Zhu Yuanzhang faced not only the two powerful opponents Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, but also the Yuan Dynasty, which had a deep hatred. The contest with Chen and Zhang may still have a bit of heroic sympathy, but when it comes to the Yuan Dynasty, it is an unforgettable hatred. It was in that dark era that Zhu Yuanzhang lost his closest people, was displaced, and turned from a homeless beggar into a rebel.
His wisdom and strategy made him particularly outstanding in the contest against the Yuan Dynasty. He seems to know how to keep a low profile in the midst of the undercurrents while gathering strength. By sending a generous gift to the Yuan Dynasty general Chakhan Timur, he skillfully concealed his true intentions. All this is for the ultimate counterattack.
When Zhu Yuanzhang gradually showed his fangs and began to unify Jiangnan, the Yuan Dynasty also tried to use official positions and money to entrap him, but he didn't know that it was just in vain. Zhu Yuanzhang's refusal is not only a contempt for power, but also a desire for freedom and contempt for the enemy. His actions told the Yuan Dynasty the fact that they were facing a strong man who was determined to turn over, not a hillbilly who was content with a small favor.
In the battle between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, the Yuan Dynasty once gloated and watched from the sidelines, hoping to lose all three. But what they didn't foresee was that the winner of this knockout match would be their biggest threat. Zhu Yuanzhang not only won the final victory with his wisdom and courage, but also had the strength and determination to fight the Yuan Dynasty to the end.
When Zhu Yuanzhang stood in the position of the victor, the Yuan Dynasty finally realized its mistake. They face a new adversary—not only with a powerful army, a think tank, and warriors, but also with the determination to take it all back. The attempt of the Yuan Dynasty was nothing more than a mantis arm as a car, and in the end it could only be self-destruction.
Background introduction of the contestants
In the long course of history, the Mongol Empire is undoubtedly an epoch-making miracle. Its rise is not only a legend of Temujin, but also a symbol of a nation's victory over the strong with the weak. Let's pull back the curtain on history and delve into this ancient and powerful empire.
At the end of the twelfth century, Temujin, with his extraordinary leadership and strategic vision, unified the Mongol tribes in Mobei, marking the beginning of the heyday of the Mongol Empire. However, many people misunderstand the reason for the strength of the Mongols, believing that it began after Temujin. In fact, the Mongols have always been very strong in combat, and they are natural warriors. The reason why it failed to appear on the world stage early is mainly because of the internal **. Temujin's success essentially solved this problem, thus unleashing the Mongols' astonishing potential for warfare.
The military system of the Mongol Empire was simple, but extremely practical. Their light cavalry units use surprise and retreat tactics to make the enemy elusive. What is even more amazing is that the Mongolian bow, this long-range ** is extremely powerful, with a range of up to three hundred meters, which is difficult to stop even the strongest armor. This innate mobility and advanced equipment made the Mongol army an invincible force at that time.
In the face of the Mongol army, the enemy's fear came not only from their prowess, but also from their tactics that bordered on brutality. The Mongol cavalry's rain of arrows in battle left their opponents with nowhere to escape, and this almost guerrilla style of play made them feel like they had a real nightmare when they fought against them. And the massacre of the Mongol army left a deep imprint on their names in history.
When the sound of the hooves of the Mongol cavalry shook the ancient lands and swept from East Asia to Europe, they left behind not only a shocking history, but also a series of chilling numbers and stories. The Mongols' massacre of the city became a dark shadow in their conquest journey.
Unlike ordinary warfare**, the Mongol massacres had a distinct political purpose. Their strategy is not a simple atrocity, but a cold calculation: to force the opponent to submit through extreme fear. Before attacking the city, the Mongol army would issue an ultimatum to give the opportunity to surrender. However, this choice is often a cruel illusion – whether you choose to resist or surrender, the city often ends up with no escape from a catastrophe.
This tactic of terror led the Mongol army to be called the "Whip of God" by Europeans, a self-reflective version of what God saw as God's punishment for their sins. Historians have defined the massacre of the Mongol army as "state terrorism," a tactic used to achieve political goals through fear.
The Mongol army demonstrated their unique understanding of death in the West Asian campaign by piling up triangular mountains of slain heads, demonstrating an extreme form of performance art. After conquering Baghdad, they trapped the Supreme Leader Caliph in a room full of treasures and starved him to death.
The massacre of the Mongol Empire is not only a story, but also a staggering number. At the time of the destruction of the Jin Kingdom, the population dropped dramatically, from 7.68 million households** to 870,000 households, a drop of 89%, and behind these numbers were the disappearance of countless lives and the rupture of civilization.
When the Mongol iron cavalry swept through the Central Plains and planted the banner of their conquest all the way to the gate of the Southern Song Dynasty, history once again showed the tragic poem of the struggle of the weak. The Mongol Empire, the war machine that had wiped out the Western Xia and Jin kingdoms, turned its attention to the Southern Song Dynasty, a frail country that was thought to be only good at poetry and painting.
The Mongols were confident in their military might, and they expected to destroy the Song within ten years. However, in the face of the threat of the slaughter of the city, the people of the Southern Song Dynasty showed astounding courage and tenacity. From Lianghuai to Xiangyang to Sichuan, they resisted everywhere, and each battle made the Mongols' march difficult.
The Battle of Hezhou in 1259 became a symbol of resistance in the Southern Song Dynasty. General Wang Jian's heroic defense of Diaoyu City not only successfully resisted the Mongol army's attack, but even severely wounded the Great Khan Möngke in the battle. The battle left the Mongol nobles deeply puzzled - what was the strength that made these seemingly weak southerners show such astonishing strength?
As the war continued, although the Southern Song Dynasty resisted heroically, it could not escape the arrangement of fate after all. In 1279, the final scene of the Southern Song Dynasty came to an end in the despair of Lu Xiufu and the young emperor Zhao Yu, and Lu Xiufu's heroic jump into the sea became an eternal tragic picture in Chinese history.
In the dust of this period of history, a name shines brightly - Wen Tianxiang. He was not only a poet and a statesman, but also a hero who stood up when the nation was in peril.
Morality
In the cold prison of the Yuan Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang, a loyal minister in the late Southern Song Dynasty, adhered to his beliefs with a will beyond ordinary people. In the face of the persuasion of the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty to surrender, his answer was always unwavering: never surrender. This is not only the insistence on physical freedom, but also the supreme pursuit of spiritual beliefs.
The nobles of the Yuan Dynasty tried to destroy Wen Tianxiang's will by various means, from material to spiritual torture. However, in the face of physical pain and soul test, Wen Tianxiang used the magnificent words in "Song of Righteousness" to show the world what true courage and dignity are. His persistence is not only a struggle against personal fate, but also the ultimate pursuit of morality and justice.
In the face of Kublai Khan's repeated persuasions, Wen Tianxiang's refusal was not only a denial of power, but also an affirmation of personal beliefs. His answer was simple and profound—just one death. This is not a contempt for life, but a supreme pursuit of moral values. Wen Tianxiang's firmness made Kublai Khan feel helpless, and also deeply shocked all those who witnessed this moment.
At the moment of going to the execution ground, Wen Tianxiang not only made a final salute to the south, but also showed the world what an immortal victory is. His courage and determination became a symbol of resistance to oppression and the pursuit of freedom. Wen Tianxiang's ultimate sacrifice is not a symbol of defeat, but a spiritual victory - the body can be conquered, but the morality lives on.
Wen Tianxiang's suicide note is the most precious legacy for future generations. He used his life to interpret the Tao of Confucius and Mencius, proving to the world the immortal value of morality and integrity. Under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang's spirit became an indomitable benchmark, inspiring generations to pursue truth and justice.
As the Yuan Dynasty entered its final years, the contradictions inside and outside the court became more and more apparent. The aristocracy of the Yuan Dynasty adhered to their national identity, and they refused to sinicize, and the gap between them and the Han people deepened day by day. Against this background, the extreme remarks of some nobles exacerbated the contradictions between ethnic groups, and put forward the absurd proposal of turning farmland into pasture. Fortunately, the prime minister at that time stepped forward, and his wise advice averted a greater catastrophe, so that after the conquest, the Yuan Dynasty did not carry out large-scale ** on the local population, but gradually transformed into an agrarian civilization, showing his extraordinary wisdom.
However, the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty did not seem to really understand how to establish a long-term harmonious relationship with the ruled. Their greed and arbitrariness led to increasingly tense tensions in the court, and the relationship between the two sides gradually broke down, leading to escalating conflicts within the family. In this process, the Mongolian cavalry, which once crisscrossed the battlefield, has lost its former bravery in a comfortable life.
Among the people, the flame of discontent gradually ignited, and the rebels took up the tools in their hands and began to resist. However, the most elite Asu army of the Yuan Dynasty showed unprecedented weakness in the face of the uprising, and their defeat and retreat marked that the combat effectiveness of the Yuan Dynasty army was much lower than before.
In such a crisis, a general named Kokor Timur stood up. As the nephew and adopted son of the famous general of the Yuan Dynasty, Timur carried the mission of rebuilding the army of the Yuan Dynasty, and his name and image will leave a deep imprint on history. Affectionately known as "Wang Baobao", he was not only the guardian of the Yuan Dynasty, but also became a strong enemy of the later Ming Dynasty.
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