Preface

Zhu Yuanzhang, as the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, has been praised by history for his statecraft and policy measures. However, after the destruction of the Yuan Dynasty, he faced a huge problem of what to do with the hundreds of thousands of captured Mongol women.

This is a problem that tugs at the nerves of society as a whole, as mishandling can lead to social unrest and moral crisis. However, Zhu Yuanzhang's disposition has been called clever by the world, what kind of amazing means can make people so admired?

1. The Yuan Dynasty fell, and hundreds of thousands of Mongolian women became a problem for the Ming Dynasty

In 1368, under the leadership of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming army finally captured the last city of the Yuan Dynasty, Dadu. This marked the official end of the Mongol dynasty's rule in the Central Plains and the return of China to the Han Chinese. However, with the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, a thorny question remained: what to do with the hundreds of thousands of Mongol women?

Most of these Mongolian women were concubines and court maids of the Yuan Dynasty royal family and its nobles, as well as women from ordinary people's families. During the reign of the Yuan Dynasty, they were forced to leave their homeland and come to the Central Plains, where they became appendages of the Mongol rulers. Now, with the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, their fate is also in jeopardy.

For these Mongolian women, Zhu Yuanzhang was faced with a dilemma: on the one hand, they were once part of the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty and were one of the sources of long-term oppression of the Han people, and if they were simply killed, it would undoubtedly cause more ethnic hatred, and on the other hand, if they were left to fend for themselves, it would also cause a large number of people to be lost, which was a heavy blow to the newly established Ming Dynasty.

Faced with this thorny question, how will Zhu Yuanzhang deal with these Mongolian women, so as to resolve this problem and consolidate the rule of the Ming Dynasty?

2. Zhu Yuanzhang's wise move: preferential treatment of female captives, differentiation and absorption

As a peasant-born founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang possessed extraordinary wisdom and foresight, although he lacked cultural accomplishments. He knew that if he simply killed all these Mongolian women, not only would he not be able to resolve the ethnic contradictions, but would deepen the hatred between the Han and Mongolian ethnic groups, thus affecting the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty. So, Zhu Yuanzhang proposed a very wise disposal plan: preferential treatment of female prisoners, differentiation and absorption.

First of all, Zhu Yuanzhang demanded that these Mongolian women must learn Chinese, be familiar with Han culture and customs, and wear Han costumes. This was not only to allow them to integrate into the society of the Ming Dynasty, but also to gradually eliminate the cultural barrier between them and the Han Chinese.

Second, Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that these Mongolian women must find a Han husband and marry them. This would not only increase the population of the Ming Dynasty, but also promote the integration of the Han and Mongolian ethnic groups through this kind of inter-ethnic marriage.

In this way, Zhu Yuanzhang skillfully resolved the problem of disposing of hundreds of thousands of Mongolian women. On the one hand, he did not simply kill them all to avoid triggering more ethnic hatred, and on the other hand, he did not let them fend for themselves, but adopted effective policies to bring them under the rule of the Ming Dynasty and become part of the Ming Dynasty.

This practice of "giving preferential treatment to female captives and differentiating and absorbing" not only reflects Zhu Yuanzhang's wisdom, but also fully demonstrates his foresight as a founding emperor. In this way, Zhu Yuanzhang not only consolidated the rule of the Ming Dynasty, but also laid the foundation for future ethnic integration.

Third, Lan Yu's violation of discipline aroused Zhu Yuanzhang's anger

However, even if Zhu Yuanzhang adopted such a wise policy to resolve the problem of disposing of hundreds of thousands of Mongolian women, there will still be some exceptions. The most famous of these is the disciplinary violation of the general Lan Yu.

Lan Yu is Zhu Yuanzhang's right-hand man for his eldest son, and he has made many meritorious contributions in the military campaigns of the Ming Dynasty. However, during an attack on the Mongol army, Lan Yu disobeyed Zhu Yuanzhang's orders and forcibly took possession of some captured Mongol princesses.

These Mongolian princesses were all beautiful women, and they were once the favored objects of the Mongolian emperor. However, after being captured, they were humiliated by Lan Yu. This behavior not only violated Zhu Yuanzhang's policy of treating prisoners well, but also seriously damaged the reputation of the Ming Dynasty.

When this news reached Zhu Yuanzhang's ears, he was immediately furious. As a peasant-born founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang was well aware of the importance of the people's hearts, and he knew that only by winning the hearts of the people could the rule of the Ming Dynasty be consolidated. And Lan Yu's behavior is undoubtedly destroying the good image he has established.

So, Zhu Yuanzhang did not hesitate to order Lan Yu to be executed. This is not only to punish Lan Yu for his disciplinary violations, but also to show the people of the whole country that even his most trusted generals are not above the law. This decisive decision not only demonstrated Zhu Yuanzhang's deterrent power, but also further consolidated his dominance in the Ming Dynasty.

Fourth, Zhu Yuanzhang's foresight laid the foundation for the Ming Dynasty

Through various measures, Zhu Yuanzhang successfully resolved the problem of disposing of hundreds of thousands of Mongolian women, and in this way, laid a solid foundation for the long-term development of the Ming Dynasty.

First of all, Zhu Yuanzhang's policy of "preferential treatment of female captives, differentiation and absorption" not only increased the population of the Ming Dynasty, but also promoted the integration between the Han and Mongolian ethnic groups. This kind of inter-ethnic marriage can not only eliminate the estrangement between the two ethnic groups, but also gradually integrate Mongolian culture into the society of the Ming Dynasty. This was a huge boost to the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty.

Secondly, Zhu Yuanzhang's decisive handling of Lan Yu's disciplinary violations not only demonstrated his deterrent power, but also demonstrated his fairness and integrity to the people of the whole country. This image will greatly enhance the people's trust and support for the Ming Dynasty and lay a solid foundation for the long-term rule of the Ming Dynasty.

Finally, Zhu Yuanzhang's wise actions also laid a good foundation for the future development of the Ming Dynasty. In this way, it not only increased the population of the Ming Dynasty, but also promoted ethnic integration, laying a solid foundation for the long-term stability and prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

It can be said that it was precisely because of Zhu Yuanzhang's foresight and wise decision-making that the Ming Dynasty was able to gain a firm foothold in the land of the Central Plains and eventually became one of the most glorious dynasties in history. This kind of achievement is undoubtedly the extraordinary talent shown by Zhu Yuanzhang as a founding emperor from a peasant background.

epilogue

Through these wise moves, Zhu Yuanzhang not only successfully resolved the problem of disposing of hundreds of thousands of Mongolian women, but also laid a solid foundation for the long-term development of the Ming Dynasty. This kind of foresight is also the extraordinary talent shown by Zhu Yuanzhang as a founding emperor from a peasant background.