The combination of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and the famous minister Liu Bowen has many famous stories.
But Zhu Yuanzhang in his later years became very fierce, and if he was not careful, he would get rid of the nine clans.
Later, Liu Bowen, who had been with him for a long time, also became his target, and Liu Bowen, a smart man, was naturally unwilling to be arrested.
What method did Liu Bowen use to save his life? Why was he executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, who had assisted him for so long?
Know astronomy and geography
Zhu Yuanzhang can achieve great things, and the assistance of the people around him is indispensable. Someone fights for him, someone gives him advice, and only in this way can a dynasty be established.
But after Zhu Yuanzhang became the emperor, some changes were inevitable. Zhu Yuanzhang, who often laughed with his brothers, was gone, and only an emperor who slaughtered heroes remained.
There is a famous minister by Zhu Yuanzhang's side, he is Liu Ji and Liu Bowen.
Liu Bowen is a figure who is ahead of his time, which can be seen when he was born.
Liu Bowen was not simple when he was born, he was born near Nantian Mountain in Qingtian County, and his nickname Liu Qingtian also came from this.
The land of Nantian Mountain in Qingtian County has been said to be a blessed land since ancient times. Because the topography of Nantian Mountain is "the top of ten thousand mountains, dozens of miles apart from Pyongyang", and Liu Bowen was born here.
Since this is a blessed land, it will definitely take care of the people and protect them from the weather.
According to the person next to Liu Bowen's house: Many years ago, an old Taoist passed by this place and was full of praise for this place. So the old Taoist left a prophecy that within a hundred years, there would be a figure here that has been passed down through the ages.
This incident was also told to him by the old people when Liu Bowen returned to his hometown.
The local elders are very long-lived, so they naturally have a wider range of knowledge.
But a genius like Liu Bowen, those old people who have lived for decades have never seen it at all. Then those old people remembered the words of the old Taoist, and they didn't expect that there was really a character here who has been passed down through the ages.
How talented was Liu Bowen when he was a child, and he could be recognized as a "prodigy" by everyone? It is said that when his father first taught him to start reading, Liu Bowen had already shown amazing talent.
The ancients believed that top-level reading should be ten lines at a glance, and although Liu Bowen couldn't do ten lines at a glance, he could do seven lines at a glance, which was already very powerful.
With the ability to see seven elements at a glance, Liu Bowen learned things very quickly, so he was admitted to Xiucai at the age of twelve.
The people in the village who had taken the exam all his life reminded him that he must study clearly before continuing the exam, but Liu Bowen didn't care.
After being admitted to Xiucai, Liu Bowen entered the school to study.
Compared to other students, it is easier for him to learn, but he still studies very seriously.
He studied the Spring and Autumn Classic with his teacher, which was more obscure than other books, and the average Xiucai could only understand the general meaning, or only know the words.
But Liu Bowen can understand the deep meaning after reading it once. He finished the entire book in no time.
When Liu Bowen was seventeen years old, he left home to study under the famous scholar Zheng Fuchu, and studied Cheng Zhu Lixue with him. Soon after, Zheng Fuchu understood that this student would soon surpass him, and he had nothing to teach.
So he opened his collection of books to Liu Bowen, so that Liu Bowen could read the whole book, learn hundreds of schools, know all the art of war and mathematics, and be proficient in astronomy and geography.
At this time, Liu Bowen had a new talent, and he still remembered all the books he had read, that is, the ability to never forget.
Later, Liu Bowen went to Yuan Dadu to participate in the scientific expedition, and met a bookstore in Dadu, where he saw a book about astronomy. Liu Bowen found that he had not seen this book yet, so he picked up the book and flipped through it.
The owner of the bookstore saw him as if he was rushing to take the exam, so he hurried over to persuade Liu Bowen to buy the book.
But Liu Bowen said that he had memorized the book and did not need to buy it.
Then Liu Bowen turned around and left, only the bookstore owner was stunned. He's been here for years, and it's the first time he's met such a confident customer.
Liu Bowen participated in the scientific examination this time, although he passed the examination, but he has not been an official for three years.
finally had the position of a county order, but Liu Bowen saw clearly the darkness of the court at this time in the officialdom. So Liu Bowen made an appointment with his friends to dismiss the official together, and went home to hide.
Liu Bowen deeply felt the corruption and darkness of the Yuan court when he was an official, so he vowed not to serve this dark Yuan court again.
During his seclusion, Liu Bowen often interacted with his friends, and there were many local admirers of him, so he was not the kind of seclusion that hid in the mountains and forests and then did not communicate with others.
The utility of one word
When Liu Bowen was living in seclusion, some changes were also taking place outside.
Zhu Yuanzhang developed all the way after breaking away from Guo Zixing's Red Turban Army, and after a hard battle, he finally took Nanjing City and renamed it Yingtian, and since then Zhu Yuanzhang has also had his own "nest".
However, at this time, Zhu Yuanzhang still lacked a talented strategist, and after inquiries from all parties, he found Liu Bowen who was idle at home.
Liu Bowen sensed that Zhu Yuanzhang had a quality that others did not have.
He thought that Zhu Yuanzhang must be a person who would do great things in the future, so Liu Bowen agreed to Zhu Yuanzhang's request and followed him to Yingtian.
And Zhu Yuanzhang, with the assistance of Liu Bowen, first formulated the initial strategy, and then defeated Chen Youliang in the south and became the largest force.
Zhu Yuanzhang eliminated other anti-Yuan forces, overthrew the dark rule of the Yuan Dynasty, and finally established the Ming Dynasty.
After Zhu Yuanzhang became the emperor, Liu Bowen stayed by his side as an official.
During his tenure as an official, Liu Bowen was known for his iron-faced selflessness and lack of favoritism.
He believes that the previous dynasties were all due to the loose rule of the officials that led to the final destruction.
So Liu Bowen did not show favoritism at all in enforcing the law in the court, no matter who made a mistake, he must be dealt with in accordance with the law, even if the emperor made a mistake.
Although Liu Bowen's character is beneficial to the dynasty, it is very easy to attract hatred.
Zhu Yuanzhang had an official named Li Bin, who connived at his subordinates to make trouble because his subordinates gave him gifts, so he did not manage it. Liu Bowen was very angry when he learned about this and quickly convicted the person.
But Li Bin also has an uncle named Li Shanchang, and Li Shanchang is Li Bin's backer.
At that time, Li Shanchang was still Zhu Yuanzhang's prime minister, and theoretically speaking, his official position was higher than that of Liu Bowen.
When Li Bin was convicted, Li Shanchang cheekily ran to give Liu Bowen a light sentence, but Liu Bowen was unmoved and reported the matter to Zhu Yuanzhang.
After Zhu Yuanzhang received Liu Bowen's report, he quickly approved his decision, so Li Bin was sent to the execution ground by Liu Bowen. It is precisely because of this incident that Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen have a bad relationship, and he repeatedly said bad things about Liu Bowen in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, and those who have suffered losses because of Liu Bowen's impartial law enforcement have also begun to slander Liu Bowen.
Later, Zhu Yuanzhang thought that Li Shanchang was a little too much, and repeatedly violated the law without repentance, so he wanted Liu Bowen to punish him vigorously.
But Liu Bowen rejected Zhu Yuanzhang's order, he thought that although Li Shanchang made a mistake, his mistake was not so serious, and he himself had great merit, so it was not appropriate to use heavy punishment.
In the seventh year of Hongwu, Liu Bowen made a mistake when begging for rain, coupled with the false accusations and impeachment of many officials, so Zhu Yuanzhang sentenced him to death. Liu Bowen understood that it was his mistake that allowed the enemy to seize the opportunity this time, but he believed that his sin should not be a capital crime, so he did not intend to give up just like that.
Zhu Yuanzhang also felt that Liu Bowen was not guilty of death, but he had no choice but to provoke too many people, so there must be such a catastrophe.
The night before Liu Bowen went to the execution ground, Zhu Yuanzhang came to his cell and wanted to take one last look at him.
Things are not without a turn for the better, Liu Bowen has already figured out a way to survive in prison.
When Zhu Yuanzhang came to Liu Bowen's cell, he saw Liu Bowen lying on the table in the cell writing something.
He asked the jailer to open the cell door, and he secretly came to Liu Bowen's side. I don't know if Liu Bowen wrote it too fascinatingly, or if he deliberately pretended to be, but he didn't notice it when Zhu Yuanzhang walked behind him.
At this time, Liu Bowen seemed to be writing his suicide note, but he stopped writing, and after stopping, Liu Bowen suddenly found Zhu Yuanzhang behind him.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked him: Why didn't you write it, isn't it unfinished? Liu Bowen said ashamedly: "The minister can't write a word......"
Zhu Yuanzhang was a little disappointed, he said: "You are a high student who will forget words? Which word have you forgotten? ”
Liu Bowen took out the "suicide note" he wrote, turned it over, and then handed the pen to Zhu Yuanzhang and said: "Did the minister forget how to write the word 'pardon', the emperor will help me demonstrate?" ”
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't doubt it, he picked up the pen and wrote the word "pardon" on Liu Bowen's paper.
After Liu Bowen took the piece of paper, he knelt on the ground and thanked Zhu Yuanzhang for not killing, Zhu Yuanzhang was very strange, he didn't say let him go at all?
Liu Bowen took out the piece of paper and showed it to Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor had just pardoned the minister, isn't this the word "pardon" written by the emperor himself? Zhu Yuanzhang immediately understood that he had fallen for Liu Bowen, but he had indeed written the word "pardon".
So Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to let Liu Bowen go home, but after this incident, Zhu Yuanzhang obviously didn't pay so much attention to Liu Bowen. After Liu Bowen was infected with wind and cold, Zhu Yuanzhang asked Hu Weiyong to come to see him with the imperial doctor's medicine.
But after Liu Bowen drank this medicine, not only did he not get better, but it became more serious, and he had other symptoms, and Liu Bowen died soon after.
Although Liu Bowen has a lot of ideas, Zhu Yuanzhang is not the kind of person who will let him take advantage of loopholes. At that time, when Liu Bowen felt that the imperial doctor's medicine was wrong, he went to Zhu Yuanzhang with the medicine, but Zhu Yuanzhang just comforted him and rested well, and then ignored him.
Therefore, I am afraid that the things in the medicine also have something to do with Zhu Yuanzhang, and it is a pity that Liu Bowen is Zhu Yuanzhang's subordinate!