Regardless of historical research or folk circulation, there are countless legends about Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Liu Ji and others, and these famous ministers and generals are indeed worthy of continuous exploration by future generations. However, in the early Ming Dynasty, there was a man who made great contributions to Zhu Yuanzhang, but he was often forgotten by everyone. Whether it is academic works or stories and legends, it is difficult to find him in historical books.
Zhu Yuanzhang portrait
This achievement is no less than Chang Yuchun, nephew of Xu Da and Zhu Yuanzhang and viceroy of Zhu Wenzheng. I was fortunate enough to read Zhu Wenzheng Deeds by Mr. Gu Cheng, and I felt a lot. He is very eager to restore the true face of this politician who stood at the forefront of the late Ming Dynasty from the only historical records. But because of this, I dare not write.
Today, the author will write a series of articles to fully restore the deeds of this man of the hour from three aspects: Zhu Wenzheng's life, meritorious military service and the cause of his murder, and at the same time put forward his own views on some disputes.
First, the bitterness of life experience.
Zhu Yuanzhang grew up in a poor family. His father Zhu has four sons and two daughters. These four sons are called Chongsi, Liu Chong, Chongqi and Chongba, and Zhu Chongba is Zhu Yuanzhang's real name. From the names of Zhu Yuanzhang's father and brother, we can see that the family's education level is very low, which also reflects the hardships of his family from another side.
According to Tombstone, four brothers Zhu Yuanzhang were born in different places, and the Zhujiajian family has been living a wandering life. In July of the first year of AD (1328), Zhu Chongsi, the son of Zhu's parents, married Wang Chengqin, and on September 18th, two months later, the youngest Zhu Yuanzhang was born.
Zhu Chongsi is twenty years older than Zhu Yuanzhang. After that, he gave birth to two sons and a daughter. The eldest son died young, and Zhu Wenzheng was the second. Unfortunately, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the people were in poverty, and the Zhujiajian family, already struggling, encountered unprecedented difficulties in Zheng Zheng for four years (1344). The successive attacks of poverty, disease and food shortage destroyed the already troubled family without warning.
The portrait of Zhu Wenzheng was painted by later generations.
Zhu Yuanzhang's parents and eldest brother died in less than a month, while his second and third brothers were adopted in his family before, and they are no longer Zhu family. Only Zhu Yuanzhang, who is only 16 years old, and his nephew Zhu Wenzheng are left in the Zhujiajian family. Zhu Yuanzhang himself once said: "Once upon a time, my father died on June 6, my brother died on September 9, and my mother died on June 22." Within a month, three funerals followed. Life is here, why are you embarrassed? I miss the pain of the end. " I can't help but feel sad after reading it.
When Zhu Yuanzhang was a child (fifteen years old in Yuan Dynasty), he lost all dependence, leaving only two underage male members in Zhujiajian Island: Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Wenzheng. Alas, the sorrow of life is also extreme. I think Zhu Yuanzhang's later cold bloodthirsty has something to do with this change when he was young.
Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest sister-in-law Wang saw that Zhujiajian couldn't live any longer, so she went back to her mother's house with her ten-year-old daughter. Desperate Zhu Yuanzhang went to Huang Jue Temple to become a monk and seek a way out. Who knows that less than two months after entering the temple, the food in the temple was also warned. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to live a life of begging, which lasted for three years.
Second, take mother to defect.
From then on, Zhu Yuanzhang followed Guo Zixing in Zheng Zheng for 12 years (1352) and captured Chuyang in Zheng Zheng for 14 years, becoming a general of the Red Scarf Army. At this time, Wang heard that Zhu Yuanzhang was developed, so he took him to take refuge in his brother-in-law. In the same year, Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew Li Wenzhong also came to take refuge in his father. Because Zhu Wenzheng was later killed for rebellion, history books often only recorded that Zhu Yuanzhang loved Li Wenzhong very much, but selectively ignored Zhu Wenzheng. However, according to Zhu Yuanzhang's Historical Records, we can still see Zhu Yuanzhang's joy when he met his nephew Zhu Wenzheng.
"In the first year, I was a handsome teacher in Chuyang, and Shouqian's grandmother (Wang) took my dad () together. When I am alone, I look around and there are no relatives of any thickness. Although I am in charge of all the people, I can't help crying when I think of my family in my spare time. My nephew (Zhu Wenzheng) has been with ... for several years, and when I saw it in the noise, my family was reunited. What can I say about this? "
Zhu Wenzheng is only four or five years younger than his uncle and grew up with Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang once said, "Sister-in-law watched me grow up." It can be seen that Wang is still good to Zhu Yuanzhang. One is the youngest son of Zhujiajian, and the other is the only third generation of Zhujiajian. They are about the same age and have an uncle relationship. In the traditional family in China, because of the good relationship between uncles and nephews, the relationship between uncles and nephews is extremely close, which is not even comparable to Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew Li Wenzhong.
Ming dynasty army
Zhu Yuanzhang lived with his mother Wang for seventeen years, and didn't meet each other until more than ten years later. How can Zhu Yuanzhang, who has been lonely and lonely, be unhappy when he sees his closest relatives? And although Zhu Yuanzhang led tens of thousands of troops, but this army has no blood relationship with subordinates, and there is no clear obedience relationship with Xu Da and others at this time. Zhu Yuanzhang can say that there is no confidant at all.
At that time, Zhu Wenzheng was in his twenties, smart and alert, and he was a "good-looking emperor". After he entered the account of Zhu Yuanzhang, he was deeply loved. He often takes it with him and installs it himself. Even the name Zhu Wenzheng was played by Zhu Yuanzhang. Therefore, whether from the emotional or interest considerations, Zhu Wen is here at this time, which will definitely make Zhu Yuanzhang very happy. This emotional tendency can't compare with Li Wenzhong, who was only ten years old last year.
Third, fight against the North.
Shortly thereafter, Zhu Wenzheng followed Zhu Yuanzhang across the river, conquered Taiping, destroyed Chen Cong first and occupied Jiankang. Zhu Wenzheng lived up to his uncle's expectations and made great contributions to Zhu Yuanzhang's power expansion. Shortly after the conquest of Qing Ji Road (now Nanjing), that is, in October of the 16th year (1356), Zhu Yuanzhang promoted Zhu Wenzheng to the Privy Council, and his rank was equivalent to that of Xu Da and Tanghe under Zhu Yuanzhang at this time.
Then in the 21st year (136 1), in March, Zhu Yuanzhang "changed the Privy Council to Doudufu" and promoted Zhu Wenzheng to Doudufu to control Chinese and foreign military affairs. Zhu Wenzheng nominally became the supreme military commander in Zhu Yuanzhang's army. At the same time, in order to consolidate their position, Shao Rong, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and others with high levels and the same level were transferred to Zhongshu Province, which was directly controlled by Zhu Yuanzhang. It can be seen that Zhu Yuanzhang had high hopes for it.
In the 23rd year of Zheng Zheng, the unpredictable Zhu Wen resisted Chen Youliang's 85-day attack of more than 600,000 troops in Hongdu (now Nanchang), which won a critical buffer time for Zhu Yuanzhang who was in strategic error. After this war, Zhu Yuanzhang personally defeated Chen Youliang in Poyang Lake and wiped out his most powerful opponent on the road to hegemony.
However, shortly after the war, Zhu Wenzheng was personally captured by Zhu Yuanzhang and finally flogged to death by his uncle (some people say that he was imprisoned and died of anger).