Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Zhu Yuanzhang invites Liu Bowen three times

When Liu Bowen returned to his hometown to write "Yu Ion" in 1359, his hometown had not yet suffered from war, and everyone was living a peaceful and happy life of "working at sunrise and resting at sunset". If you have to find an unhappy person in Qingtian County The person, then this person must be Liu Bowen. The reason for Liu Bowen's unhappiness is very simple, ambition is hard to pay, and the country is not guaranteed.But there is another very important reason. Due to years of frustration, his ambition has been exhausted.A person without light in his heart is like being in a dark wilderness, without going to the village or going to the store. The feeling of confusion and emptiness is a kind of protracted spiritual collapse.Without any ideals, I wake up every morning with no idea of ​​what to do next.Even when he was concentrating on writing "Yu Ion", the uncontrollable inner pain was like a python, wrapping him more and more tightly.Whenever he was in a daze, his younger brother Liu Bi would touch his ear and yell suddenly, saving him from the sea of ​​emptiness and irritability.But soon, Liu Bowen was involuntarily immersed in the sea of ​​suffering in his heart.In 1359, his only sustenance was probably only two things, or in other words, only two things could make him a little bit interested.The first thing is "Yu Ion", and the second thing is his hundreds of people armed.

He is very careful about this armed force occasionally, because his fellow countrymen will occasionally see him training soldiers, but this is rare.Therefore, for a long time, this armed force did not live in the army, but in the life of farmers.Liu Bowen's family is not rich, and even his younger brother has to work in the fields himself. It is really difficult for such a family to support a small army.Therefore, the soldiers of this army took up the responsibilities of short-term labor in Qingtian, and the purpose was of course very straightforward: first, not to starve to death, and then... In fact, there is no other.Like Liu Bowen, they have no goals, let alone ideals. They take every step and live every day.

In troubled times, if there is a loyal army, it will be the capital to make a fortune.But Liu Bowen turned a blind eye to this capital. A friend from Chuzhou saw him alive like dead wood and ashes, so he pointed out: "With your outstanding talent and such a decent armed force, you can definitely walk out of Qingtian." , flex your muscles. I'm afraid that Fang Guozhen will give you three points by then!" Liu Bowen glanced at his friend, and said extremely seriously: "I hate Fang Guozhen, Zhang Shicheng, Xu Shouhui and other bastards the most in my life. What is the difference between asking me to follow them and asking me to die?" The friend smiled lightly and said: " You, the news is too closed. Now in southern China, Fang Guozhen, Zhang Shicheng, and Xu Shouhui are famous, but there is a rising star who is extremely dazzling." Liu Bowen is not interested in this rising star, but just like a bored person looking for something to talk about, Just casually asked: "Who?" The friend replied: "Zhu Yuanzhang." Liu Bowen asked lazily: "Who is Zhu Yuanzhang?" Wu Guogong, you are planning a strategy." Liu Bowen said "Oh".My friend said: "This man is unusual. According to reports from various places, he is completely different from other rebels. Every time he captures a city, he first implements a policy of appeasement and never kills indiscriminately. His troops have strict military discipline. The strategists under his command are full of strength, and the future is limitless." Liu Bowen said "Oh" again, and suddenly asked: "How did this Zhu Yuanzhang come out?" Liu Bowen didn't know about Zhu Yuanzhang, and it wasn't because Liu Bowen had no information about Zhu Yuanzhang.Before he left Chuzhou to return to his hometown, all the revolutionaries in South China had already appeared on the stage.The reason why he didn't know about Zhu Yuanzhang was because Zhu Yuanzhang's prosperity was so fast that he even ran ahead of time.

In 1328, when Liu Bowen accidentally obtained the scriptures in Shimen Cave, Zhu Yuanzhang was born in Zhongli Guzhuang Village, Haozhou (now Fengyang, Anhui).The moment he opened his eyes, he saw several heads looking at him.The heads of three very young boys were his three elder brothers; the two delicate and childish faces were his two older sisters; and there was another wrinkled face, full of vicissitudes of life, sighing at him.These are his three older brothers, two older sisters, and his father. At this time, he was not called Zhu Yuanzhang, but Zhu Chongba.Regarding Zhu Chongba and Zhang Shicheng’s original name Zhang Jiusi we mentioned earlier, there is one thing to add:

If you travel back to the Yuan Dynasty and find a village and ask everyone's name, you will find that you have come to the paradise of numbers, because everyone's names are numbers.This is because the Yuan Dynasty had a system: ordinary people who have no job are not allowed to be named, but they are named after the sum of their rank and the age of their parents.That is to say, ordinary people are not allowed to take official names, and their names are numbered according to their ranking or the age of their parents.Let me give an example to illustrate: the husband is 24 years old, and the wife is 22 years old, and the combined age is 46 years old. At the age of eight, the child born should be called Baba, but it sounds strange, so it was changed to "Chongba".

From this system, we can infer that Zhang Shicheng's parents may not have married late, but they definitely counted as late childbearing. Going back to Zhu Yuanzhang's father's lament, there may be two reasons why his father lamented: one is that his family is too poor, and now he has another mouth; the other is that Zhu Yuanzhang is too ugly. . Liu Bowen once saw Zhu Yuanzhang in a dream, but it was the adult Zhu Yuanzhang.Zhu Yuanzhang actually had the potential to be extremely ugly when he was a child. Zhu Yuanzhang's face is pitch black, his chin is more than an inch longer than the upper jaw, his cheekbones are unexpectedly high, his nose is as full as carefully cultivated garlic, his ears are big and fat, his eyebrows are thick and black, his eyes are huge and protruding, as if to Eyes burst out.At dusk, if you had a sudden face-to-face with him, you would definitely break out in a cold sweat.

But being ugly doesn't affect his making friends.It is said that Zhu Yuanzhang often played the game of "emperor and ministers" with a large group of children. He acted as emperor and asked those "ministers" to bow down to him.After he became emperor, some intellectuals pointed out that Zhu Yuanzhang had great ambitions since he was a child, and being an emperor was destined.In fact, this is hindsight nonsense.Everyone has a pretentious side when they are young, and most of them have played the game of "Emperor and Minister". In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang was the person with the least ambitions when he was a child. This was not because he didn't want to have it, but because of survival issues.When a person's survival problem rushes to the front line of life, his only ideal is to live, and he will be happy every day he lives.Zhu Yuanzhang's family is a typical poor farmer in the local area, relying on working for the landlord to maintain their basic living.After Zhu Yuanzhang was able to run and jump, he grazed sheep for the landlord’s family, and the salary he received was not even enough for his own food and drink. His grand ambition at the time may have been: It would be great if he could gnaw a bone a year.

Such ambitions, however, are not unrealized.When he was herding sheep for the landlord's house, he would have hallucinations every time he saw the sheep grazing. He thought they were a group of roasted whole sheep swimming.Finally one day, he couldn't contain this hallucination, butchered a sheep, and ate it up with his "ministers", with almost no bones left.But when Zhu Yuanzhang was chewing the last sheep bone, a friend who was still awake suddenly burst into tears. He believed that Zhu Yuanzhang would not end the mess and would be beaten to death by the landlord.But Zhu Yuanzhang's eyeballs that were about to burst out of his sockets turned a few times, and he had an idea.He stuck the tail of the sheep that had been cut off before it could be roasted into the crack of the rock, and went back to tell the landlord that the sheep had got into the rock, and he couldn't pull it out no matter what, only the tail was left outside.Although the landlord didn't believe such nonsense, he didn't think that the kid would eat the sheep, so he beat him up and let him go home.

This incident told us such a message: Zhu Yuanzhang had a cunning character since he was a child, and this innate character helped him a lot in his later career. It was not easy, Zhu Yuanzhang lived to be 17 years old, but in this year (1344), his family suffered a catastrophe.As early as last year, the Huaihe River Basin suffered a once-in-a-century drought.The drought must be followed by the plague of locusts, and the plague must follow.First, Zhu Yuanzhang's second sister-in-law and third sister-in-law died before the drought was over, then his eldest sister died of starvation, and then his second sister also died of hunger.His third brother had long been sold to someone else as his son, and he fled the famine without knowing his life or death.

And Zhu Yuanzhang's biggest disasters and pains since his birth also came one after another. First, his father died of the plague, then his elder brother, and then his mother.Only he and his second brother Zhu Chongliu remained in the family.The two cried loudly because they didn't even have the money to buy a coffin for their parents.The dead body has been left at home for many days, and it has already stinks.The brothers had no choice but to wrap the body in some tattered clothes and carried it to the cemetery.Unexpectedly, just as they were carrying the body halfway up the hillside, the downpour that had not been seen for many days suddenly came, and the two brothers hurried to hide under a big tree.After Yuzhuyun collected, they couldn't find the body, because the body had been buried by the mud washed down by the flash flood.Many years later, when Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon chair, every time he thought of his parents who had died without a place to bury him, he would be deeply saddened, and tears poured down like the heavy rain that washed away his parents' bodies.

After the drought, Zhu Yuanzhang discussed with his second brother, and his second brother decided to marry into a family where he could still eat, and Zhu Yuanzhang cried again.This is his only relative, who will be separated from him soon.His appearance determines that he cannot replicate the success of his second brother.Just when he was desperate, his neighbor reminded him that he could go to the Yuhuang Temple in his hometown - which was changed to Huangjue Temple after Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor - to survive. Zhu Yuanzhang wiped away his tears and said, "I'm afraid they won't accept me." The neighbor told him: "You have a predestined relationship with that temple. Not long after you were born, you ate nothing and almost died. Your mother once went to Yuhuang Temple to make a wish, saying that if you survived, one day you will be sent there as a pawn." Monk. As a result, you survived. If you go now, you can fulfill your promise, and you can make a living.” Zhu Yuanzhang ran into Yuhuang Temple after waking up from his misery.But let him down.Because the Buddha did not show his strength, Yuhuang Temple was also severely damaged in the drought, locust plague and plague, and even the monks in the temple had problems eating and drinking.The abbot believed that it was true that Zhu Yuanzhang came to make a living, but it was false to fulfill his promise.But Zhu Yuanzhang said: "This must be true, otherwise, where is the compassion of the Buddha?" The abbot had no choice but to keep him, and the Buddha finally saved him for a year. In the second year, neither the Buddha nor the abbot could do anything.The abbot said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "You have also seen that there is not enough food in the temple. You should go outside for alms." "Almsgiving" is a Buddhist term, and the secular way of saying it is to beg for food.Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the dilapidated temple and the pitiful rice grains, and left Yuhuang Temple with a sigh. In 1346, Zhu Yuanzhang wandered around wearing a tattered monk's robe and holding an alms bowl.In more than a year of wandering life, Zhu Yuanzhang has encountered bodhisattva-hearted benefactors, robbers, and even small groups of rebels who are burning, killing and raping. Mongolian army.What impressed him most was that many homeless people, like him, who had no food or clothing, suddenly fell to the ground one day and never got up again.The ancient Chinese said that reading thousands of books is just book knowledge, and real knowledge can only be obtained by traveling thousands of miles.Only in this way can we achieve the state of unity of knowledge and action, and then we can achieve success. After Zhu Yuanzhang returned to Yuhuang Temple in 1347, although his spiritual world was enriched, he still could not comfort his hungry stomach.In other words, at this time, he did not have any revolutionary ideas, and Liu Futong's Red Scarf Corps would not be born until two years later. On the surface, the world of the Yuan Dynasty was still in peace.If you have to say that Zhu Yuanzhang had revolutionary ideas at this time, it would be his revolution on the stomach. After staying in Yuhuang Temple for a month, Zhu Yuanzhang left this ghost place again, because it was as poor as when he left.He has been away for three years. During the three years, he saw the mighty Red Turban Army on the road, the exhausted Mongolian army, the entire burned village, and the battlefield littered with dead bodies. .He felt that the Buddha was not merciful at all and could not save sentient beings, at least, he still could not save his stomach. In 1352, he returned to Yuhuang Temple again. Before he could get rid of his fatigue, the war between the Yuan army and the Red Turban Army spread here, and Yuhuang Temple was completely burned down by a fire.Zhu Yuanzhang looked around in a daze, and his heart was the same as Liu Bowen in Qingtian many years later, empty and lonely, with a bleak future. But this year, Liu Bowen's heart is not empty, but high-spirited, because he is working in the Marshal's Mansion in Eastern Zhejiang, and he is studying how to eliminate Fang Guozhen, whom he hates the most. When Liu Bowen shook his feather fan and read the military report intently, Zhu Yuanzhang, wearing a tattered monk robe, was also intently reading a letter written by his childhood friend Tang He.The letter stated that I am now a middle and lower rank officer of the Red Turban Army.Now the world is in chaos, if you want to live safely and eat comfortably, you have to rely on your fists and weapons to fight for it. You should hurry up and join the Red Turban Army. After Zhu Yuanzhang read the letter, his hands were shaking with excitement.He had been begging outside for years, and had seen countless dead bodies, some with a turban wrapped around their heads, immersed in pools of blood from their own bodies.This is a high-risk job. If a person is not lucky, he may die before contributing anything to his stomach. When he thought of his stomach, he felt extremely ashamed. For many years, he had never satisfied his stomach.Even for his own stomach, he should take the risk once.He made up his mind to be an adventurer, but when he saw the crooked Buddha statue in the rubble, he felt that life was precious. So, he knelt down in front of the fallen Buddha statue and started divination. He first asked about avoiding chaos, and the result was regrettable and unlucky; So, he stood up abruptly, thinking: "Standing at the intersection, if there are two roads you can't take, then you can only take the third road, I'm going to revolution!" Right in front of the lying Buddha statue, he took off his monk's robe, picked up a stick, and walked onto the battlefield. Zhu Yuanzhang defected to the Haozhou Guozixing Corps, which was very close to him.Guo Zixing was originally a benevolent rich man, with no worries about food and clothing, and a happy heart. Suddenly one day, he called his family and described a beautiful vision to them.In this beautiful vision, everyone is a master, free from government bullies and rioters.With the consent of countless people, Guo Zixing revolted in the name of the Red Scarf Army.He is not a branch of the Red Turban Army, but a franchise store of the Red Turban Army, because he has his own army. The beginning of Zhu Yuanzhang's participation in the revolution was not good. When he came to the gate of Guo Zixing's barracks, he was stopped by several soldiers standing guard.Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's honor, the soldiers unanimously concluded that he was a spy sent by the government army. Zhu Yuanzhang roared at the door and said: "The sea water cannot be measured, and people cannot be judged by their appearance. You are looking down on people with dog eyes!" The soldiers shouted "Wow", and rolled up their arms and sleeves, ready to let Zhu Yuanzhang taste the fist.Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was posing to be beaten, Guo Zixing came out, stopped the soldiers, scanned Zhu Yuanzhang's whole body with his eyes, and then stared at his face, which was the most abstract face he had ever seen in his life Face.In a trance, suddenly God put a message into his mind, so he extended his hand of appreciation and friendship to Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Join us." In this way, Zhu Yuanzhang became a soldier of Guo Zixing Corps.In the following period of time, he stepped onto the battlefield many times.On the battlefield, the god of death took away his countless comrades in arms. Of course, the god of death always sniffed his scent, chasing him closely, trying to give him a fatal blow at the last moment.However, the god of death did not dare to do it, because Zhu Yuanzhang had a god of luck on his head.In addition to courage, vigilance and good fighting skills, luck is absolutely essential for a small soldier who charged into the battle to survive many times on the bloody battlefield. Many talented people have worked hard and failed to achieve success. The god of fate refuses to take care of them is an important reason. Zhu Yuanzhang quickly stood out from the infantry to the captain, from the captain to the junior officer, from the junior officer to the middle officer, and finally became Guo Zixing's arm.It's been a long way, but it took a year.At a celebration banquet, Guo Zixing said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "There are two things, I hope you can promise me." Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Twenty things are fine." Guo Zixing said: "My goddaughter, Ms. Ma, you She matches her very well, so you should get married. In this way, we will be relatives." Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Okay." Guo Zixing said the second thing: "You are also a character now, and your name needs to be changed. I After pondering for many days, your new name should be Zhu Yuanzhang." Zhu Yuanzhang said: "This name is very good, but is there any subtlety?" Guo Zixing said: "Yuan is the Yuan Dynasty, and Zhang is a kind of jade. Your surname is Zhu. , but be the slaying Zhu, I want you to become a jade object to destroy the Yuan Dynasty!" Zhu Yuanzhang applauded, but he never thought of being a jade object to destroy the Yuan Dynasty.His thinking at that time was the same as when he was wandering in the rivers and lakes many years ago: one day counts as one day, and he is not hungry when he is full.Many years later, he said sincerely to Liu Bowen: "When I participated in the revolution, I just wanted to rob my house and earn a living. I didn't expect to make a fake and become an emperor. This really terrified me!" When Zhu Chongba changed his name to Zhu Yuanzhang, Liu Bowen didn't even know that there was Zhu Yuanzhang, even Zhu Yuanzhang's leader Guo Zixing had never heard of him.Because the Guo Zixing Corps is too small, it is just one of thousands of rebel groups, and because this year, Liu Bowen was detained in Shaoxing, and he was experiencing a life-and-death duel in his heart, and he was not in the mood to understand the outside world. On that summer afternoon in 1359, Liu Bowen and his friends talked about Zhu Yuanzhang together, just like talking about an ancient man.But Liu Bowen suddenly became interested in this ancient man.He asked his friend: "According to what you said, this man is just a mid-level officer who has done well. How did he become a warlord who dominates only a few years?" His friend couldn't answer this question, because he had never been with Zhu Yuanzhang, and he didn't know how Zhu Yuanzhang became Wu Guogong from an ordinary officer. It's a long story.In fact, it is impossible for any one person's road to success to be smooth sailing, and the same is true for Zhu Yuanzhang.When Liu Bowen impassionedly said at the military meeting on how to treat Fang Guozhen that he would completely kill him, Zhu Yuanzhang encountered a bottleneck period in his career.The development speed of Guo Zixing's corps was too slow, and it suffered some defeats. Guo Zixing was a person who was discouraged when he was frustrated, and proud of his victories, so his morale was low.Zhu Yuanzhang did not want to be immersed in this atmosphere, because he is a person who has been suffering for many years, just like a person who is afraid of the dark, once he sees that the candle is about to run out, he will panic inexplicably. May be forced to go back again. So in the second year (1354) of Liu Bowen's release in Shaoxing, Zhu Yuanzhang successfully persuaded Guo Zixing to capture Chuzhou (now Chuzhou, Anhui).Why should Chuzhou be captured? What Zhu Yuanzhang said to Guo Zixing was: "Chuzhou's strategic position is too important. The Jinling lock key and the Jianghuai guarantee. As long as we occupy it, we can take advantage of the opportunity to take Jiqing, and half of the country in southern China is in our hands." Guo Zixing was taken aback. He had never thought of such a grand ambition, and he didn't dare to think about it.Not to mention the heavy troops of the Yuan government army in Jiqing, even the countless rebel regiments around him were enough to frighten him.But Zhu Yuanzhang's enthusiasm aroused his courage. He said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "I will give you some troops, and you go to fight Chuzhou. If you can fight Chuzhou, it is of course good. If you can't fight, save your strength and withdraw." The god of fate came to Zhu Yuanzhang, and his surprise attack on Chuzhou was successfully completed overnight.When he walked into Chuzhou City and stood on the city wall of Chuzhou City, his heart was surging.This is the first city he has owned since he participated in the revolution, and it is Zhu Yuanzhang's city. It was in this city that Zhu Yuanzhang met one of the most important people in his political life, Li Shanchang.Li Shanchang was a native of Dingyuan, Haozhou (now Dingyuan, Anhui). When he was young, he was familiar with encyclopedias.Zhu Yuanzhang sat in his office in Chuzhou City and asked him solemnly: "When will the fighting in all directions stop?" Li Shanchang has a special ability, that is, he can gain insight into the other party's inner world through quick observation. He knows what answer Zhu Yuanzhang wants , What Zhu Yuanzhang wanted was a compliment.Although it is far from obvious what kind of climate Zhu Yuanzhang will eventually become at this time, Li Shanchang still used a brilliant exposition to satisfy Zhu Yuanzhang's vanity.He said: "In the great chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang rose from the common people. With his open-minded character, he knew people well and did not kill indiscriminately. In five years, he achieved a great cause that shocked the universe. Now, the Yuan Dynasty is exhausted, and the world is falling apart. Among them, your base is in Haozhou, not far from Peixian County where Liu Bang raised his troops, and you must have the aura of mountains and rivers. If you follow Liu Bang's method, you can rule the world easily." Zhu Yuanzhang was so complimented that he almost jumped up, but Guo Zixing's arrival pushed him to the chair.Guo Zixing ran from Haozhou to Chuzhou because there were constant infighting in his base camp, and several of his generals believed that he had super strong leadership skills.Guo Zixing didn't think so, so these generals united to exclude him.Once he was even captured alive. If Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't been in the middle, Guo Zixing would have become a ghost under the sword. When Guo Zixing came to Chuzhou, Zhu Yuanzhang lined up to welcome him, and handed over the command of the accumulated 30,000 horses to Guo Zixing.This is a stupid move in the eyes of Zhu Yuanzhang's cronies.But Zhu Yuanzhang said: "I gave him military power. First, he is my leader and father-in-law; second, I see him exhausted in the endless internal struggle. Military power can give him some comfort." Guo Zixing could not be comforted. In name, he was the military and political chief of Chuzhou city, but to mobilize any troops, he had to go through Zhu Yuanzhang, either explicitly or secretly. In 1355, the last year of Liu Bowen's imprisonment in Shaoxing, Zhu Yuanzhang attacked Hezhou (now Hexian County, Anhui) because of the lack of food in Chuzhou, and he succeeded immediately.Just this year, Guo Zixing died of illness suddenly. Liu Futong appointed Guo Zixing's son Guo Tianxu as the commander-in-chief of Guo Zixing's corps, Guo Zixing's brother-in-law Zhang Tianyou as the second commander, and Zhu Yuanzhang as the third. At that time, everyone in the Guo Zixing Corps knew that Zhu Yuanzhang would never be ranked third.Because in the past few years, those who followed Zhu Yuanzhang or worked with Zhu Yuanzhang knew that this person was a dark figure, unsmiling, with sharp and cold eyes, and exuded the smell of a bloodthirsty madman.And because he sees problems accurately and can quickly capture the root of the problem when the situation is unclear, many people respect and fear him. Regarding Zhu Yuanzhang's ability, there is one thing that can be proved.After the capture of Hezhou, Guo Zixing sent many officers to the headquarters of the Corps.Zhu Yuanzhang was worried that these officers would not accept him, so he chose a meeting day to be late on purpose.At that time, there was a rule in the army that when it came to a meeting, whoever arrived first would sit on the right, and the last to come could only sit on the left, because the seat on the right was more honored than the one on the left.Since Zhu Yuanzhang was late, when he came, the seat on the right was long gone.He chose an inconspicuous seat on the left and sat on it.Everyone began to speak freely about the military situation, but Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.When the meeting was about to adjourn because there was no conclusion to be discussed, he suddenly jumped up from his chair, strode to the center, and gave an impassioned speech in the way of Hitler's speech.His aura is so powerful, his analysis is so precise, and his emotions are so agitated, all the officers present can only be dumbfounded.After this incident, those who were dissatisfied in their hearts and on the surface, completely obeyed him. But Guo Tianxu refused to accept it, and neither did Zhang Tianyou.The two often deliberately contradicted him in military meetings.If Zhu Yuanzhang said one thing, they must say two things; if Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say one thing, they would definitely say one thing. Zhu Yuanzhang's cronies were furious at the attitude of the two leaders, but Zhu Yuanzhang calculated wisely: "When Mr. Guo was around, what he hated the most was internal strife. We can't let him down in heaven. Evil people have their own way. If you do many injustices, you will die yourself. Just watch." This villain soon appeared on the stage. His name was Chen Yexian, a general of the Yuan government. He was captured in a battle with Zhu Yuanzhang's corps. Out of the idea of ​​"flexibility and stretching", he pretended to surrender.But his hypocrisy can't be hidden from Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes anyway.Zhu Yuanzhang thought hard for a long time, not only showed great trust, but also asked Chen Ye to lead an army first.This puzzled Zhu Yuanzhang's cronies, Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Just watch." Everyone just watched.Guo Tianxu was also watching, but he was watching Jiqing. Just like Zhu Yuanzhang's unrestrained thoughts that day, Guo Tianxu was also determined to attack Jiqing.Zhu Yuanzhang agreed with both hands. When the army was assembled, he secretly stuffed Chen Yexian's army into the siege corps of Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou.Chen Yexian's fiery patriotism was burning, and during the interval between Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou's siege of Jiqing City, he invited them to drink in the barracks under Jiqing City.At the wine table, Chen Ye chopped the two of them into mincemeat with the knives and axes who had ambushed in advance.After killing the two men, Chen Ye first sent someone to notify the Yuan army in Jiqing city to open the door to attack Guo Tianxu's corps, and to attack from inside and outside.However, after the Yuan government army came out of the city, they rushed to kill, and they didn't know who the insider was. Chen Yexian died in the chaos in this way in a daze. Zhu Yuanzhang's trick of borrowing a knife to kill people is absolutely famous.After the death of Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou, he completely became the actual leader of the Guo Family Corps.He asked the Han and Song Empires for orders. Liu Futong was actively planning a beheading operation against the Yuan Empire at that time, and he was unable to conduct accurate investigations on such suspicious cases.As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang was promoted to commander-in-chief of Guo Zixing Corps. In the last two months of 1355, Zhu Yuanzhang's corps used lightning-fast surprise attacks to storm the quarry (now southwest of Ma'anshan, Anhui) with a strong force of thousands of warships, and the quarry fell instantly.Zhu Yuanzhang did not take a short rest while quarrying, and his soldiers pointed directly at Taiping (now Dangtu County, Ma'anshan, Anhui), and Taiping fell instantly.After completely flattening the fortifications outside Jiqing, in February 1356, Zhu Yuanzhang launched a general attack on Jiqing.In March, Jiqing fell, and Zhu Yuanzhang entered Jiqing city with a high head, and changed the name of Jiqing to Yingtian.In the seventh month of the lunar calendar this year, Zhu Yuanzhang called himself Duke Wu without the permission of the Han and Song Empires.He succeeded, standing on Yingtian City, he looked around, with a cold smile on his face. At this moment, like a spell, the most secret corner of his mind was suddenly opened.There, he finally had an ideal, a tangible ideal. "I want to sit on the dragon chair!" he roared. It took Zhu Yuanzhang less than four years to go from an extremely ugly little monk who was once mistaken for a spy to Wu Guogong sitting in the most luxurious and brightest room in Yingtian City. But the road ahead will not be so easy for him.Because the enemies he will meet in the future will be a hundred times smarter and stronger than Guo Tianxu. In 1357, when Liu Bowen carefully encircled and suppressed the rebel Wu Chengqi in Chuzhou, Liu Futong also started his beheading operation with great fanfare.And Zhu Yuanzhang was quietly carrying out his expansion process in the south. When 1358 came, Zhu Yuanzhang and his corps stormed Changxing (now Changxing, Zhejiang), Changzhou (now Changzhou, Jiangsu), Ningguo (now Ningguo, Anhui), Jiangyin (now Jiangyin, Jiangsu), Changshu (now Changshu, Jiangsu), Huizhou (now Huangshan, Anhui), Chizhou (now Chizhou, Anhui), Yangzhou (now Yangzhou, Jiangsu) and other places were included in the bag. After completely assimilating these cities, in the winter of 1358, his soldiers pointed directly at Wuzhou (now Jinhua, Zhejiang).The city of Wuzhou was well-defended, and the government army resisted tenaciously. Zhu Yuanzhang only managed to capture it with all his strength.After capturing Wuzhou, he immediately attacked Chuzhou, taking advantage of the prestige of victory.Shi Moyisun, the "Duke Huan of Qi" in Liu Bowen's mind, couldn't resist. He first fled the city, but then he got hotheaded and wanted to live and die with the motherland, so he turned around and rushed into the city.In the end, he finally got his wish and died heroically for his country. In Liu Bowen's mind, this is an event bigger than the collapse of the sky, but in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, it is just a sesame seed.His biggest thing now is to conquer cities and recruit talents.Just in the city of Wuzhou, Zhu Yuanzhang met a talented person, who was the key person who made Liu Bowen come out of the mountain. His name is Song Lian, from Pujiang (now Pujiang, Zhejiang).Speaking of it, he and Liu Bowen are still classmates.Because Song Lian had studied with Zheng Fuchu, Liu Bowen's enlightenment teacher of Neo Confucianism.At that time, his name was not Song Lian, but Song Shou.Zheng Fuchu thought that the character "Shou" was not good, so he changed the character "Lian" for him. Why this character is better than the character Shou, Zheng Fuchu did not say the reason. From the perspective of official career, Song Lian is far inferior to Liu Bowen.Song Lian was not a Jinshi, but his articles were better than Liu Bowen's.Song Lian lived in Dadu when he was young.Wei Su, the deputy prime minister at the time, was shocked when he read his article, and tried every means to get him into the government and served as the emperor's secretary.But Song Lian is different from Liu Bowen. Liu Bowen was born as a Jinshi. The greater the honor, the greater the responsibility, so even when facing the rotten Yuan Dynasty, he never backed down.But because Song Lian was not a Jinshi, he didn't have the same ideological pressure as Liu Bowen. He felt that the Yuan Dynasty was about to run out, so he turned around and left.Because of his well-written articles, he and Liu Bowen sympathized with each other.When he ran into Longmen Mountain to become a Taoist priest, he wrote a letter to Liu Bowen, asking Liu Bowen to become a Taoist priest with him. Liu Bowen tactfully refused, but expressed his sincere admiration for Song Lian's first-class articles.Later, Song Lian couldn't bear the loneliness in Longmen Mountain and returned to the world of mortals.After Zhu Yuanzhang captured Wuzhou City, he went to Wuzhou City to offer Zhu Yuanzhang a strategy to capture Chuzhou. Zhu Yuanzhang acted according to the plan, and it was a great success.This made Zhu Yuanzhang very interested in Song Lian, and praised Song Lian for his strategy. Song Lian denied it, saying: "I have a friend who is ten times better than me in strategy." Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "Who?" Song Lian replied: "Liu Bowen." Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said, "I seem to have heard of this person." Song Lian heard that Zhu Yuanzhang was not deeply impressed by Liu Bowen, just as Liu Bowen was not deeply impressed by Zhu Yuanzhang.He threw off his arms and told Zhu Yuanzhang the past of Liu Bowen's service in the Yuan government.Finally, he added another sentence: Liu Bowen is proficient in five-element and gossip-style magic spells. He has known five hundred years before and five hundred years after. Only then did Zhu Yuanzhang arouse his interest, saying: "It's fine to know five hundred years ago, as long as you study history, everyone can do it. If you know five hundred years later, I'm very interested." Song Lian strikes while the iron is hot again: "I have heard such a thing. Once Liu Bowen and a group of his friends were drinking and reciting poems in the West Lake of Hangzhou. Suddenly a cloud floated in the sky. Liu Bowen stood up, counted his fingers, and looked solemnly at those people. Said, "There is Tianzi Qi in the southeast, and Yingtian should be near Jiqing." Now that you have changed Jiqing to Yingtian, doesn't this just prove that he is a prophet?" Zhu Yuanzhang's interest in Liu Bowen increased by twelve points, and he asked anxiously, "Are there any similar deeds?" Song Lian rolled his eyes, slapped his thigh, and said: "There is another one. I heard that Liu Bowen was training his soldiers and horses in his hometown recently, and someone advised him to occupy the mountain and become king. With his wisdom, he will definitely become the overlord of one side. He But he said, I have already done a divination, and the divination shows that the new emperor will come to see me soon, so I better stop messing around." Zhu Yuanzhang said: "This man is so amazing, send someone to invite me quickly." Song Lian was about to prepare happily, when Zhu Yuanzhang stopped him again and said, "I heard that there is a saying of 'Mr. Four in Eastern Zhejiang'?" Song Lian said: "Yes, I, Liu Bowen, Zhang Yi, and Ye Chen. Liu Bowen, Zhang Yi, and Ye worked together a few years ago. Both of them have first-class management and execution skills, and the articles are well written. They also have military talents, so they can be described as all-round talents in civil and military affairs. What's great is that these two people have left the Yuan government and are at home." Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Four gentlemen, one of them is already with me. If I make a special trip to invite Liu Bowen, then this person will definitely be arrogant. I think you should invite the four of you together!" 宋濂吃惊地张大嘴巴，被朱元璋的诡异心机折服，急忙安排人去请刘伯温。 被派到青田县的使者没费什么劲儿就找到了刘伯温，使者很恭敬，还带了很多贵重的礼物。一见到刘伯温，先没说正题，而是把朱元璋光辉灿烂的发迹史大略说了一遍，最后才说道：“我家主人请您到应天，为他效力，您也实现了人生的价值。” 刘伯温仔细地观察那位使者，他发现这人穿的衣服质地很差，但很整洁。他还发现，使者脸上洋溢着青春的光芒，举手投足间都有一股他久违了的活力。他更发现，使者的鞋子新擦过，应该是在进门前特意仔细擦过的。从使者的身上刘伯温能判断出，朱元璋的军队是一支什么样的军队，而作为统帅的朱元璋是什么样的人也就不难推断了。 但是，他对使者说：“替我转告你家主人，我是山村野夫，没有建立盖世奇功的本事，只想在家乡安稳度过余下的时光。所以，您请回吧。” 使者被闹了个大红脸，但临行之前，宋濂交代过他，一定要对他的顾客以礼相待。现在，他的礼已用完，既然人家不来，他也没有办法。于是，使者转身离开了刘伯温家，出门时还不忘了把刘伯温的门轻轻地关上了。 朱元璋得到使者未完成任务的消息后，鼻子就哼出了两股烟，但他马上转念一想，这人不来，可能是因为我派的人不够分量。才华横溢的人，总会有点架子，一请就来的人，不是半吊子，就是妓女。 但宋濂有不同的看法，他说：“刘伯温不是那种喜欢摆架子的人。他在元政府接二连三地碰壁，熊熊的理想之火已经被浇熄。我们现在就是要把他的理想之火煽起来，这不是一个使者所能办到的，非要一个能人不可。” 朱元璋说：“李善长如何？” 宋濂摇头。 朱元璋又说：“朱升如何？我去年得到他，他向我提出了'高筑墙、广积粮、缓称王'的精明策略，我觉得他成。” 宋濂又摇头，说：“去请刘伯温的人必须是个心理专家，而且要能跟他做朋友，能在刘伯温的言谈举止中洞悉他的心理活动，发现他心理活动的根源。只有找到他这个'病'，我们才能开出方子。” 朱元璋说：“我看我手底下没有这样的能人。” 宋濂说：“有。” 朱元璋问：“谁。” “孙炎啊！” 孙炎，字伯融，句容（今江苏镇江句容）人，身长两尺，脸色黑如炭，还是个瘸子。这副形象放在任何地方，都会引人注目。除了这身硬件使人刮目相看外，孙炎还是个学富五车、肚里有墨水的辩才。他对科考从不感兴趣，认为科举考试出来的人都是腐儒，没有在实践中生存的能力。年轻时，他在农田里务农，由于身高和瘸腿的缘故，他的农活干得很一般。于是他扔了锄头，向天咆哮道：“我孙炎堂堂六尺男儿，怎么可以当个农夫。”但至于他扔掉农具后到底都做了什么，刘伯温倒是知道一点。孙炎凭借出色的口才和下笔成章的才华，在南中国的知识分子圈中很吃得开。他和刘伯温一见如故，二人成为无话不谈的好朋友。但刘伯温多次请他到政府工作，孙炎都冷嘲热讽地拒绝了。二人后来联系很少，刘伯温印象中有这样一个人，孙炎印象中也有刘伯温这样一个人。1356年，朱元璋攻陷集庆，孙炎一瘸一拐地跑到集庆，朱元璋早就闻其大名，对其进行了亲切友好的接见。孙炎侃侃而谈天下大势，说元王朝已将毙命，朱元璋先生您应该招收天下人才，以成大业。 朱元璋对其很满意，攻陷处州后，就让他担任战时处州军区司令（处州总制）。当朱元璋要求他请刘伯温出山的信件送到他办公桌上时，他拍案而起，拍着胸脯对送信的使者说：“和吴国公说，小事一桩。” 使者告诉他，吴国公已请过刘伯温一次，毫无成效。 孙炎说：“这太失礼了，他不可能出山。瞧我的！” 孙炎说别人失礼，他也没有“有礼”到哪儿去。本来，按正常人的想法，孙炎应该是亲自登门拜访刘伯温的。但是，孙炎此时已不是个正常人，而是个处州军区司令，多年以来，他从没有做过这么大的官。尤为重要的是，当初刘伯温是以一种君临天下的姿态邀请他到元政府工作的，现在，他要回报给刘伯温，也准备以一种君临天下的姿态邀请刘伯温。所以，他写了一封在热情中充满着自豪和领导人气味的信。在信中，孙炎最先说的就是朱元璋如何如何有威德，他的威德不仅济于人类，而泽于禽兽。凡是朱元璋所过之处，猛兽不轻易吃弱小的动物，凤凰时常来唱歌，老虎领着山中群兽来跳舞。总之，朱元璋就是救苦救难的菩萨，也只有朱元璋能完成历史赋予的使命，驱逐鞑虏、恢复中华。然后，孙炎又拂去了他和刘伯温友谊上的尘埃，说：“多年不见，我已找到人生的坐标，而你的坐标，我已经为你描画出来，那就是跟着朱元璋，帮黎民脱离苦海。在帮朱元璋成就大业的同时，实现自己的终极价值。” 最后他说：“朱元璋第一次来请你，实在是有失礼之处。你不出山，还是说得过去的。这一次，就不要推脱了。” 他的意思是，我孙炎这样重量级的人物来请你，已经给足了你面子，所以就不要半推半就的，赶紧出来吧。 刘伯温看完这封信后，哑然失笑，说：“孙伯融，你太俗了，我不出山，和你一厢情愿的猜测没有一点关系。” 如果他刘伯温知道宋濂的想法，更会大笑，因为无论是宋濂还是孙炎，都根本不知道他内心的真实活动。 刘伯温不去为朱元璋工作有着纷繁复杂的原因。他是元政府的进士，而宋濂和孙炎不是，元政府自天下大乱以来，为国捐躯的进士不胜枚举，仅他知道或认识的就有泰不华和余阙。面对着天堂里的这些同道中人，刘伯温不能殉国已是无颜相对，如果再让他和这些尽忠心的同道们背道而驰，去和元政府作对，他的良知根本无法饶恕自己。 当然，随着时间的推移，他已经看透了元政府的本质。这是一个病入膏肓、已经不给他丝毫机会尽忠的政府。他虽然决定不再为元政府效力，但从来没有想过要和它作对。 另外，刘伯温了解朱元璋只是道听途说，无论是宋濂、孙炎，还是那位使者，都是朱元璋的爪牙奴才。奴才美化主子是分内之事，刘伯温根本不知道真实的朱元璋到底是什么样的人。 即使要他走出青田去实现人生价值，也未必非要选朱元璋。北方刘福通的斩首行动已进入高潮；南方的徐寿辉兵强马壮，看上去很有旋乾转坤的本事；张士诚占据吴中富庶之地，手下多能人志士，正在豪迈地指点江山。这些人都是潜力股，没有任何直接的证据证明，朱元璋就一定能扫灭群雄，唯他独尊。 然而，人生在世，有些事必须要面对，即使你有千百万个不想面对的理由，也必须要拿出勇气来去解决它。 对孙炎的邀请，刘伯温不能置若罔闻。经过深思熟虑后，他给孙炎回了一封不冷不热的信。他说：“多年不见，我精力大不如前。你在信中所提的雄心、智谋和参透天地玄机的幻术，我早已抛到九霄云外。我感谢你能记得我们的友谊，从前它未沾染尘埃，现在依然如水晶一样光明干净。为了感谢你对我的重视，我将我祖传的一柄宝剑送给你。希望你能在朱元璋的带领下走上光明大道，我在青田山下为你们祈福。” 孙炎看了信，可就不高兴了。刘伯温这是明摆着又拒绝了，他话外之音就是，我不会来为朱元璋效力，但我也不会为元政府效力，我是个边缘人，你们就放了我吧。 孙炎抽出宝剑，用金鸡独立的姿势舞弄了一会儿，宝剑归鞘，大笔在手，摊开白纸，吼道：“我再请你一回！” 吼完，就以一种凌厉的笔法给刘伯温回了一封信。 孙炎在信中纵横捭阖，犀利地论述天下大势，然后又评价了各路英雄豪杰，最后把朱元璋从英雄豪杰中单独揪了出来重点论述。在孙炎的笔下，朱元璋成了集玉皇大帝和如来佛祖宠爱于一身的救世主。最后他谈到了那柄宝剑。他说：“这柄宝剑太过于珍贵，它是权力的象征，其最好的归宿就是'当献之天子，斩不顺命者'。所以，我是没有资格要的，原物奉还。” 刘伯温看了信之后，有点丈二和尚摸不着头脑了。孙炎只字未提要他出山的事，但那句“斩不顺命者”让他惊得流下冷汗。这句话看上去是在说宝剑的用途，其实说的是你刘伯温就是那个不顺应天命的人。 实际上，孙炎第一次请刘伯温后，刘伯温也的确认真考虑了很久，他无法解开自己的心灵枷锁。但他知道，自己正在试图去解，不然，他就不会知道自己解不开。孙炎的第二封信送来时，那句“斩不顺命者”把他吓出几行冷汗的同时，也让他冷静起来。 这种冷静是他多年来遇到艰难困苦时，所学到的一种解决问题的能力。孙炎的那句话，其实并没有威胁他的意思，而只是想告诉他，天下大势所趋，如果你静止不动，会被冲走；如果你逆流而上，会死无全尸；你只有顺应天下大势，才能在成就别人的同时，也成就了自己。 刘伯温看了孙炎纵横泛滥的文字，惊叹道：“我一向以为我比孙炎强，现在看他的纵论，我都不敢望其项背。”（基自以为胜公，观公论议如此，何敢望哉！） 其实，这是场面话。刘伯温的性格刚毅固执，如果他想不通一件事，或是排斥一件事，九头牛都拉不动他，区区一个瘸子孙炎如何能说动他？ 他的隐居家乡，不是那种万念俱灰的不问世事，而是一种蓄势待发。这个时候的他只是因为孙炎的信让他悟透了“势”之所趋，所以，才有了出山的心思。 孙炎写了那封信后的第二天，就跑到了青田刘伯温家，二人多年未见，自然要吃饭喝酒。二人相处得还算愉快。孙炎在饭桌上什么都没说，临走前，他对刘伯温说：“过去的已逝，将来的还未到，希望兄弟你能把握住现在。” 刘伯温神情凝重地点了点头，说：“我会考虑的。” 孙炎回到处州后，就给朱元璋写信报告说，刘伯温出山的概率非常高，此时正是他情绪波动时，应该趁热打铁。朱元璋就问宋濂下一步的计划。宋濂说，我给他写信，不但我写，我还让所有我们能命令到的刘伯温的朋友给他写。 那段时间，刘伯温什么都做不了，因为一封封的信如雪片般飞来，所有的信都千篇一律地吹捧朱元璋如何伟大，然后劝他出山，发光发热，为黎民百姓造福。 刘伯温的老娘也站出来推波助澜，富老太太语重心长地对他说：“如今天下大乱，群雄四起，元王朝没有几天活头了。我从那些信中看得出，朱元璋这人即使没有他们说得那么伟大，也至少是群雄中出类拔萃的一个。如果你能帮他完成大业，一统天下，不是件光宗耀祖的事吗？而且，人家已经三次请你了，如果你再端着架子，这分明是敬酒不吃吃罚酒啊！” 刘伯温放下了撰写《郁离子》的笔，叹了一口气道：“也许这就是天命让我如此，我的祖国抛弃了我，祖国的敌人却如此重视我。好吧，我出山！” 几年前，他曾要石抹宜孙做齐桓公，但人家拒绝了他。现在，他希望朱元璋是齐桓公，能扫灭那些叛乱者，至于扫灭那些叛乱者以后的事，他不想考虑。这是他出山的一个心理基础，没有这个基础，刘伯温的出山就显得极为荒唐了。 几天后，迎接他的宋濂来到青田，刘伯温那两位同事叶琛和章溢也笑容满面地来了。刘伯温的脸上冷冰冰的，和元王朝的艰难决裂其实在一年前就已经发生，但这一次的决裂，却是最冷酷最无情的，犹如和自己最好的朋友反目成仇。 当他走出青田时，回首望去，那里的宁静犹如梦中幻影，再也不能和他半个时辰前生活过的地方联系起来。刘伯温没有带走那支部队，而是把它交给了刘陛，并且嘱咐刘陛：“好好保卫家乡，不要担心我，也不要让我担心你们。” 他走出了青田山，向朱元璋的老巢应天走去。他的步伐并不大，也并不快，但在他的同伴看来，很有大步流星、天马行空的感觉。 关于刘伯温出山的故事，还有一点值得补充的地方。据说，刘伯温还未打算出山时，某日去郊外散步。当时有很多人在收拾庄稼，本来晴空万里，可突然乌云闭合，这是大雨将至的预兆。众农夫慌忙失措，只有一位小孩神态平静。刘伯温很奇怪，就上前询问他为什么不慌忙，至少也应该找地方躲雨啊。但小孩告诉他，下雨是肯定的，但雨不会在此处。 刘伯温很奇怪，掐指刚准备卜算，大雨便从天而降。正如那小孩说的一样，小孩周围并没有一滴雨。刘伯温认为遇到了小神仙，急忙向他请教。小孩就领着刘伯温见了他的师父吕六怀。 吕六怀是个神话级的人物，据说他老母亲怀胎六月就生下了他，他一生下来就能把天上所有能看到的星星数完。三岁时开始博览群书，后来成为了一位上知天文、下知地理、文武兼备、通晓古今的天才。 和吕半仙相谈之下，刘伯温发现，二人是同道中人，自己紧锁在眉头上的秘密被吕半仙一眼看破，刘伯温也不隐瞒，就说了朱元璋来请他的事。最后，他问吕半仙：“您说我是去呢，还是不去呢？”吕半仙摸着胡子，摇头晃脑了半天，然后神秘兮兮地指着大门说：“你去的地方在那里。”刘伯温马上朝大门望去，发现有太阳光顺着门缝照进来，他没有发现什么。吕半仙解释说：“缝隙里的阳光，凤阳！”凤阳是朱元璋的老家，刘伯温大彻大悟，回去收拾了下行李就出山了。明眼人马上就能看出这是事后诸葛式的扯淡。当时凤阳还不叫凤阳，而叫钟离县。凤阳这个名字是朱元璋当皇帝的七年后（1374年）才改出来的。但无论如何，刘伯温是出山了，这个传说只是想告诉世人，刘伯温出山辅佐朱元璋是老天的意思，和人事无关。 一个人建立了震耳欲聋的功勋之后，人们往往希望从他身上找到成功的密码。人类是一种高智商的动物，所以能思前想后，尽量把事做得完美顺畅。于是有人提出，人要有规划、要有计划，当然，更要有伟大的理想。人心中只要存着理想的蜡烛，必能照亮前途。但这种论调在朱元璋和刘伯温身上就丧失了价值。朱元璋从一个冲锋陷阵的小兵混到了一方霸主，他在战场上狂喊着“冲啊，杀啊”的时候，心中有什么伟大的理想？他当时的理想不过是希望能安全地退出战场，吃上一顿好饭。即使是拥有了自己的第一座城池后，他的理想也不过是当个城市的主人，离他要当皇帝的理想相距十万八千里。 刘伯温年轻时有理想，如果让他说出自己的理想，那简直就是长江大河般的壮阔。但他屡屡碰壁，理想的烛光摇曳，一阵清风就能使它熄灭。1360年，刘伯温正式向应天进发。在此之前，他从未想过自己会为一个叛乱者工作。 人生，不过是走一步看一步，许多伟大人物攀上高峰，很大程度上是时势推出来的。每个人最应该做的，不是凭空产生无数豪迈的理想，而是踏踏实实做好眼前事。这就像是种树，开始的时候发芽，然后有枝、有叶、有花、有果实，这是一个长时间的过程，每一步都要走得踏实，不要好高骛远。有枝时不要想着什么时候有叶，有叶的时候不要想着什么时候有花。焦渴的空想和望不到边际的理想没有任何意义，只要不忘记栽培，还怕没有结果吗？ 刘伯温多年以来不懂这个道理，他的确没有忘记去栽培，一直在兢兢业业地巩固自己的人生，但他也抱着一种远大的理想。在1358年年末回到家乡时，他的理想之火暗了下去。而当他决定重新出山时，那种远大的理想之火又光芒四起了。 当他走到桐庐（今浙江桐庐）时，他的理想之火险些又被人浇灭。这个人叫徐舫，是刘伯温多年前的好朋友。徐舫那年已经60岁，回首人生，他很满意。年轻时崇尚侠义，好驰马击剑，勤于读书，酷爱吟咏，潜心探究诗歌，曾在南中国各处游历，和一些出色的知识分子交流。只是他生性散漫狂傲，所以对仕途没有丝毫兴趣。刘伯温在江浙行省做官时，曾向长官苏天爵举荐过徐舫。苏天爵也卖了刘伯温人情，专程派人去请徐舫，但徐舫梗着脖子回答苏天爵：“我是个诗人，怎么可以受禄位羁縻？”说完这句话，也不等苏天爵是否真的二次来请，就跑进深山老林隐居起来了。 再后来，徐诗人就跑到桐庐，每天都把自己沉浸在诗篇中。刘伯温那天路过徐诗人的隐居之地时，徐诗人已经捻断了十根胡子，正要作出一首优美的诗来。听说刘伯温要来，他马上戴起黄色的大帽子，穿起白鹿皮做的袍子，腰间系一只青丝绳，一路小跑到河边，看着船上的刘伯温等人，格外恭敬地鞠了一躬。这身装扮和他的举止马上就让刘伯温感觉到，徐诗人已经知道他要出山的事，徐诗人之所以这样做，是在拒绝他，甚至有种讥笑的意思在里面。 刘伯温请徐舫登舟，徐舫毫不客气，上舟后坐在正首位置。刘伯温刚要说，请他和自己一起去见朱元璋时，他突然就大笑起来，说：“想不到你也有今天啊！” 刘伯温有点尴尬，徐舫就甩开大嘴，言语之间全是讥笑，嘲讽刘伯温隐居青田是假正经，连带着把宋濂三人也损了一遍。 四个人都是极有涵养的人，徐舫尖酸刻薄的话虽然使他们心上很不舒服，但谁都没有表现出来。因为宋濂、章溢、叶琛三人同徐舫并没有深交情，就好像一个路人讥讽你走路的样子时，你只会当他是自说自话。但刘伯温不同，他和徐舫是多年的朋友，朋友对你发表意见，你不可能不往心里去。 那天晚上，月亮升起，船停在如镜子般安静的水面上，空气有点湿润，一股冰冷的风吹进刘伯温的胸膛。他提笔写了一首诗：伯夷清节太公功，出处非邪岂必同？不是云台兴帝业，桐江无用一丝风。 前两句所说的伯夷和姜太公都是商周时期的人。伯夷是商朝大臣，周武王灭商后，他跑进深山发誓不吃周王朝的粮食，最后饿死；姜太公也是商朝人，但他辅佐周武王灭商，成了周王朝的开国元勋。两人的选择判然有别，但是，你能说两个人谁好谁坏吗？不过是人各有志罢了。第三句话说的是，西汉末年一批英雄豪杰帮助刘秀建立东汉的故事，后来这批豪杰被刘秀封为云台二十八将，都可谓是流芳千古的人物。最后一句说的可能是徐舫，你如果不出来建立功业，虽然身心不累，也不过是一丝无用的清风而已。 这和刘伯温多年以来秉承的人生信念是非常吻合的。在他心中，男儿大丈夫如果有才能，就必须要出来做事，事功才是体现一个人价值的唯一标准，其他都是浮云。 随着船继续在水上行走，在桐庐遇到徐舫的不快也在刘伯温心头渐渐消失，应天城很快就出现在眼前，那是一座承载刘伯温后半生梦想的城市，他一生当中最重要的人将会出现在这个城市。他在内心深处坚定而又平静地说了一句：“你好啊，朱元璋！” 离船登岸，没有大排场的欢迎仪式，只有个文臣模样的人对他们说：“请稍作休息，一会儿我领你们去见吴国公。” 叶琛和章溢脸上荡着激动的神色，宋濂微笑着，只有刘伯温，沉静如水。但他内心世界却突然波涛汹涌起来，他站在城中，眼界所限，望不出去。应天城像是一座城高墙厚的监狱，一种并不美好的感觉涌了上来：我被困住了。 这种想法一直持续到他见到朱元璋时，仍未有散去的迹象。他突然又有一种感觉，也许被困住是多年以后的事，现在，还不至于。 他走在通往朱元璋会议室的路上，尽力脱卸掉使人扫兴的感觉。当有人小声让他止步时，他发现自己已经走进了朱元璋的会议室。他很想说，终于要见到朱元璋了。 一阵冷风从门外吹进来，绕过刘伯温。刘伯温看到那阵阴冷的风吹进一张巨大的帘子里，帘子被掀起来，朱元璋就从那里施施然地走了出来。从他的步伐上可以看出，他没有兴奋点。朱元璋的脸冷酷无情，仿佛是用刀剑和阴谋刻画出来的。你在这张脸上找不到一点人性，只有不属于人类的、寒霜般的威严。 朱元璋把四人慢慢地、深深地扫了一遍，然后心脏发出指令，脸上马上堆出微笑来，说：“我为天下屈四先生，今天下纷争不已，生民涂炭，何时能安定？”他问这句话的时候正盯着刘伯温，刘伯温没有说话。章溢却说：“天道无常，唯德是辅，不乱杀一人者能定于一。”朱元璋点了点头。刘伯温发现，朱元璋的点头是出于礼貌，章溢这种假、大、空的话根本没能引起他一丝兴趣。 刘伯温还发现，朱元璋一直在盯着他。刘伯温终于抬起眼来，主动搜寻朱元璋的目光。他看准了朱元璋，朱元璋还在盯着他。刘伯温在内心里又说了一句：“你好啊，朱元璋！” 所有人都把目光聚焦到了刘伯温身上，因为这是刘伯温第一次向他祖国的敌人开口献策，他能献出什么策略来，将决定他和朱元璋的命运，也决定着历史的命运。