Zhu Yuanzhang (29 October 1328 – 24 June 1398 CE), courtesy name Guorui (国瑞), was the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, with the era name "Hongwu", hence the historical name Hongwu The Great. Zhu Yuanzhang was born in a poor family, the ancestors of the family were all engaged in agriculture for a living, and by the generation of his father Zhu Wusi, there was no land in his family, and he could only cultivate land for the landlord and exchange some grain.
In the last years of the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial court levied tyranny and paid heavy taxes, and the grain that Zhu Wusi received was honestly not enough to pay taxes, let alone feed the family. In this way, Zhu Wusi starved to death, leaving Zhu Yuanzhang, who was lonely and miserable. In order to survive, Zhu Yuanzhang went to Huangjue Temple to become a monk, ringing bells and chanting sutras every day.
However, Huangjue Temple could not support so many monks, and Zhu Yuanzhang was expelled from the monastery, wandering around, and helpless, which was the bleakest day of his life, and he even lived on the streets to beg for a living. Just when Zhu Yuanzhang was desperate, his friend Tang He wrote him a letter, which was roughly to let Zhu Yuanzhang defect to him.
Without saying a word, Zhu Yuanzhang defected to Tang He and joined the Red Turban Army led by Guo Zixing. Zhu Yuanzhang could not have dreamed that he was a soldier who fought a war, and every time he fought, Zhu Yuanzhang was in the front of the charge, leading the soldiers, and playing an exemplary role for the whole army.
Zhu Yuanzhang also did not love money, and every time he got gold and silver jewelry, he distributed it to his brothers, so the brothers were very supportive of Zhu Yuanzhang, but he was the leader. Although Zhu Yuanzhang fought fiercely, there was no general in the world who was always victorious. Once, Zhu Yuanzhang led an army to attack Chuzhou, but he lost the battle, and he fled in a hurry.
The enemy saw that Zhu Yuanzhang was the leader, so they pursued and killed him, Zhu Yuanzhang ran in front, and the enemy chased after him, which frightened Zhu Yuanzhang not lightly, and he almost thought that he was going to die. However, there was no way out of the sky, Zhu Yuanzhang saw that there was a village in front of him, so he casually found a family to go in and hide. It was also Zhu Yuanzhang's Yanfu who was not shallow, the family he went into was a peasant woman's house, and the husband in the family died, leaving her alone.
Zhu Yuanzhang saw that the peasant woman's posture was good, so he spoiled her. The peasant woman saw that Zhu Yuanzhang was mighty and dignified, and she followed him. Zhu Yuanzhang stayed overnight at the peasant woman's house, avoided the pursuing soldiers, and left again the next day. The next day, just after dawn, Zhu Yuanzhang was about to leave, at this time the peasant woman pulled Zhu Yuanzhang and asked, "What if I am pregnant?" ”
Zhu Yuanzhang was not a man of thin feelings and widowhood, and would not be irresponsible, so Zhu Yuanzhang took out a wooden comb and broke it in half, half of which was stuffed to the peasant woman, and the other half was held by himself. Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Look for me later with half a wooden comb." ”
After the peasant woman heard it, she was moved to cry, she originally thought that Zhu Yuanzhang was an irresponsible person, did not want to blame him, she collected the wooden comb, and her heart was very relieved. After speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang left. The peasant woman looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's distant back, and her heart was very warm.
After Zhu Yuanzhang returned, he fought on horseback and conquered the battlefield, and after several years of struggle and hard work, he was proclaimed emperor in Ying tianfu in the first year of Hongwu (1368 AD) and established Daming. The peasant woman heard that Zhu Yuanzhang had been proclaimed emperor, so she took her son to find him.
Zhu Yuanzhang saw the peasant woman and half a comb, remembered what had happened, he recognized the peasant woman, but also recognized his son. Although Zhu Yuanzhang's education level is not high, he is serious about righteousness and righteousness, and he is not a person who always chaos and eventually abandons, which is very well done.
References: "History of the Ming Dynasty", "Guoyu", "Ming Shilu", "Ming Tongjian", etc