Chapter 30 11. Relocating the capital to Beijing—a great cause for the common ownership of the world

At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang changed Jinling to Yingtianfu, called Nanjing, and Kaifeng as Beijing.He designated his hometown Linhao as the central capital, which was later renamed Fengyang Mansion.However, Fengyang was not suitable to be the capital, and the large-scale construction of Zhongdu was forced to stop.In the eleventh year of Hongwu (1378), Zhu Yuanzhang changed Nanjing to the capital, but he did not want to make Nanjing the permanent capital.He already has a broader vision, hoping to choose a place that is conducive to the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty as the capital.Historically, Kaifeng and Luoyang in the Heluo area were the capitals and long-term enjoyment, and Chang'an and Xianyang in the Guanzhong area were the other.Zhu Yuanzhang intended to set the capital in Guanzhong, on the grounds that its land "according to the victory of Baierhe Mountains, can tower the hopes of the princes."Therefore, in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu (1391), he sent Prince Zhu Biao to inspect Shaanxi to inspect the mountains and rivers and prepare for moving the capital.However, the prince couldn't afford to be ill after returning from his inspection, and at this time Zhu Yuanzhang was already old, and he was no longer able to push forward the major event of moving the capital.The matter of moving the capital was put on hold.

Zhu Di came to the throne, and in the first month of the first year of Yongle (1403), Beiping was renamed Shuntianfu and built as Beijing, called Xingzai.In the nineteenth year of Yongle (1421), Zhu Di changed Beijing to the capital again and officially moved the capital to Beijing.As early as the fourth year of Yongle (1406), Zhu Di ordered the construction of the Beijing Palace and began to collect materials from all over the country.In the fifteenth year of Yongle (1417), the construction of the Beijing Palace officially began. After three and a half years, it was completed in December in the eighteenth year of Yongle (1421).The buildings of the entire capital include city walls, city gates, the imperial city, the Forbidden City, palaces and altars and temples.Its design is exquisite, magnificent and magnificent, which is breathtaking.The palace altars and temples in Beijing, whose scale and shape were inherited by the Qing Dynasty, have been preserved to this day. They are treasures in the history of Chinese architecture, and even the history of world architecture, and have been listed as world cultural heritage.

The relocation of Yongle's capital to Beijing was a major event in the Ming Dynasty and a major event in Chinese history.Since the date of moving the capital, politicians and historians have been arguing about its pros and cons, and it will continue hundreds of years later.Some people in the Ming Dynasty believed that Beijing had many geographical advantages. They compared Beijing with Chang'an, Luoyang, and Bianliang, and believed that Beijing had the best situation.they said: The situation between heaven and earth is probably not as good as Yanjing, followed by Guanzhong and Luoyang, which are surrounded by enemies and are not places for military use.

As for its advantages, nothing more than: The sea surrounds the east, the Taihang stands to the west, the back rests in the mediocrity, the front is the river, and the grain, horse, fish, salt, fruit, and rice are all benefited.Shuntian is the residence of the emperor, and the southeast turns to Cao, and the Qin and Jin Dynasties entered the Wei, which is better than the world. However, other people often criticize Yongle's move to Beijing, and they are very worried about Beijing's status.University scholar Qiu Jun said: Those who are mediocre are my backs, and the Bauhinia is my mouth.

Those who are all swallows are close to Beidi, and they will be afraid that they will choke me and slap my back, so those who guard against them should especially pay more attention. Chen Jian said: Youyan is victorious in shape and has ruled the roost since the past, but it is not two hundred miles away from the frontier fortress, and there is no solid fence, and the emperor defends himself.Fortunately, the Hu people are only interested in plundering and plundering, and have no ambition to fight for the emperor. They believe that the reason why the border defense situation can be maintained so reluctantly is because "I do not produce heroes, and neither does the other".Otherwise, the death of the Ming Dynasty may not be in Jiashen.

They all pointed out without exception that the fundamental shortcoming of Beijing as the national capital is that it is too close to the front line of border defense, and the center of the regime is easily troubled: The capital Yan of the Ming Dynasty was only two hundred years old, but Yingzong hunted in civil engineering, Wuzong was trapped in Yanghe, the capital of Jingtai was besieged at the beginning of Jingtai, Jiajing was besieged in the 28th year, and people from the border entered in the 43rd year. The upper and lower spirits were killed by the bandits, and in the end it was a matter of losing the world... The lives of the people in the south of the Yangtze River were exhausted, and the money of the Taifu was wasted in the river, all of which were harmed by Yan.

Some people even regard "Duyan" as one of the reasons for the demise of the Ming Dynasty. In summary, these theories can all be attributed to one starting point, that is, they all link Beijing's strengths and weaknesses with border defense, and regard Beijing as the front line of border defense.Evaluate moving the capital to Beijing as a measure to "suppress the northern captives".The advantage of Beijing is that it can "defend the border according to the danger, and control the inside from the outside." On the contrary, Beijing has the disadvantage that it defends the border as the emperor and is vulnerable to attack.

Is it correct to evaluate the relocation of the capital in this way?What was Zhu Di's original intention of moving the capital?We need to pursue it. Yongle's relocation of the capital should be traced back to when Zhu Dichu came to the throne.Yanjing is Zhu Di's "dragon flying" place, and Zhu Di planned to move the capital as soon as he came to the throne.In the first year of Yongle, Zhu Di issued an edict to regard Beiping as Beijing.On the seventh month of the fourth year of Yongle, Zhu Di issued an edict to build the Beijing Palace.Seven years after Yongle, Zhu Di visited the north many times, lived in Beijing for a long time, and supervised the country in Nanjing as the prince.There are six running departments in Beijing, and all memorials from all over the world will be run in them.At that time, Beijing had become the de facto political center.In the 18th year of Yongle, the Beijing palace was completed. In September Dinghai, Zhu Di ordered that Beijing be the capital on the first day of the first month of next year, and the capital was officially moved to Beijing.

When Zhu Difang moved the capital, he was opposed by many people.On the eighth day of April in the nineteenth year of Yongle (1421), the three halls of the Beijing Palace, Fengtian, Huagai, and Jinshen, which had been completed for many years after spending a lot of money on construction, were destroyed by a fire.Zhu Di issued an imperial edict as a warning against the changes in the sky, and the ministers raised the question that the capital should not be moved.Zhu Di was furious, and sent Xiao Yi, the principal in charge, to prison to die. He said, "When Fang moved the capital, he had a secret discussion with the ministers. It will be decided after a long time." "Yishengji" records: "Chengzu said: 'The move to Beiping, I and the ministers counted months and then proceeded. The views of the scholar are not enough to achieve the strategy of a hero!'"

What is Zhu Di's "Strategy of Heroes"?There are no records in each book, so it is unknown.Therefore, later generations continued to put forward their own explanations.Qiu Jun said that Zhu Di "entered Zheng Datong from Beiping and established his capital here".Yuan Yun said, "The situation between heaven and earth is probably not as good as Yanjing."Zheng Xiao said: "The capital is burdened with heavy mountains, facing flat land, and the land is rich in fish, salt, valleys, horses, fruit, and rice, and it is transferred to the southeast of Cao, where wealth and goods are gathered in parallel. "The relocation of Beiping, I counted months with the ministers and then proceeded." Today, those who have secretly planned are not heard of, and they are spared. There are four theories: Yan is not the beginning of Jin and Yuan,...it should be moved one; ancient Those who enjoy the country for a long time will not move their capitals,...the two should be moved;...Chengzu said, I started Yan'er, the capital of Yan, and I should move three; , feet and horns should be moved to four."

There are so many different opinions, but the following five points: 1. Beijing is the land of Zhu Di; 2. Beijing's situation is superior; 3. Beijing is rich in products and convenient to supply; Since the time of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, there have been threats from the northern Mongolian tribes. However, due to the repeated attacks of the Ming army, the Ming government's soft policy, and because of the divisions and disputes within Mongolia, its power has declined greatly. During the Yongle period, the degree of danger posed by Mongolia to the Ming Dynasty had been greatly reduced. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty would not have the power to carry out the wars in the north of the Great Wall and the south of the border at the same time, or the large-scale activities of Zheng He's voyages to the West would also be affected.After orthodoxy, the Mongolian threat became increasingly serious.It is not so much due to the strength of Mongolian power, but rather the decline of Ming Dynasty power.It was only at this time that the Mongolian question became a central issue in the government.The people’s speculations about the reasons for moving the capital in the middle and late Ming Dynasty mentioned above are all limited by their own era and based on the reality of border defense in their own era.It reflects the transformation of the northern part of the Ming Dynasty from outward development to inward contraction, from active attack to passive defense.During the Yongle period, there was no need to use measures such as moving the capital to deal with Mongolia. It was said that the capital was moved only to "compare with the barbarians", or it was only to deal with Mongolia, which obviously did not conform to the historical facts of the early Ming Dynasty. If moving the capital is not just to deal with Mongolia, then where is Zhu Di's heroic strategy?Let's examine what people in the Yongle period said. In Xinmao, the first month of the first year of Yongle, Li Zhigang, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, etc. said: "Since the emperors in the past either raised commoner clothes to pacify the world, or came from foreign vassals to inherit the Datong, they have attached themselves to the place where they started. See the chief secretary of Beiping, the real emperor. It is advisable to follow the Taizu Emperor Gao's system of the central capital and establish it as the capital." The system said: "Yes. It takes Beiping as Beijing." In November of the 14th year of Yongle, in Renyin, the ministers of Fuzhao proposed to build Beijing.First, when driving to Beijing, the ministers and others went up and said: "Beiping has solid rivers and mountains, thick water and sweet soil, simple folk customs, and rich products. The goods will be filled, ... I hope that the department will be ordered early to start construction." The officials of the Six Metropolitan Procuratorates replied: "Fuwei Beijing, the holy land of Longxing, rests on Juyong in the north, stands on Taihang in the west, connects mountains and seas in the east, and overlooks in the south. In the Central Plains, there are thousands of miles of fertile soil, mountains and rivers, enough to control the barbarians and rule the world, and it is also the capital of the emperor. The former Taizu Emperor Gao flattened Haiyu and entrusted His Majesty with his land. It is truly waiting for today." In the eighteenth year of Yongle, the new palace in Beijing was completed. In November, Wuchen issued an edict saying: In the past, Emperor Gao, Emperor Taizu, was ordered by Tianming, and the monarch Huayi established Jiangzuo as his capital to establish the foundation of the state.Sizhen inherits the great tradition, and has a great career, only Huaiyongguo.My dear, Beijing is indeed a metropolis, but where it belongs to God's will, it is the same as divination.It is an imitation of the ancient system, based on public opinion, establishing two capitals, setting up suburban ancestral temples, and building palaces.On the top, Emperor Shao tested the ancestors of Emperor Gao, and on the bottom, he set the rules for future generations... The heaven and earth are peaceful, the Yanzong Society is blessed for thousands of years, Huayi's appeasement, and the foundation of the prosperity of the past and the present. Based on this summary, there are only two reasons for the relocation of Yongle's capital: first, Beijing is the land of Xingwang, and second, Beijing is convenient for controlling the Siyi.Other points, such as rich products and convenient supply, made it possible to move the capital. In the Ming Dynasty, before Yongle, Zhu Yuanzhang used Linhao as his central capital in the third year of Hongwu, and after Yongle, in the 18th year of Jiajing, Zhu Houcong took Huguang Anlu as his capital.As soon as Zhu Di came to the throne, he announced that Beiping would be Beijing, which was much higher than Zhongdu and Xingdu.Probably Zhu Di had the intention of moving the capital from the very beginning.In the fourth year of Yongle, leap July, the imperial edict to build the Beijing palace had actually finalized the opinion of moving the capital.In July of the following year, the queen died in Nanjing. Since the capital had not been moved and the mausoleum had not been built, the queen's Zi Palace had to be temporarily parked, which showed her intention to move the capital.Zhu Di has been stationed in Beijing since the seventh year of Yongle, and set up six departments to deal with the world's memorials. It is different from Hongwu Zhongdu and Jiajing's Xingdu. Just to justify a fait accompli fact. The move of the capital to Beijing was planned and planned for a long period of time.During this long period of time, Zhu Di's policy goals have gone through two stages, from consolidating the throne to seeking development.The two purposes of Yongle's relocation of the capital summarized above: consolidating the land of Xingwang and striving to control the barbarians reflected this change in Zhu Di's political goals. Zhu Di's purpose of moving the capital was mainly to consolidate the throne at the beginning, and to prevent the domestic opposition from making a comeback.There are plenty of facts to back this up.At the beginning of Zhu Di's accession to the throne, the government and the public were turbulent, and the world was unstable. Even the whereabouts of Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunqi were unknown.Since Zhu Di started from Beijing, it is necessary to consolidate his base.Only when the basic territory is consolidated can we advance and attack, retreat and defend, and be invincible.Zhu Di and his ministers cited the precedent of Zhu Yuanzhang's establishment of the central capital, just to flaunt the ancestral system and increase the legitimacy of his relocation of the capital. In order to strengthen Beijing's position, Zhu Di mainly took two measures.On the one hand, he emigrated to Beijing on a large scale to strengthen its economic power and stabilize its order. On the other hand, he mobilized troops to deploy around it to strengthen the military power to defend it. Let’s talk about the first aspect first, the immigrant farming: In September Yiwei in the thirty-fifth year of Hongwu (the fourth year of Jianwen), the Ministry of Household Affairs was ordered to send officials to verify the two prefectures of Taiyuan and Pingyang in Shanxi, and the five prefectures of Ze, Lu, Liao, Qin, and Fen. Dingkou is actually Beiping.All prefectures, prefectures and counties still give banknotes to households, so that cattle and seeds can be purchased, and taxes will be collected after five years. In the first year of Yongle, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Huguang, Fujian, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Henan and Zhili Su, Song, Chang, Zhen, Yangzhou, Huaian, Luzhou, Taiping, Ningguo, Anqing, Huizhou and other prefectures were selected. There is no land grain, and the land grain is less than five stones. The wealthy family is a wealthy family in Beijing. It is attached to the Shuntian Prefecture, and it is exempted from labor for five years. In September of the second year of Yongle, Ding Mao moved 10,000 households from Taiyuan, Pingyang, Ze, Lu, Liao, Qin, and Fen in Shanxi to Beijing. In September of the third year of Yongle, Dingsi moved to Taiyuan, Pingyang, Ze, Lu, Liao, Qin, and Fen in Shanxi, with 10,000 households living in Beijing. At that time, there were also some households who voluntarily went to Beijing to farm: The first month of the fourth year of Yongle was over, Li Mao, an official from Huguang, Shanxi, Shandong and other prefectures and counties, and 214 people said that they would like to serve the people of Beijing.Order to Daolifei to send him. Some sergeants were sent back to the countryside to farm: In the thirty-fifth year of Hongwu (the fourth year of Jianwen), in December Renshen, Guo Zizuo, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, was in charge of Beiping Chief Secretary Guo Zizuo: The people of Beijing, Baoding, and Yongping first used piles to join the army, and those who made meritorious deeds were already in the army. The noble reward is in the middle.The weak defenders of the city suffered from illness and death one after another, and often took household members to make up for the labor, so the people were attenuated or even the households were wiped out, and the land was barren.Now it is advisable to order those who are in the army to record their names in their registers, release them and return them to farming, and if there is a police emergency, they will still be requisitioned... Follow it. Or accept refugees to resume work: On Gengchen, the first month of the first year of Yongle, the Chief Secretary of Beiping reported that more than 136,000 households of refugees from various counties had resumed their jobs.The Ministry of Household Affairs ordered the Secretary to appease and appease him, so don't disturb him again. In November of the first year of Yongle, Wuyin wrote to the son of the world: "Officials, soldiers and civilians behind the mountain are all innocent people. In the past, because of Jianwen's mutilation of flesh and blood, harming innocent people, they had to flee.Now that he has come and returned, his commanders are still in their original positions, soldiers are still in the original army, and the people are still in their original jobs.Those who return later will know the same. Or release prisoners to farm: In the thirty-fifth year of Hongwu (the fourth year of Jianwen), in September, Yisi ordered Wu Kangbo, Xu Li, and others to go to Beiping to punish the people who migrated for crimes. In June of the first year of Yongle, Gengxu, Wang Dun, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, said three things.First, farming prisoners... It is advisable not to distinguish their native places, and they should be resettled in the prefectures and counties of Baoding, Zhending, Shuntian and other prefectures. In August of the first year of Yongle, Jisi was convicted and imprisoned in Beijing for farming for the people.Firstly, Zheng Ci from the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Chen Ying from the Zuodu Yushi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, etc. said... Yongping, Zunhua, etc. in Beijing have fertile soil and few people. , Frustration of treachery and obstinacy, the common people are good and peaceful, and the words and lawsuits are brief.All the criminals except Le Wang and Stovemaker were detained, the old, the young and the disabled were redeemed. The rest of the criminals were exempted from sticks, compiled into lijia, and their wives were sent to Beijing Yongping prefectures and counties to farm for the people.Set the number of years, and pay the grain as an errand... the best. In November of the first year of Yongle, Emperor Shizi said: Since the mutiny in Beijing, the people have been in exile and the fields have been barren. Therefore, those who are guilty of the crimes of the Judiciary will be forgiven by Qu Chui, and all of them will be planted in Beijing.It is hoped that after a few years, it can be donated to the border reserve, save the labor of transportation, and save the guilty. At that time, Zhu Di brutally suppressed political opponents, imposed harsh punishments and harsh laws on the world, and there were many prisoners there, which is another side of this problem.In order to ensure the progress of farming, the government gave cattle with seeds: In the thirty-fifth year of Hongwu (the fourth year of Jianwen), Jiayin, in August, had experienced military service in Beiping, Shandong, and Henan for many years, and the people lacked cattle for farming. He specially ordered the royal department to give them official cattle in Fengyang, Huai'an, etc. in Zhili. In the 12th month of the first year of Yongle, Huang Fuzuo, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Huang Fuzuo, under the jurisdiction of Shaanxi Xingdu Division, there was a shortage of farming tools for farming cattle, which conformed to Beijing's regulations, and the official market cattle were given to them. In March of the second year of Yongle, Bingyin, according to Jiangxi's work, Zhu Zhaoyan said: For example, the Ministry of Industry sent people to Jiangxi to buy cattle, and ordered Yousi to deliver them to Huai'an and transfer them to Peiping for the army to plant, which would be laborious for the people.Today, the counties and counties of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Huguang have a total of more than 5,000 head of official cattle that have been lost over the years, all of which are raised by the people.According to the investigation by the Ministry of Industry, first the cattle will be sent to the army stationed here, and the surplus will be sent to Beijing for the army stationed for breeding. In order to meet the needs of Beijing's economic development and construction, Zhu Di "took more than 27,000 Nanjing folk artisan households" when he came to Beijing. In the Battle of Jingnan, the Beijing area played the role of a base area, and the soldiers and civilians worked hard.After Zhu Di came to the throne, he cared for them very much.He said: "At that time, the crown prince lived in Beijing, relying on the loyalty of the army and the people, not avoiding difficulties, supplying military supplies, feeding food and salaries, driving and driving, restless day and night, attacking and defending battles, wearing strong and persistent, offending arrows and stones, parents and wives are not happy. Keeping the day and night, it is very hard work, so that I have no worries about going north...Since I came to the throne, I have thought about you, the soldiers and the people, eating and sleeping, and never forgetting." For this reason, Zhu Di has repeatedly exempted Beijing from taxes and grains.Once, more than 30 elderly people from Shuntian Mansion visited the hall to thank them. Zhu Di said: "In the past, the army has been in the army for many years, and the people in the north have been suffering from labor and hardship. I have never forgotten it. How is the farming compared with the years, and will the people's strength recover?" The minister said: "The people in the north, like people in the beginning of a serious illness, if you take care of it well, you will be safe. Otherwise, the disease will get worse, so I will fight every night." Zhu Di treated the people of Beijing with kindness and took various measures.For example, order the criminals to make atonement in Beijing, or use it as military pay, or lose it to the official warehouse; when the people lack food, or stop the world's salt, and specialize in Kaizhong in Beiping, or order the people to collect salt and rice. In case of urgent treatment, if the people are hungry, money will be given, and the amount will be exempted from the difference, and the tax will be paid repeatedly.Zhu Di also "received the land of Wangzhuang on the first day, reduced its taxes, rented it every year, built warehouses and stored it, and named it Huangfa, so as to prepare for the people of one side to provide relief in case of famine, and to restore him. Not allowed. And at that time, the county magistrate He Yin moved at least Sikong twice, and he was so favored and honored that there was nothing in Zhengu." Shen Bang of the Ming Dynasty said: "This is not the place where Tang Mu is important, so the people are generous to cultivate the king. It is Zhu Di's fundamental purpose to strengthen Beijing's status and treat its people well.Zhu Di once said in the ninth year of Yongle: "Huang Kao used the five prefectures to rejuvenate the king's land, and specially added special shirts, and rented the land, so the country was consolidated." What Zhu Di did was exactly like this. land", "to solidify the country". In addition, Zhu Di ordered the construction of the Beijing Palace in the fourth year of Yongle, built the mausoleum in Tianshou Mountain in Changping, Beijing in the seventh year of Yongle, built the West Palace in Beijing in the 14th year, ordered the ministers of civil and military affairs to discuss the construction of Beijing, and ordered Chen Si and Dong Ying to build Beijing in the 15th year In the eighteenth year, Cai Xin was ordered to rebuild Beijing Chengyuan.Zhu Di "worked hard and thought about it for dozens of years, worked hard at the University of Technology, and adjusted its scope." It can be said that he has exhausted his mind to manage Beijing. Let's talk about the second aspect, strengthening the military forces guarding Beijing to deal with domestic political opposition.For this reason, he did not hesitate to use troops to defend Mongolia and destroy Zhu Yuanzhang's painstaking deployment of the northern defense. In the thirty-fifth year of Hongwu (the fourth year of Jianwen), in September, Yisi ordered the governors Chen Guoyong, Sun Yue, and Chen Xian to move all the guards and troops belonging to the Xixing Capital Division to Beiping, and set up guards: Yunchuan Weiyu Xiongxian County, Yulin Guard in Dingzhou, Gaoshan Guard in Baoding Mansion, Dongsheng Left Guard in Yongping Mansion, Dongsheng Right Guard in Zunhua County, Zhenshuo Guard in Weizhou, Zhenlu Guard in Zhuozhou, Dingbian Guard in Tongzhou.In Bingwu, the guards in Datong were changed to Dingzhou Guards. In March of the first year of Yongle, at Renwu, the North Paradise Capital Division was changed to the Command and Envoy Division of Daning Capital, which was attached to the Governor's Mansion of the Rear Army, and the left, right, middle, front, and rear guards of Baoding were set up and attached to the Daning Capital Division.In Diaoying Prefecture, the left guard was in Shunyi, the right guard was in Jizhou, the middle guard was in Pingyu, the front guard was in Xianghe, and the back guard was in Sanhe.Set up the left, right, middle, front, and back five offices, which are still attached to the Daning Capital Division. (see previous section) By the way, in the same year, Daning Dusi Xincheng, Fuyu, Huizhou, Yumu, Quanning, Kaiping left, right, front, rear, and Yixing's guards were all abolished. The guards of Yingzhou, the guards of Xingzhou, and Kaiping Wei, Kaiping Zhongtunwei, and Kuanhe Shouyu Qianhusuo all moved inward.It can be seen that the military guards that Zhu Di transferred to strengthen Beijing were originally used to defend Mongolia.While relocating and deploying a large number of guard troops around Beijing, Zhu Di also stipulated that the original guard troops in the Beijing area should not be easily reduced.Yang Shiqi recorded that Zhu Di had such an order: "There are people in Beijing who are serving as soldiers everywhere. They will make up for them in the future and they will not relapse. They will only set up a guard or a school in Hekai, and they will be in the army. The original guards are not for others. If the Beijing Guards are in charge of the army, they will not move." If you compare these situations with the successive inward relocations of King Ning, King Gu, and King Liao mentioned above, you can find that the northern frontier defense line in the early years of Yongle was in a retracted posture.Its top priority is to concentrate its forces to consolidate Xingwang's land to deal with domestic political opposition.The reason why Zhu Di dared and was able to do this was because of the division and disputes between Tatar and Oala at that time. They were unable to go south, so Zhu Di was able to move south. At the same time, the generals of Wuliangha and Tatar had good relations with Zhu Di. They even led troops to assist Zhu Di in the battle of Jingnan, so Zhu Di naturally didn't need to fortify them. We can draw the conclusion that Zhu Di established Beijing and considered moving the capital to Beijing. It was not originally used to defend Mongolia. On the contrary, it was to withdraw the forces defending Mongolia in order to strengthen Beijing. In addition, there are also psychological reasons for Zhu Di to move the capital to Beijing.This is not only because Beijing used to be his residence and the foundation of his career, so he felt very close, but also because of the psychological pressure that Nanjing caused him.Nanjing is where Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yunqi were emperors. Zhu Yunqi was the legal emperor established by Zhu Yuanzhang, but was overthrown by this uncle who claimed to "obey the ancestral system".Zhu Yuanzhang is dead and alive, so he has no anger?Zhu Di sat in the seat where Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yunqi used to sit, and his heart would not be at peace.When he faced the tomb of his ancestors, or thought that he would be buried next to Zhu Yuanzhang after his death, he would feel ashamed and even shocked.We must never underestimate the extent of a feudal emperor's superstition.After Zhu Di came to the throne, he asked the monks to perform great deeds many times, "recommending blessings to the emperor's imperial concubine". One fasting ceremony lasted for seven days and seven nights. Didn't he just want to be forgiven by the mysterious Zhu Yuanzhang?In any case, Zhu Di was unwilling to be buried beside Zhu Yuanzhang after his death. Even if he did not move his capital to Beijing, he would not continue to use Nanjing as his capital.This is why the construction of mausoleums began in Beijing long before the official transfer of the capital. It was in the nineteenth year of Yongle (1421) that Zhu Di officially moved the capital to Beijing. At this time, Zhu Di's ruling position had already been consolidated, and if there were still resistance forces, it was already insignificant.Why did Zhu Di insist on moving the capital at this time?In addition to the psychological reasons mentioned above, in addition to the fact that moving the capital has become an established national policy, people often refer to the Northern Expedition in the 20th, 21st, and 22nd years of Yongle, and think that Beijing is enough to play the role of a front-line command center. In fact, it still regards Beijing as a base to defend against Mongolia.If you think that the reason for moving the capital is so simple, then you still underestimate Zhu Di, and you can still say "Uzuda's heroic strategy"! To seize the throne when he has not obtained the throne, to consolidate the throne after taking the throne, and to develop outward after the throne is consolidated, Zhu Di's ambition or ambition is gradually escalated.Where is his ultimate hero strategy?In a word, "control the barbarians to control the world".Not only the moving of the capital, Zhu Di's lifelong activities are all for this general purpose. Starting from Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Dynasty recognized the orthodox position of the Yuan Dynasty in the system of successive dynasties.He has said many times that he was a subject of the Yuan Dynasty, and his parents were supported by the Yuan Dynasty.He believed that the Yuan Dynasty won the world because of virtue, so he also included the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty in his sacrifices to the emperors of the past dynasties.Zhu Di was born in the late Yuan Dynasty and grew up in the early Ming Dynasty, so he must be familiar with the prosperity of the Great Yuan Empire.The location of his mansion was the capital of the Yuan Dynasty.It was here that Kublai Khan and his descendants ruled the world.For Zhu Di, this is a fascinating role model that can be seen every day.Zhu Di just wanted to follow in their footsteps and build an invincible and huge empire like the Great Yuan Empire.If moving the capital to Beijing is conducive to conquering Mongolia, then conquering Mongolia can only be part of Zhu Di's heroic strategy.He moved King Ning, King Gu, and King Liao inland, and moved the guards of Shanxi Xingdusi and Daning Xingdusi inward, not because he was willing to shrink the northern border, but because he was very relieved about the north and thought it would be too easy to control it. .He wants to control not only Tatar, Wala, and Wuliangha, but also the vast areas in the northeast and northwest.He set up the Nurgan Dusi in the Northeast, and sent eunuch Yi Shiha to inspect it many times. In the Northwest, he continued to send Chen Cheng and Li Da to the Western Regions and set up Hamiwei. This was not just to "break the left arm of the Huns", To encircle Mongolia is also to directly control these areas.Therefore, when the Tatars and Oirats in front of him turned out to be stubborn and disobeyed, he absolutely could not tolerate it.At the same time, in the third year of Yongle, Zheng He was sent to the West, and in the fourth year of Yongle, he conquered Annan, counties and counties. "History of the Ming Dynasty" Kuncheng Legend: "Since the founding of the ancestors, he has determined the world with martial arts. He wanted to control all directions, and sent envoys to attract people. Therefore, all the countries in the Western Regions are not afraid of proclaiming their ministers, and offering Chen to fear the future. There are also deserts in the north and seas in the Antarctic. The sea, the place where the east and the west reach the sunrise and disappear, and those who can reach it by boat or car, are omnipotent." From this, we can see Zhu Di's mind.It is Zhu Di's strategy to be a hero who must want "all nations in the distance will submit to him"! Dadu was once the capital of the Yuan Empire for nearly a hundred years.Historically, the regime in the Central Plains was plagued by the regimes of the ethnic minorities in the north, but it was completely over in the Yuan Dynasty.What the Yuan Dynasty established was a real country where Huayi was integrated with the whole world.It is an important stage in the development of a unified multi-ethnic country in ancient my country.Zhu Di hoped to succeed the Yuan Dynasty and become the monarch of an empire in which the Chinese and the barbarians were mixed together, but Zhu Di failed, so he was unable to continue the development of a unified multi-ethnic country.His setback was mainly due to the failure of his Mongolian policy, which was probably the saddest thing in his life.Although he implemented some gentle policies towards the Mongolian nobles, such as appointing Tatar officials, making Mongolian nobles kings, etc., he did not change Zhu Yuanzhang's legacy of prohibiting Hu Fu and Hu language, prohibiting Mongols from marrying each other, and prohibiting the marriage of five mansions and six ministries. Discriminatory policies against Mongolia, such as the appointment of Tatar officials, have not established a practical and effective channel for economic and cultural exchanges and contacts between Mongolia and the mainland.His military practice of setting fire to wasteland in border areas, prohibiting farming and grazing, and patrolling borders in autumn, and imposing various restrictions on border trade, especially the five large-scale expeditions he personally led, not only failed to make Mongolia Submission, on the contrary, isolated the Mongolian region from the interior.Originally, the inside and outside of the Great Wall had already embarked on the same track of development during the Yuan Dynasty, but now they are out of touch with each other.This is the basic reason why the Mongolian issue in the Ming Dynasty has been difficult to solve.Zhu Di's original intention was to control the Mongolian region in one fell swoop. As a result, his failure made the emptiness in the north caused by the inward relocation of King Ning and King Gu an insurmountable problem for future generations.His idea of ​​controlling the world with Beijing as the center fell through with the corruption of the government after the end of Yongle.The abandonment of the northern fortress and a large area of ​​land made Beijing the front line of border defense, creating a situation of "the emperor guarding the border".As soon as there is any disturbance in the plug, the court will be in a state of panic.The changes of the orthodox Jisi and the Jiajing Gengxu changes all endangered the capital and almost ruined the country.Of course, some problems should be borne by future generations, and cannot be completely pushed to Zhu Di. The unification and development of my country's multi-ethnic country is an irreversible historical trend.The Yuan Dynasty established its capital in Dadu (now Beijing), not only because the Mongolian nobles rose in Mobei, or simply inherited the old Liao and Jin traditions for convenience, it can really be seen as a way to promote the unification and development of our multi-ethnic country. big step.It once again moved the capital as the ruling center of the country to the north, or in other words, merged Mobei with the ruling center of the Central Plains. It emphasized the connection between the inside and outside of the Great Wall and the north and south of the desert.Zhu Di's ambition to be a ruler of Huayi and the unification and development of my country's multi-ethnic country coincided with the move of the capital to Beijing.Zhu Di's move affirmed Beijing's status as the center of national rule: it not only ruled the vast Central Plains and the South, but also ruled the vast northern areas including Heilongjiang, Lake Baikal, and the north of the Altai Mountains.Beijing is not only the link connecting the ethnic groups in the south of the Han people, but also the link connecting the Jurchens, Mongols, and people of various ethnic groups in the Western Regions.Although Zhu Di's heroic strategy starts from his personal desire for power and ambition, it is in line with the trend of the unification and development of China's multi-ethnic country.Moving the capital to Beijing shows Zhu Di's grand mind and courage.However, his successors did not have such a mind and courage, let alone the ability to advance this "heroic strategy", but instead repeated Zhu Di's mistakes.In the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were many people in the north of the border, the emperor guarded the border, and the whole country was anxious. For the Zhu Ming court and Zhu Di's descendants, moving the capital to Beijing was really not a wise move.