Genius Carpenter Ming Xizong

The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuzong, was one of the most distinctive emperors of all time. He was handy and had a keen interest in making wooden products. He would do carpentry work such as knife work, axe work and paint work. He handmade lacquer ware, beds, comb boxes, etc. were all decorated with colorful, delicate and unexpected. According to historical records, during the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty, the beds made by the craftsmen were extremely heavy, only a dozen people could move them, and they used a lot of materials and common styles. Zong pondered on his own, designed his own pattern, sawed his own wood, nailed his own boards, and more than a year later he made a bed. The bed board can be folded, carrying and moving are very convenient. The bed frame was also carved with various patterns, which were so beautiful that the craftsmen of the time were amazed.

Zong was also very good at painting, from ingredients to painting, he did it himself and loved his craft. His wooden figures, unlike those of men and women, were about two feet tall, with arms but no legs or feet. They are all painted in five colors and the paintings are lifelike. Each small wooden figure is supported by a bamboo board over three feet long. There was also a square wooden pond of 10 feet in length and width hewn out of large logs and filled with seven points of water. The water was made to float with live fish, crabs, shrimps, puffballs and other seafood. Then a small wooden pond is supported by stools, surrounded by yarn stretched to form a screen, and bamboo panels are moved and dragged under the screen to form a stage for the water puppets. Behind the screen, an artist uses bamboo sheets to keep the little wooden figures afloat as the play unfolds. Yudou played with drums. At that time, the plays often performed in the palace included Dongfangshuo stealing peaches, Sanbao eunuchs going to the West, and the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. All of them were novel and vivid. Zong reveled in what he did and what he saw.

Every winter, the Xiyuan Ice Pond froze over, and the ice was solid and slippery. Zongxi ordered a group of eunuchs to play ice games with him. He personally designed a small bed for himself. The bed was small and delicate and could only accommodate one person. It was painted with red paint and had a ceiling above it. It was surrounded by red satin and had small hooks for hanging ropes in the front and back. Zong sat on the bed and told the eunuchs to pull the rope. Someone pulled on the bed, someone guided in front of the bed, and someone pushed behind the bed. Double-sided, drag the bed extremely fast, instantly back and forth for miles. Nishi always had an original idea, and his handmade entertainment tools Jiatang.comacz0 were quite ingenious. He fills a large barrel with water, covers the barrel with a raft, and drills a hole in the bottom of the barrel to create a spray of water through the bottom of the barrel. Then he placed a number of small wooden balls in the spray, started and shut off the infusion, and the water hit the balls, which went around for a long time. Tsung and his consorts watched and applauded.

First, he likes to build houses and be clever. Often, after the house was built, I danced with joy and repeatedly praised it. After the excitement, I immediately destroy them, make new samples and do it again, with pleasure. When I was so excited, I often took off my coat and did my work naked, and the matter of ruling the country was forgotten, and I had no time to ask about it.

Zong concentrated on building wooden houses, so he gave all the official business to Wei Zhongxian. Wei Zhongxian took the opportunity to marginalize dissidents and monopolize the country, while Zong turned a deaf ear and a blind eye. Its a pity that he was an excellent craftsman, but let the Ming Dynasty fall apart in his hands.