The Rise of Zhu Yuanzhang: From a Poor Farmer to the Throne of Empire

In Chinese history, the life of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, is legendary. Born into a poor peasant family, he suffered oppression and exploitation from the landlords. However, through relentless efforts, he ultimately overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Empire. So, after becoming emperor, how did Zhu Yuanzhang treat those landlords who had bullied him? This article will reveal the path of this legendary emperor's rise.

I. The plight of poor peasants

Zhu Yuanzhang was born into a poor peasant family, and his parents and brothers all died due to poverty. In that era, the oppression of peasants by the landlord class was extremely severe, and they exploited peasants through high land rents and various exorbitant taxes and levies. Zhu Yuanzhang's family also suffered from the bullying of landlords, and their lives were extremely difficult.

II. Joining the rebel army

To change the fate of himself and his family, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to join the Red Turban Rebellion against the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. He joined Guo Zixing's division of the rebel army and gradually emerged due to his exceptional wisdom and bravery. In the war, he met many like-minded friends, such as Liu Ji and Li Shanchang, and worked together to establish a new country.

III. The establishment of the Ming Empire

After years of fighting, Zhu Yuanzhang finally overthrew the corrupt Mongol Yuan regime and established the Ming Empire. He ascended the throne as emperor, established the capital in Nanjing, and implemented a series of political, economic, and cultural reforms, leading the country to rapid prosperity.

IV. Policies towards landlords

After becoming emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang did not forget the hardships he had endured. He took severe measures against those landlords who had bullied him. First, he ordered the confiscation of the landlords' lands and redistributed them to farmers for cultivation. This freed the farmers from the exploitation of the landlords and improved their living conditions. Simultaneously, he enacted strict laws to severely punish those landlords who oppressed the common people. Additionally, he implemented the imperial examination system to select officials, breaking the monopoly of the landlord class in the officialdom.

V. Conclusion

Zhu Yuanzhang's life is full of legendary color. He transformed from a poor peasant into a great emperor, achieving his own rise. After becoming emperor, he took a series of measures to treat those landlords who had bullied him, liberating the farmers and leading the country to prosperity. This period of history witnessed the birth of a national hero and demonstrated that one can change their destiny through relentless efforts.

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