Feng Sheng He was the founding duke of the Ming Dynasty, but he and his daughter were poisoned to death together

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In the autumn of the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign (1390), Li Shanchang, who was praised by Zhu Yuanzhang as the first civil servant of the founding of the country, and his family of more than 70 people, went to the guillotine together. Li Shanchang was already 77 years old at this time. Other founding heroes who died with him included Marquis Ji’an Lu Zhongheng, Marquis Yan’an Tang Shengzong, Marquis Pingliang Fei Ju, Marquis Nanxiong Zhao Yong, etc. Their charges were treason against Hu Weiyong. With the execution of these founding heroes, the Hu Weiyong case, which lasted for ten years and involved the killing of more than 30000 people, came to an end. However, this was not the end of Zhu Yuanzhang’s great killing of meritorious officials. Soon, a duke followed in his footsteps and sparked another large-scale case of execution. In the 25th year of the Hongwu reign (1392), Crown Prince Zhu Biao passed away due to illness at the age of only 37. Zhu Yuanzhang, who was nearly 70 years old, suffered a heavy blow both physically and mentally. In the 26th year of the Hongwu reign (1393), the “Blue Jade Case” occurred. Duke Lan Yu of the State of Liang was executed for plotting rebellion and had his nine clans stripped of their skin and planted grass. Following that, thirteen marquises and two counts were executed, and more than 15000 people were implicated and killed. Soon after, Crown Prince Taishi, Duke Fu Youde of the State of Ying, and General Wang Bi were forced to commit suicide one after another. “The veteran generals of the Yuan Dynasty have all been killed one after another.” At this time, the emperor turned his attention to another founding duke – Duke Feng Sheng of the State of Song.
In the third year of the Hongwu reign (1370), Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang conferred the titles of Duke and Marquis upon civil and military meritorious officials, and initially conferred the titles of Six Dukes, among whom the Five Great Generals and One Minister were the founding fathers. They are: Korean Duke Li Shanchang (killed along with his family of over 70), Wei Duke Xu Da (died of illness in the 18th year of Hongwu), Zheng Duke Chang Yuchun (died early), Cao Duke Li Wenzhong (died of illness in the 17th year of Hongwu), Song Duke Feng Sheng, and Wei Duke Deng Yu (died of illness in the 10th year of Hongwu, and his son Deng Zhen was killed on charges of being a member of the Hu Party). Over the course of more than twenty years, the six dukes who founded the country either died of illness or were caught up in major cases and killed. By the 25th year of the Hongwu reign, only Duke Feng Sheng of Song remained. In order to ensure the eternal stability of his grandson Zhu Yunwen’s country, Zhu Yuanzhang certainly would not spare this meritorious veteran.
Feng Sheng has been fond of reading since childhood and is knowledgeable in military strategy. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he formed a fortress with his fellow villagers to protect himself. After defecting to Zhu Yuanzhang, he was highly valued and once defeated Chen Youliang’s army, capturing various routes in Jiangxi and various prefectures in Shandong. Due to accumulating military achievements, he was conferred the title of Duke of Song and granted hereditary certificates. In the imperial edict, the emperor said: “The Feng Sheng brothers are of the same flesh and blood. Over the course of more than ten years, they have eliminated the troubles of their elbows and armpits, built their minions, pacified the Central Plains, and contributed to the success of the world. However, behind the high officials and nobles, there has always been a deadly crisis. With the unification of the world, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that these meritorious officials and generals were becoming increasingly arrogant and uncontrollable, and began to slowly eliminate these meritorious officials who threatened the empire. In the 20th year of the Hongwu reign (1387), Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Feng Sheng as the Grand General and led a 200000 strong expedition to Liaodong with Fu Youde, Lan Yu, and others. They subdued Naha Chu and eliminated the influence of the Yuan Dynasty in Liaodong. After this battle, Emperor Taizu received the seal of Feng Sheng’s great general and granted him residence in Fengyang, accusing him of secretly hiding good horses, pursuing wealth, and forcibly marrying the daughter of a Mongolian prince. From then on, Feng Sheng never commanded a large army again. After the enthronement of Emperor Taisun Zhu Yunwen, Feng Sheng was appointed as the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor and accompanied Duke Yingguo Fu Youde to Shanxi and Henan for military training. All the princes and nobles listened to his restraint. But with the great peace of the world, such a renowned general with outstanding military achievements will undoubtedly become a shadow that cannot be dispelled in the emperor’s heart. The Emperor Taisun was young, the Emperor was old, and the famous generals were on the side. Although Feng Sheng chose to protect himself through fame and philosophy and remained outside the power struggle of the imperial court, his situation within the imperial court became increasingly precarious.
In the spring of the 26th year of the Hongwu reign (1393), the commander of the Jinyiwei, Jiang Huan, accused Lan Yu of plotting rebellion. Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang executed Lan Yu and others in succession, and about 20000 people, including one duke, thirteen dukes, and two uncles, were killed, from dukes and uncles to civil and military officials. Subsequently, the Crown Prince Taishi, Duke of Yingguo Fu Youde, and General Wang Bi were forced to commit suicide one after another. As Feng Sheng watched the heroes who had fought with him on the battlefield die one by one in front of him, he knew that it was his turn next. In the winter of the 28th year of the Hongwu reign (1395), Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Crown Prince Taishi and Duke of Song Feng Sheng to enter the palace for a banquet, and at the same time gave a family banquet to Feng Sheng’s family. At the banquet in the palace, the emperor and the courtiers drank and chatted happily, reminiscing and cherishing each other. However, what Feng Sheng did not expect was that his death had already arrived. On his way home from the palace, Feng Sheng was poisoned to death (posthumously ennobled), while his two daughters, Feng Wenmin and Feng Xiumei (adopted daughters), were also poisoned to death at the family banquet. More than two hundred years later, Emperor Hongguang of the Southern Ming Dynasty posthumously awarded posthumous titles to famous founding officials, and Feng Sheng was posthumously honored as the Prince of Ningling with the posthumous title of “Wuzhuang”.