prosperous age

“It is indeed necessary to identify oneself.”

Wei Guangde spoke up, "Ships sailing on the sea are often in disarray. Revealing our Ming Dynasty identity sooner rather than later might save us some trouble."

"What Grand Secretary Wei said is true. Nowadays, when ships go out to sea, they used to fly the flag of our Great Ming Dynasty with the sun and moon, but now many of them fly the flag with the swastika symbol, which is even chaotic."

Liu Shouyou immediately chimed in, "The Ming Dynasty's sun and moon flag is not to be used by foreign vassals."

However, because the swastika flag was used by the common people, it was said that many foreign ships also adopted it, and often people would mistakenly think that it belonged to the people and ships of our Great Ming.

Although I haven't heard of any trouble, to be on the safe side, I believe it's necessary to emphasize the flags that our Ming Dynasty ships should fly.

Liu Shouyou's words further solidified Wei Guangde's idea of ​​introducing the national flag of the Ming Dynasty.

"Siyun, what do you think? If the imperial court were to design a flag that would become the symbol of our Great Ming Dynasty?"

Whether it is an official on a diplomatic mission, an army on a military expedition, or even a merchant going to sea, they must display this flag on their means of transport to signify the identity of our Great Ming.

Is this approach appropriate?

Wei Guangde asked.

As mentioned before, although Liu Shouyou was a military general, he was a scholar with the title of Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the county level), making him a peripheral member of the civil service group.

Therefore, it was reasonable for Wei Guangde to say this to him when it came to matters of etiquette.

"I remember seeing foreign ships at the Tianjin docks several years ago, all of which were flying church cross flags."

In the past, we couldn't tell the difference either, but now we do.

The foreigners who have visited my Great Ming Dynasty actually came from three countries: Spain, Portugal, and Anglo-Saxon.

While it may seem presumptuous for merchants to use the sun and moon flag as a symbol of our Great Ming, it is a very good method.

However, displaying the sun and moon flag is too elaborate, and as you mentioned, merchants now prefer the swastika flag as their logo.

As Wei Guangde spoke, Liu Shouyou nodded in agreement.

Speaking of the Ming Dynasty's sun and moon flag, this flag was not unique to the Ming Dynasty.

The earliest record of the sun and moon flag can be found in the "Biography of King Mu", which describes it as "a flag of the sun and moon, with the pattern of the seven stars", indicating its origin as a ceremonial item used by Zhou Dynasty emperors.

By the Ming Dynasty, because the name of the country, "Ming," contained the meaning of the sun and moon, people gradually combined sun and moon patterns with symbols of the regime.

Therefore, the Sun and Moon Flag was one of the flags in the Ming Dynasty's imperial retinue. It was a symbol of the dynasty that the common people associated with the regime.

Contrary to popular belief, although it is called the Sun and Moon Flag, the flag actually consists of two sides: the Sun Flag and the Moon Flag. They are exactly the same in style, only the colors are different.

Both the sun and moon flags are blue with yellow borders, red flame corners, and interspersed colorful corners. They depict clouds and clouds, and the sun is red for the sun flag and the moon is white for the moon flag. The blue color of the flag represents the blue sky.

Cyan is a color between green and blue. For ordinary people, this color is often seen in officials.

Although the official in the green robe was only a low-ranking official, he still had more contact with the common people.

Officials in scarlet and blue robes were of higher rank and were rarely seen by ordinary people.

With a blue background, a yellow ring around the outside, and colorful corners and a sun and moon pattern in the center, its shape is actually very similar to the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag of the Republic of China.

The only difference is that red represents the sun and white represents the moon.

The Blue Sky with a White Sun flag was the first flag adopted during the Xinhai Revolution, designed by Lu Haodong, a member of the Revive China Society, in 1895.

The flag was blue to represent the blue sky, and in the center of the flag was a white sun pattern with rays of light emanating from it. The number of rays of light was not initially consistent, but Sun Yat-sen later explained that they corresponded to the twelve earthly branches, symbolizing the twelve two-hour periods of the day.

During the Qing Dynasty, the Heaven and Earth Society used the Sun and Moon Flag as a banner to resist the Qing government, and the later Green and Red List continued to use it.

It is said that Lu Haodong was a member of the Hong Gang and had contact with the Sun and Moon Flag in his early years. He modified this flag based on the Sun and Moon Flag.

At that time, although European countries used flags to indicate their identity, they did not yet have the concept of a national flag.

The earliest national flag in Europe is believed to be the Danish flag with a red background and a white cross, which has been in recorded use since 1219, but there is no record of it being used since then.
The orange, white, and blue tricolor flag used by the Dutch, or rather the Dutch, in the late 16th century to resist Spanish rule is a representative of early colored national flags.

Although Wei Guangde would not create the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag as the national flag of the Ming Dynasty, he would certainly design it based on the Sun and Moon flag.

Most importantly, the national flag of the Ming Dynasty could not be designed to have two sides.

In later online versions, many sun and moon flags were designed as a single image, with a portion of the sun depicted as a crescent moon, which is quite vivid.

With the characters for "sun" and "moon", they can be combined to form the character "bright".

The flag has a blue background, bordered with yellow satin, and features a sun and moon design in the center.

As he pondered, Wei Guangde couldn't help but feel that the diagram looked more and more like a Tai Chi symbol, but fortunately, it still used red and white to represent the sun and moon.

Of course, this was just Wei Guangde's idea.

This matter ultimately requires a court deliberation, approval from the imperial court, and finally, imperial approval from the emperor.

Alright, let's confirm this before the Anelian delegation leaves, so they know that the Ming Dynasty has its own symbol.

When discussing the origin of the national flag, it will naturally begin with the Ming Dynasty.

Although Denmark has used what they call a national flag for a long time, it is not actually a national symbol, but rather a custom.

In contrast, the Ming Dynasty directly announced this to the outside world through an imperial edict.

This flag is only permitted for use on Ming territory and ships; any use without the court's authorization is considered a sign of contempt and aggression against the Ming Empire.

Thinking of this, Wei Guangde simply invited several cabinet ministers to his office and explained the situation in detail.

"The common people used the sun and moon flag to represent the identity of our Great Ming Dynasty. However, it was inconvenient to hang the sun and moon flag at the bow and stern of the ship, and it was easy to get confused. Later, the swastika flag was used instead."

These words were naturally explained in detail by Liu Shouyou.

Wei Guangde concluded, “In my opinion, the sun and moon flag is a perfect match for our dynasty’s name, but it is, after all, the emperor’s flag, and it would be a usurpation for the common people to hang it.”

As for the swastika flag, it is mostly seen in temples and shrines, and is used by ordinary people to pray for good fortune. It is not suitable to represent our Great Ming Dynasty.”

Wei Guangde briefly described the sun and moon flag in his mind, using a single flag to encompass the "sun and moon" as a representation of "Ming".

"National flag, the flag of a dynasty, that's an interesting way to put it."

After listening to Wei Guangde's words, Shen Shixing nodded slightly in agreement.

When people from the Ming Dynasty traveled overseas, they relied on credentials issued by the government.

It's good for a ship to have a sign when it's out in the water.

This suggestion was naturally accepted by Yu Youding, Xu Guo, and others.

It's just a flag, and nobody really thinks it's a big deal.

It's fine, but it's not fine.

"I think we should have a flag made first, and then show it to the officials at the next morning and evening court session before discussing it further."

Xu Guo began to speak.

"It's better to let everyone see and discuss it in the government office first than to bring it up at the morning and evening court sessions."

If disputes arise during court assemblies on the first and fifteenth of each month, it would be considered inauspicious.

Yu Youding objected.

Yu Youding actually strongly supported Wei Guangde's suggestion to use the sun and moon as the national flag of the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, quite a few officials knew that Ming Dynasty merchants were flying the Sun and Moon flag and the swastika flag when they went to sea.

No one thought of using flags to represent the identity of the Ming Dynasty.

From then on, all ships of the Ming Dynasty were required to fly the sun and moon flag when going to sea, which was indeed a very good way to identify them.

Since Yu Youding had already shown strong support, Shen Shixing naturally wouldn't refuse him and nodded slightly in return.

Wang Jiaping naturally wouldn't object; it was indeed better to communicate with the officials beforehand to avoid disputes at the court meeting. "In that case, since Siyun is here, this matter will be entrusted to Siyun."

"Find someone to make the sun and moon flags, send them over when they're finished, and then we'll discuss them and deliver them to the various government offices."

Seeing that no one objected, Wei Guangde pressed his advantage and said...

Xu Guo himself did not object, but felt that such an important matter would be better discussed at a court meeting.

However, considering that the court assembly at this time was actually more of a ceremony, allowing officials to see the emperor and then symbolically present a few memorials, it was nothing like the heated debates and arguments depicted in movies and TV dramas where officials were divided into factions in the Huangji Hall.

In fact, the significance of court assemblies has changed since the Zhengde reign.

Most matters, big or small, are discussed in the cabinet.

The court assembly was more of a formality than a proper ceremony.

During the Jiajing reign, the policy became even more direct, with court assemblies being largely abolished.

Initially, officials would symbolically appear at the Huangji Gate on time.

Since the emperor did not hold court, the officials bowed three times to the inner palace and then went to their respective offices.

In fact, the Jiajing Emperor was not in the inner palace at that time, but was resting in the Xiyuan Garden next door.

Later, this symbolic ceremony was also abolished.

All officials would arrive at the yamen at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) to sign in, and that was considered a success.

It wasn't until the Longqing reign that large court assemblies began to be held on time, while small court assemblies were basically eliminated.

During the reign of the Wanli Emperor, it was initially restored for a period of time, but because the emperor was young, it was quickly abolished again, with only the New Year and Full Year court ceremonies remaining.

In fact, by now, the officials have grown tired of the daily court assemblies, and two large court assemblies a month are enough.

State affairs are usually resolved in peacetime.

Matters of great importance to the nation and the military could not possibly be discussed in court; they would be decided by the cabinet and the Ministry of War.

After everyone dispersed, they still had memorials from various places to deal with on their desks.

Wei Guangde, on the other hand, has become more relaxed, only needing to look at the list of memorials each day to get a general understanding.

That was a copy made by the Secretariat after receiving the memorial; it was also a record that would be kept for a long time for easy reference later.

The sample flag for the Sun and Moon Flag was produced very quickly; in just one day, Liu Shouyou had the craftsmen make it according to Wei Guangde's instructions.

After Shen Shixing came over to take a look, although he thought it was not bad, he also said, "Your Excellency, although this flag is a perfect match for the name of our Great Ming Dynasty, the yellow satin around it is not easy to protect."

I asked around yesterday when I got back, and it seems that it would be fine to hang this flag in the palace or government offices.

This flag may be flown on diplomatic missions or merchant ships, but the yellow satin is easily damaged.

"Then this kind of flag with yellow satin trim is designated for royal use, and it is only permitted to be flown at events attended by His Majesty."

"For vehicles and boats used by government offices and civilians, the yellow border should be removed. What do you think?"

The flag with yellow satin trim looks even more luxurious and high-class.

However, as Shen Shixing said, it is indeed not easy for ordinary people to use and preserve them. If they are damaged, it is troublesome whether or not to punish them.

If it's just a flag without a border, it's naturally less prone to damage and also simpler to make.

Thus, one flag can be used in two ways.

On occasions attended by the emperor, the sun and moon flags displayed should include yellow silk banners, which perfectly corresponded to the rules of imperial exclusivity and the exclusive use of the emperor.

The two discussed and set the tone, then summoned the other cabinet ministers, who all had no objections. So they immediately sent word to have another flag made without the yellow satin trim.

Only then did the cabinet reach a consensus.

In the following days, these two sample flags appeared in various government offices in the capital.

From the Six Ministries to the Five Courts, he reviewed almost all the officials in the capital.

There were naturally differing opinions regarding the cabinet's preliminary decision on the use of the national flag, but the cabinet's decision was generally upheld.

The news that the Ming Dynasty was going to establish a national flag could not be kept from the Qianqing Palace.

In fact, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard made the sample flags, they made two flags from the beginning.

One was sent to the East Pavilion, and the other was sent into the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Wanli was actually quite interested in the flag depicting the sun and moon together.

Afterwards, he summoned Liu Shouyou and inquired in detail about the origins of the matter.

The cabinet then divided the flag into two versions, with the yellow satin-bordered sun and moon flag being designated as the emperor's exclusive flag, which pleased him even more.

Naturally, he also paid close attention to the discussions in each department.

According to the preliminary agreed-upon usage system, the Ministry of Rites drafted regulations for the use of the national flag, stipulating that the yellow satin sun and moon flag would be normally hung on the city walls of Chengtianmen and Huangjimen.

Another thing is that flag bearers were added to the emperor's ceremonial procession, and this flag was displayed.

All government offices in the capital and local government offices were required to display ordinary sun and moon flags.

In addition, missions to vassal states and ships at sea were also required to fly this flag to identify themselves.

All flags were custom-made by the Imperial Workshop and distributed to local government offices.

Those who need to use this flag must apply to the local government for its purchase.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Rites stipulated that the Sun and Moon Flags should be replaced every three years. In addition to purchasing new flags, the replacement Sun and Moon Flags must be returned to the original flags used.

If there is any damage or loss, the cause must be reported promptly and in detail.

Wei Guangde did not require domestic chambers of commerce or individuals in the Ming Dynasty to display the sun and moon flag; it was mainly government officials and merchants traveling abroad who were required to use it.

For maritime merchants, a flag representing their status is naturally not a great burden.

They would have someone make the flags themselves; it's just a matter of spending a few more taels of silver.

However, Wei Guangde inadvertently found another way for the inner court to do business.

The business of the Ming Dynasty's Sun and Moon Flag was essentially monopolized by the inner court.

In fact, Wei Guangde originally intended for the Ministry of Works to handle this business.

However, Zhang Hong approached him, arguing that since it was the flag of the dynasty, it should not be allowed to be made by outsiders at will.

As a result, this business became the exclusive business of the inner court.

However, the production quality of the Imperial Workshop was indeed high.

Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty flags they produced were considered masterpieces, with each flag selling for ten taels of silver.

As far as Wei Guangde knew, the cost was only three taels of silver.

The Ming Dynasty has already issued hundreds of ship permits. Considering only the needs of maritime merchants, and with permits being renewed every three years, it is basically certain that the inner court receives at least several thousand taels of silver every three years.

However, in practice, Wei Guangde implied to his subordinate chambers of commerce that they should all hang this flag at their headquarters, so that the actual income of the inner court would be far higher than they had expected.

After all, this was the method he came up with, so naturally he had to give it a push.

The widespread display of the Sun and Moon flag by the Chamber of Commerce also facilitates its promotion among the general public.

At least, the people of the Ming Dynasty knew that this flag represented the imperial court.

The Ministry of War, though unwilling to waste money, had no choice, as local garrisons and command posts were essential.

After some haggling, Zhang Ke and Zhang Hong finally agreed to purchase the Sun and Moon flags in bulk at a 50% discount for military use. (End of Chapter)