Zhu Yuanzhang - (Illustrated Version)

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Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The Illustrated Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang: Volume Zhu Yuanzhang was born in 1328 into a poor tenant farmer family. His early life was extremely difficult; he worked as a cowherd, served as a junior monk at the Huangjue Temple, and even traveled as a beggar monk. In the eleventh year of the Zhiheng era (1351), peasant uprisings broke out across the country. The following year, Guo Zixing of Haozhou joined the rebellion. At that time, the Huangjue Temple was destroyed, and Zhu Yuanzhang had nowhere to stay, so he joined Guo Zixing's Red Turban Army. Being intelligent and brave in battle, he won Guo Zixing's favor, who gave him his adopted daughter, Ma Shi, in marriage. Among those who rebelled alongside Guo Zixing were the four marshals Sun Dejia, Peng Da, and Zhao Junyong, who frequently fought among themselves. To strengthen his forces, Zhu Yuanzhang recruited soldiers, formed a team, and after capturing Chuzhou, his power grew steadily. After Guo Zixing's death, Zhu Yuanzhang took command of all military affairs. He killed Sun Dejia, allied with the Little Ming King, and won successive victories in the battles of Caishi and Jinling against the Yuan forces. In the sixteenth year of the Zhiheng era (1356), Zhu Yuanzhang renamed Jinling as Yingtianfu. At the age of twenty-nine, he had already become a commander of a hundred thousand troops.
The Illustrated Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang: Second Volume After seizing Yingtianfu, Zhu Yuanzhang established the Wanyufu to restore agricultural production and expanded his territory outward. His domain bordered the Eastern King Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen to the east and the Western King Chen Youliang to the west, with constant warfare between them. Chen Youliang, with the title of Han, was the strongest among the warlords and often allied with Zhang Shicheng to attack Zhu Yuanzhang. To avoid fighting on two fronts, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to strike first at Chen's forces. He tricked Kang Maocai, an old acquaintance of Chen Youliang, into defecting, luring the Han army to attack Yingtianfu. The Han army fell into a trap, and the Ming army killed one hundred forty thousand Han soldiers and captured thirty thousand. Seeing Chen Youliang's defeat, Zhang Shicheng fled to Suzhou. Chen Youliang then led six hundred thousand troops to avenge his defeat. The two armies fought fiercely on the water, and the Ming army used gunpowder to set fire to the Han ships with the wind in their favor, leading to a decisive victory for the Ming. Zhu Yuanzhang's ship was stranded by the wind and surrounded by Han troops. His general Han Cheng changed into Zhu Yuanzhang's clothes and drowned himself to deceive the Han army. When the Ming army arrived, they drove back the Han troops. With the Ming army's inside support, they set fire to the Han camp, and Chen Youliang was shot and killed, with his entire army destroyed.
The Illustrated Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang: Third Volume After defeating his formidable rival Chen Youliang, Zhu Yuanzhang turned his attention to the Eastern King Zhang Shicheng. Zhang Shicheng had originally been a salt smuggler who rebelled during the chaos, fought for several years, and seized a large area in the southeast. He declared himself King of Wu in Pingjiang and enfeoffed his companions to govern major cities, forming a network of support. With his rich territory and strong forces, he became Zhu Yuanzhang's second major rival. However, after becoming king, Zhang Shicheng grew complacent, indulging in luxury and lacking ambition, which gave Zhu Yuanzhang an opportunity. Zhu Yuanzhang focused on military actions against Wu, personally formulating a strategy: "cut off the branches before targeting the root." His generals executed the plan correctly, and within two years, Zhu Yuanzhang achieved significant victories, capturing major cities like Taizhou, Huzhou, Hangzhou, and Jiaxing. Finally, they advanced separately to surround Pingjiang. After fierce battles, Zhu Yuanzhang captured Zhang Shicheng and destroyed the Wu regime. With his second major victory, Zhu Yuanzhang eliminated his rear threats and could fully focus on advancing northward, launching the final battle to unify China.
The Illustrated Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang: Fourth Volume The Northern Expedition of the Ming army was Zhu Yuanzhang's final battle to unify China. At that time, the Yuan dynasty still ruled vast northern regions, but internally it was in chaos. There were conflicts between the emperor and the crown prince in the palace, and tensions between commanders and generals outside the palace. While Zhu Yuanzhang eliminated rivals and built his strength, the Yuan dynasty's main forces were engaged in internal wars, slaughtering each other. Seeing this opportunity, Zhu Yuanzhang launched the Northern Expedition, formulated a meticulous strategy, and raised a powerful slogan. During the campaign, he repeatedly visited the front lines, observed the battlefield firsthand, and refined his strategy at every detail. As a result, the entire campaign proceeded smoothly, achieving its goals within only ten months from the start. The Ming army captured the Yuan capital and reclaimed the great city, which had been lost for four hundred thirty years since the Five Dynasties period. The speed of the campaign and its accomplishments were unprecedented in history. The Ming army then advanced into Guanzhong and Shanxi, sweeping across the deserts, defeating the main Yuan forces and firmly establishing the Great Ming Empire.
The Illustrated Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang: Fifth Volume After twenty years of arduous battles, Zhu Yuanzhang unified the empire. In the fourth year of the Hongwu era (1371), seeing that the court was filled with talented officials and that his (founding heroes) held high positions while his descendants were weak, he worried about the legacy of the Great Ming Empire. To secure the empire for future generations, Zhu Yuanzhang first replaced the prime minister Li Shanchang with Hu Weiyong. He launched numerous trials, executing many of the founding heroes. In the first month of the thirteenth year of the Hongwu era, after Hu Weiyong's plot to usurp the throne failed, Zhu Yuanzhang became even more ruthless, ordering the execution of entire families. He abolished the Zhongshu Sheng (Central Secretariat) and the prime minister's office, handling all affairs personally. He also taught his heir, Prince Zhu Biao, how to rule. Empress Ma and Prince Zhu repeatedly (advised) the emperor to spare the founding heroes. After Empress Ma's death, Zhu Yuanzhang executed the entire families of other founding heroes like Xu Da and Li Shanchang. Overwhelmed by fear, Prince Zhu Biao died in the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu era. His grandson, Zhu Yunwen, was then appointed as the crown prince. To protect the Great Ming Empire, Zhu Yuanzhang nearly exterminated all the founding heroes.