Ming Dynasty Mystery

Author: Jiang Jianping (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: In ancient China, there was an emperor who had once been a monk—Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. There are numerous legends and stories about Zhu Yuanzhang and monks in history. It is said that after unifying the empire, his decision to establish Nanjing as the capital was influenced by a monk. The rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty were particularly dramatic, with the figures and events that emerged during this period being quite unique and bizarre. For example, the founding emperor who was a monk, the secret police rule, the "Wokou" (Japanese pirates) who caused chaos along the coast, intense factional struggles, and the executed king of Jing Mountain—all of these are not only recorded in official histories but also continue to be dramatized in folk plays and novels. However, due to the lack and incompleteness of historical documents, there have long been conflicting accounts and no definitive conclusions. This book will summarize the various interpretations of these figures and events, writing them as "mystery texts," perhaps providing useful materials and clues for readers interested in Ming Dynasty history.
The term "historical mystery" refers to the myriad "enigmas" and "cases" left behind by history. China has a long history and vast territory. Due to the rise and fall of dynasties, social upheavals, and natural disasters, cultural classics have suffered significant damage and loss. At the same time, the ruling class often and distort history according to their political needs, leaving later generations with countless unsolvable mysteries. Although there have always been wise individuals throughout the ages—some traveling through mountains and forests to trace the footsteps of these mysteries, while others spent years immersed in ancient texts to uncover the secrets of "enigmas" and "cases"—due to the lack and incompleteness of historical documents, until today, there are still countless historical figures and events whose true faces remain hidden.
Take the history of the Ming Dynasty, for example. Brother Jianping has listed nearly a hundred "historical mysteries," such as: Why did Zhu Yuanzhang choose Nanjing (Jinling) as the capital? Why did he enfeoff his sons? Why did he execute his loyal ministers? Why did he launch the Great Campaign of Literary Persecution? And then there are mysteries like the fate of the Jianwen Emperor, the identity of the Yongle Emperor, the sudden death of the Renzong Emperor, the illness and death of Xu Da, the wealth of Shen Wansan, the martyrdom of Yu Qian, the disappearance of Shi Kefa, the end of Li Zicheng, the betrayal of Qian Qianyi, and the cause of Zheng Chenggong's death.