The towering and magnificent Great Wall meandered and coiled between the mountains and rivers in the northern border of the Ming Dynasty. From the second year of Jingtai (1451 AD) to the Jiajing period, it underwent eighteen renovations before and after. Ming Changcheng extended for more than 14600 miles from the Yalu River in the east to Jiayuguan in the west, defending against Mongolian cavalry from the north. At the same time, another Great Wall meandered along the southeast coastline of the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the coastline extended from Jinzhou Bay in Liaoning Province to Qinzhou Bay in Guangxi Province. The Ming government established a coastal defense system mainly consisting of coastal military defense stations, supplemented by patrol stations, signal towers, and signal towers. Through them, the Ming government built a great sea wall like an iron wall to resist the increasingly rampant Japanese pirates from the southeast coast. The pressure of one south and one north posed a great threat to the Ming government. In the 16th century, along the coast of China, there was a so-called international free trade port opened by Chinese smugglers, Japanese pirates, and Portuguese people. It is recorded in Western historical records. In 1540, Mendes Pinto, a Portuguese businessman who visited this port, described the scene in his “Journey to the West”. The port is composed of two small islands facing each other, with a population of 3000, including 1200 Portuguese people. It is more magnificent and prosperous than any Portuguese settlement in India. Apart from Pinto’s “Journey to the Far East”, its prosperity is also recorded in foreign works of the same era. This famous port among foreigners is called Shuangyu Port. However, in Chinese historical texts, there is little mention of Shuangyu Port as a maritime trade center, and there are few scattered descriptions, which are vastly different from the rich and colorful foreign materials. Zhao Xianhai is an associate researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He has consulted a large number of Ming history books and rarely sees descriptions of the prosperous situation of Shuangyu Port. At most, he only occasionally mentions it in local chronicles and maps. Shuangyu Port seems to be lost in the vast historical records because it was just a small island under the rule of the Ming Dynasty. However, in the eyes of the anti Japanese generals of the Ming Dynasty, the situation is different. In their view, Shuangyu Port is a stronghold of Japanese pirates. So, where is the location where each has their own opinions? Zhao Xianhai, Associate Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The location of Shuangyu Port is on an island east of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province today. This island is quite unique, located on the edge of the ocean and serves as a springboard for strength to enter China. According to scholars, Shuangyu Island is located near Liuheng Island in Zhoushan City today. Nowadays, any historical traces related to the Japanese pirate base and maritime trade are nowhere to be found. However, which statement is true when there are vastly different descriptions in Chinese and foreign historical materials? Do you believe in Western narratives that Shuangyu Island is an international free trade port? Or do you trust official documents from the Ming Dynasty that Shuangyu Port was a stronghold of Japanese pirates? Or do you think that Shuangyu Port plays a dual role? In the early days of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, it was during the internal turmoil of the Northern and Southern Dynasties in Japan. In the melee, Japanese derelict samurai and bankrupt farmers fled to the sea and armed themselves to invade the coastal areas of China. On the other hand, Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen, who were in the coastal counties of Jiangnan during the late Yuan Dynasty, were defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang, and the remaining troops fled to the sea. In order to prevent the invasion of Japanese pirates and the resurgence of remnants of the former regime, the Ming government had no choice but to raise a strict maritime ban flag. To prevent coastal people from colluding with Japanese pirates. As early as the fourth year of Hongwu (1381 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang officially announced the prohibition of coastal people from going out to sea without permission, and has since reiterated the ban multiple times. The so-called inch board and piece sails are not allowed to go into the sea. Southeast Asian countries, which were close neighbors of the Ming Dynasty, can only trade and cultural exchanges with China through tribute. This marks the official establishment of maritime prohibition as a national policy of the Ming Dynasty. In the 19th year of the Hongwu reign (1386 AD), the Ming government forcibly relocated almost all of the more than 30000 residents of Zhoushan to the mainland, leaving only a small number of civilians and defenders behind. Since then, the Zhoushan Islands have almost become uninhabited, and Shuangyu Port has naturally become a banned uninhabited island. Wan Ming (Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): The implementation of the maritime ban policy had a historical background at that time, and today we do not need to blame it too much. Because of national security issues, we all know today, such as the current issue of piracy in Malacca, which is actually a great danger to national security. The living map of coastal residents shows that the government’s maritime ban policy is ultimately unable to compete with the long coastline, and the lonely Shuangyu Island is gradually welcoming people. The relocated people are constantly longing for their hometown. Not long after, many people violated the ban and ran back to the island from their migration sites. Some descendants of the relocated islanders followed the army of patrolling the sea and resisting Japanese aggression to migrate back one after another. At the same time, some fishermen and merchants in mainland China come here for production and operation in order to make a living. Their arrival restored vitality to Shuangyu Island. At this time, the world is undergoing earth shattering changes, driving the ebb and flow of Shuangyu Island. The development of the maritime industry and the arrival of Westerners have greatly promoted the progress of maritime trade. China, with its vast territory and abundant resources, is becoming a huge product supplier and market. While the government continues to strengthen its maritime ban policy, the Portuguese fleet is wandering in the nearby waters, searching for one foothold after another in the east. In 1522, the Magellan fleet had completed its circumnavigation. Prior to this, Portuguese merchants arrived in Guangzhou but were expelled by the Ming government due to the lack of tribute trade documents. The grape people who were expelled from Guangzhou carried a ship full of spices and traveled north along the Chinese coast, trying to find trade opportunities and footholds to open the door to the Chinese market. Near Ningbo, the Portuguese discovered Shuangyu Island. “Where benefits lie, the people are not afraid of death.” Portuguese merchants immediately struck a chord with the local merchants, and coastal smuggling trade flourished, leading to the birth of an international free trade port. Portuguese businessman Mendes Pinto described the scene back then as having several coasts at the port, most suitable for boating, over a thousand houses, two hospitals, and a benevolent church. In the whole of Asia, its scale is also the largest. This port is exactly the self owned maritime trading port – Shuangyu Port, which has been praised by many European books. Zhao Xianhai (Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): At that time, Shuangyu Island was very, very prosperous, with about a thousand ships and a very large scale. The population was also quite large, and the composition was complex, with various languages. However, they all had a common goal, which was to conduct a kind of trade here. The prosperous and free trade in Shuangyu Port directly impacted the Ming Dynasty’s maritime ban policy, causing unease among the Ming government. Relatively speaking, there are only a few wise people who advocate for opening up overseas trade. Conservative views have the upper hand, tacitly allowing traitors to attract foreigners and grow in Shuangyu Port, becoming a maritime trade paradise. This is undoubtedly something that the Ming government does not want to see, and it is also contrary to the long-standing maritime ban policy of the Ming Dynasty. For the Ming government, what is needed is stability, not unrestricted development by the people. Therefore, a storm is about to hit Shuangyu Island. In the 27th year of the Jiajing reign (1548 AD), on a stormy and foggy night, the people of Shuangyu Port were still asleep, unaware that danger was quietly approaching. The Ming government ordered the military affairs of Zhejiang and Fujian, as well as the governor of the Right Deputy Governor of Zhejiang, Zhu Wan, to destroy Shuangyu Port as soon as possible. Zhu Wan’s fleet surrounded the port in groups. In the early morning of the next day, smugglers in the port fled one after another. The Ming army pursued, captured, and drowned hundreds of people. Zhu Wan also ordered the use of wood and stones to block the north-south waterways leading to Shuangyu Port, making it impossible for ships to enter. At this time, merchant ships from overseas were sailing day and night towards this international trade base, unaware that Shuangyu Port had long been destroyed. From the capture of Shuangyu Port on April 7th to May 10th, more than 1290 merchant ships from various countries arrived successively. At this time, Shuangyu Port was already in ruins, and the destruction of Shuangyu Port did not bring honor to the commander of this sweeping action. Zhu Wan, who was responsible for the coastal defense of Zhejiang and Fujian, came from a jinshi and belonged to the iron fisted maritime prohibition faction. She swore to eliminate the Japanese pirates from the Ming Dynasty’s territorial waters and pacify Shuangyu Port. Zhu Wan then led his troops to pursue the Japanese pirates in Fujian. In the Battle of Zoumaxi in Fujian, Zhu Wan captured 96 Chinese merchants who violated the maritime prohibition policy. All beheaded, Zhu Wan’s harsh and ungrateful behavior cut off the livelihoods of some ordinary people, as well as the financial routes of wealthy families, causing great backlash from the public and some court officials. Officials from Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, such as the censor Chen Jiude, accused Zhu Wan of authoritarian and indiscriminate killing. Soon after, Zhu Wan was dismissed, Zhu Wan was unwilling to accept the upcoming interrogation and insults of taking poison to commit suicide. Chen Shilong (Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): In fact, smuggling trade is supported by many wealthy families and clans along the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang, because they have benefited from it. Therefore, after Zhu Wan implemented strict anti Japanese policies, it is equivalent to their financial situation being affected. The destroyed Shuangyu Port has since withdrawn from the world trade stage and completely become an uninhabited island under sea restrictions. At this time, in northern China, far from the ocean, a new emerging city outside the Great Wall is about to emerge, which is today’s Hohhot. The founder of this city, along with Hohhot, will be named in the annals of history. This person is the leader of the Mongolian Tumote tribe, Anda Khan. Anda Khan is the famous leader of Mongolia’s rejuvenation and the grandson of Dayan Khan. He inherited the legacy of his grandfather and father, led the Tumote tribe, stationed in the northeastern region of Hetao, and in 1539, he received the title of Sodo Khan from the Mongolian Khan. In April of the 13th year of Jiajing (1534 AD), at the age of 28, Anda Khan made an important decision to come to the Great Wall border to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. Chen Shilong (Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): Because the tribute market is integrated, when he brought the tribute goods in, he already had transactions along the way. After arriving in Beijing, he paid the tribute to the emperor, and the remaining things could still be traded in the capital. The Tumo River where I Khan was located belonged to the central and western regions of southern desert. At that time, nearly 100000 people were concentrated, almost reaching saturation. The extensive and single nomadic economy was simply unable to support it. At that time, the Mongolian tribes had only two ways to obtain supplies and food from the Han region: first, through the peaceful trade of tribute markets; Another type is invasion and plunder; For them, tribute and war, since they are both means of obtaining goods, which method has low cost and high harvest, will naturally be adopted. An Dahan extended an olive branch to the Ming Dynasty, hoping to engage in bilateral trade in a peaceful manner, but what he received was not a warm response from the Ming government. Peng Yong (Professor at China University for Nationalities): The Ming Dynasty was established to replace the Yuan Dynasty, and the Mongolian nobles voluntarily retreated from the Yuan Dynasty to the grasslands. The continuity of their political power is still maintained in a continuous manner, and for the existence of such a Northern Yuan regime. The Ming Dynasty has always regarded it as its biggest enemy. It seized power from the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty and remained vigilant against the Mongol regime retreating to the north. Although many ministers were well aware of the interests involved and advocated for tribute exchange with Anda Khan, Emperor Jiajing did not agree with the tribute exchange. After understanding the emperor’s true thoughts, the council of ministers said that the Mongol tribute request was unreliable and could be a delaying tactic to invade the border. Therefore, it was best to reject it with great righteousness. As a result, their treacherous schemes would naturally go bankrupt. As for the exchange of goods, the Ming Dynasty’s rulers and officials would even consider it a crown jewel to trade between the Tang Dynasty and border officials. Putting one’s shoes upside down undermines the dignity of a great country and does not conform to the traditional tribute trade system. More importantly, in the view of court ministers, mutual trade would lead to the rise of the Tumote tribe and weaken Ming Dynasty’s control over various Mongolian tribes, So Emperor Jiajing, who was the same age as Anda Khan, not only did not allow tribute, but also easily refused Anda Khan’s request. In the 21st year of Jiajing (1542), he ordered the execution of the envoy sent by Anda Khan to request tribute, Shi Tianjue. An Da Khan was unable to seek tribute and had to return to the old path of plunder. Border towns such as Xuanfu, Datong, Yansui, and Ningxia in the Ming Dynasty were often invaded due to their close proximity to An Da Khan, lacking a normal and peaceful environment for material exchange. War became an important means for nomadic tribes to plunder agricultural materials. For more than a decade, An Da Khan used both peace and war methods to constantly demand clearance and trade with the Ming Dynasty. The reason why An Da Khan could not give up the opportunity for peaceful trade with the Ming Dynasty was because there were many worries in the future. In the north, there were brave and fierce Wuliangha people, and in the east, there were great feudal lords. The Chahar tribe, which Khan claimed himself to be, and the original Waci tribes, which had a long-standing feud with the Eastern Mongols, were constantly coveting the land of Shimote. These threats made An Da Khan feel like a thorn in his back, So every time the Mongol cavalry invaded the Ming territory and plundered, they quickly retreated northward. Anda Khan also hoped to use the economic benefits gained from exchanging tribute with the Ming Dynasty to dominate the various tribes on the grasslands. Thus, the war between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia was intermittent, and the road of seeking tribute for Anda Khan was long and winding. In order to cope with the strong disturbance from the cavalry of An Dahan, the Ming government continuously reinforced the Great Wall. Most of the Ming Great Wall was constructed with bricks and stones, except for the rammed earth Great Wall to the west of the Yellow River. Even if it was made with rammed earth, it is said that the cost per meter is about one or two silver. It can be imagined that the construction of the Great Wall for thousands of miles would require a lot of manpower and silver. In order to prevent the Mongols from moving south, the Ming government spent a large amount of military and material resources. However, in order to make a living or open up the Silk Road on land, which was a more grand goal, An Dahan sacrificed his population and horses and constantly invaded the Ming border. The two sides fell into a vicious cycle, and this stalemate was the last thing An Dahan wanted to see. If the stalemate continued, An Dahan’s Tumote tribe would collapse in internal friction, and he would definitely force the Ming Dynasty to comply. In August of the 29th year of the Jiajing reign (1550 AD), after multiple unsuccessful attempts to seek tribute and harassment, An Da Khan invaded the Ming Dynasty on a large scale. He personally led a large army, Yuexuan Prefecture, traveled to Jizhou, entered Beigukou, besieged Shunyi, and drove straight into Beijing. The Mongolian army plundered extensively in the capital area, with the purpose of forcing the Ming government to agree to pass through customs and trade. He specially released a message to the Ming government, “Give our city, give us tribute, that is, lift the siege.” The incident of our Khan’s invasion of Beijing shook the capital. This was after the Tu Tu Bu Bao Incident in Mongolia. For the second time invading Beijing, facing the strong military pressure of An Da Khan, Emperor Jiajing deeply realized that not opening and closing the trade would lead to the consequences of years of war, so he temporarily agreed to An Da Khan’s demand for trade. On April 28, 1551, in the thirtieth year of the Jiajing reign, the horse market that I had been waiting for for a long time finally opened in Datong. After that, the Ming Dynasty opened the horse market in Xuanfu and formulated plans to reopen it in Yansui and Ning. The market was peaceful, and I seemed to see a bright scene. The dawn of peace fell on the northern horizon. Once the long-standing trade restrictions were lifted, the Ming Mongolian trade experienced a surge, which caught the Ming government off guard. As only Mongolian nobles had horses and ordinary herdsmen only had cattle and sheep, An Dahan requested to expand the scope of exchanging horses for silk to meet the needs of ordinary herdsmen. He requested permission to trade chestnut beans, wheat, and other grains with cattle, sheep, wool, and animal skins, which had positive implications for border stability on both sides. However, this request was rejected by the Ming government. Boyinhu (Inner Mongolia University Teaching Aid: Now the Ming Dynasty Emperor has given up on me. He said I should use Malay to exchange my products, which is already very tolerant of you. You have made further demands, aren’t you greedy? At the same time, the horse market is also being pursued by the powerful Han people who fled to Mongolia. They are afraid of opening up trade and affecting their position in the Mongolian tribes, so they instigated the subordinates of Anda Khan to invade the Ming Dynasty border again. Anda Khan failed to restrain his subordinates in time, so although the horse market operates, the phenomenon of looting still occurs from time to time. The Ming government, which used to perfunctorily handle the exchange market, saw the border again. When the wind blew and the grass moved, he immediately used the excuse that Mongolia begged tirelessly, and even after the trade, he continued to violate the border and hastily closed the door to the trade. The emperor strictly ordered that anyone who invited another horse market be beheaded. After only one year, Mashi was bankrupt, which was like a flash in the pan. The light of peace was once again engulfed by the clouds of war. Twenty years of war began along the Great Wall. Anda Khan continued to invade the Ming Dynasty’s frontier fortress, and the Ming government continued to strengthen the Great Wall. Another vicious circle began again. Facing the single and backward grassland economy, Anda Khan realized that war was not enough to solve the survival problems of the Mongolian people. Instead of quietly exchanging with the Ming Dynasty intermittently, it would be safer to build its own agricultural base. With the migration of a large number of Han people, farming gradually developed, and the southern desert area showed a mixture of agriculture and livestock, and Mongolian and Han integration. Situation. With the development of agriculture, settled villages were formed one after another, which are generally known as Bansheng. The management of Bansheng was the cornerstone of Anda Khan’s lifelong career. During the years of Jiajing and Longqing, the grain harvested by Bansheng could basically meet the living needs of the vast herdsmen in the western part of the desert. Bansheng agriculture became an important part of the Mongolian nomadic economy, and for Anda Khan, its significance was not only that. Bansheng was also able to maintain the unity of the western part of the desert, compete with Chahar in the east, and expand towards the Wala region in Qinghai in the west. Anda Khan also focused his vision on the western part, preparing to implement a more grand plan, which is to reopen the Silk Road, build trade channels in the Eurasian inland, and create a Central Asian free trade area controlled by East Mongolia. In the mid-16th century, An Dahan pacified the Qinghai Lake region by force. His dream was not to plunder, but to connect the inland commercial network. From here, heading west, he became an important town on the Silk Road, Bukhara in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, Istanbul in the Black Sea, Venice in the Mediterranean, and Ribbons on the east coast of the Atlantic. International trade centers had all been formed, and in the 16th century, the world, whether by land or sea, was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the era of globalization. In the vast and boundless sea, Portuguese and Dutch ships were constantly sailing towards Asia, and Shuangyu Port was destroyed. And it will also change their course, just allowing another international free trade port in Asia to rise, which is Japan’s Pingdo, In fact, it was not the Japanese who turned Pinghu into an international free trade port, but a Chinese, Huizhou merchant, and Wang Zhi. Wang Zhi, also known as Wang Zhi, was a native of Huizhou. He was an operator and mediator of maritime smuggling trade, with his influence spread throughout Japan and Southeast Asia. Wang Zhen had always wanted to do legitimate business, but due to the strict maritime ban policy implemented by the North Korean government to eliminate Shuangyu Port, he had to gather the remaining troops to flee to Japan. This directly promoted the transfer of international free trade ports to Japan, leading to the rapid development of Japan’s overseas trade. Commercial ships from various countries gathered in Pinghu, but it was Chinese commercial ships that frequently entered and exited Pinghu. Wang Zhi gradually became a key figure in Japan’s maritime smuggling trade with China. Peng Yong (Teaching Aid from Central University for Nationalities): The fundamental problem is that after the mid Ming Dynasty, as long as the commodity economy developed, it must build the most grand market, the cheapest labor force, the widest range of raw materials, and the largest market. These three factors are a guarantee for merchants to pursue profits. Therefore, after the development of the commodity economy in the mid Ming Dynasty, some domestic merchants, along with some Western explorers or adventurers during this period, also began to rapidly develop their modern economy. They also needed China, a huge market and supply of raw materials. The rise of Wang Zhi caught the attention of the Ming government, as his actions impacted the Ming Dynasty’s maritime ban policy. Hu Zongxian, a fellow villager of Huizhou and the governor of Zhejiang, was an enlightened faction within the Ming government. He had a deeper understanding of the nature of Japanese pirates and decided to suppress and pacify them, starting to pacify Wang Zhi. However, Wang Zhi ultimately wanted to gain recognition from the Ming government as a legitimate maritime merchant, which destined his tragedy. Hu Zongxian sent two envoys to Japan to meet Wang Zhi and agree to his trade and exchange requirements. Wang Zhi, who had been living abroad for many years, could not resist the temptation to become a legitimate maritime merchant and ultimately embarked on the journey back to China. Shortly after Wang Zhi’s fleet arrived at Cen Port in Zhoushan, Hu Zongxian successfully lured him to surrender. After being sent to Hangzhou, Wang Zhi was imprisoned by the censor Wang Bengu. Surrounding Wang Zhi’s fate, the Ming government heard two voices. The maritime prohibition faction believed that preserving Wang Zhi’s life meant tacitly agreeing to open overseas trade, which was not in line with ancestral laws. The enlightened faction believed that the execution of Wang Zhi would inevitably cause a comprehensive backlash from the Japanese pirates. Requesting forgiveness from Wang Zhi, the struggle between the enlightened and the maritime prohibition factions ended in victory for the maritime prohibition faction. After being detained for two years, Wang Zhi was sentenced to death. The Anti Japanese Scroll, also known as the Anti Japanese Scroll, is a collection of paintings by Ming Dynasty painter Qiu Ying at the National Museum of China. It depicts the plot of the military and civilians fighting against the invasion of Japanese pirates during the Jiajing period in Zhejiang Province. After Wang Zhi was imprisoned, the original armed smuggling group lost control, and the order along the east and south coasts was in chaos. Hu Zongxian had to make every effort to encircle and suppress Ren Junfeng, who lived in Taizhou. For many years, the most admired historical figure in his heart was Qi Jiguang. He had been trying to unravel the mysteries of Qi Jiguang’s Mandarin Duck Formation. In order to eliminate pirates and improve the combat effectiveness of the army, Qi Jiguang formed a new army. He personally went to Yiwu, Zhejiang, recruiting 3000 farmers and miners to form the world-renowned Qi family army. The Mandarin Duck Formation became a magic weapon for defeating the enemy and annihilating the invading Japanese pirates. Ren Junfeng (a citizen of Linhai City, Zhejiang Province): Of course, this formation has many innovations and some inventions. The most basic one seems to have evolved from our Changshan Snake Formation. Its biggest feature or advantage is that it can be coordinated from the beginning to the end, without having a head or tail. In the 40th year of the Jiajing reign (1561), Qi Jiguang led his Qi family army to engage in decisive battles against Japanese pirates in various parts of Taizhou, completely eliminating the invading Japanese pirates. This was known as the great victory of Taizhou, and the Japanese pirates were as afraid as tigers and fled into the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong. From the 41st year of the Jiajing reign (1562) to the 43rd year (1564), Qi Jiguang led his troops to reinforce Fujian and Guangdong, sweeping away the Japanese pirates along the southeast coast. However, the war could not fundamentally solve the problem, and the Ming government, which strictly enforced maritime restrictions, found it difficult to break out of its own trap of the mandarin duck formation. Countless undercurrents surged under the seemingly calm sea surface. Zhao Xianhai (Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): If Japanese pirates were the only ones, it would be relatively easy to ban them. Implementing a sea ban would suffice. However, since the main force of Japanese pirates is actually a smuggling force in China, and this smuggling force has such an overseas market, it is impossible to ban them solely through political or military means. When the situation along the southern coast improved, there was also a turning point along the Great Wall in the north. From the 45th year of the Jiajing reign (1566 AD) to the first year of the Longqing reign (1567 AD), the Bansheng region under the rule of Anda Khan suffered from years of famine. The famine left Anda Khan at a loss. The poor harvest of agriculture and the scarcity of resources were about to drag down the fragile economy of the Mongolian nomadic people. Faced with this dilemma, whether to continue to plunder resources through war or to make up his mind to negotiate with the Ming government and obtain a stable supply of agricultural materials, Anda Khan faced a dilemma. In the Inner Mongolia Academy of Social Sciences, there is a collection of Mongolian literature from the Ming Dynasty, which records a dramatic event. Just as An Dahan was indecisive, his favorite grandson, Han Naji, fled to the Ming Dynasty with his wife and servants in the fourth year of Longqing due to family conflicts. This made 64 year old An Dahan extremely anxious. However, what An Dahan did not expect was to escape Han Naji, and instead helped him untie the knot in his heart. At this time, Emperor Jiajing had already passed away, and the reigning Emperor Longqing appointed Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng as Grand Councillors of the Cabinet. They decided to release Han Naji, the grandson of Anda Khan, as an opportunity to negotiate peace with him and engage in mutual trade, ending decades of disputes between Ming and Mongolia. Cao Yongnian (Professor at Inner Mongolia Normal University): On the Ming side, due to the death of Emperor Shizong, the rise of Emperor Muzong, and the changes in the ruling group of the Ming Dynasty, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Xu Jie, and Wang Chonggu were in power. From the Ming side, it was intentional to ease this situation. On the Mongolian side, after years of war, An Da Khan did not achieve his goal, and internal conflicts broke out in Bansheng. Therefore, using the surrender of Han Na as the trigger, the two sides made contact, and finally reached this tribute city. In May of the fifth year of the Longqing reign (1571 AD), a yellow curtain and orchid tent were widely set up on the horse drying platform outside the Deshengbao in Datong. Anda Khan accepted the title of Shunyi King bestowed by the Ming Dynasty emperor, and his sons, brothers, and leaders at all levels were appointed as commanders, commanders, and thousand households. An Dahan announced thirteen peace terms, expressing friendship between Ming and Mongolia for generations and never violating each other, known as the Longqing Peace Treaty in history. Shortly thereafter, both sides agreed on eleven mutual markets from Xuanfu to Gansu, bringing new vitality to the grasslands through peaceful trade. However, 65 year old An Dahan was not satisfied with this. He also planned to build a permanent city on the basis of Bansheng to create a grassland base that could be advanced, attacked, and defended for future generations, which is Hohhot. Hohhot, in Mongolian, means a city of blue. This city was built in accordance with the pattern of inland cities, with walls built with blue bricks and houses covered with green tiles, creating a green landscape from a distance. In the third year of the Wanli reign (1575 AD), Hohhot was officially built. The Ming government had a mixed bag of ideas regarding the construction of Hohhot. The original containment policy actually stimulated the growth of Mongolia. However, adapting to the development of the times has become inevitable. At the request of the Khan, the Ming Dynasty named and naturalized the city. Hohhot has since become a trading center for Ming and Mongolia, as well as a political and cultural center for the southern Mongolian region. It has been connected to the Central Asian trade network and has become an important town in the world trade pattern. Zhao Xianhai (Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): In the past, we used to say that the commercial centers in the north were actually located within the Great Wall. However, now this commercial trade location has been extended to the Mongolian grasslands. In this way, the Mongolian grasslands, Central Asia, and the northern desert area of the Ming Dynasty have closer economic exchanges. Therefore, the entire grassland has become a core area for economic and cultural exchanges. As the southeast coast gradually calmed down, the Ming government also began to reflect on its long-standing maritime ban policy. The reality of Jiajing’s crackdown on Japanese pirates made the Ming government painfully realize that pirates and merchants were both human beings. If the market was open, pirates would turn into merchants, and if the market was closed, merchants would turn into pirates. In order to completely quell the Japanese invasion, the government must reflect and face reality and make policy adjustments. In the first year of Longqing (1567 AD), due to the increasingly tense financial crisis and the failure of the maritime ban policy, the Ming government finally agreed to relax the ban and chose Fujian, where smuggling trade was the most rampant. Allowing the opening of the Moon Port to trade with the outside world, in a sense, the opening of maritime restrictions was during the Jiajing period. The result of the anti maritime ban policy of the maritime industry group. From then on, private overseas trade among the people gained legal status, and pirates became merchants one after another. Foreign trade developed rapidly, and Yuegang in Zhangzhou, Fujian became an important trading port. People’s lives improved significantly, and national fiscal revenue also increased significantly. Chen Shilong (Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): Isolation from the outside world is not good, but smuggling trade is also not good. For smugglers, including the Japanese pirates who have connections with him, he has his reasonable needs, but he is not proactive. The best way is to open up in an orderly manner. However, the opening of the maritime ban by the Ming Dynasty was only a limited lifting, stipulating that only the East and West Oceans were allowed, and no one was allowed to go to Japan. The government had strict restrictions on everything from sailing ships to trade routes, from sailing time to trading goods. The Ming government was like a woman bound by her feet, walking back and forth, stumbling on rural roads. However, whether it was the emperor or high-ranking officials, they had no idea that a wave of globalization led by Western emerging countries had already emerged. At this time, Portuguese merchant ships loaded with French machine guns continued to cruise the sea, while Dutch sailboats sailed to the Nanyang Islands and then occupied Penghu and Taiwan. Britain defeated Spain’s invincible fleet and became the new maritime hegemon, while the merchant ships of the East India Company sailed freely in this era of great navigation. The Great Wall and coastline of the Ming Dynasty were like two tightly bound curses, tightly binding the hands and feet of the people of the Ming Dynasty. Nowadays, we have greater courage and courage to open our country and integrate into the world. They have become symbols of our national spirit and the lifeline of our national rejuvenation, leading and inspiring China’s rise. History 90 Seconds: Zhang Juzheng Seizes Emotions. On the morning of June 16, 1572, in the morning court, eunuchs issued a decree. The head of the cabinet, Gao Gong, thought it was an edict to expel eunuch Feng Bao, the eunuch of the Ministry of Rites. However, he was demoted to a commoner. In this thrilling power struggle, Zhang Juzheng was the last to laugh. He formed an alliance with Feng Bao, replaced Gao Gong, and firmly controlled the government for ten years. He carried out comprehensive reforms with great fanfare. However, the opposition to Zhang Juzheng also began, and reached its peak five years later. That year, Zhang Juzheng’s father passed away, in order to continue promoting reforms. He tacitly allowed the emperor to issue an edict to allow him to continue his official duties without having to go home to serve in mourning for three years. This practice was known as seizing emotions, which completely deviated from Confucian theory and shook the court and the public. Officials risked their lives to impeach him, In the end, Zhang Juzheng adopted harsh measures to fight back and successfully stayed behind. However, both at that time and in later generations, people’s evaluations of the character of this famous reformer were greatly discounted. Among them, the eight character evaluation of the upright official Hai Rui was the most typical: work and national planning, not good at personal planning.
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