Zhu Yuanzhang (Upper and Lower)

Author: Zhu Sujin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Zhu Sujin continues to create the myth of "After the Xikang Dynasty, Rebuilding the Legend of Zhu Yuanzhang." Directed by the famous TV director Feng Xiaoning and starring Hu Jun, the series is about to air on China Central Television. The book tells the difficult journey of Zhu Yuanzhang in ruling the country, how he suppressed rebellions in various regions over 15 years to seize power, and then spent 29 years governing the nation. He is considered one of the greatest rulers in ancient Chinese history, rising from humble beginnings. He strove to do everything well, with a strong sense of justice. He ruled diligently throughout his life, blending social systems and governance. He showed particular care for the peasants and lived a life of shared hardship with his first wife. However, he also possessed the cruelty of an ancient emperor. Power and strategy, the bureaucracy and people's livelihood, family bonds and legal principles, conscience and brutality. The only person in Chinese history to rise from a beggar to an emperor. Feng Xiaoning said, "Hu Jun's acting skills are on par with Chen Daoming, and Zhu Sujin himself has already said that the script for 'Zhu Yuanzhang' is better than 'The Kangxi Dynasty.' What reason is there not to surpass 'The Kangxi Dynasty'?" In April 2006, a powerful 40-episode TV series with the same title will air. Top-level scriptwriters, top-level directors, and top-level actors. Passionately bringing to life the historical process of Zhu Yuanzhang from the bottom of society to establishing his great achievements. Hu Jun said, "Zhu Yuanzhang was an extraordinary person, truly a commoner who became emperor in Chinese history. The script is very solid and realistic, with many details that show Zhu Yuanzhang as a 'commoner emperor'—both down-to-earth and majestic. It was a great experience to play the role of emperor for the first time." Zhu Sujin said, "I read articles by historians analyzing Zhu Yuanzhang's psychology. I wanted to write without revealing the bloodshed, but the entire series is filled with tension, showcasing his cunning, wisdom, and skills in ruling. The art of being a king, after all, is about controlling the hearts of the people."
In the late years of the Yuan Dynasty, the government was corrupt, and rebel armies rose in various regions, plunging the country into chaos. On a mountain, Zhu Changle, surrounded by cowherds, climbed a large stone and ordered the children, "One day, when I become emperor, I will reward each of you with a big cake!" But at that moment, his parents had already starved to death at home. To bury his parents, Zhu Changle entered a temple and became a monk. A month later, he traveled around the country, begging along the way. One day, he escaped death at the hands of the Yuan army but was captured by a peasant rebel army and nearly executed as a spy. In his despair, he was saved by a girl.
As a newcomer to the rebel army, Zhu Changle adapted quickly to the battlefield, achieving remarkable feats and earning the deep respect of the leader Gu Zixing. Gu Zixing not only married his adopted daughter, Ma Xiuying, to him but also gave him the official name Zhu Yuanzhang—"Zhu" meaning the beginning of time, and "Zhang" meaning jade, a symbol of state power. From then on, a man named Zhu Yuanzhang stepped onto the stage of Chinese history, performing a series of grand and tumultuous historical dramas.
He was meticulous, gathering talents like Xu Da and Tang He around him, and treated scholars like Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen with great courtesy. In the Battle of Poyang Lake, Zhu Yuanzhang defeated his formidable rival Chen Youliang with fewer forces, overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty and establishing the Ming Dynasty. He implemented reforms, severely punished corrupt officials, and created new governance laws, quickly reviving the nation. But at the same time, to secure the Zhu family's rule, he unleashed mass executions.
His only true love and revered woman, Ma Xiuying, passed away, and the crown prince he had painstakingly raised, Zhu Biao, suddenly died, leaving him heartbroken. In the end, he too followed the setting sun into the end of his life.