was master of so many provinces that he proclaimed himself first emperor of the Great Ming dynasty, under the title of Hung (Hoong) Wu, and fixed his capital at Nanking.  In addition to his military genius, he showed almost equal skill in the administration of the empire, and also became a liberal patron of literature and education.  He organized the present system of examinations, now in a transition state; restored the native Chinese style of dress as worn under the T’ang dynasty, which is still the costume seen on the stage; published a Penal Code of mitigated severity; drew up a kind of Domesday Book under which taxation was regulated; and fixed the coinage upon a proper basis, government notes and copper cash being equally current.  Eunuchs were prohibited from holding official posts, and Buddhism and Taoism were both made state religions.

This truly great monarch died in 1398, and was succeeded by a grandson, whose very receding forehead had been a source of much annoyance to his grandfather, though the boy grew up clever and could make good verses.  The first act of this new emperor was to dispossess his uncles of various important posts held by them; but this was not tolerated by one of them, who had already made himself conspicuous by his talents, and he promptly threw off his allegiance.  In the war which ensued, victory attended his arms throughout, and at length he entered Nanking, the capital, in triumph.  And now begins one of those romantic episodes which from time to time lend an unusual interest to the dry bones of Chinese history.  In the confusion which followed upon the entry of troops into his palace, the young and defeated emperor vanished, and was never seen again; although in after years pretenders started up on more than one occasion, and obtained the support of many in their efforts to recover the throne.  It is supposed that the fugitive made his way to the distant province of Yunnan in the garb of a Buddhist priest, left to him, so the story runs, by his grandfather.  After nearly forty years of wandering, he is said to have gone to Peking and to have lived in seclusion in the palace there until his death.  He was recognized by a eunuch from a mole on his left foot, but the eunuch was afraid to reveal his identity.

The victorious uncle mounted the throne in the year 1403, under the now famous title of Yung Lo (Yoong Law), and soon showed that he could govern as well as he could fight.  He brought immigrants from populous provinces to repeople the districts which had been laid waste by war.  Peking was built, and in 1421 the seat of government was transferred thither, where it has remained ever since.  A new Penal Code was drawn up.  Various military expeditions were despatched against the Tartars, and missions under the charge of eunuchs were sent to Java, Sumatra, Siam, and even reached Ceylon and the Red Sea.  The day of doubt in regard to the general accuracy of Chinese annals has gone by; were it otherwise,