Zhu Di (May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424) was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty. He reigned from 1402 to 1424 and was named "Yongle". He was called "Yongle the Great" by later generations.
During Zhu Di's reign, the territory of the Ming Dynasty was expanded to the extreme, and he personally led the army to the north to fight against the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and pushed the territory of the Ming Dynasty to the extreme. In addition, he presided over the compilation of the Yongle Canon, an encyclopedic document that gathers cultural treasures from the Ming Dynasty and is hailed as a milestone in the history of Chinese culture. In terms of politics, Zhu Di strengthened the centralization of power, weakened local forces, and made the country more stable.
He also vigorously developed overseas **, sent Zheng He to the West seven times, and created the Maritime Silk Road in Chinese history.
However, Zhu Di's reign was not without controversy. During his reign, because of his suspicion, he created the famous "Renwu Disaster", which led to the implication of tens of thousands of innocent people, which was the biggest stain on his life.
Zhu Di died on August 12, 1424, at the age of 64. The cause of his death was illness during a campaign against Arutai. Zhu Di's reign had a profound impact on the development of the Ming Dynasty, and his political, economic, and cultural reforms laid the foundation for the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.
As the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di implemented a series of important political reforms during his reign, which had a significant effect on the political stability and governance of the Ming Dynasty.
The following are Zhu Di's main political reforms: Reform of the Imperial PalaceZhu Di's reform of the royal palace was mainly to prevent the usurpation of the throne by the vassal kings and to avoid the recurrence of the Battle of Jingjing. He revised the regulations that the royal palace and the imperial court could appoint each other, prohibiting the royal palace from entering Beijing as a court official, reducing the strength of the vassal king. In addition, he also arranged for some mediocre talents to enter the palaces of the major princes to monitor the vassal king's every move, further weakening the power of the vassal king.
Strengthen the centralization of power.
Zhu Di strengthened the centralization of power politically, weakened the power of the vassal king, and strengthened the bureaucratic system. He reformed the institution and set up a cabinet, all of which played a very positive role in strengthening the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
External exchanges. Zhu Di actively carried out foreign exchanges, and he sent Zheng He to the West, which strengthened friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries and promoted international and cultural exchanges. At the same time, he also handled relations with neighboring countries through diplomatic means, creating a good external environment for the development of the Ming Dynasty.
These reforms, along with other achievements during Zhu Di's reign, such as economic development, cultural prosperity, and military expansion, ushered in what became known as the "Yongle Prosperous Era." Zhu Di's political reform had a significant impact at that time, not only strengthening the centralization of power, but also improving the political stability and governance ability of the Ming Dynasty, laying a solid foundation for the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. Light Knowledge