In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty under the rule of Zhu Yuanzhang had been initially stabilized, and in order to celebrate this hard-won achievement, he decided to hold an unprecedented feast in the newly renovated Qinggong Tower in Nanjing. This banquet is not only a compliment to the heroes, but also a clever plan for Zhu Yuanzhang's power struggle.
A few days before the banquet, Liu Bowen, a strategist who was deeply trusted by Zhu Yuanzhang, showed unusual behavior. Frequently in and out of the Qinggong Building, his face has a thoughtful look. Once, he even knocked lightly on the wall of the Qinggong Tower without anyone noticing, which seemed to touch a certain uneasiness in his heart. These actions aroused the curiosity of the guard, but Liu Bowen only smiled faintly and did not answer directly.
Liu Bowen stood alone in front of the celebration building on the eve of the banquet, and a complicated light flashed in his eyes. He began to wonder if the banquet was just a celebration, or if there were other intentions behind Zhu Yuanzhang. Such suspicions are not unfounded, because during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to hold a grand celebration banquet in the newly built Qinggong Building in Nanjing City in order to celebrate the stability and prosperity of the country. This decision was quickly communicated to all parts of the country, and all the founding heroes were invited to participate, including veterans of the battlefield and strategists of the court.
Zhu Yuanzhang attaches great importance to the arrangement of the banquet, and the interior and exterior of the celebration building are decorated with golden brilliance, and every meritorious person can feel a warm atmosphere when he enters. However, behind this celebration, Zhu Yuanzhang secretly arranged, because he knew that domestic stability was not hard-won, and it involved too many power struggles and people's hearts. Although he was suspicious of the heroes on the surface, he had doubts in his heart, afraid of the possibility of high merit. For this reason, he decided to use this banquet to eradicate all possible hidden dangers in one fell swoop.
Zhu Yuanzhang ordered people to do tricks and feet in the structure of Qinggong Tower, and cleverly designed hollow walls to hide gunpowder. As soon as it is discovered that a meritorious person is plotting wrong, he will order the gunpowder to be ignited and all the "traitors" will be put on fire. Such an arrangement can not only ensure the safety of one's throne, but also solve all potential threats at once.
Before the banquet began, Zhu Yuanzhang walked into the empty Qinggong Building alone, looked around, and his heart was full of expectation and uncertainty. He knows that the decision he is about to make will change the fate of many people and may leave an indelible mark on history. But for the sake of the Ming Dynasty's Jiangshan Sheji, and for the stability of his throne, he felt that all this was worth it.
The preparations for the banquet are in full swing, and every detail is carefully arranged. Zhu Yuanzhang hopes that through this celebration banquet, he will not only show the royal style, but also completely eliminate his inner anxiety through activities. However, in the process, he experienced great inner struggle and pain.
Zhu Yuanzhang is well aware of the court turmoil caused by the excessive power of heroes in history, and he does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. He plots a plan to eradicate all potential threats. Although he was a wise monarch on the surface, his scheming and misgivings made him determined to take extreme measures.
This decision was not impulsive, and Zhu Yuanzhang wandered alone in the deep palace many times, thinking carefully about the pros and cons of this plan. His mind replays the days of fighting with his old courtiers, but he also knows that Game of Thrones can make anyone untrustworthy.
On the night of the banquet, the Qinggong Building was brightly lit and guests gathered. Zhu Yuanzhang's rhetoric praised the contributions of the heroes, but the hidden murderous motives behind them could not be detected. His gaze was sharp and elusive, making some heroes uneasy. Liu Bowen and Xu Da and several other cautious people began to secretly transmit information, trying to avoid attracting Zhu Yuanzhang's attention.
Just as the banquet was at its climax, the Qinggong Building suddenly broke out, and the flames soared into the sky. The heroes who were not reminded were trapped in the flames. Zhu Yuanzhang was escorted away by guards in the chaos, while Liu Bowen and Xu Da and others had already found an opportunity to leave quietly and avoided disaster.
Although the fire in Qinggong Tower was quickly extinguished, there was no chance that those trapped heroes would survive. This tragedy became a bloody memory in the history of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang ensured the stability of power by clearing the doubts in his heart, but also left an indelible stain on his rule.
Although Liu Bowen and Xu Da and other surviving heroes escaped, their hearts were full of pain and incomprehension. They begin to reflect on the brutality of power struggles and the fragility of loyalty and camaraderie in this struggle. Zhu Yuanzhang began to reflect on his own approach and gradually adopted moderate policies to repair relations with his subjects, but his reign left a bloody history. Liu Bowen and others, on the other hand, tried to leave inspiration for future generations to avoid the recurrence of the tragedy through in-depth learning and writings.