Beneath the Sun and Moon

An emperor for the ages. Zhu Yuanzhang began with a single bowl. In that bowl lay a shattered realm and the dignity the Han people had lost over four hundred years. Under the Yuan dynasty, the Han people lost not only the confidence that all under heaven belonged to the sovereign, but even their own traditional dress and rites. Across the land, nine out of every ten Confucian scholars had fallen to begging. The elegance of the Tang and Song dynasties had been cast aside, and Chinese civilization had sunk to its lowest point. When Zhu Yuanzhang reclaimed Henan, Hebei, Shandong, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, Liaodong, and other lands that had been lost for centuries, the Han people of the north dressed much like the Hu peoples, and their language and customs had changed dramatically. Their sense of belonging to a unified China had nearly collapsed. Without Zhu Yuanzhang’s forceful restoration of Chinese dress and customs, his revival of Han identity, and his preservation of Chinese culture, a unified China might never have existed again. Zhu Yuanzhang swept away the weakness of the Song, rallied the Han to drive out their enemies, restored China, and founded a mighty Ming dynasty built on an unbreakable backbone. He rescued the Han people from enslavement and humiliation, and made the powerful Ming Empire the foremost realm under heaven. His historical achievements far surpassed those of Tang Taizong and Han Wudi, rivaling even Qin Shi Huang. Some reckless people have tampered with the historical record, condemning his harsh laws and fierce temperament, and even falsely accusing him of slaughtering his meritorious officials. This story is written to clear his name. And there is one point of paramount importance: no emperor in history treated the common people better than Emperor Taizu of Ming. That is precisely why, in just thirty years, the Ming enjoyed recovery and prosperity, with a wealthy nation, contented people, and a flourishing age. Emperor Hongwu, six hundred years later, a descendant of the Han people blessed by Heaven bows before you! Bows before you! This story restores the truth of history. Stepping beyond the history textbooks watered down with countless omissions, it reveals a Ming dynasty more powerful and glorious than we have imagined. The story spans fifty years and follows two generations of emperors, Hongwu and Yongle.