Cui Pu and his entourage landed in the Niutou Ocean in Linhai County, Zhejiang Province in the Ming Dynasty on the 17th day of the leap month of the first year of Hongzhi, and crossed the Yalu River on the 4th day of the first month of the first year of Hongzhi to return to Chao X, and the number of travel days in the Ming Dynasty was 106 days. During this period, Cui Pu passed through the Jiangnan area, which was still relatively unfamiliar in the impression of the X people at that time.
In addition, Cui Pu traveled all the way north along the canal from Hangzhou, and described in detail the customs and social conditions along the canal of the Ming Dynasty at that time, as well as the political and military content of the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, Cui Pu's method of comparison also introduced the society of Chao X, and through the introduction, the Ming Dynasty officials' understanding of Chao X was strengthened.
1. The social situation of the Ming Dynasty as reflected in the "Drifting Sea Record"
After Cui Pu and his entourage entered the Ming Dynasty, they gained a better understanding of the social conditions of the Ming Dynasty. At this time, the Ming Dynasty due to historical accumulation, the phenomenon of eunuch dictatorship was prominent, although the Hongzhi Dynasty rectified this problem, but did not fundamentally solve the problem. Due to the serious coastal plagues of the Ming Dynasty at this time, foreigners who drifted to the border of the Ming Dynasty were strictly examined, thus reflecting the rigor of the Ming Dynasty's legal system. Cui Pu gave an objective description of the eunuchs' power in the Ming Dynasty and the laws during the Hongzhi period with his personal experience, which gave us a more intuitive understanding of the Ming society at that time.
1. From Cui Pu drifting the sea, it can be seen that the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty are in power
During the Ming Dynasty, there was a huge eunuch institution, which was rare in previous dynasties. The eunuch institutions established during the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty were relatively complex, with twelve supervisors, two divisions, and seven bureaus. After Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, the number of eunuch institutions increased, mainly including twelve supervisors, four divisions, and eight bureaus, collectively known as the twenty-four yamen. However, Ming Taizu used eunuchs, but he controlled eunuchs very strictly, in view of the scourge of the dictatorship of the previous eunuchs, eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in political affairs, and once cast iron plates at the gate of the palace, which was engraved "Internal ministers shall not interfere in political affairs, and those who are expected to be beheaded." "Eunuchs are not allowed to hold the rank of civil and military of foreign dynasties, they are not allowed to wear the clothes of foreign officials, and it is also stipulated that eunuchs must not be higher in grade than four grades, and even eunuchs are not allowed to read and write.
When Ming Chengzu raised his army to "Jing Difficulty", he used eunuchs to "spy on palace affairs, mostly around Emperor Jianwen." These eunuchs who accompanied Emperor Jianwen played a major role in Ming Chengzu's understanding of Nanjing, which can show that the success of Chengzu's "Jing difficulty" largely depended on the information provided by Emperor Jianwen's eunuchs, so after Ming Chengzu took the throne, he began to trust the eunuchs.
Ming Chengzu not only gave eunuchs the power to send envoys, special recruitment, supervise the army, and guard the border, but also set up the "East Factory" special agency in the eighteenth year of Yongle, and appointed trusted eunuchs to be in charge, which was used to spy on large and small affairs inside and outside the imperial court, which began to lead to the political shortcomings of eunuchs interfering in government.
After the establishment of the East Factory, the eunuch of the Rite Supervisor was appointed to supervise the East Factory. After the formation of the cabinet ticket system, Si Lijian was in charge of approving red on behalf of the emperor, and the red approval was all undertaken by Si Lijian Bingbi eunuch. Si Lijian was appointed to supervise the East Factory, and he could subdue the ministers through the East Factory. The superintendent is in charge of approving the red and can actually change the votes of the cabinet. As a result, the power of the eunuchs increased and it was easiest to form a dictatorship. By the time of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Zhen was in charge of the chief eunuch, and the dictatorship of eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty began.
After Cui Pu and his party entered the Ming Dynasty, they also felt the arrogance of the Ming Dynasty's eunuchs. Among them, Cui Pu vividly expressed the eunuch's pride in the crown of the king in a short text, and on the way to Beijing to thank him, the ceremonial ceremony was grand, the clan flag fluttered, and the bells and drums sounded in unison, which was enough to shake the river. It also shows their unscrupulous behavior, and the "projectile shooting of boatmen" shows the strength of their power, so that no one dares to stop it.
From the introduction of the Ming Dynasty officials who accompanied Cui Pu, we can see that the reason why the eunuchs ran amok at this time was mainly due to the trust of Ming Xianzong. As close attendants of the emperor, they held great power, and the dependence of civil and military officials of the imperial court made them more domineering and careless.
Cui Pu seems to have a hard time understanding the phenomenon of the dictatorship of eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty, and it is impossible to form the phenomenon of eunuchs arbitrarily exercising power when introducing Ming officials to the DPRK X, so that the phenomenon of eunuchs exercising power cannot be formed.
In the Hongzhi Dynasty, the phenomenon of eunuchs abusing power changed. Hongzhi Chaoyuan villains and eunuchs mostly denounced officials who were at fault, thus purifying the officialdom, rectifying the rule of officials, and winning the support of the people.
Cui Pu, an official of the domain, greatly agreed with the actions of the Ming court, and thus issued a sigh of "today, the king of Yao Shun, the Yuan Kai, the four murderers, the imperial court is purged, the four seas are appropriate, and it is not congratulatory". We can see from Cui Pu's emotion that the eunuch dictatorship caused deep and extensive harm to Ming Dynasty society, and the support for the rectification of the eunuch dictatorship.
2. Look at the law during the Hongzhi period from Cui Pu drifting the sea
Due to the frequent attacks of the coastal wak of the Ming Dynasty at that time, the coastal residents had a strong sense of defense against overseas Chinese, so much so that they were mistaken for wa. Therefore, when Cui Pu drifted to the coast of the Ming Dynasty, their true identity became the key to this drifting case.
After Cui Pu landed, after preliminary interrogation, although Cui Pu and others were different from the Wa, they were specially dressed, and showed seals, horse plates, etc. to identify them as Chao X people and not Wa.
However, Ming officials, considering that "the god of the Wa, is a thief, or a person who has civilian clothes that looks like an X person", raised doubts about whether the seal letter and horse plate presented by Cui Pu were the things obtained by the robber of the X person.
Cui Pu then asked to send him to Beijing to talk to the Korean communicator, and his identity could be distinguished. In addition to the seal letters, horse plates and other items presented by Cui Pu to prove that they are not Wok, judging from their words and deeds and the items they carry, they are not like Wok.
Through the records of "Drifting Sea Records", we can see that although Cui Pu and his party drifted to a foreign land, they always restricted their behavior according to the norms of the country of etiquette, and showed courtesy to the people in the places they passed, and pirates would not do such acts. On the basis of treating people with courtesy, it is further proved that they are not pirates by observing what Cui Pu and his party carry.
In order to dispel doubts, the chief officer asked some specific questions about Chao X, such as the size of the place in Chao X, how many state capitals there are, the products produced, the poetry books read, the dress and etiquette, whether to pay tribute, and what law to use.
When Cui Pu arrived in Shaoxing Prefecture, the General Reserve Department commanded Jin Shi and further questioned Cui Pu, asking to write about the history of the dynasty, the capital, the mountains and rivers, the characters, the customs, the ceremony, the funeral system, the hukou, the military system, the field endowment, and the crown system.
After arriving in Hangzhou, Cui Pu was again examined by the town guard eunuch and the inspector imperial history, and finally the three divisions of Zhejiang Zhangyin Commander, Zuo Bu Political Envoy, and Deputy Envoy of the Inspector jointly reviewed and determined that Cui Pu and his party were drifted by the wind, thus overturning the report that the Lion Village warden mistakenly believed that Cui Pu and his party were Wok K, and finally the Cui Pu drifting case was completely resolved.
The trial process of Cui Pu's case passed through the three levels of the guardhouse, the prefecture capital, and the department, and finally sent it to the central government, which shows that Ming Zheng F attaches great importance to the womb and the rigor of the judiciary. From Cui Pu landing, who was initially expelled on suspicion of being a Wa, to finally being recognized as a Chao X, he treated him with courtesy, so that he was rewarded by the Ming emperor and local officials, came empty-handed, and returned with a heavy burden when leaving.
Cui Pu personally felt the strict spirit of the Ming Dynasty, as well as his hatred of Confucianism and friendly attitude towards the friendly countries of the dynasty, from which it is not difficult to see the friendly relationship between the Ming dynasty and the dynasty at that time.
3. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal of the Ming Dynasty reflected in "Drifting Sea Record"
As a water economic artery connecting Beijing and Jiangnan, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was built in the Yuan Dynasty, and the canal is mainly divided into four sections, from north to south, Tonghui River, Huitong River, Ganjiangou and Jiangnan River.
Because Xinggou and Jiangnan River are located in the south of the Jiang, the land of the Jiangnan is rich in water network, and the canal is based on the Grand Canal of the Sui Dynasty, so the Grand Canal opened by the Yuan Dynasty is mainly the northern section of the canal, that is, the Tonghui River and the Huitong River.
After Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, a large number of materials needed to be transported to Kyoto from the wealthy Jiangnan. At that time, transportation was mainly by land and sea, and the cost of land transportation was large, and transportation was difficult, and it was not possible to meet the needs of the Kyoto area in a timely manner.
Sea transportation is divided into water transport and sea transport, sea freight cost is low, but the sea climate is ever-changing, very dangerous, often shipwrecked tragedy Compared to land transportation and sea transportation, water transport is cheaper than land transportation and safer than sea transportation, so it has become the first choice for transportation.
In order to develop submarine, it was necessary to dredge the Grand Canal of the Yuan Dynasty, especially the northern section of the canal. The northern section of the canal mainly relies on the water of the Yellow River and the Huai River for replenishment, and the Yellow River channel is not stable at this time, and there are often broken holes, coupled with serious siltation. Therefore, the canal section in the Huanghuai area has become the top priority of governance.
According to the relevant records of the "History of Ming", in February of the ninth year of Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, Song Li, Song Li, Lang Jinchun, and Governor Zhou Changjun would open the river.
Song Li used the strategy of the old man Bai Ying of Hanshang to divert the water of the Han River by damming, and built a lock to regulate the water potential, and opened a new river to connect the old river, so as to achieve the purpose of unobstructed waterways. Water tanks were set up in Hanshang, Dongping, Jining, Peixian and other areas along the lake to regulate water sources and divert water from the Yellow River into the Huai River. Through Song Li's governance, the Shandong section of the canal was channeled, and the canal channel was fixed.
Through the management, the canal was kept smooth from the Yongle to the Orthodox and Hongzhi years, and due to the effective management of the canal, sea and land transportation were abandoned.
After Cui Pu landed in Zhejiang, he went all the way north along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, gained a better understanding of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal itself, and made a detailed description of the locks along the way. The biggest gain of Cui Pu and his entourage going north along the canal was the discovery of the Wanyi Stele in Meishan Mountain at the Huangjia Gate in Jagouyi.
Then the purpose, method and process of the Ming Dynasty's management of the canal were recorded in detail. It is written that during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, due to the difficulty of shipping southeast, he summoned ministers to discuss the management of the Xu, Yang, Huai, and Ji canals, and dredged the canal channel through measures such as building sluices.
Therefore, the canal channel of the Ming Dynasty was basically finalized through the governance of the Yongle Emperor, and truly became a large economic channel connecting the north and the south. Later, Emperor Yingzong set up officials to manage the gates, thus ensuring the smooth flow of the canal.
The description here is similar to the record of Yongle Emperor's management of the canal in the "History of Ming", which provides credible inscription data for the study of the Ming Dynasty's management of the canal, and has high historical value.
4. The record of the Great Wall of Ming and Liaodong in the "Drifting Sea Record"
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the Mongols were divided into three tribes: Lejiao, Wathorn, and Woodliangha. In order to prevent the rebellion of the Mongol nobles, the Ming Dynasty set up nine important military towns, sent troops to garrison, and rebuilt the Great Wall from Shanhaiguan in the east to Jiayuguan in the west. During the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, the Watthorn tribe became powerful, unified the three Mongol tribes, and controlled a vast area from the Tianshan Mountains in the west to the Liao River valley in the east.
In order to resist the invasion of the northeast by the Mongol nobles, the Ming dynasty began to build a city in the northeast to stabilize the border defense, and the Great Wall of Liaodong was built under this circumstance. The Great Wall of Ming Liaodong refers to the Great Wall belonging to Liaodong Town, which stretches from the northwest of present-day Shanhaiguan in the west to the west bank of the present-day Yalu River in the east, and is an important part of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty.
From the seventh year of the Ming Dynasty (1442 AD) to the fifth year of Chenghua (1469 AD), the Ming Dynasty successively built the Great Wall, built border forts, set up post stations between Shanhaiguan and Liaodong Commandery, and then formulated a series of systems such as tuntian, iron smelting and boiling salt for military supplies, and placed the general military officer to guard Liaodong, thus establishing a complete and tight defense system.
The Ming Dynasty originally built the Great Wall of Liaodong to prevent Mongol forces from invading and protect the security of the Liaodong region, but over time, the Mongol power in the northeast was gradually replaced by another emerging power, the Jianzhou Jurchens, who became the greatest threat to the Ming rule in Liaodong.
After the rise of the Jurchens, the threat to the Ming Dynasty intensified, and frequent attacks on the eastern Liaoning region of the Ming Dynasty forced the Ming government to constantly repair and improve the Great Wall of Liaodong to defend the Jurchens. On the way back to China, Cui Pu and his entourage passed through the eastern end of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty and had a relatively intuitive understanding of the newly built border wall during the Orthodox and Chenghua years, "During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, a long wall was built to protect the beard, and the head was connected to the Great Wall of Qin, and Yidong came.
"The long wall referred to here should be the Great Wall built in Liaodong in the Ming Dynasty, but the time of the wall construction recorded is different, and the Great Wall to prevent Mongol invasion is a border wall built in western Liaoning that began in the seventh year of the Orthodox era. Later, in the third year of Chenghua, a border wall was built in eastern Liaoning to prevent the invasion of the Jurchens.
The Drifting Sea Record also records the course of the wall east of the Liao River and the forts and piers built. Cui Pu gave a detailed introduction to the border wall east of the Three Forks River, of which Cui Pu personally walked through one section on May 20, "high pier shop, to the newly opened gate, there is Changtu City, north with the Great Wall." And the Nanguan Gate is among them, that is, it was newly built during the Chenghua period. ”
"Drifting Sea Record" is a work in the genre of Riyi Ji, and the content recorded is an objective record of what he sees and feels, and it is still very credible. Therefore, the record in the "Drifting Sea Record" that a "long wall" was built east of Shanhaiguan in the Ming Dynasty to defend the Jurchens is consistent with historical facts.
5. Look at the imperial service system of the Ming Dynasty from the "Drifting Sea Record"
Due to the sincerity of the Dynasty X Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, the two sides had frequent exchanges, and the Dynasty X Dynasty learned from the Ming Dynasty in many aspects of social life, so that some of the social etiquette of the Ming Dynasty had a great influence on the Dynasty X.
Regarding the imperial service system of the Ming Dynasty, Cui Pu consulted with Fu Rong, a Ming official, on his way back to China. The "Drifting Sea Record" details the umbrellas, covers, crowns, belts, and plaques during the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty. Regarding the licensing system, Fu Rong answered in detail to the civil servants.
The records in the "History of Ming" in the "Drifting Sea Record" about the umbrellas, covers, crowns, belts, and plates during the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty are not much different, and have great credibility, which can be used as supporting materials for relevant research in this period and have certain historical value.
1. From the "Drifting Sea Record", we can see the influence of Confucian thought in the dynasty
Confucianism was introduced earlier in the Dynasty X, but it was not until the late Goryeo Dynasty and the early Dynasty X Dynasty in the early 14th century that it replaced Buddhism as the dominant one. The entire X Dynasty was a period of vigorous absorption and promotion of Confucianism. In the fifteenth century, Zhu Zixue dominated the field of social thought.
Zhu Zixue believes that the three principles and five constants are "the common truth of ancient and modern". It is an absolute universal truth that everyone must obey. This theory of Zhu Zixue is a powerful spiritual weapon that legitimizes the bureaucracy and identity system of the feudal state and makes the feudal regime and patriarchal system sacred and inviolable.
The rulers of the dynasty used Cheng Zhu Lixue to oppose Buddhism, implemented a policy of "repudiating Buddha and promoting Confucianism", rejected Buddhism, and vigorously promoted Cheng Zhu Lixue.
The rulers attached great importance to Confucianism, not only using it to oppose Buddhism, but also in a position of superiority compared to other schools. Due to the great publicity and vigorous promotion of Cheng Zhu Lixue by the rulers of Dynasty X, Zhu Zixue became the ruling ideology of the feudal state of Dynasty X and developed rapidly under the active protection of the state.
In the general environment of "repelling heresy and respecting Confucianism", Cui Pu, who was born into a Confucian family, received an orthodox education from Confucianism since childhood. Studying the Four Books and Five Classics, "learning with virtue and sincerity", pursuing and practicing the ethical code of "heavenly reason" enshrined by Confucianism. Among these "heavenly principles", the most important is the "Three Principles", in which the relationship between the sovereign and the father and son is the key, and the relationship between the sovereign and the father and son is reflected in loyalty and filial piety.
In Chao X, "Birth to a child is taught first with "Primary School", "Family Gifts"... Treat the funeral and live in the home." Therefore, in Cui Pu in distress and drifted to a foreign country, he still obeyed Zhu Wen's official etiquette, wore plain clothes, did not drink alcohol, and did not eat meat.
So much so that in Beijing to accept the emperor's reward need to change auspicious clothes and embarrassment, fortunately, when accepting the reward, you can make the subordinates receive it, but Xie En must worship the emperor, Cui Pu was forced by the situation to wear auspicious clothes into the net, and Li Bi returned to this door and wear mourning clothes.
In feudal society, filial piety and loyalty were unified. The transfer of filial piety to one's parents to loyalty to one's monarch is considered the highest filial piety, as can be seen from Cui Pu, who was heavily influenced by Confucian classics.
Cui Pu believed that loyal ministers should be selected from among the filial piety from all over the place. In a feudal society based on the patriarchal system, the monarch is the state, the so-called patriotism means loyalty to the monarch, and all the merits he has achieved depend on the monarch.
2. Look at the education system of Chao X from "Drifting Sea Record"
In terms of education system, there is also a complete education system from the central to the local level, and the education of Dynasty X at this time mainly has two forms: official and private. The official school belongs to the school founded by the state, and there is Sungkyunkwan in the center, which is the highest institution.
As a school specializing in educating the children of the royal family, there are four schools in the national capital: middle school, eastern school, western school, and southern school. In addition to the above forms of government-run schools, private schools are also relatively prosperous. In terms of teaching content, the main educational subjects of these schools are Confucianism, with the Four Books and Five Classics as classics, supplemented by the Book of Filial Piety, the Treasure Book of Bright Hearts, and the Records of Rites.
Related to the education system is the election system. The ruling class of the X Dynasty selects talents, appoints officials, and implements the imperial examination system. Regarding the education of Chao X, the imperial examination, etc., we can also further understand through the "Drifting Sea Record".
The imperial examination for the X is divided into the entrance examination, the student examination, the liberal arts, the martial arts examination, and the retry of the literary and martial arts. As for the most important entrance examination, it was held in the autumn of the Fengyin, Shen, Ji, and Hai years, and after three examinations, the first at the local level, the second and third at the central government, and most of those who passed the three examinations were hired as corresponding civil servants.
The civil service examination subjects mainly include explanations of Confucian classics, essays on current policy issues, and various forms of Chinese poetry. Most of these exams are based on the Four Books and Five Classics, and the style is similar to the ancient Chinese writing system, which shows the depth of influence of Chinese culture on the dynasty.
When the X Shiren of the dynasty was admitted to the first place, in addition to granting the jinshi and the first and Dai Lu to the people who ascended the throne, they also gave the thank-you banquet, the thank-you banquet, and the Xie Zu banquet to commend.