Chapter 9 Chapter 9 "Manipulating" the celestial phenomena, the destiny of the great sky

When Liu Bowen returned to Yingtian in the spring of 1363 when the wild geese returned to the north, Zhu Yuanzhang had no time to greet him, so he immediately put a problem in front of him.This problem is indeed a bit difficult. It was Zhang Shicheng who created the problem. In February of the lunar calendar in 1363, Zhang Shicheng suddenly sent his prime minister Lu Zhen to attack Anfeng City (now Shou County, Anhui).Anfeng was originally an inconspicuous small town on the South China battlefield where the flames of war were everywhere at that time, but because of the presence of two great figures, everyone in South China focused their attention on it.These two great figures are Xiao Ming Wang Han Lin'er and the great national hero Liu Futong.

After the beheading operation initiated by Liu Futong failed, the Yuan government wiped out all the territories of the Han and Song Empires under Chahan Timur's crazy counterattack.After he retreated to Anfeng with Han Lin'er, only Zhu Yuanzhang's control area remained in the nominal territory. From the perspective of anti-Yuan, Liu Futong is undoubtedly great. He launched a war against the Yuan Dynasty without selfishness.From the perspective of survival, he is undoubtedly stupid. He is like a candle, burning himself and illuminating others.When he used all his troops to attack the Yuan Dynasty, the branches of the Red Turban Army, Chen Youliang, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Zhang Shicheng, were all expanding themselves without a bottom line. It looked like the Red Turban Army was expanding.As a result, when Liu Futong was in bleakness and misery in Anfeng City, it was the day when Chen, Zhu, Zhang and others were full of majesty and brilliance.

From Liu Futong's point of view, the most majestic person is Zhang Shicheng.Because his troops are attacking the city under the city of Anfeng, beating the drums.Liu Futong couldn't help thinking that he was still imposing and invincible a few years ago, and he didn't expect that Feng Shui would turn so fast.Now, he is at a loss for what to do by a Zhang Shicheng who never looked straight at him before. In fact, Liu Futong was too focused on the Yuan Dynasty. He devoted all his energy to the Yuan Dynasty in his life. He didn't pay much attention to Zhang Shicheng's rapid development in recent years.

Zhang Shicheng's reputation has been greatly improved since he won the victory in Gaoyou.Small groups of peasant armed forces in Jiangsu and Zhejiang scrambled to join him, and he and his Da Zhou regime flourished day by day. In the third month of the lunar calendar in 1356, Zhang Shicheng and his regiment captured Pingjiang, changed Pingjiang to Longping Mansion, and established the capital here.After a lightning-like appointment of officials and honors, his Great Zhou Empire rose from the ground. Zhang Shicheng immediately brought the leftovers that had not been fully utilized on the battlefield to peaceful construction.In the areas under his control, he ordered the abolition of exorbitant taxes imposed by the government on farmers and salt people.In order to promote agricultural development, he promulgated land policies beneficial to farmers many times.This is why he is so rich. All he occupies is fertile land. As long as the policy is reasonable, it will inevitably produce huge economic benefits.In terms of developing education, Zhang Shicheng set up many schools, provided board and lodging for students, and provided teachers with eye-popping salaries.Intellectuals in Jiangsu and Zhejiang were moved by Zhang Shicheng's sincerity and flocked to him. Shi Naian and Luo Guanzhong, who were later famous far and wide, ate and drank for nothing in the Great Zhou Empire.

Whenever Zhang Shicheng walked alone on the streets of Longping Mansion, stepping on the wet bluestone slabs, there would be warm greetings in the air, which were the heartfelt greetings from the people of Longping Mansion to him.As a result, the wet bluestone slab also seemed to be warmed up, with steam rising, making Zhang Shicheng's face feel unprecedentedly comfortable. He said: "I was born in the poor, and I know what the poor want most, just to live and work in peace and contentment, but not to be overly harassed. Whoever makes them realize this tiny ideal is the saint in their hearts." Many years Later, when Zhu Yuanzhang unified China, the people of Longping still remembered Zhang Shicheng vigorously. Every year on the birthday of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, they would burn a kind of "shit incense". The word "shit" is a homophony of "Nine Fourth", which is enough to show that Zhang Shicheng's good governance in Longping is indeed genuine.

Zhang Shicheng is not an intellectual in the strict sense. In fact, the traditional culture in his mind can be written on a piece of paper.But it is precisely because he has not been invaded and smoked by traditional culture that he does not have any ideological pressure, and he only acts according to his conscience.For example, traditional Chinese thinking expects an emperor to be frugal, to preserve the principles of nature and eliminate human desires, but Zhang Shicheng disagrees.He once said to Liu Bowen's classmate Shi Naian: "If I am too poor to wear trousers and have to wear silk and satin, then this is human desire, which is not good. But if I am so rich that I still wear patches This is hypocrisy and pretentiousness, since I can afford delicacies from mountains and seas, and silk and satin, why don’t I eat them, why don’t I wear them?”

Shi Naian grew up soaked in the sauce jar of traditional Chinese culture. Hearing such words, he was horrified and sweated, and soon ran away in surprise.Although Shi Naian ran away, he was very impressed with Zhang Shicheng, and later created it. It is said that the prototype of "Song Jiang" in it is Zhang Shicheng. When Zhang Shicheng was in Longping City, he was indeed a bit extravagant.He once made a dragon boat that even Emperor Yuan Shun was horrified when he saw it. When the dragon boat moved, the water level rose half a foot out of thin air. same life. However, this kind of life is not what the intellectuals raised by Zhu Yuanzhang later said, day and night.Zhang Shicheng's luxurious life is just a fragment of his life in Longping City, and he still puts a lot of energy on defending his family and the country.For example, in order to resist the attack of the Yuan government and Zhu Yuanzhang's army, he strengthened the city walls of Wuxi, Changshu, Huzhou and other important cities in the controlled area, especially in the defense of Longping City. A steel-like outer city was built around Longping City.Later, facing Zhu Yuanzhang who soared like a rocket, Zhang Shicheng added the Moon City on the Longping City Wall, and built a high platform outside the Moon City facing the direction of Yingtian.Whenever his prime minister reported to him that the revenue of the treasury had doubled again this year, he suppressed the surprise, ran up to the high platform quickly, and looked at Ying Tian of Zhu Yuanzhang to remind himself: Worry, die in peace.

In 1356, however, his sense of urgency was purely unfounded.This year, his greatest enemy, Liu Bowen, was still discussing with Shimo Yisun in Chuzhou how to deal with the little bandit Wu Chengqi; his second greatest enemy, Zhu Yuanzhang, had just captured Yingtian and was digesting the many cities he swallowed, so he had no time to deal with Zhang Shicheng. Have any unreasonable ideas. However, since Zhu Yuanzhang had already bordered Zhang Shicheng after he conquered the city, it was only a matter of time before the friction began. In the sixth month of the lunar calendar in 1356, a Yellow Pack army that Zhu Yuanzhang incorporated with yellow handkerchiefs suddenly winked at Zhang Shicheng.Zhu Yuanzhang might have to think about the army that came to his door, but Zhang Shicheng agreed without hesitation, because he was so rich that he could support as many people as possible.The Huangbao army defected to the enemy, and Zhu Yuanzhang was busy fighting against the Tianwan Empire on the western front. He didn't dare to fall out with Zhang Shicheng, but he couldn't swallow his anger, so he wrote a letter to Zhang Shicheng.The letter said: "You and I are both fighters against the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, and now we are neighbors. Many years ago, Kaixiao ruled the roost in Tianshui, and now you are the king of Yu Longping. You two are evenly matched. I am very happy for you. Now we should be good-neighborly and friendly, and keep our own borders. This is the teaching of the ancients. If we can do it, it will be really commendable. I hope you don’t get too hot-headed and do things that damage our friendship.”

Kai Xiao was one of the warlords in the late Western Han Dynasty, who later surrendered to Liu Xiu.Zhang Shicheng's knowledge did not allow him to understand Zhu Yuanzhang's letter, so he called the group of intellectuals under him.This group of intellectuals exploded. First they suppressed their anger, gave Zhang Shicheng a general explanation of that period of history, and then roared: "Zhu Tulu is thinking of himself as Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty. You recognize the situation and surrender him!" Zhang Shicheng exploded like a firecracker. He said: "Baldy Zhu made me understand the situation. I think he wants to understand the situation. I have a lot of money. If the soldiers' weapons are made of gold, they can arm tens of thousands of people. He Zhu Baldzi's wealth is as little as his hair when he went around for alms, how dare he say that he wants me to recognize the situation!"

Some intellectuals took advantage of the situation to make a fuss and said, "Let's beat him up and let him know how good we are!" Zhang Shicheng is not the kind of person who survives by blood, so when he got angry, he immediately calmed down, detained the envoy Zhu Yuanzhang sent to deliver the letter, and did not reply to Zhu Yuanzhang.Zhu Yuanzhang was eager to see through, and found that the letter to Zhang Shicheng and the messenger were like entering a grave, and he was furious.But like Zhang Shicheng, he is not a person who lives on impulse, so he quickly calmed down and stared at the Tianwan Empire to the west.

People are not machines, and it is impossible to follow the established program forever. Our emotions will always fluctuate, so people will sometimes be abnormal.A few days later, a continuous drizzle fell on Longping.In the afternoon after the rain, Zhang Shicheng was walking in the narrow and damp alleys of Longping City, and the letter from Zhu Yuanzhang hit his face in this narrow space.He suddenly became emotional, and cursed at the people around him: "This alley is too fucking narrow, I can't breathe, I'm so fucking useless." After finishing speaking, he strode back to the palace and called a military Meeting.He said: "I want to show Zhu Yuanzhang some color. Take his Zhenjiang!" It has only been three months since Zhu Yuanzhang took Zhenjiang into his hands, and he hasn't had time to warm it up yet.The reason why Zhang Shicheng chose Zhu Yuanzhang's Zhenjiang instead of other cities may be as follows: Many of his intellectuals said that Zhenjiang was said to have the emperor's spirit as early as the time of Qin Shihuang, and it was the land of Longxing.This rumor made Qin Shihuang very unhappy, so he drove three thousand prisoners to Zhenjiang, chiseled off the mountains of Jingxian Mountain, and wanted to cut off the dragon's veins.But the dragon vein is the same as the dragon, it cannot be seen by the naked eye. If anyone can see it, it is not a dragon vein.Therefore, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Zhenjiang produced emperors one after another, including Liu Yu, the founding emperor of Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty, Xiao Daocheng, the founding emperor of Qi Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty, and Xiao Yan, the founding emperor of Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty.Zhang Shicheng once obtained Zhu Yuanzhang's files through various channels, and found that although this bald man was born in Haozhou, his ancestral home was Zhenjiang. This is one of them.Second, among the cities controlled by Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhenjiang is not the closest to Zhang Shicheng, but the road to Zhenjiang is easy.Because the waterway can be directly reached.At that time, Zhang Shicheng's huge navy had just been established, and this battle can be regarded as training for soldiers, learning war in war. To Zhang Shicheng's dismay, his navy was defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang's general Xu Da in Longtan before he could touch the shadow of Zhenjiang City.According to the navy generals who escaped back, untrained sailors are not allowed to go out to fight. If they have to go out, there is only one result: being violently beaten. When Zhang Shicheng was formulating the next battle plan in despair, Zhu Yuanzhang was pacing back and forth in the palace of Yingtian City. The news of the victory in Longtan had already been heard, and he also jumped up abnormally, pounding on the desk and saying: "What do I want Zhang Jiusi to know?" Call the siege!" In the ninth month of the lunar calendar in 1356, Zhu Yuanzhang's general Xu Da carried out Zhu Yuanzhang's order and launched an attack on Zhang Shicheng's Changzhou.Zhang Shicheng didn't expect Zhu Yuanzhang's reaction speed to be so fast. He threw away the battle plan and sent troops to rescue.As a result, Xu Da's encirclement of Changzhou was false, but the reinforcements were true.Zhang Shicheng's reinforcements were wiped out while Xu Da was talking and laughing. Judging from the two confrontations between Longtan and Changzhou, Zhang Shicheng's corps is obviously not the opponent of Zhu Yuanzhang's corps.Zhang Shicheng was also aware of this problem after losing two games in a row, so he hurriedly asked Zhu Yuanzhang for peace.Zhang Shicheng's reconciliation was extremely reluctant, and he meant to make fun of Zhu Yuanzhang.He wrote to Zhu Yuanzhang and said: "I know you are poor, so I am willing to give you 200,000 shi, 500 taels of gold, and 300 catties of platinum every year." Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up when he saw such a generous condition.He thought Zhang Shicheng was a stingy old hat.In his reply to Zhang Shicheng, he said: "You quickly let go of my envoy. It seems that you are really rich! Then pay me 500,000 shi of military rations every year, how about we talk about it?" After Zhang Shicheng received Zhu Yuanzhang's reply, he screamed.He said: "This Zhu poor ghost has also seen the world, but the lion opened his mouth. It seems that the trick of killing him with money is not good. I need to think carefully about it." Anyone who knew Zhang Shicheng well knew that he couldn't think of any good plan.Zhang Shicheng's military wisdom is pitiful, and the legend he created in Gaoyou was only one time throughout his life.Therefore, when he repeatedly thought about how to fight back against Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang had already begun to take major military actions against him. In the second month of the lunar calendar in 1357, Zhu Yuanzhang's corps made a surprise attack on Zhang Shicheng's Changxing and fell in a single battle.Zhang Shicheng sent troops to counterattack, but failed.In the third month of the lunar calendar, Zhu Yuanzhang's corps came to the city of Changzhou again and captured it instantly.Zhang Shicheng sent troops to counterattack, but failed again.In the sixth month of the lunar calendar, Zhu Yuanzhang's corps captured Zhang Shicheng's Jiangyin again.Zhang Shicheng had no interest in counterattacking. Once Jiangyin was lost, Zhang Shicheng's navy would not dare to go up the river, and he could hardly leave Longping City.Now Zhang Shicheng began to look depressed in Longping City, sighing. The heaviest blow was yet to come. After Zhu Yuanzhang's corps captured Jiangyin, they stormed Changshu with the remaining prestige of victory.The Changshu guard is Zhang Shicheng's brother Zhang Shide, who is brave and good at fighting, and full of strategies. Zhang Shicheng's territory in Jiangdong was all conquered by him.He was a spiritual pillar within the Great Zhou Empire, and this spiritual pillar collapsed in the Battle of Changshu—he was captured alive by Xu Da. Zhang Shicheng was almost overwhelmed by a series of bad news. Fortunately, his prime minister Lu Zhen sent a charcoal fire in this frosty season: Lu Zhen captured Liao Yongan, an admiral of Zhu Yuanzhang, alive in Taihu Lake.Zhu Yuanzhang proposed that Liao Yong'an would be exchanged for three thousand soldiers captured by Zhang Shicheng.Zhang Shicheng thought he had received a precious gift from God, and told Zhu Yuanzhang that Liao Yongan = three thousand captives + Zhang Shide. Zhu Yuanzhang said: "You are not doing business." Zhang Shide said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "I can persuade my brother to surrender to you." Zhu Yuanzhang was ecstatic and asked him to write to Zhang Shicheng.Zhang Shide wrote a letter to Zhang Shicheng in a way that others could not understand.On the surface, the content of the letter is to ask him to surrender to Zhu Yuanzhang, but in fact, the invisible content between the lines is what he really wants to say.Zhang Shide said: "On the surface, Zhu Yuanzhang looks like a virtuous and virtuous corporal, but in fact he has no conscience at all. He is as poisonous as a snake and a scorpion. It's just that he hasn't fully gained power yet, so he pretends to be like a person. If he really has the day to be emperor, he must follow him. The day when his blood flowed like a river. If you are trapped in a dry well, you can’t turn around. For now, there is only one bright road, and that is Tou Yuan, and they will definitely greet you with a smile on their faces!” Zhang Shicheng is a person who is not bound by traditional moral concepts. After reading Zhang Shide's letter, he reviewed his current situation, and looking forward to the future, he found that Zhang Shide was right! The contact with the Yuan government soon started in an open and aboveboard manner. The person negotiating with him was Dashi Tiemuer, the right prime minister of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of the Yuan government at that time.Dashi Tiemuer's prime minister's hat is already riddled with holes, and there are only a handful of places where his orders can be reached in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.When he heard that Zhang Shicheng was coming to surrender, he jumped up for joy.Someone advised him that Zhang Shicheng was not trustworthy.Dashi Tiemuer said something very desolate: "At this time, whoever surrenders to us, we must believe who is credible." Zhang Shicheng's surrender conditions are very high, he wants a prince's hat.Da Shi Tie Mu You politely persuaded: "Your Majesty, this hat is really not easy to wear. There is racial discrimination in our country." Zhang Shicheng lowered the conditions again, and he wanted to be among the three princes.Dashi Tiemuer said softly again: "The positions of the three princes are all empty, what do you want this thing for? If you insist, then I can apply for you, and I have the right to apply. Then he changed the topic and said, "I have a very good position for you, Taiwei. If you are in charge of the world's army, you will naturally be able to control your current army. Moreover, your troops are intact, and your brothers and comrades-in-arms are all You can be a high official and rich salary." Zhang Shicheng agreed this time. Zhang Shicheng surrendered to the Yuan government, and did not ask for a penny from the Yuan government, nor did he ask for a single soldier.In fact, he is just an honorary captain of the Yuan government.From a material point of view, he is still the old Zhang Shicheng.But the reason why he changed his ways was because Zhu Yuanzhang made him breathless in the west of him. He voted for Yuan, and the north was still within Yuan's sphere of influence at that time. Take it easy. The Yuan government did not hesitate to accept him. The situation at that time was of course one aspect, as Dashi Tiemuer said, as long as someone voted, we would accept him. On the other hand, the Yuan government was most pleased, that is, Zhang Shicheng very rich. More than a hundred years ago, a German named Marx sat at a desk with a breeze and wrote: "The bourgeoisie is extremely hesitant in its revolutionary attitude, that is to say, they are weak. A weak character is not What is born is what is acquired. The bourgeoisie is weak because they have property, they are richer than the proletariat, and they have no worries about food and clothing, so they have no motivation for revolution, let alone reason for revolution.” A few years later, Zhang Shicheng was defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang. Afterwards, Zhuge-style figures summed up the reasons for Zhang Shicheng's failure, saying that Zhang Shicheng was intoxicated in the rich and noble township and did not think about making progress. A person who does not think about making progress will inevitably be eliminated by history.This kind of value judgment on others is really unkind, and it even means to rape the will of others. Zhang Shicheng owns the richest place in southern China, and because of his good governance, he has a wealth of wealth.Life is just a process, what Zhang Shicheng enjoys is the material wealth that is indispensable in life, and he does feel the happiness brought by material wealth, this is the correct attitude towards life.From Marx's point of view, Zhang Shicheng is a bourgeoisie with weakness.But no matter what, you can’t find out why Zhang Shicheng insisted on being tough, why he insisted on putting tens of thousands of people on the battlefield of blood and blood like Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang did, which is called toughness and conforming to the historical trend. There is one point in traditional Chinese culture that is quite puzzling, and that is the great unification.In troubled times, whoever has a decent army under his command, the traditional intellectuals entrust the concept of unification to him. If he stops, or messes up later, everyone will beat the drum and curse.This is measuring the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain. Objectively speaking, Zhang Shicheng is not a person who can show his true qualities of a hero in the vicissitudes of life.This is due to his character, he is a person who occasionally seeks excitement in peace, and he will not devote himself to fighting and killing.At the beginning, he brought seventeen good brothers to rebel, but he also hoped to live a peaceful life. In the end, he got what he wanted, and for him, this was enough. He has never known what toughness is. He has always believed that toughness means: if people do not attack me, I will not attack others; if people attack me, I will attack others.It wasn't until Zhu Yuanzhang's territory bordered him that he realized that on this chaotic one-way street, if you don't offend others, others will offend you indiscriminately. When he was cornered by Zhu Yuanzhang and turned to the Yuan government, this impression was even more profound, so he decided to fight back with his toughness. In the spring of 1358, Zhang Shicheng launched a general attack on Changzhou.This is the largest military operation since he and Zhu Yuanzhang went to war.However, as we said earlier, his corps was not the opponent of Zhu Yuanzhang's corps at all, so this large-scale attack soon came to naught.Blood was flowing outside Changzhou City, and Zhang Shicheng was in a bad mood in Longping City. In the spring of the second year, Zhu Yuanzhang launched a general attack on the eastern Zhejiang area controlled by Zhang Shicheng. Zhu Yuanzhang's corps was unstoppable. Zhang Shicheng retreated steadily and lost several cities in a row. In fact, in 1359, not only Zhu Yuanzhang made his soul suffer, but there was another person who made him frightened.This person is Fang Guozhen. Although both of them serve the Yuan government, they both know that this is false. The truth is that they still go their own way.Fang Guozhen is also weak. Unlike Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen's weakness comes from strength. He was the first to raise troops in South China, but due to his own wisdom and willpower, his territory has never increased.For Fang Guozhen, Zhang Shicheng has a clear understanding. This person has two ends. As long as he can survive, he will do whatever he can and is not afraid of being famous. This is his attitude towards life. In September of the lunar calendar in 1359, the Yuan government finally asked Zhang Shicheng for military rations for the first time.Zhang Shicheng reluctantly scraped together 100,000 shi of military rations, but when he heard that the Yuan government ordered Fang Guozhen to deliver the rations, he immediately regretted it, because he was worried that Fang Guozhen would take the rations for himself.Fang Guozhen was also not happy, because he was worried that Zhang Shicheng would sneak attack on his lair when he was transporting the military rations.As a result, this matter was settled. We can see from this that although Zhang Shicheng took refuge in the Yuan government, he was only temporarily stable on the northern line, and everything else remained the same. In the last month of 1359, the city of Longping was decorated with lanterns and festoons, preparing to welcome the New Year. Zhang Shicheng's mood was lifted by the smell of the coming New Year.He silently prayed in his heart that Zhu Yuanzhang would not sweep away his long-lost good mood, but Zhu Yuanzhang made him extremely disappointed.In the early morning of a winter rainy day, Zhang Shicheng was woken up and told him bad news: Zhu Yuanzhang was storming Hangzhou City. Zhang Shicheng yelled and cursed: "Isn't Bald Zhu just a year old? Is it so difficult to let others have a good year?" He doesn't know Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang is closer to the land than to his own father, and he doesn't care about the annual Spring Festival.His attack on Hangzhou City was to push Zhang Shicheng to a dead end.After more than a year of encroaching on Zhang Shicheng, the only cities Zhang Shicheng can take out are Longping and Hangzhou.Once in Hangzhou, he was left with only a tiny place. Zhang Shicheng had experienced the desolate feeling of being trapped in a lonely city when he was in Gaoyou. Zhang Shicheng didn't want to bring this feeling back to life, but the only thing he could do now was to seek support from the Yuan government.The Yuan government is concentrating on dealing with Liu Futong's three-way Northern Expeditionary Army, so let Zhang Shicheng wait first.Zhang Shicheng couldn't wait, and wanted to send reinforcements, but he was worried that Zhu Yuanzhang would be waiting for him halfway.Therefore, Zhang Shicheng had no choice but to do one thing: pray that the city of Hangzhou can survive. His prayers were not ramblings when he was desperate, Hangzhou City did have the capital.Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Hangzhou City has been shining brightly in southern China. During the Southern Song Dynasty, it was once the temporary capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. With beautiful scenery and bright prosperity, Marco Polo called it a paradise on earth.However, the city of Hangzhou has also suffered a catastrophe. In April of the lunar calendar in 1341, a fire in Hangzhou spread from the southeast to the northwest, burning half of the official and civilian houses for nearly 30 miles. A total of 15,755 official and private houses, public houses, and temples were destroyed, 10,797 households were affected by 38,116 people, and 74 people were burned to death.In the second year, before the city was fully restored, another fire broke out, burning down more than 40,000 houses. The fire was unprecedented, and the vast land for hundreds of years was almost turned into a garbage dump. In 1352, the Tianwan Corps captured Hangzhou, but withdrew under the crazy counterattack of the Yuan government army.Before Xu Shouhui left, he added fire to it.It took the Yuan government seven years to revive it. In 1359, Zhang Shicheng took advantage of it and captured it.We all know that Zhang Shicheng likes to tamper with the city. After getting Hangzhou, Zhang Shicheng recruited 200,000 people to dig a moat along the city. From today's Wulingang to Beixin Bridge, and south to Jiangzhang Bridge, the width is about 67 meters. into an unfathomable river.Later, these 200,000 people were forced to work day and night to strengthen the defense of the city wall, making Hangzhou City finally an indestructible city of steel. On the eve of the Spring Festival in 1359, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Xu Da to attack Hangzhou City. Before leaving the army, he told Xu Da: "Zhang Shicheng is most concerned about Longping and Hangzhou, so this is a difficult bone. You have to do your best. If you attack with all your strength If you can't take it, retreat." Xu Da has been very interested in attacking Zhang Shicheng's city recently, which is due to his continuous victories.Therefore, he thinks that Hangzhou City is a piece of cake, and even has a little regret, because after the capture of Hangzhou City, Zhang Shicheng's only decent city is Longping. We have seen that since Zhu Yuanzhang occupied Yingtian, the name "Xu Da" appeared very frequently, and he was active on every battlefield.This is naturally easy to understand. Excellent talents will always radiate eternal light.Xu Da was the most outstanding among Zhu Yuanzhang's later founding heroes, and he was all-rounder in civil and military affairs.He is Zhu Yuanzhang's hometown and also Zhu Yuanzhang's childhood friend.The two are good friends who grew up naked. Zhu Yuanzhang stuffed a sheep's tail into a crack in the stone, and he was there.Zhu Yuanzhang later defected to Guo Ziyi's army and returned to his hometown to recruit soldiers. Xu Da was the first to sign up.There is a kind of person in the world who can display his talents in a certain field without any professional training.Xu Da has never received special training as a military strategist, but he is an excellent military strategist.He watched Zhu Yuanzhang grow up step by step, because he was the one who helped Zhu Yuanzhang plan in the military camp, and helped Zhu Yuanzhang defeat all kinds of opponents on the battlefield. In the end, after lifting Zhu Yuanzhang to the overlord's chair, he He also became the veritable commander-in-chief of Zhu Yuanzhang's Corps. Xu Da fought with both wisdom and courage. He was good at judging the situation and quickly making correct judgments on the ever-changing battlefield, so he was praised by his comrades and enemies at that time as a genuine and ever-victorious general. After the battle with Zhang Shicheng, Xu Da has been at the forefront, winning every time.This made him happy physically and mentally.Attacking Zhang Shicheng's city made him think it was one of the most wonderful things in the world. Therefore, when advancing to the outskirts of Hangzhou City and facing the moat that could barely see the side, Xu Da did not have any pressure. He ordered to lay out the battle equipment for crossing the river, and the attack on Hangzhou City began under the psychological influence of Xu Dacheng. up. Xu Da was originally not a proud person. As a veteran of many battles, he knew best what price he would pay for underestimating the enemy on the battlefield.The carelessness of attacking Hangzhou City was because he thought he was bound to win.Before attacking Hangzhou, he had received reliable information that although the city of Hangzhou was extremely rich, the people of Hangzhou were extravagant, and they ate whatever they had and never stored food.According to his prediction, the food in Hangzhou can only last for one month.Even if he besieges and does not fight, after one month, those pampered citizens will open the gates of the city to welcome Master Wang because they can't eat delicious food. The moat that looked particularly bluffing was quickly and easily crossed by Xu Da's corps, but after they crossed the moat, they were doomed to be futile under the city until they retreated. The offensive of Xu Da's army was extremely fierce. If Hangzhou City hadn't been renovated by Zhang Shicheng, it would definitely not have the capital to defend.The defenders in the city of Hangzhou resisted heroically because they were filled with righteous indignation.It is trivial to prevent them from having a good Spring Festival. What annoys them the most is that Zhu Yuanzhang is too arrogant. For a year, Zhu Yuanzhang has eaten them like locusts with insatiable appetite.They want Zhu Yuanzhang's corps to learn a lesson in Hangzhou City, and let Zhu Yuanzhang never forget it. The officers and soldiers were united as one, and they could not go down the line of fire if they were slightly injured, and only those who were seriously injured could go down to rest for half an hour. If they could draw the bow with their hands and kick the enemy's face climbing up with their feet, they had to go up the city wall again. This tenacious spirit touched Xu Da and made him extremely embarrassed.One month later, after the Spring Festival, the city of Hangzhou was still standing, still surnamed Zhang.However, just as Xu Da expected, famine has already broken out in Hangzhou.This kind of famine is purely for the citizens of Hangzhou. Their delicacies have long been eaten, and the price of chaff soars rapidly, and finally it is ten times more expensive than rice.But Hangzhou people are too rich, and the chaff is quickly sold out.According to historical records, people in Hangzhou began to eat oil-car bran cakes.The so-called oil car bran cake is to collect and mix the waste materials removed during the rice milling process - bran and broken rice, etc., and then use the original oil extraction equipment to extract the bran oil after steaming. Pieces of pressed bean cakes and rapeseed cakes. This kind of thing is not at the same level as dross, just like dead noodles and steamed buns. Ordinary citizens and soldiers in the city of Hangzhou eat this kind of food. Hangzhou people who usually "never tire of food and fine food" have demonstrated one of the human instincts at critical moments: as long as there is food that can be eaten, they can survive. Zhang Shicheng was flustered in Longping. Two months later, the news came that the city of Hangzhou was still in our hands, and Xu Da's offensive had obviously weakened.But six out of ten people in Hangzhou city starved to death.Do you want rescue? Zhang Shicheng frowned, his eyebrows almost pressed to his mouth, he gritted his teeth, and said firmly: "If you don't save them, they will survive!" It made sense for him not to save him, because Zhu Yuanzhang just wanted him to leave Longping City.Both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shicheng knew one thing: Zhang Shicheng was not good at fighting in the field. Hangzhou City can stand it, but Xu Da can't.After three months of siege, Xu Da had little effect.This was the most anticlimactic battle he had fought since he joined the revolution. Letters from Zhu Yuanzhang urging him to withdraw his troops followed one after another. The halo of this ever-victorious general was stained with a little dust, and he withdrew his troops from Hangzhou city with a sigh. Zhang Shicheng was finally able to feel elated. He held a three-day banquet in Suzhou city to celebrate the victory of this defense battle. Although the price of victory was too high: after Xu Da withdrew his troops, only two-fifths of the people in Hangzhou city remained. On the day Xu Da withdrew his troops, more than 3,000 people died of hunger and disease. Zhang Shicheng suddenly discovered that Zhu Yuanzhang was not invincible.The victory in the defense of Hangzhou comforted his heart that had been devastated in the past three months, and gave him a surge of ambition.When Xu Dacai withdrew his troops, Zhang Shicheng quickly assembled his troops and launched an operation to recover Heshan.This military operation allowed Zhang Shicheng to regain too much territory, including Zhu Yuanzhang's hometown Haozhou, which was also taken down by him in an instant.Zhang Shicheng regained his vitality. The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang did not launch a revenge counterattack against Zhang Shicheng was because at this time, Chen Youliang, the prime minister of the Tianwan Empire, was preparing to start a war with him, and the war was on the verge of breaking out.When Chen Youliang sent an invitation letter to Zhang Shicheng on the quarry ship to beat Zhu Yuanzhang together, Zhang Shicheng was overjoyed at first, but after the heat of excitement disappeared, he carefully considered the feasibility of this matter. This can be said to be a fatal weakness in Zhang Shicheng's character: he usually looks resourceful, but the schemes in his mind can't wait to erupt like a volcano.But when something happened, his resourcefulness disappeared without a trace and was swallowed by himself. After thinking about it, he still couldn't make up his mind whether to join forces with Chen Youliang. After Chen Youliang and Zhu Yuanzhang exchanged fire, he gathered troops on the border.But before he gave the order to send troops, Chen Youliang was disabled by Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhang Shicheng said bitterly: "Chen Youliang is really a wimp." He said that Chen Youliang was a wimp, and he himself was not much better, otherwise he would not have hesitated and lost the good opportunity to attack Zhu Yuanzhang with Chen Youliang. It may be that the ideal attack plan has not been realized this time, or it may be that Zhu Yuanzhang is chasing Chen Youliang anxiously, but he is unable to deal with him.He beat the case and said, "Recover Changxing for me." It has been three years since Changxing left his embrace, but he always regards Changxing as his own child.Now, he has the opportunity to get his child back, of course he will not let it go. In October of the lunar calendar in 1361, Zhang Shicheng assembled 100,000 people from land and water to attack Changxing.The Changxing guard was frightened and sent several emergency documents to Zhu Yuanzhang a day.Zhu Yuanzhang is devouring Chen Youliang without much military support.Therefore, only a small group of support troops can be sent, and these support troops are like a meat bun hitting a dog and never returning. Zhang Shicheng's siege progressed extremely slowly, and the Changxing defenders, like the original Hangzhou defenders, defended tenaciously.A month later, Zhu Yuanzhang finally freed his hands and sent Changsheng General Xu Da to rescue Changxing.Xu Da came here for revenge this time. The two sides launched a bloody field battle outside Changxing City.Facts once again proved that the field combat capability of Zhang Shicheng's corps was far inferior to that of Zhu Yuanzhang's corps, and he retreated again.Under Xu Da's frantic pursuit, the retreat turned into a rout. After leaving more than 10,000 dead bodies, they finally ran back to their hometown. Zhang Shicheng started to feel chills in Longping City again. Apart from being annoyed by this failure, he was also worried about Zhu Yuanzhang's revenge.But his fears soon dissipated, and Zhu Yuanzhang was in a bad light in 1362, when two mutinies in the controlled area prevented him from launching any major military operations. Zhang Shicheng spent 1362 peacefully, a whole year. At the end of 1362, when the Spring Festival came again, the Yuan government informed him that the Han and Song empires were desperate, and your chance to become famous has come! Whether Zhang Shicheng can become famous depends not on Liu Futong and Xiaoming Wang, but on Zhu Yuanzhang.Anfeng City is an isolated city, and Liu Futong has suffered disastrous defeats one after another, and the morale of the army has reached the bottom. In the words of Zhang Shicheng's prime minister, Lu Zhen, taking Anfeng is like waiting for apples under a ripe apple tree.The premise is that Zhu Yuanzhang does not intervene. 张士诚大吃一惊，突然就骂吕珍：“你别浑了，朱元璋可是韩宋帝国的吴国公，他怎么可能不救主子？” 吕珍反击道：“蒙元政府还是您的主子，它如果出事，您救不救？” 张士诚哑口无言，他在心里琢磨，如果吕珍这个假设成立，自己到底该怎么做。 张士诚假设出来的犹豫，也正是朱元璋在1363年春天时不可回避的犹豫。刘伯温风尘仆仆回来，还未脱下被露水打湿的衣衫，就被朱元璋叫到密室，把这道难题摆在了刘伯温面前。 从刘伯温的角度看，朱元璋和韩宋帝国一点亲情都没有。韩宋帝国没有给过朱元璋任何支持，只有几个空衔。朱元璋发展到今天，全是他单枪匹马闯出来的，和韩宋帝国没有一点关系。所以刘伯温认为，救安丰是策略问题，不是责任问题。 而朱元璋不这样看，他说，当初进郭子仪部队，就是红巾军的一部分，打的是红巾军的旗号。后来他小有所成，占了和州，小明王还封他做了个副元帅。多年以来，如果没有红巾军这个大帽子戴在头上，他朱元璋也不可能发展得如此迅猛。他还说，小明王和刘福通的红巾军在反元斗争中表现最出众，就是从道义上讲，我们也应该出兵相救。 刘伯温大吃一惊，他借着幽暗闪烁的灯光仔细审视朱元璋的表情，他很快就发现，朱元璋这次是认真的。你要知道，朱元璋从来都是只为自己考虑的人。让他为别人考虑，拯救别人一次，简直是太阳西升。 人有情绪反常之时，但刘伯温确信，朱元璋不会反常到去做没有任何利益的事情，唯一的解释就是，朱元璋如果不趋利，那就是在避害。 刘伯温想到这些，就直接问朱元璋：“如果你把小明王解救出来，置于何处？” 刘伯温的意思是，小明王是朱元璋名义上的领导，救他出来，让他继续当皇帝？那不是给自己扣了个紧箍咒吗？如果不让他做皇帝，必然要杀他，那你救他做什么？ 朱元璋愣了，因为这个问题的确不好回答，他当然也想过这个问题，正是因为想过却没有答案，所以才使解救小明王这件事成为一道难题。 他问刘伯温：“先生有什么好计策？” 刘伯温反问：“你说的是小明王被解救出来后的归宿问题？” 朱元璋说：“是啊。” 刘伯温大大地摇头，险些把头摇了下来，说：“这个问题可以不存在的，只要你不救他。” 朱元璋终于说出了内心最深处的想法：“如果不救安丰，张士诚必然攻陷它，到那时候，张士诚的气焰更为嚣张，我们这不是鼓舞张士诚的士气，让他来进攻我们吗？” 刘伯温哑然失笑，说：“张士诚已被我们打得吓破胆了。我们不进攻他，他就在那里烧香拜佛，怎么会来进攻我们？况且，此时的韩宋帝国已不是曾经叱咤风云的韩宋帝国，张士诚就是把小明王和刘福通活捉，塞进囚车里，游遍整个中国，也不会得到任何正能量，我们何必担心这个呢？这根本就不是问题。” 朱元璋站了起来，搓着手，坚定地说：“还是要解救，我不知为什么，也没有明确的理由，但我只是知道我要救出小明王。至于如何安置他，那就如你所说的，走着看吧。” 刘伯温也站起来，有点激动，说：“你不担心陈友谅？据可靠情报，陈友谅正在厉兵秣马，只要我们给他一个机会，他就会冲杀过来。” 朱元璋无动于衷，但说出来的话却极为严厉，毋庸置疑：“这件事就这么定了。” 刘伯温叹口气，气息冰冷，说：“你如果真的决定援救安丰，那早点不如迟点。” 朱元璋马上高兴起来，带着意味深长的微笑，说：“先生这话，我明白。” 朱元璋理解刘伯温的话中深意的出处是这样的：春秋时期，邢国受到少数民族骑兵的攻击，于是派人到当时的霸主齐桓公那里求救。齐桓公推了饭桌就要出兵，谋士鲍叔牙却拦住他，说：“拯危之功，不如存亡之德。如果现在出兵，只是解救了邢国；但如果它被灭了，我们再出兵帮它重新建国，那我们就是它的再生父母。两种方法，虽然都能得到邢国的感激，分量却有天壤之别。” 朱元璋虽然知道这段历史，而且也复述得很好，可惜，他理解错了。 刘伯温的意思不是让他在安丰城破后，再去拯救小明王，而是让他延迟出兵时间，希望张士诚能把刘福通干掉。 刘福通在整个革命区内的威望太高，而且在政治的迷宫里从不迷路。他在战友韩山童死后，把韩山童的儿子韩林儿立为韩宋帝国的皇帝，就足以说明他是个懂政治的人。在那时，他的声望足以让他轻松地坐上龙椅，可他没有这样做，而是立了个傀儡韩林儿。这是因为韩山童虽然死了，但在红巾军中，他还活着。刘福通对权力的理解是这样的：要能看得见摸得着，这种权力应该是实实在在的，不是那些虚无缥缈、没有本质只有形式的龙椅。 他当时掌握着能和元政府分庭抗礼的帝国——韩宋帝国，他拥有一支所向无敌且只属于他自己的兵团。可以说，他在某一时期是全中国权力最大的人，只是因为运气不佳，他失败了。不过，他的斗志和智慧没有失去，关键的是，虽然经历了几次重大打击，他的气魄还在。如果给他机会和时间，他还能在短时间内旱地拔葱，重新光芒四射。 这就是刘伯温所担心的，刘伯温当然指出了朱元璋对他那句话的错误理解，因为朱元璋很快就出兵了。刘伯温相信，朱元璋不会看到活着的刘福通。刘福通在危机面前向来一马当先，张士诚围攻安丰，一旦城陷，刘福通必死无疑。 一场夜雨，把应天城洗刷得整洁干净，阳光从地平线后面散发出温暖的光芒，1363年阴历三月，朱元璋和他的将军们带领兵团主力，奔向安丰。 那场隆平的夜雨到了安丰，就成了雨夹雪。安丰城在那场雨夹雪中已支撑了一个多月。刘福通在第一线，韩林儿在临时的皇宫中坐立不安，连龙冠都懒得戴了。刘福通虽然脸色苍白，但眉宇之间仍然透露出直冲云霄的英气。他站在城墙上，望着下面如蚂蚁般的攻城士兵，感慨万千。这是多么熟悉的场景，就在几年前，他的兵团如一头蛮牛冲进了元政府的瓷器店里，所向披靡。如今，他成了那些心惊胆战、窝窝囊囊的元政府守城部队中的一员。 安丰城下张士诚的丞相吕珍就是另外一种心境。他仰望安丰城，就是在一个月前，他连做梦都没有想过，一个月后会和革命大佬刘福通对阵，而且是如此悬殊的对阵。他对他的将军们说：“安丰城指日可下，捉了刘福通和那个小屁孩韩林儿，我们就名垂青史了。” 他这话倒不是虚言，安丰城的确已摇摇欲坠。它本来就不是个可以固守的城池，城中没有一粒多余的粮食，战争进行到半个月后，城中的士兵和百姓的肚子就开始被束之高阁。但人不能不吃东西，而当时的安丰城中只有两样东西可以被当成食物，第一种是井泥。 所谓井泥，就是井中的泥。井在长时间为人民提供饮水时，也会产生淤泥。如果不勤加以治理，淤泥会越来越多，最后，清凉的井水就成了污浊不能饮的泥塘。 ——井泥是不能吃的，周文王早就告诉我们了：井泥不食，下也。就是说，井底的污泥可以吃吗？不可以，因为肮脏，不但没有营养，还会使人得病。 问题是，周文王当时有饭吃，所以，他的忠告对无物可吃的那些人如同浮云。安丰城中的百姓在吃无可吃的情况下，就从井底把井泥捞出来，但这种东西实在难以下咽，于是他们就把刚死不久的人的尸体榨出油来，抹在上面吃。 不过，井泥虽然是再生资源，可它的再生速度异常缓慢。当安丰城中的井泥被吃了个精光后，人们只能选择第二种可以作为食物的东西，那就是人肉。 人类历史上，人吃人的惨剧时有发生。即使在今天，也有野蛮的食人部落。中孙二娘开的饭店，主食就是人肉包子。你翻开中国历史，尤其是乱世史，吃人肉和喘气一样稀松平常。五代时期的很多军阀把人杀掉后，腌制起来当作军粮。唐朝安史之乱时，张巡守睢阳，后来吃无可吃，张巡就把自己的小妾牵出来，杀掉给官兵们吃。 安丰城中的所有井水变得清凉透明时，阵亡不久的士兵尸体就成了他们的食物之一。但安丰城中没有那么多可以阵亡的士兵，所以，据史料说，安丰城的百姓就去挖掘坟墓，把里面还未腐烂的尸体拿出来，用火烤了吃。 因果论告诉我们，这种吃法是要遭天谴的。而且，这种吃法也无法让安丰城幸免于难。当朱元璋兵团抵达安丰城下时，安丰城已经被吕珍攻陷。当吕珍在撒满残肢断骨的安丰城街道上巡视时，他不由大大的惊骇。 这已不是人间的一座城，而是地狱在人间的一个分部。吕珍也是个从死尸堆中爬过来的人，可看到这样的悲惨场景，还是让他心灵受到灼烧。他对已经弃械投降的韩林儿说：“为了你一个人的尊严和骄傲而让人间变成地狱，这代价，你永生永世都无法弥补。” 吕珍说韩林儿因尊严付出的地狱般的代价，韩林儿无法弥补。而很快到来的朱元璋兵团让吕珍付出的代价，吕珍自己也同样永远无法弥补。 吕珍攻陷安丰城后，就给张士诚送去了捷报。张士诚发现平时一向稳健的吕珍只字未提安丰城防御的问题。他大叫不好，派人快马加鞭，去叮嘱吕珍要加紧防卫，因为据可靠消息，朱元璋兵团已接近安丰。 吕珍没有对安丰城的防御工事进行加固，一是他还是抱有幻想，认为朱元璋不会出兵；二是，安丰城经过他一个多月的猛烈攻击，已成了站立着的垃圾堆。短时间内，根本无法重铸防御工事。 就当他在感叹安丰城中的惨状时，朱元璋兵团已抵达安丰城下，一抵达即发动猛攻。吕珍兵团在朱元璋兵团雪崩一样的攻势下，放弃守卫，在城破之前，吕珍狼狈地撤出安丰城。他这次行动正如狗咬尿泡——空欢喜一场，如果非要说他得到了什么，那可能就是安丰城那地狱般的景象。能看到这种景象的人，并不多。 朱元璋见到了那位只闻其名却从未见过真身的小明王韩林儿。 韩林儿这段时间受到了太多的惊吓，见到朱元璋时，已吓得说不出话来。这是朱元璋从韩林儿的脸上看到的第一种反应。但当他向韩林儿请安，并述说自己的忠贞不贰时，他又看到韩林儿脸上展露出第二种反应：惊和喜的混合，用他那双独有的忧郁的眼神传递给了朱元璋。 朱元璋对他说：“安丰城已不安全，况且经此一战已没有了作为都城的资格，我请您到滁州。” 韩林儿弱弱地问了一句：“我还是我吗？” 朱元璋的嘴角露出狰狞的一笑来，没有说话。 韩林儿离开他那残破不堪的宫殿走出安丰城时，迎面扑来了缕缕红色的雾霭，打湿了他的脸。他不由自主地摸了一把手上淡淡的红，凑到鼻子上闻时，一股血腥味冲了上来。他在心里说，命运可能已经注定了。的确，命运有时候在一个人身上注定很多东西，只不过有人发觉了，有人毫无感觉。当他一只脚迈进滁州城城门时，那个曾经气势如虹的韩宋帝国就已经灰飞烟灭了。人们唯一能记得起它的，也许就是滁州城里被软禁起来的小明王韩林儿。但随着时间的流逝，韩林儿的形象越来越模糊，直到最后化成一缕青烟，消失不见。 至此，我们突然注意到一件很重要的事：刘福通哪里去了？ 刘福通的死是那个时代无法破解的谜。要叙述这个谜，将是一番剪不断理还乱的考据。有史料记载说，刘福通在安丰保卫战中战死了；也有史料说，刘福通虽然没有战死在安丰城的城墙上，但吕珍破门而入后，他拒绝作任何形式上的投降，被吕珍杀掉了；更有史料说，吕珍根本没来得及杀刘福通，就被朱元璋打跑了。所以，这位革命大佬后来见到了后起之秀朱元璋。我们可以设想，如果刘福通在朱元璋进安丰城后还活着，他和朱元璋的相会必然是一场大书特书的煮酒论英雄式的相见。不过，任何史料都没有记载这次相见。只有两种可能：一、朱元璋根本就没有见他，或者说，没有给他机会与自己见面长谈；二、刘福通在朱元璋进安丰时已经成了鬼，也就是真的死掉了。 几年后，朱元璋谋杀韩林儿，有的史料中也没有提到刘福通。但有的史料提到了“刘太保”这三个字。至于是不是刘福通，不敢擅作评断。 无论是哪种情况，当朱元璋进入安丰城时，刘福通和韩宋帝国的结局就已注定。他和他的韩宋帝国这支蜡烛燃烧殆尽，已成了人人都漠不关心的残烛，他所留下的只是蜡烛的眼泪凝结成的烛冢。 刘伯温曾在心中说，要小心刘福通。但如果当时朱元璋真的见到了活着的刘福通的话，他应该也不会如刘伯温那样担心。因为在弱肉强食的时代，一只没有了利爪和尖嘴的雄鹰，只能做宠物，做展览品。 当朱元璋回到应天城时，对刘伯温轻轻地说：“一切都结束了。” 刘伯温却摇了摇头，说：“才刚开始！” 刘伯温说才刚刚开始，并非在说小明王。直到朱元璋把小明王放到滁州，又在小明王身边安插上自己的人后，刘伯温才发现，从实际政治上而言，朱元璋比他走得远了许多。刘伯温当初说，把小明王解救出来安置何处，是出于一个谋略家的考虑，而不是政治家。谋略家要算准每一步，每一步都要走得稳妥，不能有半点差池。但他又不能算得太远，因为太遥远的事，过于飘忽不定，谁都无法保证。正所谓，人有千算，天有一算。 以解救小明王这件事来论，刘伯温算计的是，正好趁此机会借张士诚的刀杀掉小明王。因为他只考虑到这点，所以他才问，如果把小明王解救出来安置何处。问这话时他内心的想法其实是不解救。朱元璋站在政治家的角度来看这件事，就是另一番景象：小明王已夕阳西下，无论怎么安置，都不成问题。关键是不能让张士诚得了士气。 这是朱元璋和刘伯温的第一次分歧，两人都没有错。因为站的角度不同，看到的形势自然也就不同。其实，刘伯温不想让朱元璋解救小明王，还有他隐藏在内心深处不可动摇的一个秘密。 这个秘密是属于刘伯温和他的同道，也就是传统儒家知识分子的。 1360年，刘伯温到应天献上《时务十八策》后，得到了朱元璋的信赖。自此后，每遇大事，两人就躲进密室中商议。一般事务，则在会议室中和其他人一起商讨。1361年大年初一，朱元璋突然在会议上命人搬来一把椅子，居于中央，他自己则一本正经地坐于偏席，这让初来乍到的刘伯温大惑不解。朱元璋解释说：“这把椅子是给我们韩宋帝国的皇帝小明王准备的，我们每年初一，都要拜他一拜。在他英明的领导下，我们才有今天，大家都要心存感恩。” 刘伯温在众人之中，就爆发出一阵低沉的冷笑。他向来是个敢说话的人，遇到和自己心灵抵触的事，总要发泄出来。这一声冷笑把众人笑得莫名其妙，朱元璋就问他为何而笑。刘伯温指着那张椅子说：“放牧的小屁孩，拜他做什么（竖牧耳，奉之何为）！” 朱元璋的脸上就显出极不舒服的表情来，倒不是因为刘伯温对韩林儿不恭，而是因为他朱元璋小时候也是个竖牧。刘伯温可没有指桑骂槐，韩林儿小时候是否放过牛、羊、猪，他没有调查取证过。不过可以用常理推测，当时的小孩如果不读书，那就是要给地主家放牛、羊、猪。 朱元璋在最快的时间里发现刘伯温并没有指桑骂槐，就未置一词。这件事他很快就忘记了，可刘伯温却铭记于心。这缘于他的人生经历，一个从小受儒家文化熏陶的人，才有这样的想法。 儒家思想的开山鼻祖孔子算是可以容纳百川的大度之人，当时他还去向非儒家大师老子请教学问，被老子几句话训了出来。他一点都不生气，还对弟子们说：“这老头虽然不习我等儒术，却是神龙见首不见尾的高人啊，我真想拜他为师。”这件事，让孔子的弟子们印象深刻，无数年过去后，孔子这种不存门户之见的风度涵养成为弟子们回忆老师的故事之一。 不过，在儒家看来，道教和佛教却是最要命的异端，因为它们是叛乱者的温床。 刘伯温所在的时代，道、佛二教被称为异端，已是不争的事实。但只有在有人借助它们叛乱时，它们才是异端。如果没有，那这两种学说则是知识分子们最青睐的。刘伯温本人对道家和佛家思想就深有心得。注意，刘伯温青睐的是道家思想和佛家思想，而不是道教和佛教。 与白莲教等民间宗教相结合而发动的红巾军，在刘伯温看来就是道教和佛教的杂交产物。白莲教是一个大杂烩的教派，它混合了佛教、明教（摩尼教）、弥勒教等内容，独树一帜，称自己为白莲教。它的核心观念就是弥勒重生思想：佛祖涅盘后，世界成苦海，千难万险即将呈现。等弥勒现世后，则立即成为极乐世界。 刘福通眉批道：佛祖涅盘了几十年，我们在苦海中成长，如今弥勒就要现世，你看我的朋友韩山童相貌奇异，其实他就是弥勒佛下生，明王转世，我们和他一起显灵去。 就这样，刘福通、韩山童领导的红巾军大叛乱敲响了元王朝的丧钟。 刘伯温说，刘福通这厮是个半吊子白莲教教徒，他根本没搞明白弥勒是怎么回事。弥勒在白莲教的经典文本中，本是佛祖指定的救世主，根本不是革命者。如果刘福通真的是白莲教合格的信徒，他应该这样教导大家：弥勒佛要转世，来救灾避劫，我们信奉他，就能得拯救，不信，就会永远沉沦苦海。 刘伯温切齿痛恨的是，刘福通居然把弥勒佛解释成了革命家，于是才有了红巾军大叛乱。对于以白莲教思想为指导的红巾军，刘伯温是不假思索地给其扣上了“异端”的帽子。因为这种思想和儒家思想是背道而驰的，背道而驰当然也不要紧，可你却用这种邪门歪道的思想叛乱，这就是罪孽深重了。 《郁离子》有这样一个故事，一个轻浮的青年对刘伯温说：“西方有个圣人，神乎其神，可以解世间一切苦，可以解世间一切厄，跟随他，将得永生。我准备去见他，要不要一起？” 刘伯温斩钉截铁地回答：“孔子说，攻乎异端，斯害也已，我不去。” 由此看来，刘伯温和异端是水火不容的。而红巾军就是水，他自然是火。所以有这样牢不可破的思维定势，刘伯温的心中其实只有一个理由：他们是叛乱！是异端的叛乱，既然是异端，他们就永远不是天命所授。而朱元璋还要拜小明王，就说明他仍然承认自己是异端叛乱的一分子，这是刘伯温最不愿看到的。 他的想法是，让朱元璋从异端小明王的阴影里跳出来，让他成为天命所归的人。虽然还没有天象显示，但他完全可以自己创造天命，兜头罩在朱元璋脑袋上。既然朱元璋已是天命所授的那个人，无论如何都不能身居在异端叛乱的名下，这就是刘伯温当时内心最真实的想法。 然而这种内心最深邃的想法，并不是普通人所能理解的。所以当他说出那句“竖牧耳，奉之何为”时，很多人都大吃一惊。 朱元璋是否明白刘伯温话中深意，没有人知道。可他当时没有反驳刘伯温，并非是出于礼貌，而是他的心弦的确被刘伯温的一句看似鲁莽的话给拨动了。 即使没有刘伯温，朱元璋将来革命的路上也不会再有小明王的身影，但正是因为有了刘伯温，朱元璋心中才有了定见，这一定见，他和刘伯温恐怕从没有说过。当他去解救小明王时，刘伯温劝说的那些话其实都是多余的，可谓是鸡同鸭讲。 因为朱元