Hello everyone, I'm Lantai. Today, Lantai will analyze the explicit and unspoken rules of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, and analyze his tactics in the process of establishing the Ming Empire.
Zhu Yuanzhang came from a humble background and was the founding emperor of the lowest origin in Chinese history. In the early days, his army failed to win the approval of the elites and common people in the Jiangnan region, and was even troubled by the willingness of some to support Zhang Shicheng. This made the Ming Dynasty face the dilemma of legitimacy and political identity at the beginning of its founding.
In response to this situation, Zhu Yuanzhang chose to use Confucian ideology to rebuild the Ming Empire and sanctify the status of the Zhu emperor, the so-called Ming rule. In the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang sent an envoy to worship Confucius to express his determination to "enlighten and educate to practice the way of the ancestors".
Zhu Yuanzhang first solved his identity crisis, emphasizing that he was not the mastermind who overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, but seized the world in the hands of the heroes. He creatively put forward the "theory of the blessing of the temple", deliberately smearing the rebels of the past dynasties, and distinguishing them into two categories: those who are the first rebels and those who are in the palace. The rebels were characterized as those who led the uprising, while the temple promoters were the good people who were coerced and were expected to take over the world.
However, despite Zhu Yuanzhang's advocacy of Confucian ideology, he himself did not really believe that the Ming Empire would have true loyalists. As a utilitarian, he has actually been practicing the most effective unspoken rule of physical extermination, which has proven effective for decades from his participation in the anti-Yuan uprising to his ascension to the throne.
Zhu Yuanzhang carried out three major purges of meritorious heroes, the most notable of which were two in the 23rd year of Hongwu and the 25th year of Hongwu. In the twentieth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang began to feel unwell and was worried about the influence of Li Shanchang and other old brothers, so he purged them. However, Zhu Yuanzhang was full of confidence in the crown prince Zhu Biao, so he did not do it in the twenty-third year of Hongwu. It's a pity that Zhu Biao died of illness in the 25th year of Hongwu, and Zhu Yuanzhang was forced to replace the heir from Zhu Biao to Zhu Yunyu, who was only 15 years old at the time.
This change made the upstarts who were originally recognized by Zhu Biao, such as Lan Yu and Fu Youde, the biggest obstacle to Zhu Yunyu's succession. Zhu Yuanzhang did not believe in Lan Yu and Fu Youde's loyalty to Zhu Yunyu, because in his opinion, there is no reward for winning a bet, and if you lose a bet, you may die. As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang waved the butcher's knife again from the 25th year of Hongwu to the 27th year of Hongwu and carried out an unspoken action.
The contradiction between Zhu Yuanzhang's explicit and unspoken rules is that, although he advocates Confucian ideology, he himself has been practicing bloody but effective unspoken rules. The underlying political logic of the Ming and Qing empires was actually very dirty, and the emperors expected their subjects to obey the law while taking advantage of themselves as hooligans.
In this interweaving of power and unspoken rules, Zhu Yuanzhang successfully established the Ming Empire, but also left a profound and complex political legacy in history.
The above content is the author's personal opinion and does not represent the position of Lantai.
Zhu Yuanzhang, as the founder of the Ming Dynasty, his scheming methods and political logic in the process of establishing the Ming Empire are indeed thought-provoking. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the explicit and unspoken rules adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang, revealing his multifaceted and complex political arena.
First of all, Zhu Yuanzhang's life experience has created his unique understanding of power schemes. As the founding emperor from the lowest level of society, Zhu Yuanzhang was well aware of the oppression and injustice at the bottom of society, so he was more sensitive to power schemes. By promoting Confucian ideology, he tried to establish a concept of selfless dedication of all subjects to the emperor in the court, so as to make up for the shortcomings of the lower social strata from which he was born and rebuild his own legitimacy.
However, corresponding to the Ming rule is the unspoken rule that Zhu Yuanzhang has always practiced, that is, the first strike is the most effective means of physical annihilation. The purge of meritorious heroes, especially in the large-scale purge of Hongwu in the 25th year, showed Zhu Yuanzhang's political calmness and decisiveness. His utilitarian thinking gave him a keen insight into power schemes, and in order to consolidate his position, he did not hesitate to use the power in his hands to purge and ensure the long-term peace and stability of himself and his family.
The contradiction between Zhu Yuanzhang's superficial advocacy of Confucian ideology and his actual unspoken actions reflects the multifaceted nature of his political methods. Under the cloak of Confucianism, he hides his precise insight into reality and bold actions. This kind of inconsistency makes Zhu Yuanzhang a very controversial figure in history.
On the other hand, the article also mentions Zhu Yuanzhang's purge of meritorious heroes, in which the purge of Zhu Biao's trust in Zhu Biao and his purge of the upstart due to his early death makes the reader think deeply about the trade-off between Zhu Yuanzhang's trust in his successor and his vigilance against meritorious heroes. This kind of political wisdom is not unique in history, but it is vividly displayed in Zhu Yuanzhang's governance.
In general, Zhu Yuanzhang is a ruler who is full of contradictions and complexities in his power schemes. The dialectical relationship between his explicit and unspoken rules, as well as his skillful use of power and tactics, have enabled him to leave a rich and profound political legacy in Chinese history. Zhu Yuanzhang's method of governing the country includes both explicit rules for the happiness of the people and unspoken rules adopted to consolidate his own power, which provides many political experiences worth thinking about for future generations.
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