Chapter 7 Chapter 7 The Ming Dynasty Version of "Zhang Qian"——Chen Cheng

Speaking of the "Silk Road" that runs through the Eurasian continent for thousands of years, and the great cause of "connecting the Western Regions", the first people today think of are the two pioneers Zhang Qian, the Bowang Hou of the Western Han Dynasty, and Ban Chao, the Dingyuan Hou of the Eastern Han Dynasty.In the "period of great geographical discovery" of the Chinese nation, the two traveled tens of thousands of miles one after another, went through rain, snow and wind and frost, faced all kinds of difficulties and dangers, faced each other with swords and soldiers, but they were indomitable and did not disgrace their mission. China's national prestige is outside the region, and it has opened the Silk Road that lasts for thousands of years. Its heroic achievements have gone through thousands of years and are still aspirational.

The 22 years of Yongle Emperor Zhu Di's reign can also be called another period of "Great Geographical Discovery" of the Chinese nation. During this period, there were as many as 80 countries that had good relations with the Ming Dynasty and even paid tribute and became ministers, reaching as far as Central Africa.At that time, Zheng He, the three-treasure eunuch who made seven voyages to the West and opened up thousands of miles of sea and territory, has long been famous through the ages, and another outstanding diplomat related to him-Chen Cheng, who reopened the Silk Road for five envoys to the Western Regions. not much.In fact, this envoy of the Ming Dynasty, who was buried under the brilliance of the "Three Treasures Eunuch", with his tenacious determination and fearless fighting spirit, went west to Yangguan five times and went to the Western Regions, and opened a sea and a land with Zheng He. The grand scene of "all nations come to Korea".

Chen Cheng, courtesy name Zilu, nickname Zhushan, was born in Jishui, Jiangxi Province, and was born in the 25th year of Yuan Zhizheng. According to the local chronicles of Jishui, he "bowen and strong ambition, fluent in Tibetan, Hui, Mongolian and other dialects" since he was a child.In the eighteenth year of Hongwu (AD 1385), the Chen family hired Liang Yin, a great Confucian in the early Ming Dynasty who lived at home at home, as his teacher. , but it can build a long-distance and a long-term career.” Despite this admiration, he is also eager to learn, but the Four Books and Five Classics are not his strong points in the end. After several years of hard study, they are not satisfactory in the end.In the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu (1393 A.D.), he was a Jinshi, a tribute scholar in the following year, and won the top three in the palace examination. He was finally "titled on the gold list". pales in comparison.Chen Chengxian held the post of "review" in the Imperial Academy. He was a "seventh grade" official, lower than the "first class" and "second class" of the same year on the same list.Even so, Chen Cheng did not waste his words because of his low official position. Although there were mistakes in the internal and external policies of the imperial court, he boldly wrote a letter to make suggestions. When the good news came, all the ministers congratulated him, but Chen Cheng believed that the move was "hasty to raise troops, fearing to leave resentment and anger". Qi Tai, the Minister of the Ministry of War, persuaded Zhu Yuanzhang to calm down his anger by saying that Chen Cheng "knows the side affairs well, and it is rare to be able to do it".A year later, the turning point in Chen Cheng's life finally came. Zhu Yuanzhang promoted Chen Cheng to be "Wai Lang", a member of the Ministry of War, and sent him to the "Sali Uighur" in the Western Regions (now the Qaidam Basin in Xinjiang). From then on, he began his journey of thousands of miles. lifetime.

The reason for this mission was the tribute of the "East Chagatai Khanate" founded in today's Xinjiang in the 24th year of Hongwu (1391 AD). The "Eastern Chagatai Khanate" was split from the "Chagatai Khanate" of the Mongol Empire in the past, and its territory includes today's Ili in Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia.In 1391 A.D., Er Huo Zhe, Khan Hei of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate, sent an envoy to Nanjing to meet Zhu Yuanzhang. From then on, the vassal relationship with the Ming Dynasty was formally established.However, the description of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate in its memorial to its western neighbor "Tamerlane Empire" attracted Zhu Yuanzhang's attention.

When it comes to the "Tamerlane Empire" that was active in Central Asia at that time, there are not many Chinese historical records, but this one started from the "Xizhagatai Khanate" and fought in Central Asia, and was praised by Western historians as "Genghis Khan". The empire of "another great conqueror of post-Mongol" gradually became another threat to the west of the Ming Dynasty at this time.As early as the third year of Hongwu (1370 A.D.), Zhu Yuanzhang sent Fu Youde to conquer the west, and when he even broke the Yuan army in Gansu, Qinghai, and eastern Xinjiang, Timur also overthrew the former ruler of the Western Chagatai Khanate, and then marched south In the northern war, he defeated the Ottoman Turkish Empire in the west, and plundered India repeatedly in the south.To the Ming Dynasty in the east, Timur's attitude has always been submissive. After the Ming Dynasty won the Yuerhai victory in the 21st year of Hongwu (AD 1387), Timur immediately sent envoys to Nanjing and honored the Ming Dynasty as the "Shang Kingdom". ", However, according to the records in the book "Tamerlane Empire" by the French historian Briva - "His lifelong dream is to lift his surrender to China."

When the Eastern Chagatai Khanate paid tribute, Timur was raising troops repeatedly to invade the border of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate, and the two sides had victories and losses.The report of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate and the detention of two batches of envoys sent by Zhu Yuanzhang to the Timur Empire made Zhu Yuanzhang aware of the ambitions of the Timur Empire, so the Ming Dynasty first transferred the founding hero Xining Hou Song Sheng guarded Liangzhou, and then sent envoys to the Western Regions to strengthen the defense of the Northwest. The fledgling Chen Cheng took on this task.

Chen Cheng did not disgrace his mission. In the winter of the 29th year of Hongwu (AD 1396), Chen Cheng arrived in the Qaidam Basin to appease the local tribes.Someone once suggested that the Ming Dynasty "expell all the people from other countries and immigrate to the frontier". Chen Cheng firmly refused, insisting that this move "would harm the peace of heaven". After that, Chen Cheng appointed the local tribal leaders as officials and established "Anding Guards" in the Qaidam Basin "Quxianwei" and "Aduanwei" are three important military sites, and the imperial court is invited to dispatch "skilled agricultural officials of the household department" to promote the advanced agricultural production technology of the Central Plains and develop production locally.This move turned the local nomadic tribes into a settled life, and made the tribes "attached like streams". One year later, Annan invaded the borderlands of Ming Dynasty, and Chen Cheng was appointed as an envoy to Annan. According to Vietnamese historical materials, he was "neither humble nor overbearing, and his words were steady and profitable, showing the full power of the Ming Dynasty". Finally, Annan's monarch and ministers were frightened and sent envoys to Nanjing to apologize.In the fourth year of Jianwen (AD 1403), Chen Cheng was transferred to the "manager" of the Guangzhou government to mediate the dispute between "Semuhu" (that is, "Semu people" who stayed in the interior after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, mainly immigrants from Arab countries) and local villagers. Disputes and conflicts, respecting the customs of ethnic minorities, presided over the repair of local mosques, and the local ethnic groups have lived in peace since then.Several great achievements also made Chen Cheng, who was "good at soothing the barbarians", emerge in the political arena of Ming Dynasty.

In the second year of Yongle (AD 1404), Timur, whose territory had reached its peak, held a Central Asian "Mongol Congress" in its capital Samarkand (now Samarkand, Uzbekistan), declaring that it would "anti-Ming and restore the Yuan Dynasty."After that, 200,000 troops were poured into the country, and the "Eastern Expedition" against the Ming Dynasty was brazenly launched. After the news came, Zhu Di ordered Song Sheng, the left governor of Liangzhou, to prepare for the war, and Chen Cheng set up the "Three Guards" in the Qaidam Basin. , also "reorganize the army and practice military affairs" and "prepare for battle day and night", but in the winter of 2010, Timur fell ill and died during the march, and the massive "expedition" finally ended without a problem.

After Timur's death, his country fell into civil strife. His grandson Harry, who was appointed by him before his death, fought fiercely with his fourth son Shah Ru for the throne.At this time, the Ming Dynasty also frequently moved in the northwest. In the fourth year of Yongle (1406 AD), Zhu Di set up Hamiwei and other important military sites in Hami, Xinjiang, and stationed heavy troops, officially exercising sovereignty over the "vassal states" in today's Xinjiang region.Facing internal and external difficulties, the Timur Empire began to focus on repairing relations with the Ming Dynasty. One year later, Harry, who first succeeded the Timur Empire to the throne, released the envoys of the Ming Dynasty, Fu An and Yang Dewen, who had been detained by Timur in the early years. He brought the Timurid Empire with the intention of reconciling with Ming Dynasty.On June 22, the fifth year of Yongle (AD 1407), this mission, which had been "missing" for decades, finally returned to the capital. When Chen Cheng learned that the Timurid Empire was falling into a civil war for the throne, he immediately suggested to Zhu Di, "Send envoys quickly, extinguish their fire, and declare the mighty virtue of the heavenly dynasty."In the sixth year of Yongle (AD 1408), Zhu Di sent Guo Ji, who had been an envoy to the Timurid Empire, as an envoy to lead a delegation to bring Zhu Di's own letter.In the Timurid Empire, mediate the dispute between the two factions in the civil war—Harry and Shahru. Shah Ruh, who succeeded in seizing the throne, finally released the imprisoned Harry, and sealed Iraqi and Black as his fief, which lasted for 3 years in the Timur Empire. The civil war was finally "reconciled."The following year, Shah Ruh, who officially became King Timur, sent a mission to Nanjing to meet Zhu Di, presenting leopards, lions and other gifts.The two sides resumed the "suzerain" relationship in the Zhu Yuanzhang era, and have had friendly exchanges since then.

Chen Cheng, who first proposed to "send envoys quickly", did not get this appointment because at this time he had become the "Wenyuan Pavilion Counselor" and was assisting Xie Jin in compiling the largest emperor's masterpiece in Chinese history-"Yongle" Grand Ceremony".During this period, he extensively collected historical materials, compiled the details of the Chinese dynasties' missions to foreign countries, and compiled all the information on the style and features of China's surrounding countries. Today we can understand the heroic appearance of many ancient Chinese "diplomats" and the friendly exchanges between ancient China and other countries. Chen Cheng has contributed a lot to history.

In September of the 11th year of Yongle (1413 A.D.), Chen Cheng, who was already a member of the Ministry of Officials, Wai Lang, finally ushered in his second trip to the Western Regions - leading 8 envoys as the "Code Secretary" of the Ming Dynasty Mission Embassies to the Timurid Empire.For this mission, Chen Cheng planned carefully, and before the trip, he asked Zhu Di to select "the descendants of the old officials of the Yuan Dynasty" to accompany him.The mission set out from Beijing and entered the Western Regions via Yumen Pass. After more than a year of trekking, it finally arrived in Herat, the capital of the Timurid Empire (now Herat, Afghanistan) in October of the following year.Chen Cheng visited the Central Asian countries around Timur, and successively canonized the kings of "Dashgan", "Die Lost", "Sai Lan" and "Shalu Hague" as the envoy of the Ming Dynasty.In October 1414, King Timur Shah Ruh held a grand ceremony in Hera, his capital, to welcome Chen Cheng and his party.During the meeting, Chen Cheng won the respect of Shaharu with his elegant demeanor of a big country's envoy. Of course, there was an episode of "disharmony". Initiate an attack, accuse the Ming Dynasty of driving away the Yuan Dynasty, and have always been the enemy of the Mongols. This has to be guarded against.Chen Cheng was tit-for-tat, saying frankly that "the fortune of a country depends on virtue rather than prestige."Then he listed the facts that the former ministers of various ethnic groups in the Yuan Dynasty were treated preferentially in the Ming Dynasty, and asked the Hui official Sadum in the mission to "show his own experience" on the spot.I would like to tell the Timur kings and ministers: The good relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Timur country is an act of "doing virtue and peace of the people". If they continue to dispute, it will only "disaster the common people of your country".The courteous response made Timur's monarch and ministers admire from top to bottom, and Ahahei was imprisoned by Shahru on the spot.Once occupying an important position in the Timurid Empire, the "China-hating faction" who had always advocated war against the Ming Dynasty completely lost power since then.Afterwards, Shah Ruth held several family banquets in his inner palace to entertain Chen Cheng and his party, and asked his "successor" Wuge to meet Chen Cheng, expressing his wish to be friendly with Daming from generation to generation.During his stay in the Timurid Kingdom, Chen Cheng also visited well-known local clans and chambers of commerce, and made friends with envoys from various countries stationed in the Timur Kingdom, and refuted the distorted descriptions of the Ming Dynasty by the old officials who fled to the local Yuan Dynasty one by one. Paradoxical theory, let’s talk about the great Ming and benevolence”, and the exquisite gifts such as porcelain and silk brought by the Chinese mission have created a sensation in the local area.Vladimir Zov, a historian of Mongolia in the Soviet Union, spoke highly of this: "This is a diplomatic event that has had a profound impact on the Timurid Empire to foreign countries. This wise Chinese envoy (Chen Cheng) not only The eloquence and noble demeanor of debate won the respect of Shah Ruh, and showed Timurid people China's vast culture, strong national power, and sincerity of good-neighborliness and friendship. Since then, no matter how the current situation changes, the East (Ming The friendly policy of North Korea) has become their constant choice.” In October of the thirteenth year of Yongle (AD 1415), Chen Cheng and his party returned to Nanjing and presented to Zhu Di the book "Western Region "Journey Notes" and "Western Region Fanguozhi" are two monographs that record the customs and customs of Central Asian countries in detail. They not only have an important position in Chinese historical materials, but also are valued by Western scholars. There are many Western historians in modern times I made a special trip to China to buy this book with a lot of money.Accompanying the return this time were missions sent by various countries in Central Asia and even West Asia. The farthest was even the envoys of the "Mamluk Dynasty" in Egypt. There were as many as 300 people, which can be described as "all nations came to court."The "tributary relationship" between Ming Dynasty and Central Asian and West Asian countries has been consolidated since then. After his second visit to the Western Regions, Chen Cheng suggested to Zhu Di that he would accept the requests of various countries and open up bilateral trade with Western countries. He insisted that this move would not only "reduce border troubles", but also "increase huge wealth every year and reap century-old benefits." .Zhu Di adopted Chen Cheng's suggestion and set up "mutual markets" in Hami, Xinjiang, Liangzhou, Gansu and other places, allowing caravans from various countries in the Western Regions to trade here.The "chain reaction" of this policy is that the Timurid Empire also rebuilt the ancient post roads in western Iran that had been abandoned due to the war, connecting them to Turkey and even Egypt.So far, the "Silk Road", which has been abandoned since the end of the Yuan Dynasty, has reproduced the prosperity of business travel. Chinese silk is exported to West Asia and East Africa, and commodities and cultural classics from the Middle East and even Europe are gradually imported into China. It is worth mentioning that , the famous achievement of Chinese mathematics in the Song and Yuan dynasties, "the method of solving high-order equations", has been lost since the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and was reintroduced to China by Arab mathematicians during this period.Although the national policy of the Ming Dynasty changed after that, this commercial route remained unbroken until the Chongzhen period at the end of the Ming Dynasty. Xi'an in Shaanxi and Liangzhou in Gansu were still "international cities" where Western business travelers gathered. In April of the fourteenth year of Yongle (AD 1416), Chen Cheng led a mission to the Western Regions for three times. The main task this time was to negotiate with Western countries on the number of caravans to be exchanged each year and to reach a trade agreement.Chen Cheng was fully prepared, and asked Zhu Di to "choose to send someone from the household department who is good at business" to accompany him.It is worth mentioning that Yang Shan, the capable minister who subdued Oala with his eloquence and forced him to return Ming Yingzong after the "Civil Change", was also among them. These people played an important role in the subsequent business negotiations between Chen Cheng and Western countries. .In August of that year, Chen Cheng arrived in the Timurid Empire again, and while happily reaching a business agreement with the Timur Empire, he also gave Shah Ru a gift carefully prepared by him - carefully drawn by the court painter of the Ming Dynasty. Shah Rujin presented the "Running Horse Picture" dedicated to Yongle Emperor Baobai.Shahru was so moved that he not only warmly entertained Chen Cheng and his party, but also wrote a letter to Zhu Di himself, and Zhu Di also replied an equally enthusiastic letter, saying frankly that "although the two countries are far apart, the closer they are, the closer they are to each other. , like a mirror", and hope that from now on, "the subjects of the two countries will share the blessing of peace and happiness".The correspondence between the two most powerful imperial monarchs in the East and West at that time is truly a beautiful story of "world peace" through the ages. And Chen Cheng, the linker of this "beautiful talk through the ages", was sent to the Western Regions for the fourth time in the 16th year of Yongle (AD 1418).Before this mission, Chen Cheng's mother, Luo Shi, died of illness. According to the custom, Chen Cheng had to stay at home "Ding You" for 3 years, but Zhu Di believed that "non-Zilu could not take on this task", and ordered him to "see things with love".On the second day of October of that year, Chen Cheng and his party arrived in Herat, the capital of the Timurid Kingdom. During this mission, he brought to the Timurid Kingdom Zhu Di’s special order to translate "Qi Min Yao Shu" by Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei Dynasty and Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty. "Shui Jing Zhu" two classics.Chen Cheng took the initiative to contact the officials in charge of agriculture in the Timurid Kingdom to explain in detail the difficulties in the book. Even at Chen Cheng's suggestion, Shah Ruh opened up an "experimental field" in his palace. Widespread in Central Asia.When Chen Cheng returned to the country, Shah Ru actually "sent each other for more than a hundred miles, and his reluctance was beyond words."This touching scene is also recorded in many Central Asian and Western historical materials, but no one on both sides of the farewell thought that the scene at this time was actually a farewell. In November of the eighteenth year of Yongle (AD 1420), Chen Cheng returned to Beijing with 500 return missions from Central Asian countries, and met Zhu Di who was planning to conquer Mongolia in the north. Zhu Di specially sent 6,000 elite cavalry to escort him all the way from Suzhou. Soldiers gathered around Beijing, and flags were flying.Zhu Di allowed Timur's envoys to "visit freely" in the local area, and the troops from all walks of life should not "arbitrarily obstruct". They performed "military subjects" such as equestrian riding and archery, infantry assault, and firearm drills.According to historical records, when Timur's envoys first came, they refused to kowtow to Zhu Di on the grounds that "our country does not have such a custom", but only bowed. However, after half a year of "visiting", they met again before returning home , but they all knelt down and saluted, "kowtowing their heads and touching the ground".Aldusha, the leader of Timur's mission, told Zhu Di frankly: the "famous horse" presented by Timur's country this time was the "royal mount" used by Shah Ru's father Timur during the Southern and Northern Wars. It has always been the "national treasure" of the Timur kingdom, and it is dedicated to Zhu Di this time just "to express my most respectful meaning".Zhu Di was very happy with his words, and ordered a generous gift.After Timur's envoys returned to China, they recorded the details of this mission in detail, and most modern Western historians' research on the military strength of the Ming Dynasty is based on this.This mission undoubtedly received the effect of "surrendering the enemy without fighting".Chen Cheng was also promoted to the right to participate in politics from the third-rank Guangdong chief envoy because of his meritorious service.At this time, when Annan rebelled, a large number of "Vietnamese refugees" flocked to Guangdong by sea. The commander of Guangdong Province, Chen Zhen, suggested that refugees should be strictly prohibited from entering Guangdong, and those who violated it would be killed.Chen Cheng tried his best to stop them. While strictly arresting the "thieves" among the refugees who robbed the people, he set up tents in Tuen Mun, Humen, and Dongguan, Guangdong, where the refugees were resettled and distributed food and daily necessities. In the first month of the 22nd year of Yongle (AD 1424), Chen Cheng, who had made outstanding achievements in Guangdong, was transferred to Beijing again to plan his fifth trip to the Western Regions in his life.The mission set off on April 4, and when it arrived in Gansu in May, news of Zhu Di's death suddenly came. Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi issued an edict to stop the mission. Chen Cheng appeased the ethnic minorities in Hami and Qaidam After falling behind, he returned to Beijing in November.At this time, Ming Renzong "did not take long-term plans", and the large-scale missions were suspended, and the stage belonging to Chen Cheng was over.The following year, Chen Cheng resigned from office and returned to his hometown, thinking of his talent in "communicating barbarian affairs", Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty ordered him to "return to his hometown and listen to him, and give him a double salary every year".In the third year of Xuande (1428 A.D.), the Timur Kingdom sent envoys to Daming again, and warmly invited Daming to send envoys to pay a return visit. They frankly stated that Timur King Shahru was very concerned about Chen Cheng and hoped that Ming would send Chen Cheng again. But Ming Xuanzong declined.At this time, after returning to his hometown, Chen Cheng built a "Naiyuan" in Linchuan, recited poems with many friends all day long, and lived an idyllic leisurely life.In the fifth year of Xuande (1430 A.D.), he began to write the last diplomatic work in his life, "Liguan Deeds". In addition to recording the whole process of his 5 missions to the Western Regions, he also elaborated on bilateral negotiations, appeasement of foreign races, and respect All kinds of knowledge about ethnic customs, commerce and trade, etc.Li Dongyang, Yang Tinghe, Wang Chonggu and others in the Ming Dynasty highly praised this book, and Li Hongzhang, a pioneer of the modern Westernization Movement, also benefited a lot from it.Another book dedicated to recording the border demarcation between China and Vietnam, "The Boundary of Qiu Wen with Annan Bianming", confirmed the traditional border line between China and Vietnam for hundreds of years. Until the 20th century, it was still an important reference material for Sino-Vietnamese border negotiations. Thirty-three years later, Chen Cheng came out of the mountain again and was appointed by Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen as the second grade Guanglu Temple You Tongzheng. He died of illness in the official residence in the second year of Tianshun (AD 1457) at the age of 93. This famous diplomat who went to the Western Regions five times, made good contacts with foreign countries, and declared the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, although his rank was low in his life, he was indeed an important figure in the history of Chinese diplomacy in the Middle Ages.In Central Asia and even the West, Chen Cheng's statement has spread far and wide. Today's Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and other places have preserved many relics of Chen Cheng's missions.The Soviet historian Vladimir Zov gave him a very fair evaluation: "This outstanding Chinese diplomat used a sincere attitude and a spirit of never giving up to resolve the contradiction between the two most powerful empires in the world, and to serve the Pamirs. The ethnic groups around the plateau brought tranquility and peace, and they were the most outstanding peace messengers in the 15th century."