Video Clip: Top 10 Women in Power

The third important domestic development of the Xuande period was the reorganization of finances and relief measures, especially in the lower Yangtze prefectures such as Suzhou and Songjiang.

As mentioned earlier, these provinces are heavily taxed.Emperor Hongwu, who intended to impose punitive taxes in this area, later ordered a reduction;

在永乐20年（1422年）至1428年期间，松江欠税每年高达几百万担。朱瞻基的北京朝廷既依靠田赋作为岁入，又依靠从长江流域运送的粮食来供养北京。这些运送的粮食宣德元年（1426年）估计达239万担。

Exactly two years later, grain shipments more than doubled to 548 million dan.Therefore, the tax arrears and the flight of farmers that have caused the reduction of production in this extremely important region have become a major issue of increasing concern.

The introduction of various tax breaks and exemptions in these provinces has a dual purpose: to keep revenue flowing into the treasury and grain to Beijing.They were also based on the belief that the wealth of an empire depended on the abundance of its agricultural population.

The report of the imperial envoy Zhou Gan made Zhu Zhanji have a clear understanding of the seriousness of the tax burden in the Yangtze River Delta region. Zhou Gan was ordered to investigate the financial situation there.His August Memorial of the first year of Xuande (1426) described the flight of peasants, excessive tax arrears, and the resulting serious impact on local residents and tax collection.

He proposed to reduce the tax share of official land, eliminate the corruption of tax collectors, and eliminate the maladministration of local officials.He asked the court to appoint capable officials to manage the financial affairs of these prefectures, and to send special envoys to supervise their work.

Zhu Zhanji's attention was attracted by this situation, and the court discussed it; the bachelor supported the tax cut, but the household officials opposed it because they were worried about the impact of the tax cut.

Ming Xuanzong's patrol is also called Ming Xuanzong's border patrol. One of them, Zhu Zhanji drove forward with hundreds of cavalry. When the enemy saw the Yellow Dragon Banner, they knew that it was the emperor's personal conquest. The people were bound and captured, and they returned in a big victory.

In the era of Ming Chengzu, patrolling the border was, in a sense, synonymous with the Northern Expedition.But in the Ming Xuanzong era, patrolling the border was just patrolling the border. "The policy implemented by the great Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, that is, to support the young and developing Oirat forces in order to overthrow the Kublai Khan family, only came into effect after his death.

Since Renzong was not diligent and far-reaching, Xuanzong inherited it. "Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty patrolled and hoped to end the peace between the border masters. The leader of Tuohuan seized the opportunity. In the fifth year of Xuande, the leader of Oiratia, Tuohuan, secretly sent Mike Ling tribe to welcome Tuo Tuobuhua. In the eighth year of Xuande, Tuohuan was made a great khan.

In the name of Tuotuobuhuahan, Tuohuan unified the troops of King Anle, King Xianyi, and King Hening, and married King Zhongshun, gradually eroding the borders of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zhanji tried to clean up the corruption of the military in order to vigorously establish civilian rule.In previous campaigns, corrupt military officers only mobilized the poor and sold exemption coupons to the rich, and extorted excessively from the Li people when requisitioning supplies.

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, Zhu Zhanji sent groups 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 privates 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, Zhu Zhanji promulgated new regulations on conscription and seizure of deserters in the third year of Xuande (1428).

Despite this focus, military organizations continue to suffer from mismanagement, declining morale and lack of combat effectiveness.The root cause seems to be the failure of the military settlements to provide food for the troops and various abnormalities in the hereditary military system.

The army no longer goes to war as often as it did in Emperor Yong Le's time, and has very little combat experience.Zhu Zhanji always treats criminal officers leniently, which is a factor that contributes to the above common problems.

They lack education, he asserts, so that they cannot be measured by normal standards.The survivors of the sixth generation of Fen, the six emperors of the early Ming Dynasty judged by Qing Taizu's Northern Expedition, Qing Taizong's Northern Expedition, Qing Shizu's Northern Expedition, and Qing Shengzu's Northern Expedition, Zhu Zhanji was quite at the stage of Qing Shizong's pacification of the Heshuote tribe, but " "Good Grandson" did not have a more outstanding performance.

At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty not only sent envoys to Egypt for cultural exchanges between China and the West, but also sent imperial envoys to the Arabian Manchu (Mecca) government to hire experts skilled in history to translate the scientific works of the Centennial Arabian Translation Movement.

Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty further established trade and cultural exchange centers such as the Jiugang Xuanweisi, Manlajiawaifu, Sumatra Official Factory, Chadi Port Branch Office, and Guli Official Factory.

Since Renzong was not diligent and far-reaching, Xuanzong inherited it. "The sea sails of cultural exchanges in the Xuande Dynasty no longer sailed far. From the perspective of cultural exchanges, the sea ban policy also brought a lot of regrets. It made the Ming Dynasty a unique civilization.

If there were no maritime embargo policy and the decline of Chinese navigation, then the initial contact between Chinese and European colonists would probably be in the Indian Ocean rather than Southeast Asia.

If this is the case, then the initial fusion of the Far East and Western European cultural circles may have a different look.If the outpost of Chinese contact with European colonists is far away in the Indian Ocean, then the Chinese are undoubtedly more calm.

Zhu Zhanji is elegant and respectful of calligraphy.You are especially good at painting landscapes, figures, animals, flowers and birds, grass and insects, etc.Calligraphy and painting works are presented as books to important ministers, with the date and name of the recipient, and the seals of "Guangyunzhibao", "Wuyingdianbao" and "Yongxi Shiren".During his 10 years in power, he followed the advice of cabinet ministers Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong and stopped using troops to fight.

He paid attention to rectifying the administration of officials and finances, implemented measures of lenient government, strictly controlled eunuchs, and reformed the imperial examination system, which was known as "the rule of benevolence and publicity" in history.

The cause of book culture developed rapidly.In the eighth year of Xuande (1433), he ordered Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong to select 10 people who were able to 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 respectively. 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"
Soon after Zhu Zhanji 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.

Although the Ming Dynasty was often harassed by Mongolian tribes in the past few decades, the northern border during Zhu Zhanji's reign was relatively peaceful.

This temporary calm came about because Arutai's undisputed leadership of the Eastern Mongols had been undermined by Emperor Yongle's ruthless crusades.

As a result, there was a serious rivalry among the tribal leaders.By the time of Zhu Di's death, Alutai had been in decline, because the revitalized Oirats under the leadership of Tuo Huan repeatedly invaded his territory, forcing him to move eastward.In this way, the Mongolian alliance was divided into two: Alutai led the Eastern Mongols, and Tuohuan led the Oala tribes in the west.

The war continued between the two sides.Arutai's leadership was also challenged by the Mongols of Ulianghati Gewei under his control.

During the reign of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, Arutai sent missions to pay tribute to Beijing every year, and the Chinese gave back with precious silk, satin and other gifts.The Ming court hoped that Wala could get help from it in case of an attack, but Alutai was too weak to be a strong ally.

Inspired by Alutai's incompetence, the Ulianghati Mongols threatened the Chinese border from time to time.In October of the third year of Xuande (1428), when this group attacked Chinese territory, it happened that the emperor led 3 cavalry to inspect the border and repelled the invaders himself.

Later, some changes were made to the border defense.To the south of the strategically important Kaipingwei, the Chinese army under the leadership of General Xue Lu built fortifications in some cities.

After the fortifications were completed in May of the fifth year of Xuande (1430), Xue Lu suggested concentrating border defense here and abandoning the frontier garrison area in Kaiping in order to shorten the supply line.This decision was later recognized as a serious strategic error, as it exposed hundreds of miles to the Mongols while confining the Chinese forces, making them increasingly defensive.

Meanwhile in the west, Wala was already strong and defeated Arutai in the sixth year of Xuande (1431).This incident prompted Ulianghati to rebel again, but without success.

In the Battle of Muna Mountain in September of the ninth year of Xuande (1434), the Wala tribe under the leadership of Tuo Huan defeated Arutai and killed him.The Oirats became indisputably the dominant power in Mongolia.After this victory, Tuo Huan maintained a friendly relationship with the Ming court.The situation changed completely when his ambitious son Yeh (died 1455) first succeeded the Oirat leadership and immediately attempted to establish Oirat hegemony in the Mongol hinterland.

During Zhu Zhanji's reign, the Ming court tried to improve relations with Japan.Zhu Zhanji resumed official relations with Japan, which had been at a freezing point during Zhu Di's time due to the hostility of Japanese general Ashikaga Yoshihisa.In the first year of Xuande (1426) and the second year (1427), Zhu Zhanji unilaterally canceled the agreement on paying tribute to the mission in the second year of Yongle (1404) in order to improve relations.He increased the number of ships and men permitted to trade in China.But Ashikaga continued to block any agreement.

These reciprocal activities restored official relations between China and Japan, which, although occasionally broken, lasted until the 28th year of Jiajing (1549).The reason is that both parties are planning for their own interests.

The shogun and his successors were willing to cooperate because the Japanese were keen to trade under the new and more favorable system and reaped huge profits.The Ming court hoped to obtain the general's help in suppressing the Japanese pirates.Ming Ting believes that they failed to achieve their goals because the other party responded half-heartedly to their generosity.But in fact the general has very little control over the pirates.

During these temperate relations there was briefly a resumption of emperor-sponsored sea voyages.

In June of the fifth year of Xuande (1430), Zhu Zhanji ordered Zheng He to command the seventh and last Nanyang voyage.The regrouped fleet did not leave Fujian until a year and a half later.According to the emperor's vision, their mission was to restore the tribute relationship promoted by Zhu Di.The fleet revisited about 7 countries along familiar routes, sailing as far as the Arabian Peninsula and the coast of Northeast Africa.

The reason why Zhu Zhanji resumed and then interrupted Zheng He's voyage is still unclear.Various explanations have been offered for this: the massive depletion of state resources, the effective opposition of Yang Shiqi and Xia Yuanji, the increasing concern for the defense of the northern frontier, the decline of Ming naval power after the death of Emperor Yongle.

A combination of these factors must have contributed to this result.Obviously, when Zhu Zhanji ordered to resume the voyage, he ignored the opposition of the court.The purpose of making this decision shortly after the death of Yang Shiqi, who opposed the voyage most fiercely, may be to offset the impact of the defeat in Annan and restore China's prestige among the tribute-paying vassal states.

But the opposition to these ventures persisted, and his subsequent emperors did not seriously consider further voyages.

While the Ming court had good reason to suspend overseas expansion, the impact was far-reaching.This decision severely affected the strength and morale of the naval establishment and weakened its coastal defenses.This in turn contributed to further plunder by Japanese pirates over the next century.

Finally, the Ming retreat from the Indian and South Seas cut China off from the rest of the world, just as European powers were beginning to move into the Indian Ocean.Zhu Zhanji's reign marked not only the end of China's dominance of European waters but the beginning of the Ming Empire's isolation from international affairs.

Hamiwei was established by Emperor Yongle as the adopted son of Mongolia, and his status was compared to that of a "virtual prince". As the intelligence center of the Ming Dynasty, his status was very important.On the first day of the seventh month in the fifth year of Yongle, Renzi, Zhu Di ordered Song Sheng to send five hundred or one thousand soldiers, and selected talented generals to lead them to Hami.

On October 22, the second year of Xuande, Bingzi, Liangzhouwei, Yongchangwei, and Shandanwei Tutar officers and soldiers, and the [-] people who lived in Hami, including Luohala, all wanted to return. Go to the capital to work in the capital'.

Li Xin and Lin Chunwei, the internal officials, were dispatched to order that Hami Zhongshun Wang Buluo lost his way, and Zhongyi Wang's younger brother Tuohuan Timur, "I will be sent here."On April 26th of the fifth year of Xuande, King Zhongyi begged for his nephew Zhongshun Wang Bu Dashili to marry Nuwen Dashili. On the same day, King Tuohuan of Wala Shunning also asked for bows and knives. Fate with him.

At that time, Ming Xuanzong had no intention of sending troops, so he let it go.

Zhu Zhanji's response to reports of drought, floods and locust infestations affecting much of China was swift.Within the scope of the normal system, he adopted various disaster relief measures for the disaster-stricken areas, such as tax exemption for one to two years, reduction of land tax by [-]-[-]%, and distribution of free food and other daily necessities to attract refugees to return home.

In order to ensure the desired results, the emperor encouraged local officials to fulfill their duties and often sent imperial envoys to various disaster-affected areas to supervise the work.Historians generally praise Xuande for his wholehearted concern for the welfare of the people.

From the beginning to the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the prostitution industry was particularly developed.

When he succeeded to the throne, the country's political platform was slack, and officials became increasingly corrupt and promiscuous, and they indulged in luxury and pleasure all day long.Zhu Zhanji finally couldn't bear the deteriorating style of life of the civil and military courts of the Manchu Dynasty. In the fourth year of Xuande (1429), he decided to eliminate official prostitutes throughout the country and strictly enforce the law.

He ordered the closure of a large number of brothels in Beijing and other big cities, abolished the original official prostitute system, and prohibited officials from bringing prostitutes to live with prostitutes.However, there are no restrictions on the private prostitution industry.

Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty abolished all the government-run brothels in the 13 provinces of the two capitals that had been in operation for decades, and strictly ordered the censors and pickets to be moral and moral.Scholars who went to prostitutes were also punished, and they were not even hired in the scientific examination.

For the state-owned brothels and restaurants that prospered in the two capitals after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, this ban was undoubtedly disastrous.Shortly thereafter, the once-prosperous Jiaofang women's shop was demolished halfway, and the song building and dance hall were turned into abandoned wells and ponds.

But for civil and military officials, the tense atmosphere is only temporary.Although official prostitutes were banned, and officials did not dare to enter and leave brothels in broad daylight, they still kept female Lejia prostitutes at home, and there was no investigation and prohibition.In the tenth year of Xuande (1435), Zhu Zhanji died.After Zhu Zhanji's short-term rectification of his style, the repressed desire for wine and sex among the top and bottom officials of the Ming Dynasty quickly rebounded, and the whole society became "sexy."

Zhu Zhanji is talented and talented, respects the ministers, is diligent and sympathetic to the people, is cautious in employing people, severely punishes corrupt officials, or says that the ministers are at fault, and carefully investigates, but in fact adds crimes, and severely punishes those who make false accusations.

Because of his excellent governance, the famous "Renxuanzhi" flourished after Wenjingzhi, Zhenguan and Kaiyuan.

In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanji was an emperor who had few achievements after Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, because he contributed a "rule of benevolence and propaganda" to the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zhanji was an emperor who was good at accepting advice. He could listen to the opinions of his ministers on major military and state affairs. The rebellion of the emperor's uncle Gao Xu, the heart of the minister, maintained the stability of the royal family;

During the rebellion at Jiaozhi, the imperial court sent several large armies to conquer and suppress them, all of which were defeated. Zhu Zhanji followed the advice of Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong and others, and stopped using troops against Jiaozhi. The period of Qingming, relatively harmonious society, steady economic development, and relatively stable border defense, based on this, historians call this period "the rule of benevolence and propaganda".

When governing, Zhu Zhanji not only knows how to authorize, but also knows how to exercise leadership.He often adopted the opinions of Sanyang before making a decision, and tended to accept or support the suggestions of the grand scholars and ministers.

However, he demonstrated strong leadership in strengthening the administrative system and emperor's authority.When a crisis arises, Zhu Zhanji's actions are decisive and responsible, such as Zhu Gaoxu's uprising and the need to make the final decision to withdraw troops from Annan.

Furthermore, he cared deeply about fair governance.Although he was harsh in his treatment of dereliction of duty officials, except for punishing eunuchs, he rarely imposed the death penalty.He often presided over important trials.He has consistently ordered retrials in serious criminal cases, and such retrials have resulted in the release of thousands of innocent people during his reign.

In short, Zhu Zhanji's reign was a remarkable period in Ming history, when there were no overwhelming external or internal crises, no partisan disputes, and no major debates on national policy.The government worked efficiently, despite the increasing involvement of eunuchs in the decision-making process.

Timely institutional reforms enhance the state's ability to function and improve people's lives, both of which are fundamental requirements of good politics.

It is not surprising that later generations remember the rule of Xuande as the golden age of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zhanji's post-abolition disturbance is also a stain on him. In short, Zhu Zhanji can be regarded as a competent emperor. His contribution to the Ming Dynasty is indelible. He is called the Taiping Emperor by historians. These titles are not exaggerated for Xuanzong.

However, as the emperor of Taiping, Zhu Zhanji liked to fight crickets since he was a child. After he came to the throne, he asked various places to buy high-quality crickets to come to Beijing. Zhanji is also known as the "Son of Cricket" by the people.

Hu Shining: "Emperor Taizong Wen is the most powerful emperor in the past and present, and all the barbarians outside the country are subject to him. Alutai, the legacy of Yuan Dynasty in the north, is the king of Hening, Mahamu is the king of Shunning; Tuotuo in the west is the king of Zhongshun. ; There are more than [-] places in the Northeast, such as Nuergan and other capitals.

As for Nanqiu Li Jiyak, a land of ancient China, the establishment of the Chief Secretary of Jiaozhi is a particularly great achievement.Since Emperor Xuanzong, Li thieves resumed their occupation of Jiaozhi, killed officials and robbed seals, which was invincible.Alutai was also merged by Mahamu, and all the guards in the northeast were also merged.The previous dynasty (Xuanzong) ignored it, and did not work for China to deal with foreign barbarians. "
It is said that the safety and danger of the world depends on the cultivation of military equipment. My great ancestor, Emperor Gao, ruled the world with martial arts. Anyone who privately served an army or borrowed a horse would be severely punished. Yan Ran.Emperor Taizong Wen moved the capital to Beiping, and Yu Wubei paid special attention to it, so he traveled thousands of miles, and the Hulu fled far away.Since Xuande, military equipment has gradually weakened, and until it became orthodox, the people did not know about soldiers, so there were civil failures.

"History of the Ming Dynasty" praised Xuanzong: "Renzong is the prince, who lost his love in Chengyi. When he was in danger, he recovered, and the grandson Gai was strong. After he came to the throne, the officials were in charge of their duties, the government was peaceful, the rules and regulations were revised, and Cang Yu was full of envy. Lvyan Leye. Years can’t be disasters. Gai Mingxing is sixty years old, the people’s morale is gradually relaxing, and there is a sign of peace. If the strong vassal rises suddenly, it will be leveled immediately, sweeping away the dust on the border, deterring the cunning bandits, and showing the heroic appearance of the emperor Rui Lue, a few grams of the ancestor martial artist."
According to historical records: "The rule of benevolence and publicity, the officials are worthy of their duties, the government is peaceful, the rules and disciplines are clear, the warehouses are filled with envy, the people are happy, and the years can't be disasters. Gai Mingxing has been in the past sixty years, and the people's hearts have gradually eased, and there is prosperity. It is a sign of peace."