Changes in the relationship between Liu Ji and Zhu Yuanzhang
This article is written by Ni Fangliu
Zhu Yuanzhang can fight against all directions, set the world, and there are many founding heroes, the most special one of which is Liu Ji.
In the early days of Zhu Yuanzhang's great cause, there were many advisers around him. For example, Zhu Sheng is a very good strategist. After Zhu Yuanzhang captured the city of Nanjing in the sixteenth year of Zhizheng (1356 AD), he adopted Zhu Sheng's strategy, "build a high wall, accumulate grain, and slowly become king." This strategy still works six hundred years later, and the proposal in the 1960s - "digging deep holes, accumulating grain, and not seeking hegemony" - is the renovation of Zhu Sheng's thought.
(Nanjing City Wall)
However, looking at the whole, Liu Ji's merits are great, the technique is the strongest, and the most far-reaching influence on Zhu Yuanzhang.
For example, Zhang Shicheng, who was living in Suzhou at that time, and Chen Youyu, who was living in Hubei, were also overwhelmed by their power, and they were bigger than Zhu Yuanzhang. Among them, Chen Youyu's momentum was the most powerful, Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to fight Zhang Shicheng, who was weaker first, Liu Ji believed that Chen Youyu should be beaten first, and helped Zhu Yuanzhang set a "road map" for the emperor: first fight Chen Youyu, then destroy Zhang Shicheng, and then the Northern Expedition was to set the world.
Liu Ji's reason was that Zhang Shicheng was a warrior who only cared about himself and looked not far away, and was not worth worrying; Chen Youyi's name was not correct, but he was guarding the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and the threat was great. If Chen Youyu was destroyed, zhang Shicheng's forces downstream would be alone, and they would not worry about pacifying; then, if they entered the Central Plains in the north and eliminated the remnants of the Mongol Yuan forces, Wang Ye could be accomplished.
Zhu Yuanzhang's fight against the world was to follow Liu Ji's "road map" step by step. According to the History of Ming, Liu Ji not only gave Zhu a world, but even Zhu Yuanzhang's life was given by Liu Ji.
According to the "Biography of Liu Ji in the History of Ming Dynasty", according to Liu Ji's strategic line, Zhu Yuanzhang personally led his troops to the ship and fought with Chen Youyou on Poyang Lake. Dozens of encounters in one day, three days failed to decide the winner or loser. Chen Youyu then sacrificed the poison plan of "beheading" and wanted to kill Zhu Yuanzhang first.
Chen Youyu asked the soldiers to concentrate their firepower, find the position of Zhu Yuanzhang's command ship, and fire all the cannons in unison. Before the incident, there was no sign, and Zhu Yuanzhang did not pay attention. At that time, Liu Ji saw that there was an abnormality in the sky, and suddenly pulled up Zhu Yuanzhang, who was concentrating on supervising the battle, and ran to another small boat.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not know why, but as soon as he left, the previous command ship was shattered by the flying cannon.
After that, Zhu Yuanzhang trusted Liu Ji more.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhu Yuanzhang still kept Liu Ji as his confidant, and he had to consult Liu Ji on major military and state affairs, including important personnel arrangements of the central authorities, and asked him to talk about his opinions. Later, the so-called "Song of Burning Cakes" that was popular in the folk was arranged according to this background.
To what extent Did Zhu Yuanzhang trust Liu Ji, the Biography of Ming Shi Liu Ji said, "Every time Ji is summoned, the people of The Screen shift their secret language." The meaning of this is that every time Liu Ji was summoned, Zhu Yuanzhang asked the others to retreat to the side, and the two "bit their ears" together for a long time. When he was idle, Liu Ji taught Zhu Yuanzhang the way of the emperor, and Zhu Yuanzhang listened to it every time.
Zhu Yuanzhang often called Liu Ji an old gentleman instead of calling him by his first name, praising Liu Ji as "Wuzi Fangye". "Zifang" is the character of Zhang Liang, an important adviser of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, Zhang Liang, Xiao He and Han Xin, and is called "Three Masters of the Early Han Dynasty".
Sima Qian once said that Zhang Liang "was better than invisible in his planning." The sub-room plans its own things, no well-known, no courage, the figure is difficult and easy, and it is greater than the detail. ”
Zhu Yuanzhang's words were very blunt, "Liu Ji, you are my Zhang Liang of Zhu Yuanzhang." ”
Such praise shows that Liu Ji's ability is indeed good. However, in the future, the relationship between Liu Ji and Zhu Yuanzhang has changed.
Zhu Yuanzhang, who called King Wu in the first year, appointed Liu Ji as Taishi Ling,and soon after, he was conferred the title of Yushi Zhongcheng (御史中丞). After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhu Yuanzhang awarded Liu Ji the "Bachelor of Hongwenguan" in the third year of Hongwu (1370 AD), and in November of that year, when he was awarded the title of Meritorious Servant, he awarded Liu Ji the title of "National Fortune Yi Shou Zhengwen Chen", Zishan Dafu, and Shang protector. It was then named "Sincere Bo" and two hundred and forty stones.
(Former Residence of Liu Ji)
In the second year after the award, liu ji, who was 61 years old at the time, did something that surprised his colleagues: he returned home to his hometown.
Why did Liu Ji offer his resignation when he was favored by Zhu Yuanzhang? The mainstream theory is that Liu Ji was ostracized by the more powerful Li Shanchang's accomplices and had a bad life.
Why did Li Shanchang exclude Liu Ji? This is because Liu Ji is too real.
Once, Zhu Yuanzhang went to Bieliang to inspect, and asked Liu Ji and Li Shanchang, who was then zuo chengxiang, to stay in Nanjing. At that time, Li Bin, the governor of Zhongshu Province, was arrested for corruption and indulgence. Li Shanchang usually had a close relationship with Li Bin, so he asked Liu Ji to let Li Bin go. Liu Ji not only did not listen, but instead accelerated the speed of handling the case, sentenced him to death, and immediately executed him.
At that time, it was raining, and Liu Ji killed Li Bin as a human animal on the altar. This is not against himself, Li Shanchang feels that he has lost a lot of face, and Liu Li has a grudge.
After Zhu Yuanzhang returned to Nanjing, Li Shanchang immediately accused Liu Ji of killing people under the altar, insulting the gods, and was "disrespectful." Some colleagues who usually had a bad relationship with Liu Ji also took the opportunity to play and frame Liu Ji.
Zhu Yuanzhang knew that Liu Ji was a person, and although he was uncomfortable in his heart, he did not punish Liu Ji. Instead, Liu Ji himself found himself in big trouble.
Soon, the sky was in a great drought, and Zhu Yuanzhang thought that it was his "loss of morality" in ruling the country that caused the heavens to be angry, so he advocated "making a big noise and letting go", and welcomed his shortcomings and deficiencies, and also wanted to reform himself.
(Liu Ji's former residence "Emperor Shi" archway)
Liu Ji did not know that this was a political game played by Zhu Yuanzhang, and said the reason why it did not rain all day. The first point is that the imperial court did not comfort the families of the martyrs in time, and there was too much yin in the world. If these problems are solved, the drought will be lifted, and Zhu Yuanzhang will be told that it will rain on a certain day and day.
Liu Ji can pinch and calculate, and things are like gods, Zhu Yuanzhang believed it and did it one by one.
But Liu Jihui miscalculated, after 10 days, there was not a drop of rain.
Zhu Yuanzhang thought that Liu Ji was fooling him. The "History of Ming" records that at that time, Liu Ji saw Long Yan angry and knew that things were not good. Coinciding with the death of his old wife, Liu Ji took the opportunity to say that he would go home to take care of the funeral and return to his hometown on leave.
Liu Ji resigned on the grounds of his wife, did he really want to resign? Of course not. In fact, it is only a superficial pretext.
(Liu Ji's former residence "Zuo Wang" archway)
Liu Ji was full of reading the history of the scriptures, insight into the relationship between kings and subjects, Fan Li's "law of the running dog", and the way of retreat, which deeply influenced Liu Ji.
Fan Li was the core advisor of the Yue Guo Doctor in the Spring and Autumn Period and the yue wang's comeback. Using the beautiful woman Xi shi as a "human flesh bomb" and setting up a "beauty plan" to confuse Wu Wangfu's bad heart is Fan Li's big hand. After the legend was completed, Fan Li took a boat ride in Xishi Lake and returned to the Hidden River and Lake (when it comes to qi guo's hidden name and business). Temporarily leaving, he urged another meritorious scholar to leave the sentence quickly, saying that "the cunning rabbit dies, and the lackey cooks." The language is not obedient, and the consequence is that the hook is killed.
(Fan Li and Xi Shi, stills)
Later, Liu Bang's founding hero Han Xin also learned the ruthlessness of the "law of running dogs".
Liu Bang seized the world, and in order to level the heroes, he was given the title of prince with different surnames. Later, Liu Bang killed the king with a different surname, and Han Xin, Peng Yue, Yingbu, and so on all let him find a reason to do it. Before his death, Han Xin said, "If the people say, 'The cunning rabbit dies, the good dog Heng; the high bird is exhausted, the good bow is hidden; the enemy country is broken, and the plotter dies.'" 'The world has been decided, and I am sure of it!' ”
Zhu Yuanzhang was originally murderous, and Liu Ji, who had been following Zhu Yuanzhang's ass for many years, had the characteristics of being suspicious of his master and could not understand it any better. Seeing that the Ming Dynasty was gradually stabilizing, there was no battle to fight, and it had little effect in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, so he quickly flashed people, so as not to fall into the fate of "Good Dog Heng".