•
In the tumultuous late Yuan Dynasty, amidst widespread peasant uprisings, a charismatic leader emerged in southwestern China to establish a short-lived yet significant regime: the Great Xia. Its founder, Ming Yuzhen (1331–1366), holds a unique place in history as the only emperor to ever establish his capital in the mountainous city of Chongqing.
•
Brief: This article narrates the Jingnan Campaign, a Ming Dynasty civil war. The young Jianwen Emperor tried to reduce feudal princes’ power, triggering rebellion by his uncle Zhu Di (Prince of Yan). After years of war, Zhu Di’s army captured the capital Nanjing, seized the throne, and reshaped the Ming dynasty’s future.
•
Brief: This article recounts how Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang consolidated absolute power. He executed Chancellor Hu Weiyong, abolished the thousand-year-old chancellorship, and centralized rule under himself. He later purged top general Lan Yu and tens of thousands of founding officials, eliminating all threats to the throne and reshaping Ming politics completely.
•
Brief: This article tells how Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang, a former peasant, launched an extremely harsh anti‑corruption campaign. He set strict laws, used brutal punishments like skinning, and carried out large‑scale purges such as the Empty Seal Case and Guo Heng Scandal. Though he aimed to protect common people, his extreme terror caused massive…
•
Brief: This article tells the story of Lady Shexiang, a loyal Yi tribal chieftain in early Ming China. Wrongfully humiliated by a corrupt official, she refused to revolt and instead appealed to the emperor. She gained justice and built a key mountain road to unite southwest China, securing peace and integration for the Ming…
•
Zhu Yuanzhang (1328–1398) was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1368 to 1398. Born into extreme poverty in Zhongli, Haozhou (present-day Fengyang, Anhui Province), his original name was Zhu Chongba (or Xingzong), and his courtesy name was Guorui. After ascending the throne, he adopted the temple name Taizu (“Grand Progenitor”) and…
•
Mencius said to King Xuan of Qi: “If a ruler treats his ministers as his own hands and feet, they will treat him as their heart and mind.If he treats them like dogs or horses, they will regard him as a mere stranger.If he treats them like dust or weeds – worthless and disposable…