Zhu Di

The third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, also known as the dragon throne, was Zhu Di. When his father Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming Emperor, died he left orders that disallowed any of his sons from succeeding him. Instead, Zhu Yuanzhang's grandson, Zhu Yunwen, became the second Ming Emperor. Zhu Yunwen held the throne only a short time, when Zhu Di forced him out and reclaimed the dragon throne.

Zhu Yuanzhang had ascribed to the Confucian belief that China should remain isolated from other countries. They felt that developing trade relations with foreign countries was dangerous. They also felt that such relationships would be an admission that China was not self-sufficient and had to rely on others to survive. China would, therefore, appear weak and lose prestige. Zhu Di, however, had a more progressive view of what would serve China and its people well. He saw the...