Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click the "Follow" button, so that you can push new articles for the first time in the future, and at the same time, it is also convenient for you to discuss and share, your support is the driving force for me to insist on creating~
Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, there was a spy leader named Yang Xian, who became Zhu Yuanzhang's favorite thug with his ingenuity and ruthless methods.
Zhu Yuanzhang's trust made him powerful for a while, and no one dared to provoke him. However, what is puzzling is that such a favored person who is favored by the emperor has an extremely tragic ending in the end.
What is the reason that brought this once glorious spy leader to the end of the tragedy? What kind of power struggles and betrayals are hidden behind his brilliance?
From "cloth clothes" to "Wenchen": the starting point of Yang Xian's career
In 1321, Yang Xian was born in a scholarly family in Yangqu, Taiyuan. He originally aspired to gain fame and glory to his ancestors, but fate made people, and he returned from several imperial examinations.
Although Yang Xian's family background is not rich, it is also wealthy. His father is a talent, and under the influence of his ears and eyes, Yang Xian has been diligent and studious since he was a child. He was well-read, especially fascinated by the art of war.
However, under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, the Han people had a bumpy career. Yang Xian tried and failed repeatedly, and when he saw his classmates and friends soaring one by one, he was inevitably stunned.
In 1356, Yang Xian, who was already 35 years old, decided to abandon his pen and join Rong and defect to Zhu Yuanzhang, who was celebrating at the time. At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang already had a sizable army, and was committed to annexing various separatist forces and dominating the world.
Yang Xianhui saw pearls and decided that Zhu Yuanzhang would succeed in a great cause. He resolutely went south, met Zhu Yuanzhang, and expressed his determination to join the revolution.
Zhu Yuanzhang recruited talents, and when he saw Yang Xian's literary brilliance, he took him under his command and served as a clerk. Yang Xian was responsible for drafting and transmitting military information documents and even documents in the army.
His writing is sharp and graceful, and he is quite strategic when talking about the enemy's attack. One day, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly wanted to check an important letter a few days ago, and Yang Xian actually memorized the content word for word.
Zhu Yuanzhang admired his extraordinary talent and wisdom, and decided that this person was not a thing in the pool. Since then, Zhu Yuanzhang has been impressed by Yang Xian, and has repeatedly sent him as an envoy to shoulder heavy responsibilities.
The "flexible" pawn of diplomatic mediation: Zhu Yuanzhang's "spy"
As Zhu Yuanzhang's power grew, conflicts inevitably broke out with Han Lin'er, Zhang Shicheng, Xu Shouhui, Fang Guozhen and other forces on one side.
In order to seek greater space for development, Zhu Yuanzhang sent Yang Xian as an envoy many times to deal with these forces. Yang Xian is witty, flexible, articulate, and can always strive for the greatest interests of Zhu Yuanzhang at the negotiation table.
At that time, the rule of "two armies fighting, not beheading" no longer existed, and sending an envoy was tantamount to being in a tiger's den. But Yang Xian, with his extraordinary talent and wisdom, is comfortable in the intricate conflicts of interests.
He is well versed in the temperament of princes from all walks of life, knows when to be soft and when to be hard, and can often turn conflict into jade silk between talking and laughing.
Even in the face of the extremely vicious Zhang Shicheng, Yang Xian can still be in danger. Once, Zhang Shicheng detained Yang Xian, who came to negotiate peace, in a vain attempt to force Zhu Yuanzhang to comply. Yang Xian responded calmly and argued on the basis of reason, which finally made Zhang Shicheng jealous and had to return the hostages.
Afterwards, when Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shicheng were talking, Zhu Yuanzhang specially asked the other party to return Yang Xian, which shows the weight of Yang Xian in the heart of the lord. However, Yang Xian's value is not limited to mediation at the negotiating table.
Zhu Yuanzhang had a keen insight into human nature and found that Yang Xian was not only articulate, but also possessed keen observation. He is adept at reading words and seizing key information from the smallest details.
What is even more commendable is that Yang Xian is loyal to Zhu Yuanzhang and has no selfish intentions. He always puts the interests of the lord first, even in the face of tempting interests, he is unmoved.
In 1367, Zhu Yuanzhang appointed his nephew Li Wenzhong to take charge of the military affairs of eastern Zhejiang, and sent Yang Xian to accompany him. Before leaving, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Yang Xian alone and told him to spy on Li Wenzhong.
Although Zhu Yuanzhang is Li Wenzhong's uncle, he does not fully trust this young and vigorous nephew. He was worried that Li Wenzhong was young and ignorant and would do things that went against military orders.
Yang Xian took the order and left, not leaving Li Wenzhong's side by inch. Sure enough, Li Wenzhong violated Zhu Yuanzhang's will and privately used Zhang Shicheng's old ministry in a vain attempt to win over people's hearts.
Yang Xian reported the situation in time, and Zhu Yuanzhang was furious, recalled Li Wenzhong to accountability, and beheaded those ill-intentioned Zhang Shicheng's old subordinates. This incident further consolidated Yang Xian's position in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.
The behind-the-scenes "scavenger" of the Ming Dynasty: spying, exposing, and eliminating evil
In the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne in Nanjing and became emperor. At this time, above the court, the Huaixi Party and the Zhedong Party were surging. Most of the Huaixi Party has been fighting with Zhu Yuanzhang for many years, led by Li Shanchang, and formed a party for personal gain.
Although these people have made great achievements, they have bullied others and acted recklessly. The party in eastern Zhejiang was dominated by Liu Bowen, Yang Xian and other civil ministers, and strongly advocated the rectification of officials. They believe that when a country is about to prosper, it must first govern its officials. If the government is not strict, the government decree will not work, and the people's resentment will boil.
Liu Bowen once ignored Li Shan's face and beheaded Li Bin, who committed the crime of corruption, to show the public, and since then he has been married. Liu Bowen is selfless and enforces the law impartially, which has won Zhu Yuanzhang's trust.
However, his upright personality has also made countless enemies for him. Li Shanchang is narrow-minded and has been jealous of Liu Bowen's integrity for a long time.
He took advantage of the death of Liu Bowen's wife and Liu Bowen's leave, and tried his best to slander Zhu Yuanzhang and separate the two. Although Zhu Yuanzhang didn't believe it, he was also a little shaken.
He was well versed in the art of power, and in order to check and balance Li Shanchang and other Huaixi henchmen, he deliberately transferred Yang Xian to serve as Zhongshu Zuocheng and became the representative of the party in the east of Zhejiang.
Yang Xian became Zhu Yuanzhang's most trusted Minister of Supervision. He is good at reading words and colors, and finds problems from clues. Under his supervision, many corrupt officials and corrupt officials were found out and placed under the punishment of the law.
In his early years, he exposed Zhang Chang's misdeeds. Zhang Chang was the head of the household department of the Yuan Dynasty, and after returning to Zhu Yuanzhang, he had repeatedly persuaded him to have fun in time, but in fact, it was intended to divide the monarch and ministers.
Yang Xian was keenly aware of Zhang Chang's evil intentions and closely monitored his every move. During Zhang Chang's illness, Yang Xian pretended to visit, and accidentally discovered that the content of his letter was "in the south of the Yangtze River, and his mind was in the north", which exposed his desire to return to the Yuan court.
Yang Xian immediately reported to Zhu Yuanzhang, and Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and ordered Zhang Chang to be corrected on the spot. Zhu Yuanzhang originally valued Zhang Chang's talent and wanted to leave him a way out.
However, Zhang Chang, who has made up his mind to betray, is destined to die. Yang Xian's move not only saved the rule of the Ming Dynasty, but also strengthened Zhu Yuanzhang's trust in him.
Success or failure turns empty
However, after his high power, Yang Xian gradually lost himself. He used the power in his hands to try to suppress his political opponent Li Shanchang. Yang Xian slandered Zhu Yuanzhang many times, pointing out that Li Shanchang was too talented to be used.
He used all his scheming to target Li Shanchang everywhere in a vain attempt to oust him from power. Although Zhu Yuanzhang was dissatisfied, he was also aware of Yang Xian's intentions.
Just a month after Yang Xian served as Zhongshu Zuocheng, Zhu Yuanzhang killed him for "committing a crime". Yang Xian, who was dominant in the past, did not get rid of the tragic fate of the little people after all.
The taste of power made him lose his original intention. He forgot his mission, forgot the emperor's advice, and finally ended up in a bad end.
epilogue
Yang Xian's life is both brilliant and sweaty. Although he is talented, he can hardly hide his selfish desires.
In the torrent of the great era, the fate of the individual is as small as duckweed. Yang Xian's tragedy is not only a personal tragedy, but also a tragedy of the times.
His experience tells us that in the officialdom of gunfire and deceit, only by being honest and upright and not forgetting his original intention can he stand in the world and leave a name in history.