In March of the seventeenth year of Hongwu (1384), Li Wenzhong died suddenly, at the age of 46.
Li Wenzhong's original name was Li Bao'er, Li Baobao, and he was YuanZhang's nephew. His father's name was Li Zhen, and his mother was Yuanzhang's second sister. When his mother died at the age of 12, he followed his father around in the chaos of the war. When he met Zhu Yuanzhang in Chuzhou at the age of 14, his life journey took a fundamental turn. At this time, Yuanzhang had no children, so he regarded Bao'er, his nephew Wenzheng, and the newly adopted righteous son Mu Ying as his sons, and changed Bao'er's surname to Zhu and named him Wenzhong. At that time, although they were in a war environment, several children made guns and sticks and learned martial arts, But Yuan Zhang paid more attention to letting them read and write, recite poems against each other, and learn Confucian classics. Among the several children, only Zhu Wenzhong learned attentively, and later he also specially studied the history and poetry of the famous scholars Fan Zugan and Hu Han as teachers. Under his command, a group of Confucians often gathered, gave advice, and read papers. Li Wenzhongying was brave in fighting, and he was also familiar with Tao Strategy, commanding Ruoding, quite a Confucian general temperament, and a general style.
At the age of 20, Wen Zhong accompanied Deng Yu and Hu Dahai to lead his troops from Ningguo to attack Yan Prefecture, and immediately made Yan Prefecture the town guard, unified command of the defense of western Zhejiang, and launched a long-term offensive and defensive war with Zhang Shicheng's troops. Zhang Shicheng poured hundreds of thousands of troops into not being able to go beyond the thunder pool, so that Yuan Zhang would not have to worry about the south, but could concentrate his forces on the western front of Chen Youyi.
When Yuan Zhang launched an all-out attack on Zhang Shicheng, Wen Zhong attacked Hangzhou from the south to the north, attacked Hangzhou, Shaoxing, smoothed the people, and calmed the people's hearts. Yuan Zhang's merits were added to Wen Zhongrong Lu, and the governor of Pingzhang in Zhejiang Province. And asked him to restore the surname of Li. In the second year of Hongwu's reign, he cooperated with Xu Da as a general, and often encountered the Spring Northern Expedition and pursued Emperor Yuanshun. On the way back to the division, Chang Yuchun, who was only 40 years old, died of a violent illness in Liuhechuan. Li Wenzhong was ordered to take over the post of deputy general Chang Yuchun and cooperate with Xu Da in attacking Qingyang, Gansu. On the way to the west, they encountered the remnants of the Yuan troops surrounding Datong, and the situation was critical. Without receiving reinforcement orders, Wen Zhong immediately made a decision and used flexible and mobile tactics to defeat the enemy army and capture tens of thousands of people. Received a commendation from Yuan Zhang.
In the third year of Hongwu's (1370) Northern Expedition to the Desert, Xu Da was made the general of the Northern Expedition, and Li Wenzhong had replaced Chang Yuchun as the left deputy general, the first deputy commander under Xu Da, and Feng Sheng, Deng Yu, and Tang He were all ranked behind him. According to Yuan Zhang's deployment, during the Northern Expedition, the general Xu Daxi went out of Tong Pass to attack Tamerlane as a road, and the left deputy general Li Wenzhongbei went out of Juyongguan to pursue Yuan Lord as a way. At the same time that Xu Da Shen Eryu broke through and expanded, Li Wenzhong also made a great victory. He Kexinghe, entered Kaiping, and tended to Yingchang, captured the Li Eight Thorns bought by Emperor Yuangu's grandson, as well as hundreds of people from the Mengyuan Empress Dowager Palace, the kings and generals, and 50,000 or 60,000 people, and searched for Song, Yuan Yuxi, treasures, and countless camels, cattle, horses, and sheep.
In the third year of Hongwu(1370), Li Wenzhongjin was made the Duke of Cao, one of the six dukes of the founding of the country, and also served as the supreme military governor of the palace. He was only 31 years old.
In the fifth year of Hongwu (1372), he and Xu Da and Feng Shengbing marched north again in three ways. This time, only Feng Sheng of the Western Route Army won the victory, and Xu Da of the Middle Road and Li Wenzhong of the East Road suffered heavy losses. After that, he spent a long time with Xu Da and other generals to defend northern Xinjiang and train troops in Tuntian. At the beginning of the twelfth year of Hongwu (1379), he led Mu Ying and others to quell the rebellion of the Eighteen Fan clan in Taozhou, Gansu, and then, in order to shock the power minister Hu Weiyong, Yuan Zhang transferred him back to the capital and sat in the governor's palace.
YuanZhang treated Wen Zhong as "raised from an early age, regarded himself as his own son, taught literature and art, and learned to bow horses", "divided into kings and subjects, kissed nephews and uncles, and en en fathers and sons", and the relationship was extraordinary. Since Zhu Wenzheng was executed, the only relatives who suffered with Zhu Yuanzhang were Li Zhen and Wen Zhong' father and son. In Yuan Zhang's view, take care of Wen Zhong's father and son, give them some compensation, or slightly comfort his poor sister in the Spirit of Heaven. It was out of this mentality that he exempted Li Zhen from the fish class in Xuyi County, his hometown, and there was no Yamen River berth for fish taxation, because Li Zhen was once a fisherman, and the fishing class had made his sister and brother-in-law's family poor.
In February of the first year of Hongwu's reign, at the beginning of his reign, he posthumously honored his second sister as a princess of filial piety, and three years later changed her title to Princess Longxi. Li Zhen (李贞) en en en (李贞) was enfeoffed as marquis of Ma Du (驸馬都尉), and Wen Zhong (文忠) was enfeoffed as the Duke of Cao (曹国公), and built a mansion for them by the Xuanjin Bridge at Xihuamen in Nanjing. Zhu Yuanzhang and the princes often went to the palace to greet and live. In the twelfth year of Hongwu (1309), Li Zhen fell ill and died, and Zhu Yuanzhang made him the King of Longxi. This feeling naturally extended to the imperial nephew he had raised since childhood and was able to fight in battle. This imperial nephew was in fact a very popular courtier.
When his ordinary status is low, to subsidize him, to achieve him, and when his rise is unlimited, to doubt him, to be jealous of him. This is not difficult to understand. In terms of Wen Zhong's talent, being a general is really more than enough. None of YuanZhang's sons could catch up with him, which especially worried him. "In any case, this nephew is still loyal." Yuanzhang always thinks like this. But a secret of Wen Zhong's stay in Yanzhou was finally revealed, which made Yuan Zhang's heart suddenly cool down a lot.
When Wen Zhong was in Yanzhou, a young man in his twenties, the commander-in-chief Yizi, and the town guard on one side, inevitably everyone was stuttering, and everyone greeted him, and some people lured him to do some unembarrassed affairs. Wen Zhong fell in love with han shi, a woman in the Qinglou, and took her to the house to stay. At this time, Inspector Yang Xian was also in Yan Prefecture, and he reported Wen Zhong's violation of the general's order to YuanZhang. Yuan Zhang did not oppose the front-line soldiers from marrying concubines, but strictly forbade them to enter and leave the Brothel of the Qinglou and ask for flowers and willows, so as not to affect morale, shake the hearts of the army, and leak military information. When he learned that Wen Zhong, as the commander-in-chief of the front, had openly violated the military orders, he was very angry, and immediately sent people to Yan Prefecture, killed Han Shi, and took Wen Zhong to Ying Tian for questioning. After Madame Ma heard about it, she advised Yuanzhang and said: "Children are flesh and blood, and it is inevitable that they will be worn by others." Scolding him a few words is enough. Besides, Yan Zhou's position was important, and Bao'er Weizhen was on the side, and He Shunmin'an and Zhang Jiusi were afraid to obey. The prestige of the commander-in-chief should not be damaged, and the commander-in-chief should not be easily replaced. Yuanzhang felt justified, so he reprimanded Wen Zhong and released him back to Yan Prefecture to continue as commander-in-chief.
Wen Zhong was frightened into a cold sweat, although he was put back, he had been pregnant with a ghost fetus in his heart, and he didn't know which day it would be planted. Therefore, it is always sullen. At this time, his Confucian priests Zhao Bozong and Song Ruzhang took the opportunity to persuade Wenzhong to surrender to Zhang Shicheng, saying: "This time I can return from Yingtian, and the next time I go again, I am afraid it will be rare to come back." Please make plans for the general. Wen Zhong pondered repeatedly and felt that it made sense, so he sent Zhao Bozong and others to Hangzhou to personally contact the general Zhang Shixin. Bozong returned to Yan Prefecture and reported that everything was going well, and Wen Zhong decided to defect. Just as he was discussing the surrender letter with Marquis Yuanshan of Langzhong and Shiwen Zundao, he overheard that Yuanzhang had sent an envoy with a letter. Wen Zhong was shocked at first, and then he saw that it was a handwritten family letter, and the envoy was intimate and kind, so he calmed down a little. Arriving at Jiqing, YuanZhang was very happy, asked about the front defense, and taught the attack and defense aircraft in person. Madame Ma also summoned him, kind words of encouragement, earnest care, let him be cautious everywhere, and appease the people. Before leaving, Yuan Zhang gave the famous horse, silver two, and Ding Da repeatedly.
Wen Zhong returned to Yan Prefecture, one with joy and one with worry. Feeling sorry for his relatives and afraid to reveal this matter, he said to Hou Yuanshan and others: "I was almost delayed by you. How should this matter be handled? If things leak out, what face do I have to see my father? Hou Yuanshan: "The Lord is willing to spare my life, and there is still a disposition." Wen Zhong asked, "How to deal with it?" Yuan Shan said, "It's just a matter of using a method to keep the two of them from talking." Wen Zhong understood. He sent a message to Zhao Bozong and Song Ruzhang, invited them to a banquet, drank a lot, and then sent someone to send them home by boat. The boat went to the place of the big wave beach, and arranged in advance to call the boat near the shore and say that the marshal still had something to say. Wait for the boat to dock, jump on a few strong men, and without saying a word, zhao will be. Song and the others bundled up and threw them into the rapids.
As the saying goes: there is no impermeable wall. More than ten years have passed, and there is no news revealed, but when Wen Zhong is becoming more and more prominent, the investigation of Yu Weiyong's case has exposed this historical public case. This surprised Yuan Zhang. Although the matter has become a thing of the past, one of his nephews, Wen Zheng, and one of his nephews, Wen Zhong, are all cultivated by him with one hand and pulled with the other, and they are all Entong father and son. In the slightest storm, they will deviate from Germany and rebel against him. How could he not be sad and suspicious? He became more and more convinced that in the power and political situation, there was absolutely no faith, benevolence, or affection to speak of, and there was only deceit and bloodshed. In the past history, are there fewer cases of sons fighting for the throne, fathers killing sons, brothers killing each other, and pro-party killings? He had a deeper understanding of the deeds of his fellow ancestor Han Gaozu, Liu Bang.
YuanZhang was still inconvenient to attack Wen Zhong, but his heart was already quite cold. Originally, many of Wen Zhong's suggestions were carefully listened to, thinking that they were all from the hearts of his confidants. But slowly, whatever Wen Zhong said, he had to think about it again and again, and Wen Zhong once gently persuaded: "Talent is rare, unlike the grass on the side of the road that has been cut and regenerated." Your Majesty please open up one more road for rehabilitation. Yuanzhang sank his face and said, "I know." Once again, Wen Zhong advised: "Your Majesty, in view of the mistakes of the previous generations, forbade eunuchs to interfere in government affairs, and cut off the shortage of eunuchs. However, according to the courtiers, there are still too many redundant personnel in the palace, which is contrary to the ancient admonition that 'the son of heaven does not approach the criminals', and it is advisable to be more provincial. YuanZhang listened and was furious. Soon, Yuan Zhang sent warriors to break into Li Mansion and capture and kill all of Wen Zhong's Confucian staff. Wen Zhong was both annoyed and shocked. After thinking about it, he suddenly remembered a conspiracy by Yan Zhou to rebel more than ten years ago, and it was not clear that it was the East Window incident. The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. Hongwu died in December of the sixteenth year (1383).
In the spring of the seventeenth year of Hongwu (1384), his condition worsened. YuanZhang sent the crown prince to inquire and sent Hou Huazhong of Huai'an to diagnose and treat him. Wen Zhong's illness was caused by fear and melancholy, and even the resurrection of huatuo's reincarnation medicine king could not hope to rejuvenate. On January 27, Yuan Zhang personally went to visit. When Wen Zhong saw the emperor approaching, Mu Ran's face flashed a layer of brilliance and joy. He beat his spirit and wanted to let people lift him up, but YuanZhang hurriedly stopped. Wen Zhong gasped and said, "Uncle, I am afraid that it will be difficult for the child to be loyal and filial to his uncle." Saying that, the corner of the deep eye oozed two lines of tear marks. Wen Zhong also said: "Bao'er has been in Yanzhou for ten years and has won the trust of his uncle, but Bao'er has a matter that has been pressed in his heart for a long time, and he feels ashamed of his uncle." As he spoke, there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth. Yuanzhang stopped him and comforted, "Don't talk about the past." If my uncle kept everything in mind, he would not be able to achieve today's career. Rest in peace. Looking at Wen Zhong's pious and painful demeanor, Yuan Zhang's flesh and bones nature naturally revealed, and he felt that he could not sustain himself, so he left in a hurry.
Wen Zhong seemed to have moved a stone from the bottom of his heart and felt relaxed for a while. The condition improved, and the family was very happy, thinking that the arrival of the emperor would bring happiness to the family. But no one ever thought that on the third day after Yuan Zhang's visit, on the first day of March in the seventeenth year of Hongwu (1384), this general who had been on the battlefield for thirty years actually gave up. When the news came out, the people were shocked. I don't know what kind of disease I got, I don't know why I died suddenly when my condition improved. While the government and the opposition were confused, Yuan Zhang suddenly executed all of WenZhong's doctors and their families, and cut central China to the rank of Jianchangwei in Chuanxi. The crime was poisoning Li Wenzhong.
How did Li Wenzhong die? Was he poisoned? If he died of poisoning, was he under the direction of Yuan Zhang? This has become a historical mystery.
The Exiled Marquis of Central China was the son of Hua Yunlong. Hua Yunlong was one of the twenty-four henchmen who followed Zhu Yuanzhang south to Dingyuan. In the first year of Hongwu's northern expedition to the Central Plains under the command of the general Xu Da, he made Beiping Zhenshou and participated in the politics of northern parallel provinces, and Hongwu was made the Marquis of Huai'an in the third year (1370). Hua Yunlong sat in the old capital of the Yuan Dynasty, with a dignified position and a luxurious life. He moved into the luxurious mansion of Yuan Chengxiang, and even boldly used the emperor's dragon bed in the Yuan Forbidden City. Yuan Zhang thus sent an emissary to reprimand. Since then, Yunlong has indulged in wine and does not ask about political affairs. At the end of June of the seventh year of Hongwu (1374), Yuan Zhang summoned Yunlong back to Nanjing, and died on june 29. It is to die in fright, it is to kill yourself, it is to be killed, and it is all a mystery. Afterwards, Song Lian was ordered to make a Shinto monument for Yunlong and wrote these words:
"Hou Congzheng marched in all directions, and worked hard. In the beginning, there was no miracle and fierceness, shining on the eyes and ears of people, but it was sealed with a big county, and it was knighted, and the addition of grace was not heavy. If you want to be defeated, you will never worry about the heart of the country and the people. Nai Zhi went to the ancient Han (xin), Peng (Yue) and the like, and they were self-absorbed, and they all took yun'er. ”
Since ancient times, for those who have not committed great adultery and great evil, the epitaphs made have always promoted good and avoided evil. Say more nice things. This Song Scholar, who has always been gentle and honest, gave Hua Yunlong such a coffin theory, without concealing the meaning of concealment, and openly compared it to Han Xin and Peng Yue, who were killed by Han Liu Bang, it can be assumed that it was not a good ending, and it was probably killed by Yuan Zhang. However, Yunlong's son Huazhong still attacked jue. This time let Huazhong go to be responsible for Wen Zhong's treatment, life is useless, death is guilty, is not Yuanzhang's intentional arrangement, only Yuanzhang alone understands.
In the twenty-third year of Hongwu (1390), the Hu Weiyong case was revived, and Huazhong was formally charged with the "Hu Dang", and Huazhong had already died in the debasement at this time.