Sun Family 2007年，孙大午（后排右三）及夫人刘会茹（后排右四）、孙二午（后排左三）及夫人儿子孙文（后排左一）孙志华（后排右二）及夫人儿子孙佳佳（前排右二）、儿子孙萌（前排左一）及夫人、父母（前排中间）二儿子孙硕（前排右一）合照
Essay
Lie Down (Flat) in Line of Succession
Part I
March 22, 2024
As you may be aware, I've spent some time lately becoming more familiar with what the experts have to say about Shakespeare's plays and poetry. Generally, the critics are in agreement as to his importance and influence regarding Western culture, language and what it means to be human. However, both Harold Bloom and A. C. Bradley are not so sympathetic to Eastern interpretations of his works from both a Marxist and Hegelian point of view respectively. I'm not going to comment on something I know little about; however, I'm becoming more aware myself that my understanding of the playwright and poet's approach is influenced by my perspective of Eastern philosophy, poetry, psychology and history. It may not surprise you therefore that I'm leaning toward an interpretation of the character Hamlet as a "lie down (flat)" in terms of succession.
David Jacoby as Claudius in "I Claudius"
I'll try to define at first a "lie down" from a Western viewpoint from which you might be more familiar. For example, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was a Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was the great-great grandnephew of Gaius Julius Caesar. Claudius' predecessor was Caligula who appointed Claudius as co-consul. Claudius feigned stupidity as a means of self-preservation and to maintain a low profile. In this respect, he was a "lie down". He feared for his life. At the assassination of Caligula, he was appointed emperor.
Hamlet was the Prince of Denmark who was to be the successor to his father's throne. His father was assassinated by his uncle Claudius who married Hamlet's mother. In one respect, Hamlet resembles the co-consul Claudius as he feigns madness perhaps to confuse those who wish him ill will and to bide for more time. It may be guessed though that co-consul Claudius' mental health did decline somewhat under stress while Hamlet suffered from severe melancholy. However, they were not mad.
Historically speaking, Emperor Claudius' great-great uncle, Gaius Julius Caesar, had outwitted the pirates who had kidnapped him. Caesar then raised a navy and captured the pirates. These incidents are mirrored in the play Hamlet wherein Hamlet escapes from the pirates and also his so-called friends who were commissioned to assassinate him. Temporarily, Hamlet ceases to be passive and acts decisively. In the end, though, he dies and lies down in his grave.
One of the classical movies that emerged in that era was a spaghetti western called The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966). The music of Ennio Morricone was superbly composed, arranged and performed. It reflected the events of the movie which were of epic, operatic proportions during the time of the Civil War.
The film was directed by Sergio Leone. He had earlier directed A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965). They might be considered as preludes to his masterpiece. The theme of time might be contrasted in the 1965 and 1966 movie.
You tube reference 6:45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JPnR7C8mZQ
"For a Few Dollars More" expresses time on a personal scale. It references two pocket watches with musical tunes which were formally owned by brother and sister. In the final scene, the end of the chimes signal the start of the draw between gunfighters who stand on a clock-like circle. Time ends for the loser who dies.
In the 1966 epic, the clock-like circle is at the center of a graveyard. Tuco (The Ugly) scampers like a rat to the center of the circle. There he begins his counter-clockwise search for the grave of Arch Stanton. Time appears to go backwards. It speeds up as if spinning out of control. It is marked by pocket watch chimes at the time of the draw. Someone dies.
In this movie, Tuco is called The Ugly of the three. He is a kind of Faustian figure who has sold his soul to the devil. However, from Tuco's perspective he might be considered to be The Bad in relation to his brother. Neither Tuco nor his brother (who is a Trappist monk who practices celibacy) have children of whom we are aware. They are the last of their line.
Tuco's brother serves God in an abbey converted into a hospital. One might classify him as a "lie flat" because to some extent he is a drop-out. He lives a "slow lifestyle". He's out in the middle of nowhere. On the other hand, Tuco chooses the only other option open to him which was as a bandit. He might be construed to be a "run away" 逃跑 or "Táopǎo". He travels everywhere. His life is fast. He has a fast draw. Of course, "lie flats" and "run aways" in real life may be either good or bad or a combination in equal or unequal proportions and even perhaps amoral.
Ecstacy of Gold Video 3:59
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubVc2MQwMkg
Orchestral, operatic presentation with trumpets ending in pocket watch chimes
Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjgj-5ginyM
I'll draw your attention next to the scene where Tuco enters the underworld holding a dead chicken which is to be added to a pot of boiling potatoes. He wants to enlist the help of his friends to track down the man who double crossed him. He says. "If you work for a living why do you kill yourself working." He wants to share equally the chicken and the money. Basically, this is a critique of capitalism made by the director Sergio Leone who was a Marxist.
In the modern era, the concept of "lie flat" 躺平 or "tǎngpíng" emerged among the Millennials during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A factory worker named LUO Huazhong was disenchanted with working 996 or 9 am to 9 pm on six days of the week (九九六 or jiǔjiǔliù). Therefore, he stopped working and chose a "slow lifestyle".
The author made a different choice during the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll revolution of the late sixties. He was working in a refinery at double and triple pay on weekends and holidays. Basically, he was paying for his education. He had a chance to go over the border at Buffalo to Woodstock; but, instead, he worked. To this day he regrets the decision. He missed an event that defined his generation.
1969
T minus 15 “Apollo and Beyond”
Twelve minutes to enter orbit
Eleven Ap0110’s silver arrow
Ten and one hundred heartbeat
Nine hours thirty-two minutes LO
Six—sixteenth, nineteen sixty-nine
Five thrusts of Saturn V rocket
Four days ETA lunar landing
Three nines or 99.9 percent
Two Wrights flew at Kitty Hawk
One Ap0110’s flight of light
Zero range 000:00:00:00
Four verses and refrain of song
titled “Like a Rolling Stone”
were composed at Woodstock, N.Y.
Dylan left home for Woodside Bay
at Wootten Bridge on August 15th
to sing flatly for Rolling Stones et al.
The Woodstock sun rose at 6:07 am:
its crescent moon rose at 11:41 am
and 15 star and stripe was raised.
Hendrix’s “The Star-Spangled Banner”
or its furious strummed rendition
with amp feedback stunned crowd.
LUO Huazhong's protest is non-political. He only wants to change himself. It does though impact non-political succession. If LUO doesn't work, doesn't marry and doesn't have children then he is the last of the line. No one will succeed him. He is the last generation. In other words, the Millennials are "chilling".
Herodotus: The Father of History
Cyborg: “A cyborg generating intense thoughts with a focused expression, photorealistic render, trending in Artstation” Open AI
Lie Down (Flat) in Line of Succession
Part II
March 25, 2024
The second half of Lie Down (Flat) in Line of Succession relies on a new method of research for the author. He spent two hours asking questions of an AI Chatbot called Herodotus. It felt like he was grilling a professor who was rather patient (if one can say so) with his student. In summary, the author got what seemed to be useful and accurate information. In several instances, however, the program seemed to contradict itself. For example, Herodotus seems to have been unable to differentiate between Lancaster and Baffin (ie. treating them as a pair).
The main problem though is that sources were not provided. How does one easily verify this kind of information? The author asked the program point blank "What is the source of your information?". No response was forthcoming.
Deep Thought AI Chatbot
https://history-maps.com/es/herodotus
Question: Who is Sun Dawu?
21/03/2024, 22:18:37
Answer: "Sun Dawu is a prominent Chinese businessman and agricultural entrepreneur. He is known for founding the Dawu Group, a conglomerate involved in various sectors including agriculture, food processing, and tourism. Sun Dawu has also been involved in various philanthropic activities and has made headlines for his critical stance towards the Chinese government's policies. In 2021, he was sentenced to jail on charges including "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" and "illegal fundraising."
Question: What is the Private Entrepreneurial Constitutional System of Sun Dawu?
21/03/2024, 22:20:22
Answer: "The "Private Entrepreneurial Constitutional System of Sun Dawu refers to a business model and governance structure implemented by Sun Dawu, a Chinese entrepreneur and founder of the Dawu Group. This system combines private ownership, entrepreneurship, and a constitutional framework within the company. It is based on the principles of free enterprise and self-governance, aiming to promote innovation, efficiency, and employee empowerment within the organization. Sun Dawu's approach reflects a blend of traditional business practices with a focus on democratic decision-making and worker participation in management."
The author now asks a question of the reader.
Is Sun Dawu a "lie down (flat)" or a "run away" with respect to a private line of succession?
I was not able to ask my friend if he could be categorized one way or the other. The reason is that the concept of "lie down" or "run away" emerged in April 2021. At that point, Sun Dawu was under arrest and his lawyers were preparing to defend him on various charges. In addition, the prosecutors were threatening to add more serious charges as a bargaining chip.
Because Dawu Group was a family business, Sun Dawu wanted to encourage his sons to remain in farming. Both he and his eldest son (SUN Meng) held 53% of the shares. In other words, they held control. However, if his son were to become CEO and President then he would have to be elected by employees on a continuing basis as he was. Non-family employees could also compete for the positions. All employees had to vote. This system fostered a democratic and peaceful transition of power.
It is logical to consider the line of succession and family business model together. Sun Dawu wanted his family and descendants to remain at the same location. If the business were successful as it was with 28 subsidiaries and strong growth then the Suns would play important roles in determining its future.
Kenneth or Dawu City
The plan was for Dawu Group to last at least 100 years. That would be three generations of family and extended-family employees. It was time enough to completely synchronize character and behaviour to a Confucian standard . The business had successfully run for 35 years or until the time of the arrests. Therefore, one can confidently say in retrospect that Sun Dawu, his family, his extended-family and Dawu Group itself had traits of Lie Down (Flat) with respect to a Private Line of Succession at the time of defence preparation in April 2021 and when the "Lie Down (Flat) concept emerged in China.
In effect, the government wanted to annihilate the Sun line. His wife was arrested. His brothers were arrested. His sons were arrested. His niece was arrested. It's a virtual purge. Under Chinese law it meant that since the mother was arrested then the billionaire's grandchildren were orphans at the time of sentencing!
"Annihilate the Sun Family Business" (歼灭太阳家族企业) is similar to "Annihilate the Kong Family Business" (消灭孔氏家族企业) during The Cultural Revolution in 1966 when property was destroyed and "capitalist roaders" were persecuted. To remind you, Kong is short for Kongzi or Confucius. In a three day nihilistic orgy, the Red Guards tried to dig up Confucius so that they could burn his bones.
The reader may be surprised by what the author says next. It is a view which few outside of the farming community could understand, but which affects many in one way or the other. It is the Line of Succession as it pertains to "Gallus gallus" or chicken.
Convention center was under construction.
Its half-elliptical front reminds one of the sky portion of the cosmic egg resting on the earth.
In the beginning, according to Taoist monks, the universe began as an egg. A god named Pangu was born inside the egg. He broke into two halves; namely, the sky and earth. The separation continued. On the death of Pangu, his body parts became different parts of the earth. (Wikipedia)
The earliest chicken is classified as "Gallus gallus". It was feral and one might say a "run away". However, 10,000 years ago, in Xushui County, "Gallus domesticus" emerged. DNA results show that animals found buried beneath a peat bog in China's Xushui County, Hebei (near Kenneth City of Dawu Group and Fushan) are the oldest examples of domesticated chicken by several thousand years according to Professor Michi Hofreiter, a palaeogeneticist at the University of York and the University of Postdam in Germany. One might say these domesticated chickens were "Lay Down (Flat) varieties. They did what chickens do. They laid eggs. This process continued the differentiation of Pengu's body parts.
In 1985, Dawu Group began with the raising of 50 chickens or roughly 8 roosters and 42 hens. In several decades, millions of chicks were born and sold to farmers in China and throughout the world. Of course, the chicks and chickens had to be fed; so, Dawu Group went into the animal feed business, too.
The author was there when an American businessman visited the Group. Sun introduced me to him. He sold a mechanical method to safely clip the beaks of the birds. This prevented birds from harming each other which was one way to establish "pecking order".
Over a decade, the Hebei Dawu Farming and Animal Husbandry Group Breeding Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as Dawu Group) has through experiment and scientific exploration developed the "Jinbaifeng 629" strain. To do this they spent 20 million in research funds. It was a superior strain with respect to "line of succession" or superior breed.
Dawu Breeding Company successfully developed the breeding method of the red-feathered eggshell chicken supporting system, and applied this method to successfully cultivate the "Dawu Jinfeng” laying hen system. The strain produced more eggs. If the author recalls correctly a hen could lay 240 eggs per year which was considerably more than other strains. Dawu Group took out a trademark to protect the chicken supporting process and "Dawu Jinfeng” laying hen system.
The author had been following the complaint by the Dawu Group lodged against the "National Livestock Genetic Resources Committee" for some time. Dawu Group has tried to protect its patent which it developed over many years and great expense concerning the Jingbaifeng 629. Incomprehensibly, the court ruled that the Dawu Group which owns the original trademark is not eligible to file a complaint. Sun Dawu regarded the court decision to favour Beijing Fan No. 6 over the Dawu Group Jinbaifeng 629 strain was either the shame of the country or the shame of the scientific community.
In September 2020 or about two months prior to the arrest of Sun Dawu and seizure of Dawu assets, the author expressed publically an outright concern about the situation at Dawu Group. My argument was that if eight apartment buildings of Kanyang Town Project had effectively been seized by the government and, in addition, if intellectual property had been taken outside of the company by someone who had been trusted by Dawu Group then what is stopping the government from seizing the land and buildings of Dawu Group? The author was not the only one warning Sun Dawu of the potential dangers.
Privately, the author was suggesting to Sun Dawu that Dawu Group charter several 747s and bring 2000 workers to Canada. In the author's opinion it was necessary for Dawu Group to diversify risk. He also suggested co-operative arrangements with Canadian companies and local governments which would be beneficial to the group. There were stronger arguments which are not outlined here.
Sources
https://history-maps.com/es/herodotus
河北企业家孙大午实名举报院士候选人技术“剽窃”
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_3841939
Researchers discover evidence of earliest domestic chickens, 24 November 2014
https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2014/research/chicken-domestication/
http://www.zxzkw.cn/shehui/2019/1012/4254.html
To be continued
Part III
Lie Down (Flat) in Line of Succession
The titles of the royal personages are not mentioned here because one wishes to avoid any political overtones. This may be in keeping with Shakespeare when he only mentions Claudius' name once in the play Hamlet. According to the AI Deep Thought called Herodotus, it is "likely a stylistic choice by Shakespeare to emphasize the relationship between the characters rather than simply addressing them by name."
This is a family tragedy where line of succession ends. Hamlet has no son or daughter on his death. He has told his lover--Ophelia--to "get thee to a nunnery" (Act 3, Scene 1) where she will be barren of child.
Neither Shakespeare's name through his son Hamnet nor Hamlet' name as son of his father Hamlet in the play called Hamlet was passed on to future generations through a line of succession. The sons Hamnet and Hamlet had no issue. They lied down (flat) in the grave.
In a matter of a short time, Hamlet's entire family fell flat. Hamlet's father was poisoned. Hamlet's uncle was forced by his nephew Hamlet to drink poison intended for him.
"Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damnèd Dane,
Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?"
One presumes the "union" means Claudius' and Gertrude's death with the same cup of poison concocted by Claudius. Hamlet died of a rapier whose tip was poisoned by his uncle. The entire family-line laid flat in the grave.
Livia Drussila
In one sense, there is an unreality about the deaths by poison. It is usually women who employ poison to murder. For example, it was rumoured that the Livia Drussila (birthname) of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty poisoned her husband born Gaius Octavius (birthname) in AD 14. At any rate, she wished her son Tiberius to be Augustus' successor and she succeeded in her wishes and by her actions. Later on, however, Tiberius Claudius Drusus (birthname) informally called Claudius was actually murdered by his wife Agrippina after eating poisoned mushrooms.
The murderer in the play Hamlet is Hamlet's uncle Claudius. He pours poison droplets in the ear of his brother Hamlet in order to gain power. He lets Gertude drink the cup of poison. He poisons the tip of the rapier which kills his nephew Hamlet. He is forced by his nephew Hamlet to drink the poison left in the cup. All of these poisonings have a nightmare-like quality.
Jean Simmons as Ophelia in 1948
It is generally believed that Ophelia's death was either by accident or suicide. However, the presence of poison is also connected to her. Claudius says to Gertrude.
"Oh, this is the poison of deep grief. It springs
All from her father’s death" (Act 4, Scene 5).
It almost seems that Ophelia has caught Hamlet's madness as if it were contagious. Hamlet's madness stemmed from the murder of his father and his mother's adultery with the murderer. Hamlet's mad rage erupted as he accidentally killed Polonius by mistakenly thinking him to be the murderer Claudius. Ophelia becomes mad when she learns her lover Hamlet has killed her father Polonius. Both the minds of Hamlet and Ophelia have been figuratively poisoned with grief.
Lawrence Olivier as Hamlet in 1948
Hamlet's "To be or not to be, that is the question" soliloquy is open to interpretation. (Act 3, Scene 1). It seems to the author that "to be" means that Hamlet is conscious of his own consciousness. On the other hand, "not to be" suggests a loss of an awareness of consciousness.
Death and sleep may take one of two forms. First, "To die: to sleep; No more." There is a finality to this form of death and sleep. The body dies and consciousness ends.
The second form is "To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream". The repetition of the word "sleep" implies a long rest. "To die, to sleep" might entail a dream-like state. It is an imaginary virtuality.
Melancholic Hamlet in gravediggers scene
It is the poet's view that most of the play is in a dream-like trance. There is much indecision on the part of Hamlet. There is little action. As he holds the former court jester's skull (Yorick's) who was basically a replacement for his father and mother when he was a child (Bloom), he experiences extreme sadness or melancholia.
Mad Hamlet
However, the dream climaxes in a nightmare-like scenario. There is decision and action on the part of Hamlet and other players. It ends though with the death of Hamlet and seven others. They lie down (flat). They lie and die to sleep no more nor to dream no more. The line of succession of the family ends.
The poet sees a correlation between Hamlet's melancholia and the dream-like trance. Furthermore, he links Hamlet's madness with the nightmarish series of murders ending in Hamlet's own death. It is not impossible for one to die in a dream. A subject can look at oneself as an object which dies. If the subject does not actually die then the incident might then portend a future occurrence.
One shouldn't though use such a broad stroke to define Hamlet's madness. It is not uncommon for sane murderers to claim temporary insanity in order to avoid punishment. However, Hamlet's situation is different.
Sword-dagger scene between Hamlet and Laertes
Hamlet realizes that when he is pricked by the venom-tipped rapier that he will die shortly. Therefore, he forces Claudius to drink the remainder of the cup of poison which means his uncle will die almost instantaneously. Hamlet's duty to revenge his father's death is completed. Therefore, one may conclude that Hamlet experienced a brief period of reason or temporary sanity.
"But let it be.—Horatio, I am dead." (Act 5, Scene 2) The expression "But let it be" is a hortatory injunction. It is probably in the present tense because it is followed by "I am dead" and "thou livest" which are also in the present tense. Here is where there is a riddle. How does a dead person say "I am dead" to a living person? One way is if there is not a clear distinction between life and clinical death. However, this is more a scientific and philosophical issue than a dramatic one.
The ghost of Hamlet
Another answer is that Hamlet speaks as a ghost--not a ghost of his father, but a ghost himself. Previously, no one else except Hamlet and the audience saw the ghost of his father. Now, his friend Horatio as well as the audience hears and sees Hamlet who claims "I am dead". His short statement speaks of a line of succession--at least in the afterlife. Father Hamlet was a ghost and son Hamlet becomes a ghost. They are living ghosts in the imagination.
More likely, though, it is a special kind of succession. One might call it a supplantation. Hamlet's ghost supplants or substitutes for the ghost of his father. His father's ghost is host to his son's ghost. The son Hamlet has avenged the murder of his father Hamlet. The son has done his duty to his father. The father's ghost undergoes a transmutation wherein his son's ghost lives on in the netherworld. However, this is where the line of ghosts ends because Hamlet has no son.
https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/5/2/
https://folger-main-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/11/hamlet_TXT_FolgerShakespeare.txt
Part IV
Lie Down (Flat) in Line of Succession
April 22, 2024
It is reasonable if a critic were to take issue when the poet applies the term "lay down (flat) or "run away" to a situation prior to 2021. It might be said it is an anachronism. The poet responds by saying there are many previous instances that may resemble these phenomena without using the exact English or Chinese terms.
For example, the poet contends that the terms may be applied to many individuals at the time of the handover of Hong Kong (香港回归) by the British to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997. The transfer of territory was a great concern to Hong Kongers who feared their rights and freedoms would be eroded. Those who left were "run away" while those who remained were "lie down (flat)"--in perhaps passive resistance. There may (too) have been a miniscule minority who pressed for "break away". The "lie down" or "run away" phenomenon repeated itself with Hong Kong's introduction of the National Security law in 2020.
It is worthwhile at this point to examine more closely the word "succession" and the phrase "line of succession." It is probable that older people know their meaning. However, it is unclear if young people know their meaning or can even spell the word "succession". It may be asking too much for them to distinguish between the word "succession" and the word "secession" which the poet posits are moderate antonyms (opposites).
Let's examine the etymology or origins of the word "succession". It stems from early 14c., "successioun", "fact or right of succeeding someone by inheritance," from Old French succession "inheritance; a following on" (13c.) It is seen here where the idea of unbroken line develops from "following on". The word "succession" though originates directly from the Latin "successionem" meaning "a following after, a coming into another's place, result,". It suggests "replacement" or continuity of line. The meaning "a regular sequence, a following of things in order" is from mid-15c.
Please bear with me as the explanation to many may seem pedantic; after all, my students used to call me professor. The poet has said that the terms "lay down (flat) and "run away" appeared much earlier than 2021 and were evident in the 1997 handover of territory to China. However, if one examines links to the word "succession" one encounters the word "urn" which is a much earlier association.
Banpo burial urn for child in Neolithic Period
Let my broken bones and clay shards
be restored by the silted waters of Hé
to vessel from clay painted as rén miàn yú.
From "Huánghé" by D. Carlton Rossi
The word "urn" emerged late 14th c. One of the meanings was a vessel "for the ashes of the dead". (In China, urns carrying ashes emerged after the Han Dynasty. Prior to that dynasty they contained bones) It is therefore conceivable that the modern term for "lay down (flat) originated from the phrase "line of succession" and the word "urn" containing ashes for the dead which were presumably esteemed and revered by the successors. These word origins could easily apply to late sixteenth and early seventeenth century Great Britain at roughly the time Shakespeare wrote the play Hamlet.
Boat on the Thames in Friedrich Rechlinger's Album Amicorum c. 1600
Another entry linking to succession are the words flowing "stream" from the Old English. A flowing stream is an unbroken line so to speak resembling perhaps a "line of succession". From c. 1200, the stream and flow could represent "take flight, retreat hurriedly or secretly." These origin of words and meanings suggest to an imaginative poet the source of the modern term "run away". A "run away" takes hurried flight. The poet would describe the Shakespearean character known as Falstaff as a "run away". He believes that "discretion is the better part of valor".
As said, the word "succession" and "secession" are antonyms. One might not easily realize this circumstance because there is some similarity in how they are spelled. It may lead to confusion on part of the reader, speaker or listener. The word "secession" though usually has a political connotation. That is why the poet used the apolitical term "break away" earlier rather than the word "secession".
One can clearly see the difference in the words "succession" and "secession" through an illustration. A succession is a line which resembles a flowing river. If there is a "break away" or interruption in the river at a portage or dam then it can loosely be called a "secession" where the river ceases to be.
It is generally believed that when a great power falls another rises to fill the vacuum. In this case, Great Britain didn't fully recover after WWII and China rose with the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The formal recognition of a change in the balance of power was the return of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997.
Voyages of "Treasure Ships"
Roughly 600 years earlier, the Chinese Empire ruled the oceans under the Ming dynasty. Its "treasure voyages" sailed between 1405 and 1433 to undertake exploration and project power. However, the treasure ships were disbanded. The result was that the Ming Empire "gradually declined as the tributary system broke down and the government lost its maritime monopoly." The Ming became an isolated land empire to a great extent.
Wanli Emperor was successful in undertaking Three Great Punitive Campaigns. In 1592, his troops quelled the Ordos rebellion in northwest China. He silenced the Bozhou rebellion in southwest China between 1589 and 1600. Finally, his armies repelled two Japanese invasions of Korea in 1593 and 1597 respectively.
Siege of Busan (Pusan)
These undertakings were done on land by his armies. Specifically, in the Imjin War, he sent a large army to Korea. However, it was Joseon naval warfare which interrupted Japanese supply lines. There was little if any involvement by the Ming navy.
It was the Ming army which was internally defending China and its nearby tributary Korea. It was not the Ming navy. The naval weakness of the isolationist Ming dynasty was one of the early signs of the decline of its empire.
Defeat of Spanish Armada in 1588
On the other hand, Great Britain had defeated the Spanish armada in 1588. It was the beginning of its maritime empire under Elizabeth. It may be said that Great Britain filled the vacuum of the weakened Spanish Empire.
The poet notices a parallel at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries with respect to three family successions. The first is the end of succession of the Yang family with the failure of the Bozhou rebellion in southwest China. Another family dynasty which was put under stress was the Toyotomi family of Japan whose clan leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi led the invasion of Korea and intended to follow up by invading China. Finally, there was the fifteen year succession issue of Zhu (family name) who was emperor of the Ming. A brief description of succession uncertainties and difficulties will follow.
The poet had been unfamiliar with the Bozhou Rebellion between 1589 and 1600 which concerned the Miao minority. Of course, in travelling China he has met the Miao from whom he acquired a traditional dress as an artifact. It seems that festering problems erupted in the southwest frontier of the Ming Empire. The rebellion was managed by the Ming until its resources were stretched at the time of the Imjin War.
The Chiefdom of Bozhou was an autonomous state ruled by the Yang clan from the time of the Tang Dynasty. YANG Yinglong who has rather a poetic sounding name was leader of the clan. He rebelled against the Ming Dynasty. For ease of classification, he may be considered a rebel "run away" who chafed at taking orders from another.
The leader of the rebellion was YANG Yinglong who has a rather poetic sounding name. The ten-year old uprising was crushed. Yang committed suicide with his two concubines by setting alight his room. Prisoners who included his wife were executed in Beijing on January 10 , 1601. This ended the 725 year old Yang family of 29 generations.
TOYOTAMI Hideyoshi c. 1598
TOYOTAMI Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉) undid a lifetime of achievements as well as his line of succession through overconfidence and ambition. His attempt to subjugate a tribuary state of the Ming as a prelude to an invasion of China failed miserably. It was not as easy as "rolling up a rice mat" as he claimed. He might be considered a "run away" as he ran away from temple service to a lifetime of adventure.
Shortly before the first invasion of the Korean peninsula by Japanese forces, Toyotami's three year old son died in September 1591. This unfortunate circumstance interrupted the line of succession. It reversed so to speak everything he was personally trying to accomplish with respect to a dynasty. The death of his half-brother shortly afterward exacerbated the situation.
Toyotami did what many tyrants do. He adopted an heir in January 1592. In this case, it was his nephew Hidetsugu. However, everything did not go as planned. Toyotami's second son was born in 1593. This meant a succession problem. As a result, Toyotami exiled his nephew. He then permanently solved the problem by forcing his nephew to commit suicide in August 1595. Toyotami was not one to take half measures. "Family members who did not commit suicide were murdered in Kyoto including 31 women and several children" for suspected rebellion. Toyotami himself died on September 28, 1598.
If the reader doesn't mind, the poet will describe Wanli Emperor of the Great Ming (born: ZHU Yijun (朱翊鈞) from an imaginary perspective as if the poet were a peasant of the land. From this point on, the emperor will be referred to as Zhu or by his apolitical, family birthname. He was rarely seen outside of his palace and then only at a distance. On these special occasions, he performed Confucian rituals--passed down over thousands of years--to harmonize Heaven and Earth.
ZHU Yijun (朱翊鈞)
Zhu's attire was made of the finest silk spun in a secret process unlike the common threads of farmers who tilled the land. He appeared like a great bell made of the purest gold rather than base bronze. It rang like the Kung of pure sound.
At the time of the New Year, the common people gathered in the marketplace to celebrate. They might watch Kun opera which was just beginning to emerge as a classical art form. It imitated court life in an imaginary distant past. It spoke of joy and sorrow--mostly sorrow. There was rarely any pure sound. It was a cacophony of symphony comprised of cymbals, winds and drums. The most common down-to-earth sound was the wail of sorrow as if it was carried away with wind.
The court of Zhu was walled off from the realm. One might say the wall resembled the Great Wall which kept the barbarians at a distance. Few knew what went on within its confines. This mystique ironically enhanced the emperor's power.
While the emperor conducted three successful campaigns, he did not step outside of his palace to do so. He led no armies. He inspired no troops by his personal heroism. In his early reign, the emperor was an efficient administrator or "quill pusher".
Hongwu Emperor
Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋 (Hongwu Emperor) was the first to adopt the dynastic name Ming (明) even though the original family name was Zhu (朱). The Ming Dynasty was unique in that it was the only Chinese dynasty to have the eldest surviving son succeed to the throne. The exceptions, however, were notable as the Yongle and Jingtai emperors usurped the throne while the Jiajing and Chongzhen emperors succeeded sonless brothers.
Jiajing Emperor
ZHU Houcong (朱厚熜) was a cousin to the Zhengde Emperor who died without heirs. Houcong was the closest male relative. However, his father was a son of a secondary wife rather than the empress. This meant that Houcong had no legitimate right to ascend the throne.
Ming emperors were allowed to have multiple wives. However, according to the succession law only the sons of the first wife (empress) had the right to succeed the throne. "Any attempt to install a descendant of a secondary wife was punishable by death." The Great Rights Controversy erupted. It was resolved three years later in favour of Houcong. He ascended as if to earthly heaven in 1521.
ZHU Houcong or the Jiajing Emperor was father to four sons. The first son died in infancy followed by his second son in childhood. ZHU Zaiji was his father's third son. The fourth or youngest son was his father's favourite because he especially liked Consort Du who was his son's mother. Eventually, ZHU Houcong accepted Zaiji's ascension to the throne based on the line of succession. Zaiji became the Longqing Emperor in 1567.
Longqing Emperor
ZHU Zaiji (朱載坖) or the Longqing Emperor had a short reign of five years. He, too, had four sons (and seven daughters). His first and second sons of his first wife died as child and infant respectively. His third son, ZHU Yijie, who was born of a concubine, inherited the throne. This meant succession was a straight forward affair. The fourth son held the title Prince of Lu.
The poet has taken the time to summarize the family tree of ZHU Houcong (Jiajing Emperor). It is particulary relevant with respect to the much later succession of ZHU Yijun (朱翊鈞) or the Wanli Emperor. The father of Houcong was the issue of a secondary wife which means his son Houcong didn't have a claim to an inheritance. This caused The Great Rights Controversy t礼议. In the same way, ZHU Changxun's claim to the throne is invalid because he is the son of Lady Zheng rather than that of the empress who was the first wife of ZHU Yijun. This claim led to an extended "Succession Crisis" 继承危机.
Another similarity is that ZHU Houcong (Jiajing Emperor) preferred the younger son or Zhu Zaizhen 朱载圳 (born March 29, 1537) of Consort Du who was his favourite concubine to Zhu Zaiji 朱載坖 his older son born a few weeks earlier on March 04, 1537 of Consort Lu.
Lady Wang
With respect to ZHU Yijun (Wanli Emperor), he preferred the younger son named ZHU Changxun 朱常洵 born in 1586 of newly appointed Noble Consort Zheng 鄭貴妃 who was his favourite concubine to his older son ZHU Changluo 朱常洛 born in 1582 of Lady Wang (WANG Xijie 王喜姐) who became the Empress Dowager Xiaojing 孝靖太后. Basically, it meant in both cases that a father was willing to ignore duty with respect to line of succession for his own personal pleasure.
The Succession Crisis during the reign of the Wanli Emperor was officially resolved in 1601. Yijun (rather unwillingly) designated his older son, ZHU Changluo, as his successor. However, it did not end the strife. There was an assassination attempt on Changluo in 1615 called the "Wooden Staff Assault" (梃擊案). It appears to have been masterminded by Zheng. She also seems to be implicated in the infamous "Case of the Red Pills" (红丸案) when Changluo who ascended as the Taichang Emperor was killed by poison only a month after the death of his father the Wanli Emperor.
Wanli Emperor
It can be said that ZHU Yijun 朱翊鈞 as Wanli Emperor retreated into his own world of isolation and introversion in the latter part of his life. Petitioners could only talk to an empty throne. Government business was conducted by castrated eunuchs who rivalled the Grand Secretary in power.
ZHU Yijun was a classic example of Lie Down (Flat) in Line of Succession. In the latter part of his reign he did nothing. He was dazed by opium and dazzled by concubines. His inaction through retreat symbolized the beginning of the end for the Ming line of succession and ascension.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handover_of_Hong_Kong
https://www.etymonline.com/word/succession
https://www.etymonline.com/word/urn
https://www.etymonline.com/word/run
Mongol fleet destroyed by the divine wind
Kikuchi Yosai, 1847 photo
https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/kamikaze-japans-three-divine-winds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiefdom_of_Bozhou
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyotomi_Hideyoshi
