If you are familiar with the history of China, you will find that the first emperor of the dynasty always hurt those who had helped him to consolidate his rule at the beginning of every dynasty.
The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty was Zhu Yuanzhang. The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang was able to become an emperor was that he was competent, and he had the help of many comrades.
When he overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang ‘s comrade was his most trusted people. But after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the comrades gradually formed an interest group called Huaixi Group.
The most significant characteristic of this interest group is that its members come from Zhu Yuanzhang ‘s hometown. During the war, Zhu Yuanzhang needed their help, and in return, they became officials after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.
However, after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, some people in the Huaixi Group began to fail to comply with the law and even publicly violated Zhu Yuanzhang’s military order. Which made Zhu Yuanzhang feel very angry and determined to eliminate the Huaixi Group.
Besides, the character of Zhu Yuanzhang is suspicious. It is difficult for him to trust a person completely, which made Zhu Yuanzhang worried that Huaixi Group would fight for his rights.
Meanwhile, due to Zhu Yuanzhang ‘s eldest son’s weak character, Zhu Yuanzhang worried that his son could not control Huaixi Group when he passed away. So Zhu Yuanzhang was determined to clear the way for his successor.
Zhu Yuanzhang purged the interest group through the cases of Hu Weiyong and Lan Yu. Zhu Yuanzhang officially destroyed Huaixi Group in 1380. It seemed that he could have a good sleep again.
In Conclusion
In my opinion, the measures taken by Zhu Yuanzhang to consolidate his power are cruel. Because Zhao Kuangyin, the first emperor of the Song Dynasty, adopted a very gentle way. He only invited the generals to have a meal and let them hand over their rights successfully.
