This year, everyone's personality has been given more opportunities and publicity. Therefore, some words that were not originally beautiful were repeatedly used as labels and mentioned, such as "cold", "desperate", and even "vicious". But if there is a real person, you have been hit by nine arrows to save him. He may promise not to fail you, but in the blink of an eye, he ruthlessly exterminates your family. Such a vicious person, will you still appreciate his true temperament? At least Chen De won't.
1. Chen De and Zhu Yuanzhang
Perhaps you are not familiar with the name "Chen De", but you should know that the reason why Zhu Yuanzhang, the grassroots emperor, can succeed is inseparable from the support of Hao Jie, who is born in the grass. Chen Deben was also one of them. He came from a Fengyang farmhouse and had a similar origin to Zhu Yuanzhang. In the thirteenth year of Yuan Zhizheng (1353), that is, the second year that Zhu Yuanzhang began to struggle, Chen De took the initiative to defect to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Because he was a fellow countryman and young and strong, Zhu Yuanzhang gave Chen Dewan the position of chief. Although with Zhu Yuanzhang's strength at that time, the identity of this wanfu chief was not a high position in the chaos. However, it should be known that the founding general Chang Yuchun also took the initiative to defect to Zhu Yuanzhang at the beginning, but he almost did not receive any preferential treatment. If it weren't for Chang Yuchun's efforts to introduce himself, he might not even have the opportunity to play as a striker.
Therefore, although Chen De's later popularity as a hero is not high, his starting point at the beginning is really not low. For his early achievements, the "History of Ming" even gave a summary of "all meritorious". If it were not for Zhu Yuanzhang's admiration for him enough, Chen De would also be active enough, and this merit would not have such a limit as "all".
And because of this "meritorious service", Chen De was also promoted at a relatively fast rate in the army: from the commander of the wanfu to the marshal, it took less than seven years. In the decisive battle between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youyu at Poyang Lake, he first captured Yao Pingzhang, who was stationed in the water village, and then tried his best to protect Zhu Yuanzhang, who was in danger due to the stranding of the warship—for which he was even hit by nine arrows.
Second, Zhu Yuanzhang promised to exterminate the Chen family
It is his fellow countrymen, and "all have merit", today in the midst of danger, he sacrificed his life to save himself, even if he was as cold as Zhu Yuanzhang, this moment could not help but be moved - he promised Chen De: "Never fail Qing". Soon after, Chen De conquered Wuchang and defeated Zhang Shicheng at the Old Pavilion. Zhu Yuanzhang was therefore promoted to the position of commander of the Tiance Wei army. More than ten years later, Chen De participated in many important wars such as the Northern Expedition to the Yuan Dynasty, the Western Expedition to Ming Xia, the great defeat of Wang Baobao, and Li Keshuofang. Zhu Yuanzhang also gave him a higher and higher status, until he was the Marquis of Linjiang. In the eleventh year of Hongwu (1378), Chen De died after returning to his hometown of Fengyang, and Zhu Yuanzhang posthumously made him the Duke of Qiguo, with the posthumous title of Dingxiang and suspended him for three days...
However, in the twenty-third year of Hongwu (1390), that is, twenty-seven years after Zhu Yuanzhang promised Chen De, Chen Yong, the son of the Chen family who inherited Chen De's title, was stripped of his title. The suddenness of this incident caught Chen Yong, who had been silent for some time, by surprise. As the son of a general, Chen Yong also entered the army early. In the sixteenth year of Hongwu (1383), as the deputy general of Zhengnan Left, he participated in the campaign against the Shankou around Longquan. In the nineteenth year of Hongwu (1386), Chen Yong was stationed in Huizhou together with Wu Zhen, the Marquis of Jinghai.
In the twentieth year of Hongwu (1387), Chen Yong followed the founding general Feng Sheng on a campaign against Naha, a widow of the Yuan Dynasty who was unwilling to surrender. As a result, when they reached Jinshan, Chen Yong's team and army were lost, and they were eventually beaten by Naha's forces. Therefore, after this defeat, Chen Yong fell silent, and did not make any great contributions in the DPRK, nor did he make any more major mistakes. However, this honest Chen Yong and the Chen family were still liquidated by Zhu Yuanzhang in the twenty-third year of Hongwu (1386). The imperial court not only decided to remove Chen Yong from his title, but also to exterminate the Chen clan.
Third, the root cause of chen's mortality
Zhu Yuanzhang promised Chen De, who sacrificed himself to save him, on the front foot, and on the back foot, he took action against Chen Yong and his family. Is it really a day of heaven who is so vicious? Naturally, chen yong was turned over old accounts, and Chen's family was raided, not Zhu Yuanzhang's whim, but only a link in Hu Weiyong's case.
In the thirteenth year of Hongwu (1380), in order to consolidate the imperial power and autocracy, Zhu Yuanzhang murdered hu Weiyong for the crime of rebellion, implicated his henchmen, and punished more than 10,000 people in one go. In the following years, especially in the twenty-third year of Hongwu (1390), Zhu Yuanzhang used this to liquidate a number of courtiers who might threaten his rule, including Li Shanchang and other founding heroes. The Chen clan after the hero Chen De was only a victim of this massacre.
In Hongwu's edict convicting Chen Yong in 1390, Zhu Yuanzhang claimed that Chen Yong was a henchman of Hu Weiyong. Borrowing from Chen Yong's past combat mistakes and demotions, Zhu Yuanzhang made up the story of Chen Yong's hatred for the imperial court because of his demotion due to defeat, and finally conspired with Hu Weiyong to rebel. In addition to Jue and Zhulian, it was the "best ending" arranged by the imperial court for the Chen clan, who had saved Zhu Yuanzhang's life in the Battle of Poyang Lake.
When punishing Chen for the Hu Weiyong case, did Zhu Yuanzhang remember the promise he had made to Chen De? Maybe remembered. But The hero of Daming is far from chen de alone, and Zhu Yuanzhang did not say less about similar promises. A promise that is not light or heavy, and the ruling power of the descendants of Wanfu, Zhu Yuanzhang, who climbed up from the grass, will naturally choose the latter without hesitation. Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang was so fierce that even a brother like Xu Da who grew up wearing a pair of pants could poison his hands, not to mention Chen De's relatives who were separated by a layer of friendship?