FOUNDING THE MING DYNASTY: ZHU YUANZHANG, EMPEROR HONGWU

[Music] through history power dynamics are usually stable the powerful stay in charge and the powerless remain subjugated but sometimes all the conditions are met for exceptional events to occur this is the story of a man who Rose from an illiterate orphan peasant to the Emperor of China J Yan Jong the founder of the Ming Dynasty [Music] 14th century China for decades The Heirs of chingis Khan have ruled over the nation with an iron fist despite its early Prosperity the Mongol un Dynasty they installed has gradually declined due to political infighting and the series of natural disasters as a consequence poverty has soared and fam has risen starting in the mid 1330s new harsh ethnic discrimination policies have been promulgated against the H Chinese adding to their suffering the famished and destitute population is ready to take up arms and reclaim from their Mongol overlords a hand Chinese Empire the legacy of the man who would rise from the very bottom of society to one day sit on the dragon Throne began on the 21st of October 1328 as the nation was plunged in a devastating Civil War of succession the Common People suffered along the ha River in the small village of jungi a boy named J chongba was born to destitute peasants Jun and his wife known as Miss Chun he was their fourth son in recent times the Jew family household had relocated repeatedly throughout the region to escape poverty and debt and was now struggling to make a living in jungi thus education was out of the question and it seemed as if Yong J chongba was destined to live and die as an elate peasant growing up he saw most of his siblings married off into other households as his parents could not support them all indeed the region was frequently struck by natural disasters such as devast ating droughts floods and Locust invasions leading to food shortages and occasional famines relief efforts organized by the UN Dynasty proved insufficient triggering occasional uprisings by famished commoners or even at times local officials both were additionally outraged by the strong ethnic discrimination and immense inflation of the late un Dynasty for now they were subdued but resentment and unrest remained in the background in the ha River Valley one unusual agitator would eventually tip the scale a former Buddhist monk Nam panging Yu arrived in 1338 preaching the doctrine of the illegal White Lotus sect this religious movement inspired by Buddhism and manism prophesized that in the face of these injustices and growing chaos The Reincarnation of the Buddha was to arrive at any hour to guide the rightious to Harmony in this ponging Yu was not at his first attempt he had already inspired an unsuccessful Rebellion a few months prior after which he escaped and found refuge in the Haw River Valley for the next few years he would keep preaching his prophecy of apocalypse and Revolution to the local people events would give them a reason to revolt around May or June 1344 raging storms and torrential rain erupted engorging the mighty Yellow River which could no longer be contained the Unleashed hanga broke its dkes and flooded the whole region causing widespread death and destruction additionally severe drought occurred in regions no longer irrigated due to the shift in the course as a final nail in the coffin the crumbling un Dynasty could not even afford to repair the infrastructure leaving the population to its Dem might the family of 15-year-old J chongba would be shattered from this one too many disaster in subsequent epidemic and famine his father mother and eldest brother were all wiped out with virtually nothing to their name Drew and a surviving brother could not even afford to bury their relatives properly as he was evidently too young and vulnerable to fend for himself the teenager was entrusted to a local Buddhist Monastery as a novice soon learning the basic practices and way of life of a monk the life of the future emperor of China had suddenly taken a very different path J chongba would however not settle down in the temple for long given the generally disastrous situation the teenager and the other novices were sent out to beg for their food as mendicant monks a couple of months after arriving thus as from 1345 Drew began roaming the Hai River Valley as such despite the hardships he had a chance to discover the outside world and became very autonomous Drew's Adventure would end around 1347 or 1348 when he returned to the Buddhist Monastery after the situation likely improved he was seemingly prepared to live the rest of his life in the study of wisdom AC iring basic literacy and studying Buddhism fate however had much larger Ambitions for [Music] him by 1351 the UN authorities under the competent new Chancellor dogor were finally ready to subdue the Yellow River which still ran wild although this project was undertaken to appease and help the local population the means used would have the EXA opposite effect for the grand Endeavor 150,000 local civilians were mobilized the workers would be digging and building from May to December in extremely harsh conditions and with barely any pay for an outraged and hungry population agitated by fanatical sect leaders this was the breaking point donning a red turban on his forehead one Lotus sect disciple named rant organized a great Uprising in y Jo massing hundreds he had the firm intent of overthrowing the local government the UN dynasty was fragile but still far from on its knees reacting promptly local authorities quickly identified apprehended and executed Hanton judging another ordinary Riot had been put down however his legacy would survive the red turban Rebellion had begun across the region outraged youths flocked to the air of the Revolution the teenage son of Hanton named hanar and his Guardian the soon to be General Yong adopting the red turban the rebels swarmed Villages even capturing small towns and a few cities in an unbreakable momentum before long the revolution would come to draw in 1352 a red turban Commander named guing marched his forces into the region leading his men to capture H the largest city in the rural area on the 16th of February amidst these chaotic times Drew's Temple was plundered by ior roaming Bandits red turban Rebels or Rogue soldiers of the UN forces in any case the young man found himself once more without a home or Purpose with little to no prospects Jo eventually decided to join in the red turban Rebellion himself on the 15th of April 1352 at the age of 23 the ex monk presented himself at the gates of howo eager to join gu sing's ranks he then officially marked a new chapter in his life adopting the name of J Yen Jang a name which would Mark the C of History his Ascension could begin jyu and Jong turned out to be a good soldier and a natural leader since he also had Notions in literacy the young rebel was rapidly selected to become an officer in the growing red turban Army but evidently gu sing saw in him more than a simple subordinate the commander would take him into his own family marrying him to an adoptive daughter of his named ma now J Jong was someone despite its formidable start the red turban rebellion's initial momentum would be cut down as the Yan authorities had now reorganized and were ready to strike back led by The Talented Chancellor Toto the UN began a severe Crackdown on the Revolt they would retake Sho a major Rebel City and clamped down the rebels Everywhere by winter the city of H would find Itself encircled by the UN armies locally commanded by jalu the official who had overseen the repairs of the Yellow River dikes within the walls local Rebel leaders under major pressure felt a factionalism and internal strife it seemed like the rebellion was at an end but fate had other plans for Tru and Jang whose story would not stop there on the 17th of June 1353 as Halo was on the brink of surrender Commander jalu died leading to a retreat of the UN forces this was the long awaited opportunity for dran Jang to escape the quarreling of his superiors the young officer returned to his home Village to raise troops of his own his Newfound Fame and Prestige attracted reportedly 700 men among them were some of his soon to be best and most loyal generals such as one sha who was to one day capture the UN Capital itself but for now janjang and his men were far from Independence evidently a great asset for the cause red turban commanders promoted him to higher and higher positions as strw conquered several towns and districts north of the Yu River such as TR Jo in the months that followed these conquests allowed him to incorporate a staggering amount of soldiers into his Force now commanding about 30,000 troops however military men were not the only ones to join him in these chaotic times Idol Scholars and other literate men also sought out people to serve often being recruited by emerging Warlords in 1354 one such scholar named Le Shan Chong neither destitute nor well off entered service on the duu Jang as the young officers constantly expanding forces and territories were now too large to manage personally Le Shan Chong would become his main administrator and play a decisive role in Army Logistics more importantly Lee would teach him history and philosophy encouraging his employer to adhere to confusion values for example he would advise him based on historical events such as the actions of yoang the founder of the Han Dynasty who like Drew came from a peasant family putting an emphasis on the Confucian doctrine of benevolence Lee encouraged the future emperor of China to protect the people and show Mercy towards a defeated enemy his teachings greatly encouraged the developing Ambitions of the once illiterate orphan peasant evidently contributing to his legendary path strengthened by his new educated advisers jwes Conquest continued in early 1355 he victoriously entered reaching the Yu but the red turban's operations would be shaken by an unforeseen incident in March local Commander G A SE succumbed to illness the death of his mentor could have been the opportunity for Dru and Jang to inherit his position and become a formal Superior Commander but his growing ambition suffered a setback in B seat of the northern branch of the red turbin another event reshaped the Rebellion itself hanle and the teenage figurehead of the movement officially ascended the throne on the 16th of March at the age of about 16 he received the name of sha Ming Wang small king of brightness in reference to the White Lotus sect's beliefs and became the nominal emperor of a revived Song Dynasty this regime was however not the one which would reunite China now on the throne the symbolic teenage Monarch designated late G Zing's eldest surviving son guen shu to succeed as Commander as TR Jang was merely appointed as his second in command in spite of this Drew could count on his strong personal Prestige to attract Talented Scholars soldiers and officers during this period would flock to him Chang yuchun who would be JW's great General alongside suda but more importantly for the short run River Fleet commanders Yong an his younger brother and soon to be successor Leong and yonai also joined D their ships would become crucial for the red turban's next Ambitions ning known as the time as jing a jewel on the other side of the Y River it was time to expand south on the 10th of July 1355 the Army crossed the Y using the newly acquired Fleet although they were unable to capture ding in this initial attack its surroundings were rapidly secured forming a local base another unsuccessful attack in October would serve the interests of the ambitious Jan Jang as his last superior late gu sing's son guu perished in battle thus he was now the official commanderin-chief of the whole Force within the space of 3 years the young man had risen from a begging Buddhist monk to a full scale warlord adding to his Delight his wife ma bore his first son Drew on the 10th of October the future Crown Prince of the mean dynasty Jo's Legacy was launched after some careful preparation and reorganization duen Jang now in full control of the army was ready for another attempt at J on the 10th of April 1356 the city finally opened its gates to the triumphant General who promptly made it his personal capital and baptized it Ying Tien responding to heaven the Future naning Would One Day host the Imperial throne in addition to its strategic resources the city also hosted many Talented Scholars who would be recruited to form a small government in all but name slowly Paving the road for the future Ming Dynasty however jaw's rapid rise in Fame also attracted the ey of some a conspiration within the red turban forces to assassinate him was uncovered orchestrated by none other than his second in command Guan the last remaining son of his late Mentor gu sing the subordinate likely felt wronged by this man who stood in what he believed to be his rightful position in any case the conspirators prompt execution confirmed the supremacy of Jen Jang on this front of the sun Dynasty however the warlord would cunningly follow the advice of his Scholars who told him not to claim Independence yet but rather consolidate his forces famously scholar Jung would soon counsel him build High walls accumulate abundant provisions and Ascend the throne slowly thus duu and Jang remained loyal to the red turbin and the figurehead emperor hanar in this duu and Jong was a minority most of Rebel leaders emboldened and boastful were quick to officially establish their own kingdoms and dynasties his his very neighbors had done so to his East Jang Shu Chong a salt Smuggler turned Bandit King founded the state of T Jong had nearly been crushed by the competent un Chancellor Toto during the latter's Crackdown on the rebellions but amidst C Intrigue un Emperor toon Tor banished the official which gave Jang the opportunity to break the siege and recover the kingdom of D would become the richest and most powerful of the Rebel factions The Clash was inevitable as chuu and Jong continuously expanded East his capture of Chong Jo by the summer of 1357 prompted Jang Shu Chong to attack following a series of small victories Drew's talented Admiral Leong an ventured deep into enemy territory outstretching too much he was captured on the Waters of Lake Thai although he would endure 8 years of captivity until his death the Admiral would never betray Drew and agree to switch sides earning the young warlord's deepest respect in the meantime his rank would be inherited by his younger brother y Yong Jong as Drew held firm in a brilliant maneuver his forces captured the Bandit King's main General and brother Jang shirar in turn an inestimable price the commander however preferred to take his own life rather rather than to serve as a hostage and purposefully starved himself to death fighting between the two Rebels would soon quiet down jangu Chong accepted nominal surrender to the desperate y Dynasty in August in exchange for titles and Privileges julu and Jang not yet strong enough to challenge his neighbor fully would turn his focus elsewhere to the South another Rebel faction emerged around pirate king funun who ruled from the coast and had crucial control over Maritime transportation of grain to the capital for now he also nominally surrendered to the UN Dynasty with a dubious Allegiance but would one day have to be taken care of could the red turban movement as a whole converge its forces to defeat both rival Rebels and the UN Dynasty well from the onset of the Rebellion the red turbin had actually split into a northern and southern Branch two opposite factions which would soon Clash the northern Branch to which duu and Jong belonged was the soall S Dynasty nominally led by hanar protected by his General yuong they would achieve great Conquest in the North to the expense of the UN marking a great symbolic Victory Leong was able to capture the city of biyang today's Kang on the 11th of June 1358 and make it the D D's New Capital this city had indeed been the capital of the previous s Dynasty the last H Chinese Dynasty before the Mongol invasion from which they claimed succession their momentum would however soon be cut down by a new figure of the collapsing un an autonomous Mongol Commander named Tagan tar having raised troops of his own to face the rebels began a great reconquest of the North China plane he would re take Pang by the 10th of September 1359 compelling hanar and L to rebase to the small city of anang the red turban Southern Branch had embraced a different path after the failure of Hong's Uprising his old Mentor pong Yu still preaching Revolution found another disciple in one Shu sh originally a cloth vendor Shu embraced the red turban as well and began his own autonomous Rebellion leading the southern red turbin the rebel declared himself Emperor founding the state of tienan which by the end of the decade had massively expanded but much like hanar in the North Shu of tianan was only a figurehead Emperor his lack of true Authority would lead to his untimely end in 1360 when he was assassinated by his greatest General Chun Yol yang soon to be Jo and jong's great rival having eliminated the figurehead Chun then overthrew the state of tianan entirely the general founded in its place his own great KH Dynasty known as Chan Khan proclaiming himself Emperor all Southern red turban commanders would submit except for one Breakaway General named mingu Jun who would play an important role later on thus by the late 1350s a multitude of competing Rebel faction quarreled within the crumbling un Dynasty so where could the future emperor of China expand his domains the north was secured by friendly s generals the East was controlled by dong who was for now in a clear position of superiority the West upstream theang was held by Trang also too powerful to be t for the moment thus duw would March South to conquer regions still controlled by isolated UN forces if he wanted to become a respected leader Drew could not behave as any other Bandit king or ruthless warlord advised by his Confucian Scholars the future emperor of China imposed strict discipline on his generals he vowed not to be yet another pillaging Commander but a defender of the people no atrocities would be committed no looting would take place enemies would be respected and the People Protected in this aim Drew ordered the prompt execution of brutal commanders however talented found guilty of plundering and slaughtering strengthened by this respectable policy Jew would relatively easily conquer territory from the crumbling un Dynasty encountering small resistance a first wave of invasion in 1357 saw the conquests of Ning on the 12th of May qu Joel in August and CH Joel by the 13th of November another expedition was assembled in 1358 going further south ginaa would fall in January 1359 and the campaign ended by December with the capture of Chu Jo's expansion however attracted the ey of his Western neighbor trol who now officially led the southern red turbin initially inspired by the same man both Rebel factions would enter war and their Clash would culminate in the largest freshwater naval battle in world history chol emperor of the chanan dynasty evidently saw truan jong's rise as a threat to be be eliminated having a master formidable River Fleet Tron sailed down theang in June 1360 to strike at his rival's heart the city of Yen on his way he planned to take the Riverside citadels sud and Chun wh stood an attack at TR leading an unfaced cholong to besiege tying instead guarded by their tall walls y River fortresses were difficult Target after 3 days of unsuccessful attack the hand forces devised a new strategy using their huge ships masked to go over the walls of the city and crush the small garrisons within using this method cholang began steamrolling down the river joen Jang was in trouble his Naval force was 10 times smaller than his enemies and more worryingly tron's fleet was now sailing directly to Ying to protect his Capital Drew and his advisers promptly drafted a cunning battle plan fortifications were hastily raised as double agents spread misinformation to guide chun's forces into traps and Ambush parties were hidden in the surroundings of the anticipated Landing grounds by the 23rd of June the hand ships were cited on the horizon as the four forces inevitably clashed Drew's meticulous strategy gradually unfolded perfectly by dusk trol Young's force was utterly defeated losing 100 large ships 20,000 dead and 7,000 captured Not only was JW's domain saved but the future emperor of China had now gained Mastery over the river a protracted War ensued both on the Y front and on land in which JW's troops gained much ground the Han Emperor reconquered territory as far as antin although he was unable to retake Inland areas from Jew's generals by now Duan Jang had grown weary of his cumbersome neighbor mounting a Counterattack the ambitious warlord assembled a new Naval Force for a grand expedition to beat cholang once and for all pulling together most of his might the tens of thousand WR Army set sail from Yen on the 10th of September 1361 bypassing the Fortified River citadels druen Jang sailed to meet his enemy head on finally both fleets clashed at hulo on the 23rd of September cholang Was Defeated and fled to Wang pursued by suda who would blockade him there rather than a costly campaign of Conquest Drew opted to wait the war out as H cities gradually offered to surrender to the threatening Force amidst these conquests s Emperor hanar bestowed upon janang the prestigious title of Duke of [Music] War but the precious city of Nanchang was taking its time to defect soon troubling news would reach the Vanguard of the invading Force back in the East jangu Chong seized the brilliant opportunity to attack his undefended neighbor keeping his composure Jew decided to stay in trusting Chang utron with the defense of the Homeland the Commander's Talent was evident as he brilliantly repelled Jang shur Chang's forces breaking his invasion adding to his superior's relief Nanchang finally opened its Gates by the 10th of February 1362 allowing joyu and Jang to triumphantly return to his Capital the next month the path to Supremacy was filled with perilous obstacles another setback emerged when Jew faced a new assassination plot against him for unclear reasons the M ethnic minority Garrison in Jin and tro rebelled in March 1362 assassinating esteemed General huahai in the process and defecting the junction sh Chong this treason demanded an immediate response Joong appointed his nephew Leong who had recently completed studies under esteemed Scholars emerging as Drew's only educated relative and sha Rong one of his earliest companions to March South and crush the Rebels the region was successfully pacified but true danger would come from within sha Rong unsatisfied with Drew's apparent lack of recognition grew resentful against his Commander as his frustration deepened he eventually plotted to assassinate him in early August upon the Victorious Return of the expedition to Ying Tien the plot was however uncovered barely in time shaung and the other conspirators were promptly executed and once again Drew had cheated death as the warlord prepared for a decisive campaign to finish off Jang Chang moved his Focus to the north invading the vulnerable s territories undefeated in his momentum the Bandit king's forces eventually stormed anong on the 16th of February 1363 seat of hanar the nominal emperor of the so-called s Dynasty in the chaos of the battle the figurehead Emperor was captured as his main General and protector Lon died in battle since he had always claimed allegiance to the S regime and as many of his forces requested a response Dru and Jang could not ignore the aggression in March a rescue expedition was launched to retake anong and free hanar JW's forces saw Triumph once more as the 24-year-old nominal Emperor was liberated and relocated to nearby TR jool for safety or perhaps to exert better control on him in the meantime Jang shur Chang halted his expedition on former s territory returning to his capital and proclaiming himself king of War probably to provoke Jew who held the title of Duke of War but before the latter could tackle him directly it was time to win the war with cholong once and for [Music] all back in W Chong cholong was equally ready for an ultimate campaign amassing a formidable force of around 300,000 men the immense Fleet sailed South through Lake poang and initiated a bitter and lengthy Siege at nanchong on the 5th of June 1363 in which the Defenders would heroically hold strong meanwhile J and jang's own 100,000 man strong Fleet left Ying Tien with resolve sailing Upstream until it reached hul the m south of lake poong on the 24th of August over the next 4 days Jewel would raise fortifications at nanot and Jing Jang K effectively securing the entrance to the lake before sailing down on the 28th that same day cholong lifted The Siege at nanchong entering late poang in turn to confront his enemy both sides had amassed all their might and were now face to face the following day the largest freshwater naval battle in history would unfold JW's forces numbered only a third of his opponents but his ships were equipped with fully modernized Weaponry including bombs to be held using Naval truchet hand cannons and an array of other pyrotechnic weapons in addition bows and crossbows could drain down fire arrows on the enemy Fleet deploying his Naval Force in 11 squadrons D sha and changrun commanded the heaviest ships in the center the wings formed by lighter ships would be led by his Admirals Yong and yonai during the first day yonai Swift vessels were able to set many hand ships Ablaze but the powerful Han heavy crafts greatly damaged JW's main ships forcing him to retract his Fleet into a more defensible position the the situation looked bad for the future emperor of China as cholang was at a definite advantage in the night sha was ordered back to retreat to yingan with the most damaged ships as the second day broke Drew took drastic action by executing reluctant officers ordering another attack on the Han Fleet once more his forces were repelled suffering more losses reassessing the situation the GR commander and his staff convened to adopt a new strategy since the great hand ships were tightly packed together the council opted for one of the oldest strategies in The Art of War attack by fire a small Fleet of fireships was quickly assembled and dispatched towards the bulk of chun's Fleet the results were immediate JW's enemy suffered devastating losses many Han officers and even two of tron's Brothers fell as Knight descended on Lake poang both sides disengaged for repairs the following day was marked by small skirmishes and indecisiveness on both sides despite the fiery damage of the previous day the Han fleet was still significantly more powerful than Jo and jongs who would evidently lose a battle of attrition as the situation seemed Bleak fate intervened once more in favor of the future emperor of China land reinforcements under General hudai G had finally arrived from the East to Garrison and Chang as the city was now strongly protected Drew could adapt his strategy during the night the warlord pulled his Fleet out of the lake stationing in hul Hall he was now free to set up a great blockade and assemble a whole Fleet of fire ships knowing that Tron eventually had to leave poon for a month the battle froze as both sides remained in their positions but eventually the Han Emperor began his return to W Chong leaving the lake on the 3rd or fourth of October this would be a fatal mistake his ship sailed directly into Drew's incendiary trap as the hand vessels reached Hall the fleet of fire ships rushed towards them unleashing a hell of panic and destruction on tron's fleet which completely scattered becoming easy prey for JW's forces in the debacle cholang himself was compelled to switch flagships via a small boat during which he was struck in the head by a stray Arrow the Han Emperor was dead thus his Force's morale collapsed the following day most surviving Sailors and officers would surrender only a few escaping back to W Chong the Battle of Lake po young was over although small remnants persisted the H dynasty was now essentially defeated its formal end would come in February 1364 after a lengthy Siege of Wong in a symbolic gesture trol yong's 12-year-old son and successor trun Le abdicated and personally surrendered to the Victorious draw in typical Confucian benevolence not only did the triumphant Commander spare him but he gave chle the title of Marquee of Gua and invited him to stay in a lavish residence in Ying Tien over the next few months The Last Hand territories were gradually incorporated into Joan jong's domain with very little resistance thus after a bit of 4year struggle the war had been won empowered by the subjugation of his Western Foe jwu and J assumed the title of king of war in turn challenging Jang shur Chang who had adopted the same title a year prior another step on the path of Imperial claim 1365 13 years after joining the red turban Rebellion Jen Jang now king of War had slowly risen from a simple Soldier to its Champion he now personally controlled a great chunk of southern China spanning over a th000 kilm with the absorption of the hand territories jwes the main now directly contacted another faction of the last years of the UN Dynasty Beyond his western border stood the territory of mingu jun this oneeyed warlord once a general of the Southern red turbin had refused to recognize trang's uration of the movement and broke away seeking autonomy 2 years later the ambitious man established his own State the great sh Dynasty known as Mia subsequently ascending the throne as its Emperor muu Jon however posed no real threats to druen Jang having no Ambitions of expanding towards him the real danger came from the East the mighty Jang sh Chong recently jang's generals had launched several attacks on JW's domains and it was now time to respond in a decisive operation JW sent his generals to break a Siege at s Chong in March 1365 but if Jung were to be completely defeated a long-term strategy and an elaborate campaign would be needed how could TR achieve Total Conquest after lengthy deliberation with his advisers the strategy of clipping the wings before striking at the heart was agreed the pal essentially severing and capturing the North and South branches of Jung's territory before smiting his capital of sudo sh was tasked with Conquering the North and the general marched his forces to taol which was successfully taken in December after securing its surroundings the Army could then use the Grand Canal to its Advantage sailing up the Waterway suda and his Force stored gaol which was captured by the 24th of April of the following year JW's war machine was Unstoppable by the time summer came all of jang's territory north of the Yi had fallen however his demise came to a standstill as with Summer's onset the campaign was paused indeed feeding several 100,000 fighting men was no small task to maintain his army without burdening the civilians drw CH embraced the traditional system of military Farms called junon widely employed in the history of China the practice of mobilizing troops to produce their own food supplies was brought to an industrial scale by julen Jong in fact not only did his Dron ta Farms prevent additional Taxation and requisition on the people but they eventually became an additional source of prosperity and surplus these annual hals in military campaigns were periods of weakness for the warlord and his forces but neither the UN Dynasty nor Jang Shang saw in them the opportunity to Counterattack and so as harvest came to an end Drew's armies were back on the March his main force of 200,000 men under sha and changon soon battered at the walls of H as Wong besieged H which both fell in early December 1366 thus Jang Shu Chong's Wings had been clipped and it was now time to converge all forces to strike at the Heart by the end of the month they had arrived at sudo fully prepared and with its commanders making a Last Stand the city would hold firm for months despite heavy bombardment of jaw's cannons in the meantime for unknown reasons J and Jang summoned the Al 27-year-old Emperor hanar still in TR Jo to yen in January 1367 however in suspicious circumstances the ship carrying him across the y sunk claiming the life of the red turban emperor in the process now Dru and Jang answered to No One not even in name he was a single year away from ascending the throne with this Imperial ambition scholar officials including talented bureaucrats masters of Ceremonies and Architects started working tirelessly as yingan would gradually be transformed from the seat of a warlord into a fullscale imperial capital with the advice of astrologers the grand Imperial City and the Forbidden City were laid out to the east of the old city and slowly erected by thousands of Masons Carpenters Stone Carvers and engineers soon elaborate palaces for the Affairs of the state and the Imperial household along with altars to Heaven and Earth and an imperial ancestral Shrine worshiping Jan jun's forefathers were built but the soon to be emperor of China did not forget the immense power of intellectual prowess a hanin Academy was also founded to host the elite of the Literati allowing the most Talented Scholars to advise the Imperial Court produce literary works and compile records military matters however shifted the focus of druen Jong on the 1st of October 1367 sool finally fell to Drew's forces amidst the chaos of the breach City jangu Chong was barely intercepted while attempting to hang himself and taken captive to yingan while Drew expected him to formly surrender and recognize his superiority Jang shur Chang stonly refused the offer holding strong Until the End eventually he died in captivity either succeeded in killing himself or being assassinated following Jang sha Chang's defeat his territory was incorporated into Drew's realm despite having acquired immense territory the soon to be Emperor had no intention of stopping until all the UN Empire was his from the beginning of autumn 1367 a great northern expedition was prepared under sha and chuun in parallel a huge Southern expedition was launched with a colossal land Force Under General H as well as a swift seafaring Fleet to sail down the coast under General tangar pirate king Fang Goran promptly surrendered by December leaving only one small Rebel Kingdom and the UN y itself as jaw's opponents at the turn of the Year while H captured cha the northern Expedition invading the un's core territory reached and captured Gan amidst his Unstoppable Conquest the orphan peasant turned Supreme warlord with no superiors marked history forever it was time to claim what he had built up to for 15 years the Mandate of Heaven 23rd of January 1368 Ying great crowds had gathered for a historical moment Drew assisted by his loyal scholar Lee Shan Chong as Grandmaster of Ceremonies began the event with the offering of sacrifices at the Suburban alars of Heaven and Earth on Jong Shan Mountain also known as Purple Mountain announcing before the spirits the proclamation of the new era the name would become synonymous with d Jong who thus became the hu Emperor Drew had initiated the system one era for one generation ensuring that all subsequent Emperors would only have one Regal name this system would even carry on in the Ching Dynasty there would be only one exception found in hung's great great grandson J C J an emperor who would be captured by the Mongols and replaced only to reclaim his throne later but this is a story for another video in any case a new Dynasty had dawned one of Radiance which would hold China for nearly 300 years its nameing great Ming meaning brightness having officially founded his lineage important officials of the new Dynasty gathered to formerly congratulate Jen Jang the hungu emperor following this the hongu emperor proceeded to the ancestral Shrine to pay respects to his forefathers where he delivered patents certifying their Imperial nature and bestowing honorific Temple names on them the little information that is known about them today may have been fabricated on this occasion finally Dru and Jang proceeded to the funan hall at the heart of the Forbidden City of yingan soon to be renamed naning in the Palace built for great ceremonies he received formal congratulations of high-ranking military and civil officials an Edict of Proclamation was drafted emphasizing the legitimacy of the UN Dynasty through replace the S and now of the Ming Guided by the hungu emperor to replace the UN the document was promptly dispatched throughout the Empire and Beyond its borders Jan jang's wife who had stayed close to him through thick and thin since he had joined the red turban Rebellion became the emperor SM their son dral now 12 years old was declared Crown Prince in a quarter of a century amidst chaotic times an orphaned peasant boy had claimed the Mandate of Heaven ascended the Throne of China and founded the great Ming Dynasty Dru and Jang had already made his mark on history but the emperor's ambition would not stop there he was determined to Annex the whole un Dynasty which still claimed to be the legitimate authority over the Empire and reunify the country under his rule seemingly benevolent at first his Reign would later take a very dark turn thank you for watching my video I hope you enjoyed it if so please leave a like And subscribe to the channel if you have any questions or requests feel free to leave them in the comment section 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