There is a story about Zhu Yuanzhang's "burning of the Qinggong Tower" in history, although there are two different versions among the people, it is undeniable that both the court and the ordinary people hate Zhu Yuanzhang's indiscriminate killing of heroes.
After Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne as emperor, he decided to build a celebration tower on the hillside of Gulougang in the capital to celebrate the great achievements of the founding heroes. After hearing the news, the heroes praised Zhu Yuanzhang for his wisdom and wisdom.
However, the military advisor Liu Bowen was very worried about this, and he took the initiative to ask Zhu Yuanzhang to allow him to return to his hometown. Although Zhu Yuanzhang tried his best to stay, Liu Bowen still insisted on leaving.
Before leaving, Liu Bowen went to Xu Da's mansion to resign, and told him that if Zhu Yuanzhang entertained the ministers on the Qinggong Tower one day, he must follow the emperor closely.
Although Xu Da didn't understand the deep meaning, he still remembered Liu Bowen's advice. After the completion of the Qinggong Building, Zhu Yuanzhang invited a large number of heroes to come to the banquet on the selected auspicious day.
At the banquet, the heroes were immersed in a joyful atmosphere, and no one was aware of the hidden crisis. However, Xu Da remembered Liu Bowen's advice before leaving, and he always remained vigilant in his heart.
At the end of the banquet, Zhu Yuanzhang left alone, followed by Xu Da. Zhu Yuanzhang asked Xu Da why he was leaving, and Xu Da replied in a sad tone: "Your Majesty, do you really plan to wipe everyone out?" ”
Zhu Yuanzhang's face was expressionless, he knew that his plan had been discovered, and he was at a loss for a while. Then, Xu Da said: "If the emperor asks me to go back, I will not resist, I just hope you can take care of my wife, children and mother." ”
With that, he turned and walked into the building. Zhu Yuanzhang remembered their childhood friendship and Xu Da's heroic performance on the battlefield, and couldn't help but be a little moved in his heart, he grabbed Xu Da's hand tightly and took him away from Qinggong Tower.
They hadn't gone far when a loud bang came from behind them, and the Celebration Building, which had been dedicated to celebrating the heroes, had been engulfed in flames.
There is a saying that when Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Bowen celebrated together, Liu Bowen deliberately pressed the emperor's robe under the chair. When Zhu Yuanzhang felt that the time was ripe and was about to leave, the corner of his clothes was touched, which attracted Liu Bowen's attention, so the two left Qinggonglou together, and finally escaped the fate of unjust death.
Although the two theories of "burning Qinggong Tower" are folk fabrications, Zhu Yuanzhang's murderous habit is not groundless. In order to eliminate the troubles of future generations, he used the Hu Weiyong case and the Lan Yu case as an excuse to kill a large number of heroes.
However, Zhu Yuanzhang killed many people in addition to these two cases.
In the process of establishing the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented a strict legal system, and many military generals and civil officials were punished for it. Not only these generals and civil officials, but also those staff members who have followed him for many years will not escape, such as Song Siyan, Xia Yu, Gao Jianxian, Ling Shuo, Kong Keren, etc.
In addition, many people in other provinces** were sentenced to court rods, demoted officials, and even sentenced to capital punishment because of disagreements. Among the many founding heroes, only Tang He survived.
The founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty were basically eliminated after several killings, although this brought a huge negative impact on the people, making the behavior of "flying birds, good bows hidden, cunning rabbit holes, and lackeys cooking" was widely criticized, but under the harsh rule of Zhu Yuanzhang, no one dared to raise objections, so he expressed his inner dissatisfaction and helplessness by fabricating the story of "burning Qinggong Tower".