The Second Volume: The Gathering of All Nations Chapter 2: The Glory of the Emperor

  No matter what angle we look at him from, Zhu Di is absolutely not a good person. He is cold-blooded, cruel and power-hungry. In our daily lives, we would never want to be friends with someone like this. But he was indeed a truly good emperor.

  An emperor never needs to use his personal good character to prove his wisdom, on the contrary, in history, people who did this emperor thing are basically not good guys, because good guys can't do emperors, Zhu Yunwen is iron proof.

  From the day a person ascends to the throne and becomes an emperor, what he gets is not just power, but also numerous enemies. He has to fight against heaven and earth, as well as almost everyone around him: ministers, eunuchs, wives (many), wives' relatives (also many), brothers and sisters, and even parents (if they are still alive). He becomes the target of all people. If he doesn't show some skills and abilities, it's easy for others to find an opportunity to kick him off the throne, and history has proven that the survival rate of emperors who have been kicked off the throne is very low.

  For the throne, for life, one must learn to scheme and plot, one must disown six relatives, he must be more ruthless than the most powerful tyrant, more shameless than the most shameless rogue, he cannot trust anyone.

  So I think "lonely family with few people" is indeed the best title for an emperor.

  Zhu Di was such a tyrant and also a good emperor.

  He was energetic, taking Comrade Zhu Yuanzhang as an example, working late every day, and tirelessly handling government affairs. He cared for the people, concerned about the suffering of the people, implemented a policy of rest and recuperation, and under his rule, the Ming Dynasty became stronger and stronger. Wasteland was reclaimed, people's living standards improved, and warehouses were filled with grain and currency. The economy, technology, and culture all made great progress, and he worked hard to create a truly peaceful and prosperous era.

  He formulated many policies that benefited the country and its people, and executed them well, making the Ming Dynasty even stronger. If you want to be specific, you can list a large number of economic figures, but these are all clichés. For specific content, please refer to historical textbooks of past dynasties. I don't want to write more, and I believe everyone doesn't want to read more either. But what's worth thinking about is that many emperors in history have taken similar measures and achieved good results, so why was Zhu Di able to surpass the vast majority of them and become one of the few recognized great emperors in Chinese history?

  This is because he has done things that other emperors have not been able to do.

  Below, we will introduce the achievements of this great emperor, just as we said before, he is absolutely not a good person, but absolutely a good emperor. He achieved great merits with his amazing talent and ability, leaving us an immortal legacy that still affects our country and nation after more than 600 years, so from this perspective, he is indeed a great emperor in Chinese history, worthy of the name.

  Editing books

  Talking about writing a book, it should be something many people yearn for. Turning one's efforts into a book is indeed a delightful thing. However, for some people who don't have the ability to write a book, there are still ways to publish one. For example, when I was in college, some non-teaching staff members were envious of the teachers' research room publishing books. They wanted to write a book but didn't have the talent, and somehow came up with the idea of copying famous quotes from various people and actually managed to publish a book.

  Of course, its sales were also predictable.

  It's hard to believe that as early as the era of Zhu Di, hundreds of years ago, someone had done something similar, and that person was Zhu Di.

  We mentioned earlier that Zhu Di's cultural accomplishment was limited, and he himself could not have written any famous works that would be passed down through the ages. Therefore, he could only instruct his subordinates to compile books, with the purpose of course being for his own reputation. In fact, there is nothing wrong with this, which emperor does not want to leave a good name in history? Many emperors in the past compiled many books, and compiling books was actually not a rare thing, but Zhu Di was indeed a man of great talent and vision. What he wanted to compile was a book that had no precedent in history, what he wanted to do was something that his predecessors had never done before.

  "I want to compile a book that is the most complete, perfect and excellent from ancient times to the present, so that people a thousand years later will know the glory and splendor of our era!"

  He succeeded in compiling a magnificent book that shines brightly in history and is renowned for all eternity - the Yongle Encyclopedia.

  But as we mentioned earlier, he is just a decision-maker. No matter how wise the decision is, it will not work if no one executes it. According to Zhu Di's idea, he wants to compile a grand collection that includes all subjects and categories since ancient times. Undoubtedly, this is an arduous task that requires a suitable person to serve as the chief editor. This person must have extensive knowledge, clear discernment, extraordinary patience, and inclusive thinking.

  It's really hard to find someone who meets all these conditions, but fortunately, Zhu Di did find such a person.

  His life was also closely linked to the Yongle Encyclopedia, and his fate was as turbulent as this book, yet full of legend.

  So before we introduce Yongle Encyclopedia, we must first introduce this great chief editor.

  Fate

  In the 13th year of Yongle (1415 AD), Ji Gang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, issued a strange order. He wanted to invite a prisoner from his own prison to dinner. This was big news. Ji Gang was Zhu Di's right-hand man and the highest commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, yet he would condescend to invite a prisoner to dinner, causing everyone to discuss it extensively.

  The prisoner accepted the invitation with pleasure, but when the banquet began, Ji Gang did not come, only letting someone bring a lot of wine for the prisoner to drink. The prisoner, who was preoccupied with thoughts, couldn't stop drinking once he started, and soon became drunk as he reminisced about those dreamlike past events.

  Seeing him already drunk, the Jin Yiwei who had received the order opened the door and dragged him out.

  It's snowing heavily outside, and it's just the beginning of the first month.

  The prisoner was abandoned in the snowy wilderness, amidst a heavy snowfall, in this pure and silvery white world, where he welcomed death under the influence of nostalgia for past events and the intoxicating effect of alcohol.

  This prisoner was Jie Xuan, known as the number one scholar of the Ming Dynasty and the chief editor of Yongle Encyclopedia.

  He was forty-seven years old this year.

  Starting point

  Xie Jin, born in 1369 AD, was a native of Ji'an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province. He was intelligent and studious from an early age, earning him the reputation as a prodigy among his fellow townspeople, who all believed he would make a name for himself in the future.

  He did not disappoint everyone's expectations. In the twenty-first year of Hongwu (1388 AD), he was admitted as a scholar, and because his reputation in his hometown was already very great, it even spread to the capital, so Zhu Yuanzhang also attached great importance to him. Amidst his busy schedule, he still made time to meet with him. This move by Zhu Yuanzhang led everyone to believe that a new political star was about to rise.

  At that time, the political situation was complex and confusing. Hu Weiyong had already been arrested, and officials at all levels of the judiciary were constantly arresting ministers. Many people who served in the same court today would disappear tomorrow, and it could be said that the situation was treacherous and unpredictable. In such an environment, many ministers became opportunistic, turning a blind eye to things and only hoping to survive until retirement.

  But Jie Xian is an unexpected person, in this precarious and treacherous political environment, he did not retreat or shrink back, but instead showed the backbone and bravery of an intellectual.

  He bravely petitioned Zhu Yuanzhang himself, criticizing the times and condemning unnecessary killings. He also presented a famous article "Ten Strategies for Peace", in which he detailed his political thoughts and ideas on governance, painting a picture of a peaceful world under heaven for Zhu Yuanzhang, and offered opinions and criticisms on some current political systems.

  Zhu Yuanzhang's character has been introduced before, if you don't provoke him, he will come to find trouble with you. But this Ye Dabao actually dared to touch the tiger's butt, which really requires great courage. At that time, many people thought Ye was crazy, because only a madman would dare to provoke another madman.

  Xie Jin's madness was not madness, but at least he didn't die. Zhu Yuanzhang, on the other hand, was unusually calm and accepted his criticism without finding fault with him. The people at that time were stunned and couldn't understand why Xie Jin could still be alive, so this brave truth-teller Xie Jin became famous all over the world.

  After becoming famous, troubles also came. Some people praised his courageous behavior, but others said he was engaging in political speculation and only submitted the memorial because he saw an opportunity. However, Xie An shattered such claims with his actions. He then did something even more shocking.

  In the twenty-third year of Hongwu (1390 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang killed Li Shan-chang, and this matter had a very deep political background. At that time, all the ministers were very clear about it and did not dare to say another word.

  But Xie Jin was undaunted and took action again. He wrote a memorial to Zhu Yuanzhang on behalf of his good friend, pleading the case for Li Shan-chang.

  This is a very serious political event, Zhu Yuanzhang was extremely angry, he knew that the article was written by Xie Jin, but unexpectedly, he still did nothing to Xie Jin. This incident gave Xie Jin a wrong signal, he thought that Zhu Yuanzhang would not do anything to him.

  Jie continued this extremely dangerous game, with a strong heart and mind, fearless of authority, daring to speak the truth, yet he did not understand that such actions would inevitably come at a great cost.

  He was soon punished for it.

  In 1391, Zhu Yuanzhang sent Xu Yihua back home and gave him a sentence: "Use again after ten years".

  Then, Xie Yun returned home along the road he took three years ago when he came to Beijing for the imperial examination. The glory and wealth were just a beautiful dream, the scenery along the way had not changed much, but Xie Yun's heart had changed.

  He never understood that he was punished for speaking the truth, isn't it the duty of scholars to serve the country and benefit the people? What kind of logic is this?

  Those who do nothing but loaf around all day, yielding when faced with difficulties and retreating when encountering obstacles, are shamelessly holding onto power. Meanwhile, those who wholeheartedly devote themselves to serving the country receive such treatment - this is unfair.

  The days of being dismissed from office were melancholic. The greatest pain of humanity is not having nothing, but losing everything after possessing it. The prosperity of the capital city, the admiration of the people, and the emperor's favor, these past scenes are always entwined in Xie Yan's mind.

  In his hometown days, he has been thinking about a question, that is, why did he fail? Is it because of lack of learning? Or is it due to limited capacity?

  No, not these. One day, he finally realized that the reason for his failure was his naivety, so naive that he didn't even know what the imperial court was like. Faith and integrity were worthless in the imperial court; to succeed, one had to cater to the emperor, use cunning tactics, seize every opportunity, and constantly rise through the ranks to elevate one's status!

  Jie Yun finally found what he thought was the right path, and his life began to change from then on.

  In the thirty-first year of Hongwu (1398 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang passed away. At this time, it had been seven years since Xie Lin returned home. Although he had not yet reached the agreed-upon ten-year period, Xie Lin began to take action. He was well aware that even if he waited until the end of the ten-year period, there would be no official position available for him. If he wanted to become an official, he could only rely on himself!

  He relied on his previous network of relationships, constantly petitioning high officials and the emperor for an official position. However, fate played another trick on him. The Jianwen Emperor knew he was very talented but refused to use him, giving him only a minor post. He was preparing to send him far away to the west to develop the area. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and immediately found someone to smooth out his relationships, finally staying in the capital city as a minor official in the Hanlin Academy.

  At this time, Xie Jue had completely lost the ambition and ideals of his youth. He finally understood the darkness and ugliness of politics. To climb up, one cannot have principles or dignity, but must know how to fawn and flatter, and cater to others' whims. One can want anything, just not a sense of self-respect!

  Dark world, I'll sell my soul to you, all I want is wealth and glory!

  He took back his soul and heaven gave him a second chance.

  Turning point

  The Jingnan campaign has begun, and the Jianwen Emperor is on the verge of defeat. Zhu Di's victory is in sight. At this critical moment, Xie Jin and his two good friends had a conversation, which was a historic conversation that determined the different directions of their lives.

  Here, we need to introduce two good friends of Jieyun, their names are Hu Guang and Wang Yan. As the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together", people with similar interests gather together, those who can befriend someone like Jieyun, naturally are not ordinary people either. In fact, these two men's backgrounds are no less impressive than Jieyun's.

  It's a coincidence that the three of them are all from Ji'an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, and have a native relationship. Xie Lin is a well-known talented scholar, as we mentioned earlier, he was a jinshi in the 21st year of Hongwu, with an examination score of at least top 30 in the country. Compared to the other two, however, his score is far inferior.

  Why? Because these two were the champion and runner-up of the imperial examination in the second year of Jianwen. Also, I want to mention that the third place was Li Guan, who was also from Ji'an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, and he was a good friend of these three people. However, since he didn't participate in this conversation, he wasn't mentioned. Isn't it impressive? The top three were all taken by Ji'an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, which is truly astonishing for the development of education in this place. It's comparable to today's Huanggang Middle School.

  Everyone is from the same hometown and is a scholar, so they naturally have many common topics. Now Emperor Jianwen is about to be finished, they need to sit down and discuss their own future. These three people are close neighbors, and the location of their conversation was chosen at the home of their neighbor Wu Yu next door.

  Before they expressed their own ambitions, it is necessary to mention that Xie Jin, Hu Guang, Wang Yan and Li Guan were all close attendants of the Jianwen Emperor, which means they were all people around the emperor, deeply trusted by the emperor, and their attitudes towards the situation can reflect the views of some courtiers at that time.

  And of the four, Wang Gan was particularly special. His specialness lay in that he had the most reason to be dissatisfied with the emperor, why is that?

  Because in the second year of Jianwen (AD 1400), he was the real champion of the imperial examination!

  After the trial, Wang Yun participated in the imperial examination and ranked first in his policy essay. Originally, he should have been the top scholar, but Emperor Jianwen disliked his appearance and gave the position to Hu Guang instead. In this way, the top scholar that was within his grasp slipped away. One would think that he should have a belly full of resentment towards Emperor Jianwen, but once again, the world showed us the ugliness and sincerity of human nature.

  Jianwen Emperor is about to fall, and everyone's topic will not be dragged into poetry, calligraphy and painting. When the boss falls, what should he do? Where to go? Three people made different choices. Of course, this choice was made in their hearts.

  Three people performed as follows:

  Xie Jin's words were full of righteous indignation, and Hu Guang was also furious and outspoken, declaring that he would not live under the same sky as Zhu Di and would die for his country. Wang Gan remained silent, only quietly shedding tears.

  Behavior after conversation:

  After the conversation with Jie, he packed his bags overnight and fled to surrender to Zhu Di. He ran very fast, leaving behind historical evidence - "Jie Ben". Hu Guang surrendered the next day, very obediently - "Summoned, knocked his head in gratitude". Look, how efficient, summoned, summoned, one summon and he arrived. The third, Li Guan, also did not fall behind - "Guan also welcomed and followed".

  Wang Yan returned home and said to his wife, "I am a high-ranking minister who receives the state's salary, but now I can only die for my country."

  Then he calmly killed himself.

  The country judges people by their appearance, but he did not take the country by force.

  That night, there were two people talking and one person not talking. The talkers made promises that ultimately became lies. The silent one remained silent but fulfilled the promise in their heart through action.

  Actually, long before they showed themselves in different ways, there was already one person who saw their respective endings, and that person is Wu Yu, who has been watching coldly.

  After Hu Guang finished his impassioned speech about dying for the country and left with a serious expression (his home was next to Wu Pu's), Wu Pu's son sighed deeply and said, "Uncle Hu has such grandeur, being able to die for the country is truly a good thing."

  Wu Yu smiled slightly and said: "This person will not die for the country, among these three people, only Wang Gen will sacrifice himself for the country."

  Wu Yu's son was still young and disagreed with this, preparing to refute his father. Just then, the sound of Hu Guang's voice came from outside the door:

  "Now it's chaotic outside, you guys take care of things at home!"

  Two people smiled wryly at each other.

  To be fair, we can't blame these few who surrendered too much, especially Xie Jue. He had suffered a lot and gone through many hardships. He was eager to succeed, and this opportunity was one he absolutely couldn't let go of.

  As for the behavior of these four people, public opinion will have its own verdict.

  Thus, Xie Jin became Zhu Di's favorite minister. No matter what means he used, he finally achieved his dream. From then on, he began the most brilliant period of his life. But before that, we need to introduce the fate of the other two members of the surrender trio.

  Li Guan:

  After Zhu Di seized power, he obtained many memorials to the Jianwen Emperor from officials, which also contained many words demanding his punishment. He said to the ministers in the court with a playful tone:

  "I suppose you all have a share in these memorials." The ministers below were all frightened, but actually Zhu Di just wanted to make a joke and would not pursue the responsibility of these people. However, an unexpected thing happened.

  The one who stirred up the trouble was Li Guan, who calmly said: "I didn't, and I never have." Then he put on a self-satisfied expression. He was a cunning person, and had long ago noticed this problem, so to avoid disaster, he had never submitted such a memorial before.

  His intelligence and talent have finally paid off, but in a way he absolutely did not expect.

  Zhu Di was furious and walked up to Li Guan's face, throwing the memorial to the ground in front of him.

  "Are you still proud of yourself?! You receive the country's salary, serve as a national official, and in times of crisis, you, as an attendant, don't say a single word. I detest people like you the most!"

  Li Guan's whole body trembled as he curled up into a ball. He had never thought that shamelessness also required payment of a price.

  After that, he was imprisoned for breaking the law and died in prison. At his deathbed, he finally regretted his actions and wept silently: "Wang Jingzhi (courtesy name of Wang Gan), I really have no face to see you."

  Hu Guang:

  Afterwards, he had a smooth official career because of his good writing skills and certain ability to handle government affairs. He was appointed as one of the seven members of the first Grand Secretariat of the Ming dynasty together with Xie Jin. Later, he was promoted to be the Academician of Wenyuan Academy. After his death, he was posthumously promoted to be the Minister of Rites and created a record that he was the first civil official in the Ming dynasty who received a posthumous name, which is Wenmu.

  Looking back on his life, this person has never suffered any losses and seems to have lived quite well, but a person's character will eventually be exposed.

  At that time, Hu Guang and Xie Yun fled to Zhu Di. Zhu Di saw that they were fellow countrymen and had a good relationship, so he intentionally let them become in-laws. However, at that time, Xie Yun already had a son, but Hu Guang's wife was just pregnant and it was unknown whether the child was male or female. At this time, obstetrics expert Zhu Di asserted without B-ultrasound examination: "It must be a girl."

  As a result, Hu Guang's wife indeed gave birth to a girl. It turns out that leaders are really capable and have such deep skills in obstetrics and gynecology as a sideline in addition to their official duties. After the fact, it was proven that this girl is not simple either, unfortunately I didn't find her name in historical records, only knowing she must be surnamed Hu.

  The girl married the son of Xie Yu as scheduled, and both families were wealthy and influential, envied by many as a perfect match. However, heaven has unpredictable winds and clouds, and later Xie Yu was imprisoned, his son was exiled to Liaodong, at this time Hu Guang showed his true nature again, when the in-laws fell into bad luck and fell into a well, he immediately looked for stones everywhere and ordered his daughter to divorce her husband.

  In that era, the parents' orders were everything, but this girl who was married to Zhu Di had a few points of Zhu Di's overbearing manner. She did something that made her father ashamed and embarrassed. Hu Guang repeatedly forced persuasion, with no effect, and finally he got his daughter's last attitude, not a letter of separation, but an ear.

  Her daughter, to show her determination not to be separated, cut off her own ears to make a vow and scolded her father: "Although my marriage is unfortunate, it was also the emperor's decision, you promised, how can you do this? I would rather die than separate!"

  The heroic behavior of this woman caused a sensation, and the crowd also saw through Hu Guang's true face. In the end, Xie Yu's son was pardoned and returned to the woman's side.

  Hu Guang, be ashamed! You have read extensively and held high office, but your integrity is inferior to that of a woman!

  Still the same old saying, people have their own fair judgment.

  Soaring

  Zhu Di's reason for entrusting the heavy responsibility to Xie Jin was that he accurately judged Xie Jin to be the right person for the chief editor of the great compilation. In the first year of Yongle (1403 AD), Zhu Di solemnly handed over this work, which could either bring glory or kill with exhaustion, to Xie Jin. His requirement was "to compile all books on history, classics, philosophy, and various arts since the beginning of writing, including astronomy, geography, yin-yang, medicine, divination, Buddhism, Taoism, and techniques, into one book, without fear of its grandeur and complexity."

  What magnificent words and wishes! Please don't underestimate the task of compiling books. In a time when information was not well-developed, even after publication, books were easily lost because there was no custom of sending a copy to libraries after publication. Many people read popular books, but certain academic books like classics and histories were rarely consulted (this is similar to today). They are extremely easy to lose. Some books that were not passed down were like secret martial arts manuals, hidden in the depths of mountains and forests, unknown to anyone. To collect these books requires a large amount of money and manpower. Therefore, although every dynasty compiled books, there was a big difference. Poorer dynasties had limited official book compilations, only striving to do well on the one that must be done - the historical records of the previous dynasty.

  But Zhu Di wanted to compile was not one book, nor a set of books. He wanted to compile an encyclopedia that covered all knowledge from ancient times to the present, encompassing everything in the universe and containing all the wealth of human knowledge!

  This is not just a culture, but a comprehensive national strength that includes economy, and it's a symbol of a country's confidence and power!

  Apart from the Classic of Poetry, there is no other book!

  When Zhu Di entrusted this task to Xie Lin, he was giving hope and burden to this young man who was only thirty-four years old. However, what is ironic is that the thing that seemed extremely important to Zhu Di became a "general task" in Xie Lin's eyes.

  Xie Jin did not show political sensitivity in this matter, naively thinking that it was just the emperor's temporary interest, wanting to compile a book for fun. In November of the second year of Yongle (1404), he presented the first draft to the emperor, titled "The Great Achievement of Literature". It can be said that this draft also cost Xie Jin a lot of effort, but he did not expect that his efforts would be met with a scolding from Zhu Di.

  Jie Yun finished the task so quickly, which made Zhu Di very happy. However, when he saw the book Jie Yun brought, he realized that this bookworm had not grasped his intention at all. So he severely reprimanded Jie Yun and then set up a grand formation.

  This lineup is really grand, fully reflecting the comprehensive national strength of the Ming Dynasty at that time. First, Zhu Di appointed five Hanlin scholars as chief editors (not the kind of CEO we have in our society today). These five people were led by Wang Jing and were all erudite scholars. In addition, Zhu Di also dispatched twenty officials from the Hanlin Academy as deputy chief editors, and these twenty people were also famous scholars. Furthermore, Zhu Di issued a general mobilization order nationwide, summoning all knowledgeable people, regardless of age, wealth or poverty, even cripples, as long as they had a functioning brain and legs that could move, to come and work on the compilation, roughly equivalent to our editors today.

  But that's not all, Zhu Di took out a desperate attitude, determined to do his best, he was still searching for people with certain specific abilities in various states and counties across the country, but this ability is not knowledge, so what kind of person is he looking for?

  The answer is: A person who writes well.

  At that time, it was a matter of compiling a complete book, so a large number of books and materials had to be collected. After these materials were found, someone had to be found to copy them by hand, which is also understandable because at that time there was no computer typesetting technology, and during the compilation process, people could only write by hand.

  Since it's a book compiled by the Great Ming Empire, it must be dignified. The handwriting of the books must be beautiful and clear. If you want to find someone with handwriting as poor as mine, who only types on the computer every day, I would feel embarrassed even if Zhu Di didn't mind. In those days, if you wrote a bad hand, you wouldn't even dare greet people.

  This is a truly cultural mobilization, and it can be said that Zhu Di concentrated the country's elite intellectuals to do this thing. As we mentioned earlier, compiling books can also fully reflect a country's economic strength, because you need to gather so many intellectuals to compile books for you, and you have to write on the recruitment advertisement: including food and accommodation, monthly salary payment. Don't think that intellectuals and scholars will be willing to do voluntary labor, they also have wives and children.

  Zhu Di was a man who got things done efficiently. He solved problems quickly and decisively, setting up the editorial office in Wenyuan Pavilion and arranging accommodations for the editors. When it was time to eat, people from Guanglu Temple would come to deliver food, so the editors didn't have to worry about anything except finishing their books.

  After reading our introduction above, everyone should be clear, without money, without a lot of money, can this book be compiled?

  The poor dynasty was exhausted from running around every day, and it was good if they could use a little bit of national income to eat, let alone having spare money to repair books.

  A prosperous age values education; these are not empty words.

  Apart from the above-mentioned people, Zhu Di also sent a helper to assist Xie Yun, and they co-edited this book. This person is said to be a helper, but in fact, he should be a supervisor, because before that, he had only been a second-in-command once, unfortunately, the first-in-command was Zhu Di himself.

  The foreman is Yao Guangxiao.

  Yao Guangxiao was not only skilled in politics, but also had great talent. Song Lian, the first scholar of the early Ming Dynasty, also appreciated his talent very much. At that time, Xie Lin was still wearing open-crotch pants.

  Putting such a heavyweight figure beside Jiǎn Yǐ, Zhu Di's determination can be imagined.

  When Zhu Di made such a magnificent lineup with the momentum of overturning mountains and seas, Xie Yun finally understood that he was going to complete something so grand and glorious. If it couldn't be completed or wasn't done well, then it wouldn't just be a matter of losing his official position.

  Forget it, let's just work hard!

  After the leader's instructions, Comrade Jie Xun finally corrected his attitude and moved forward in the direction indicated by the leadership. In fact, Zhu Di did not misjudge him. Jie Xun fully exerted his talents, reasonably arranging each item of work, procurement, analysis, writing, and proofreading were all carried out in an orderly manner. Every time he finished writing a part, he would personally review it and put forward revision opinions.

  As a prominent figure in this vast army of intellectuals, he has done an excellent job.

  When the team of thousands of compilers in his hands was running smoothly, and the large canon they were revising was nearing completion and perfection, Xie Lin finally achieved his life value and dreams. He was no longer a talented but frustrated scholar, but a pillar of the state.

  During the compilation of the Grand Encyclopedia, Zhu Di continued to provide help and care. In April 1406, Zhu Di took time out of his busy schedule to visit the compilers who were working day and night, and kindly asked Xie Lin about any difficulties he was facing in his work and life. Xie Lin thanked the emperor for his concern and promised to redouble his efforts to do a good job and repay the emperor's kindness, not disappointing the expectations of scholars across the country. Finally, he pointed out that the historical section of the Grand Encyclopedia had almost been completed, but there were still many deficiencies in the sub-collection section.

  Zhu Di immediately said, where there is difficulty, come to me, it will definitely be solved. Isn't it just a lack of books? Give you money, go buy, how much do you want?! He then immediately ordered the relevant department (Li Bu) to send someone out to buy books.

  With such political and economic support, coupled with the able command and arrangement of Ji Xianlin, countless diligent intellectuals worked day and night, writing tirelessly through numerous sleepless nights, sacrificing their families and entertainment, paying the price of health and even life (many people died from overwork), all for the sake of completing this greatest work of all time.

  Many of them may not have had any great ideals, because most were just ordinary copyists and compilers, and at the time they were merely ordinary readers.

  Their lives seem to have nothing to do with the word "great", but what they did was a great thing. History will not leave their names, but every page and line of this magnificent work is filled with their blood and sweat.

  So whether it's the exhausted and blood-spitting compiler or the bookworm who buries his head in books all day, they are all heroes, unapologetic heroes.

  Everyone is.

  Through the unremitting efforts of these people, this great work was finally completed in November 1407.

  This book collects more than 7,000 to 8,000 kinds of books from pre-Qin to the early Ming dynasty, with a total of 11,095 volumes, 22,877 volumes, and 370 million words.

  All written by hand one word at a time.

  Its contents include historical records, astronomy, geography, yin and yang, medicine, divination, Buddhist scriptures, Taoist classics, drama, craftsmanship, agriculture, covering the knowledge wealth of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. It is not just a book, but a golden pyramid in the history of Chinese civilization.

  What is even more rare is that, with Ji Yun as the leader, Ming Dynasty intellectuals adopted a broad-minded and inclusive approach to collect almost all precious cultural materials, leaving us a huge wealth.

  Zhu Di's dream finally came true, and he solemnly named this great masterpiece - "Yongle Dadian".

  Now, I can finally say that under my rule, a book of unprecedented magnitude, completeness and perfection has been compiled! One day, I will grow old, but the glory of this book will forever shine on the people of later generations, telling them about the splendor of our era!

  Glory! But this is not just Zhu Di's glory, it is the glory of our country, our nation! We have gone through thousands of years of wind and rain, once brilliant in all directions, prosperous for a time, also bent knees to humiliation, several times on the brink of collapse. But we ultimately did not yield, our civilization was passed down, and led us to stand up tenaciously.

  The greatness of Yongle Encyclopedia lies in this: it is not just a book, but a spirit, the spirit of cultural heritage and self-improvement.

  We should thank this book because if it hadn't been born, many ancient books would be invisible to us today.

  If we were to make a list of these books, it would be very long. Here, we only list some of the book titles so that everyone can understand their importance, such as "Old Book of Tang", "Old History of Five Dynasties", "Compilation of Essential Documents of Song Dynasty", and "Continuation of Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government". These books were all lost later on, until they were compiled from Yongle Encyclopedia during the Qing dynasty and spread throughout the world.

  So we say that Yongle Encyclopedia is a golden pyramid in Chinese cultural history.

  In the project of building the golden pyramid of Chinese culture, Jiǎn Yún is an outstanding general engineer and designer. His merits are not inferior to those of Xú Dá and Lán Yù who conquered and opened up new territories. Although he does not have the grandeur of attacking cities and capturing strongholds in the midst of a million troops, nor the splendor of wielding his sword in the vast desert with golden armor and iron horses, he has his own weapon - his pen and ink. It was under his leadership that countless diligent intellectuals used their pens to leave us with the wisdom and knowledge of our ancestors, allowing us to understand the glorious past and the greatness of our predecessors.

  It turns out that those bookworms and scholars who are often ridiculed by us for being weak also have strength, they are also very strong, and they too deserve our respect.

  It is said that scholars are useless, but they can also be heroes with their pens!

  Speculation

  The Yongle Encyclopedia was the most brilliant achievement of Xie Jin's life, and also the highest point in his life. However, when this book was completed, there was no shadow of Xie Jin among those who were overjoyed, because at that time, he had already fallen from the peak of life and was demoted to Guangxi, a place where people rarely visited. Why did Xie Jin, with great talent and outstanding achievements, fall into such a situation? Who should be responsible for this?

  It can be described in one word - they had it coming.

  Because he did something he wasn't good at - speculating.

  As for opportunism, Xie Jin was not a novice. We previously mentioned that he refused the humble official position offered by the Jianwen Emperor's side, and with great difficulty, he resolutely went to Zhu Di's side. Of course, his actions were fully justified. Because Zhu Di needed him, and he also needed Zhu Di. Xie Jin had fame and talent, while Zhu Di had power and money.

  The scholar Fang Xiaoru had already been killed, in order to prove that the scholars of the world were not all stubborn, and to prove that there were still people willing to cooperate with the new emperor. Zhu Di naturally treasured Xie Jin, who had surrendered voluntarily. He not only appointed Xie Jin as the chief editor of the Yongle Encyclopedia and the second edition of the Real Record of Taizu, but also entrusted him with important tasks in politics, giving him a key position in the first cabinet of the Ming Dynasty. This cabinet consisted of seven people, all of whom were elites. Two of the three Yangs who later made great contributions to the "Renxuan Shengshi" period of the Ming Dynasty held important positions in this cabinet.

  Apart from this, Zhu Di often had individual conversations with Xie Jin after work (dismissal), which in today's words is called "key cultivation". Zhu Di said to his ministers more than once:

  "It's really heaven's blessing upon me!"

  He was known for his political integrity and outspokenness, but benefited from political opportunism, which is truly ironic.

  Jie Xian finally felt satisfied, as if he had come to realize that his lack of success over the years was due to his political naivety back then. Why did he have to say so many things that went against the Emperor's will? Wasn't that making things difficult for himself?

  And this time the success of political speculation also made him determined that from now on, he should not care about things that have nothing to do with himself. Only by actively engaging in politics, looking at the direction of politics, and putting down his own political chips can he guarantee his power and position.

  Then the simple scholar who had devoted himself to the people and the country died, replaced by a eager and ambitious politician with a deep understanding of politics.

  Perhaps in the eyes of many people, this is not a big deal, it's just a person's choice for their own life. But the problem is that when Jie made this choice, he forgot an important and simple principle, and it was this simple principle that ruined his life.

  The principle is: don't do what you're not good at.

  When we were young, there were many dreams. Growing up, I wanted to do this and that. Now, what kids want to be when they grow up, I don't know, but in my generation, scientists were the top choice. I also dreamed of holding a test tube in the lab, shaking it nonstop. What I was shaking wasn't important, just the feeling was great.

  But when they grew up, those dreamy boys didn't really become scientists, at least most of them didn't. Because in their growing process, countless people and things clearly told him: "Stop dreaming, you're not cut out for this!"

  This sentence is not necessarily a blow, in many cases, it is sincere advice.

  Heaven is very fair, it will give different talents to different people. Some are good at this and some are good at that, which constitutes our colorful world. Looking at Ji Yun's life as a whole, what he was good at was doing academic work, not engaging in politics.

  But this person, who should have been buried in his studies, tasted the sweetness of political speculation and accumulated some experience in the long-term political struggle, naively thinking that he had become a political mastermind, and from then on, he threw himself into the whirlpool of political struggle without hesitation.

  Unfortunately, what he jumped into was not just any ordinary whirlpool, but the largest one that affected the foundation of the empire - the issue of succession.

  In the war years, the frequent rebellions of military generals were due to nothing but power and position. The best way to gain power was to become emperor oneself, but this method was too difficult (see Comrade Zhu Yuanzhang's development history). As a result, many military generals retreated and sought second-best options. As long as they could enthrone a new emperor, they would be the founding fathers of the new dynasty, and the new boss would not forget his poor brothers. They would at least get some benefits, although this approach also had risks, such as if the boss you encountered was not surnamed Zhao but Zhu, then you were done for. However, compared to the possible gains, the gains still outweighed the costs.

  The peaceful era can no longer be done in this way, the cost of rebellion is too high and it's not easy to succeed (refer to Comrade Zhu Di's life experience), but one step to heaven, rising to the top is everyone's dream. So the various ministers retreated and sought a second-best approach, looking for the future heir to the throne.

  Because the emperor will eventually die, if you become a trusted aide to the heir before he dies, you will likely be entrusted with important tasks in the future. However, this approach also carries risks, as considering the emperor's special status and interests, as well as the long-standing gender inequality in our country, the number of sons of the emperor is often N (N ≥ 2). And if you encounter a vigorous emperor (such as Kangxi), it will be troublesome.

  So, supporting a successor is not a trivial matter, it can be compared to a gamble. What if you bet on the wrong treasure and placed the wrong chips? If the new ruler is not the one you supported, then wait for disaster. When the nest is overturned, will there be any intact eggs left? Your master is finished, how can you still have a chance to rise again?

  But Xie Jin decided to take a gamble, he was a far-sighted man, although Zhu Di trusted him now, but Zhu Di would grow old and die, in order to keep his position for a long time, he had to make early arrangements, after a long period of observation, Xie Jin finally chose his target.

  In 1404, he staked everything on a single candidate - Zhu Di.

  Regarding the power struggle between Zhu Gaizhi and Zhu Gaoxu, we will introduce it separately later. Here, let's just talk about some things related to Xie Jin.

  Actually, the contradictions between these two princes have existed since the time of Jingnan. The ministers all had their own opinions, and Zhu Di also understood in his heart. In fact, as for his true intention, he indeed wanted to pass on the throne to Zhu Gaoxu, because Zhu Gaoxu had made great contributions and was relatively handsome. However, Zhu Gaozhi was disabled, with some problems with his eyes, and it would be difficult for him to become a national leader in terms of image.

  However, Zhu Gaoxu was the eldest son, and establishing the eldest as emperor was a long-standing tradition. Therefore, Zhu Di hesitated and sought the opinions of the meritorious officials who had helped him in his campaign to pacify the country. As expected, most of those who had participated in the campaign recommended Zhu Gaoxue, which is understandable, since they had fought together on the same front line and having a fellow comrade-in-arms would make things easier to handle in the future.

  Some people oppose it.

  There was only one person who opposed, this person was called Jin Zhong, who was then the Minister of War, and compared to those dukes and nobles who supported Zhu Gaoxu, he was nothing but a second-grade official. However, unexpectedly, it was this man who influenced the final result.

  This is not because of his own ability, but because behind him, there is a huge figure supporting him.

  This huge figure is Yao Guangxiao, who seems to be nowhere but everywhere at the same time.

  If we turn to Jin Zhong's resume, we will find that he has a complicated relationship with Yao Guangxiao. It was Yao Guangxiao who recommended him to Zhu Di, and this person's main abilities are exactly the same as Yao Guangxiao's, all of which are divination, planning, and strategy. Many people even suspect that he is Yao Guangxiao's student.

  This man was an exception, facing countless attacks and never changing his own opinion. He suggested to Zhu Di that if he couldn't make up his mind, he might as well go ask the current ministers.

  This was indeed a clever move, and who among the emperor's most trusted ministers were there, weren't they those seven people, and most of them were scholars with very strong orthodox views, and it is also highly likely that these people had already established connections with Yao Guangxiao. The subsequent development of events also proved that it was Jin Zhong's suggestion that brought about a fundamental change in the situation which had previously been leaning to one side.

  We have every reason to suspect that the mastermind behind all this is Yao Guangxiao, who appears to be uninterested in worldly affairs on the surface. We can't help but admire this "black-clad prime minister", who always inserts a foot at critical moments and on key issues, making him a full-fledged destabilizing factor. Wherever he shows up, wherever there is trouble. He lives in this era, it can be said that he was born at the right time.

  Now it's the turn of Mr. Xie to take the stage, and he is one of the people being asked, in this historically famous conversation, he showed his wisdom, proving that the evaluation of the first talent of the Ming Dynasty was not in vain, and in fact, it was his words (to be precise, three words) that laid the foundation for the overall situation.

  Both sides got straight to the point.

  Zhu Di asked: "Whom do you think should be established?"

  Xie Xuan replied: "The eldest son (referring to Zhu Gaochi) is benevolent and should be established as the crown prince."

  Zhu Di didn't say anything, but Xie Jue understood that this was a negative expression. He wasn't flustered because he still had an ace up his sleeve. As long as he could come up with the next reason, the throne would undoubtedly belong to Zhu Gaochi!

  "Good Holy Grandson!"

  Zhu Di smiled, and Jie Xian also smiled, and the matter was settled.

  The so-called good grandson refers to Zhu Zhanji, the son of Zhu Gaochi (later Ming Xuanzong), who was born intelligent and deeply loved by Zhu Di. Xu Bin seized the most critical point and made great contributions to Zhu Gaochi.

  This was a historic conversation, in which Xie Jue fully demonstrated his solid learning and psychological knowledge, making a huge contribution to the first major event of the empire, of course this contribution is relative to Zhu Gaizhi.

  Zhu Gaoxu was very grateful to Xie Jue after learning about this matter, and he limped to Xie's residence to thank him in person.

  Zhu Gaoxi felt at ease, and Xie Jue also felt at ease. One was at ease with the throne in hand, and the other was at ease with power unchanged.

  However, it turned out that they were all too optimistic. We will talk about Zhu Gaochi later, and here we will talk about Xiaoyu. The problem with Xiaoyu is that he simply did not understand that the so-called "overall situation" was relative, as long as Zhu Di did not die, Zhu Gaochi could only be his prince, and the prince was just the heir to the throne, not the owner, nor could it guarantee Xiaoyu's position and safety.

  What's more serious is that Xie Yan's behavior of supporting Zhu Gaizhi has made him a thorn in the eye and a pain in the flesh for Zhu Gaixi. However, Xie Yan was not aware that even if Zhu Gaixi couldn't deal with Zhu Gaizhi, dealing with a small fry like Xie Yan would still be more than enough.

  However, Jie Xian was still immersed in the joy of success and became too arrogant. He seemed to think that his ability to play tricks was not inferior to doing academic work. But he was wrong, his two tricks were simply child's play in front of political veterans. A disaster is about to befall Jie Xian.

  Arrived sooner than expected

  In the second year of Yongle (1404), after Zhu Di established Zhu Gaochi as the crown prince, things did not go as smoothly as Xie Jin had expected. He also greatly underestimated Zhu Gaixi's political power. In fact, with the continuous development of Zhu Gaixi's political power, his status and influence have already surpassed those of the Crown Prince Party. Moreover, his behavior has become more and more arrogant, and the etiquette he uses is almost on par with that of the crown prince.

  At this time, Jiǎn Jì made the most wrong decision in his life. He went to report to Zhū Bǐ, and the content of the report was that he should immediately stop Zhū Gāoxuě's overstepping behavior, otherwise it would cause even greater controversy.

  What a joke, Zhu Gaizhi's etiquette is naturally taken care of by someone, you are not surnamed Zhu and not a relative of Zhu Di, what does it have to do with you? At this time, Xie Lin's mind was filled with those positive comments from Zhu Di, such as "I couldn't be away from Xie Lin for a day", "Xie Lin is a gift from heaven" and other flattering words. In his opinion, Zhu Di was obedient to him.

  However, this time Zhu Di simply told him coldly: I know.

  Xie Jin is too naive, he doesn't know that Zhu Di is essentially a politician, and politicians are not to be trusted. When you're useful to him or when he needs something from you, he'll be extremely obedient, even calling you "grandfather". But once things are done, you'll immediately revert back to being his grandson. It's clear that Xie Jin got the generation wrong.

  Zhu Dian understood that Jie Yun had a few colors to dye, and Jie Yun was ready to open the dyeing workshop, but forgot to ask Zhu Dian for an operating license.

  After this incident, Jie Yu was labeled by Zhu Di as interfering with family internal affairs. What is Jie Yu? When did the internal affairs of the first family become your business to manage?

  After that, the status of Jian Yan fell sharply, gradually losing Zhu Di's trust. In addition, he opposed Zhu Di's dispatching troops to punish Annan (now Vietnam, which we will introduce in detail later), making Zhu Di even more disgusted with him. As a result, this former number one favorite minister, the chief editor of Yongle Dadian and Taizu Shilu, became an unnecessary person in Zhu Di's eyes. Everything he did could not get Zhu Di's approval, replaced by constant reprimands and criticisms.

  Zhu Dian disliked him and didn't want to see this person again, just wanting him to leave a little further away, the farther the better. But he wasn't in a hurry to take action, because he still needed Jie Yun to do something big for him.

  This major event was the compilation work of Yongle Dadian. If he were to drive away Xia Yan at this time, the completion of the book would inevitably be affected. Thinking of this, Zhu Di suppressed his anger for the time being.

  Alas, Xie Jin was completely unaware of this. He was still indulging in the beautiful dream of being the emperor's most favored minister and continued to act as he pleased. Zhu Di finally could not continue to tolerate it. Xie Jin was indeed too arrogant and did not know when to advance or retreat. In February 1407, Zhu Di, who had reached his limits of tolerance, finally drove Xie Jin out of the imperial court while he was still compiling books and sent him far away to Guangxi as a consultant.

  This was a bolt from the blue for Xue Xuan, who had been living a comfortable life as an editor of books and a member of the Hanlin Academy and the Grand Council. He was now being asked to pack his bags and go to a remote area to work on poverty alleviation (Guangxi was quite backward at that time). Was his dream of becoming the first minister going to be shattered after just over four years?

  Xie Yun did not disobey the imperial edict (nor did he dare to), and honestly went to Guangxi. At this time, Xie Yun's heart was filled with confusion and loss, but he did not despair, because similar situations had happened to him before, and he believed that opportunities would come again, and heaven would not abandon him.

  After all, I'm still only thirty-six years old, and the imperial court will surely use me again.

  However, he waited for four years and got only the job of supervising grain supplies in Huazhou. Supervising grain supplies is just that, isn't it enough to live a peaceful life? But Xie Jue insisted on making something out of nothing, and this time he ended up getting himself thrown into prison.

  It was in the ninth year of Yongle (1411) that Xie Jin got a rare opportunity to go to Beijing to report on the situation of grain transportation, and it was not easy for an official from a remote area to get such an opportunity. It would be nice to take a stroll around, buy some local specialties, and brag about them when you get back. What could possibly happen?

  But everyone forgot that Xie Jin was different, he came from the city and had seen big scenes. At this moment, re-recognizing the prosperity of the capital, it triggered his infinite reverie, and he began to forget himself. Coincidentally, Zhu Di was on a business trip to Mongolia with 500,000 people (expedition against the Tatars), Xie Jin had nothing to do, plus he still had the illusion of making a comeback, so without asking for instructions, he privately went to see Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi.

  What a mess! What place is Zhu Gaogui's home? Can you just go there casually?

  Xie Yun's absurd behavior didn't stop there, after secretly meeting with the crown prince, he actually left without waiting for Zhu Di to return or even reporting back. Xie Yun really lost his head!

  As expected, after Zhu Di returned, Zhu Gaixi immediately reported the matter to Zhu Di. Zhu Di was shocked and determined that Xie Lin had colluded with the Crown Prince to plot against him. He ordered Xie Lin's arrest, and thus, the great talent Xie Lin lost everything, unable to even succeed in his official career, and became a prisoner in jail.

  At this point, Jiǎo Jǐng had finally lost all hope. The Emperor did not trust him and the Crown Prince could no longer help him; he was completely finished.

  Looking back on my life, I was successful as a young man, full of vigor and ambition. Although I experienced setbacks, I was able to turn danger into safety and rise to even greater heights. I was admired by officials and revered by the people. What glory! What satisfaction!

  But now, apart from the dark dungeon that never sees light, the shackles on my feet and the suffocating stench in the cell, I have nothing left. Lost, thoroughly lost, as one should when they gamble.

  What he couldn't understand was why he would ultimately fail. He didn't lack the political struggle tactics, yet ended up in this situation, and he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he thought.

  Actually, before and after Jie's answer, countless people similar to him have asked this question.

  But none of them found the answer, and all we can say is that Jie Yu was in the wrong time, wrong place, and participated in a wrong gamble. From a talented young man to a prisoner, who's to blame? Only himself.

  Destination

  If things had ended like this, Xie An might have spent the rest of his life as a prisoner, or been released in some general amnesty and lived out his days as an ordinary citizen, perhaps finding work as a teacher to make ends meet. But fate had decreed that his life would end in tragedy, drawing more eyes from later generations.

  In the 13th year of Yongle (1415), Ji Gang, a member of the Imperial Guard, submitted a list of prisoners to Zhu Di. As he was going through it, he found Xie Jin's name and said: "Is Xie Jin still around?"

  Why is he still alive?

  Zhu Di was a master of dark language. In the seventh year of Yongle (1409), he had said something similar, and that sentence was aimed at Ping An.

  Things went similarly in ten categories. Zhu Di saw Ping An's name while flipping through the list of officials and said, "Is Ping An still here?" (Ping Bao Er Shang Zai Ye)

  Ping An was a very self-aware person, and after hearing Zhu Di's words, he killed himself.

  Ping An is pitiful, but Jie Yu is even more pitiful, for he doesn't even have the right to take his own life.

  Ji Geng, who had been doing special agent work for many years, was a man skilled at understanding the intentions of his leaders. He was extremely familiar with this kind of cryptic language, and since he had always had conflicts with Xie Jue, there was the opening scene.

  Xie Yun ended his life in the snowy ground, the white snow covering Xie Yun's body and his no longer white heart. The Xie Yun who was just and outspoken back then probably didn't expect to end up like this either.

  In any case, Xie Jin's life was meaningful because no matter what he did, whether right or wrong, it cannot cover up his achievements. The Yongle Encyclopedia which he edited has been preserved to this day and left us with a wealth of knowledge. When we see those precious books, we should remember that there was a man named Xie Jin who worked hard for this, and just for this reason alone, he is worthy of our respect as people of later generations.