In ancient legends, there were 72 emperors in our country who climbed Mount Tai in Dongyue to carry out the ceremony of sealing Zen. However, some people believe that this is just a number symbol in the theory of the five elements of yin and yang, and the actual participants may not be so large. Sima Qian listed 12 in the "Historical Records": Wuhuai, Fuxi, Shennong, Yandi, Huangdi, Zhuan, Diyu, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, and Zhou Chengwang. Since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there are only six emperors who have held a ceremony to seal Zen in Mount Tai, namely Qin Shi Huang Yingzheng, Han Wu Emperor Liu Che, Han Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu, Tang Gaozong Li Zhi, Tang Xuanzong Li Longji and Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng.
However, in the Ming Dynasty, especially less than a year after the death of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, the famous "Jingyan War" took place. Taizu's fourth son, Zhu Di, the king of Yan, usurped the position of the rightful emperor Zhu Yunwen by force. For Zhu Di, whether Taishan Fengzen was made has become a controversial issue. Although Zhu Di has a lot of commendable things in governing the country, why he did not choose Mount Tai to seal Zen in the end has become a historical mystery.
The ceremony of enshrined Mount Tai actually refers to the grand ceremony of sacrificing heaven and earth held by ancient Chinese emperors in the peaceful and prosperous era or when the sky descends auspiciously. Since Confucianism believes that Mount Tai is the most noble, the emperor should go to Mount Tai to worship. However, this ceremony has become extremely serious since the time of Song Zhenzong, and the average emperor did not easily imitate it. By the time of Song Zhenzong, this tradition was reactivated.
In the first year of Jingde in the Northern Song Dynasty (1004 AD), after the "Alliance of the Yuan", Zhao Heng of Song Zhenzong decided to seal Mount Tai to inspire the government and the opposition. However, Zhu Di was advised to perform the same ritual during the Ming Dynasty. Zhou Ne of the Ministry of Rites wrote to ask Zhu Di to seal Mount Tai, but Zhu Di's response was quite majestic. He mentioned that although the world was peaceful at that time, there were still problems such as floods, droughts, and diseases, and said that he was not in a peaceful world, so he rejected the proposal to be enshrined. In addition, he made it clear that the Bible does not mention the sealing of Zen, and that Li Shimin, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, did not perform such rituals. He also cited the example of the famous minister Wei Zheng to remind the ministers to encourage themselves, so as not to live up to Taizong's last wishes.
In the end, Zhu Di's response made Feng Chan Taishan a demeaning term. His resolute refusal shows the wisdom and decisiveness of a monarch, and at the same time hints at his firm belief in the way Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang ruled.