Chapter 36 Chapter 28 Fifteenth Century

It was good luck for the Ming Dynasty to pass through the bottleneck in a river of blood. Only one year later than the Ming Dynasty, the Timurid Empire, which arose in Central Asia, was determined to restore the original territory of the Mongol Empire in the east.In 1404, the second year after Jingnan ended, Timur Khan set out from his capital Samarkand to attack China.Unexpectedly, he died on the way, and the military operation was suspended.If Tamerlane died at an untimely time, based on known information, the Ming Dynasty would be powerless to resist with its broken strength at that time.A new alien domination may reappear.

The Ming government soon moved its capital to Beijing. At one time, it tried to cheer up, conquered Mongolia in the north, collected Jiaozhi in the south, and developed into the Indian Ocean.However, this not-so-good scene has only lasted thirty years.After the 1940s, China's third era of eunuchs came. At the end of this century, the great Captain Columbus discovered the New World.The Renaissance movement is at its climax, and Europe is throwing itself into the sea with an extremely vigorous spirit.But China is dying and the sun is dark. Zhu Di's Massacre The war between the Jingnan Army and the Central Army lasted four years.In the end, Emperor Zhu Yunwen failed.He had advantages in all aspects, even the best generals, but he lacked an outstanding commander like Zhou Yafu.Huang Zicheng tried his best to push Li Jinglong. When the commander-in-chief Li Jinglong was defeated again and again, Huang Zicheng covered up for him, hoping that he could turn the situation around, but Li Jinglong was defeated instead.Huang Zicheng still didn't advocate punishing him, he just dismissed him, and the irreparable decline was caused.

In 1402, the Jingnan army crossed the Yangtze River and advanced to the city of Yingtian (Nanjing, Jiangsu). Li Jinglong, who was dismissed from his post at home, led his family to rebel and opened the city gate to welcome them.Zhu Yunwen got the bad news and committed suicide by setting fire to the palace. ——But the folks firmly believe that Zhu Yunzheng is not dead. It is said that Zhu Yunzheng opened the secret iron box left by his grandfather Zhu Yuanzhang when he was in a crisis. Some silver coins (for minor use when fleeing).So he shaved his hair and became a monk, escaped from the water gate behind the palace, and wandered in the rivers and lakes for more than 30 years.By the 1940s to 1440, the emperor at that time was Zhu Qizhen, the sixth emperor of Zhu Di's great-grandson, and the grievances had disappeared.Only then did Zhu Yunwen reveal his identity and return to the palace.For the rest of my life.

After Zhu Yunwen died, Zhu Di succeeded to the throne.He can be said to have been a blessing in disguise, if he hadn't cut down the vassal, he would still be a prince.However, he did not forgive Huang Zicheng and his group who advocated the reduction of the vassal.He imitated his father Zhu Yuanzhang's method and carried out legal massacres.In this massacre, the "melon and vine copy" in the Criminal Procedure Law exerted a powerful force.That is, the arrests are like melon vines, extending in all directions, and those who can be reached will be clung to and pulled back and forth. Unless the people in power take the initiative to stop, they will be able to catch everyone in the world.

At that time Huang Zicheng was the Minister of Sacrifice (Tai Changqing), he was executed and the whole family was killed.Qi Tai, the former Minister of Defense (Shangshu of the Ministry of War), was executed, and all his brothers were killed.Fang Xiaoru, an education research officer (doctor of literature), whom Zhu Di hated especially, massacred ten ethnic groups, including friends and students, and killed 873 people.Zhuo Jing, deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance (Minister of the Household Department), beheaded and exterminated the three clans.Tie Xuan, the current Minister of National Defense, died.Minister of Education (Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites), Chen Di, died, six sons were killed, and more than 180 relatives were demoted to the wilderness after the imperial staff.The Chief Prosecutor (Censor Doctor) Jing Qing died, and copied the law with melon vines, arrested his family members, relatives and friends, and relatives and friends of relatives and friends who might be arrested, and executed all the villagers in several consecutive villages in his hometown. , the house was empty.Lian Zining, the vice minister of the Ministry of Supervision (Zuo Fujia Yushi), died, 151 members of his family were executed, and hundreds of people were demoted to the wilderness.Zou Jin, secretary-general of the Supreme Court (Dali Cheng), committed suicide, and 448 members of his family were executed.Hu Run, vice president of the Supreme Court (Dali Shaoqing), was hanged, and 217 members of his family were executed.

Jing Nan's legal massacre killed about 14,000 people, which is naturally far inferior to Zhu Yuanzhang's.However, there is one thing to mention in particular, that is, in addition to beheading, most of the wives and daughters of criminals were distributed to domestic slaves or slaves, or to brothels for prostitution, which was insulted in every way.The child born will be a slave in a brothel for generations. ——"Gua Manchao" and the distribution of wives and daughters did not originate from Zhu Di, but from Zhu Yuanzhang, but it was established in Zhu Di's hands as a bloody system.Zhu Yuanzhang used the criminal procedure law of "melon and vine copying" to draw only two so-called criminals out of more than 50,000 accomplices.As for the family members becoming prostitutes, with Zhu Yuanzhang's character, he would never give up the opportunity to humiliate others.

2 China's first sea hero - Zheng He After the Jingnan massacre ended, an unprecedented maritime career began. China has always been a land power country. Although the coastline is long, it is not important. One of the reasons is that there is enough space for development on land.Since the seventh century, the Tang and Song dynasties had prosperous maritime traffic.During the Mongol Empire, Asia was integrated into one family, and maritime transportation was more developed.However, after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty in the last century (fourteenth), Zhu Yuanzhang strongly excluded foreign things, so the sea traffic came to a standstill."Not a single plank is allowed to go to sea," he ordered.

The retreat lasted for thirty years, but the secret trade cannot be banned.At the beginning of this century (15th), Zhu Di simply lifted the ban and sent a huge ocean-going armed fleet to the Indian Ocean.As a result, a group of maritime heroes suddenly appeared in China. In the past 40 years, they have brought the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean under control and established an unprecedented maritime hegemony. Zheng He, the leader of this group of sea heroes, was originally surnamed Ma from Yunnan, and later entered the palace as an eunuch. Zhu Di ordered him to change his surname because he had the same surname as his mother, Empress Ma. .Zheng He's father was a devout Muslim who had made the pilgrimage to Mecca (in the center of the Arabian Peninsula), but Zheng He later converted to Buddhism.At the beginning of the 15th century of this century, after the successful battle of Zhu Dijing, he suspected that Zhu Yunwen might have fled overseas and tried to counterattack if he did not die as the folklore said. He had to investigate.At the same time, a pretentious monarch has a kind of showmanship, which made Zhu Di feel the need to show China's national prestige overseas.Therefore, he ordered Zheng He to lead a large armed fleet to set off to the west.

——The meaning of "Western Ocean" is different in the past and the present. The Western Ocean in the fifteenth century guides the China Sea and the Indian Ocean.In the nineteenth century, the Western Ocean referred to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean was renamed the Little Atlantic Ocean. Zheng He sailed seven times in a row, all departing from Liuhe (Liuhe Town, Taicang, Jiangsu).The main countries visited each time are listed below: The armed fleet led by Zheng He dispatched 62 warships and more than 27,000 soldiers for the first time.For the second time, 48 warships and more than 30,000 soldiers were dispatched.Each ship can accommodate more than 400 people on average. The flagship and several capital ships are 120 meters long and 40 meters wide, and can carry more than 1,000 people.Such a huge project, without sophisticated shipbuilding technology and sophisticated navigation technology, cannot afford it (just at the beginning of this century (fifteenth), the Kingdom of Venice, the leading shipbuilder in Europe, often broke due to the overwhelming load before launching huge ships, and still Feeling is the most difficult difficulty to overcome).Zheng He set off to the Western Ocean seven times in a row. With this invincible fleet, no country can resist in the Indian Ocean.The emerging Timurid Empire is only a land power country, and its force has not yet expanded to the sea.The others are small countries, at least compared to the behemoth of China, they are all small countries.

Zheng He's initial voyages were limited to Asia.From the fourth time, he extended to the coast of Africa, present-day Somalia and Kenya.If it continues to develop, the route will go south and may bypass the Cape of Good Hope.Zheng He went to sea seven times. Although Zhu Yunqi was not found, his achievements in politics and diplomacy were astonishing.The Chinese Armed Fleet, sailing the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, is like rafting on a Chinese inner lake.The impact it will bring to the nations can be guessed.What shocked all the countries in particular was the act of "capturing the king three times".

The first time it happened in the first voyage to the West, in Sumatra Island (now the westernmost border of Indonesia), the Old Port Kingdom established entirely by Chinese immigrants, King Chen Zuyi feigned surrender to Zheng He, the fleet commander of his motherland, and then dealt with customs like the Koryo Kingdom. Like Mr. Zheng He.But his luck was bad, he was defeated and captured, and sent back to China to be executed.The second time occurred during the second voyage to the Western Seas. In the Kingdom of Mount Ceylon (Ceylon Island), King Ariel Kunel lured Zheng He to the capital, Vice Loli City, and then devoted all his strength to attack the Zheng He moored at the port. Chinese fleet.There were only 2,000 people around Zheng He. When he found out that the situation was different, he used these 2,000 people to take advantage of the emptiness of the capital to raid the palace and capture Ariel Kunel alive.The Mount Ceylon army heard the police halfway and hurried back to rescue them.It was attacked by the Chinese army back and forth and was defeated.Alejandro was sent to China, but instead of killing him, China sent him back to Mount Ceylon.Since then, Mount Ceylon has become China's most loyal ally. Every time a king ascends the throne, just like North Korea and Annan, he must be canonized by China.The third time occurred during the third voyage to the Western Sea. The Kingdom of Sumatra was experiencing civil strife. The former king’s son, Su Ganci, raised troops to seize the throne. However, he lacked political acumen and did not know how to contact China for help. Instead, he attacked Chinese ships in an attempt to obtain treasure.As a result, he was captured and sent to China to be beheaded. Zheng He's voyages to the West, like Zhang Qian's voyage to the Western Regions in the second century BC, opened up a chaotic and vast world for China that few people knew before.They have made great contributions to the country and cultural exchanges between the East and the West.However, Zhang Qian lived in a vigorous era, while Zheng He lived in an era of increasing decline, so the ending is completely different. In 1424, Zhu Di passed away, and his son Zhu Gaochi succeeded to the throne. The Confucian Confucianism tycoons around Zhu Gaochi regarded the voyages as one of the old father's tyranny, ordered them to stop, and even destroyed some important files in order to To prevent later heroes to follow suit.Six years later, in 1430 in the 1930s, due to the reduction of the number of countries paying tribute, the then emperor Zhu Zhanji (Zhu Gaochi's son) ordered Zheng He to make the seventh and final voyage.The stagnant nature of Chinese society has formed, and any development and progressive thinking and behavior are rejected.Soon China resumed its seclusion. Although it did not return to "not a single plank is allowed to go to sea", overseas trade has completely become passive, leaving a vacuum of power in the Indian Ocean. ——Zheng He sailed to the West for the last time and returned to China in 1433.Sixty-nine years later (1502), Vasco da Gama, the commander of the fleet of the Kingdom of Portugal, circumvented the Cape of Good Hope, captured the city of Garycut in the south of the Indian Peninsula (that is, Guli as it is called in China, and the city of Calicut today), and conquered Ceylon Mountain Kingdom, claiming to be the Governor of India.If China can maintain the achievements of Zheng He, the two major civilizations of the East and the West will meet at sea in advance, and the impact will be deep and far-reaching. However, although the government's organized navigation was suspended, the civil society did not.On the contrary, due to Zheng He's seven powerful displays of maritime force in a row, civilian maritime activities were strengthened.Especially the residents along the coast, Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Chaozhou, Zhangzhou, and the Hakka people, have crossed the customs in large numbers, flocked overseas, and migrated to countries in the South China Sea. The Chinese reclaimed and became fertile land, and they are the origin of the Chinese in Southeast Asian countries today. The establishment and permanent secession of Sanjiaozhi Province Simultaneously with Zheng He's voyage to the Western Seas, there was also the gain and loss of Jiaozhi (northern Vietnam). In the twelfth century, in the twelfth century, China renamed its king Li Ri (Huo Zun) as the King of Annan, and then renamed it the Kingdom of Annan.Later, the male heirs of the Li Dynasty were cut off, and the daughter succeeded to the throne, giving birth to a son, Chen Rixuan, and then turned into the Chen Dynasty. In addition to calling itself a kingdom to China, it was called the Dai Viet Empire internally and to other countries.At the end of the 14th century, the son-in-law Li Jikou came to power.At the beginning of this century (fifteenth), Li Jikou slaughtered all the royal family surnamed Chen from his father-in-law's family.Claiming to be the descendant of Hu Gongman, a descendant of Emperor Yushun Yao Chonghua in the Chinese Confucian sage system, he changed his name to Hu Yiyuan, ordered his son Hu Cang to be the emperor, and himself the Supreme Emperor, thus establishing the Dayu Empire.A memorial was sent to the Chinese emperor saying that the Chen family had become extinct, and Hu Cang was the son of the princess, and asked for permission to act as the king.The Chinese government did not expect such twists and turns, so it canonized Hu Cang as King Annan. However, Prince Chen Tianping, one of the three clans of the Chen family, fled to Yuguo (Lao Kingdom), Laos, one of the vassals of China, and sent Chen Tianping to China.It happened that Hu Yiyuan's envoys also went to the capital Yingtian (Nanjing, Jiangsu). They were all old ministers of the Chen Dynasty. When they saw Chen Tianping, they bowed down in amazement, which proved that there was nothing wrong with his identity as a prince.The Chinese government questioned Hu Yiyuan, and Hu Yiyuan sent a memorial to apologize and asked for permission to welcome Chen Tianping back to China for restoration. In 1405 (15th) of this century, China sent General Huang Zhong to lead an army of 5,000 people to escort Chen Tianping back home.In the following year (1406), after entering the territory of Annan, the people who greeted them along the way were very respectful, and Huang Zhong's guard was greatly relaxed because of this.When we arrived at Qinzhan (North Bank of Fuliang River), the mountain road was steep, the forest was lush, and it was raining heavily. Suddenly, ambushes broke out everywhere, and the escort army was stunned. The ambush had killed Chen Tianping and retreated south.Several senior Chinese officials who served as guards beside Chen Tianping also died.When Huang Zhongji concentrated his forces to fight back, the bridge had already been cut off, and the ambush soldiers kowtowed at the south bank and said: "We dare not resist the Celestial Dynasty, but Chen Tianping is just a villain, not a prince, so we have to get rid of him. The small country is poor and cannot To entertain the army of the Celestial Dynasty, please come back, our king will make an apology." This kind of insulting bloodshed means that China has no room for turning around.Four months later, the expeditionary force, led by the famous general Zhang Fu, entered Annan and broke Hu Yiyuan's elephant formation.Next year (1407), Hu Yiyuan and his son were captured. After Hu Yiyuan and his son were sent to China, they were imprisoned for some time before being released and sent to Guangxi to serve the people.Although Guangxi is adjacent to the Annan Kingdom, Hu Yiyuan has no ability to influence. The Hu surname dynasty collapsed, and the Chen surname dynasty had no close relatives.The former land of the Annan Kingdom has been the territory of China since the second century BC.As a result, China announced the abolition of the Annan Kingdom and renamed it Jiaozhi Province, which governed 15 prefectures, 41 states, and 210 counties.This land, which became independent from China in the tenth century, returned to the motherland after more than 400 years of isolation. However, unfortunately, what the Ming government of the motherland brought to New Cochin Province was a corrupt rule.The first is local officials, mostly from the neighboring provinces of Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan. They only know a little bit of writing. They ventured into the wilderness with only one purpose: to make a fortune.The second is the eunuch, Ma Qi, the eunuch who supervises the army, is actually the supreme commander of the Annan Military Region and the supreme governor of Cochin Province. However, when the number is insufficient, the Cochin people will be arrested and tortured, which is extremely cruel. The Jiaozhi people had nowhere to appeal, and the situation of the government forcing the people to rebel was completed, so rebellions broke out and fighting everywhere.Among them, the most powerful one is Le Loi, the police chief (inspection) of Ngai County, Thanh Hoa Province.When Li Li first assembled his troops, Feng Gui and Hou Bao, the two vice-governors of Jiaozhi Province (participating in politics), mobilized the army to conquer. They were given hundreds of old and weak soldiers, but two of them died in battle, and Li Li's power was out of control.In 1426, Wang Tong, the commander of the Annan Corps (Annan Commander-in-Chief), was ambushed at Ningqiao, Yingping County, Jiaozhou Prefecture, killing more than 20,000 people.Next year (1427), Liu Sheng, the commander of the Chinese reinforcements, was also ambushed in Daomao (Vietnam Tongdeng). Liu Sheng died in battle, and more than 70,000 soldiers were all killed.Wang Tong panicked, and before submitting the report to the central government for approval, he asked Li Li for peace and allowed him to withdraw from Jiaozhi.Li Li accepted this proposal, and the two sides built an altar and made an oath. Li Li also knew that Wang Tong was only asking for peace privately, so he launched a political offensive against the Ming government, using the name of Chen (上日下高), to submit a memorial to the Chinese emperor, claiming to be a close relative of the Chen dynasty, and requesting canonization.China had just suffered serious setbacks, and heard the news that Santong had privately sought peace, and felt that China was fighting to maintain the orthodoxy of the Chen Dynasty, so it pushed the boat along the way, canonized Chen (上日下高) as King Annan, and revoked Jiaozhi Province.This new province returned to China only 21 years ago, and then separated again until today in the 20th century.However, after the Chinese officials and armed forces withdrew, Li Li made a memorial stating that Chen (Shang Ri Xia Gao) was dead, and asked for his own title to be changed.China knew that he was playing tricks, but it was unable to start another war, so it had no choice but to designate Li Li as King Annan. However, Le Loi has no intention of confronting China. After he was prosecuted, he continued to implement the traditional policy of serving a big country towards China, and his diplomatic relations became more harmonious. —— Ma Qi was executed for the crime of radically changing the foreign country, and his family was executed, but it did not help the overall situation.History has proven painfully that corruption has done too much damage to China. Numerous civil uprisings, humiliation and loss of territory, regime collapse, and massacres and bloodshed are almost all caused by official corruption and the tyranny caused by corruption. Four northern frontier troubles China's foreign aggression always comes from the north, and the Ming Dynasty was no exception. The Mongolian ruling class has occupied China for a century and has not absorbed much Chinese culture.What they looked like when they entered China is almost what they looked like when they were expelled from China and returned to Mongolia itself.In fact, after the Mongolian imperial government withdrew from the capital (Beijing), the empire collapsed immediately.Of the five sub-states it belongs to, the Wokuotai Khanate has long been annexed by the Chagatai Khanate (1308), the Yuan Empire fell to China (1381), and the Tubo religious state naturally lost its size (1381 ), the Chagatai Khanate (1369) and the Ilkhanate (1386), followed by the Timur Khanate.There was only one Kipchak Khanate, which had always been sparse and was 6,000 kilometers away, and it was also wiped out by Russia in the 1580s of this century (1480).With the disintegration of the empire, the central government organization also disintegrated.For some unknown reason, it did not return to the old capital Helin (Mongolia Harhelin) from which it came. Instead, the Great Khan, like a tribal chief, lived by water and grass, erratic in the desert.All in all, everything is back to the nomadic way of life before the rise of Temujin in the thirteenth century, with tribes fighting each other.The great glory of the two-hundred-year empire has all become historical relics. The eighteenth great Khan of Mongolia, Tuohuan Temur, died immediately after he escaped from Dadu (Beijing), and his son Aiyu Shili Dala succeeded to the throne.After that, from the 20th Great Khan, the 21st Great Khan, and the 22nd Great Khan (in fact, they were only chiefs), all died of murder.In 1403, the 23rd Great Khan, Kun Tiemu'er, was stabbed to death by his subordinate Guilichi, and Mongolia became even more chaotic. We use the following expression to express our appreciation for the development of the political situation in Mongolia after Guilichi: The above table includes the relationship positions of the main political leaders in Mongolia and China in the three centuries after this century (fifteenth). There are many ethnic groups and tribes in Mongolia. In addition to the tribes of the Mongolian nation itself, there are two main tribes of the Turkic nation: one is the Tatar tribe and the other is the Wala tribe.The Tatar tribe, that is, the Tatar tribe in the thirteenth century, was a blood feud with the Mongolian tribes and was almost massacred to extinction.Because their grazing land is sandwiched between Mongolia and China, China also called the Mongols Tatars, which is an insult to Mongolia. But Guilichi was of Tatar descent. After he seized power, China even more plausibly regarded Mongolia as a Tatar.But the Tatars could not be the masters of the Mongols, and Guilichi was soon killed by a powerful Mongolian chief Alutai;Li Benya lost his face and succeeded to the throne.At the same time, the Wala tribe, who had been submitting to Mongolian rule, had become powerful and nomadic in the Altai Mountains (the boundary between Mongolia and Xinjiang).Now take advantage of the civil strife in Mongolia and move eastward.Sometimes they cooperate with the Mongolian tribes to support a puppet Khan; sometimes they fight against the Mongolian tribes and attack each other.Sometimes they do business with China, and sometimes they attack and plunder China. Since Mongolia is fragmented, the threat to China is relatively reduced.The lack of a strong government support prevents them from having comprehensive plans and comprehensive actions.Some ambitious chiefs just want to rob women of property and have no political ambitions.Compared with the heavy pressure exerted by the Huns, Turks, Khitans, and Jurchens in the past, the current northern enemies can only be counted as some minor disturbances. However, the Ming government still poured all the power of the whole country to rebuild the Great Wall and the Shurui North-South Canal.The former prevented the northern barbarians from going south again, and the latter strengthened the transportation of military supplies in the south of the Yangtze River.The Great Wall lost its function after the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun were ceded to the Liao Empire in the tenth century.For four hundred years, almost all collapsed.The establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the restoration of the confrontation between China and the northern barbarians ten centuries ago made it necessary to build the Great Wall.So from Shanhaiguan in the East, it was built straight to Jiayuguan in the Hexi Corridor.The section from Shanhaiguan to the Yellow River was completed in the early 15th century of this century.The section from the Yellow River to Jiayuguan was completed in the 16th century of the next century.This entire new project, which is more than 2,300 kilometers long, is more than a hundred times more difficult than the connection project of only a few hundred kilometers built by the Qin Dynasty in the third century BC.The Ming government set up nine frontier military regions along the Great Wall, called Nine Frontiers: The North-South Canal was a project of the Mongol Empire (the canals opened by Yang Guang in the 7th century were all annihilated after the 9th century), but it will connect the Tonghe River (the North-South Canal in Shandong Province) and Qingjiangpu (the confluence of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River, Huaiyin, Jiangsu), It's all clogged.At the beginning of this century (fifteenth), heavy excavation was carried out.The third emperor, Zhu Di, moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421. This was an aggressive measure. Zhu Di was one of the emperors who personally went deep into the Mobei region to attack the northern barbarians. He had personally conquered five times.For the first time in 1410, Benyasili and Arutai were personally conquered, and they reached the Gannan River (Onon River) where Dagis Khan Temujin came to the throne. Benyasili and Arutai were defeated. After Ya Shili was defeated, he defected to the Wala tribe.Mahmu, the king of Wala, expressed his respect for him at first, but later when his power moved eastward rapidly, he no longer accepted the rule of Mongolia, so he killed Ben Yashili.So Wala replaced Mongolia and became a neighbor of China.The second time in 1414, Zhu Di personally conquered Wala and reached the Tula River (south of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), and Mahamu was defeated.For the third time in 1422, he personally conquered Arutai and reached Kuo Shenhai (Hulun Lake in the northeast of Inner Mongolia), but there was no trace of the enemy.For the fourth time in 1423, he conquered Alutai again and arrived at Shangzhuangbao (north of Wanquan, Hebei), but there was no trace of the enemy.The fifth time in 1424, he personally conquered Arutai again, arrived at the Dalan Namur River (the upper reaches of the Haraha River in the easternmost part of Mongolia), and sent troops to search, but there was still no trace of the enemy.On the way back to the army, Zhu Di died of illness at Yumuchuan (north of Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia). Although Zhu Di was a more accomplished emperor, he was not an excellent commander in chief. He failed to capture the opponent's main force in five personal expeditions and deal a decisive blow.Except for the harvest from the first personal expedition, in the other four direct expeditions, the army has not yet been dispatched, and everyone knows that the enemy has already fortified the wall and cleared the field.However, shortly after Zhu Di's death, China entered the third era of eunuchs, and the people in power competed one after another in a violent and violent manner. They could only be beaten and unable to fight back against the northern barbarians. Five China's third eunuch era Since the Jingnan War in the Ming Dynasty, the country has been stable for more than 30 years.These thirty years were located in the early 15th century of this century, and they were the only relatively happy days for the Chinese people during the three hundred years of Ming Dynasty rule.Zheng He's voyages, the establishment of Jiaozhi Province (northern Vietnam), Zhu Di's five personal expeditions, and the construction of the Great Wall Canal were all completed in these thirty years.Although the eunuch's disaster has already sprouted, it is a bad omen that Ma Qi, the supervisor of Jiaozhi, forced Jiaozhi to leave the motherland.But Ma Qi was finally punished, and there is still a glimmer of light in society.And after the 1930s, the era of eunuchs came, and even this ray of light disappeared, and finally it was completely dark. This is the third eunuch era in China, one to three hundred years from the first eunuch era (second century), and six hundred years from the second eunuch era (ninth century).Let us say that the third era of eunuchs began in this century (fifteenth) thirties in 1435 when Wang Zhen came to power, and finally in the next century (seventeenth) sixties in 1661 when the Ming Dynasty collapsed. Two hundred and twenty-seven years. ——Pay attention to a phenomenon, the end of the eunuch era must be the downfall of the dynasty. It is absurd to affirm the beginning and end of an era.But in order to have an understanding of social formations, this is necessary in order to have a definite impression.In fact, for more than two hundred years, eunuchs did not make trouble every year.For example, during the forty-six years of Zhu Houkou, the twelfth emperor of the next century (sixteenth), eunuchs had no status. We list the main eunuchs who were in power in the eunuch era: As can be seen from the table above, almost every emperor in the Ming Dynasty had eunuchs who were trusted by him and held power.Emperors who did not have particularly trusted eunuchs, such as Zhu Houkou, had particularly trusted corrupt officials. When Zhu Qizhen came to the throne in the 1930s (1435), he was only nine years old and was still a naughty boy.The eunuch Wang Zhen took him to play games. He admired this big playmate very much and called him "Mr. Wang".At first, Zhu Qizhen's grandmother, Empress Dowager Zhang, often sent people to the cabinet to inquire about political affairs, and found that Wang Zhen had falsely preached imperial edicts.In a fit of rage, he presided over a cabinet meeting in person, and wanted to kill Wang Zhen. A group of township ministers pleaded for him on his behalf, so he was spared.But Queen Mother Zhang passed away soon, and Wang Zhen's prestige increased day by day. No one could control him, and he became not only the Supreme Prime Minister, but also the Supreme Emperor.The third era of eunuchs was unveiled by Wang Zhen. The first victim was Liu Qiu, the royal teacher (attendant lecturer). Liu Qiu wrote a memorial to persuade Zhu Qizhen to take charge of the government. Wang Zhen thought it was a mockery of himself, so he arrested Liu Qiu and sent him to Jinyiwei Imperial Prison. Suburbs.Another victim was Li Shimian, the president of National Peking University (Jingshi Guozijian Jijiu). One day, Wang Zhen went to inspect, but Li Shimian did not show any special respect to him. , and held him in front of the university gate for three days. Thousands of college students cried and ran, but they could not be rescued. Finally, they went to ask Zhu Qizhen's mother, Empress Dowager He. The Empress Dowager asked Zhu Qizhen, and Zhu Qizhen was astonished. He said, "It must be Wang Zhen's fault." Then he ordered his release.The vice president of the Supreme Court (Dali Shaoqing) Xue (Wang Xuan) did not salute Wang Zhen first in the public.Wang Zhen immediately arrested Xue (Wang Xuan), sent him to Jinyiwei Prison, and sentenced him to death for corruption and bribery.On the eve of execution, an old servant of Wang Zhen was crying in the kitchen. When Wang Zhen asked him why, the old servant said: "I am from the same town as Xue (Wang Xuan), and I know him very well." Xue (Wang Xuan) was released, but was still relegated to the frontier Tieling (Liaoning Tieling).However, a soldier named Wang Yong in Jin Yiwei did not have such good luck.Wang Yong couldn't understand Wang Zhen's crimes, wrote anonymous leaflets, criticized him, and was arrested and killed. Where power lies, flattery must be concentrated.Wang You, the vice minister of the Ministry of Engineering (Ministry of the Ministry of Works), didn't have a beard. Wang Zhen asked him why, and Wang Xin said, "The master doesn't have one, but the next generation will dare to have one." ——Pay attention to the matter of Wang You. This is one of the characteristics of the third eunuch era. Senior government officials and scholar-bureaucrats openly and shamelessly scrambled to sell themselves to eunuchs, which was a phenomenon that did not exist in the first and second eunuch eras. The change of six civil engineering and the change of seizing the door In 1449, Wang Zhenli overcame all opinions and asked the sixth emperor Zhu Qizhen to conquer Wala himself. On the way to advance eastward, the Wara tribe was defeated by Zhu Di at the Shila River (south of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) in the 1910s, but it continued to advance eastward.Soon after, the Mongolian tribes were expelled to the colder and more desolate Northeast region, occupying the vast Saibei that originally belonged to the Mongolian tribes, bordering China. Wala Khan was also cautious about China at the beginning, sending people to pay tribute to local products, and following the example of the Huns and Huihe, he proposed to China.Ma Yun, the translator, wanted to bribe Yexian and show off his authority, so he replied: "The emperor has allowed it." Yexian was overjoyed.In 1449, a thousand horses were tributed as dowry gifts.The Chinese government was taken aback and told him that there was no such thing.He also first thought that China was teasing him, so he launched an attack on China, and the castles along the border fell one after another. Therefore, Wang Zhen advocated the personal conquest.He regards war as child's play, and believes that the magic wand of power can withstand all.On the second day after the edict was issued, Zhu Qizhen set off immediately. Due to hasty preparations, some soldiers starved to death on the way. The Corps was defeated one after another, and the morale of the army was in chaos.The eunuch guarding Datong also issued a warning, not only not to go further north, but even Datong was at stake. Wang Zhen had no choice but to order to return to Beijing.When they walked to the civil fort 40 kilometers away from Juyongguan (Changping, Beijing), Wala's pursuers had arrived.Minister of National Defense (Shangshu of the Ministry of War) Kuang Ye please enter the customs as soon as possible, but the convoy transporting the gold and silver treasures looted by Wang Zhen has not arrived yet, so he insists on waiting.Kuang Ye insisted on retreating quickly, Wang Zhen scolded, "What do you know about military and national affairs?" and drove Kuang Ye out of the camp.Then the Vala cavalry surrounded and shouted: "Surrender and avoid death." Wang Zhen discovered that his power wand had failed at this time, and the guard officer Fan Zhong was full of grief and anger, and killed Wang Zhen with a hammer.However, it still couldn't stop the entire army from being annihilated. Fan Zhong died in battle, and Zhu Qizhen was captured alive by Wala. The news of Tumubao spread to Beijing, and the Ming government was in chaos.Some people advocated withdrawing all border troops to defend the capital, while others advocated moving the capital to Nanjing.The family members of senior officials and wealthy businessmen fled one after another.Fortunately, Zhu Qizhen's younger brother, Zhu Qiyu, was a wise prince (the only outstanding monarch among the 20 emperors of the Ming Dynasty). He took decisive measures to sit on the throne himself to stop Wala's blackmail.He also appointed Yu Qian as Minister of Defense (Shangshu of the Ministry of War), actively rectified the rotten armed forces, refreshed politics, and the whole country turned into a new atmosphere. A sharp weapon held in the hands of a person with insufficient strength, not only cannot exert its power, but it is a burden.I also captured Zhu Qizhen alive first, and after being happy for a while, I simply don't know how to use it and how to deal with it.But hold him hostage and attack along the border, extorting some property.But then he went straight to the city of Beijing and was defeated by Yu Qian, so he changed his mind and reconciled with China next year (1451) in the Civil War, accepted a huge ransom, and released Zhu Qizhen. Also first went on to kill the Mongolian Great Khan Tuotuobuhua, and called the Mongolian Great Khan, indulging in women's sex and fine wine obtained from China.In 1454, he was stabbed to death by the general Ala.The Mongolian tribes took the opportunity to counterattack, and the Wara tribe collapsed, scattered and fled to the west, and withdrew from the stage of Chinese history.It was not until the 17th century, two hundred years later, that it came into contact with China in a split "Four Oirat" situation, and was finally conquered by China. When Zhu Qizhen was in the hands of Wala, he cried bitterly to Li Shi, the deputy minister of education (Minister of Rites) who went to visit him as an envoy of the Ming government, and said: "I also intend to send me back first. Please tell the government. After I go back, I will send you back." I just want to be a commoner, and I am satisfied." Li Shi asked him why he favored Wang Zhen so much, and Zhu Qizhen said: "When Wang Zhen was alive, no one ever accused him of wrongdoing, but now everyone blames me. "However, this is just the words of the gambler begging for sympathy after he fails, and his inner thoughts are not the same.After Zhu Qizhen was redeemed, he was very dissatisfied with his younger brother Zhu Qiyu for not returning the throne to him immediately.He is actively seeking restoration, and some careerists are ready to bet on him. From this point of view, studying the situation after the Song Dynasty moved south in the twelfth century, it can be found that Zhao Gou had good reasons for refusing his brother Zhao Huan to return to the country.No one can guarantee that Zhao Huan will not launch a coup like Zhu Qizhen after returning home.This is another deadlock in authoritarian regimes that cannot be untied. In 1457, Zhu Qiyu was critically ill and had no sons. The whole court felt that there would be a succession problem.Eunuch Cao Jixiang and Vice Minister of Supervision (Deputy Capital Censor) Xu Youzhen gathered private troops and servants to support Zhu Qizhen.At dawn, seize the gate of the palace and restore the palace.It was not until the early dynasty that all the civil and military officials discovered that it was not the younger brother Zhu Qiyu who was sitting in the Golden Luan Hall, but the old master Zhu Qizhen.Zhu Qiyu died in shock when he heard the news on the sickbed. Zhu Qizhen played the role of Ji Houhou in this dramatic coup, because even if he sat still, after Zhu Qiyu died, he had no sons, and the throne would still pass to him.Probably he himself discovered this situation. In order to show that it was necessary for him to seize the throne, he accused Yu Qian and the prime minister (big scholar) Wang Wen of conspiring to welcome the foreign vassals——to welcome Zhu Houkou who was far away in Xiangyang (Xiangfan, Hubei) The son of the prince entered into the Datong and sent Yu Qian and Wang Wen to prison.But after the arrest, the gold medal dedicated to summoning the prince to Beijing was found to be still in the empress dowager's palace, which proved that there was no such thing.而自土木之变后，于谦独力支持危局，成为全国所敬仰的民族英雄，所以很多人申诉营救。但徐有贞跟于谦有私人恩怨，他提醒朱祁镇说：“不杀于谦，我们所作的事便名不正，言不顺。”最高审判法庭（三法司）只好加上“意图”二字，定二人的罪名为“意图迎立藩王”，判决死刑。王文仍据理分辩，于谦叹息说：“这不是法律问题，也不是法庭问题，千言万语，又有何用。”二人同被处斩，家产抄没。 ——这是自十二世纪岳飞死后，第二位名将死于冤狱，相距三百年。于谦行刑之日，北京天气骤变阴霾，街巷到处听到哭泣。民间传说，于谦是岳飞转生，再来世上，为国家抵抗北方蛮族。 朱祁镇并没有在他所受的灾难中，接受任何教训，他的智力商数不允许他如此。他复位后竟然仍思念王振，特地雕刻一个王振木像，招魂安葬。 ——朱祁镇对王振这种反应，除了显示朱祁镇冥顽不灵的性格外，实在找不出其他解释。 七断头政治 宦官好像是明王朝皇帝的灵魂，明王朝皇帝不能没有宦官，犹如一个人不能没有灵魂。 朱祁镇逝世后，儿子朱见深继位，信任宦官汪直。还特地创立“西厂”，命汪直主持。诏狱系统除了锦衣卫、东厂之外，又多了一个西厂。秘密警察布满每一个角落，朱见深躲在深宫之中，靠着这一批耳目爪牙，统治他所统治下的帝国。宰相商辂向朱见深指出，这种作法，并不能帮助安定秩序，反而会激起反抗，动摇国家基础。朱见深大怒说：“一个小小宦官，怎么会危害国家？” ——朱见深的话使人回忆九世纪时唐王朝皇帝李纯的话：“宦官不过是家奴。”他们对问题的反应，如出一辙。 反对宦官的固然有人，但谄媚宦官的摇尾系统，也正式建立，王佑不过口头上说说，而监察部委员（御史）王亿，却上奏章给皇帝，颂扬江直所主持的西厂，对治安有极大的贡献，他说：“汪直所作所为，不仅可以为今日法，并且可以为万世法。”当奏章传出时，若干人要唾王亿的脸，但他立即被擢升为湖广省（湖南·湖北）高等法院副院长（按察副使）。 从此，道德水准较低的人，官位越高。而官位越高的人，道德水准也越低。具有道德勇气的人，加速度地被排斥于政府之外，或被诬陷在诏狱之中。 朱见深的儿子朱祐樘，是头脑比较清楚的一位皇帝，而以不任用宦官闻名于世。但当宦官之一的李广死后，朱祐樘查看他家中账簿时，见有“某官送黄米几百石”、“某官送白米几百石”的记载，困惑说：“李广能吃多少米？”左右告诉他，黄米指黄金，白米指白银，全是贿款。 王佑、王亿之类的无耻之徒，在宰相阶层中，也开始出现。宰相万安完全靠进献春药秘方，被擢升为首相（华盖殿大学士）。朱见深死后，朱祐樘在一个小箱子里，找到这些秘方，每张秘方上都署名“臣万安进”，以便皇帝在淫乐中思念他的忠心。朱祐樘责备他说：“这是宰相应该做的事吗？”教万安辞职，但万安婉转哀求，不肯提出辞呈。以致朱祐樘不得不下令把他免官。另一位宰相（大学士）刘吉，是宦官汪直的摇尾系统中最得意的一员，贪污狼藉，屡被弹劾，但每被弹劾一次，他却一定升官一次，世人称他为“刘棉花”，意思是越弹越起。一直到汪直下台，他才跟着下台。 中央政府腐败，促使地方政府加倍腐败，因为地方政府官员必须更加贪污才能有充分的财物行贿，以保持自己的职位和再图升迁。而明王朝另有一种特殊的社会阶层，介于官员与平民之间，即退休的官员和没有官职的秀才、举人、进士，以及在职官员的家属亲戚，他们被称为“乡绅”，在社会上构成一个新型的恶霸集团，跟地方政府官员结合，欺压平民，尤其欺压佃农。佃农贫苦已极，常因无力缴纳粮租，而被乡绅缚送到县政府打问——打问，是官员对平民的廷杖，官员只要看到乡绅的名片，即行动刑。 贪官和乡绅，像两条毒蛇缠在人民身上，任何合法的手段，都不能摆脱。于是，抗暴革命遂跟明王朝同在。本世纪（十五）若干重要民变，我们用下表列出，它们都是大规模的流血抗暴，使中央政府为之震动： 唐赛儿是佛教的女传教士，她失败后，像被地球吞没了似的无影无踪。明政府疑心她逃到庙庵里伪装尼姑，就把山东、北直隶（河北省）两省所有的尼姑，数万人之多，全部逮捕，送到北京审讯。在酷刑下，她们的遭遇使人颤抖，但唐赛儿不能查获。邓茂七是一个佃农，在那个时代，佃农必须把粮租送到乡绅（乡绅和地主是一体的）家里，乡绅总百般挑剔虐待。邓茂七联络各地佃农，声明没有义务送粮上门，要乡绅自己下乡收取。乡绅立即通知政府，政府官员立即派兵镇压，邓茂七遂武装反抗。恰巧福建省省长（左布政使）宋彰，跟唐王朝末年的“债师”一样，是一个同样性质的“债官”。他用借贷来的巨款贿赂宦官王振，才得到这个肥沃的高位，到任之后，急于偿清债务，用最凶暴的手段，无所不为。人民不堪忍受，尤溪县矿工蒋福成首先发难，领导工人暴动。邓茂七跟蒋福成结合，声势浩大，最后当然失败，但也给贪污官员一个血的回报。不过终局最悲惨的还是李胡子一役，郧阳（湖北郧县）一带，荒山相连，农民自从上世纪（十四）便在山中屯垦，聚集九十余万人，有的已传了三代。李胡子领导据隆抗暴时，大多数农民都没有参加。可是，等到李胡子失败，剿匪司令官（都御史）项忠却下令作斩草除根式的大屠杀，九十余万人，全部死于刀下，妇女儿童尸体，填满山谷。项忠还树立石碑，歌颂自己功德，世人沉痛地称它为“坠泪碑”。 人民的反抗如此强烈，中央政府的腐败反而更甚。本世纪（十五）六十年代是一个可纪念的时代，明王朝开始出现一种自从人类有政治以来，从来没有听说过的断头政治。中国历代王朝的皇帝，无论如何昏聩凶暴，总是经常地（甚至每天）都要出席金銮殿上举行的清晨会报，跟群臣见面，讨论国政。必要时还出席小型的在别殿举行的高阶层会报，听取并裁决大臣的意见，术语称为“早朝”或“视朝”。然而，自本世纪（十五）一四六○年起，第九任皇帝朱见深继承他冥顽不灵老爹朱祁镇的宝座后，他比老爹更冥顽不灵，索性不再露面。 朱见深在位二十四年，始终藏在深宫，大臣不认识他，他也不认识大臣。一四八七年，朱见深逝世，儿子第十任皇帝朱祐樘继位，龟缩如故。直到本世纪（十五）最后第三年，即一四九七年，朱祐樘才在文华殿跟几位宰相见一面，由宦官向各人泡上一杯茶，只谈了几句家常话，就教他们退出。这是三十八年来皇帝第一次召集内阁，也是大臣第一次看到皇帝的嘴脸，成为轰动一时的大事。 明政府象一个断了头的巨人，在悬崖绝壁上，蠕蠕而行。 八东西方世界 一四一五年（交趾省官员解缙死于冤狱），英法百年战争第三次战役起，法国勃艮地公爵跟英王亨利五世联合，进攻法王查理六世。 一四二○年（明王朝迁都北京前一年），英法百年战争第三次战役终，历时六年。法国割诺曼底给英国，并同意英王继承法国王位。 一四二二年（朱棣第三次北征蒙古），法王查理六世逝世。英王亨利六世宣布即法王王位，法国人拒绝，拥立查理六世的儿子查理七世，与英作战。英法百年战争第四次战役起。 一四二九年（交趾省脱离中国独立后第二年），法军屡败，仅争奥尔良一城，英国围攻。法国十七岁少女贞德自田间起义，号召勤王，士气大振，解奥尔良之围。贞德引查理七世到教堂，正式加冕为法王。 一四三○年（郑和第七次下西洋），勃艮地公爵擒贞德，送与英军，法王查理七世拒绝出钱赎回。明年（一四三一），英军于卢昂组教士法庭，将贞德焚死（我们发现，无论中国和外国，帝王们最容易忘恩负义）。 一四五三年（土木堡之役后第四年），（一）英法百年战争第四次战役终，历时三十二年。全战争也终，历时一百一十七年。英国大败，丧失在法国全部领地。（二）土耳其帝国苏丹穆罕默德二世，攻君士坦丁堡，历时五十三日，城破，东罗马帝国亡，立国二千二百零六年。 一四五五年（也先可汗被刺的明年），英国民怨沸腾，约克世家起兵，佩白玫瑰为标帜，反对国王亨利六世。亨利六世属兰加斯德世家，佩红攻瑰为标帜，发兵拒战。史学家称“玫瑰战争”。 一四八五年（春药宰相万安被免职前二年），玫瑰战争终，历时三十一年。兰加斯德世家外孙亨利都铎当英国国王，娶约克世家女儿当皇后，两世家和解，称都择王朝。 一四八六年（郑和第七次下西洋结束后五十三年），葡萄牙船长狄亚士，发现南非洲好望角。 一四九二年（第三次宦官时代，棉花宰相刘吉当权），哥伦布发现美洲新大陆。 一四九四年（明王朝皇帝不出见政府官员已三十五年），天主教教皇亚历山大六世颁划界令，沿北美洲东海岸纵划一线，西归西班牙（包括北美洲与南美洲大部），东归葡萄牙（包括南美洲巴西，跟非洲全部）。