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Chapter 211 The Great Prosperity of the Ming Dynasty

The prosperity of Yongxuan refers to the prosperity of Yongle and the rule of Renxuan in the early dynasty, also known as "the prosperity of Yonghong Xuan", which is one of the five great prosperity in Chinese history.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, leveled the heroes, expelled the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty from the north of the Great Wall, and ruled the world.

After three generations of Yongle, Hongxi, and Xuande made great efforts to govern, it created a prosperous situation for 33 years (1403-1435), and the rule of the Ming Dynasty entered its heyday.

Zhu Di, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, made five expeditions to Mongolia in the north and Annan in the south, which led Zheng He to sail to the west to promote the country's prestige and bring all nations to the dynasty, which showed the endless momentum of the vigorous advancement of the Ming Dynasty.

During the Yongle period, the imperial court organized and compiled a large series of books "Yongle Canon", which systematically organized and summarized the traditional culture of the Chinese nation on an unprecedented scale; Commerce and handicrafts developed, prospered and prospered one after another.

Later, Ming Renzong and Ming Xuanzong adhered to the policy of success, devoted themselves to political stability and economic development, and adopted the policy of recuperating and recuperating to govern the country. The officials were clear, the economy developed, and the society was stable.

In the Ming Dynasty, the northwest was controlled to the desert; the southwest was changed to the system of cloud, Gui, and Sichuan chieftains, and belonged to the central government; the northeast reached the Xing'an Mountains and the bank of Heilongjiang, and guard stations were widely set up; .

The national power of Ming Dynasty reached its peak.This period is called "Yongxuan Shengshi" in history.

During the Yongle, Hongxi, and Xuande years of the Ming Dynasty, the northwest was controlled from Damoji; They all belong to the country, pay tribute every year, and come to the court every year.

Ming Yongle years.Commercial and handicraft industries in Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Guangzhou, Foshan, and a number of coastal and riverside cities developed, prospered, and prospered one after another.What's more, Yongle was courageous and insightful, and sent a huge fleet. Zheng He led the first voyage to the South China Sea, as far as Africa, seven times before and after.

This move is a creation move that shakes the world.It shows the endless momentum of the vigorous advancement of the Ming Dynasty.

During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court organized the compilation of a large series of books "Yongle Dadian", which organized a large-scale and systematic reorganization of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation on an unprecedented scale.

During the 33 years of Ming Yongxuan's prosperity, the rule of the Ming Dynasty entered its heyday.

After Ming Chengzu Zhu Di seized the throne, he decided to move the capital to Beijing, and began to build the Forbidden City Palace, which was completed in the 18th year of Yongle (1420).In the 19th year of Yongle (1421), Zhu Di officially moved the capital of the Ming Dynasty to Beijing.

Since then, Beijing has been the political center of China.

Ming Renzong took one of the most drastic measures in reversing his father's policy, which was to move the capital back to Nanjing.The move is said to have been strongly demanded by Xia Yuanji and other senior court officials as part of a strategy to divert resources away from the northern border.

Ming Renzong obviously had this intention since he came to the throne; at this time, he had set up a garrison in Nanjing and sent his trusted generals and eunuchs to command it.Ming Renzong was not interested in Ming Chengzu's Northern Expedition, nor did he like Beijing; in addition, he had served as a supervisor in Nanjing, was familiar with the situation in Nanjing, and felt more comfortable there.

In addition, he was also concerned about the cost of maintaining the northern capital, which not only greatly increased the burden on southeast China, but also made it difficult for various government departments to cope.

On April 1425th in the first year of Hongxi ([-]), he appointed all government departments in Beijing as his presence.

Half a month later, he sent Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji to Nanjing to pay homage to Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial mausoleum, and stayed there to take charge.Despite reports of earthquakes in the Nanking area, the emperor's return and his court's southward relocation was imperative.

However, Zhu Gaochi died before carrying out this action.In addition, his successor, Ming Xuanzong, who was closer to Ming Chengzu and less distasteful of policies favoring the north, did not participate in this plan.Beijing is still the capital, and Nanjing has become an auxiliary capital.

The official system of the Ming Dynasty, the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty

During the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, since the prime minister system was abolished, the emperor directly led the six ministries, and the emperor had to deal with everything in person, so the emperor had to work very hard.

During the period of Ming Chengzu, the civil service system was perfected, and the rudiment of the later cabinet system gradually formed in the imperial court.This cabinet system was later emulated by Western countries and continued into the 21st century.

After Zhu Di's death, Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi and Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji adopted the policies of cabinet scholars Yang Shiqi, Yang Pu, Yang Rong (Three Yangs), Xia Yuanji, and Jian Yi's policy of loosely governing the country and suspending troops to support the people, making them reign The period (1424-1435) became a rare era in the history of the Ming Dynasty with clear officials, economic development, and social stability.

Ming Renzong began his work of organizing the new government by reorganizing the cabinet, conferring dignitary status on some of his confidants, and filling the administrative bureau with famous Hanlin scholars and capable officials.Among his newly appointed officials, many had served him when he was regency in Nanjing or Peking, and some had supported him in his disagreements with Ming Chengzu, and were punished for this.

During the Renxuan period, the law on the selection of scholars through imperial examinations was reformed, the system of appointing and inspecting officials was strictly controlled, eunuchs were strictly controlled, corrupt officials were cracked down, and officials were clean.

In terms of the employment system, it also changed the phenomenon of the previous dynasty's emphasis on Jinshi and rejection of officials, and insisted on appointing people on their merits and talents.At the same time, starting from Mingrenzong, a governor system was established to strengthen the supervision of local officials.

Through a series of crackdowns, the phenomenon of corruption and bribery has gradually decreased.Zhao Yi's "Twenty-two Histories Notes" stated: "Those who obey the order are all impure and love the people, and their ears are open to Qing discussions."
Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty had a few famous sayings, one of which was "it is better to save trouble than a provincial official".A certain governor requested to add an official from the Chief Commissioner's Department who would specialize in food administration in the Hangjiahu area.

Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty believed that the country's taxes had a constant amount, and redundant officials could not be supported, so he rejected his request.There is also a saying that "safety for the people is a blessing".Because a Minister of the Ministry of Industry proposed to build the pagoda of Yuanguo Temple in Shanxi to seek blessings for the country, but Zhu Zhanji believed that the stability of the people is the blessing of the country, and there is no need to use the pagoda to "seek blessings", so he reprimanded him.

In July of the first year of Yongle (1403), Ming Chengzu Zhu Di ordered Xie Jin, Yao Guangxiao, Wang Jing, Zou Ji and others to compile large-scale catalogs. In November of the second year of Yongle (1404), they compiled the "Document Dacheng", namely "Yongle Dadian".

"Yongle Dadian" is a large-scale catalog compiled in ancient China. The books included in "Yongle Dadian" have not been deleted or changed. It is a precious cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. It was the largest encyclopedia in ancient China and the largest in the world at that time. The encyclopedia is more than 300 years earlier than the "Encyclopaedia Britannica" and "Encyclopedia de France" published in the middle of the eighteenth century.

In terms of ideology, Ming Renzong advocated Confucianism and praised loyalty and filial piety. During his reign, Confucianism was fully developed. Ming Renzong also built a Hongwen Museum outside the Sishan Gate in the capital, and often discussed classics and history with Confucian officials all day long.

Ming Renzong was very good at accepting advice. He once gave Yang Shiqi and others a small seal to encourage them to give advice. Therefore, the politics of the Hongxi Dynasty was very clear, courtiers could express their opinions, and the emperor could choose what was good.Ming Renzong didn't love women in the harem, except for the empress Zhang, there was only Concubine Tan.

Empress Zhang was very virtuous and respected and loved Ming Renzong; Concubine Tan was also a virtuous wife who hanged herself after the death of Ming Renzong and was posthumously named Concubine Zhaorong Gongxi Shun.

Ming Renzong also made important contributions to the imperial examination system. At that time, because the southerners were smart and hardworking, most of the Jinshi were southerners, but the northerners were simple in nature and loyal, and they were also an indispensable pillar of the royal family. However, the northerners were outstanding in literary talent In order to ensure that northerners can pass the Jinshi examination, Emperor Renzong of the Ming Dynasty stipulated the ratio of "sixty in the south and forty in the north". This system was continued until the Qing Dynasty.

The cause of book culture developed rapidly.In the eighth year of Xuande (1433), Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty ordered Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong to select 10 people who could write books in the pavilion, and took copies of the Five Classics, Shuoyuan, etc., and stored them in Guanghan, the Second Hall of Qing Dynasty and Qionghua Island, for sightseeing.

The "Tongji Library" and "Huangshisheng" were also built to store ancient books and archives.The cabinet has a collection of more than 2 books, nearly one million volumes.Printed copies accounted for [-]% and manuscripts accounted for [-]%.It is said in history that "when it is time, the classics are the most prosperous", "benevolence and Xuan are the two masters, the world is peaceful, and the cultural relics are prosperous".

During Zhu Di's reign, the military organization experienced four major changes in the structure of the armed forces.The first change is the removal of guards.The second change was to transfer most of the Jingwei stationed in Nanjing to the north and raise some northern troops to pro-army status, which made the Jingwei stationed in Beijing the largest force in the empire.

The third is to set up a battalion in the capital, through which soldiers regularly rotate from local troops to serve in the border defense line or conduct campaigns, and practice and train in the battalion.A fourth major change included towns organizing frontier defenses along the Great Wall; this measure was part of Emperor Yongle's new strategy against nomadic invaders north of this border.

When requisitioning supplies, they extorted excessively from the people of Li.They illegally used soldiers as their personal servants, misappropriated their pay and rations, and withheld their winter clothes.

Such illegal extortion and harsh treatment undermined the morale of soldiers and encouraged desertion, which in turn undermined the entire military organization and seriously reduced the combat effectiveness of troops.

In order to eliminate these ills and restore the discipline of the military organization, Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty sent batches of inspectors from the first year of Xuande (1426) to the third year (1428) to inspect and improve the military situation in various provinces.One of the purposes of these investigations is to go through the rosters of troops to determine the actual number of soldiers and the required pay and rations in each military unit, thereby eliminating major sources of corruption.This kind of task is called the Qing army, and it has since become a normal task for the censors.

In addition, Ming Xuanzong promulgated new regulations on conscription and seizure of deserters in the third year of Xuande (1428), and the clauses were increased from 8 to 19; Clause 1429.

In the same year, in order to show his concern for the military and improve the morale of the army, he held one of the dynasty's most memorable public military inspections outside Beijing.The troops under training in the capital regularly accompanied Yujia to patrol the northern border and conduct large-scale hunting activities.

After Ming Xuanzong ascended the throne, the biggest problem facing Ming Xuanzong was the issue of the foreign vassals left by Zhu Yuanzhang.This problem was not fundamentally resolved in the Jianwen, Yongle, and Hongxi dynasties.

After Ming Xuanzong came to the throne, he immediately started to rectify military affairs, preparing to meet the challenge from the powerful vassal.His uncle Zhu Gaoxu made great achievements in the battle of Jingnan and was good at leading troops. After the Yongle Dynasty was sealed in Le'an, he never gave up his ambition to seize power by force. Finally, when the opportunity came, Zhu Gaochi died of illness.

Ming Xuanzong came to the throne, the country was in turmoil, and the emperor was young. It was a good time to rebel, so after careful preparation, he also raised the banner of "Qing Emperor's Side" like his father Zhu Di. However, the rebels did not last long before they were defeated by Ming Xuanzong. Defeated, after the victorious division returned to Beijing, Ming Xuanzong immediately summoned another emperor's uncle Zhu Gaosui, suggesting that he surrender military power.

Zhu Gaosui did not resist, and obediently handed over the three guards and horses. In this way, the problem of the vassal king for nearly half a century in the early Ming Dynasty was finally resolved in the Xuande Dynasty.

Afterwards, Zhu Gaoxu, the king of Han, and Zhu Gaosui, the king of Zhao, never gave up the idea of ​​fighting for the throne, threatening the stability of society at all times.Faced with how to quell Zhu Gaoxu's rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty decided to conquer himself.

The news of the emperor's personal conquest greatly encouraged the soldiers of the Six Armies, quickly calmed down the hearts of the people, and eased the turbulent situation.Afterwards, the threats of King Han and King Zhao were removed, which ensured political stability and social stability, and provided a necessary opportunity for the steady and smooth development of the Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty was worried that the Hu people would invade the frontier when the autumn was high and the horses were fat, so he rectified his troops and stationed at Xifengkou to wait for the enemy.The guard reported that Wu Liangha led ten thousand iron cavalry to harass the frontier, and Ming Xuanzong selected three thousand iron cavalry to gallop there.When the enemy saw the army coming from a distance, they thought they were soldiers guarding the frontier, so they fought with the whole army.

Zhu Zhanji ordered the cavalry to be divided into two groups to attack the enemy, and personally shot and killed the enemy vanguard, killing three people.The two wings flew like clouds, and the enemy dared not advance.Then, Zhu Zhanji ordered to fire the magic gun continuously. Most of the enemy soldiers were killed and injured, and the rest fled.Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty drove forward with hundreds of cavalry. When the enemy saw the Yellow Dragon Banner, they knew that it was the emperor himself.

Li Li, a native of Annan, rebelled and defeated the official army many times.Li Li asked the court for instructions to re-establish the Chen family as King Annan.Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty thought that the country was exhausted and the expedition was useless, so he agreed to him, canonized Chen Hao as the king of Annan, and stopped recruiting soldiers from the south.

Later, Li Li usurped Chen Hao's position and made himself king.Send people into the court to pay tribute to apologize, and ask the emperor to canonize his officials.Someone asked the emperor to crusade against Li Li, but Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty refused, and Li Li was canonized as the king of Annan.

The Annan Kingdom is also the Jiaozhi Kingdom, and since then it has paid tribute continuously.

During Ming Renzong's reign, he was content to let capable military generals guard the northern outposts against the invasion of the Eastern Mongols, and continued to maintain tribute relations with Central Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

But his main concern is Annan, although Annan has been merged for several years, but still not settled down.He longed for peace and proposed to recognize Le Loi's regime whenever possible; but because the time was not ripe for doing so, he continued to implement his father Zhu Di's policy of luring Le Loi to surrender.He concluded that Huang Fu was too cautious to continue to serve as the municipal inspector in Annan, so he replaced him with Rong Changbo Chen Zhi.

However, the Ming army was not strengthened, and this situation remained unchanged in the last years of Hongxi.Historians believe that the recall of Huang Fu was the main reason for China's failure in Annan, and that Huang Fu was appointed over the emperor, because Huang Fu had extensive experience in local administration and was respected by the local people.

Emperor Renzong of the Ming Dynasty adopted Xia Yuanji's suggestion, canceled Zheng He's scheduled sea voyage, canceled the tea and horse trade on the border, and stopped sending missions to Yunnan and Jiaozhi (Annan) to purchase gold and pearls.

Soon after Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty ascended the throne, dozens of countries around the Ming Dynasty, including Hami Huihui, Manasardin, Champa, Ryukyu Zhongshan, and Java, came to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, almost every year.

When Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty continued his father’s shrinking policy, he only maintained routine contacts with the countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia that regularly came to pay tribute during Zhu Di’s period. Official monopoly of all foreign trade.These unrealistic bans failed because of insurmountable difficulties in enforcing them.

During the prosperous period of Yongxuan, a large-scale soil flow was carried out in the southwestern part of Sichuan, the entire territory of Guizhou, northern Guangxi, eastern Yunnan (the western part of Yunnan was the Nanzhao Kingdom in history), and the chieftain system in western Huguang. , Reforming the land and returning it to the local people, and expanding the farming area of ​​the country.According to the 77th volume of "History of the Ming Dynasty", at the beginning of Yongle, the number of guards was changed.

For dangerous places near the border, remote places, places where food transportation is difficult, where there are hundreds of soldiers and civilians, one hundred households shall be appointed; for three hundred soldiers, one thousand households shall be appointed; for five hundred or more troops, commanders and admirals shall be appointed." Reclamation of wasteland is tight and will never be done. This is an exceptional and preferential way to encourage people to turn to the southwest to farm and reclaim wasteland in the absence of war in a peaceful environment.

Those who actively participate in farming and land reclamation will receive special care and preferential treatment both politically and economically.There has been a scene of prosperity, living and working in peace and prosperity, where the army is stationed in the fields and the people are happy to work.During this period, the development of Southwest China (Yelang) surpassed any period in history.

"History of the Ming Dynasty" called the rule of benevolence and propaganda as: "Officials are competent, politics is clean, discipline is strict, warehouses are always full, people live and work in peace and contentment, and there is no harm in disasters. Stretching, the entire dynasty is also flourishing and peaceful."

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