Over time, thanks to the polygamy common among the upper classes of Chinese society, the number of male members of the house increased to one hundred thousand.

Prior to this, Zhu was the leader of the Red Turbans and had been appointed as the Duke of Wu (吳國公) by the emperor of the rebel Song dynasty, Han Lin'er, in 1361.

Its association with brightness and glow evoked the elements of fire, the color red, and the south, all of which symbolized opposition to the ruling Yuan dynasty.

[6] This was because in the Chinese system of five elements, the similarity between the words yuan and xuan (dark) linked it to water, the color black, and the north.

Additionally, the Hongwu Emperor partially adopted the title of "Great King of Light" (Da Ming wang; 大明王)[7] from Han Shantong, leader of the White Lotus sect.

The term Ming was also used to refer to the Mingjiao, or the "Bright Religion", which was influenced by Manichaeism and played a role in the ideology of the White Lotus and the Red Turban rebellion.

[6] By claiming to embody the rebels' belief in the coming of Ming wang, the King of Light, the Hongwu Emperor justified his removal of Han Lin'er and his family from power.

[9] In the early 15th century, Ming China conquered Manchuria in the north and Vietnam in the south, which led to the revival of trade and diplomatic relations with Japan, India, and Southeast Asia.

[10] After the conquest of northern China by the Qing dynasty, the Ming government continued to rule the southern part of the country for several decades until 1661.

[15] Important matters were discussed at official audiences or informal meetings, and it was necessary to have a broad consensus among court dignitaries before making any major decisions.

[16] Initially, the Ming emperors resided in the Forbidden City, a complex of palaces and buildings built in Nanjing, the capital of the country.

In the ensuing civil war, known as the Jingnan campaign, Zhu Di emerged victorious and in 1402, his troops captured the capital city of Nanjing.

The new emperor, Zhu Di, made efforts to erase the memory of his predecessor by denying his legitimacy and even retroactively canceling the era of Jianwen.

[19] During the reign of other emperors, the throne was passed down through the principle of primogeniture, where the oldest living son or closest male relative would become the new monarch.

This disagreement, known as the Great Rites Controversy, lasted for several years and was ultimately resolved by the emperor through force—including the execution and exile of protesting officials.

This dispute lasted for over fifteen years until the emperor finally yielded to pressure from officials and followed the proper succession rules.

His other sons were given titles of princes (親王; qinwang; literally 'prince of imperial blood', also simply 王; wang) and were sent to the provinces with a large entourage and broad, primarily military, powers after reaching the age of about twenty.

[26] It was not until 1595, when the number of imperial family members had grown to tens of thousands, that they were allowed to participate in the civil service examinations, but they could not be appointed to positions in the capital city.

[27] During the reign of the Hongwu Emperor's successors, the eldest son was traditionally appointed as the heir to the throne at a young age.

[25] These family members received ample support from the state treasury, as well as judicial immunity and various privileges based on their titles and status.

[29] As the number of dynasty members grew, the costs of their material security significantly increased, primarily affecting the northern regions of China where most of the family resided.

For example, in 1562, the province of Shanxi spent more money on supporting the dynasty members from land tax revenue than on the expenses of provincial, prefectural, and county offices combined.