Dynasties of ChinaMing dynastyMing dynasty lineage
Yongle · Reign 1402—1424
The vassal king raised an army to seize the throne, moved the capital to Beijing, conquered Mobei five times, sent Zheng He to the West, and compiled the "Yongle Dadian", pushing Ming Dynasty to its peak.
Zhu Di is the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang. According to historical records, he was born to Mahuangzhou. It is said that his biological mother was Concubine Ji. In 1370, he was granted the title of King Yan, and in 1380, he was granted the title of Beiping. Peiping is the former capital of Yuan Dynasty and the front line of defense against Mongolia. He was ordered to march north many times. He was familiar with border affairs and was famous for his military exploits among the kings. After Crown Prince Zhu Biao and King of Qin and King Jin died one after another, he became the leader of the living kings.
Emperor Wen established Emperor Wen and cut down the vassal vassal. In 1399, he raised an army in the name of "Qing Jun Side" and invaded Nanjing after four years of Jingnan Campaign. After taking the throne, he changed the Yuan Dynasty to Yongle and massacred Jianwen's old officials. He established the cabinet and the East Factory to strengthen centralization of power; he built the Beijing Palace and officially moved the capital in 1421; he also dredged the Huitong River to connect the entire Grand Canal and ensure the transportation of grain from the south to the north.
Externally, he made five personal expeditions to Mobei to attack the Tatars and Oirats; he sent troops to Annan and set up the Chief Envoy of Jiaozhi; he set up the Nuergan Dusi in the lower reaches of Heilongjiang; he sent Zheng He to the Western Seas six times, and envoys from all over the world arrived. Culturally, Jie Jin and others were ordered to compile "Yongle Dadian". Years of military deployment and extensive construction projects have also exhausted the people's strength. On his way back from the fifth northern expedition in 1424, he died of illness in Yumuchuan and was buried in Changling of Tianshou Mountain.
Zhu Di raised an army to seize the throne as a vassal. He gained the throne unfairly and committed mass killings. He also reused eunuchs and established Dongchang, which marked the beginning of eunuchs' involvement in politics in the Ming Dynasty. However, he moved the capital to Beijing to control the north, dredged the canal, navigated the Northeast and South China Sea, compiled the "Yongle Dadian", and sent Zheng He on a long voyage, which brought the Ming Dynasty to its peak and had far-reaching influence. The five expeditions to Mobei, the management of Jiaozhi and the construction of palaces were very costly, and also left a heavy financial burden on the successors.
PoliticsBeiping
King YanZhu Di went to Peking to join the feudal clan. Peiping was the hometown of the capital of the Yuan Dynasty and the front line against the Northern Yuan Dynasty. King Yan's mansion was renovated using the old palace of the Yuan Dynasty. He commanded a large number of troops here and operated it for nearly twenty years.
MilitaryWhen the capital of Yindu descends, there are no flowers.
He was ordered to separate from the King of Jin and march north. The King of Jin was timid and refused to advance. King Yan braved heavy snow and marched in a hurry. He surrounded Beiyuan Taiwei Nai'er Buhua's camp in Yidu. He led his troops to surrender without a fight, which won Zhu Yuanzhang's praise. Since then, he has been given the task of commanding the army many times.
MilitaryJingnan Campaign
They raised troops in the name of "Qing Jun Side" to kill Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng. They defeated Geng Bingwen and Li Jinglong successively, and were defeated in Dongchang. Later, he adopted Yao Guangxiao's strategy, no longer entangled in Shandong Jiancheng, and went straight to the Jianghuai River. In June 1402, he crossed the river and invaded Nanjing.
Politicscleaning in place
He became emperor in June, and the following year was designated as the first year of Yongle, and the Jianwen title was abolished. Fang Xiaoru, Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, Jing Qing and other old officials of Jianwen were killed, and their family members were deeply implicated.
PoliticsEstablish a cabinet
Seven people, including Jin, Huang Huai, Yang Shiqi, Hu Guang, Yang Rong, Jin Youzi and Hu Yan, were selected to join Wenyuan Pavilion and participate in machine maintenance. From then on, Hanlin officials entered the decision-making center, and the cabinet system began, which gradually became the core of government affairs in the Ming Dynasty.
CultureCompilation of "Yongle Dadian"
Jie Jin was ordered to preside over the compilation of similar books, and later Yao Guangxiao and others were ordered to re-edit it. More than 2,000 people participated. The final version was finalized in 1408, with a total of more than 22,800 volumes, more than 11,000 volumes, and about 370 million words. It compiled seven or eight thousand kinds of classics from Early China to the early Ming Dynasty.
Lasting legacyCopies were copied during the Jiajing period, but the whereabouts of the originals are unknown; most of the copies were lost after disasters, and there are more than 400 copies in existence today, scattered in more than 30 institutions in China, the United States, Britain, Japan and other countries.
PeopleZheng He's first voyage to the West
In June, Zheng He led more than 60 treasure ships and more than 27,800 people to sea, passing through Champa, Java, and Managa, arriving in Ceylon and Guri on the southwest coast of India, and returned in 1407. During the reign of Chengzu, Zheng He led his fleet on six voyages.
Lasting legacyOn the occasion of the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's maiden voyage in 2005, the State Council designated July 11, the date of Zheng He's maiden voyage, as China's Navigation Day.
MilitarySend troops to Annan
Annan's powerful minister Hu Jiyou usurped the throne of the Chen Dynasty. Chengzu sent Zhang Fu and Mu Sheng to lead an army to the south. In 1407, they captured the Hu family and his son, and established the Jiaozhi Chief Envoy in the area, which was classified as commanderies and counties. Since then, local resistance continued, and the Ming army withdrew during the Xuande period.
SocietyBuild Beijing
In 1406, an edict was issued to collect wood, burn bricks, and prepare to build the Beijing Palace. Large-scale construction began in 1417. In 1420, the palace city and altar temple were basically completed. The Forbidden City was modeled after the Nanjing Palace City and was even more grand. The Temple of Heaven and the Imperial Ancestral Temple were completed at the same time.
Lasting legacyThe Forbidden City in Beijing was built in 1420 and was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1987; the Temple of Heaven was built in the same year and was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1998.
PoliticsSet Nuergandusi
The Nurgandu Commandery Department was established in the lower reaches of Heilongjiang. In 1411, the eunuch Yi Shiha was sent to lead a fleet to Kaiya to govern the Heilongjiang and Ussuri River basins as far as Sakhalin Island. In 1413, Yongning Temple was built locally and a monument was erected to commemorate it.
Lasting legacyThe stele "Edict to Repair Nurqian Yongning Temple" which records this incident is now stored in the Arsenyev Museum in Vladivostok, Russia.
MilitaryThe first personal expedition to Mobei
The previous year, Qi Duke Qiu Fu led an army of 100,000 to conquer the Tatars and was completely wiped out. Chengzu then personally led the army to the north and defeated Benya, the great Tatar Khan, at the Onan River. On the way back, he defeated Grand Master Arutai. This was the first of his five personal expeditions to Mobei.
EconomyDredging will open the river
Song Li, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, presided over the dredging of the Huitong River in Shandong, adopted the suggestion of Bai Ying, an old man from Wenshang, to build the Daicun Dam, diverted the Wenshui River to the Nanwang diversion N & S, and reopened the entire Grand Canal. After that, grain was transported north through the canal, and sea transportation was stopped in 1415.
Lasting legacyThe Nanwang water diversion hub site is part of the China Grand Canal, which was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 2014.
CultureOverhaul of Wudang Mountain
In order to promote the Zhenwu Emperor Da to protect Jingnan, Chengzu ordered the large-scale construction of Taoist temples in Wudang Mountain. It took more than ten years to build the Zixiao Palace, Yuxu Palace, Taihe Palace, etc., and built a gilded copper palace on the top of Tianzhu Peak.
Lasting legacyThe ancient architectural complex of Wudang Mountain was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1994, and the Golden Palace still stands on the top of Tianzhu Peak.
DiplomacyBangge Lagong "Kilin"
The envoys from Banggela (today's Bangladesh) who came with Zheng He's fleet paid tribute to the giraffe. The government and the public regarded it as the legendary auspicious beast Qilin. The calligrapher Shen Du wrote "Ode to the Auspicious Qilin" with pictures. The following year, the Marin Kingdom in East Africa also paid tribute to giraffes.
MilitaryThe battle of sudden hypothermia
In the second personal expedition, he fought fiercely with the leader of Oala, Mahamu, in Hulanhu, and used firearms to defeat the Oala cavalry. The Ming army also suffered heavy casualties. From 1422 to 1424, he personally conquered the Tartar Arutai three times, but returned without encountering the enemy's main force.
CultureThe "Complete Collection of Four Books" was promulgated
Hu Guang and others were ordered to compile The Complete Collection of Five Classics, The Complete Collection of Four Books, and The Complete Collection of Xingli, based on Cheng and Zhu's annotations of Neo-Confucianism. After the completion, it was promulgated to the world and became the standard reading book for imperial examinations for more than two hundred years.
PoliticsEstablished East Factory
The Dongji Investigation Factory was set up in the north of Dong'anmen Gate in Beijing. It was supervised by a trusted eunuch admiral and was responsible for detecting major cases such as rebellion and evil speech. It reported directly to the emperor and was known as the "factory guard" together with the Jin Yiwei. The eunuchs thus took over the power of investigation.
PoliticsOfficially moved the capital to Beijing
On the first day of the first lunar month, a congratulatory ceremony was held in the New Palace in Beijing, with Beijing as the capital and Nanjing as the capital. More than three months later, the three main halls of Fengtian, Huagai and Jinshen were burned down by thunder and fire. The officials took the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of moving the capital, and the chief official, Xiao Yi, was executed for his vehement words.
PoliticsDied of illness in Yumuchuan
On the way back from the Fifth Northern Expedition, he died of illness in Yumuchuan in July. The accompanying bachelors Yang Rong and Jin Youzi escorted the coffin back to Beijing without announcing the funeral. Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne, and Chengzu was buried in Changling, Tianshou Mountain.
Lasting legacyChangling is the first mausoleum of the Ming Tombs, which was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 2003; Changling's En Hall is one of the largest existing nanmu temples in China.
Xu is the eldest daughter. During the Jingnan period, he and his son Zhu Gaochi stood firm in Peiping and organized soldiers, wives and daughters to go to the city to defend it. After she was established as empress, she compiled the "Internal Instructions". She died of illness in 1407, and Chengzu never established another empress.
The monk, whose Buddhist name was Dao Yan, followed King Yan to Peiping, urging him to raise troops and plan strategies. After Chengzu ascended the throne, he was named Guangxiao and granted the title of Crown Prince. He still lived in the Buddhist temple without being granted a house, and presided over the reconstruction of the "Yongle Dadian".
His talent and reputation were unparalleled, and he was appointed to the Wenyuan Pavilion and presided over the compilation of "Yongle Dadian". He was demoted because he was involved in the dispute over the establishment of the crown prince and was jealous of the Han king Zhu Gaoxu. He was sent to Jinyi Guard Prison in 1411 and died in prison in 1415.
My surname is Ma, from Kunyang, Yunnan, and of the Hui ethnic group. Jing Nan made great contributions and was given the surname Zheng. He was appointed as an internal official, eunuch, and eunuch. During the Yongle period, he led fleets on six missions to the West, reaching as far as the coast of East Africa.
The son of Zhang Yu, a famous general in Jingnan. During the Yongle period, he went to Jiaozhi many times, captured the Hu family and his son, and granted him the title of Duke of Ying. He served as an official for four dynasties. In 1449, he went on an expedition with Yingzong and died in Tumubao.
Raise money and food for the Yongle Dynasty's capital move, northern expedition, and voyages to the West. In 1421, he was imprisoned for admonishing and obstructing the Northern Expedition. According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty", Chengzu sighed "Xia Yuanji loves me" before his death. After Renzong ascended the throne, he was released and reinstated.
Haixi Jurchens led fleets to inspect the Nurqian area many times from Yongle to Xuande, appeased local ethnic groups, presided over the construction of Yongning Temple and erected monuments to record events.