On January 4, 1368, when Zhu Yuanzhang walked vigorously to the altar in the southern suburbs of Nanjing, put on the emperor's new clothes, and announced that he would change the name of the country to Ming Dynasty, the princes and ministers at his feet shouted long live. They would never have imagined that one day in the near future, they and their relatives and friends would be arrested inexplicably, and then their blood would be splashed on their doorsteps, and they would suddenly disappear from the world.
History has striking similarities. As early as the Han Dynasty, there was a saying and living precedent that "when the birds are gone, a good bow is hidden; when a cunning rabbit dies, the lackeys are cooked". However, the heroes of the Ming Dynasty may think that Zhu Yuanzhang was born as a monk and a beggar. A monk is compassionate and compassionate; a beggar is at the bottom of society! Perhaps they have never thought about this ancient adage at all. They only know that they "went thousands of miles to find a prince". Now that they have become famous, they just want to spend their remaining years in peace, enjoy the country, and protect their children and grandchildren. However, no matter whether they are loyal ministers, rebellious ministers or sycophant ministers, as long as they did not die in battle or illness before the founding of the country, or died of illness before Zhu Yuanzhang started killing, almost all of them would slip through the net and get the fate of being slaughtered. ending.
Let’s start with Li Shanchang, the first prime minister. He was the first capable adviser Zhu Yuanzhang met. People say he was Xiao He of Han Dynasty. I think that when Zhu Yuanzhang was twenty-six years old, he was just a "regulator" under Guo Zixing, a peasant uprising army. Although Zhu was Guo's adopted son-in-law, he was not famous in the army, and he never thought that he would do anything big. . Later, Zhu Yuanzhang "met Li Shanchang, a native of Dingyuan, and spoke very happily to him, so he and he attacked Chuzhou and marched there" (see "History of the Ming Dynasty: The First Annals of the Ming Dynasty"). From then on, Li became Zhu's chief adviser, in charge of food and wages, coordinating personnel, and made great achievements. It was only after this that Zhu gradually grew bigger and became the leader of the rebel army that dominated one side. It was he, Li Shanchang, who was fourteen years older than Zhu Yuanzhang. When Zhu wanted to be king but pretended not to be king, he "led his ministers to persuade him to come, but he refused. If he insisted, he would be the king of Wu."
< p>It was him again, when Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to be the emperor but did not dare to mention it, "the handsome officials persuaded him to come in, and he made a three-point report, and he promised, Jiazi, to tell God."... It can be said that without Li Shanchang, there would be no Zhu It is no exaggeration to say that he is Xiao He of Han Dynasty. However, how did Zhu Yuanzhang treat such a hero well?In 1391, Zhu Yuanzhang had been emperor for 23 years, and Li Shanchang was seventy-seven years old. He had "retired" at home ten years ago, but because the position of phase was vacant, he was re-appointed, and His son also married Princess Lin'an and was related to Zhu Yuanzhang. The unfortunate thing is: "Li Shanchang asked those who complained about the massacre of the people in the capital to be spared. The emperor was furious and sentenced him to death (according to Qing Dynasty Lu Anshi's "Twenty-Four Histories")." A simple excuse, Zhu Yuanzhang was able to kill Li Shanchang, his wife, daughter, brothers and nephews, a family of more than 70 people, and kill every one of them except Fu Ma's family. What a pity for this old hero who was a relative of the emperor and had an iron book on elixirs that could save him from death. He had to die a good death after all. What a huge injustice!