The rise and fall of historical dynasties, as well as the succession of vivid historical figures, have left deep imprints in the long river of history. Next, the History Encyclopedia editor will take you into the story of Tang Shengzong, the founding military general of the Ming Dynasty.
Early experiences
At the age of 18, Tang Shengzong rose up with Zhu Yuanzhang and made his debut. He was appointed as the Marshal of the Central Wing, which marked his rise.
During the process of accompanying Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the world, Tang Shengzong successively took Changzhou, conquered Chizhou, went to Nanchang, supported Anfeng, attacked Luzhou, fought Poyang, settled Liyang, attacked Central Plains, and conquered Bianliang. In these battles, Tang Shengzong demonstrated bravery and strategy, fully demonstrating his war talent. After Xu Da’s army captured Changzhou, they then besieged the state of Ning. Zhang Shicheng’s reinforcements came to rescue, but Tang Shengzong fought bravely and defeated his reinforcements. The state of Ning surrendered.
During the campaign against Chen Youliang, in order to capture the heavily defended Anqing City, Emperor Shengzong of Tang “launched a surprise attack on the water fortress due to suspicion from the land. These two battles can be said to be the most typical manifestation of Tang Shengzong’s war talent. The former reflects his bravery and ability to fight tough battles, while the latter reflects his exceptional strategy and extraordinary bravery. Due to his important role in Zhu Yuanzhang’s conquest of the world, he also gained Zhu Yuanzhang’s favor. In the third year of Hongwu, he was conferred the title of Marquis of Yan’an. Thus, he reached the peak of his life experience.
Suspected
With the gradual stability of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang’s attitude towards the founding heroes gradually shifted from appeasement to strictness. This change was deeply felt by Emperor Shengzong of Tang. He was skilled in riding horses, seizing titles, and surrendering to command. This incident can be said to be due to Zhu Yuanzhang’s strict legal system, but at a deeper level, his suppression of the founding heroes, especially the generals, is beyond doubt.
Rabbit Dead Fox Cooking
After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, peasant uprisings continued throughout the world, and Emperor Shengzong of Tang also made Zhu Yuanzhang realize his value again by “capturing and replacing county rebels”. “After a long time, he regained his title”. However, the decline of Emperor Tang Shengzong was already inevitable by this point. Although he successively pacified the rebellion of the Eastern Mountain bandits in Zhejiang, surrendered to the Yuan Right Chancellor Wu Butai, inspected Shaanxi, controlled Liaodong, and pacified the barbarians in Guizhou after regaining his title, and was “in Liaodong for seven years with great prestige” and was “called a famous minister”, he never entered the power center of the capital city again. The Hu Weiyong Party case further intensified Zhu Yuanzhang’s suppression of the founding heroes, and finally in the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign, Emperor Shengzong of Tang “executed and removed Hu Weiyong’s party”.
In the winter of the 24th year of the Hongwu reign (1391), Zhu Yuanzhang condemned Guo Ying for summoning Shaozu to the court for use, but Shaozu refused. Zhu Yuanzhang then ordered the publication of a statue of Emperor Shengzong of Tang and the establishment of a temple.
Major Achievements
In January of the 22nd year of the Hongwu reign (1390), the “Miao barbarians rebelled” in Shuidong. Upon hearing the news, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Tang Shengzong, the Marquis of Yan’an, to “lead the Guizhou garrison commander Cheng Xian to lead the cavalry to pacify them.” As a result, Tang Shengzong was rewarded with 1000 silver ingots.
Character evaluation
Zhang Tingyu, a great scholar of the Qing Dynasty, wrote in his compilation of the “History of the Ming Dynasty” about Tang Shengzong: “When the generals were ignorant, they looked up to the mandate of heaven, entrusted their hearts to the wise ruler, defeated the attack, and built outstanding achievements. They were all wise and brave for a time. As for the tranquility of the sea, they were called members of the Communist Party, either pursuing discussions or sitting on their own. It was rare for them to be able to complete themselves. The gifts of Gui Shang were sufficient rewards, and the alliances forged and led by him could no longer exist, so they could also be generous.
