Chapter 37 Chapter 29 The Sixteenth Century
Since this century, the development directions of the East and the West have diverged.
The splendor of Europe grows: such as;
——The Renaissance movement reached its peak.
——The nation-state in its modern form is gradually taking shape.
Portuguese businessmen came to China from afar and took Macao from the muddle-headed Ming government as a colony.
——Luther burned the Catholic Pope's decree, rebelled against the heavy and wrong traditional authority, and the spiritual recovery of Europeans.
——Magellan sailed around the earth for a week, proving that the earth is indeed a sphere.
——The Spaniards began to pour into the New World, colonized in large numbers, and occupied Cuba, Mexico, and Peru.Occupy the Philippine Islands in Asia.
——Copernicus discovered that the earth is not the center of the universe, but the sun is.
——Galileo tested the falling speed of the object at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and discovered the law of falling, and later discovered the law of swing. Under this law, clocks appeared.
But the Chinese are still trapped in the dark age, and continue to waste their energy and life on boring (such as the big ceremony) and sad (such as the three-year mourning) disputes.The sound of chanting two pieces of stereotyped essays across the country, the sound of the imperial staff of the prison, and the shouts of resistance to violence.
China began to lag far behind Europe.
1 Zhu Houzhao and Liu Jin
This century (16) 1505, Zhu Youtang, the tenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, passed away and left his 15-year-old son Zhu Houzhao as an orphan to two prime ministers, Xie Qian and Liu Jian.
However, Zhu Houzhao is a playboy who is interested in women and wandering, absurd and willful.The eunuch Liu Jin, his playmate since he was a child, is just like Wang Zhen, the playmate of his stubborn great-grandfather Zhu Qizhen. In fact, Liu Jin has always admired the demeanor of his elder Wang Zhen.
Liu Jin has a core group called the "Eight Tigers". Just this term makes people shudder.However, the Eight Tigers had no intention of intervening in politics at first. They just guided Zhu Houzhao to indulge in sensuality day and night.So Xie Qian, Liu Jian and the ministers (Shangshu) jointly asked Zhu Houzhao to exclude the Eight Tigers.The prestige of the prime minister and Tuogu minister frightened the Eight Tigers. They only asked for their lives and were willing to be exiled to Nanjing and never return to the emperor.However, Xie Qian and Liu Jian insisted that all should be executed according to the motto of "Gentlemen and villains do not stand side by side" and "Eliminate evil and do everything".Ba Huhuan knelt in front of Zhu Houzhao, weeping and begging, and of course added provocations enough to make an older child jump up, so Zhu Houzhao found out that Xie Qian and Liu Jian's plot was to isolate the emperor.In the early morning of the next day, when the civil and military officials thought that the emperor would order the eight tigers to be beheaded, the emperor ordered Xie Qian and Liu Jian to be dismissed.
The power of the government immediately fell into the hands of Liu Jin. In the name of the emperor, he announced the list of "treacherous parties", including Xie Qian, Liu Jian, and Wang Shouren, the founder of the Yangming School of Confucianism; decree.Liu Jin's control over Zhu Houzhao can be seen from the following incidents. One morning at court, a letter was suddenly found on the palace steps. Zhu Houzhao picked it up and read it. It turned out to be an anonymous complaint exposing Liu Jin's various crimes.Zhu Houzhao wrote in the letter: "I don't use the virtuous people you say. I want to use the unworthy people you say." But Liu Jin was still furious, and ordered more than 300 senior officials below the minister to kneel Under the scorching sun outside Fengtianmen (one of the palace gates), investigate the victim.Those senior officials knelt down from morning to dusk. The section chief of the Ministry of National Defense (head of the Ministry of War) He Yiyi, the Jinshi Lu Shen, and the judge of the Beijing District Court (Shuntianfu Tuiguan) Zhou Chen collapsed and died due to thirst.After dark, those who survived were imprisoned in Jinyiwei Prison again.Later, it was Liu Jin who found out that the anonymous documents came from within the eunuchs and had nothing to do with government officials, so they were released.
The above two incidents showed that Liu Jin was already too powerful. Naturally, his tail wagging system was quickly established.Prime Ministers Jiao Fang and Liu Yu, Minister of the Interior (Shangshu of the Ministry of Officials) Zhang Cai, and Minister of Defense (Shangshu of the Ministry of War) Cao Yuan were almost indistinguishable from Liu Jin's domestic slaves.Government measures, large and small, are all decided in Liu Jin's private residence, and the most influential ones are the following two:
1. The establishment of "inner factory" and the establishment of a system of fine rice export to the border Liu Jin, in order to strengthen the control of the government, specially set up a new spy agency-inner factory.In addition to Jinyiwei, Zhenfusi, East Factory, and West Factory, there is another inner factory in the prison system.Five bloody murder institutions stood side by side. All officials and people who refused to cooperate with the eunuchs all declared that they had evidence of corruption and tortured with sticks as usual.At the same time, Liu Jin also invented two other punishments.That is to say, wearing heavy shackles and penalty rice to lose the side.The giant yoke weighs 75 kilograms. If a person is sentenced to wear the yoke for three days, he will die.Fine rice was transported to the border, ranging from hundreds of shi to thousands of shi, and the family members of the "criminals" were directly transported to the Nine Sides Fortress as military rations.It is only a secondary punishment, and the main punishment is often extension of the rod or demolition. For example, Liu Daxia, the retired former Minister of Defense, was demoted to the military camp to do hard work, and was fined two thousand shi.Once a person gets this kind of punishment, he is tantamount to bankruptcy, but bankruptcy does not exonerate the loser.If there is no place to borrow money, he and his family will die in the hands of stolen goods.
2. Establish a regular transfer system for guarding eunuchs. We recalled the loss of Jiaozhi Province (northern Vietnam) in the 15th century. We must still have an impression of the eunuch Ma Qi who caused the accident. His official title was the eunuch of the army.This system has its historicity and can be traced back to the eighth century.However, in the last century (fifteenth century), there was another kind of eunuch guarding the army at the same time as the supervising eunuchs, which was an invention of the Ming Dynasty. The characteristic of the ancestral system is: it can never be changed.That is to say, the emperor sent his trusted eunuchs to various provinces and important cities for a long-term stay.This is political, and there is also a professional one, such as weaving eunuchs, tax eunuchs, and mining eunuchs.Since they were representatives of the emperor in fact and in name, they were like bandits, who committed corruption, extortion, even murder and arson wherever they went.The government's only countermeasure is: "feeding hungry tigers is worse than feeding full ones", so that after they become greedy and greedy, their appetites will become smaller, so the emperor is asked not to mobilize them.But the first thing Liu Jin did after he came to power was to transfer the old man back and release his fellow party members. This group of hungry tigers caused the people all over the country to boil with dissatisfaction.
Liu Jin was killed in 1510 and died of internal strife among the Eight Tigers. One of the Eight Tigers, the eunuch Zhang Yong, informed Zhu Houzhao of Liu Jin's rebellion. Zhu Houzhao became agitated, and Liu Jin would die.Liu Jin had only been in power for five short years, but the entire structure of the Ming government was almost dismantled by him.
After Liu Jin's death, another eunuch, Qian Ning, and an officer of the border guards, Jiang Bin, took over Liu Jin's position. When people looked forward to Liu Jin's death and changed, Zhu Houzhao wandered in southern China under the guidance of the two. , Raping, burning and killing, is more ferocious than robbers.
——Pay attention to a surprising phenomenon. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty seemed to have a blood feud with the Ming Dynasty. They competed to destroy it in every possible way, and they seemed unwilling to destroy it.
Two major events
In 1521, Zhu Houzhao ended his filthy life without a son, and was succeeded by his cousin Zhu Houkou.Because Zhu Houkou entered the Datong as a prince, the famous "Dali Discussion" incident occurred.Zhu Houkou's relationship position in the imperial lineage, I use the following table to explain:
The Daliyi incident is a replica of the Puyi incident in the Song Dynasty in the 11th century. However, during the Puyi period, the Confucian School of Neo-Confucianism had not yet emerged, and this century (16th) Neo-Confucianism is booming, so it is also very lively and interesting.
The current emperor Zhao Shu in the Puyi incident was the nephew of the dead emperor Zhao Yiyi. He was brought into the palace by Zhao Yiyi since he was a child and raised as his son.The current emperor Zhu Houkou who was involved in the Daliyi incident was only the cousin of the dead emperor Zhu Houzhao, and the two had never met each other.Judging by the common sense of human ethics, it is impossible for the problems that occurred in the Puyi incident to happen again, but it happened unexpectedly.Confucian Neo Confucianism, according to the ancient Confucian rules that made the king of Lu state kowtow in the 5th century BC, believed that Xiaozong should be the main successor of Dazong. Although Zhu Houkou could not be Zhu Houzhao's son, he could You must be the son of Zhu Youtang, and then Dazong will be considered endless.All strange methods are born from this strange conclusion.That is to say, Zhu Houkou should call his uncle Zhu Youtang his father, his aunt Zhu Youtang's wife his mother, but instead call his father his uncle and his mother his aunt.
When this discussion was first raised, Zhu Houkou, who had just ascended the throne and was only fifteen years old, intuitively felt that something was wrong.He said: "How can parents be so upside down?" Zhu Houkou's father died early, and he was an only son. When she heard the news, she refused to move forward, because not only could she not be the empress dowager, but she also lost her son. She said angrily, "What are you talking about? How can you treat my son as someone else's son?"
The biggest difference from the Puyi incident this time is that the opinions of all government officials are completely consistent. Prime Minister Yang Yanhe and Minister of Education (Minister of Rites) Mao Cheng co-authored an article "Ceremony of Worshiping and Promoting Work", claiming to be the A classic that is not easy, announced to all civil and military officials: "Everyone's actions must be based on this, and anyone who dares to disagree is a traitor." That is to say, anyone who opposes his opinions will be included in the villain system. This is traditional ancient magic.Unexpectedly, Zhang Cong, a young man who was newly admitted as a Jinshi and an intern at the Ministry of Education (Ministry of Rites), told the Vice Minister (Ministry Minister) Wang Zan.Zhu Houkou inherited the throne from his cousin, not from his uncle.It is to follow the emperor's lineage, not to follow the Dazong.Zhu Youtang has his own son, and if the clan must be kept alive, Zhu Houzhao should not be the queen, but Zhu Houzhao, so Zhu Houkou should not change his title.Wang Zan thinks his reason is sufficient, so he revealed it to everyone a little bit.Immediately, Yang Tinghe got angry and instigated the officials of the supervisory department to find out Wang Zan's faults and propose impeachment.Wang Zan didn't dare to speak again, but Zhang Cong, who was not afraid of tigers as a newborn calf, simply stated his proposition directly to the emperor in a memorial.Yang Yanhe was furious, demoted Zhang Cong to Nanjing, and warned him: "You have to be obedient and don't sing a different tune." It happened that a fire broke out in the palace, and Yang Yanhe solemnly pointed out that this was exactly what the Lord Tian wanted to do to those who violated the etiquette. For one kind of punishment, Zhu Houkou must call his father uncle and his mother aunt, so that God will be happy.Zhu Houkou's mother and son asked themselves that they could not resist the Lord of Heaven, so they had to do so.
But the surrender of Zhu Houkou's mother and son was short-lived. Soon after the shock of the fire subsided, the old story was brought up again.Zhu Houkou insisted on returning to the normal title, Yang Yanhe threatened to resign, Zhu Houkou did not hold back, and immediately approved, and recalled Zhang Cong to Beijing.This is a big change. Under the leadership of Qiao Yu, Minister of the Interior (Shangshu of the Ministry of Officials), all senior officials boycotted Zhang Cong and conspired to torture Zhang Cong to death. Zhao Jian, Minister of Justice (Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice) ordered his subordinates to arrest Zhang Cong as long as a memorial was handed over for investigation, and immediately tortured him to death with a court staff without questioning.Zhu Houkou had heard about this vicious plan, so instead of handing over the memorial for investigation, he promoted Zhang Cong to be a Hanlin bachelor, and later he was promoted to be a prime minister.
In 1524 in the 1920s, the fourth year of Zhu Houkou's accession to the throne, he officially ordered to restore the old name. Uncle was still called uncle, and father was still called father.The defenders of the Tao were shocked, and one by one they had apoplexy and walked wildly, as if it was the end of the world.Yang Shen, the son of Yang Tinghe, was especially fierce. He said loudly: "The country has been supporting scholars for 150 years, and it is today."
——Pay attention to the phrase "the state raises scholars". In the history of China, the Ming Dynasty was the most cruel to the people (including the so-called "scholars"), but there was an argument of "raising scholars" that was exactly the opposite of the facts, which shows that servility is not only It makes people feel shameless, and it can even make people turn right and wrong.
Yang Shen's slavish fanaticism was responded to, and another minister, Wang Yuanzheng, also wailed, "All generations pay homage to this." So hundreds of senior officials, including ministers (shangshu), gathered at Zuoshunmen (One of the palace gates), kneel down and shout the titles of emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Youtang.Wang Yuanzheng's performance was even more outstanding. Like an aggrieved rascal, he pounded on the palace gate with his fists, and cried loudly with his throat that even the heavens could hear.Everyone realized that if they did not follow him and cried like this, they would be in danger of being accused of deviant, so all the crying made the tiles on the Golden Temple shake.They claim that the reason for this is that they are saddened by the ancient customs and the lifeline of the country, which are on the verge of destruction.Although some eunuchs came to persuade Zhu Houkou to persuade him, they vowed that they would never stop crying until Zhu Houkou did not change his name from father to uncle and mother to aunt.
Zhu Houkou ordered the arrest of 134 officials who cried the loudest, and sent them to Jinyiwei Prison.The next day, more than 90 people were arrested and all the court staff were arrested. Among them, 16 officials were not blessed to receive such treatment as supporters, and died under the staff.Fortunately, Yang Shen and Wang Yuanzheng did not die, and were relegated to the wild border area after Yanzhang.
The worsening of triple guillotine politics
In addressing his parents, Zhu Houkou burst out a ray of spirituality like lightning because of the love between father and son.After the ceremony, the lightning went out, and soon he resumed the obstinacy inherited from his ancestors.
Under the guidance of the eunuchs, Zhu Houkou believed in Taoism, and he was very eager.But he didn't have the sentiment to spread the Taoist gospel to the whole world. He only had a selfish heart. He believed that if he used the power of the emperor, he would summon the Taoist priests with superb spells from all over the world, build a gorgeous altar, and use beautiful ancient Chinese eulogies to pray to God ——The words of the Jade Emperor's flattery and entreaties will definitely move the highest god in the world, and bless him to turn evil into good fortune and live forever.Therefore, Jianjiao (building an altar to worship the gods) and "Qing Ci" (using a red pen to write the eulogy of flattering the Jade Emperor on the green talisman seal paper, and burning it on the altar so that the Jade Emperor can see it) became Two big things in politics.
Duan Chaoyong, a Taoist priest, once suggested to Zhu Houkou that if he could practice quietly without contact with outsiders, he would be able to obtain alchemy spells and the elixir of immortality which was not available to Emperor Yingzheng in the third century BC.Zhu Houkou was overjoyed. In 1540, he announced that he wanted the crown prince to act as the emperor (Jianguo), and he planned to retire to a secluded place (quiet house) for twelve years. After twelve years, he would be able to practice successfully. Then, in the body of a fairy, he came out to govern again.Yang Zui, Minister of Communications (Taipu Siqing), criticized this kind of cultivation technique, saying that it is a complete lie and cannot be trusted.Zhu Houkou was furious (because his daydream had been punctured), and Yang Zui was arrested and sent to Zhenfusi Prison, where he was tortured to death with a court stick.After this disappointment, Zhu Houkou no longer mentioned the matter of the prince acting as the emperor.But from this year on, he no longer attended the morning court and did not contact any officials.The Ming government returned to the chaotic state of beheading politics.
From 1540 to 1566 when Zhu Houkou passed away, during the 27 years, he only met with his officials four times, and attended the early court once every seven years on average.Usually, relying entirely on "ticket drafting" (the prime minister's signature and opinion) and "Zhu approval" (the emperor's red pen comment), he maintains inexhaustible contact with the government.Zhu Houkou devoted all his energy to the pursuit of "longevity", and his affection for his flesh and blood relatives was very weak.His feelings for government officials are even more ruthless.The event of the Great Ritual Conference made him suspect that all the ministers were united against him. Therefore, during the period of guillotine politics—it was the middle of this century (16th), he only trusted Prime Minister Yan Song.
Yan Song is one of the most successful big politicians and corrupt officials in Chinese history. He was promoted to the high position of prime minister entirely by precise flattery and writing "Qing Ci" praising the Jade Emperor. He served the political boss carefully, and his appearance Shang is affable to everyone, only baring his fangs when excluding his political opponents.The strangest thing is that he has an extremely intelligent only son, Yan Shifan. Zhu Houkou's edicts to the cabinet, or directly to Yan Song, are scribbled and vague, and no one can understand them.But Yan Shifan could understand at a glance, all the answers he gave on behalf of his father were in line with Zhu Houkou's mental state.This made Zhu Houkou unable to leave his prime minister Yan Song for a day, and Yan Song could not leave his son Yan Shifan for a day.
Yan Song's only job is not to deal with state affairs, but to study Zhu Houkou's character and temper. He knows every nerve in Zhu Houkou's brain like the back of his hand.Zhu Houkou thought himself very wise, and Yan Song always expressed himself as useless in front of Zhu Houkou.Zhu Houkou refused to admit his mistakes, and Yan Song avoided exposing Zhu Houkou's fault under any circumstances.Zhu Houkou was capricious, and Yan Song never made any constructive suggestions.Zhu Houkou suspected that the minister was forming a party for personal gain, and Yan Song refused to rescue any friend who was in danger.Zhu Houkou was cruel and easy to kill, and Yan Song just used it to eliminate dissidents.There is no agreement of moral nature or political opinions between the monarch and his ministers, only meticulous speculation and deception.Zhu Houkou used his official position to play with Yan Song, and Yan Song used the above method to play with Zhu Houkou.
To give an example to illustrate this situation, Yan Song would kneel at the gate of the palace every time he was impeached by officials of the supervisory department and impeached by the officials of the supervisory department, and he would kneel at the gate of the palace every time he got all the stolen goods. Kneeling in front of Zhu Houkou, weeping bitterly, admitting his unforgivable crimes, and only begging the emperor for mercy, but the reason why he was besieged by those officials with other kinds of hearts was because he was too loyal.Zhu Houkou admired his servile "surrender" the most, so he never pursued it every time.This is Yan Song's bold adaptation after he saw through Zhu Houkou's heart and soul. He knew that Zhu Houkou believed that corruption was nothing but shamelessness, and the continuous besieging by so many people was enough to prove that Yan Song was only loyal to the emperor. It was what Zhu Houkou requested.Yan Song knew Zhu Houkou better than Zhu Houkou knew himself.So Yan Song never said a word that made Zhu Houkou unhappy, and never said it under any circumstances. This is the most basic quality of a successful politician.
Yan Song was in power for twenty years, and in 1562, he was finally ordered to retire by Zhu Houkou.It's not that there is something wrong with his magic weapon, but that Yan Shifan has been tired of his work for a long time, and he is desolate every day, and no longer takes the emperor's decree to heart.Yan Song was old and unable to control his son, so he had to deal with it by himself, which greatly lost Zhu Houkou's favor.
Although Yan Song left, the political form of pure politicians has since taken root in the Chinese political arena and has become one of the ugliest political phenomena in the next few hundred years.
Four nationwide anti-mob uprisings
Under the political conditions of decapitation and the social conditions that condone corruption, anti-riot uprisings broke out everywhere in the fifteenth century of the last century. There must be more than one mass riot.Some were quickly extinguished by the Ming government, while others fought for years or decades.For example, Tangmajiu Group has occupied more than 10,000 square kilometers in Xiaofeng (Anji, Zhejiang) for more than 20 years.Xu Jiuling Group has occupied more than 20,000 square kilometers in Jianchang (Jiangxi Yongxiu) area for more than 30 years.Chen Kuokou Group has occupied more than 20,000 square kilometers in Xiali (Jiangxi Dingnan) and Heping (Guangdong Heping) for more than 40 years.This phenomenon of long-term confrontation with the Ming government and the formation of a domestic state is one of the unique products of political corruption, eunuchs in power, and beheaded politics in the Great Dark Age.
Let’s list other major people’s uprising actions as a summary in the table below:
The Liuliu Group occurred in the heart of Hebei, only 120 kilometers away from the capital Beijing. They were divided into several detachments and carried out guerrilla warfare on the North China Plain, massacring corrupt officials and big landlords known as "squires".At the beginning of the incident, they once wanted to surrender to the government. They once asked the emperor for pardon through the eunuch Zhang Zhong. Another 10,000 taels was demanded, but the Liuliu Group was unable to pay. Although they tried harder to plunder, they still couldn't make up enough.In 1511, Ma Zhongxi, the commander-in-chief of the suppression of bandits (the admiral of the right capital, the admiral of military affairs, and the battalion in Beijing), sent someone to surrender, and his attitude was very sincere. Liu Liu was deeply moved and determined to surrender, but his younger brother Liu Qi said: "Now the eunuch In power, it is not easy for Ma Zhongxi to protect himself, how can he have the strength to fulfill his promise?" Liu Qi's judgment was very correct, and Ma Zhongxi was arrested by eunuchs soon and died in Jinyiwei Prison.
Zhu Zhizhengfan was a prince. He himself was not persecuted, but he could not bear to see the persecution of his people.In the year when the incident happened, Liu Jin sent Zhou Dong, the vice president of the Supreme Court of the Wagging System (Dali Temple Shaoqing), to the Ningxia area to measure the cultivated fields, collect horses and recover the land rent owed by the people over the years.After years of drought, the people have become extremely poor, but Zhou Dong still used severe methods to deal with it. In the court, he was tortured every day. Later, soldiers and low-level officers in the army were involved. As a leader, he launched a military-civilian joint anti-riot operation, and all the corrupt officials and cruel officials, including Zhou Dong, were beheaded.
Zhu Chenhao is also a prince, his purpose of rebellion is different from Zhu Zhifan, he just wants to be the emperor.But his treachery was the product of corruption.He used huge bribes to buy the eunuch Qian Ning and the Minister of Defense (Shangshu of the Ministry of War) Lu Wan.Because Zhu Chenhao's father committed many crimes, the central government once removed the guards from his Prince's Mansion.At the suggestion of Qian Ning and Lu Wan, Zhu Chenhao was allowed to recover, and he used this guard army as his basic force to launch the second Jingnan campaign against the central government. As a result, Wang Shouren, the founder of Yangming School, copied him. and quickly failed.
The most bizarre and tragic is the Yang Jinying Group.They were all beautiful young girls who served as court servants of the twelfth emperor Zhu Houkou. When Zhu Houkou was asleep, they put a rope around Zhu Houkou's neck in an attempt to strangle him to death.But they were so nervous that they tied a slipknot, so that after strangling Zhu Houkou unconscious, they mistakenly thought he was dead and ran away in a hurry, but they didn't know that when the rope was loosened, Zhu Houkou woke up slowly.The Yang Jinying Group was brutally executed as expected——to death.The affairs of the palace are dirty, terrifying and secretive. No one knows why they wanted to kill Zhu Houkou.But we may judge, no doubt, by hatred, a hatred which penetrates to the marrow, which compelled them to murder, in order to die with their enemies.The Yang Jinying incident is the second time that the Chinese court revealed the fierce resistance of the court ladies to the tyrant (the first was in the 490s, when Zhang Guiren murdered the Jin emperor Sima Yao), and it also showed the darkness of the Ming court, more than other dynasties .
(Mouth Bo) Bai was a senior commander of the Ningxia Military Region and has long since retired.Dang Xin, commander of the Ningxia Military Region (Ningxia governor), is a standard petty bureaucrat.The severe winter is deep, but the army's winter clothing and winter food and pay are still withheld.The soldiers petitioned the generals, and the generals petitioned Dang Xin, and tactfully suggested to Dang Xin that if it could not be paid immediately, then it would be okay to pay the food owed in the past.Dang Xin sternly refused. His reason was: "This kind of style of petitioning to superiors at every turn cannot be encouraged." Some people hinted to him that doing so might provoke a mutiny.Dang Xin sneered and said, "Aren't they afraid of beheading the whole family?" The soldiers had only two paths to take, one was to die from starvation, and the other was to rebel.They chose to rebel and support (口波) worship to raise troops.When Dang Xin discovered that there was a warrior who was not afraid of beheading his whole family, he panicked and fled to the water hole to tremble, but was still found and killed.
Although all the anti-riot actions were suppressed in the end, the anti-riots did not stop.
five pirates
When the national riots were raging, the Japanese pirate disaster occurred in the southeast.
Wokou, Japanese pirates.
The damage of Japanese pirates to China can be divided into two stages.The first stage, from the end of the last century (fourteenth) to the last century (fifteenth) thirties, is the Japanese pirates’ invasion of China’s coastal areas, and the second stage is from this century (sixteenth) twenties to the sixties (It happened during the reign of Zhu Houkou, the twelfth emperor of the Ming Dynasty), but it was a foreign aggression brought by the corruption and political darkness of the Chinese Ming government officials.
At the end of the fourteenth century, Fang Guozhen, the leader of the revolution against Mongolian rule in Zhejiang Province, was annexed by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but some of his subordinates colluded with Japanese desperadoes and continued to plunder along the coast.Zhu Yuanzhang's simple mind could not deal with affairs on the vast ocean, so he ordered that "not a single piece of wood is allowed to go to sea", prohibited Chinese fishermen from fishing, and incorporated all coastal fishermen and boat owners into military registration and became soldiers.This approach can only harm people's livelihood and cannot eradicate pirates.It coincided with the end of the Northern and Southern Dynasties in Japan in the 1490s, and the Southern Dynasties were annexed. Some bureaucrats who refused to surrender to the Northern Dynasties developed to China and joined the ranks of pirates, and their momentum became even greater.
At the beginning of the 15th century, Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, changed the closed-door policy. On the one hand, he allowed Japan to conduct regular trade with China, and on the other hand, he named the Japanese general Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as the king of Japan.Ask him to strengthen the sea ban.Although Ashikaga Yoshimitsu refused the title of Japanese king, he was satisfied with the formal trade, so he severely suppressed the pirates who harassed China, and the social order along the coast gradually returned to normal.
Japan was already very Chinese at this time, imitating China everywhere, but China has always been as ignorant of Japan as a blind man.Even in the eighteenth century, Japan was not known to have a permanent emperor, but always regarded his general who conquered barbarians (the shogunate) or the supreme ruling palace (guanbai) as the king.
China's coast has remained calm for more than 80 years, and then entered the second stage.
In 1523, two Japanese merchant fleets, one led by Zongshi and the other led by Ruizuo, arrived at Ningbo (Ningbo, Zhejiang Province), the largest port in eastern China at that time.Zongshe arrives first, and Ruizuo arrives later.According to Chinese regulations, after the merchant ship arrives, the Shi Ship Department (overseas trade management office, customs, and guest house mixed organization) will inspect the tax declaration and hold a banquet for hospitality.Those who arrive first are inspected first and take the seat; those who arrive last are inspected last and take the next seat.Rizzo came later, then of course checked and sat under Zongshi.However, the Ming government was a meticulous corruption group. Song Suqing, a translator of Ruizuo, gave a heavy bribe to the director of the Shibo Department (the eunuch of Shibo) Ryan (the head of the Shibo Department is the best position for corruption, so The eunuch was directly sent by the emperor, and the legal income was presented to the emperor, and the illegal income went to the eunuch’s pocket), so Ryan first inspected Ruizuo’s goods, and invited Ruizuo to sit high at the banquet.Zong She was so angry that he wanted to beat Rui Zuo.Ryan protects Rizzo, and secretly helps him prepare ordnance.Zong She had nowhere to appeal, so he attacked the hotel where Rui Zuo lived. Rui Zuo couldn't resist and fled out of the city.Zong set up a pursuit, burned and killed them along the way, and seized the ship to return home.
The response of the Ming government was not to review its mistakes, but to abolish the Department of Shipbuilding because it believed that all crimes were due to trade. Some senior officials insisted that this is the only way to promote China's national prestige.
The problem is that although the government-sponsored trade organization has been withdrawn, the trade will not stop, but it has been transferred from the government to the private sector.After the Japanese merchant fleet arrived, they were entertained by local wealthy businessmen as agents.In the beginning, the two parties cooperated very harmoniously. Over time, rich Chinese businessmen owed more and more goods to the Japanese merchant fleet.The Japanese kept collecting debts, and those wealthy businessmen used all kinds of push and delay methods. When they couldn't push it any longer, they simply ran away without a trace, and the Ming government didn't care about this kind of scam at all.After the Japanese merchant fleet suffered from dumb losses, they had no choice but to entrust the prestigious "squire" who would never escape. Unexpectedly, the squire's methods were more vicious and he owed more.As a last resort, the Japanese merchant fleet anchored on the coastal islands to sit on the ropes.The gentry were very troubled, and finally came up with a clever plan to make up for it. They warned the local officials: "The Japanese pirates' infestation did not happen suddenly. It has its history. Now it is rampant on the sea again. I heard that they kill people and plunder money, and they do everything. , If it is not eradicated as soon as possible, there may be serious consequences." The government officials and the country gentry had the same nostrils, and indeed they dispatched troops to attack the debt-collecting Japanese merchant fleet as pirates.However, the squire promptly disclosed the news of the dispatch of the army to the Japanese merchant fleet and taught them to escape.The Japanese merchant fleet was very grateful for their care, and the debts became more and more.Such deceit again and again, the Japanese merchant fleet has been fooled for more than 20 years.Finally, in 1546, the patience of the Japanese merchant fleet was saturated, and they occupied several islands, vowing not to get their debts, and never to return to China. If China used force against them, they would use force against them.
The country gentry found that the magic weapon was no longer effective, so they had no choice but to ask the troops of the Ming government to really attack the Japanese merchant fleet. The Japanese merchant fleet had already prepared well, and the armed forces brought from their own country would land to fight.And defeated the advancing Ming government troops, and the debt collection army followed after the rout, attacking cities and looting land wave after wave.The fighting then spread to three provinces: Zhejiang, Fujian, and Nanzhili (Jiangsu Province).The legitimate Japanese traders were forced to become "Japanese pirates". Because they hated Ming government officials and profiteers, they put all their anger on the innocent Chinese they met, and they were extremely cruel wherever they went.
The disaster lasted for nineteen years. In 1564, Qi Jiguang, a general who became famous for fighting against the Japanese, sent the last Japanese assault force, who had lost his original intention of collecting debts and became pirates, in Xianyou ( Fujian Xianyou) was wiped out, and the Japanese pirates finally subsided.The price China has paid for those corrupt officials and profiteers is the death of hundreds of thousands of people and the destruction of a vast and prosperous area of 500,000 square kilometers. ——In the city of Hangzhou alone, the blood of the Chinese people killed by Japan has flowed into a river.
6. Foreign Invasions in the North and Reconciliation
When the disaster of Japanese pirates in the southeast of China was serious, the foreign troubles in the north appeared again.
In the last century (15th), the Wara tribe retreated to the west after Yaxian Khan was stabbed to death.The Mongolian tribes returned to their hometown in northern Saibei. After countless bloody battles, in the 15th and 1970s, a seven-year-old child named Batu Menghe, the 20th Great Khan of the Mongolian Empire, The sixth grandson of Tugusi Timur was supported by various tribes and was called Dayan Khan—we guess this may be "Dayuan Khan"—the homonym of Khan of the Great Yuan Empire.This Dayan Khan was getting older, and he showed his talents to unify Mongolia again.In the process of completing the unification work, he concentrated on the internal affairs, and the Chinese border was able to maintain a period of tranquility for quite a long time.This revived Mongol Empire returned to its initial territory before Genghis Khan Temujin attacked the Jin Empire in the 13th century.
However, Batu Menghe is not Temujin after all, he has no power to annex China.And his organizational skills lasted only as long as he lived.In the 16th and 1940s of this century, Batumenghe passed away, and the empire immediately disintegrated and split into the following four parts:
The ones who did the most damage to China were the Ordos chief Ji Nang and the Tumed chief Al Da, who were especially tough and warlike.They are all descendants of Dayan Khan Batu Menghe, and they began to invade China in the last years of Batu Menghe's life.After the 1940s, they intensified. They often breached the Great Wall, went deep into Taiyuan (Taiyuan, Shanxi) and Pingliang (Pingliang, Gansu), burned, killed, and looted. It was like entering a land without people. The border guards of the Ming government were unable to resist—this is understandable. , A corrupt government will not have an army capable of fighting.
In 1546, Zeng Mian, governor of the three sides of Shaanxi (the three sides refer to the three fortresses of the Great Wall: Guyuan, Ningxia, and Yansui) planned to drive Ordos out of Hetao, and move the defense line from the Great Wall to the north by 500 kilometers, with the Yellow River as the boundary .He suggested to Emperor Zhu Houkou to train 60,000 elite soldiers, plus 2,000 troops with modern equipment using the latest muskets at that time. Every year at the turn of spring and summer, they would carry 50 days of grain and fodder, and set off at the same time by land and water. Hetao raided and burned the pastures and food accumulated by the Mongols.This happens every year, and after three years, the enemy is forced by hunger, so they have to withdraw from the Hetao, and then build a new line of defense between the Yinshan Mountain and the Yellow River, which can be done once and for all, and it will make Tumote's troops worry about their future and dare not go east.
Zhu Houkou was greatly moved by this majestic suggestion, and immediately handed it over to the Ministry of National Defense for further research. When the Ministry of National Defense was confused about the emperor's intentions and dared not express his opinion, Zhu Houkou was furious and issued an order saying: "The enemy is planning to attack the emperor." According to Hetao, China’s frontier has been troubled for a long time. Breaking through and invading for years has made me restless day and night, but no one among the frontier generals has ever shared my worries. Zeng Mi’s plan to recover Hetao is magnificent. Why is the Ministry of National Defense hesitant to take it? An idea?" Ordered to send two hundred thousand taels of silver to Zeng Mi first for dispatch.Zeng Mian was very glad that he had met the Unrivaled Hero, and made active preparations.
However, no one can predict when a mad dog will suddenly bite a person, and the same is true for a tyrant with absolute power.Things changed suddenly, the chief chancellor (a scholar of the Zhongji Temple) Xia Ji, fully sponsored Zeng Mian.而次席宰相（建极殿大学士）严嵩，则正积极排除夏言，河套战略正供给他攻击夏吉的工具。我们不知道他用什么方法和用什么理由，只知道严嵩和宦官勾结，在宫廷中秘密下手，终于使朱厚囗作一百八十度改变。一五四八年，当国防部把实施攻击的详细作业拟妥，而且刚刚呈请批准时，朱厚囗忽然下了一道谕旨说：“驱逐河套的敌人，出兵是不是有名？粮秣是不是够用？胜利是不是有把握？曾铣一个人不可惜，而人民受到荼毒，谁负责任？”这是一种当权人物翻脸时特有的口吻——中国人称之为“官腔”，官腔一出，已不是理性可以解决的了，全体官员大为惊愕，严嵩立即公开反对擅开边衅。于是，曾铣、夏言全被处斩。
土默特部酋长俺答，不因朱厚囗的昏聩而心肠软化，明年（一五四九），俺答直抵大同、永宁（北京延庆）一带，大掠而去。又明年（一五五○），攻陷古北口（北京密云东北），破长城而入，包围北京。这是上世纪（十五）也先可汗围城后，北京再次被围，两次相距恰恰一百年。朱厚囗惊恐过度，把国防部长（兵部尚书）丁汝夔杀掉泄愤。但他不承认杀错了曾铣，反而坚称这正是曾铣妄图开边，激起敌人的报复。
北京好容易解围，俺答杀够了中国人，抢够了中国人的财产之后，满载而归。但北中国全部暴露在这个蒙古部落的铁蹄之下，万里长城在腐败的边防军手中，已不发生作用。俺答几乎每年都要攻破长城，南下大大地劫掠一次。边防军将领们无可奈何，唯有把逃难的一些难民，提来杀掉，当作杀敌报功——其中有多少使人伤心落泪的事迹。然而，俺答年纪渐老，而且他和他的部落人民，都信奉了从西藏传过来的喇嘛教。开始厌倦战斗。七十年代时，又发生了一件桃色事件。遂使他们永无休止的侵略，蓦然结束。
桃色事件的男主角就是俺答，女主角是俺答的外孙女三娘子。三娘子美丽绝伦，身为外祖父的老混蛋俺答却把她纳为姬妾。三娘子的未婚夫不答应，跟俺答理论，俺答没有办法，只好把孙儿把汉那古的未婚妻，改嫁给三娘子的未婚夫。现在轮到把汉那吉恼火了，他说：“这算什么话，外祖父娶外孙女，祖父把孙儿媳妇送给别人。”就率领他的家人，逃到中国。边将们痛恨俺答，一致要求杀掉把汉那吉，幸而大同总督王崇古有政治头脑，坚持予以保护，又请中央政府委派把汉那吉一个中级军官（指挥使）的职位。
俺答的原配妻子恐怕她的孙儿被中国杀掉，日夜不停地向俺答哭闹咒骂，这个老混蛋在头脑清醒时还是有理性的，他既懊悔又惭愧，于是率领十万人的强大兵团，越过边界二直指大同，准备在发现中国杀了他的孙儿后，即发动攻击。王崇古知道他的用意，派人前去谈判和解，保证他的孙儿还结结实实地活着。俺答不肯相信，差遣他的亲信到大同窥探，看见把汉那吉穿着中国军官的制服，正在那儿骑马取乐。俺答惊喜说：“中国竟没有杀我孙儿，我从此也不再攻打中国。”
中国北方的外患，就这样戏剧性的停止。
俺答死后，三娘子掌握大权。她不但美丽，而且极有才干和见识，她发现跟中国和解，接受中国的封号所得到的赏赐，要比劫掠得到的还要多，所以她始终臣服中国，作为中国的屏藩。本世纪（十六）最后三十年，以及下世纪（十七）初叶，三娘子在世期间，两国边界保持一段长期的和平。
七张居正的改革与惨败
跟俺答和解的前四年（一五六六），朱厚囗逝世，他在位四十六年，带给中国半个世纪的痛苦。他的死使中国人照例松一口气，由他的儿子朱载垕继任。朱载垕在位七年，于一五七二年逝世，由他的十岁儿子朱诩钧继任。
当朱载垕刚死，朱诩钧还没有登极时，首席宰相高拱跟次席宰相张居正，争斗激烈。张居正跟宦官巨头——司礼太监冯保勾结，利用主少国疑，千载难逢的机会，由冯保设下网罗，向朱翊钧的母亲李太后告密说：“高拱在朝堂上向群臣扬言：十岁的孩子，怎么能担起皇帝的重任？”高拱即令是一个白痴，也不敢公开讲这种杀身灭族的话，但在官场倾轧中，问题不在他讲不讲，只要有人坚持他讲就够了，李太后颜色大变，立即把高拱免职，擢升张居正为首席宰相。
张居正使用的显然是一种不尊严的手段，但不能责备他，明王朝三百年间，所有高级官员都必须有宦官的支持。只有少数人敢跟宦官对抗，但不是死于诏狱，便是死于穷困。
张居正是明王朝所有宰相中，唯一的敢负责任而又有远大眼光和政治魄力的一位，不以自己的荣华富贵为满足，他雄心勃勃，企图对政府的腐败作一改革。但他没有公孙鞅当时的背景和王安石所具有的道德声望，更没有触及到社会经济以及政治制度不合理的核心，他不过像一个只锯箭杆的外科医生一样，只对外在的已废弛了的纪律，加以整饬。
主要的措施在于加强行政效率，下级官员必须对中央命令彻底执行，不能敷衍了事。张居正屡次调查户口、测量耕田、整理赋税，使负担过多的穷人减少负担，使逃税的“乡绅”纳税。又大举裁减不必要的官员，缩小若干机关的编制。最有成绩的是，张居正任用水利专家潘季驯治理黄河，任用抗倭名将戚继光守御北方边疆。
当戚继光调任蓟辽兵团司令官（蓟辽总兵）时，准许他率领一手训练的击败倭寇的浙江部队。到任后的某一天，举行阅兵，忽然大雨倾盆，边防军竟一哄而散，只有浙江部队因没有得到解散命令，仍在大雨中屹立不动，边防军大吃一惊，从此他们才知道什么是军纪军令。这件事说明边防军的腐败（现在我们可以了解万里长城所以抵挡不住俺答的原因了）和张居正所以进行改革的必要。
然而，我们一再提醒，儒家思想下的中国传统政治，是反对任何改革的。尤其是本世纪（十六），正是大黑暗时代，对改革的反对当然更加强烈。张居正所作的这种外科医生的手术，严格地说还谈不到改革（更谈不到高一级的变法了），只不过稍为认真办事而已。但他所遭到的反对，却同样可怕。一是丧失既得利益者的反对，如被裁减的人员，被增加田赋的“乡绅”和一部分不能作威作福的宦官。另一是习惯性的反对，儒书上“利不十，不变法”，已成为阻止改革的借口。不幸的是，张居正又因为父亲亡故的守丧问题，触犯了儒家的礼教。
张居正的父亲于一五七七年逝世，依照儒家礼教的规定，作儿子的必须辞去官职，回到故乡守丧三年。只有皇帝才有权下令征召守丧中的儿子继续供职。皇帝朱翊钧倒是下令征召张居正的，但仍然引起政府若干官员的喧哗，一种是卫道之士，他们认为纵然有皇帝的征召，但儒家正统思想不能违犯，不守父母三年之丧，跟禽兽没有两样。另一种是锐进之士，希望张居正马上退出政治舞台，即令是短期的也好，以便自己擢升。这场争执虽没有大礼议事件那么死伤狼藉，但也热闹了一阵。使张居正的仇人布满天下。
张居正当权十一年，在一五八二年病死。朱翊钧已二十岁，蛇蝎性格随着他年龄的成长而大量显露，他恨透了在他幼年时对他生活管教过严的宦官冯保和在他幼年时对他读书要求过严的张居正。
朱诩钧十岁时，就经常拷打身边的宦官和宫女，把这些可怜无助的人拷打到死。冯保向李太后报告，李太后就责骂朱翊钧，有时候还揍他。有一次李太后暗示他如果不停止凶暴，可能有被罢黜的后果。至于张居正，他兼任皇家教师，往往在朱翊钧早睡正甜时，强迫他起床读书。在他读错字时，又声色俱厉地纠正他。
朱翊钧在张居正死后亲政，立即向他们采取报复行动，任命冯保的死敌张减当司礼太监，把冯保放逐到故都南京。接着宣布张居正的罪状，下令抄没他的家产。张居正是荆州（湖北江陵）人。地方官员在谄媚奉承宰相之家十余年后，为了表示对新当权派的忠贞和对“罪犯”的深恶痛绝，还没有得到正式命令，一听到风声，就派兵把张居正家团团围住，门户加锁，禁止出入。等中央查抄大员张诚到达时，已有十余人活活饿死。
张居正的失败是注定的，当时的社会背景绝不允许他成功。他失败后，十年的改革成果，逐渐化为乌有。一切恢复原状，黄河照旧泛滥，戚继光被逐，边防军腐败如故，守旧的士大夫、乡绅、宦官，一个个额手称庆。
八第一次保卫朝鲜
张居正死后不久，日本大举侵略朝鲜王国，中国第一次武装援助朝鲜。
朝鲜王国和安南王国，是中国南北两个最忠实的藩属，他们除了有一位国王和使用一种跟中国大同小异的文字外，事实上可以说是中国的一省。中国是他们的保护者和宗主国，但从不过问他们的内政。
日本帝国在本世纪（十六）有一位巨人崛起，他就是平民出身的大将丰臣秀吉。他统一了全国，担任国家最高执政官（关白），天皇便成为一个虚名。丰臣秀吉在国内建立了不朽的功业后，日本三岛已不能容纳他的野心，他决定征服朝鲜。
朝鲜得到日本即将入侵的情报，对于文化落后的蕞尔小国，竟敢动高度文化大国的脑筋，感到不能置信。为慎重起见，一五九O年，特地派遣一个代表团前往日本访问，调查日本入侵的可能性。代表团于翌年（一五九一）返国，提出两份内容恰恰相反的报告，团长黄允吉认为日本一定会有军事行动，副团长金诚一则认为冷战有可能，热战绝不可能。朝鲜国王李(日公)问二人对丰臣秀吉的印象，黄九吉说：“光采焕发，具有胆略。”金诚一说：“双眼像老鼠一样，毫无威严。”
——判断，是人类最高智慧的表现。判断如果错误，就必须付出判断错误的代价，小焉者是个人的失败，大焉者是国家受到伤害，甚至灭亡。对同一现象，竟产生两种完全不同的判断（事实上有时候还产生两种以上完全不同的判断），跟当事人的智慧见解，生活体验，以及心理背景，有密切关系。
朝鲜政府经过研究之后，决定采信副团长金诚一的判断。那时朝鲜的李王朝跟中国的明王朝是一丘之貉，同样的腐败浑噩，他们不愿意受到攻击，所以不相信会受到攻击。
第二年卜五九二），丰臣秀吉统率海陆军十五万人，渡过对马海峡，在朝鲜半岛的釜山城登陆。朝鲜不堪一击，日军长驱直入，抵达首都王京（汉城）。王京陷落，国王李(日公)逃到北方的开京（开城）。开京又陷落，又逃到更北方的平壤。平壤又陷落，李(日公)于是逃到跟中国一水之隔，鸭绿江畔的义州。日本兵团自四月在釜山发动攻击，到六月夺取平壤，只不过三个月时间，朝鲜全国八省（道），全部失守，只剩下义州一个孤城。李(日公)向中国告急，他认为复国无望，请求举族内迁。
中国这时正逢宁夏军区(口孛)拜兵变，兵力集中在西疆，一时不能调遣。国防部长（兵部尚书）石星就派遣精通日本语文的沈惟敬，作为中国使节，前往日本占领下的平壤，了解情况。沈惟敬到平壤后，日本大将小西行长表示：“日本无意跟中国为敌，我们愿跟中国共同瓜分朝鲜，以大同江为界。中国如果同意的话，日本就撤出平壤，退到大同江以南。”沈惟敬回报，中国拒绝，认为必须维持朝鲜领土的完整与主权的独立。这一年九月，(口孛)拜事件平息，中国大将李如松率援朝军出发。
李如松于十二月渡过鸭绿江，跟国王李(日公)会合。明年（一五九三）正月，开始进攻，张居正整顿后的武装部队，仍有残存的优良纪律和战斗力，日军大败。援朝军追击三百余公里，克复平壤。再追击一百五十余公里，克复开京（开城）。日军节节失利后，在王京（汉城）北十五公里碧蹄馆，布置埋伏，由间谍向李如松报告说：“日本人已放弃王京，向南逃窜。”李如松这时已经被胜利冲昏了头脑，十分骄傲。他轻骑急追，在碧蹄馆陷入重围，战马跌倒，他的头部受伤，虽然援军仍将日军击退，但损失惨重，锐气已消。
然而，日本也无力反攻，而且鉴于平壤之败，不敢固守后勤交通线有随时被切断危险的孤城，不久真的放弃王京（汉城），撤退到朝鲜半岛南端最初登陆地的釜山。车臣秀吉返回日本，留下小西行长：等候命令。这时除了釜山一城外，朝鲜全国光复。如果换了有些大国，可能会趁此良机，把朝鲜一口并吞。然而中国却命国王李(日公)不必内迁，还都王京（汉城），李(日公)像中了马票一样的大喜过望。
日本退守釜山后，中国援朝军在外围布防。国防部长石星主张谈判解决，国王李(日公)也向中国要求如此。这件艰难的工作由沈惟敬担任，最后中国允诺加封丰臣秀吉为日本国王，并允许日本贸易，日本则允诺撤出釜山。一五九六年，中国派遣使节团前往丰臣秀吉所在地大阪（当时日本首都仍在京都），举行册封典礼，朝鲜也派一个代表团陪同观礼。然而，日本的谈判不过是一个骗局，丰臣秀吉需要时间重新集结兵力。我们一眼就可看出，他不能接受日本国王的封号（好像连精通日本语文的沈惟敬，也不知道日本还有一个高高在上的天皇）。于是等到中、朝两国代表团抵达大皈之后，丰臣秀吉指摘两国代表团的代表，官位太低，礼物也太薄，不但瞧不起日本，也瞧不起中国。一方面要求中国惩罚朝鲜，一方面在釜山发动第二次攻势。
丰臣秀吉的背信，影响两个人的生命，一是国防部长石星，一是和平使节沈惟敬，这两位从事和解的人物，被勃然震怒的明政府皇帝朱翊钧下狱处决。然后命杨镐、邢玠两位大将，分别围堵。杨镐是著名的债帅人物，他在釜山北方被日本的凌厉攻势击败，死伤惨重，只身逃脱。幸而邢玠终于挡住了日本陆军，并用海军骚扰日本的海上补给线，日军的处境不久就岌岌可危。
一五九八年，即本世纪（十六）最后第二年，丰臣秀吉在大阪逝世，遗令退军，留在釜山的日军才行撤退。其实即令丰臣秀吉不死，日军因粮道不绝如缕，也会撤退。但丰臣秀臣之死，使他们撤退有名，保持了颜面。
——七世纪时，日本出兵朝鲜半岛，还可以说是援助百济王国对抗新罗王国。本世纪（十六）这一次，则连一个借口都没有，而是赤裸裸最原始性的对外侵略。假如不是中国干预，朝鲜早已灭亡。日本似乎总是气咻咻的，稍微有一点力量，就企图奴役他的邻国，不管这邻国对他多么友善。
这是日本第一次侵略朝鲜，也是中国第一次保卫朝鲜，自一五九二年到二五九八年，历时七年。日军撤退后，中国援朝军也跟着撤退。这是历史上国与国之间，最标准的无私援助，中国战士的鲜血，洒遍朝鲜半岛，而一无所求。
九阳明学派
当援朝战役结束时，本世纪（十六）也告结束。
让我们暂时抛下使人昏眩的政治军事，走到另两个宁静的领域，一是学术思想领域，一是文学创作领域。学术思想领域中，本世纪（十六）兴起一种新的思潮，即阳明学派。文学创作领域中，则进入了小说时代，连续出现三部伟大的小说。
我们先叙述阳明学派。
自从纪元前二世纪起，中国的正统思想是儒家学派的崇古思想。纪元后十一世纪，儒家思想中的理学一派，成为儒家思想的正统。大黑暗时代正是理学兴盛的时代，理学最大的流弊是嘴上说的和笔下写的，都是仁义道德，而行为上不能实践，以致满坑满谷的仁义道德，都成了专门外销给别人的出口货，阳明学派针对这种流弊而生。
阳明学派的创始人王守仁，是一个多方面发展的人物，他的一生遭遇比理学派创始人之一的朱熹，要复杂曲折得多，社会地位和事业成就，也比朱熹为高。王守仁当过小官，下过诏狱，受到最屈辱的廷杖。但也当过大官，统过大军，擒过叛王，扑灭过民变，最后被皇帝封为怕爵。
王守仁于本世纪（十六）初，当南京国防部的科长（南京兵部主事），因为竭力拯救被宦官诬陷的朋友，触怒了大宦官刘瑾，被逮下锦衣卫诏狱，打四十廷杖，然后贬窜到距首都航空距离一千七百公里外的龙场驿（贵州修文），担任驿站站长（驿丞）。龙场在当时是一个荒凉的地方，人迹罕至，王守仁的前途一片沮丧和绝望。但就在那里，使他过去一直感到困扰的，理学家们何以言行不符的丑陋现象，豁然开朗地得到了解决方法。王守仁曾筑室阳明洞，研讨学问，人称阳明先生。他的学说被称为阳明学说，包括下列两个主题：
一致良知
二知行合一
致，即实行。良知，即心理上的自觉。王守仁的要求是，既然知道这个道理，就要去实行这个道理。实行这个道理，就是知行合一。仅仅自命为知道了而不去实行，那就不能称之为真正的知道了，人性的败坏的主要原因在此，真正的知识离不开实践。
自从十二世纪朱熹利用白鹿洞书院讲学，以传播理学思想，讲学即成为高级知识分子传播知识的重要手段。讲学跟学校不同，讲学是公元前五世纪孔丘式的（在西方，柏拉图也是采取这种方法，因而被称为柏拉图式的），纯以教师个人为主，没有肄业年限，也不限定授课的场所。这种讲学的方式最大的优点是，可以避免对自己的理论建立严谨的课程，教师只是随时随地的，想到那里，讲到那里。学生们固然可以追随教师数十年，但也可以只交谈几句话，即恍然大悟，满载而去。王守仁即用这种儒家学派的传统方法，传播他的学说。当一五一九年，朱宸濠亲王在南昌（江西南昌）叛变时，王守仁正担任江西省南部军区司令官（南赣巡抚），他率领大军，迅雷不及掩耳地进攻南昌，把朱宸濠擒获。即令在如此军事倥偬之际，他仍然讲学不辍，从各地投奔他的学生，跟他的卫士一样，他走到哪里，学生们跟到哪里。
阳明学派对理学学派是一个正面的打击，至少儒家阵营中已并行有两支主流。但使理学家痛恨的是，阳明学派显然在指责理学家都是假仁假义、只说不做的骗子。尤其当理学家发现这种指责大部分竟然都是真实时，更恼羞成怒，把王守仁形容为仅次于赢政大帝的第二号魔鬼。两派人物不久就排挤斗争，把自己纳入君子系统，把对方纳入小人系统，互相用恶言咒骂。
可是阳明学派思想比理学学派更近一步的接近佛教神秘主义的禅机，阳明学派的“良知”，不是靠科学方法获得，而是跟得道的高僧一样，完全靠领悟获得。佛教中观音菩萨可以用一句话点破凡夫俗子的悟性，使他成为神仙，阳明学派更注意这个契机。而领悟是独占的，不能公开验正。于是，到了后来——王守仁逝世一百余年的下世纪（十七）中叶时，阳明学派遂走入空疏的幻境，一些堕落的阳明学家跟酒肉和尚一样，认为贪赃枉法，照样可以使自己成为圣人，引起理学家的反击，遂转衰落。
十三部小说
其次，我们叙述三部小说。
中国文学的发展，像一列车厢分明的火车，从纪元前五世纪的，发展到纪元前四世纪的《楚辞》，再发展到纪元前二世纪的汉赋，然后发展到八世纪的唐诗，十一世纪的宋词，十三世纪的元曲。到了本世纪（十六），则开始了一个新的时代——小说时代，有三部代表中国文学高度成就的长篇小说，先后出现。
三部小说是：罗贯中的、施耐庵的、吴承恩的。
的作者罗贯中，有人说他是浙江杭州人，有人说他是山西太原人。有人说他是十四世纪人，有人说他是上世纪（十五）跟本世纪（十六）之间的人。我们不知道正