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How did the prince of Yan become the Yongle emperor after the Hongwu emperor’s death?

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Hongwu The Hongwu emperor; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Following the death of the Hongwu emperor in 1398, his grandson, the Jianwen emperor, ascended the throne. Seeking to consolidate his power, the young emperor initiated reforms that targeted his powerful uncles, stripping them of their regional authority and imprisoning or exiling them.

The prince of Yan, who had been a prominent military leader on the northern frontier, found himself increasingly isolated and endangered by these policies. In 1399, he rose in rebellion, claiming it was his duty to protect the emperor from malicious advisers. The ensuing civil war lasted until 1402, when the prince of Yan’s forces successfully breached the capital at Nanjing. Following the disappearance of the Jianwen emperor, the prince of Yan took the throne and assumed the reign name Yongle in 1403.12