On December 2, 1684, the second day of the following year, in order to show respect for Former Ming and Zhu Yuanzhang, Kangxi walked in the corridor and held a ceremony of "three kneeling and nine knocks" in front of the memorial hall, which showed respect that made everyone present very moved. So why did Kangxi, as emperor of the Qing Dynasty, kneel in front of the tomb of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty?
First of all, according to the cultural traditions of the time, the people of the Qing Dynasty always faced the dead with reverence. Psychologically speaking, in a social atmosphere of respect for the deceased, there is nothing unreasonable about prostrating the deceased. As an emperor, it is reasonable to bow to the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which indicates the place where the kangxi emperor was sage.
At that time, the etiquette would have a huge impact on the Han people, because when the Qing Dynasty was first established, people's thinking was unstable, especially among the Han people, who deeply missed the Ming Dynasty, and Kangxi did not really want to express his respect for Zhu Yuanzhang, but he knew that by doing so, to a certain extent, he alleviated social contradictions and established the image of the sage and the Ming Emperor. In the next few ceremonies, the Kangxi Emperor did not actually pay such a large ceremony.
The Kangxi Emperor held a solemn ceremony for Zhu Yuanzhang this time and invited many court officials to attend. Among these ministers, there must be some Han Chinese. There were also many Han Chinese people watching the crowd from the sidelines. This pilgrimage by the Kangxi Emperor also implicitly pointed out that he was the successor of the Ming Dynasty. The worship of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty also proved to the Han people their respect for the Han and allowed the Han to obey the Qing to maintain their rule.
This kind of worship is not only to worship Zhu Yuanzhang, but also to attract the attention of the Han people. Kangxi wanted to use this method to prove to the old men of the Ming Dynasty that he was a holy monarch and not a weak monarch. At the same time, it is also hoped that the Han people will be better under their rule, the living standards will be improved, and the social contradictions will be alleviated. Manchus and Han Chinese should be one family.
In fact, in ancient times, many bowing ceremonies were for kneeling emperors or elders in the family. Kangxi's kneeling to the Ming Emperor also proves that the Kangxi Emperor spread the truth to the people. The Kangxi Emperor treated Zhu Yuanzhang like his elders, and he and the Han were actually family.
The Kangxi Emperor played a very important role in the Qianlong pilgrimage. When he first visited Zhu Yuanzhang, he walked along the corridor used by hundreds of officials, not the road reserved for the emperor. In order to show the Han people that their status is inferior to Zhu Yuanzhang, so that the Han people's hearts support the new dynasty, that is, subconsciously tell the Han people that they are doing a good job, and they will also treat the gifts of the Ming emperor very well.
There are two reasons for this. One is to respect Zhu Yuanzhang, and the other is to better rule the world and show it to the people.
All in all, as a sage of the Qing Dynasty, the Kangxi Emperor certainly wanted the country to prosper under his rule, and popular support was one of the necessary conditions for the country to prosper. Through this gift of degrading the status of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, it will naturally be recognized by many people, and during the reign of the Kangxi Dynasty, some economic adjustments have been made and the people's lives have been greatly improved. This is also the gradual progress of the Han people. He developed a good impression of the new dynasty and gradually succumbed.
Kangxi did have a high mind and spirit, explaining to the world that he also had the same talents as Zhu Yuanzhang and was determined to better rule the Qing Dynasty. To a certain extent, it can be seen that the Kangxi Emperor respected and appreciated Zhu Yuanzhang.