Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty was involved in countless killings in his life, and in his later years, he fell into a large-scale purge, especially when he treated a group of old ministers, including the founding heroes, and the blood flowed like a river.
However, the execution of Feng Sheng, the Duke of Song, is quite incomprehensible. Feng Sheng had neither military power nor heirs, and did not seem to pose a threat. Before the execution, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly went to visit, and Feng Sheng asked the emperor without fear why he wanted to kill him.
Zhu Yuanzhang said frankly that time is running out, and the prince died early, and he was worried about the future of Daming.
The crown prince Zhu Biao was originally the crown prince cultivated by Zhu Yuanzhang, who was talented and highly respected. However, the early death of the crown prince plunged the entire country into deep grief.
Zhu Yuanzhang was anxious to succeed to the throne for his eldest grandson, and Zhu Yunwen, the son of the crown prince Zhu Biao, became the sole heir. Zhu Yuanzhang's trouble was that Zhu Yunwen was young and not trained enough, so in order to ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty, he had to take decisive action.
In the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu, the Ming Dynasty broke out the "blue jade **" that shocked history
Many originally innocent ministers were quickly executed by Zhu Yuanzhang on far-fetched charges, and the capital was in a storm for a while.
In order to maintain the succession of the eldest grandson, Zhu Yuanzhang did not hesitate to purge dissidents to ensure the future of the Ming Dynasty. In this political storm, Feng Sheng, the Duke of Song, became one of the very few ministers who escaped.
Feng Sheng joined Zhu Yuanzhang in his early years and made great achievements, but his personality was different from that of his brother Feng Guoyong. Feng Sheng was more emotional, sometimes showing benevolence in military operations.
However, he also caused Zhu Yuanzhang's dissatisfaction because of his short-sighted selfish behavior. Zhu Yuanzhang regarded these actions as detrimental to the overall situation, but he also understood Feng Sheng's personality.
Zhu Yuanzhang tried to consolidate his relationship with Feng Sheng through political marriage, allowing the king of Zhou to marry Feng Sheng's daughter and making Feng Sheng the Duke of Song.
However, with the early death of the crown prince Zhu Biao, the intrigue within the palace became more and more intense. Zhu Yuanzhang was privately collecting evidence of his sons' struggle for the throne, and secretly gritted his teeth.
Feng Sheng became the object of Zhu Yuanzhang's hesitation, he may not be the one who took the initiative to rebel, but Zhu Yuanzhang was worried that after his death, Feng Sheng might throw himself into his son-in-law, King Zhou, posing a threat to the stability of the imperial court.
For the sake of Daming, Zhu Yuanzhang finally made a difficult decision and cut off his past with Feng Sheng.
The Ming Dynasty prospered under the firm leadership of Zhu Yuanzhang, however, the wheels of history did not always move forward as people expected.
And the choice Zhu Yuanzhang made at the beginning of the troubled times may also be an obsession with the future of the Ming Dynasty.