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History of the Ming Dynasty
Nov.
him that he had been forewarned in a dream to receive him into the holy brotherhood, and forthwith took him with part of his suite to a retired convent.
The prince of Yen could scarcely credit this unexpected success. Most of the high officers came and tendered homage to their new sovereign, who on his part was all smiles and affability. In order to punish his enemies, he promised rewards to any one that would deliver them up,—a sanguinary procedure that caused so much misery and treachery, that a number of the most guilty surrendered them- selves and were pardoned. One doctor of the Hanlin college who disputed the prince's succession, had his mouth slit from ear to ear. Another minister, who had irritated the usurper, was killed in the most ignominious manner; beside a host of literati, who testi- fied considerable sympathy at the fate of those great men, and who suffered with them. The tyrant, whose temper was soured by this opposition, then turned to the harem, and killed every one, who had shown attachment to his nephew; and finding the burnt skeleton of the empress, it was declared to be that of the monarch. He put
it into a coffin and fell down before it, bewailing the loss of his nephew. After this exhibition of his vengeance upon his enemies, he publish- ed an amnesty, but many of the provincial authorities would not listen to the proffered grace, and chose death rather than submission to the new sovereign. But nothing daunted at this inauspicious commencement, he gave (A. D. 1404) the name of Yunglóh (Eternal-Joy,) to his reign, and regarded himself as firmly seated on the throne.
The new monarch soon perceived, that the generals who had as- sisted him in obtaining possession of the empire, would become dan- gerous to his peace if left unemployed, and he therefore immediately ordered them to prepare for a new campaign. In the meanwhile he removed his court to Shuntien fú, formerly the capital of his pa- trimonial principality, which henceforth, under the name of Peking, or the northern capital, became the metropolis of the empire.
Some trouble having occurred in Tungking, Yunglóh immediately constituted himself umpire, and dispatched an army to take posses- sion of the country, in order quietly to settle the dispute. Success and defeat alternately attended the imperial arms; much bloodshed and misery was occasioned in the country, and the natives at last obtained many a signal victory over their enemies. He, however, went to fight the Tartars of the north, amongst whom he had viously sown dissensions.
About this time, he received an embassy
pre-
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