As the saying goes, "accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger", in the eyes of many people in ancient times, entering the dynasty as a courtier is a very promising thing. It is precisely because of this that the imperial examination that readers yearn for, desperate for fame and fortune. But only those who have personally experienced officialdom will understand that being with the emperor is tantamount to dancing on the tip of a sword, and sometimes the risks outweigh the benefits.
Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, can be said to have been in an extremely complex evaluation. First of all, he is indeed very good at governing the country, whether it is cracking down on corrupt officials or appeasing the people's livelihood, this is very worthy of recognition. But at the same time, his fierceness in acting on his founding heroes also shows that this is definitely a dangerous emperor.
As a person from the grassroots, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally wanted to fight the world without generals and strategists, and Li Shanchang was the brain trust who helped him the most. He was born in 1314 in Dingyuan, Haozhou (present-day Anhui), and read poetry from an early age. Not only did he have some knowledge of the various teachings, but he also had a good attainment in the way of the Dharma, and gained a very high reputation and respect in the local area by virtue of his premeditation.
In 1354, Zhu Yuanzhang, who was struggling in the chaotic world, went south to Chuzhou, and on the way, Li Shanchang took the initiative to come to see him. According to the "History of Ming", the two had a discussion about the affairs of the world, and immediately met and hated each other. Since then, he has stayed in the Red Turban Army, following him to the south and north to make plans, and Guo Zixing was once envious of it.
After that, Li Shanchang did show his talents. First in Heyang, he faced the sneak attack of the Yuan army with less victory, and then stabilized military discipline after taking the quarry in 1355. During the time when Zhu Yuanzhang was called king of Wu, he could be said to have done his best, whether it was the internal affairs law or the new WenZhengxin, he was very beautifully completed, and in 1367 he was awarded the title of Duke of Xuanguo and the official to Zuo Xiangguo.
Such a feat, Li Shanchang continued to continue it until after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang had just founded the country and was waiting to be revived, and he was the most important credit for the establishment of etiquette and system as a pillar state. And Ming Taizu therefore compared his status and talent to Xiao He around Liu Bang, which is definitely a very high evaluation.
But with the growth of age and the improvement of power, Li Shanchang could not escape the greed for power after all. This kind of atmosphere naturally did not escape the eyes of Ming Taizu, and he began to alienate this important minister day by day. After the governance of corrupt officials and courtiers began, he was even more keenly aware of his own loss of power. After much hesitation, he resigned his official post and returned to his hometown in 1371, and Zhu Yuanzhang also rewarded him with a large amount of wealth and land.
Since then, Li Shanchang has chosen to live a life of retirement without asking about the government and politics, and works in the field every day. Unfortunately, the things he had done in the past for the sake of power had left bad consequences after all. In 1380, the Hu Weiyong case directly made Zhu Yuanzhang thunderous, and a large number of officials throughout the court were implicated. And this trend also gives those who have offended in the past have a chance to ruthlessly involve the wave to the Li family.
As a result, Li Shanchang's younger brother was affected by this incident, and he himself was confessed, confirming a crime of treason. The former Ming Taizu chose to tolerate his wanton choice in the court because he was grateful for his founding achievements. And when such a major crime appeared, everything could not be repaired, and all that was left was Zhu Yuanzhang's sentence of "beheading his whole family."
In this way, in 1390, when the 77-year-old Li Shanchang was working in the field at home, he suddenly received bad news. Under Zhu Yuanzhang's orders, more than 70 people of the Li clan were all beheaded, and there was no room for them. It is really too much to sigh that the famous people, a generation of think tanks, finally ended up in such a field.