At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, landlords and tycoons aggressively annexed land, embezzled officials, and caused natural disasters and epidemics, resulting in millions of people becoming refugees. Everywhere, there were sorrows and chaos, and corpses lay on the brink of collapse in Yuan society. In May of the eleventh year of the Zhizheng reign of Emperor Shun of Yuan (1351 AD), desperate refugees with red cloth on their heads, carrying hoes, bamboo poles, spears, and axes, attacked the corrupt and cruel Yuan government. This is the famous Red Turban Rebellion in Chinese history. Red flags roll everywhere, roaring and moving, millions of red scarves turn into raging flames, burning fiercely on the land of the Central Plains, becoming a raging fire. Who will stand out among these shouting crowds, who will become the terminator of the old era and the founder of a new dynasty? This is Taiping Township, Fengyang County, Anhui Province. Today, a villager’s family celebrated their child’s full moon, and all four neighboring villagers came to drink the wedding wine. The Fengyang Flower Drum at the wedding banquet is indispensable, and no one has ever counted how many children have been born here for thousands of years. But obviously, there is someone whose birth is often mentioned, especially at a wedding banquet celebrating their child’s full moon. In September 1328, more than 600 years ago, in a village called Guzhuang Village in Taiping Township, it is said that a peasant woman had a dream. She dreamed that a Taoist had made her take a shiny pill. That morning, the peasant woman’s mouth still emitted a continuous stream of strange fragrance. On that day, the farmer gave birth to a baby boy, who was Zhu Yuanzhang. Like the fantastical origins of many emperors throughout Chinese history, the birth of Zhu Yuanzhang was full of auspiciousness, and his arrival seemed to bring infinite hope to this suffering land. However, many years later, a flower drum opera that spread throughout the country was sung here: “Speaking of Fengyang, Dao Fengyang. Fengyang was originally a good place, but since the emergence of Emperor Zhu, there have been nine years of famine in ten years.”. It seems to truly confirm the ten years and nine wastelands sung in the Flower Drum Opera. Zhu Yuanzhang has been constantly experiencing various hardships in the world since birth. Zhu Yuanzhang’s family was originally a gold digger serving the government, but later became tenant farmers farming for landlords. They lived in poverty and often relied on wild vegetables for food in times of famine. However, these days were also difficult to sustain. In the year when Zhu Yuanzhang was 17 years old, a huge disaster suddenly struck. In the year 1344 AD, the Huai River Basin suffered a drought that had not been seen in a century, with cracks in the earth and no harvest of crops. Disaster did not come singly, and locusts and epidemics followed one after another. The village where Zhu Yuanzhang lived for generations lost dozens of people in one day. Every family dies, every day dies. The misfortune also fell on the family of Zhu Yuanzhang. Within half a month, Zhu Yuanzhang’s father, mother, and elder brother passed away one after another. Without a shroud or a coffin, Zhu Yuanzhang and his second brother had to wrap their loved ones’ bodies in straw mats. As there was no place to bury their loved ones, the two brothers had no choice but to plead with the landlord, but were firmly rejected. Fortunately, a kind-hearted person pitied the two brothers and eventually gave them a place to rest. Chen Wutong, a professor at the Central University of Nationalities: After more than 80 years of rule, the society of the Yuan Dynasty has become hopeless. It has reached the brink of collapse. Water conservancy has been in disrepair for a long time, and famine continues to occur. The vast majority of people are starving to death. Then his family is a microcosm of the lowest level farmers at that time, and has no way out. Zhu Yuanzhang had no way to go and became a monk at Huangjue Temple. He claimed to be a monk, but in fact, he was just making a living. In the temple, Zhu Yuanzhang swept the floor, incense, clock, beat drums, cook, and do laundry every day. However, his days of doing odd jobs were not long. Huangjue Temple originally relied on collecting rental rice to make a living, but this year the disaster was too severe and they could not receive rent. The temple also experienced famine, and the monks were forced to go out to seek alms. At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang had only been in the temple for over fifty days. In this way, a wooden fish, a earthen bowl, and Zhu Yuanzhang left Huangjue Temple. Zhu Yuanzhang picked up places with relatively good harvests each year and went south to Hefei. He then turned west to Gushi, Guangzhou, Xizhou, Luoshan, and Xinyang, and then north to Ruzhou, Chenzhou, and east, from Luyi and Bozhou to Yingzhou. Zhu Yuanzhang traveled across mountains and rivers, visiting villages and households, knocking on wooden fish at wealthy households, eating leftover food from their alms, and enduring all the hardships of life. Renmin University of China – Mao Peiqi: This kind of grassroots, this kind of social experience, has a very profound impact on the formation of Zhu Yuanzhang’s personality. Therefore, he knows what the people need, he knows that the people need to eat and have social order. After three years of ups and downs, Zhu Yuanzhang not only tasted the hardships of life, but also broadened his horizons. This 20-year-old youth stood at the crossroads of life. At this time, society was in a state of disorder. A few years later, the Red Turban Rebellion broke out, and the raging flames quickly spread throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River, including Zhu Yuanzhang’s hometown. At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang returned to Huangjue Temple, where he stayed, listening to the outside wind every day, but not knowing where to go. One day, someone brought him a letter from Haozhou, urging him to join the Red Turban Army. A few days later, someone secretly told him that the letter had been detected and reported to the government, urging him to leave Huangjue Temple quickly and join the Red Turban Army in Haozhou. Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated in his heart, so he asked the Bodhisattva for a divination. The result was to persuade him to rebel, and Zhu Yuanzhang finally made up his mind. On a day in the third lunar month of the twelfth year of the Zhizheng reign of Emperor Yuan Shun (1352 AD), outside the city gate of Haozhou, Guo Zixing’s subordinates captured an ugly looking monk. They suspected that he was a spy of the Yuan army and was about to kill him. Upon hearing the news, Guo Zixing rushed over and after careful questioning, they found out that he had come to seek refuge under his name. Immediately ordered the release of ties and enlistment as infantry. Due to his bravery and resourcefulness in battle, Zhu Yuanzhang quickly gained the recognition of Guo Zixing. One month later, he was promoted to be a personal soldier of the Tenth Commander and used by the commander-in-chief. In the same year, Guo Zixing married his adopted daughter to Zhu Yuanzhang, and at the age of 25, Zhu Yuanzhang entered the power core of Guo Zixing’s team. Chinese Ming History Society – Business Biography: When he called them for a meeting, he never followed the rules, saying who was the main general and where to sit. He set up a long bench, and everyone sat together to discuss. Those people all occupied the good space, so he sat on the side, but slowly he sat in the middle. Because he has many ideas, everyone doesn’t know what to do. He knows what to do, and the more he talks, the more people support him. Under the siege of the Yuan Dynasty army, the city of Haozhou lacked food and supplies, and its military strength was depleted. Moreover, the personnel structure of the Red Turban Army here was complex, and discipline was lax. Zhu Yuanzhang proposed to Guo Zixing to return to his hometown for development. When he was a child, his cowherd companion Xu Da and dozens of others came to join him. Within a few days, Zhu Yuanzhang recruited more than 700 people. Guo Zixing was overjoyed and appointed Zhu Yuanzhang as the governor. One year later, he was promoted to the rank of commander-in-chief. The peasant army led by Zhu Yuanzhang obeyed orders, followed discipline, did not rob or harass the people, and their combat effectiveness became increasingly strong. Chinese Ming History Society – Business Biography: At that time, there were also many armed forces that were tied up, which were robbing the people of food, killing them, eating people, eating children, and calling children bone rotting. Women and women were also delicious, called not envious of sheep, not envious of lamb, men called Tian Ba Chai, men didn’t eat well, and if they couldn’t cook well, they called Tian Ba Chai. Can this kind of army be supported by the people. Zhu Yuanzhang restrained his troops, and his troops were invincible. When he captured a city, Zhu Yuanzhang’s army slept on the city walls. Have you ever seen it in history? That’s why he later gained the support of the people. In the 16th year of the Yuan Zhizheng era (1356 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang personally led troops to attack Jiqing Road in three routes and renamed it Yingtian Prefecture, which is now Nanjing. From then on, with Yingtian Prefecture as the base, Zhu Yuanzhang established political organizations such as the Jiangnan Xingzhongshu Province and absorbed intellectuals such as Song Lian and Liu Ji. At this point, if other separatist leaders were to be replaced, they would surely be eager to ascend to the throne and become emperors. However, Zhu Yuanzhang listened to the guidance of the Huizhou old scholar Zhu Sheng: build high walls, accumulate abundant grain, and slowly proclaim himself king. Business legend: When he gained a certain level of influence, his mind and vision began to change. We know that Zhu Yuanzhang’s slogan was to save the people from water and fire, that is, to save the people from the depths of water and fire. You see, he seems to have become the spokesperson for the people of the world, and he seems to be seeking benefits for the people of the world. The ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, Nanjing, which occupied the cities of dragons and tigers and emperors, had high strategic value for Zhu Yuanzhang. It gave Zhu Yuanzhang his own base in the competition with Chen Youliang in the west and Zhang Shicheng in the east. The basic principle of Zhu Yuanzhang’s complete anti Yuan unified plan is: first west then east, first south then north. In the 23rd year of the Yuan Zhizheng era (1363 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang engaged in a decisive battle between the two sides at Poyang Lake. Chen Youliang poured all his troops, claiming to be a 600000 waterway army, with the intention of completely annihilating Zhu Yuanzhang’s power. Zhu Yuanzhang faced the battle with 200000 troops, which lasted 37 days before and after the Poyang Lake Battle. Chen Youliang relied on a large number of troops, tall warships, and abundant vitality to dominate, while Zhu Yuanzhang carefully arranged and calmly commanded, leading the soldiers to fight tenaciously. The battle was exceptionally fierce, and ultimately Chen Youliang died in battle. Zhu Yuanzhang defeated Chen Youliang in one fell swoop, creating a classic example in the history of ancient Chinese warfare. In September of the 27th year of the Yuan Zhizheng era (1367), Zhang Shicheng was captured and hanged himself. In October, General Xu Da and Chang Yuchun led a 250000 strong army to launch a northern expedition. Propaganda is more powerful than knives and guns. It is necessary to make the people of the north understand the significance of the Northern Expedition, alleviate the fear of northern bureaucrats and landlords towards the Northern Expedition army, and undermine the morale of the Yuan army. In the proclamation of the Northern Expedition drafted by Song Lian, Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed the slogan of “expelling the barbarians, restoring China, establishing rules and regulations, and providing relief to the people”. In December of the 27th year of the Yuan Zhizheng era (1367 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang’s Northern Expedition army had already pacified Shandong, and the Southern Expedition army had successively pacified Zhejiang and Fujian. The water and land routes were unstoppable, and the reunification of China was just around the corner. On the fourth day of the first lunar month in 1368, under the favorable situation of frequent victories in the Southern and Northern Expeditions, Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne in Nanjing, with the country name Daming and the Jianyuan Hongwu. From the desolate wind and rain in Guzhuang Village of Taiping Township, to the solitary light and shadow of Huangjue Temple, to the mendicant monk on Huaixi Road, from the sword and sword shadows in Chuzhou City, to the towering waves and flames on Poyang Lake, Zhu Yuanzhang, this once cowherd, farmer, monk, and beggar, has walked all the way to Yingtian Prefecture and ascended to the supreme throne of the emperor. Business legend: At that time, millions of people joined the peasant army, all of whom were poor children. How could there be a Zhu Yuanzhang who had outstanding qualities? He had a broad mind, a charismatic cohesion, and a sense of authority. Everyone was willing to follow him in doing things. After ascending the throne, on the second day of August in the first year of Hongwu (1368), the Northern Expedition army successfully captured the capital city of Yuan. Emperor Shun of Yuan fled the Great Wall overnight, and the Yanyun region was restored, bringing joy to the whole country. Mao Peiqi: The Ming Dynasty established by Zhu Yuanzhang was actually an inheritance of the ruling experience and political system of various dynasties in China, as well as an inheritance and promotion of the ruling philosophy. Therefore, he proposed that all under heaven are my sons, no matter what ethnicity, I will use them, they are all my subjects, and we should not distinguish. However, after the war, there was still room for improvement. Due to years of famine and war, at the beginning of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang faced a sharp decline in population, economic collapse, extreme hardship in people’s lives, and a large amount of land becoming wasteland. In the third year of Hongwu, a large-scale immigration activity that had been brewing in Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart for a long time officially began. This is the Da Huai Shu Park located in Hongdong County, Shanxi Province. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country come here to worship their ancestors. Legend has it that one day in the third year of Hongwu, tens of thousands of immigrants from various parts of Shanxi set out from here, were escorted by the official army, left their hometowns where they had lived for generations, and went to various parts of the country. The immigration in the early Ming Dynasty lasted for more than 40 years. During the Hongwu Dynasty alone, there were more than 2000 surnames, and at least 1.6 million people migrated from Shanxi, Jiangxi, southern Jiangsu and other places to more than 500 prefectures and counties in 18 provinces and cities, including Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning, Anhui, Hunan, and Hubei. Zhu Yuanzhang’s migration not only moved the population from dense places to sparsely populated places, but also moved many wealthy landlords to poor places. In the vast areas of the Yangtze River Basin and North China Plain, a large number of idle land and wasteland were reclaimed, and a large number of landless farmers and refugees were able to live in peace. This is Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing, where the important archives that marked the reconstruction of social order in the early Ming Dynasty – the Yellow Book – were once stored. In the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1381 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang ordered to check the national household registration and compile a registered residence register, one for every mile, detailing the population, land and houses of each household, called the Yellow Book. Closely related to the Yellow Book is the Field and Soil Book, which records the name, category, area, and owner’s name of each piece of land on a li basis. The field and soil book’s graphics are connected and resemble fish scales, hence the name “Fish Scale Atlas”. The Huizhou Tax Culture Museum in China – Pan Li: This is a measuring tool from the Ming Dynasty, called a rope cart. The rope cart is wrapped with hemp rope around a wooden wheel and marked with a red silk line. It is used for measuring the use of large areas of land. A bow is used in a small area, and it is operated by the archer. Five feet is one step, and each span is one step. These are called bows. These tools for measuring land can be precise to inches, ensuring that the land data recorded in the fish scale atlas is accurate and detailed. Chen Wutong, a professor at the Central University of Nationalities: Officially, his purpose is to levy taxes. For farmers, it is actually equivalent to recognizing their land ownership. By fundamentally establishing the subordinate relationship between farmers and land, the foundation of the country was stabilized. In the second year of Hongwu (1369 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang personally walked on the fields and walked for a long distance, feeling deeply moved: “Agriculture is the foundation of the country, and all the needs come from it. If they work hard, will they also feel compassion for their pastoral work? And they are all human ears, living in wealth and not knowing the difficulties of poverty. The ancients often thought that agriculture is the foundation of the country, and all the needs of the country come from agriculture. Farmers work so hard, and who has pity on the officials who manage these farmers? The ancients often warned them.” We must not forget that there are still people living in poverty and hardship just because our lives are superior. Under the attention of Zhu Yuanzhang, agricultural production in the country was greatly restored and developed during the Hongwu period. By the 26th year of Hongwu, the total amount of land cultivated by the Ming Dynasty had reached over 8.5 million hectares, and the tax and grain income had reached over 30 million stones. In the feudal era of China, the economic trend that had been declining since the Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty was finally completely reversed and began to rapidly recover. The Chinese Ming History Society – Biography of Commerce: The two most classic sentences spoken by Zhu Yuanzhang say that the people of today’s world have just stabilized, and they are like birds flying at the beginning, cannot pluck their feathers, and like trees planted at the beginning, cannot shake their roots. You see, he understands the needs of farmers and knows how this country can recover and develop. Perhaps no founding emperor in history was more familiar with land and farmers than Zhu Yuanzhang. Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was fully implementing the policy of resting with the people, he gradually felt that there was another more important relationship that needed him to make a decision, which was the relationship between the emperor and the political system of the country. At the beginning of the founding of the country, Zhu Yuanzhang’s political system still retained a strong legacy of the Yuan Dynasty. The central government established the Central Secretariat, the Imperial Censorate, and the Metropolitan Governor’s Office, which were responsible for administration, supervision, and military affairs; There are six departments under the Central Secretariat, which are the center of political operations, and the Prime Minister of the Central Secretariat is a crucial figure. However, the greater the power of the Prime Minister of the Central Secretariat, the deeper the conflict with Zhu Yuanzhang. In the 13th year of the Hongwu reign (1380 AD), Prime Minister Hu Weiyong was assassinated by Zhu Yuanzhang due to his rebellion and corruption. The death of Hu Weiyong marked a significant turning point in the political system of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang announced the abolition of the Central Secretariat. From then on, the prime minister system that had lasted for over 1500 years in Chinese history was abolished. The Chinese Ming History Society – Biography of Commerce: If he wants to solve the problems of this country’s system, the first step is to start from the official position. I am the emperor, and what problem should I solve? Abolish the prime minister, use the Hu Weiyong case to depose the prime minister, and tell his descendants that no more prime ministers should be established. Professor Mao Peiqi from Renmin University of China: We precisely believe that Zhu Yuanzhang’s abolition of the Prime Minister opened up new space for the development of China’s political system. Zhu Yuanzhang took the first step towards changing China’s traditional political system. He hoped that ministers and officials could become capable officials to assist the emperor in governing the country. At the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang mercilessly and resolutely eliminated any hidden dangers that may endanger the country. Just two years after the outbreak of the Hu Weiyong case in the 15th year of the Hongwu era, the Empty Seal case broke out, and this time, Zhu Yuanzhang was even more ruthless. According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty, the Ministry of Revenue was required to review the local financial income and expenditure accounts submitted by various levels of political commissioners each year. This account must match the actual amount of money and food allocated and collected by the Ministry of Revenue, and the money and food paid cannot be without loss during the process. So the officials responsible for delivering the account books brought blank account books with pre stamped seals, and if there were any errors, they could modify them at any time. This reimbursement method is an open secret that has been in operation for many years. This secret was eventually discovered by Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang asserted that there must be corruption in it, so he ordered that all the main seal officials of all levels of government in the country be beheaded, and his deputy be beaten with a hundred sticks and sent to the army. According to statistics, there were at least 1300 officials involved in the air seal case, and Zhu Yuanzhang mercilessly dealt with all the officials involved. The Chinese Ming History Society – Biography of Commerce: Zhu Yuanzhang faced a mess, so he once proposed the use of severe criminal laws to disrupt the country. Zhu Yuanzhang’s strict investigation of corruption is rare among emperors throughout history. The total number of official cases that occurred during the Hongwu period was tens of thousands, most of which were related to official corruption. According to unofficial records, Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that those who embezzled more than 60 taels of silver should show their heads to the public, or peel off real grass. To the left of the prefectures, counties, and guard’s yamen, a temple called Pichang Temple was built to worship the God of Land, but in reality, it was a place for peeling. A bag of peeled real grass was hung next to the official seat, causing the officials to be shocked and take it as a warning. The authenticity of the method of punishing corruption by peeling and burying grass is still uncertain, but it is an undeniable fact that Zhu Yuanzhang used strict methods to punish corruption. Zhu Yuanzhang also created policies that feudal rulers in the past dared not even think of. As long as the common people found that officials were corrupt, they could be tied up and sent to the capital for punishment. Road checkpoints must be cleared, and if anyone dared to block them, not only would they be executed, but also the nine tribes would be executed. Fengyang, Huangling, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, Fengyang County cannot help but be greedy, and the people have no way to survive. Zhu Yuanzhang’s hatred towards corrupt officials is unforgettable. He once told his ministers that if corruption and tyranny were not prohibited, the people would not be able to survive. If an official can be honest and law-abiding, it is like walking on a bright road, safe and calm. If you insist on taking bribes and bending the law, it is like walking into thorns, where you will find it difficult to move forward. Even if you step out, you will have to pay a heavy price. Bu Xianqun, Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The corruption of officials in the Yuan Dynasty taught him a profound lesson. He believed that he should punish corrupt officials and make decisions for the people. He had this idea. In the 18th year of the Hongwu reign (1385 AD), Guo Huan, the Minister of Revenue, colluded with officials from various administrative departments, colluded in fraud, stole and sold official grain, and embezzled 24 million koku of grain, equivalent to more than half of the national tax grain income. Zhu Yuanzhang was furious. In order to recover the accounts and grain, he ordered repeated investigations. More than 30000 people from around the six ministries to local officials were sentenced to death, and countless other officials who were implicated and punished or broke their homes were powerful and powerful, almost sweeping away all officials in the court at once. The Chinese Ming History Society – Business Biography: Their corrupt methods are very malicious and simple. They divide the collected taxes privately, and after that, they wait for next year’s tax to fill this hole. Next year’s tax will be increased because I have already divided it. You should pay one stone, and I will charge you one stone to make up for that deficit. Professor Mao Peiqi from Renmin University of China: Officials have inertia and are accustomed to becoming wealthy and oppressing the people. This situation must be changed. Because of this, during the Hongwu dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang killed countless corrupt officials, and very few of the thirteen provincial governors and officials in prefectures and counties could serve a full three-year term. However, in order to eliminate the rule of officials, Zhu Yuanzhang’s killing was not just a means of killing. This is the ruins of the Nanjing Ming City Wall, which looks no different from other city walls from a distance. However, upon closer inspection, one will find that almost every wall brick of the Nanjing Ming City Wall is printed with text. For over 600 years, although it has experienced war and vicissitudes, it is still clearly visible. This is the famous Ming City Wall Brick Inscription, which originates from the quality supervision system formulated by Zhu Yuanzhang for the Nanjing Ming City Wall project. Yang Guoqing: Through local officials at the three levels of prefecture, prefecture, and county, formal officials and related documents are called officials. The names of officials and officials must be engraved on them, and every brick must have such a system. In terms of the common people, what means does he use to ensure this through the structure and organizational form of the grassroots organization, including the general leader, the senior leader, and the junior leader. Nowadays, the Ming City Wall in Nanjing has been preserved for over 20 kilometers, and hundreds of millions of city wall bricks can be found to have their most accurate origins through inscriptions on each brick. It is precisely this system that ensures that the Ming City Wall project has stood firm for centuries. In addition to relying on a strict supervision and assessment system, Zhu Yuanzhang also formulated a series of laws and decrees to combat corruption. In the early Ming Dynasty, in addition to the “Da Ming Law”, there were also legally effective case compilations such as the “Imperial Edict”, “Continuation of the Edict”, “Three Editions of the Edict”, and “Chen Jie Lu” personally compiled by Zhu Yuanzhang, which were also criticized by later generations as Zhu Yuanzhang’s extralegal laws. In these several imperial edicts, cases of officials taking bribes and violating the law account for over 70% of the total cases. It also stipulates specific measures for punishment, and these new punishment measures are very cruel and chilling. Zhu Yuanzhang’s anti-corruption efforts had a significant effect. In that era, many officials who strictly followed the law and discipline emerged. They were careful and loyal to assist Zhu Yuanzhang in governing the country. The early Ming Dynasty became an era of clean governance by officials. Professor Mao Peiqi from Renmin University of China: In the late Ming Dynasty, it was recorded that at the end of the Hongwu Era, I saw that our world was as good as Confucius and the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, we were able to find nothing on the way and stay indoors all night. The Chinese Ming History Society – Biography of Commerce: He hoped to establish a foundation for ten thousand years, the rule of the Zhu family. However, the foundation for ten thousand years cannot withstand these corrupt and corrupt practices. After many of them, wouldn’t the Yuan Dynasty perish because of this? Zhu Yuanzhang’s strict governance of officials prevented corrupt officials from hiding, and also prevented many former generals and literati from surviving. The Hu Weiyong case broke out from the 13th year of the Hongwu reign (1380 AD) to the final settlement in the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign (1390 AD). It lasted for ten years, with numerous branches spreading and more than 30000 people killed in total. Founding heroes such as Li Shanchang, Song Lian, and Wang Guangyang were all executed. In 1393 AD, General Lan Yu was executed for treason, and more than 15000 people were executed in a row. Through the prison of Hu and Lan, Zhu Yuanzhang executed a total of about 40000 people, including nearly 40 of the great heroes. Zhu Yuanzhang had a famous saying: the literati in the world are not for the emperor’s use, and their bodies are executed without their homes. The large-scale killing led to talented people not daring to approach Zhu Yuanzhang again. Even if they did not enter the world, they would still be unable to escape misfortune, and those who became officials would be in danger to themselves. The Chinese Ming History Society – Business Biography: It is not just about relying on a yellow iron wrist or relying on the good conduct of officials to solve the problem, after all, his entire bureaucratic system has not changed. Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Bu Xianqun: We must fight against corruption from the perspective of institutional construction. This is a profound experience and lesson left by the anti-corruption efforts in China’s more than two thousand years of feudal society today. The Beijing Imperial Examination Plaque Museum is located here in Beijing. It collects over 500 imperial examination plaques from different periods. However, the treasure of the museum is not a wooden plaque, but a stone tablet with six sentences engraved on it. It is known as the Six Instructions of the Holy Edict. It was created by Zhu Yuanzhang and reflects his ideal society. Professor Mao Peiqi of Renmin University of China: What does this sacred edict say about? Filial piety to parents, respect for elders, harmony in the village, teaching children, ensuring the safety of each other, and not doing anything wrong. These six teachings should be read out at the village drinking ceremony and posted on the main road, that is, at the intersection. At the same time, he also needs to arrange for some people to walk and knock the bangs to preach nearby. A village, several villages, disabled people, blind people, and people without labor ability, walking and banging on the bangs, so that everyone can hear this kind of educational voice. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang’s social ideal is to establish an orderly, moral, harmonious, and prosperous society. The Six Precepts of the Holy Edict not only spread in the countryside, but were also repeatedly annotated and preached by literati. Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to establish a top-down educational system at the national level. The Six Precepts of the Holy Edict continued from the period of Zhu Yuanzhang until the early Qing Dynasty, and were developed into the Sixteen Precepts of the Holy Edict by Emperor Kangxi. Through the imperial examination and the establishment of a systematic education system, including the Imperial Academy, Zhu Yuanzhang selected and trained a group of useful officials. However, he still did not truly solve the problem. After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, the trend of corruption began to spread again in the late Yongle Dynasty, and his ideal society did not emerge until the end of the Ming Dynasty. Chen Wutong, a professor at the Central University of Nationalities: If you want to completely say that you should follow the Confucian way of being an official, there must be some good things, but a large part of them cannot be done. There is a golden house in the book, which is his pursuit. Professor Mao Peiqi from Renmin University of China: Zhu Yuanzhang established only a family dynasty, which is a part of the world. He cannot change the essence of the family and the world. Zhu Yuanzhang devoted his entire life to striving for the beautiful world in his heart, but the cruel killings left a deeper impression on future generations. What kind of person was Zhu Yuanzhang? In Fengyang, the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang, this folk art that originated during his time is called Feng painting. Wu Wenjun, the elderly, is a representative figure of today’s phoenix painting. In his over 60 years of phoenix painting creation, Zhu Yuanzhang painted the most, and he has been trying to find the most real Zhu Yuanzhang with his brush. Wu Wenjun: After Zhu Yuanzhang became an emperor, he couldn’t forget the kindness given to him by the people. When he was young, he had no food to eat. There was a local village named Wang, and his mother often gave him food. Therefore, in this imperial tomb inscription, he wrote about the story of his mother. In the heart of the elderly Wu Wenjun, Zhu Yuanzhang was a person who showed gratitude and was also the most imperial Chinese emperor. Wu Wenjun: I put my heart into this eyebrow, like a precious sword. The eyebrows, corners of my eyes, and corners of my mouth are engraved with the benevolence of an emperor, the magnanimity of great love and hatred. Fengyang County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, the ancient city of Zhongdu, is located in Fengyang. There are still many stories about Zhu Yuanzhang, and in the eyes of his hometown people, Zhu Yuanzhang is more human and even full of tenderness. Empress Ma came from a humble background and had an average appearance. She shared weal and woe with Zhu Yuanzhang. After Zhu Yuanzhang ascended to the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, she never despised her. Zhu Yuanzhang became angry in front of the palace and wanted to kill someone. Empress Ma gently persuaded her in the harem, and Zhu Yuanzhang often listened. Hanlin Scholar Song Lian was saved by Empress Ma. Every year of famine, Empress Ma leads the harem to eat coarse grains and wild vegetables. Zhu Yuanzhang knows her intentions and tells her that she has ordered disaster relief. Before her death, Empress Ma advised Zhu Yuanzhang to seek talent, listen to his words, and be cautious from beginning to end. In August of the fifteenth year of Hongwu (1383 AD), Empress Ma passed away. Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply saddened and no longer established an empress. Zhu Yuanzhang, who came from a peasant background, experienced hardships and was well aware of the difficulties of material resources. He once ordered Crown Prince Zhu Biao to go to the countryside to inspect and feel the hardships of the people. In the eyes of Crown Prince Zhu Biao and his descendants, Zhu Yuanzhang should be a good father and elder. Indeed, Zhu Yuanzhang, who came from a peasant background, hoped that his descendants could safely pass down the rivers and mountains he had personally conquered from generation to generation. In the 31st year of the Hongwu reign (1398 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang passed away at the age of 71. From the beginning of his reign, when he slept restlessly at night, worries hung in his heart, to later when there were police officers in the Four Barbaries, he stayed up all night. This legendary and controversial founding emperor was full of anxiety and unease throughout his life. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty in Fengyang County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, China, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty went to Nanjing to pay his respects to the Xiaoling Mausoleum and inscribed the four characters “governing the Tang and Song dynasties.”. The Qing Dynasty’s compilation of the “History of Ming” also highly praised Zhu Yuanzhang: “The emperor bestowed wisdom and courage, unified the Xia dynasty, and weft the martial scriptures, which were beyond the reach of the rulers of Han, Tang, and Song.” Dictatorship, dictatorship, and brutality were also commonly used words in later generations to evaluate Zhu Yuanzhang. For Western scholars, they valued Zhu Yuanzhang’s personal legendary experience of struggle and the courage and courage to break conventions. Zhu Yuanzhang will be a permanent topic, and his historical evaluation and debate will continue. 90 seconds in history: The Battle of Jingnan in 1402 was the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Jianwen, the grandson of Ming Taizu. It was also the fourth year of his uncle, Prince Yan Zhu Di, who rose up from Beiping. Due to concerns about the heavy military power of his uncles who were enfeoffed outside, Emperor Jianwen began to cut off his fiefdoms at the beginning of his reign, which immediately sparked resistance from the most powerful Prince of Yan Zhu Di. In 1399 AD, Zhu Di rose up from Beiping under the name of Qing Junbian. Four years later, the army of the Prince of Yan, supported by Prince Gu Zhu Zhi and Duke of Cao Li Jinglong, captured the capital. In the city of Nanjing, Emperor Jianwen died unknowingly in a great fire. This event is known as the Jingnan Battle, and under the name of Jingnan, 43 year old Zhu Di finally ascended to the throne. It was this emperor who seized the throne by usurping power. After ascending to the throne, he not only consolidated the border defense in northern Xinjiang, but also built the Yongle Ceremony, Zheng He was sent to the West and the political center of China was relocated from Nanjing to Beijing. The Ming Dynasty flourished in the hands of this talented and strategic emperor.
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