Dynasties of ChinaMing dynastyMing dynasty lineage
Xuande · Reign 1425—1435
The leader of Shoucheng, who was both civil and military, put down the rebellion of the Han Dynasty and abandoned Jiaozhi. Together with Renzong, he was called the "Rule of Renxuan" and started the eunuch study.
Zhu Zhanji was the eldest son of Renzong. He was deeply loved by his grandfather Chengzu since he was a child. He was established as the emperor's grandson in 1411 and accompanied Chengzu on many northern expeditions. He ascended the throne in 1425. The following year, the Han king Zhu Gaoxu launched an army to rebel. He personally conquered Le'an and forced Zhu Gaoxu to surrender. He continued to rely heavily on San Yang, Jian Yi, and Xia Yuanji, and sent Kuang Zhong, Zhou Chen, and others to rectify the administration and taxation of Jiangnan. The political situation was stable and the social economy developed steadily. Together with Renzong, the dynasty was called "the rule of Renxuan."
Xuanzong was a master of calligraphy and painting, and his works such as "The Picture of Wu Hou Lying High" have been handed down from generation to generation. According to legend, he was also aggressive with crickets. He gave up the uncontrollable Jiaozhi and ordered Zheng He to make his seventh voyage to the West. He also set up an internal library to teach eunuchs to read and write. This led to the formation of the system of "praising reds" for the emperor on behalf of the emperor, which paved the way for the eunuchs to have exclusive power in the future. He died of illness in the Qianqing Palace in the first month of 1435, and the nine-year-old Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen came to the throne.
Xuanzong inherited Renzong's lenient government, appointed wise ministers, made the administration more clear, and restored social and economic development. This was a period when Ming Dynasty's national power was relatively stable. However, he gave up Jiaozhi, stopped long-distance voyages, and became more restrained in his external affairs. He set up an internal library to make the eunuchs proficient in literature and participate in criticizing celebrities, which became the institutional root of King Zhen's autocratic power in the Yingzong Dynasty.
PoliticsEstablished as the grandson of the emperor
Chengzu established Zhu Zhanji as the grandson of the emperor, ordered Confucian officials to teach him, and took him with the army to the north for many times to observe battle formations. His love for his eldest grandson was also an important reason why Chengzu ultimately maintained his status as Zhu Gaochi Crown Prince.
MilitaryPut down the rebellion of Han Dynasty
In August, the Han king Zhu Gaoxu raised troops in his fiefdom of Le'an, intending to imitate Chengzu and seize the throne. Xuanzong adopted Yang Rong's suggestion and led a personal expedition. The army pressed on the territory. Zhu Gaoxu's people rebelled against his relatives and left the city. They surrendered and were deposed as commoners. Later, they were executed together with the other disciples.
PoliticsBuilt-in library
An internal study hall was set up in the palace, and young eunuchs were selected to enroll in the palace and taught by Hanlin officials. From then on, the eunuchs became proficient in writing. The eunuchs and eunuchs who were responsible for the rituals used red pen to comment on memorials on behalf of the emperor in accordance with the cabinet vote, which was called "praising red", which provided conditions for later eunuchs to participate in politics.
CultureXuande porcelain and Xuande furnace
The Xuande blue and white porcelain produced by the Jingdezhen Imperial Ware Factory uses imported blue materials and has a rich and vivid color. It is regarded as a model of blue and white porcelain by later generations. It is said that during the Xuande period, copper materials sent as tribute from Siam were used to cast incense burners, which were called "Xuande burners". However, most of those handed down are imitations from later generations.
MilitaryGive up Cochin
Li Li in Jiaozhi raised troops to rebel against the Ming Dynasty. Liu Sheng, the leader of the Ming reinforcements, died in an ambush on the fallen horse slope. Wang Tong, the commander-in-chief, negotiated peace with Li Li. Xuanzong adopted the opinions of Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong and issued an edict to withdraw his troops. The following year, Li Li established the Later Li Dynasty.
Lasting legacyHoan Kiem Lake in the center of Hanoi, Vietnam, is named after the legend that Le Lide resisted the Ming Dynasty with his divine sword and later returned the sword to the divine turtle.
EconomySet up banknote checkpoint
In order to collect the increasingly devalued Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes, banknote checkpoints were set up in Linqing, Huai'an, Yangzhou and other important places along the Grand Canal, and ship material banknotes were collected according to the size of the ships. The bank later switched to silver, which became an important source of Ming Dynasty's commercial taxes.
Lasting legacyThe old site of the Grand Canal Pass in Linqing, Shandong Province is still preserved and is one of the heritage sites of China's Grand Canal that was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 2014.
PoliticsKuang Zhong and Zhou Chen governed Jiangnan
Kuang Zhong and other nine officials were selected as magistrates of Suzhou and other important prefectures, and were given imperial edicts to directly carry out affairs. In the same year, Zhou Chen inspected the south of the Yangtze River as the minister of the Ministry of Industry and was the governor of tax and grain. He cooperated with Kuang Zhong to reduce Su Song's heavy taxes and rectify the long-standing deficiencies in water transportation.
PeopleZheng He's seventh voyage to the West
Because the tribute from overseas countries was dwindling, Xuanzong ordered Zheng He to sail to the West again. The fleet visited more than 20 countries such as Champa, Java, Guri, and Khrumos, and the fleet went as far as Tianfang (Mecca). It is said that Zheng He died in Guli on his way back, and Ming Dynasty never organized a large-scale voyage after that.
PoliticsPassed away entrusting the heir
He died of illness on the third day of the first lunar month, and the nine-year-old Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen came to the throne. The new monarch is young, and the Empress Dowager Zhang and ministers such as Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Yang Pu preside over the government.
He was a Jinshi in the second year of Jianwen, and was one of the first batch to enter the cabinet during the Chengzu period. He was famous for his knowledge of border affairs and decisiveness in making decisions. Together with Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu, he was also known as the "Three Yangs". It was his suggestion that Xuanzong personally conquered the King of Han.
He served as an official in the five dynasties from Hongwu to Xuande, and was in charge of the civil service for more than thirty years. He was a generous man and familiar with regulations. Together with Xia Yuanji, he was a veteran minister who relied heavily on Ren and Xuan dynasties.
He started as a minor official and became the prefect of Suzhou in 1430. He eliminated long-standing abuses, cracked down on tyrants and cunning, and reduced taxes and grain. After serving for thirteen years, he was known as "Kang Qingtian" among the people.
He had been governor of the south of the Yangtze River for more than 20 years. He implemented the square meter law, built warehouses for farmers, reformed the shortcomings of tax and grain collection and transportation, and reduced the burden on the people in Susong area. He was a famous financial minister in the Ming Dynasty.