The second Ming emperor's reign would be short  -- four years-- and filled with contention. Since Zhū Yuánzhāng’s eldest son,  the Crown Prince, had died, his next eldest son, Zhu Di could have been chosen, but he was skipped over for Zhū Yuánzhāng’ grandson and the Crown Prince's eldest son, Zhū Yǔnwén, was named the successor. The resulting friction between uncle and nephew influenced Zhū Yǔnwén’s whole reign, as he was focused on gathering support for himself and not taking care of the all of the problems of his empire, such as the many rebellions and corruption. In an attempt to depower his uncle, Zhū Yǔnwén, the Jianwen Emperor, abolished the system of princedoms, but that only provoked Zhu Di who, in 1402, invaded the capital, burned down the Imperial Palace (most likely with the Jianwen Emperor  inside, although his body was never found) and declared himself emperor. Zhu Di was never quite convinced that Zhū Yǔnwén was dead and he remained paranoid throughout his reign, spending a lot of effort to root out the former loyalists of the Jianwen Emperor, implementing hundreds of executions and eradicating all written traces of the former emperor.

A powerful, if not egotistical, ruler, Zhu Di would reign as the Yongle Emperor for 22 years (1402-1424). His many achievements were motivated by his desire for prestige and admiration. The voyages of Zheng He that he sponsored were to meant to advertise China's might, promote the tribute system, establish diplomacy and keep an eye out for the former emperor in case he was still alive. They did not, however, benefit the treasury significantly.  (A lasting side effect of these voyages would be Chinese communities that have lasted in Malaysia and Indonesia.) He also led campaigns into Mongolia, Manchuria and Vietnam, which did not lead to increases in territory. He moved the capitol back to the north as well as renaming it Beijing. His construction projects included repairing the Grand Canal and building the extravagant Porcelain Pagoda along with envisioning the Forbidden City. His contribution to culture included the compilation of the extensive Yongle encyclopedia.