Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, often had many controversial practices that frightened his ministers. His political maneuvers did not lose to any monarch, but they were also the most controversial. In particular, his cruel and fierce personality has been noticed by posterity.
At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang presented a death-free iron coupon to the hero. However, if they break the law, will the effect of the death-free gold medal save them from death? In fact, from a historical point of view, many ministers with death-free gold medals have not had a good ending.
I. Means of consolidating rule
The Deathless Gold Medal was an evolution of the Danshu Iron Coupon created by Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gao. At that time, the Danshu Iron Coupon did not have the function of avoiding death, but promised that their descendants could enjoy glory for generations to come. It can be passed down from generation to generation, which is a reward for meritorious service and a stability for the imperial court.
In ancient times, the merits of the heroes were recorded on the iron scroll, and generally some preferential treatment or mitigated punishments were generally given, and then gradually evolved into a death-free gold medal. In the Ming Dynasty, the symbolic status of the death-free gold medal became very elaborate and exquisite.
At that time, the Ming Dynasty was only established not long ago, because the new dynasty was first established, in order to consolidate his rule and reward meritorious heroes, Zhu Yuanzhang issued a large number of death-free gold medals, and in order to prevent artificial fraud, the death-free gold medals at this time were divided into two halves, the emperor and the heroes each half, and it was necessary to see if they could be matched when they wanted to use it.
Many ministers have been knighted, so can they enjoy the glory and wealth and live this life in peace? The answer is definitely not. In fact, in the Ming Dynasty, the gold medal for avoiding death was of little use, because in the end it was the emperor who had the final say, and the rules formulated by the ruler must be decided by the ruler. The main purpose was to stabilize the rule of the imperial court and stabilize the ministers.
From a no-man to a founding emperor, the assistance of his generals played an important role in the founding of Zhu Yuanzhang. Therefore, when the country was first established and the meritorious people were rewarded, everything was in great detail, and basically he could meet the requirements of the ministers. The most prominent thing is that Zhu Yuanzhang issued thirty-four death-free gold medals, the number of which is only in history.
Second, the gold medal that cannot be avoided from death
Not long after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang began to take action against the founding ministers, and there were few people left who could stay safely. The release of the military power by a cup of wine was only the first step, and then Zhu Yuanzhang gave death to many ministers who had the "death-free gold medal", so the death-free gold medal was useless in Zhu Yuanzhang.
Then I have to say that a person, Li Shanchang, was known as Xiao He at that time. For a long time after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Li Shanchang's position in the dynasty could be described as one person below and above ten thousand people. Although Li Shanchang was praised as comparable to Xiao He, he was not as lucky as Xiao He, and Xiao He was finally able to die well, but Li Shanchang ended up with a miserable end.
Because of Zhu Yuanzhang's suspicion of him, Li Shanchang was eventually forced to commit suicide, and the whole family died at zhu Yuanzhang's hands. When Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to kill him, Li Shanchang once took out the Danshu iron coupon given to him by Zhu Yuanzhang, hoping to be spared death. But Zhu Yuanzhang did not let him go, the reason is that on the back of the gold medal, the four words "conspiracy against rebellion" are written.
A langzhong called Wang Guo, wrote that Li Shanchang had followed His Majesty for many years and was already in a position under one person, and had already been knighted as a duke, and that being an official had reached the top of his position, and there was no need to enter.
Unless it is said that Li Shanchang wants to rebel and become the emperor himself, this is still a reason. However, in the case of Hu Weiyong, Li Shanchang was considered to be trying to help him plot rebellion, and if he did not succeed, he would naturally die, and Li Shanchang himself could not fail to understand this truth, and he was already an extremely popular subject, and it was impossible to take this risk.
At that time, Hu Weiyong was convicted of "planting the party without authorization", even if Li Shanchang was promoted step by step by Hu Weiyong, Li Shanchang was not implicated by him. However, ten years after the incident, the case was turned over again, and this time Zhu Yuanzhang's conviction of Li Shanchang can be described as very sufficient, and he collaborated with foreign enemies.
So why did Zhu Yuanzhang have to kill him? Li Shanchang may not have the intention of rebellion, but the gangs and factions do exist. Many of the ministers in the imperial court were from Huaixi, including Zhu Yuanzhang himself, and Li Shanchang was the main figure among them.
These people form gangs and attack others together. And Li Shanchang took great care of the Huaixi people in many matters in the imperial court. The existence of such a small group in the DPRK is bound to bring about many problems.
When the power of the Huaixi clique gradually expanded and began to be out of control, Zhu Yuanzhang also felt the crisis, although Zhu Yuanzhang started in Huaixi, but after all, he became the emperor, personal and family interests must be the first, it is impossible to let the power fall into the hands of others, considering future generations.
The existence of such groups in the imperial court was a threat to the power of the emperor. After Hu Weiyong became prime minister, his monopoly on power and his lack of royal law gave Zhu Yuanzhang the best chance to get rid of them, and almost wiped out all the heroes of Huaixi, and the main key figure Li Shanchang naturally could not escape death.
On the day Li Shanchang was arrested, he gave Zhu Yuanzhang the death-free gold medal he had given him before, hoping to save his life. But it was still useless, Zhu Yuanzhang asked him to look at the words behind the gold medal, and Li Shanchang found that it was written that others could avoid death, only rebellion.
Third, the abolition of the country and the stability of the country
After Zhu Yuanzhang removed most of the heroes who founded the country, he implemented the famous policy of abolishing the chancellor and not allowing people with excessive power in the dynasty to appear. But what he did not expect was that in the later world, a cabinet system appeared in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, and power was once again in the hands of the first assistant, like Zhang Juzheng and others. Zhu Yuanzhang's deep idea was actually to abolish the beggar system.
In fact, the rebellion was just An excuse for Zhu Yuanzhang, and even said that whether he plotted rebellion or not was decided by the emperor, and what the emperor said was what he said. The role of the gold medal is not as good as imagined.
Zhu Yuanzhang strengthened the imperial power and consolidated his rule, and the status of the emperor was once again pushed to the peak. He knew that it was not that these ministers were at fault, but that excessive power would make them unable to strengthen their hearts and hold on.
The death-free gold medals of the Ming Dynasty are also often discussed in history, and the ministers sacrificed under the imperial power, and even many of them are not at fault, which once again shows the status of imperial power.
summary
In ancient times, the world was still royal after all, the so-called death-free gold medal is just a tool to stabilize the rule, when it comes to really touching interests, the emperor will not be soft on anyone, killing you has all kinds of reasons, even if there is a death-free gold medal, it will not help.
Even if there is no rebellion, you should still kill, after all, all the rules are made by the emperor, and the emperor is the most powerful person. The deathless gold medal has become a life-saving gold medal in a sense.