Chapter 108 Section 5 Zhu Yuanzhang’s Way of Repaying Gratitude

The idea of ​​living in his hometown was shattered, but Zhu Yuanzhang never changed his love for his fellow villagers.To others, he is a high-ranking emperor and a murderous devil, but to fellow villagers, he is always the "Chongba" who values ​​loyalty and affection. Not long after the founding of the country, he formally appointed Liu Da and Cao Xiu as Congshilang to guard the imperial tomb.They even changed their names.Of course, Liu Da's name cannot be included in the edict, so he specially changed it to Liu Ying.Cao Xiu changed his name and surname together, called Wang Wen.

Why did you change your surname?It turned out that Mrs. Wang had three sons. In order to repay her kindness, Zhu Yuanzhang specially ordered Cao Xiu to change her surname to Wang to commemorate Mrs. Wang.The other two sons, inheriting the incense of the Cao family, still have the surname Cao.Therefore, there is a saying in Fengyang that "Hongwu changed his surname, Cao Wang's family".More than 600 years have passed, and there is still a custom that the two surnames Cao and Wang in Fengyang cannot intermarry. In the first month of the seventh year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang specially set up the Imperial Mausoleum Memorial Department, so the official names of Wang Wen and Liu Ying were changed to "Huangling Temple Sacrifice Department Cheng" and "Shu Ling".Aunt Wang's other two sons, one was arranged as a middle-level official of the Shrine and Sacrifice Department, and the other was appointed as the commander of the guard.Mrs. Wang knew it underground, she should be smiling.

In June of this year, Zhu Yuanzhang specially sent the third generation of benefactors, Wang Lun, son of Wang Wen, and Liu Jian, son of Liu Ying, to Nanjing Guozijian to study. Fengyang New Book "Volume 2), the care is very thoughtful. When the imperial mausoleum was completed in May of the eleventh year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang announced that Liu Jizu would be conferred the title of Marquis of Yihui. In the mausoleum of parents, enjoy the royal fireworks sacrifice.This is unprecedented in Chinese history. During the Hongwu period, when other ministers met Zhu Yuanzhang, they were like a mouse seeing a cat, and they dared not show their air. Only his fellow villagers were always careless in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, and did not regard themselves as outsiders.In the mid-Hongwu period, Liu Ying once ran from his hometown to Nanjing to visit Zhu Yuanzhang.Zhu Yuanzhang was summoned three days later because of something in his body, but the officials could not find Liu Ying.After searching for several days, I realized that Liu Ying was waiting impatiently and had already returned to Fengyang.Zhu Yuanzhang asked Liu Ying to come to Beijing again. Unexpectedly, Liu Ying felt that Zhu Yuanzhang was putting on airs and was unhappy, so he never left.If someone else dared to do this, Zhu Yuanzhang would definitely destroy his nine clans, but for Liu Ying, Zhu Yuanzhang felt very sorry.I just thought about how to invite Liu Ying, but news came that Liu Ying died of illness suddenly.Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply saddened, and specially wrote "Liu Ying of the Festival Office":

In the past, I lived in this place, and those who survived were grateful for the kindness of Ying, father and son, and I still have feelings, and I have not forgotten it. The former Ying came to Beijing. I have a lot of maintenance work, and I have lived a long time. I lost my adviser Yu Ying and fell asleep in three days.The guards at the gate of Jinchuan reported the entry and exit of ignorant heroes. After searching for several days in Beijing again, Zhiying returned.See you again after work, it's been a long time.Call him again, and the teller is Yunying's death. Alas!The way of gratitude is always cherished, the gift of gratitude is not yet over, Ying died suddenly and long, I think about the past kindness, and I am deeply saddened.It is specially offered with a drink of offerings.Yingqi is not ignorant, enjoy it! (Volume 18 of "The Collected Works of the Emperor Gao")

There are not many articles in Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial anthology, but there are as many as five articles about the imperial edicts of Wang and Liu, which is unique.Zhu Yuanzhang's founding heroes were later killed by him. Only the two surnames of Wang and Liu, not only enjoyed the glory of the Hongwu Dynasty, but even in the Ming Dynasty, they were all hereditary officials. Zhu Yuanzhang's repayment can be described as affectionate and righteous.