievements.

【Summary:

No name of hanging the curtain, but the reality of stabilizing the tripod,

Occupying the position of the harem, holding the heart of the world.

Empress Zhang Chengxiao, with a woman's body, supported half the sky of the Great Ming prosperous age, worthy of being a virtuous empress for all ages!

Ranked second in the top ten virtuous empresses in history, well-deserved!】