Dynasties of ChinaMing dynastyMing dynasty lineage
Wanli · Reign 1572—1620
Ming Dynasty was the longest-reigning emperor. Zhang Juzheng's reforms in the early stage revitalized the country, and he succeeded in three major campaigns after taking office. However, he was idle for a long time, leading to the crisis in Liaodong.
Zhu Yijun is the third son of Muzong, his mother is Li Guifei (the Empress Dowager Cisheng). He ascended the throne at the age of ten in 1572, and was assisted by Litaihou, the eunuch Feng Bao, and the first assistant Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Juzheng ruled the country for ten years. He rectified the official administration with the imperial examination method, cleared all the land in the country, implemented the one-whip method, appointed Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang to guard the north, and appointed Pan Jixun to control the Yellow River. Taicang's grain reserves could once last ten years, and the country regained its strength.
When Zhang Juzheng died in 1582, twenty-year-old Shenzong took charge. He immediately liquidated Zhang Juzheng and confiscated his family. After that, he had a stalemate with the ministers for more than ten years over the establishment of the Crown Prince. He was passive and neglectful in government. He did not go to court for a long time. There were many vacancies in officials but he did not replace them. He also sent eunuchs to act as mine supervisors and tax envoys to plunder everywhere, triggering civil uprisings. On the other hand, he mobilized troops to complete the "Three Wanli Expeditions" in Ningxia, Korea, and Bozhou, maintaining border stability and order in East Asia, but also drained the treasury.
In the late Wanli period, the Donglin Party fought endlessly with the Zhejiang, Chu and Qi parties. Nurhaci, the leader of the Jurchens in Liaodong, established Houjin in 1616. In 1619, the Ming army was defeated in the battle of Saarhu, and the situation in Liaodong took a turn for the worse. Shenzong died of illness in July 1620 and was buried in Dingling. He reigned for forty-eight years and was the longest-reigning emperor in Ming Dynasty.
Shenzong reigned for forty-eight years. In the first ten years, he carried out reforms with the assistance of Zhang Juzheng, and the country recovered for a time; the three major expeditions also showed that Ming Dynasty still had considerable military strength. However, he neglected government for a long time after taking office, opposed the courtiers, allowed party disputes to spread, left unfilled official posts, and sent mining supervisors and tax envoys to plunder people's wealth, which led to political corruption and financial depletion. The situation in Liaodong became increasingly critical. "History of the Ming Dynasty" states that "the Ming Dynasty actually fell in Shenzong." Although this is an exaggeration, it reflects the profound crisis in the late Wanli period.
PoliticsZhang Juzheng serves as first assistant
Shortly after Shenzong came to the throne, the eunuch Feng Bao and Zhang Juzheng joined forces. It is reported that Gao Gong, the chief minister, once said, "How does a ten-year-old Crown Prince rule the world?" They dismissed him on the order of Litaihou. Zhang Juzheng succeeded him as the chief minister and began to preside over the government for ten years.
PoliticsPromote the examination method
Zhang Juzheng implemented the examination method. Each yamen registered the affairs to be handled and set a deadline. The six departments inspected them month by month. The cabinet summarized the results. Those who failed to complete the tasks after the deadline were held accountable. The officialdom's tendency of procrastination and buck-passing was changed.
Science & technology"Compendium of Materia Medica" completed
Li Shizhen, a doctor in Qizhou, Huguang, spent nearly 30 years and compiled the "Compendium of Materia Medica" with reference to more than 800 kinds of literature, including more than 1,800 kinds of medicines and more than 11,000 prescriptions. It was published in Nanjing more than ten years later and is known as the "Jinling Edition".
Lasting legacyThe Jinling version of "Compendium of Materia Medica" was selected into UNESCO's "Memory of the World Register" together with "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine" in 2011.
EconomyQingzhang's acres of land across the country
Zhang Juzheng ordered the land to be cleared across the country and to verify the hidden properties of the powerful as a basis for equalizing taxes and servitude. After the Qing Dynasty, the number of registered acres across the country increased significantly. However, some local officials used small bows to measure for political performance, thus inflating the number of acres.
EconomyOne whip law is implemented nationwide
Land taxes, corvées, and various miscellaneous taxes were combined into one, and they were levied uniformly based on the amount of silver converted into acres of land, and the government paid to hire people to serve. The monetization of taxes and servitude promoted silver to become the main currency in the late Ming Dynasty, and national finance was closely connected with the inflow of overseas silver.
PeopleZhang Juzheng passed away
In June, Zhang Juzheng died of illness and was given the posthumous title Wenzhong of Shangzhu Kingdom. Soon Shenzong began to liquidate under the impeachment of Yan Guan, Feng Bao was expelled, and the Zhang family was confiscated in 1584, and the eldest son Zhang Jingxiu hanged himself. Most of the new policies such as the entrance examination law were abolished, but the one-whip law was retained.
PoliticsLuo Yuren's Four Proverbs
Shenzong used illness as an excuse to become increasingly absent from government affairs. In December, Dali Temple commentator Luo Yuren published "Four Admonitions of Drinking, Sex, Wealth and Qi", which bluntly stated that the emperor was addicted to alcohol, lust, greed for money, and respect for qi. Shenzong was furious and dismissed him from his post to the people. After that, Shenzong did not go to court for a long time.
MilitaryBattle of Ningxia
Ningxia Zhishi's deputy commander Kuai Bai and his son Kuai Cheng'en launched a mutiny, occupied the town of Ningxia, and colluded with the Mongols. The Ming Dynasty mobilized Li Rusong and others to lead an army to besiege the city, divert water from the Yellow River to flood the city, and break the city in September to quell the rebellion. This was the first battle of the "Three Major Conquests of Wanli".
Culture"Journey to the West" published
The earliest existing 100-chapter version of "Journey to the West" was published by Nanjing Shidetang in the 20th year of Wanli. The story of the scriptures in the book originated from Xuan Zang's journey to the west in the Tang Dynasty. The author is generally believed to be Wu Cheng'en from Huai'an, but there is still controversy in the academic circles.
MilitaryBattle of Wanli Korea
Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent troops to invade Korea, and Ming Dynasty was asked to aid Korea. Li Rusong regained Pyongyang in 1593; the Japanese army invaded again in 1597, and the Japanese army retreated after Hideyoshi's death the following year. Ming generals Chen Lin and Deng Zilong and North Korean Yi Sunshin defeated the Japanese army in the Battle of Noryang Sea. Deng Zilong and Yi Sunshin were killed in action.
EconomySweet potato incoming
Chen Zhenlong, a businessman from Changle, Fujian Province, brought back sweet potato vines from Luzon. His son Chen Jinglun petitioned Governor Jin Xuezeng to promote their cultivation. During the disaster years, sweet potatoes saved many hungry people. It is said that Chen Yi, a native of Dongguan, Guangdong, introduced corn from Annan earlier; corn was also introduced to China in the 16th century.
Lasting legacySweet potatoes, corn and other American crops are drought-resistant and barren-resistant, allowing a large amount of mountainous land to be reclaimed, which has profoundly affected population growth and folk diet since the Qing Dynasty.
EconomyDispatch a mine tax envoy
In order to make up for the expenses of the three major levies and the reconstruction of the palace, Shenzong sent eunuchs to serve as mine supervisors and tax envoys to mine and collect taxes in various places, and levied excessive amounts of money. In 1601, Suzhou weavers, led by Ge Cheng, rebelled against the tax supervisor Sun Long, and civil unrest occurred one after another in various places.
Culture"The Peony Pavilion" is released
Tang Xianzu abandoned his official position and returned to his hometown of Linchuan, and wrote the legendary "The Peony Pavilion", which tells the story of Du Liniang's love in a dream, her death for love, and her resurrection. It eulogizes true love with the phrase "love doesn't know where it started, but it goes deeper and deeper". It became very popular after it was published.
Lasting legacy"The Peony Pavilion" is one of the most frequently performed repertoires of Kun Opera. In 2001, Kun Opera was selected into the first batch of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.
MilitaryBattle of Boshu
Yang Yinglong, the chieftain of Bozhou, rebelled and repeatedly defeated the army. In 1600, Governor Li Hualong mobilized more than 200,000 troops to attack in eight directions and broke through Hailongtun where Yang Yinglong was guarding. Yang Yinglong committed suicide. The Ming Dynasty immediately changed the land and returned it to Liu, and established two prefectures, Zunyi and Pingyue.
Lasting legacyThe Hailongtun Site was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2015 as part of the "Tusi Site"; Zunyi Prefecture is the predecessor of Zunyi City in Guizhou.
PeopleLi Madou comes to Beijing
Italian Jesuit Li Madou arrived in Macau in 1582 and went to China to preach. In 1601, he entered Beijing and presented bells, xiqins, etc. to Shenzong, and was allowed to live in Beijing permanently. The following year, he published the "Comprehensive Map of Kunyu and Ten Thousand Kingdoms" in Beijing, and made friends with scholar-bureaucrats such as Xu Guangqi.
Lasting legacyLi Madou died of illness in 1610, and Shenzong was buried outside Fucheng Gate in Beijing. His tomb is still preserved in the Beijing Municipal Party School.
CultureRenovation of Tung Lam Academy
The dismissed officials, such as Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong, gave lectures at the Donglin Academy in Wuxi. They satirized the government and criticized the figures, attracting a large number of scholar-bureaucrats and gradually forming the "Donglin Party" that was opposed to the Zhejiang, Chu and Qi parties.
Lasting legacyThe ruins of Donglin Academy are still in Wuxi, and a couplet written by Gu Xiancheng, "The sound of wind and rain, the sound of reading, can be heard; family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, everything is concerned," a couplet written by Gu Xiancheng is still recited today.
Science & technology"Elements of Geometry" published
Xu Guangqi collaborated with Li Madou and translated the first six volumes of Euclid's Elements based on Clavius's Latin annotated version, which was published in Beijing. This is the first Western mathematical classic translated into Chinese.
Lasting legacyMathematical terms such as "geometry", "point", "line", "parallel line", "right angle" and "acute angle" were determined by this translation and are still used today.
PeopleXu Xiake Rooftop Tour
Xu Xiake, a native of Jiangyin, visited Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang. The opening of "Tiantai Mountain Travel Diary" was written on the dark day of March in the 41st year of Wanli. It is the first chapter of the current "Xu Xiake Travel Diary". He traveled throughout his life to more than twenty provinces today, investigating mountainous landforms and karst caves.
Lasting legacy"Tiantai Mountain Travel Diary" opens on May 19, which has been designated as "China Tourism Day" since 2011.
MilitaryNurhaci Jianhoujin
Nurhaci, the leader of the Jurchens in Jianzhou, unified most of the Jurchens. He was called Khan in Hetuala, the country was named Jin, and it was called Houjin in history. It was the destiny of Jianyuan. In 1618, he pledged his "Seven Great Hatreds" to rebel against the Ming Dynasty and captured Fushun. The war in Liaodong broke out suddenly.
MilitaryBattle of Salhu
Yang Hao, the commander of the Liaodong Economic Strategy, mobilized the Ming army, North Korea, and Ye He reinforcements to attack Hetuala in four directions. Nurhaci concentrated his forces and used the tactics of "I only went one way" to defeat each other in Sarhu and other places. The Ming army was wiped out in three directions, and Liaodong switched from offensive to defensive.
PoliticsDied of illness in Dingling
In July, Shenzong died of illness. He left an edict to abolish the mining tax and issue internal funds to reward the border troops, which was implemented by Guangzong who came to the throne. Shenzong was buried in Dingling Tomb of Tianshou Mountain, together with the two empresses Xiaoduan and Xiaojing.
Lasting legacyDingling Mausoleum was excavated in 1956. It is the only mausoleum among the Thirteen Tombs whose underground palace has been opened. Precious cultural relics such as gold crowns and phoenix crowns were unearthed. However, a large number of silk fabrics were damaged due to insufficient protection conditions.
Shenzong’s biological mother is a devout Buddhist. After Shenzong came to the throne at a young age, she strictly disciplined him and fully supported Zhang Juzheng's governance. She stood on the side of her eldest son Zhu Changluo in the Guobin dispute and played an important role in opposing Chu.
A native of Jiangling, Huguang, he presided over the government for ten years. He implemented the imperial examination law, the clearing of land, the one-whip law, and the rectification of border defenses, which was known as the "Wanli New Deal" in history. After his death, his family was liquidated and his family was confiscated, and he was rehabilitated during the reign of Tianqi.
Gong calligraphy, Tongyin rhythm. In the early years of Wanli, he cooperated with Zhang Juzheng internally and externally to supervise Shenzong's studies. After Zhang Juzheng's death, he was expelled to Nanjing to live at leisure, and his family property was confiscated.
He guarded Liaodong for nearly thirty years, repeatedly defeated the Mongolian and Jurchen tribes, and made outstanding military exploits. In his later years, he developed a self-respect for the bandits, and later generations believe that he was partly responsible for the rise of Nurhaci.
The eldest son of Li Chengliang first put down the Kuaibai rebellion in Ningxia, and then led the army to aid the DPRK as the admiral of the Eastern Expedition, conquering Pyongyang in 1593. He was killed in battle with Mongolia in Liaodong in 1598.
He was dismissed from his post because he would push cabinet ministers and disobey the imperial decree. He returned to Wuxi and gave lectures at Donglin Academy with Gao Panlong and others. He satirized the government and judged people. He was regarded as the leader of the Donglin Party.
The Italians adopted a missionary approach that respected Confucian etiquette and customs, wore Confucian clothes, learned Chinese, and made friends with scholar-bureaucrats. He was a pioneer in cultural exchanges between China and the West by compiling and drawing "The Complete Map of Kunyu and All Nations" and co-translating "Elements of Geometry" with Xu Guangqi.
A native of Qizhou, Huguang, he concentrated on medicine after failing the imperial examination. He once worked in Taiyuan Hospital and spent nearly thirty years writing "Compendium of Materia Medica". He did not see the complete book published during his lifetime.
According to legend, the leader of the Jurchens in Jianzhou raised an army with his father's 13th lieutenant, unified all Jurchen tribes, established the Eight Banners system, established the Later Jin Dynasty in 1616, and defeated the Ming army in Sarhu in 1619.