The Forbidden City would not exist without the vision of Emperor Yongle (reigned 1402–1424). Born as Zhu Di, he was the fourth son of the Ming Dynasty’s founder. However, Yongle did not inherit the throne peacefully; he took it by force from his nephew in a bloody civil war. Because many officials in the old capital of Nanjing viewed him as a usurper, he decided to move the capital north to his own power base: Beijing.
In 1406, Yongle ordered the construction of a palace so grand that it would prove he had the "Mandate of Heaven" to rule China. This project required over a million laborers and the finest materials, including "golden bricks" from Suzhou and giant logs of Phoebe zhennan wood from the jungles of southwestern China.
The Forbidden City was designed to be the center of the universe. By placing his throne on the North-South axis of Beijing, Yongle signaled that the Emperor was the link between Earth and the Divine.
Read the text above and answer the following questions.
1. Vocabulary: Based on the first paragraph, what is the most likely meaning of the word "usurper"?
A) A legal heir to the throne.
B) Someone who takes power by force.
C) A famous architect.
2. Reasoning: Why did Emperor Yongle feel it was necessary to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing?
3. Resource Management: Name two specific materials used to build the Forbidden City and where they came from.
4. Interpretation: How did the architectural layout of the palace help support Yongle's political image?