Zhu Yuanzhang (1328.11.19~ 1398.6.24)

The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Originally named Chongba, later named Zhu Guorui (1328-1398), was born on the eighth day of the eighth month of the first year of the Yuan Dynasty Wenzong Tianji (November 19, 1328 Gregorian calendar) Ding Weishi (another said: the eighth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar is October 21), Han nationality, Haozhou (now Fengyang County East, Anhui Province) Zhongli Taiping Township, a poor peasant family. Ranked fourth, the family brothers ranked eighth.

He was poor since he was a child. His parents and brothers both died of the plague. He was lonely and helpless. He entered Huangjue Temple (located outside the west gate of Fengyang City) as a young monk, serving as a cleaner, warehouse keeper, and oil filler. Less than two months after entering the temple, due to the difficulty in collecting the temple rent during the famine, the temple owner sealed the barn and dismissed all the monks. Zhu Chongba had to leave his hometown and become a wandering monk. Eight years later, he returned to Huangjue Temple.

Because of a letter from his friend Tang and (suspected), he joined the uprising army and changed his name to "Zhu Yuanzhang", which means "Zhu" to destroy the Yuan Dynasty's Zhang (Zhang, an ancient jade). At the age of 25, he participated in the Red Towel Army led by Guo Zixing to resist the tyranny of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties. Under Guo Zixing, he led troops to go out and attack Bike; therefore Guo married his adopted daughter Ma to him, which was famous in history as "Ma Dazu" Empress Ma. After Guo's death, he commanded Guo's department and served as the left deputy marshal of King Han Lin'er of Xiaoming. Then he was promoted continuously with his military achievements. In the 16th year of Zhengzheng (1356), the generals appointed Zhu Yuanzhang as the Duke of Wu. In the 24th year of Zhengzheng (1364), he was the king of Wu.

In April of the twenty-seventh day of Zhizheng (1367), King Zhu Yuanzhang of Wu ordered Xu Da, the right prime minister of the book, to be the general of the conquest of Krupp and Chang Yuchun, Pingzhang, to be the deputy general. He led an army of 250,000 to march north into the Central Plains. During the Northern Expedition, a proclamation was issued to the officials and people in the north. The proclamation proposed the program of "expelling the Hu Krups, restoring China, establishing principles and disciplines, and relieving the people of the country", thereby inspiring the people of the north to rise up against the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang followed the trend of the times and made careful arrangements for the Northern Expedition with his great talent, vision, and foresight. He proposed to first seize Shandong and remove the barrier of the Yuan Dynasty; march to Henan, cut off its wings, seize Tongguan, and occupy its threshold; Then march to Dadu. At this time, the Yuan Dynasty was lonely and took it without fighting; and then send troops westward, Shanxi, northern Shaanxi, Guanzhong, and Gansu could sweep down. The Northern Expedition army followed the plan.

Xu Da led his troops to capture Shandong first, then marched westward, captured Bianliang, and then led his troops to Li Pass. Zhu Yuanzhang went to Bianliang to take command. In the first year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1368), he proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing. The country was named Ming and the year was Hongwu.

In the first year of Hongwu (1368), in July, various armies went directly along the canal to Tianjin, and on the 27th they entered Tongzhou. Emperor Yuan Shundi Tuohuan Tiemu led his concubine, prince and minister to open the Jiande gate and escape from Dadu, and fled to Shangdu through Juyong Pass. On August 2, the Ming army entered Dadu, and the Yuan Dynasty came to an end. The Mongol rule in China ended, and the Ming Dynasty gained the right to rule within the Great Wall.

During his thirty-one years in power, Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the tyranny of Mongolia and Yuan Dynasty and established a unified feudal regime across the country-the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang combined the wisdom and cruelty of Qin Shi Huang, the wisdom of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, the people-oriented thought of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and the autocracy and centralization of power of Emperor Gaozu of the Song Dynasty. He had everything he had in these emperors and surpassed his predecessors. He can be said to have a collection of many emperor characteristics.

During Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, in order to ease the sharp and complex class contradictions, ethnic contradictions, and contradictions among various groups within the ruling class, he implemented a series of policies that were conducive to social progress, such as fighting foreign aggression, reforming politics, developing production, and stabilizing people's livelihood. In terms of politics, economy, military, and ideology, he vigorously strengthened the centralized rule of the autocratic monarchy. In line with this, in legal thought, in view of the various drawbacks caused by the relaxation of laws and regulations at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he believed that "we must take China and level it up."

Zhu Yuanzhang arranged for a simple funeral and built his mausoleum at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain, which was known as the Xiaoling Mausoleum. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum has a radius of forty-five miles and is magnificent in scale. On June 24, 1398, Zhu Yuanzhang, 71, died and was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum under the posthumous name "Holy God Wenwu Qinming was shipped by Junde to successfully rule the emperor", and the temple name was "Taizu". The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was built in the 14th year of Hongwu Ming (1381). The following year, Empress Ma died and was buried in this mausoleum. Because Empress Ma was posthumously "filial", the old mausoleum was named "Xiaoling". Zhu Yuanzhang died in the 31st year of Hongwu, and the underground palace

Note: Emperor Taizu of Ming has 13 portraits of Zhu Yuanzhang, one of which is in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing and 12 of which are in the collection of the Palace Museum in Taipei. It is puzzling that the owners of these 13 portraits are all Zhu Yuanzhang, but they show very different appearances.