Chapter 20 Section 3 From Soldier to Officer

Although he became the godson-in-law of the leader, Zhu Yuanzhang, who had just joined the rebel army, was of course only a small role.However, this small role quickly played a big role. In September of the twelfth year of Zhizheng, a peasant uprising army that originally occupied Xuzhou was defeated by the Yuan army, and under the leadership of the leaders Zhao Junyong and Peng Da, they defected to Haozhou.It's called defection, but the strength of this team far exceeds that of Guo Zixing's troops.Moreover, Zhao and Peng started their army earlier than Guo Zixing and the others, they had a higher seniority in the White Lotus Sect, and they were more famous among the believers, so "the dove occupies the magpie's nest", Guo Zixing and the other five became supporting roles instead.The relationship between the five leaders was already a mess, but now two outsiders came, and these two outsiders themselves were not united, and the result was even more chaos.

Before a showdown with a gun, Chinese-style collaborators will only suffer in endless suspicion, infighting, and entanglement.Whenever the Yuan army besieged the city urgently, all the rebel armies in the city united to fight against the enemy together.As soon as the situation improved, a fierce and brutal struggle began.The five marshals secretly divided into two factions, each attached to Peng and Zhao.Guo Zixing is more convinced by Peng Da, who has a hot temper, but not so much for Zhao Junyong, who seems dull and introverted.Unexpectedly, Zhao Junyong was ruthless and held grudges, so when Guo Zixing was out on the street, he sent someone to kidnap him, and secretly detained him at the grandfather's house of Sun Deya, Guo Zixing's old enemy and one of the five temperance marshals. .

When the Guo family heard the news, they panicked. They didn't know who had kidnapped Guo Zixing, and they couldn't figure out where to find him.Everyone gathered together to discuss for a long time, but they were still staring at each other, and no one could come up with any ideas. Zhu Yuanzhang was leading his troops to fight outside the city at this time. Hearing that Guo Zixing was missing, he hurried back to the city overnight. When the Guo family saw him, they pulled their clothes and cried bitterly.Zhu Yuanzhang still had a clear mind, and after listening to what they said, he immediately judged what was going on.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "My father always favors Peng and underestimates Zhao. The disaster must happen to Zhao. This cannot be explained without Peng." That means that Guo Zixing is usually close to Peng Da and alienated from Zhao Junyong. Zhao Junyong must be the black hand behind the kidnapping case. Zhu Yuanzhang said that only by making use of the contradiction between Peng and Zhao can this problem be resolved. Early the next morning, Zhu Yuanzhang took the Guo family to find Peng Da to make a complaint, and found examples to provoke the relationship between Peng and Zhao.Peng Da was really furious, and said: "I am here, who dares!" Immediately called the left and right, took his entourage and Zhu Yuanzhang, etc., went out to look for Guo Zixing, and finally found Sun Deya's grandfather's house.Zhu Yuanzhang led his men to climb up to the roof, uncovered the tiles and rafters, and went down to the house. He saw Guo Zixing with a wooden yoke around his neck and shackles on his feet. His whole body was beaten to pieces.Several people hurriedly unshackled him and carried him back home.

Just when several forces in the city were facing a fierce battle, Yuan Zhongshu Zuo Cheng Jia Lu led an army to surround Haozhou City, and Haozhou was in danger.Several leaders had to agree to make peace and guard the city together.Relying on the height of the city, the depth of the city, and sufficient food, they held on for seven months, and the Yuan army had nothing to do to break out of the siege. After the Yuan army withdrew from the siege, Guo Zixing ordered Zhu Yuanzhang to return to his hometown to recruit troops due to heavy casualties and shortage of troops.This arrangement is due to the great efforts in the rescue of Guo Zixing, Guo Zixing used Zhu Yuanzhang more freely and deliberately promoted him.

In June of the thirteenth year of Zhengzheng, Zhu Yuanzhang returned to his hometown.At this time, it has only been a year and three months since he joined the Red Scarf Army, but the down-and-out young monk has now become an officer of the Red Scarf Army. It is not what it used to be, and it can be regarded as returning home. This demonstration effect is naturally extraordinary.In ten days, more than 700 people were recruited, and they were brought back to Haozhou and handed over to Guo Zixing.Guo Zixing was very happy, promoted him to be a governor, and handed over the seven hundred people to him to command.From then on, Zhu Yuanzhang officially became a small officer leading troops.

This recruitment is very important in the history of Zhu Yuanzhang's rise.Zhu Yuanzhang selected more than 20 people from the 700 people to be his personal guards.No one would have thought that this selection made these twenty people famous in Chinese history: Xu Da, Zhou Dexing, Guo Xing, Guo Ying, Zhang Long, Zhang Wen, Zhang Xing, Gu Shi, Chen De, Wang Zhi, Tang Shengzong, Wu Liang and Wu Zhen Brothers, Fei Ju, Tang Duo, Lu Zhongheng, Zheng Yuchun, Cao Zhen, Zhang Yi, Ding Dexing, Sun Xingzu, Chen Huan, Sun Ke, Xie Cheng, Li Xin, He Fu, Shao Rong, Geng Junyong, Geng Bingwen and his son, Li Menggeng, Yu Xin, Guo Jingxiang, Hu Quan, Zhan Yongxin, these founding fathers of the Ming Dynasty all came from Zhu Yuanzhang's personal soldiers.Except for Geng Zaicheng and Hua Yun who died in battle before the founding of the country, these mud-legged people who were desperate at the beginning were all later ranked among the princes.

For the first time in his life, Zhu Yuanzhang had been promoted in social status, and for the first time in the five generations of the old Zhu family, someone had an official name.Because the name Chongba was really unpopular, it was renamed Deyu (Yuanzhang changed it again later), and the official name was Xingzong, with the word Guorui.From then on, everyone changed his name to "Mr. Zhu". For the first time in his life, he had a status and a visible future. Zhu Yuanzhang found himself in love with military life.Zhu Yuanzhang even discovered that he was born a soldier.Military career is the riskiest, but also the highest rewards.If he hadn't joined the rebel army, it would be hard to imagine that with Zhu Yuanzhang's background and quality, he would rise to the top so quickly and get a dazzling promotion in the social class.Before joining the army, all of Zhu Yuanzhang's capital in life was nothing more than strength. The war made him discover his other two capitals for the first time: brain and courage.

On the battlefield full of crises, and amidst the intricate interpersonal relationships, Zhu Yuanzhang discovered that he was different.He found that he was sharper, shrewder, and more meticulous than most people.He can always judge the trend of things in a complicated situation one step earlier, at a higher level, and a few more steps, and he can always easily guess the psychology of many people.He knows how to win the trust of his superiors and the support of his subordinates.He knows when he should advance and when he must retreat.He is extremely cautious, which does not prevent him from daring to take risks at critical times.In fact, his courage on the battlefield was unmatched by others.This is because he has figured it out a long time ago. In the shadow of swords and swords, only by being brave and intimidating your opponent with momentum can you have the greatest chance of surviving.The cowardly die faster.

Zhu Yuanzhang sometimes wondered why he hadn't discovered these advantages before.In fact, it is easy to understand.In the peaceful years, no matter how high IQ and courage Zhu Yuanzhang had, it was useless.Hierarchy, status, landlords, and political power oppressed him heavily, like the Five Elements Mountain pressing on Sun Xingzhe, leaving him no room to display these advantages.His IQ can only be used to joke with poor friends in the fields, and his courage is limited to not panicking when encountering wild animals in the wilderness, which has no effect on changing his fate. So, war is really great.It cut off the heavy ropes on Zhu Yuanzhang's body, it subverted all the common sense in the past, and it opened his imagination.For the first time in his life, his brain jumped out of the space of three acres of land and one cow, and found that the world that ordinary people can reach is so vast, so vast that it is unbelievable: even ordinary farmers like Peng Da and Zhao Junyong, now They were all called "kings". What is "king"?It is the second level of the social pyramid, and if it goes up, it is the emperor!

Both Peng Da and Zhao Junyong could be emperors, why couldn't Zhu Yuanzhang?