Is Zhu Yuanzhang illiterate?

Throughout the five thousand years of Chinese history, among the founding emperors, the one with the lowest background was Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty. Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, at least served as a pavilion chief and was considered a member of the system. In our impression, Zhu Yuanzhang just begged with a broken bowl. He didn't even have a dog at the beginning, and then relied on his own hard work and incredible luck. , defeated so many powerful enemies, became the Nine-Five Supreme, and created the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

Many people say that Zhu Yuanzhang was illiterate. First of all, looking at the name, Zhu Yuanzhang was originally called Zhu Chongba, because he was born on August 8, and his father was called Zhu Wusi. What was his name? Because his ancestors were poor peasants for eight generations and could not read at all, they chose their names randomly based on their birthdays. Not only Zhu Yuanzhang, but also his later opponent Zhang Shicheng, whose real name was Zhang Jiusi, all got their names this way. In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang had been herding cattle for the landlord's family and had little opportunity to study. Besides, his family had no money for him to study. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang should have no culture.

But it is too hasty to draw such a conclusion. It can only be said that Zhu Yuanzhang did not have much opportunity to study when he was young, but he may not have the opportunity to study when he grows up. Zhu Yuanzhang had the experience of being a monk. When he was 17 years old, his parents and brothers died one after another. The lonely Zhu Yuanzhang entered Huangjue Temple as a monk until he joined the uprising army at the age of 24. Seven years passed in between. Being a monk means reading and chanting sutras. During this time, Zhu Yuanzhang should have learned a lot. Even if he was only literate, it was still very good in an era when literacy levels were generally low.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was conquering the world, his opponent Chen Youliang occupied Taiping Town. Zhu Wenxun, Hua Yun and others died heroically in the battle. Chen Youliang invited Zhang Shicheng to attack Zhu Yuanzhang. At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang was in a critical situation. Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and other generals believed that they should first send troops to regain Taiping Town to contain Chen Youliang, but Zhu Yuanzhang rejected this suggestion.

Taizu said: "No. They live upstream, and their boatmen are ten times as many as mine. It's hard to recover." Or he asked his generals to attack him. Taizu said: "No. They guarded me with his side troops. However, the whole army is heading towards Jinling, which can be reached in half a day with the current. It is difficult for my cavalry to lead back in a hurry. It is taboo in the art of war to fight for hundreds of miles."

Judging from what Zhu Yuanzhang said, it is obvious that he is. He has a deep understanding of the art of war. When refuting the suggestions of his subordinates, he is well-founded. Not to mention that he has read hundreds of classics, at least he is familiar with the art of war. How can such a person be illiterate? It was precisely because Zhu Yuanzhang understood the tactics of war and made decisions at critical moments that he calmly defeated two powerful enemies, Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, and finally won.

Zhu Yuanzhang often worshiped Confucius Temple and worshiped heaven and earth. One time, Zhu Yuanzhang performed a ritual to worship heaven. After the ceremony was completed, the weather became clear. The attendant flattered him and said that this was because Zhu Yuanzhang worshiped sincerely. How did Zhu Yuanzhang answer?

The emperor said: "The so-called respect for heaven is not only strict but also polite, and it should be true. Heaven entrusts the emperor with the responsibilities of his people. If a king wants to serve heaven, he must first care for the people. Those who care for the people, It is the truth of heaven. If a wise man in a country does not benefit the people, he is abandoning the order of the emperor and disrespecting the emperor."

This is a very good statement. This is Zhu Yuanzhang's philosophy of governing the country. He can strictly abide by all kinds of etiquette and respect heaven and earth, but he will not be superficial, but pursue the truth. Zhu Yuanzhang believed that if a monarch wants to get help from God, he must first be considerate of the people. If he cannot make the people live a happy life, it is the greatest disrespect to God. No matter how grand the sacrificial rituals are, it is just superficial. It can also be seen from here that Zhu Yuanzhang's thinking about heaven and earth, his monarchs and his ministers, and his people is definitely a talented person who governs the country with great strategies. How could an illiterate emperor say such things?

For Zhu Yuanzhang, his most valuable experience should be those years when he was a monk. It is no exaggeration to say that these few years changed his destiny. When he became a monk, his original intention was probably to make a living, but during this period, he began to learn and gain wisdom. Moreover, he was not obsessed with chanting sutras. He went to various places to seek alms and traveled to many places. He traveled around the world in troubled times. , gained valuable experience in the world, gained insight into the world, increased his knowledge, and developed a tough and decisive character. These will be of great benefit to him in conquering the world in the future.

So, Zhu Yuanzhang is definitely not the illiterate that everyone imagines. He has Li Shanchang, Liu Ji, Song Lian, Xu Da, Hu Dahai, Tang He and other outstanding civil and military men under him, but conquering the world is not all dependent on his men. A great person, his own abilities are quite extraordinary. Zhu Yuanzhang definitely had the lowest starting point, but his efforts were definitely more than ordinary people. He relied on his own efforts to make up for his innate deficiencies. Only then did he become the famous Zhu Yuanzhang and the legendary career of a founding hero.

Do you admire Zhu Yuanzhang? Is he the most difficult emperor to start from scratch?