The six heroes of the "Founding Six Dukes" of the Ming Dynasty are undoubtedly the pillars of the country in the eyes of Zhu Yuanzhang. But did you know that there were actually "seven dukes" in history? The mysterious figure among them turned out to be Zhu Yuanzhang's brother-in-law Li Zhen. How did an ordinary peasant become a prince with many rewards and put on a dragon robe?
Having said that, back to the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was really an era of heroes. In 1370, in the third year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang had already secured the throne of the emperor and began to reward those heroes who helped him fight the country on a large scale. Among this group of people, the most eye-catching are the "Founding Six Dukes", they are Li Shanchang, Xu Da, Chang Mao, Li Wenzhong, Feng Sheng, and Deng Yu. These people, whether civil or military, have made great contributions to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. But few people know that in fact, outside of the "Six Dukes", there is also a special existence Li Zhen.
The name Li Zhen may not be as loud as his son Li Wenzhong in the long river of history, but his story is just as exciting. It turns out that Li Zhen is not only Li Wenzhong's father, but also Zhu Yuanzhang's brother-in-law. His background is actually very ordinary, just an ordinary farmer. is such an ordinary person, but because of various coincidences, he has formed an indissoluble bond with the great hero Zhu Yuanzhang.
Let's first take a look at Li Zhen's family background. He was born in Xuyi, which is just across the water from Zhu Yuanzhang's hometown of Haozhou. Although the Li family only had a few acres of thin fields, it was already a well-off family in that era of scarcity of materials. Li Zhen's character is honest and kind, and she only thinks about how to bear the burden of the family. In Haozhou, not far away, Zhu Yuanzhang's family is far inferior to Li Zhen, the Zhu family is so poor that they can't open the pot, and Zhu Yuanzhang's childhood was almost spent in hunger.
Perhaps it was the arrangement of fate that Zhu Yuanzhang's sister Zhu Fonu was promised to be married to Li Zhen. Although the life of Li Zhen and his wife after marriage is simple, they are very affectionate. Zhu Fonu is not only filial to her in-laws, but also helps Li Zhen take care of housework, and the two run this small family together. And the little Zhu Yuanzhang often went to his sister's house barefoot to eat. Li Zhen is also very fond of this brother-in-law, sometimes she is hungry, and she also wants Zhu Yuanzhang to be full. This simple family affection made Zhu Yuanzhang feel the warmth of home.
With the passage of time, Zhu Yuanzhang has also grown from a nobody to a generation of heroes. And in the process of fighting the world, Li Zhen's family also provided a lot of help. Although Li Zhen was not a military general who killed the enemy on the battlefield and made meritorious contributions, he played an important role in logistics support and food supply. It can be said that without the silent support behind Li Zhen, Zhu Yuanzhang would not have been able to complete the great cause so smoothly.
And when Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne and became the emperor, he did not forget this brother-in-law who helped him. In his opinion, although Li Zhen came from an ordinary background, he was a person with high morals and a strong will. So in 1370, he decided to crown Li Zhen and his son Li Wenzhong as the Duke of Cao Guo, realizing the beautiful talk of "father and son are the same lord". This is not only a personal recognition of Li Zhen, but also a reward for his family's selfless dedication.
Li Zhen's life can be said to be from an ordinary peasant to Cao Guogong, who was personally awarded the title of emperor, and his life trajectory is very legendary. Although he is not well known, his personality charm and wisdom in dealing with the world are worth learning from each of us. He not only maintained his integrity in the turbulent political whirlpool, but also showed his warmth and sense of responsibility in his family and affection.
Li Zhen's story tells us that the value of a person lies not only in his social status or wealth, but also in how he treats the people around him and how he adheres to his moral beliefs in the face of adversity. In this seemingly simple peasant, we see a greatness that transcends its time – that is, infinite love for family, unwavering support for friends, and tenacity to keep one's heart in any situation.
Nowadays, when we look back at history, perhaps many people will focus on those heroes who made a name for themselves, but ignore ordinary people like Li Zhen. Although they did not leave earth-shattering rhetoric, they interpreted with their own actions what a real husband is. In the ever-changing torrent of history, Li Zhen used his life and wisdom to prove his worth and dignity.
Li Zhen, the "invisible duke" of the Ming Dynasty, although not so dazzling in the long river of history, his story has rare enlightening significance. He made us understand that history is not only written by those heroes who stand in front of the stage, but also written by countless ordinary people like Li Zhen with their ordinary but tenacious lives.