In 1363, the Battle of Poyang Lake broke out, and Zhu Yuanzhang led only 200,000 soldiers and horses to successfully defeat Chen Youliang's 600,000 army, and Chen Youliang was unfortunately killed by an arrow in the process of defeat.
Despite Chen Youliang's death, the Chen Han dynasty did not die, and his general Zhang Dingbian assisted Chen Youliang's second son Chen Li to proclaim himself emperor in Wuchang and continued to develop Chen Han power. In March of the following year, Zhu Yuanzhang once again led the army to conquer in person, and after cleaning up the remnants of the enemy in Hubei and Jiangxi, he approached the city of Wuchang, and the two sides fought fiercely.
Under the city of Wuchang, Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze was sharp and determined, and he decided to take the city at all costs. However, his opponent, Chen Li, was in a difficult situation and had nothing to do.
At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang received a letter from Yingtian (Nanjing), in which he told him that his concubine Hu had given birth to a son for him, his sixth son and his first concubine.
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard the news, he was overjoyed, named his son Zhu Zhen, and made a promise in the distance: "Son, when you grow up, I will give you Wuchang City!" ”
Soon, Chen Li surrendered, and Wuchang fell into the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang. Six years later, Zhu Yuanzhang fulfilled his promise and named Zhu Zhen, who was only 6 years old, as the king of Chu, and his fief was Wuchang.
Zhu Zhen also became the first king of Chu in the history of the Ming Dynasty. This is the story of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Zhen, full of hope and determination.
Zhu Zhen, the first vassal king of the Ming Dynasty, went through three dynasties and was famous for his bravery. His life was not smooth sailing, and he once married Guo Zixing's righteous daughter Ma, which was his first love in his life.
According to historical records, Ma gave birth to five sons for Zhu Yuanzhang, but there has been controversy about which son is her biological son. Although some people believe that Zhu Di is not Ma's biological son, and some people question that Ma does not have biological children at all, these claims are not supported by sufficient evidence.
Therefore, Zhu Zhen, as Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest son, has become a figure that has attracted much attention.
Zhu Yuanzhang's sixth son, Zhu Zhen's mother, Hu Chongfei, is a mysterious figure. According to historical records, Zhu Yuanzhang already had several partial houses before he became emperor, and Concubine Hu Chong was one of them.
Although there are not many records of Concubine Hu Chong in the official history, in the wild history, she has various legendary rumors. Some people even say that Concubine Hu Chong may be Zhu Yuanzhang's first love.
"Deeds at the beginning of the country" records that there was a widowed woman in the Hu family in Haozhou, and Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to accept her as a concubine after becoming famous, but Hu's mother disagreed. Later, when he heard that the Hu family came to Huai'an with the army and was still not married, Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhao Jun to use it as a matchmaker.
In the end, Zhao Junyong brought their mother and daughter from Huai'an, and Zhu Yuanzhang took the Hu family as a concubine. Zhu Yuanzhang called the emperor and canonized Hu as Concubine Hu, and later generations called him Concubine Hu Chong.
Zhu Yuanzhang's hometown Hu is a native of Haozhou, and he has repeatedly asked to marry Hu, and although Hu is married, he still cares about Hu's news. Zhu Yuanzhang's experience made Zhu Yuanzhang unforgettable, and his feelings for Hu were deep and persistent, and he finally succeeded in taking Hu as a concubine.
Although Hu was married before Zhu Yuanzhang became a general, Zhu Yuanzhang still did not give up pursuing Hu, and his persistence and perseverance eventually paid off.
Although this "scandal" originated from wild history, the Hu family was indeed one of Zhu Yuanzhang's favored concubines in the early days. Therefore, as the son of a favorite concubine, although Zhu Zhen is a concubine, he is highly valued by Zhu Yuanzhang.
When Zhu Yuanzhang learned that Hu had given birth to a son, he excitedly decided to give him Wuchang City. In the third year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to emulate the ancient feudal system and let his descendants serve as Ping vassals in the border areas of the Ming Dynasty.
At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang had a total of 10 sons, and he had a total of 9 vassal kings. Among them, the eldest son Zhu Biao, as the crown prince, does not need to be feudal; The ninth son, Zhu Qi, died early and was not sealed; The remaining 8 sons plus a nephew (Zhu Shouqian, King of Jingjiang, the son of Zhu Wenzheng) were all named vassal kings.
Zhu Zhen, as the sixth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, was named the king of Chu.
When Zhu Zhen was six years old, his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, fulfilled his promise six years ago and sealed him in Wuchang. According to the custom, the prince will only go to the fief to become a vassal king after he gets married, but this is not the case with Zhu Zhen.
He spent his childhood in Nanjing. According to the record of the National Dynasty Tribute Record: The Biography of the King of Chu, Zhu Zhen was born in 1364 AD, 3 years younger than Zhu Di. They are close in age and often experience together, which creates conditions for them to develop personal relationships.
Zhu Yuanzhang is very strict with the education of his children, and Zhu Zhen has been receiving civil and military education since he was a child, just like other princes. "Ming Taizu Records, Volume One Hundred and Twenty-two" records that Zhu Yuanzhang once asked Zhu Di, the king of Yan, to lead several younger brothers to Fengyang for two years, including Zhu Zhen.
There are not many historical records about Zhu Zhen's other childhood experiences, but the "Records of the Tribute to the National Dynasty" said that he was "gifted, wise and strategic".
There is a record mentioning that in the twelfth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the crown prince Zhu Biao to listen to the lectures of Confucian ministers in the Wenhua Palace, and Zhu Biao asked to bring a younger brother to accompany him, this younger brother is Zhu Zhen, and finally got Zhu Yuanzhang's consent.
This record shows that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao attached great importance to Zhu Zhen. Zhu Yuanzhang married Zhu Zhen that year, and canonized the queen of Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bizhi as the princess of Chu. Known as one of the tiger generals of the early Ming Dynasty, Wang Bi was adept at fighting with two swords and almost never lost in battle.
Zhu Zhen, like his brothers, married the daughters of the founding generals. Zhu Zhen married at the age of 15 and went to Wuchang at the age of 17 to take up a vassal service, which was earlier than the other brothers.
Zhu Hu and Zhu Yu were the fifth and seventh sons of Zhu Yuanzhang, respectively, and they took up vassals in Kaifeng and Qingzhou at the age of 20 and 19, respectively. So, why did Zhu Zhen become a vassal earlier than the other brothers?
There's a reason for that. In the fourteenth year of Hongwu, the barbarians in Jingzhou launched a rebellion, and Zhu Yuanzhang convened everyone to discuss the rebellion. The site of the rebellion was only more than 100 miles away from Zhu Zhen's fiefdom of Wuchang, and Zhu Zhen took the initiative to invite Ying to quell the rebellion.
At that time, Zhu Zhen's wife Wang was about to give birth, and Zhu Yuanzhang didn't want Zhu Zhen to go at first, but Zhu Zhen insisted on requesting, and finally Zhu Yuanzhang decided to send Zhu Zhen and asked Zhou Dexing, Marquis of Jiangxia, to assist Zhu Zhen in leading the troops.
Most of the generals in the early Ming Dynasty came from Huaixi, among which Tang He and Zhou Dexing were among the few founding generals who had known Zhu Yuanzhang since childhood. Zhou Dexing was in charge of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion for a long time after the founding of the People's Republic of China and was deeply trusted by Zhu Yuanzhang.
This time, Zhu Yuanzhang sent Zhou Dexing to assist Zhu Zhen, aiming to let Zhou Dexing guide Zhu Zhen militarily. Zhu Yuanzhang issued an order to let Zhu Zhen stay in Wuchang without having to return to Beijing, officially opening Zhu Zhen's path to becoming a vassal as the first king of Chu in the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Zhen performed well in Chudi, and the three emperors all praised his talent. Zhu Yuanzhang set up the vassal palace in Wuchang that year, on the one hand, to fulfill his promise, on the other hand, because Wuchang held the throat of the Yangtze River, and it was the old capital of the Chen and Han dynasties.
Zhu Yuanzhang was far-sighted, and Zhu Zhen put down many rebellions in Wuchang, and was appreciated and cultivated by Zhu Yuanzhang. In the eighteenth year of Hongwu, Guizhou Tongguwei and Sizhou barbarians rebelled, and Zhu Yuanzhang sent Zhu Zhen, Tang He and Zhou Dexing to quell the rebellion.
Zhu Zhen adopted the strategy of dividing his troops into multiple routes and living and farming with the barbarians, and finally captured the rebel leader. Zhu Yuanzhang praised Zhu Zhen's strategy and praised him as his good son.
In the years that followed, Zhu Zhen remained true to his duties as a vassal king, caring for the people but not interfering in politics, and strictly training soldiers but abiding by the law. Check out the "History of the Ming Dynasty", and you will find that there are records of Zhu Zhen's pacification of the chaos every year.
For example, in the twentieth year of Hongwu, he was ordered to conquer Yunnan and successfully captured the Yuan Dynasty's relict general Alu. In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, he was ordered to conquer the Western Barbarians; In the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu, he pacified Daozhou; In the twenty-eighth year of Hongwu, he pacified the Guiyang Shankou; In the twenty-ninth year of Hongwu, he was ordered to lead an army to attack the barbarian rebels in Zhudong in Qianyang; In the thirtieth year of Hongwu, he joined forces with Zhu Bai, the king of Xiang, to quell the Tongguwei Rebellion.
Zhu Yuanzhang saw Zhu Zhen's efforts, so in the twenty-second year of Hongwu, he decreed that Zhu Zhen should be canonized as the right sect member of the Zongren Mansion. As a concubine, Zhu Zhen can hold an important position in the Zongren Mansion, which is a rare gift.
Looking back on Zhu Zhen's performance during the Hongwu period, except for the criticism of Zhu Yuanzhang in the 30th year of Hongwu because of the overspending of military salaries due to the counterinsurgency, almost all of them were Zhu Yuanzhang's words of commendation.
Even in the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu, Zhu Zhen's father-in-law Wang Bi was executed for being involved in the Lanyu case, he could still be commended.
After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen cut off the fiefs of the fifth uncle Zhu Hu and the twelfth uncle Zhu Bai in order to weaken the power of the vassal king, but did not move the sixth uncle Zhu Zhen. Because Zhu Zhen does not have many soldiers and horses, and he is loyal.
Later, the Battle of Jingyan broke out, and it was suggested that Emperor Jianwen summon the vassal kings to resist the Yan king, including Zhu Zhen. However, Emperor Jianwen did not take this suggestion, but he praised the stability of the Jingxiang region, believing that it was the result of Zhu Zhen's dedication to his duties.
This shows that Emperor Jianwen attached great importance to and appeased Zhu Zhen, and also reflects the difference between Zhu Zhen and the vassal kings such as King Yan and King Ning. After the Battle of Jingyan, Zhu Di ascended the throne, and he appointed Zhu Zhen as the Zongren Mansion Zongzheng, which made Zhu Zhen's status in the clan very high.
Although Zhu Di launched the Battle of Jingjing because of Emperor Jianwen's reduction of the domain, after he ascended the throne, he learned the lesson of Emperor Jianwen, and explicitly appeased the major vassal kings, and secretly carried out the reduction of the domain.
Zhu Zhen is well aware of Zhu Di's personality, so he has written many times to support the reduction of guards, which makes Zhu Di very appreciative.
Zhu Di and Zhu Zhen: Affectionate Friendship and Honors During the Yongle period, Ming Chengzu Zhu Di and his younger brother Zhu Zhen had a deep relationship. In the eighth year of Yongle, Zhu Di summoned Zhu Zhen into Beijing, and the two brothers talked about wine, and before leaving Beijing, Zhu Di rewarded Zhu Zhen a lot.
Zhu Zhen is second only to Zhu Di's younger brother, Zhu Hu, the king of Zhou, in the rewards over the years. In the eighteenth year of Yongle, Zhu Zhen was ordered to enter Beijing again, and won the honors of "Prince Welcome" and "Exemption from Kneeling".
The following year, Zhu Di prepared for the third northern expedition, Zhu Zhen donated 2,000 war horses at one time, Zhu Di was overjoyed, called Zhu Zhen "the model of the vassal king", and rewarded Zhu Zhen "very generously".
Zhu Zhen also made outstanding contributions in the feudal territory of Wuchang City. His position in Wuchang City is extremely special and has a long history. As early as the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wuchang City was established by Sun Quan and renamed Jiangxia.
Jiangxia and Xiakou (now Hanyang) watched each other from afar, and they were horns of each other, which was of great military significance. After the development of the two Jin Dynasty and the Sui and Tang dynasties, Wuchang's port and shipbuilding have been developed to a certain extent.
The deep friendship and honorary awards between Zhu Di and Zhu Zhen reflect the friendship and respect between the royal brothers, and are also an affirmation of Zhu Zhen's contributions.
During the Yuan Dynasty, Wuchang was set up as a provincial-level administrative center with jurisdiction over seven counties. However, at that time, Wuchang City was very small. When Zhu Yuanzhang captured Chen Li, the son of Chen Youliang, he was in Wuchang City, which was left in the Yuan Dynasty.
In the third year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang named his sixth son Zhu Zhen as the king of Chu and set Wuchang as a domain. Although Zhu Zhen had not yet arrived in Wuchang at that time, Zhu Yuanzhang had already ordered the construction of the Chu Palace.
After eight years of construction, the Chu Palace's Mansion was completed. In the fourteenth year of Hongwu, Zhu Zhen went to Wuchang and found that the Chu palace here was large-scale, with more than 800 palaces, palaces, temples, etc., which was simply a miniature version of the imperial city of Nanjing, so he cherished this palace very much.
When Zhu Zhen first arrived in Wuchang, rebellions broke out, and his environment was very precipitous. At that time, Wuchang City was a small place with sparse population, and in order to protect more people, Zhu Zhen decided to strengthen and expand Wuchang City.
He used stone as a material, expanded the tall city wall, opened four city gates, and personally named the main gate "Zhenchumen". This name not only indicates that this gate is a strategic location, but also reflects Zhu Zhen's determination.
Zhu Zhen, a name that shines in the long river of history, his deeds are still praised today. As an outstanding military general, he once built a fortified city wall of more than 20 miles in Wuchang and set up 9 city gates, including the famous Wusheng Gate, Hanyang Gate, Wenchang Gate, Zhongxiao Gate and so on.
It is thanks to the efforts of Zhu Zhen and his descendants that Wuchang City has changed from a sparsely populated small city to the political, military and economic center of Hubei. His influence is so great that it can almost be said that he is the founder of Wuchang City, but we prefer to say that he gave Wuchang a new life.
He lived in Wuchang for 43 years and left many footprints. It is said that he often climbed Meiting Mountain, located in the south of Wuchang City, and looked at the capital from the mountain, pinning his thoughts on his parents.
This place later became known as "Chu Wangtai". Chuwangtai has a special significance in Wuchang because it has witnessed the history of the rise and development of Wuchang City. More than 500 years later, on October 10, 1911, the first shot of the Wuchang Uprising was fired here, and the first thing the rebel army did was to capture Chuwangtai.
This incident further proves Zhu Zhen's far-reaching influence on Wuchang City. His deeds are not only history, but also a spirit that inspires us to keep moving forward.
On February 20, Yongle 22, Zhu Zhen died of illness at the age of 61. Zhu Di, who was on the way to the north at the time, heard the news of his younger brother's death, and was grief-stricken, so he gave him a generous burial and was posthumously named "Zhao".
Five months later, Zhu Di died. The two brothers may be able to renew their relationship in another world. There is a saying in "Historical Records: The Biography of Bian Que Canggong": "Women have no beauty or evil, and they are jealous when they enter the palace; There is no virtuous and unscrupulous, and he is suspicious when he enters the court. ”
It means that no matter whether a woman is beautiful or not, she will always be jealous when she enters the palace; Regardless of whether the scholar is virtuous or not, entering the court will always be suspected. Although there were many vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty, most of them were in an embarrassing situation.
However, Zhu Zhen has gone through the three dynasties of Hongwu, Jianwen and Yongle, and he has a far-sighted vision and knows the way to advance and retreat. In the "Hu Lan Case" in the later years of Hongwu, the "Battle of Jingyan" in the Jianwen period, and the changes in the court such as the cutting of the feudal domain in the Yongle period, Zhu Zhen was as stable as Mount Tai, and was not suspected by any kind, but was appreciated by the three emperors.
In the end, he managed to retire and save future generations, which is enough to prove that he is good. The Ming Dynasty lasted for a total of 273 years, and the line of the king of Chu has always continued, which is the result of Zhu Zhen's loyal and patriotic thoughts.
A person cannot be evaluated in isolation from his or her historical background and cultural environment. Although Zhu Zhen was a vassal king in the feudal era, as the first king of Chu in the Ming Dynasty, he showed loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and love for the people of Wuchang.
He had both combat and construction talents, and protected the people. Such an excellent vassal king can be called a model of the Ming Dynasty. We should learn from Zhu Zhen's patriotism and love for the people and strive to become a model in the new era.