Chapter 100 Chapter Eleven

The massacre in Hongwu's 23rd year was so sudden that everyone was completely unprepared. In fact, if we weigh it calmly, we will find that those military officials who made Zhu Yuanzhang worry about it during the Hongwu period did not pose a fundamental threat to the Ming Dynasty.Although many of them are domineering, greedy for money and goods, and often violate the discipline of the empire, these are small things after all. "Since Mingxing, Xun Chen has not been involved in political affairs." Lin Zhenggen, a researcher of ancient Chinese history, pointed out in "On the Mentality of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty and the Destruction of the Heroic Group" that, except for individual literati-born heroes such as Li Shanchang, Zhu Yuanzhang's generals basically did not serve in the government.Unlike Liu Bangshi, although the heroes of the Hongwu period had titles, they did not have land. resource.Even if someone is overconfident and rebellious, it is difficult to make a big wave.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang's political creed is to pursue "everything".All the founding heroes who he was worried about and didn't like were basically wiped out by him.The rest are all loyal ministers who he believes have been tested for many years and have no second thoughts, and can be used by Prince Zhu Biao.Zhu Yuanzhang had been hanging on his heart for more than ten years, and then he let it go. On the second day of May in the 23rd year of Hongwu (1390 AD), shortly after the massacre, Zhu Yuanzhang took a comforting measure for the surviving heroes.In order to reassure the meritorious officials, he said, "Liehou is old and sent back to his hometown."Following Song Taizu's example of releasing military power with a glass of wine, each of the heroes was given a generous severance pay, allowing them to return to their hometowns to enjoy life.

Duke Xu Huizu of the State of Wei, Duke Changsheng of the Founding State, Duke Li Jinglong of the State of Cao, Duke Feng Sheng of the State of Song, and Duke Fu Youde of the State of Ying were given three hundred taels of gold, two thousand taels of platinum, three thousand ingots of banknotes, thirty pieces of wenqi, and Xie Cheng, the Marquis of the Level. Zhao Yong, Marquis of Fuxiong, Li Xin, Marquis of Chongshan, Cao Xing, Marquis of Huaiyuan, Zhang Long, Marquis of Fengxiang, Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan, Qiu Zheng, Marquis of Anqing, Guoying, Marquis of Wu Family (Guo Zixing, Marquis of Gongchang), Ten Marquises of Zhang Yi, Marquis of Heqing, each gave two hundred taels of gold and two thousand taels of platinum , a thousand ingots, and thirty horses.And each of them gave one hundred and twelve soldiers as servants, who will be used forever, called "Iron Book Army".

Until now, these battle-hardened veterans have had great residual value to the security of the Empire.In order to give full play to their value and to show that he still trusts them, Zhu Yuanzhang still often imposes heavy tasks on them. Not long after this massacre, in the first month of the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Fu Youde to be the general who conquered the captives, with Wang Bi and Guo Ying as his deputy, to Beiping to prepare for the border.In March, Xu Huizu, Li Jinglong, Lan Yu and others were ordered to prepare troops for Shaanxi and Ye Ke to train troops for Gansu.In March of the 25th year of Hongwu, Feng Sheng and other 14 generals were sent to manage the military affairs of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan.In Zhu Yuanzhang's plan, these tried and tested veterans will use their remaining energy behind him to escort the prince Zhu Biao.

After Zhu Yuanzhang's series of consolation measures, the heroes who have become frightened have breathed a long sigh of relief.They confirmed that they have escaped the catastrophe of life and death, and they can keep their fame and fame forever. However, man's calculations are not as good as heaven's calculations. In the 25th year of Hongwu, another major event that shocked the whole country happened in the Ming Empire: the 38-year-old prince Zhu Biao passed away.One year before his death, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Zhu Biao to inspect Shaanxi.Zhu Biao was pampered and pampered after he was made the crown prince, and he rarely traveled far. This time, he traveled a long distance, braved the wind and snow, and was exhausted by boats and cars.He died on April 25th in the 25th year of Hongwu (1392 A.D.).

Zhu Yuanzhang was sixty-five years old this year.Losing a child in old age is one of the greatest blows in life. What's more, he has put so much effort into Zhu Biao.Although the ability of the prince Zhu Biao has not met Zhu Yuanzhang's expectations, but after all, he is old, his personality is mature and stable, and he is honest and cautious. As a conservative master, there is no big problem.I didn't want to, but there was such a surprise.The sixty-five-year-old emperor couldn't bear this heavy blow, and fell ill with "fever" in the second year.This time he was very ill and "almost died".After careful treatment by the imperial physician, he finally regained his life from the god of death, but he was still "ridden by illness" and his body became weaker.

In September of the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, who resolutely abided by the principle of establishing a successor, made Zhu Yunqi, Zhu Biao's sixteen-year-old son, the emperor's grandson. The age of sixteen is really too young for the head of a country.What's more, the grandson grew up in the hands of women in the deep palace, and his personality was more "benevolent and soft" than the prince, so it was difficult to take on the role of emperor all at once.In order to ensure the safety of Daming Jiangshan, it seems that the group of old officials who were originally intended to be used by the crown prince also had to be removed.