At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Shundi was incompetent and tyrannical. He spent all day indulging in pleasure and neglected all matters of state. He refused to heed the advice of his virtuous chancellor, Toqto'a, and instead had him killed. As a result, bandits and rebels surged like bees, uprisings followed one after another, and people across the land rose in revolt.
At this time, a hero named Zhu Yuanzhang emerged in Haozhou (present-day Fengyang, Anhui). Zhu Yuanzhang came from a background as a shepherd boy and had served as a monk at Huangjue Temple at the age of 17. In the twelfth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1352 AD), he joined the rebel army led by Guo Zixing in Haozhou.
Zhu Yuanzhang was tall, with a prominent jaw and a face covered in pockmarks. Although his appearance was unimpressive, he was brave and resourceful. Guo Zixing highly valued him and even gave his adopted daughter, Ma Shi, to Zhu Yuanzhang as a wife.
It was said that on this day, when Yuan troops came to attack the city, Zhu Yuanzhang was leading a small squad on patrol atop the city walls. Suddenly, a servant came running toward him, panting heavily, and said, "Master Zhu, quick, quick! Lady Zhang has an urgent matter to discuss with you!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was startled and immediately went to see Guo Zixing's wife. Upon entering the inner chamber, he saw that Lady Zhang was weeping uncontrollably, and his own wife, Ma Shi, was also crying beside her. Zhu Yuanzhang asked three times what was wrong, but Lady Zhang sobbed so much that she could barely speak. It was Ma Shi who answered for her: "Our adoptive father has been tricked away by Sun Deya, and his life or death is unknown. You must think of a way to rescue him quickly!"
Sun Deya had originally rebelled alongside Guo Zixing but now colluded with Zhao Junyong, lured Guo away, and plotted to harm him in order to seize his position as commander-in-chief.
Without time to investigate the details, Zhu Yuanzhang turned and ran out of the back room, shouting, "Quick, follow me! Commander Guo is in danger!—Lu Dayong, ride to report to General Peng and have him bring troops swiftly to Sun's house!"
Zhu Yuanzhang led his small personal guard and galloped to Sun Deya's house. But the gate guards blocked their entry. Zhu Yuanzhang didn't waste words with them; he gestured with his mouth, and the soldiers rushed forward together, throwing punches and kicks, quickly scattering the guards.
Zhu Yuanzhang rushed into the house first, kicking open the door to the main hall. There, he saw Sun Deya and Zhao Junyong whispering together, discussing their next steps.
When they saw Zhu Yuanzhang burst in so abruptly, they knew he had come to rescue Guo Zixing. They hurriedly stood up and deliberately asked, "Master Zhu, what brings you here?"
Zhu Yuanzhang sternly said, "At this moment, Yuan troops are besieging the city, attacking day after day. Why aren't you two generals out fighting the enemy, but instead have tricked away the commander-in-chief? What is your intention?"
Sun Deya replied, "We are inviting the commander-in-chief to discuss important military matters. We don't want to trouble you. You should go back to guarding the city!"
Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "Then where is the commander-in-chief?"
Sun Deya said, "What business is it of yours where the commander-in-chief is? You are a subordinate; you should understand some rules."
Zhu Yuanzhang became furious. Just as he was about to act, he heard footsteps behind him. Peng Da charged in with a large contingent of troops, shouting, "Zhao Junyong, you rascal, how dare you plot against the commander-in-chief?"
Seeing that he had fewer men, Sun Deya feared immediate harm and quickly said, "What are you two generals arguing about? The commander-in-chief has long since returned home!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "May I search your residence?"
Peng Da added, "Why can't we search? Everyone, search thoroughly inside and out!"
With a loud clamor, the troops surged into the inner chambers.
Zhu Yuanzhang, shield in one hand and sword in the other, charged bravely into the inner chambers, searching everywhere. Suddenly, he heard groaning from behind the hall. Following the sound, he found a small, tightly sealed room. He kicked open the wooden door and saw a man locked in chains, weeping. Looking closely, he recognized Guo Zixing. He stepped forward, cut the chains, and ordered the soldiers to carry him out.
Sun Deya and Zhao Junyong, seeing that Guo Zixing had been rescued, had nothing to say and could only watch helplessly as he left.
As Zhu Yuanzhang walked away, he turned back and said, "You two started this rebellion together with the commander. Why do you believe rumors and harm each other?"
From then on, Guo Zixing valued Zhu Yuanzhang even more.
At this time, the Yuan army's commander, Jia Lu, died of illness, and the Yuan troops withdrew.
Zhu Yuanzhang consulted with Guo Zixing and went to his hometown to recruit soldiers and horses. He managed to recruit 700 men in one go, among whom 24 were outstanding talents, including Xu Da, Tang He, Hua Yun, Wu Zhen, Fei Ju, Hua Yunlong, and Geng Zaicheng. These men would later become founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty.
After the incident where Sun Deya and Zhao Junyong secretly detained Guo Zixing, the three of them harbored internal discord and frequently schemed against each other. Peng Da was a rough man and often quarreled with them. Zhu Yuanzhang was caught in the middle, facing difficulties on all sides. Xu Da advised him to leave and seek another path. Zhu Yuanzhang feared that taking too many troops would arouse suspicion. Xu Da suggested he take only these 24 men. Zhu Yuanzhang consulted Guo Zixing, saying he wanted to attack Dingyuan (present-day Dingyuan, Anhui), planning to recruit soldiers while advancing. Guo Zixing suspected nothing and readily agreed, allowing him to leave alone with the 24 men.
Near Dingyuan, there was a place called Lüpaizhai, where a group of rebels was stationed. Zhu Yuanzhang first sent Fei Ju to spy and report back that the寨was short on food, struggling to survive, and considering surrendering to the Yuan Dynasty.
Zhu Yuanzhang was delighted and said, "Opportunity knocks but once. We must act quickly."
He sent Fei Ju as a vanguard, taking only a few men with him, and rode off urgently.
Fei Ju felt uneasy and hurriedly advised, "Master Zhu, the enemy is numerous and we are few. We can't win a fight. It would be better to recruit more troops first before discussing with them."
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "What good are more people? Too many might arouse their suspicion."
When Zhu Yuanzhang arrived at the寨, the寨leader came out to greet him.
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Commander Guo is an old friend of yours. I've heard your寨is short on military supplies and fears suffering at the hands of the Yuan army, so he sent us to invite you to join forces. If you act alone, you'll inevitably face danger."
The寨leader hesitated and asked Zhu Yuanzhang to leave a token of good faith. Zhu Yuanzhang generously took off his quiver and gave it to him.
The寨leader was overjoyed, hosted them for a feast, and agreed to surrender in three days. Zhu Yuanzhang left Fei Ju there and returned himself.
When Xu Da and others heard about this, they said, "I've heard there are 3,000 troops in this寨. If he changes his mind, we few won't be a match for them. We should recruit troops immediately."
Zhu Yuanzhang thought this was very reasonable and immediately raised a banner to recruit soldiers, managing to gather 300 strong men in three days.
Just then, Fei Ju staggered back, saying, "Master Zhu, bad news! The寨leader broke his word; they don't want to join us. I saw the signs were wrong and escaped in the night."
Zhu Yuanzhang angrily said, "Let's see if I don't capture this scoundrel!"
He immediately requisitioned many village ox-carts, surrounded them with bamboo rings, covered them with cloth, and had 300 strong men armed with short knives hide separately in the carts. As they advanced, he sent someone ahead to report to the寨leader: "By order of Commander Guo, we've brought military supplies. Please come quickly to receive them!"
The寨leader, worried about food supplies, was delighted upon hearing this and came out with a few men to welcome them. Zhu Yuanzhang dismounted to greet him. At a signal, the strong men hidden in the ox-carts rushed out together, capturing the寨leader and his few subordinates. Zhu Yuanzhang then ordered his men to set the寨on fire and destroy the camp.
The寨leader, realizing he was in their hands, shouted, "Don't do it, don't do it! I surrender! I surrender!"
Zhu Yuanzhang cursed, "You scoundrel, going back on your word—what use is keeping you? Everyone, execute him!"
Hua Yun raised his sword and split the寨leader in two with one stroke.
The remaining 3,000 troops were all brought under his command. In one move, Zhu Yuanzhang had a force that couldn't be underestimated. They stationed in Chuyang (present-day Chuzhou, Anhui), and their influence grew stronger and stronger.
It was said that not far away, on Hengjian Mountain, there was a man from Dingyuan named Miao Daheng, who commanded 20,000 troops under the command of Yuan general Zhang Zhiyuan. Zhu Yuanzhang coveted these 20,000 troops and discussed with Xu Da how to bring them over.
Miao Daheng's subordinates were originally local strongmen who refused to submit to Yuan control. But Miao Daheng, greedy for wealth and status, had colluded with Zhang Zhiyuan. Hearing that Zhu Yuanzhang's forces had attacked and destroyed Lüpaizhai, he became wary and guarded day and night. However, after several days passed with no activity, he felt slightly relieved, and his vigilance gradually slackened.
That night, Miao Daheng was sleeping soundly when he suddenly heard shouting and footsteps in his dream. He jumped up and saw that outside his tent, fires lit the sky, turning everything red. The soldiers in the camp were already in chaos. Panicking, he jumped on his horse to flee, when a black-faced general charged toward him, waving a large sword.
Miao Daheng shouted, "State your name, general! Don't recklessly attack!"
The general shouted, "I am Hua Yun, a general from Haozhou, here specially to take your head!"
Miao Daheng said, "We have no grudge. Why do you press me so hard?"
Hua Yun said, "The Yuan ruler is tyrannical, causing heaven's anger and people's resentment. Why do you serve as a伥for a tiger, becoming their lackey? If I don't kill you, who should I kill? Tell me, will you surrender or not? If you don't, you face a dead end." Miao Daheng, seeing the situation was hopeless, had no choice but to surrender.
Thus, Hua Yun led him and his 20,000 troops back together.
From then on, Zhu Yuanzhang had a large number of troops and his prestige soared.
A few days later, the situation changed on Guo Zixing's side. Peng Da and Zhao Junyong fought for power, and Peng Da was shot dead by Zhao. Zhao Junyong was now powerful and stationed his troops in Sizhou (present-day Sixian, Anhui). Guo Zixing was held captive by him, while Sun Deya remained in Haozhou.
Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to rescue Guo Zixing, so he took a lot of gold and silver to bribe Zhao Junyong's associates to release Guo Zixing.
This plan actually worked. Soon, Guo Zixing escaped with his wife, children, and Zhu Yuanzhang's wife, Ma Shi.
Unfortunately, Guo Zixing was quite foolish. Even after arriving here, he still considered himself the commander-in-chief, was easily influenced, listened to the instigations of his two sons, and treated Zhu Yuanzhang coldly. Zhu Yuanzhang could do nothing about it.
One day, Guo Zixing's two sons invited Zhu Yuanzhang to a picnic outside the city.
Ma Shi, being Guo Zixing's adopted daughter, knew these two elder brothers-in-law quite well.
She secretly told Zhu Yuanzhang, "These two elder brothers have narrow minds. You must be more cautious. Their invitation to drink wine surely has no good intentions. Remember, remember!"
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "What can these two youngsters do to me? I'll find a way to avoid disaster. Don't worry, my lady."
He mounted his horse with Guo Zixing's two sons and rode out of the city together.
On the road, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly reined in his horse, jumped down, clasped his hands in a fist, looked up at the sky, and murmured as if speaking to someone. After a while, he jumped back on his horse and slowly rode over.
Guo Zixing's two precious sons were surprised and asked, "Brother-in-law, why are you getting on and off your horse?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's face changed, and he said, "Where have I wronged you? Why are you trying every means to harm me? Fortunately, a divine spirit in the sky revealed it to me, saying you maliciously poisoned my wine!"
Having said this, he turned his horse and galloped back.
Guo Zixing's two sons felt a chill run down their spines, sweat poured from their foreheads, and they whispered, "Poisoning the wine was our secret plan. How could this person know so clearly? Could it be that there really is a divine spirit in the sky?"
From then on, the two never dared to harm Zhu Yuanzhang again.
Not long after, Yuan troops attacked Liuhe City (present-day Liuhe, Jiangsu). The commander of Liuhe came to ask Guo Zixing for help. Guo Zixing had always been at odds with the commander of Liuhe and refused to help.
Zhu Yuanzhang advised, "Liuhe and Chuyang are like lips and teeth. If Liuhe falls, Chuyang will also be in danger. Commander, it would be better to send troops."
Guo Zixing trembled and said, "The Yuan troops are numerous and powerful. Scouts report they have a million soldiers. How can we possibly fight them?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Though I am not talented, I am willing to lead troops into battle."
Guo Zixing, half-believing and half-doubting, assigned 10,000 troops to him.
Thus, Zhu Yuanzhang led his troops out of the city the next day.
Zhu Yuanzhang fought several battles with the Yuan troops, with mixed results. However, the Yuan army was led by Chancellor Toqto'a, a brave and strategic man, difficult to deal with. Zhu Yuanzhang had few troops and dared not act rashly. Toqto'a, seeing that Chuyang had sent reinforcements, decided to split his forces to attack Chuyang. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to retreat to defend the city.
Zhu Yuanzhang arrived in Chuyang and first set up an ambush by the stream, ordering Geng Zaicheng to lead several hundred men to lure the enemy.
The Yuan troops advanced, and on the road, they encountered the army led by Geng Zaicheng. The Yuan troops charged like the wind, and Geng Zaicheng's weak and scattered troops let out a shout and fled in all directions. Reaching the stream, they jumped into the water, splashing about, and disappeared instantly.
The Yuan troops chased to the stream and dismounted. Suddenly, drums and horns sounded from both banks of the stream, and countless troops charged out from the woods. Before the Yuan soldiers could react, arrows flew like locusts, "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh." Unprepared, most of the Yuan troops were hit by arrows and fell into the water.
The city's defending troops, upon hearing the news, also poured out together, fighting so fiercely that the Yuan troops cried out for their fathers and mothers.
Later, the Yuan troops wanted to regroup and attack again, but unexpectedly, the imperial court issued an order to strip Chancellor Toqto'a of his position, and later he was executed due to slander. This caused the Yuan troops to collapse.
By the fifteenth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1355 AD), the military grain in Chuyang city was scarce, and Guo Zixing gathered his generals to discuss.
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "It seems only Hexi City (present-day Hexian, Anhui) nearby still has grain. Why don't we go there to take it?"
The generals laughed and said, "Master Zhu, although Hexi is small, its walls are high and its moat deep. How easy is it to attack?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "This can only be taken by strategy."
So he explained his plan, and all the generals clapped their hands in approval.
The next day, Guo Zixing first sent his general Zhang Tianyou with 3,000 soldiers, dressed in green clothes to disguise themselves as Yuan troops, using four camels to transport goods, claiming that troops from Luzhou (present-day Hefei, Anhui) were escorting a court official to Hexi to reward the soldiers. Then he sent Geng Zaicheng with a troop of soldiers dressed in purple-red clothes to secretly follow behind. They would only need the green-clothed soldiers to trick them into opening the city gate, light a fire as a signal, and then rush in together. Zhang Tianyou's fake army advanced with music and fanfare, and the people of Hexi, believing they were truly imperial officials, offered old wine and beef. Zhang Tianyou, originally a carefree general, how could he refuse such offerings? He honestly chose a quiet place and let everyone drink their fill, until generals and soldiers alike were staggering and falling over.
Geng Zaicheng led 3,000 crimson-clothed soldiers for a stretch of the journey but saw no trace of the green-clothed soldiers ahead. Thinking he was slow and that the signal to enter the city had already been given, he hurriedly approached the city.
The Hexi defender, Yeshen Temür, seeing a rebel army approaching, lowered the drawbridge and led his troops out to attack.
Geng Zaicheng was unprepared for this move, hastily fought back, barely managed a few rounds, was shot in the shoulder by a Yuan soldier's arrow, and had to turn his horse and flee. Just as he was fleeing in panic, a troop of green-clothed soldiers suddenly charged out from the side. The Yuan troops, unprepared for reinforcements, were startled and scattered. It turned out that Zhang Tianyou's army had just arrived.
Only then did Geng Zaicheng's crimson-clothed soldiers and Zhang Tianyou's green-clothed soldiers join forces, arriving at the foot of Hexi city, where they saw a black-faced general standing imposingly on the west gate tower. Who else could it be but Tang He, a subordinate of Zhu Yuanzhang?
It turned out that Zhu Yuanzhang had a double strategy, secretly sending a troop of men to approach the city. Seeing that the defender Yeshen Temür was only focused on pursuing the enemy, leaving the city empty, they seized the opportunity and captured it in one go.
After this, Guo Zixing fell ill and died, and all the troops came under Zhu Yuanzhang's command.
Thus, his foundation was laid. Over time, he finally overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, established the Ming Dynasty, and became the Hongwu Emperor.