Li Wenzhong was the son of the second sister of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Emperor, and joined Zhu Yuanzhang's military camp with his father Li Zhen in the thirteenth year of Zhizheng (1353).
At that time, he was only fourteen years old, and was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang as an adopted son, and together with Zhu Wenzheng, the nephew of Zhu Yuanzhang, who came to look for relatives at the same time, he followed Fan Zuqian and Hu Han to read and write.
Compared with Zhu Wenzheng, Li Wenzhong's ability to comprehend books is much better, he can touch the bypass, quickly understand the scriptures, and can write poetry and songs, so he also has more literati temperament.
In the seventeenth year of Zhizheng (1357), the nineteen-year-old Li Wenzhong, as a shepherd, led Zhu Yuanzhang's pro-army to aid Chizhou, and made a battle achievement in the first battle, defeating Zhao Pusheng in Chizhou and capturing the four counties of Qingyang, Shidai, Taiping, and Jingde. Later, together with Deng Yu and Hu Dahai, he entered Zhejiang from Huizhou, seized Jiande from the Yuan Dynasty army, and then promoted him to the command of the pro-army capital, and zhenshou Jiande (later renamed Yanzhou) took over more than 30,000 of the old troops of the Miao commander Yang Guan.
In the process of Zhu Yuanzhang's unification of Jiangnan, Li Wenzhong mainly moved to the southern front, serving as the supreme military commander of the southern front, responsible for guarding Yan Prefecture. In the later course of the Northern Expedition, Li Wenzhong repeatedly led troops to conquer the remnants of the Yuan army, and his achievements were outstanding.
In the third year of Hongwu (1370), Li Wenzhong served as the deputy general of zhengyu Zuo, parted ways with the general Xu Da on the northern expedition, and captured Li Balai, the eldest son of Emperor Yuan Zhaozong, and hundreds of concubines, palace maidens, kings, and generals in Yingchang. Later, more than 50,000 people were surrendered.
In that year, Zhu Yuanzhang was awarded the title of Meritorious Servant, Li Wenzhong had the greatest merit, and was awarded the title of Founding Auxiliary Transport Tuicheng Xuanli Wuchen, Special Jin Ronglu Dafu, Right Pillar State, and Left Governor of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, and was named the Duke of Cao Guo, participating in the major affairs of the military state, and was awarded the hereditary certificate of inheritance every year.
In the tenth year of Hongwu (1377), Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Li Wenzhong as the governor of Zhongshu Province, the Governor's Palace of Dadu, and the Imperial History Platform, discussing military and state affairs, and exercising the power of state affairs, military affairs, and discipline.
In the twelfth year of Hongwu (1379), he also ordered Li Wenzhong to preside over the Metropolitan Governor's Palace (the highest military institution) and also to be in charge of the Guozijian (the highest academic institution in the country).
In the winter of the sixteenth year of Hongwu (1383), he also appointed the founding auxiliary transport Tuicheng Xuanli Wuchen, the special Ronglu Doctor, the Right Pillar State, the Left Governor of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, and the Duke of Cao.
However, from the fifteenth year of Hongwu (1382) to the sixteenth year of Hongwu (1383), Li Wenzhong had been idle at home, and unfortunately fell ill and was bedridden in the winter of that year.
After the New Year, Li Wenzhong's condition became worse and worse.
When Zhu Yuanzhang learned of this, he sent the crown prince Zhu Biao to visit and dispatched doctors from Huazhong Governor Litai Hospital, the son of Hou Huayunlong of Huai'an, to diagnose and treat him.
On February 27, Zhu Yuanzhang personally visited him.
The nephew recounted the old days in front of the bed, and Li Wenzhong's condition seemed to be improving.
Unexpectedly, three days later, Li Wenzhong suddenly fell ill and died at the age of forty-six.
When the news came out, the world mourned.
Zhu Yuanzhang was so grief-stricken that he resigned from the dynasty for three days, and personally wrote an article to send a minister to pay tribute, posthumously appointing Li Wenzhong as the King of Qiyang and taking the title of Wujing.
Subsequently, Li Wenzhong was assigned to the Taimiao Temple, the Temple of Portrait Heroes, ranking third, that is, after Xu Da and Chang Yuchun.
Why did Li Wenzhong suddenly die suddenly?
The answer given by Zhu Yuanzhang was: Hou Huazhong of Huai'an, who treated Li Wenzhong, was poisoned.
He ordered the title of Huazhong to be stripped of his title, banished all his family members to Jianchangwei (present-day Xichang, Sichuan), and beheaded more than 100 other tai hospital doctors and more than 100 wives and children.
The original source of the poisoning theory should be Yu Ben's "Chronicle".
The secretary: "Wen Zhong's illness, Huai'an Hou Huazhong's illness into medicine." Suspected that it was poisonous and causing evil, he degraded Huai'an Hou, and let his family belong to Jianchang Wei, and the entire family of the healer was cursed. ”
However, Yu Ben also admitted that the matter of Huazhong's medicine was slightly the same as Liu Bowen's death. But the reason why Hu Weiyong poisoned Liu Bowen was because he was ordered to go to the doctor. Is the medicine of Huai'an also going by order? Moreover, there were many grievances between Hu Weiyong and Liu Bowen, and there was no festival between Huazhong and Li Wenzhong. If Li Wenzhong was poisoned for any crime, the historians are like, there is nothing to examine, and I don't know. alack! Pro-nephew, meritorious grandfather, is it necessary to poison and harm?
Whether Liu Bowen was poisoned by Hu Weiyong is in doubt, and it is true that Huazhong and Li Wenzhong have no grudges in the distant past and no enmity in recent days, and should not be easily poisoned and killed.
Moreover, it is unlikely that Zhu Yuanzhang directed it.
Zhu Yuanzhang told Li Wenzhong that he "raised him since childhood, regarded him as his own son, taught literature and art, and learned to bow horses", and he himself described his intimate relationship with Li Wenzhong in this way: "To divide the emperor and the subject, to kiss the uncle and nephew, and to be kind to the father and son." ”
However, Wang Shizhen's "History of Examination Errors" examines some wild history materials, saying: "Wen Zhong recruits more people under the door, and the upper hears and Fu Shan ye." He also persuaded the superior to lay off the provincial ministers. Furious, he killed his protégés. Wen Zhong was horrified. Kill hundreds of doctors and attendants. ”
That is, Li Wenzhong learned from Meng Junguang to recruit customers, but turned around to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang to reduce the eunuchs, which caused Zhu Yuanzhang great displeasure.
The results of Wang Shizhen's examination may be there, because, in the nineteenth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang gave Li Jinglong the title of knight, and it is mentioned in the text: "Non-intellectual, non-modest, several tired sheji, inevitably ended up." Youyun: Erqijian's predecessors' mistakes, Paul's wealth. ”
But only the above two points, it is difficult to say that it hooked Zhu Yuanzhang's murderous heart.
The fourteenth record of the 126 columns of the main text of the Ming History adds material on the above, saying: "(Li Wenzhong) has many guests in his family, tasted the words of the guests, persuaded the emperor to be less cursed, and advised the emperor to conquer Japan, and the eunuchs were too prosperous, and the non-son of heaven was not close to the righteousness of the criminals." It is inevitable to condemn it. That is, in addition to recruiting a wide range of visitors, Li Wenzhong also advised Zhu Yuanzhang to kill fewer people, advised Zhu Yuanzhang to go on an expedition to Japan, and advised Zhu Yuanzhang to reduce the number of eunuchs, which eventually caused Zhu Yuanzhang's severe condemnation and dissatisfaction.
However, Li Wenzhong advised Zhu Yuanzhang, after all, it was fourteen years ago in Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang listened to it, and could not listen to it, and moreover, time had passed, Li Wenzhong had been idle at home, there was no need to spend two years, suddenly killing people, poisoning and killing.
Therefore, some people speculated that Li Wenzhong was not poisoned to death, but fell ill in fear and anxiety, and died of fear after Zhu Yuanzhang visited the disease.
That is, Li Wenzhong's death in fear was related to Zhu Yuanzhang's visit to the hospital.
When Zhu Yuanzhang visited the sick, what his uncle and nephew said is not recorded in history.
However, during Li Wenzhong's reign in Yanzhou, Liu Chen, who had been hired by him as a guest to participate in the military, wrote a "Deeds of the Beginning of the State", which recorded a private affair of Li Wenzhong.
It is likely that this private affair was mastered by Zhu Yuanzhang during the visit.
The ins and outs of this private affair is as follows:
When Li Wenzhong was guarding Yanzhou, he fell in love with a prostitute surnamed Han, and the city was full of storms, and the impact was very bad.
Inspector Yang Xian, out of duty, reported the matter to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and sent someone to kill Han and ordered Li Wenzhong to be taken to Yingtian for questioning.
Under the intercession of Empress Ma, Li Wenzhong escaped a disaster and had to return to Yanzhou to continue to be the commander.
But Li Wenzhong also suffered from a serious phobia, suspicious all day long, worried that one day would be zhu Yuanzhang's accounting after the autumn.
His Confucian priests Zhao Bozong and Song Ruzhang reminded him that they wanted him to make plans early. This means to tell him to surrender to Zhang Shicheng.
Li Wenzhong was momentarily confused, listened to the words of Zhao and Song, and assigned them to sneak to Hangzhou to contact Zhang Shicheng.
Zhang Shicheng of course agreed to accept.
Therefore, Li Wenzhong had already made up his mind and consulted with Marquis Yuanshan of Langzhong and Shu Shiwen to write a surrender letter.
Just at this time, Zhu Yuanzhang sent an envoy to Yan Prefecture to summon Li Wenzhong to respond to the heavens.
Back in Yingtian, Zhu Yuanzhang treated Li Wenzhong as cordially as ever, gave him the name of Horse Gold and Silver, and taught him the opportunity to attack and defend.
Li Wenzhongyu was greatly regretful, and returned to Yan prefecture to angrily rebuke Hou Yuanshan and others: "I almost let you delay, how should this matter be handled?" ”
Hou Yuanshan patted his heart and said, "Fortunately, the letter has not yet been sent, and it is still too late to restrain the horse from the cliff, and most of the governors must make a quick decision!" ”
In order to keep it secret, Li Wenzhong assigned his henchmen to secretly kill Zhao Bozong, Song Ruzhang, and other insiders.
Just because the "Deeds of the Beginning of the Country" records such an incident, some people speculate that Li Wenzhong hid in his heart for more than twenty years for this matter, and it is strange that he did not hold out of the disease. When Zhu Yuanzhang was visiting the sick, he suddenly found out that the old things were mentioned again, so he died of fear.
Such a guess seems reasonable, but it does not stand up to scrutiny.
First, Li Wenzhong just slept with a prostitute, was reprimanded, and was about to surrender to the enemy, and this reason was not convincing.
Second, the object of Li Wenzhong's surrender was actually Zhang Shicheng, who had fought with himself and lost hundreds of battles, and it was even more unbelievable.
Third, well, even if Li Wenzhong betrayed his uncle and turned to Zhang Shicheng, a slug, even if the situation on his side was good, he sent Zhao Bozong and Song Ruzhang to see Zhang Shicheng. After Zhang Shicheng was later captured by Zhu Yuanzhangsheng, why didn't he take the opportunity to bite Li Wenzhong back?
Fourth, if Li Wenzhong did not hesitate to kill people to keep secrets, why not kill them together with Hou Yuanshan and Liu Chen?
In the end, the theory that "Li Wenzhong once wanted to surrender to Zhang Shicheng" could not be established at all, that is, "Li Wenzhong died in fear" could not be said.
Then, Li Wenzhong's death should belong to the sudden death after the lesion.