In the third year of Hongwu, the general Xu Da led an army to destroy Timur, and Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy to hear the news, and issued an edict to pacify the desert in the world. In November, Xu Da led his army back to Nanjing, and Zhu Yuanzhang immediately sealed the founding heroes, with six dukes, twenty-eight marquises, and two posthumous titles. After the promulgation of the edict of reward, people were very surprised, and no one expected that Liu Bowen, who had made outstanding achievements, actually ranked first from the bottom!
Liu Ji (Chinese: 刘基; pinyin: Lê Ki), courtesy name Bowen, was a famous military, politician, and writer from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Liu Bowen was erudite and versatile, proficient in astronomy, martial arts, and mathematics, and assisted Zhu Yuanzhang in calming the world, and his merits were comparable to Zhang Liang of the Han Dynasty, and he could be called the first strategist under Zhu Yuanzhang. Once, when Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Shanchang talked about how Liu Bang could unify the world, they talked about the "Three Masters of the Early Han Dynasty" issue.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Erwu Xiao He Ye, Xu Dawu Han Xin, and ZiFang who deserves it?" Li Shanchang recommended Song Lian, but Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I know." Wen and wu all-rounder, not as good as Qingtian Liu Ji. So Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Hu Dahai and Sun Yan to come to the door to invite Liu Ji out of the mountain. It can be seen that Liu Ji's fame at that time was very large, and Zhu Yuanzhang also regarded him as a figure like Zhang Liang. Later history proved that Liu Bowen played such a role.
First the Battle of Longwan, then the Battle of Poyang Lake, it was precisely because Zhu Yuanzhang listened to Liu Bowen's strategy that he defeated his greatest enemy, Chen Youyu. In the subsequent process of pacifying Zhang Shicheng and the Northern Expedition and the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang also followed Liu Bowen's plan, and the final result was "slightly like a basic plot". However, in the third year of Hongwu, when Zhu Yuanzhang was rewarded with the founding heroes, Liu Ji was ignored!
Li Shanchang's reward was "Founding Auxiliary Transport Tui Cheng Shou Zheng Chen, TeJin Guanglu Doctor, Zuo Zhu Guo, Tai Shi, Zhongshu Zuo Cheng Xiang, Sealed Korean Gong, 4,000 Stones of the Year Lu, Descendants Hereditary", and at the same time "gave iron coupons, avoided two deaths, and the son was spared one death". Xu Da's reward was "Founding Auxiliary Transport Tui Cheng Xuanli Wuchen, Special Entry Guanglu Dafu, Zuo Zhu Guo, TaiFu, Zhongshu Right Minister to participate in military affairs, changed the title of Duke of Wei, 5,000 stones, and gave the world coupon." ”
Liu Bowen's reward was "Founding YiYun Shou Zheng Chen, Zi Shan Dafu, Shang Protector, Feng Cheng Bo, Lu 240 Stones". Liu Bowen's Shang protector and Zishan Dafu were Zheng Erpin, while Xu Da and Li Shanchang's left and right pillar states, and Tejin Guanglu Dafu was Zheng Yipin. In addition, Xu Da and Li Shanchang's age reached 45,000 stones, while Liu Bowen was only 240 stones, less than one-twentieth of Xu Da's.
Among all the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Bowen's title is the lowest, only the earl, and the age is also the lowest, and the title cannot be hereditary. Since Zhu Yuanzhang said that Liu Bowen was "Zhang Liang", why was the treatment the worst? Liu Bowen went out to assist Zhu Yuanzhang in 1360, later than Li Shanchang, Xu Da and others, and Liu Bowen was not from Huaixi, in addition to another point, Liu Bowen's identity is different from others!
Liu Bowen was admitted to the Jinshi in 1333 and served as an official in the Yuan Dynasty for more than ten years. In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, although Liu Bowen assisted himself in creating the world, he was ultimately a "second minister". At the end of Hongwu's second year, King Yushi impeached those who had served as officials in the Yuan Dynasty, saying that they were "ministers of the subjugated country and should not be used." Thus, in June of the third year of Hongwu, Liu Bowen was dismissed from the post of Yushi Zhongcheng. As a "second minister", Liu Bowen naturally could not get a higher reward.
When Liu Bowen was named Sincere Bo, Zhu Yuanzhang also made another decision, "returning to the old hometown", and since then Liu Bowen has completely bid farewell to the officialdom, but he has not been able to escape the fate of death!
References: 1. "History of Ming"; 2. "The End of the Chronicle of Ming History"; 3. "Records of Ming Taizu"