at 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
provinc