Things That Happened in the Ming Dynasty 1: The Hong-Wu Emperor

Chapter 4: Beginning From Here

Zhi-Zheng Year Twelve (1352), Hao-Zhou (濠州) City.

The city keeper Guo Zi-Xing (郭子兴) sits in his war room, struggling to come up with a plan: Hao-Zhou City has long been under the siege of the Yuan army. They wouldn't be able to hold the city much longer if things continue like this.

It was then an officer came to report that a spy has been caught, and he needs permission to carry out the execution. Usually, Guo Zi-Xing wouldn't ask twice and would simply give the officer the pendant that grants him the authority to do away with the infiltrator. But today, he asked, "How do you know this person is a spy?"

The officer replied, "He said he came to recruit."

Guo Zi-Xing almost laughed. Recruit? The Yuan army is at the threshold of the city! Who would want to be a rebel all of a sudden at a time like this? What a weak excuse. He couldn't help being curious, and asked to see this spy.

So he rode to the city gates, and saw a rather strange looking man. The man has an underbite with a protruding chin, and what's even more peculiar was that his forehead also extends outward beyond a usual point, making the general shape of his head hold a certain resemblance to a crescent — raised at the top and bottom, concave in the middle (see also Zhu Yuan-Zhang's portrait).

This person was, of course, our Zhu Double-Eight.

Guo Zi-Xing walked up to Zhu Double-Eight, ordered him to be untied, and asked, "Are you a spy? What have you come here for?"

Zhu Double-Eight replied calmly, "I'm not a spy. I came to recruit as a rebel."

Guo Zi-Xing snickered. "Look around you. Who would recruit at a time like this? You don't have to retort. I'll have somebody get rid of you in a bit."

Zhu Double-Eight simply said, "Oh."

Guo Zi-Xing looked into Zhu Double-Eight's eyes hoping to see panic. But in this man, he only saw composure.

Guo Zi-Xing didn't dare slight the man. Clearly, fear couldn't take him down. So he carefully inquired about Zhu Double-Eight's name, history, and when Zhu Double-Eight said that it was Qian-hu Tang He who introduced him here, Guo Zi-Xing finally understood that he had really come join the rebellion.

Zhu Double-Eight left him a very deep impression. He didn't put Zhu Double-Eight in Tang He's battalion and instead kept him near himself, as a member of his personal escort.

In the military, Zhu Double-Eight soon displayed his talent. He stood out above the other peasant soldiers, being brave and resourceful, calm and composed, prudent and far-sighted (take note of this trait), and moreover, he has a strong code of loyalty and brotherhood, the first to charge into danger. All of this gained him much prestige. In addition, with the help of his townsman Tang He, just after two months of being a soldier, he was promoted to squad leader*. This was his first position of office.

[*The term used was 九人长, which directly translates to"nine people officer". Nine people is about the number of soldiers in a squad, so this rank is more or less equivalent to that of a sergeant.]

As the head of Guo Zi-Xing's personal escort, Zhu Double-Eight was very competent in fulfilling his duties. Unlike other soldiers, he was never greedy. Whenever he had spoils he would give them to Guo Zi-Xing, and whenever he received rewards he would distribute them to his men. Because he exhibited particular military talent, had taught himself to be literate, and was precise and often accurate in his analysis of problems, Guo Zi-Xing gradually saw him as his think-tank, and Zhu Double-Eight's position in the military became ever more significant.

It was also at this time that Zhu Double-Eight changed his name to Zhu Yuan-Zhang (朱元璋). "Zhang" (璋) refers to a sharp jade tool, and the name "Zhu Yuan-Zhang" really means "a sharp jade tool to wipe out Yuan*". Zhu Double-Eight compared himself to a weapon that would extirpate the Yuan Dynasty — a weapon that the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty themselves had created. In the next twenty years, they would all fear this name.