Preface:
As we all know, Korea has always been China's younger brother in ancient times.
But when China is divided or the ownership of the throne is unclear, who should North Korea recognize as its elder brother?
This puts North Korea in a difficult position.
Ming Dynasty and North Korea Territory Map
Ming DynastyJingnan Campaign period, North Korea was wavering on the issue of choosing Zhu Yunwen or Zhu Di , and got very worried.
So, what did North Korea do during the Jingnan War?
Why do North Koreans make Zhu Yunwen look like a fool, but respect Zhu Di like a god?
01, Chinese brother
The Korean Peninsula and China belong to the same continent of East Asia, facing each other across the sea to the south and bounded by Changbai Mountain to the north.
In ancient times, the Korean Peninsula had barren land, a small area, and a small population. Compared with China, its strength was very weak, and it had no choice but to submit to China.
Since North Korea is very poor and remote, China has little need to rule the Korean Peninsula.
In addition to Emperor Wu of the Han period, Weiman was destroyed. North Korea established 4 counties and Tang Dynasty period. In the period of the Tang Dynasty, it united with Silla to destroy Goguryeo and Baekje , and established Andong Protectorate 42 state. During the rest of the period, China did not establish direct rule in North Korea.
Therefore, as far as China is concerned, as long as North Korea acts as a vassal state, the two sides will basically be in peace with each other.
North Korea’s history of becoming a vassal to China is very early.
In 1120 BC, after King Wu of Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou 's uncle Jizi established Jizi Korea on the Korean peninsula, and divided up the Korean peninsula with Chen State . After the establishment of Jizi Korea, it became a vassal state of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
In the early Ming Dynasty, the territory map of Goryeo
Since then, while the Chinese dynasties were changing, the regime in North Korea has also been changing, but no matter how it changes, North Korea has always been at ease as China's little brother (At the end, the changes in the ancient Korean regime are attached) , always It extended to the Goryeo period (in the early days of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Goryeo became a vassal to the Northern Yuan Dynasty) .
HongwuIn the twenty-first year of Hongwu (1388), the powerful minister of Goryeo Li Chenggui launched a coup and took control of the power of the Goryeo Dynasty.
As soon as Li Chenggui came to power, he led the Goryeo Dynasty to defect to the Ming Dynasty and paid tribute to Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang.
On July 17, the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu's reign (1392), Li Chenggui officially usurped the throne and proclaimed himself king to establish the Li family's Korean dynasty.
Li Chenggui, the Taizu of Joseon
Hongwu twenty-sixth year (1393) On February 15th, Zhu Yuanzhang gave the country the name of North Korea, but did not officially canonize Li Chenggui as king. He only gave him the "right to know the state affairs of North Korea".
Zhu Yuanzhang’s meaning is very simple. I accept you as a younger brother, but if you want to be the king, it depends on your performance.
North Korea barely became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yuanzhang has no interest in the land of North Korea. As long as you become a vassal, everything is easy to talk about. He has always adopted a soft policy towards North Korea, fighting and pulling back.
North Korea also knows that Zhu Yuanzhang is very powerful and cannot be offended at all. Since Zhu Yuanzhang gave him face, he can't toast him without having to drink fine wine. He can just be an honest and responsible younger brother. Even the long-coveted territory near Changbai Mountain is not allowed. Don't dare to covet it even a little bit.
Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's portrait
02, political turmoil
On the tenth day of the fifth lunar month in the thirty-first year of Hongwu (June 24, 1398) , Zhu Yuanzhang died; Zhu Yunwen subsequently succeeded to the throne as Emperor Jianwen.
As soon as Zhu Yunwen succeeded to the throne, he began to implement the policy of reducing vassalage without any plan, and finally forced the King of Yan Zhu Di to rebel.
In June of the first year of Jianwen (1399), Zhu Di officially launched the Jingnan Campaign.
A major civil strife broke out within the Ming Dynasty as Zhu Di and Zhu Yunwen competed for the throne.
Stills of Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen
With the succession of Zhu Yunwen and the outbreak of the Jingnan Campaign, North Korea's policy towards the Ming Dynasty also quietly changed.
North Korea saw that Zhu Yunwen was young and far less powerful than Zhu Yuanzhang, so he began to make moves.
The North Korean "Liao Attack Faction" headed by Prime Minister Zheng Daozhuan is preparing to send troops to attack the Ming Dynasty and seize some areas near Changbai Mountain. The
plan was supported by Li Chenggui and the crown prince Li Fangshuo.
However, Li Chenggui's five sons Li Fangyuan , Zuo Zhengcheng Zhao Jun and others were firmly opposed.
In the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu (1394), Zhu Yuanzhang asked Li Chenggui to send a son to the Ming Dynasty to explain some diplomatic disputes.
It was Li Fangyuan who was sent to the Ming Dynasty at that time.
Therefore, Li Fangyuan knew how powerful the Ming Dynasty was. With the strength of North Korea, it was no match for the Ming Dynasty. If the "Liao Attacking Faction" started a war without permission, it would be asking for death.
In August of the year Zhu Yuanzhang died, Li Chenggui took the lead in reducing the vassal status, intending to take back the military power of his sons.
Li Chenggui has eight sons, and the most powerful one is Li Fangyuan.
His father wanted to take over power, but Li Fangyuan didn't give him any face. He directly launched the First Prince Rebellion and killed the eldest son Li Fangshuo, forcing Li Chenggui to change his second son Li Fangguo to be the crown prince.
In September, Li Chenggui was forced to give the Zen throne to Li Fanguo.
In fact, Li Bangguo is a puppet, and it is Li Bangyuan who holds the real power in North Korea.
Li Fangyuan immediately sent envoys to the Ming Dynasty to express condolences to Zhu Yuanzhang and celebrate Zhu Yunwen's accession to the throne.
At the same time, North Korea notified the new boss Zhu Yunwen of the news that Li Chenggui abdicated and Li Bangguo came to the throne, and stated that North Korea would use the first year of Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty in the second year.
In this series of diplomatic activities, North Korea has only one meaning: North Korea wants to recognize Zhu Yunwen as the boss.
At that time, Zhu Yunwen was eager to reduce the vassal and had no energy to deal with North Korea's affairs, so he accepted Li Fangyuan's goodwill.
In the first month of the second year of Jianwen (1400), Li Fangyuan launched the Second Prince's Rebellion, forcing Li Fangguo to abdicate. On November 13, Li Fangyuan officially became the spokesperson of North Korea and was the Taizong of North Korea.
Portrait of Joseon Taizong Li Fangyuan
03, taking advantage of the opportunity
After Li Fangyuan took office, he immediately sent envoys to report to Zhu Yunwen, and at the same time asked Zhu Yunwen to grant him the title of king of Korea instead of "the right to know the state affairs of Korea."
At that time, Zhu Yunwen sent a large army to attack Zhu Di, but the progress was unfavorable, especially in March of the third year of Jianwen (1401) . After the failure of the Battle of Jiahe, Zhu Yunwen's army was defeated and suffered heavy losses, especially the cavalry was severely damaged and there was an extreme lack of horses.
In order to win over Li Fangyuan, Zhu Yunwen recognized Li Fangyuan's status.
In June of the third year of Jianwen (1401) , Zhu Yunwen officially sent envoys to confer Li Fangyuan as the king of Korea.
In February of the next year, Zhu Yunwen even gave Li Fangyuan nine chapters of imperial robes and the title of prince, commensurate with the flesh and blood of North Korea.
As a condition, Li Fangyuan must not get involved with Zhu Di, and he will also sell 10,000 war horses to Zhu Yunwen to support the war.
North Korean horse
Zhu Yunwen's weakness made Li Fangyuan start to think about it.
At the beginning, Li Fangyuan strictly maintained neutrality, neither helping Zhu Yunzhen nor Zhu Di.
But when Li Fang saw that Zhu Yunwen's situation was getting worse and worse, he agreed to trade tribute horses, either deliberately delaying the delivery time, or passing them off as inferior (these bad horses were directly thrown into the battlefield by Zhu Yunwen, and the consequences worsened) The loss of the army, Zhu Yunwen was tricked by Li Fangyuan) , and in the end only more than 7,000 war horses were given to Zhu Yunwen.
Faced with North Korea's small moves, Zhu Yunwen chose to swallow his anger in order to avoid causing complications.
But Li Fangyuan became more and more courageous. After the Jingnan War broke out, a large number of refugees from the Liaodong region of the Ming Dynasty poured into North Korea.
In April of the fourth year of Jianwen (1042) , Lin Balasili, a member of Qianhu in the Dongning Guard of Dongning in the Ming Dynasty, led more than 10,000 tribesmen to defect to North Korea, killing a large number of Ming troops on the way. According to regulations, North Korea must not Accept the traitors of the Ming Dynasty.
But Li Fangyuan not only accepted the Linbalasi tribe and placed them in various Korean villages, but he also turned a blind eye to the documents sent by Zhu Yunwen to repatriate the rebels, and took the opportunity to expand some territory in the Liaodong area.
It is obvious that as Zhu Yunwen was at a disadvantage in the Battle of Jingnan, Li Fangyuan no longer bought Zhu Yunwen's account. He not only stopped the tribute horse trade without authorization, but also drove all the envoys sent by Zhu Yunwen out of North Korea.
This means that Li Fangyuan completely abandoned Zhu Yunwen and stood by Zhu Di's side.
As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yunwen really had no one to mess with. Not only was he beaten by Zhu Di until he doubted his life, but he was also fooled around by Li Fangyuan.
Zhu Yuanzhang has a spirit in heaven, and I am afraid he will be angry.
04, Return from the Lost Path
Li Fangyuan has known Zhu Di for a long time. In the 27th year of Hongwu, before Li Fangyuan returned to China from his mission to the Ming Dynasty, he passed by Peiping and secretly met Zhu Di. At that time, he felt that Zhu Di was a person, saying Maybe he will become the Ming Emperor in the future.
"The appearance of the sky and the sun, the posture of dragons and phoenixes, the magnanimity and magnanimity, cannot be the king of a vassal for a long time."
Therefore, Li Fangyuan and Zhu Di formed a good relationship.
In the twenty-eighth year of Hongwu (1395), Zhu Di reached a horse-buying deal with North Korea, and Zhu Di's exchanges with North Korea became increasingly close.
This aroused Zhu Yuanzhang's dissatisfaction. Zhu Yuanzhang gave Zhu Di a severe lesson and prohibited Zhu Di from contacting North Korea as a vassal king.
After the Battle of Jingnan broke out, Zhu Di led the main force southward, leaving the vassal state empty.
In order to avoid a fire in the backyard, Zhu Di is also very polite to North Korea and has been wooing Li Fangyuan.
Therefore, although Li Fangyuan did not side with Zhu Di, he kept in contact with Zhu Di and did not dare to completely turn to Zhu Yunwen.
To put it bluntly, Li Fangyuan just acts according to the situation, hedging his bets and following whoever is stronger.
With Zhu Di's victory in the Battle of Jingnan, Li Fangyuan finally began to completely fall towards Zhu Di.
On June 13, the fourth year of Jianwen, Zhu Di captured Nanjing; on June 17, Zhu Di officially ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, becoming the founder of the Ming Dynasty .
Portrait of Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty
Three months later, Li Fangyuan learned the news. He immediately sent an envoy to the Ming Dynasty to celebrate Zhu Di's ascension to the throne, and immediately announced the abolition of the Jianwen reign name and changed it to the Hongwu reign name (After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he refused to Zhu Yunwen was not recognized as the emperor, and the Jianwen era name was changed to the Hongwu era name) .
Moreover, Li Fangyuan also returned the traitors such as Lin Balashili who had been accepted before to the Ming Dynasty.
Li Fangyuan recognized Zhu Di as emperor so readily, which made Zhu Di very happy.
Zhu Di immediately sent an envoy to North Korea to express his condolences to Li Fangyuan. Zhu Di also recognized the position of king of North Korea recognized by Zhu Yunwen;
Zhu Di also had the traitors sent back to North Korea;
Zhu Di also had some of the territory previously occupied by North Korea, Zhu Di also recognized it; It also stated that it would not pursue any investigation or deal with it, and would admit that it was obtained by North Korea.
Zhu Di showed enough kindness to Li Fangyuan and gave Li Fangyuan enough face.
Of course, it’s not enough to just show kindness, you also have to put some pressure on North Korea.
Zhu Di sent someone to tell Li Fangyuan that the horses you promised to Zhu Yunwen have not yet been given, and the deal is still valid. You must hand over the remaining 2193 horses, and you must not pass them off as good ones.
At the same time, Zhu Di also demanded that North Korea must sell 10,000 cattle to the Ming Dynasty.
Obviously, Li Fangyuan had to agree to Zhu Di's request, otherwise Zhu Di would let him see the power of Ming Dynasty.
Li Fangyuan did not dare to offend Zhu Di and ascend the throne. Although Zhu Di's request was a considerable burden to North Korea, he still accepted it in full.
The classic line of Korean drama, "It is the greatest honor to be the dog of the Ming Dynasty" is a true portrayal of the relationship between North Korea and the Ming Dynasty
So, starting from Zhu Di, North Korea respected the Ming Dynasty, and the two countries loved each other as father and son (North Korea really treated the Ming Dynasty Serving as a biological father) .
Korea also became the most loyal vassal state of the Ming Dynasty until the demise of the Ming Dynasty.
Conclusion,
Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Di were both emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Why did Li Fangyuan have completely opposite attitudes?
The answer is in one sentence: The truth is always within the range of the cannon, and dignity only exists on the edge of the sword.
When Zhu Yunwen was so weak that he couldn't take care of himself and couldn't protect himself, how could Li Fangyuan listen to him?
On the contrary, after Zhu Di became the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he became very powerful. How could Li Fangyuan dare not be respectful?
Appendix 1:
In ancient times, the main political regimes on the Korean Peninsula were:
From 1120 BC to 194 BC, Jizi North Korea and Chen State;
From 194 BC to 107 BC, Weiman North Korea and Chen State;
108 BC - 313 BC, Mahahan , Chenhan, Benzhan (i.e. three Koreas) ;
314-668, Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla;
668-901, Silla;
918 -1392, Wang's Korea;
1392~1910, Li's Korea.
