His style is also very strange. Shi Ming said that he was "generous, which is related to the safety of the world, and the righteousness lies in color." What is even more peculiar is his knowledge. It can be said that he is well-read, knows astronomy, geography and has the ability to predict. According to folklore, Liu Bowen's "Tuibitu" is fantastic, and it is not all told by novelists. Said: "The world once said that there are many wind angles of Yin and Yang, which is amazing, but it is not." The so-called "unexpected" means that this is not his strong point. His strength lies in the strategy of governing the country and the peace of the world. No wonder Zhao, a famous Sichuan person at that time, praised Liu Ji as a near-re-embodiment when commenting on "Jiangzuo people".
Zhu Yuanzhang laid the foundation for eastern Zhejiang and praised Liu Ji for his profound knowledge. Together with Song Lian, Zhang Yi and Ye Chen, they are also called "four famous teachers in eastern Zhejiang". As soon as Liu Ji arrived, he put forward "eighteen strategies for current affairs", which was extraordinary; Later, Zhu Yuanzhang put forward the strategy of pacifying the heroes-first Chen Youliang, then Zhang Shicheng, and then the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, thus claiming the title of emperor. Zhu Yuanzhang almost obeyed him, even the name Daming was his idea. It was his idea to replace the Yuan Dynasty with the Ming Dynasty, suggesting that the Ming Dynasty was the best way to control the darkness.
As a native of eastern Zhejiang, he was excluded by Huaixi Group headed by Li Shanchang. In the early Ming Dynasty, Li Shanchang was a famous Han official, aged 4000 stone. Liu Ji's only name is Cheng Bo, and his age is 240 stone. Li Shanchang is the left prime minister, and Liu Ji is just a process in the suggestion, with little real power.
Zhu Yuanzhang always trusted him and regarded him as a confidant. Every time he summoned Liu Ji, he stayed away and talked for a long time. Liu Ji was also moved by his kindness of knowing everything and saying everything. During the war years, whenever he encountered difficulties, he had the courage to work hard and make decisive decisions, which no one could predict. It's calm now. Liu Ji talked mostly about Emperor Wang Zhidao. Zhu Yuanzhang is all ears and never calls him by his first name. But called him an old teacher, my ovary.
Zhu Yuanzhang was dissatisfied with the expansion of Huaixi School, hated Li Shanchang and wanted to choose another prime minister. This major personnel change is absolutely confidential and can only be discussed with Liu Ji, whom he has always trusted. When Liu Ji heard that the emperor wanted to replace Li Shanchang, he immediately opposed it. So there was a heart-to-heart dialogue between the monarch and his subjects.
Liu Ji said: Li Shanchang was a founding father, and he was able to reconcile various generals.
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "He hurt you many times, but you put in a good word for him. Therefore, I want you to be the left prime minister. "
Liu Ji knew that under the situation that Huaixi Group was in power, it was difficult for him to gain a foothold in the imperial court and resolutely declined. And said a meaningful sentence: if you want to change the pillars of the house, you must find a big tree. If you use a pile of small trees as pillars, the house will definitely collapse.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked him again, where is yang xian?
Liu Ji didn't give up his principle because he had a personal relationship with Yang Xian. He answered truthfully: Yang Xian has the talent of being a prime minister, but he has no prime minister's spirit. The prime minister must maintain a balanced mentality, weigh everything with justice and reason, and not be emotional. Yang Xian can't do this.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked again: What about Wang Guangyang?
Liu Ji said: This man is too shallow to be as good as Yang Xian.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked again: What about Hu?
Liu Ji dismissed it and denied it vividly: it's like letting a bad horse catch it. I'm afraid he will overturn and do bad things.
All the candidates proposed by Zhu Yuanzhang were rejected by Liu Ji.
Liu Ji has already refused once. When the emperor mentioned it again, he immediately declined in a firm and euphemistic tone and explained that he was too weak to be a prime minister. He said to the emperor, "I am very ill, outspoken, and used to idleness. I can't handle complicated administrative affairs." I'm afraid this position will live up to the great trust of the emperor. "The world is so big, where can there be no talents? Please look carefully. But the person mentioned just now is really inappropriate.
The dialogue between the monarch and his subjects is worth pondering. As far as Zhu Yuanzhang is concerned, he has already felt the potential threat of the forces of Huaixi Group headed by Li Shanchang to the imperial power, and hopes that Liu Ji, one of the "four famous teachers in eastern Zhejiang", will succeed Li Shanchang and play a role of checks and balances. For Liu Ji, he gradually realized that it was easy to fight the world together, but it was difficult to sit in the world together. He began to imitate the idea of Sean in the early Han Dynasty, became famous in one fell swoop and went forward bravely. So he politely refused Zhu Yuanzhang's urging again and again, and did not want to get involved in the power struggle to avoid being killed.
Liu Ji did have some foresight. The three people denied by Liu Ji were the talents in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind, and they were reused by Zhu Yuanzhang and executed successively. Yang xian and Wu Hong were executed in three years; Wang Guangyang, Hongwu was executed for ten years; Hu and Hong Wu were executed in thirteen years. Will Ji make an exception after being reused?
In the fourth year of Wu, Liu Ji retired to his hometown. Knowing that he was just jealous of evil and afraid of causing trouble, he simply lived in seclusion in the mountains and was isolated from the world. He likes drinking and playing chess every day. However, it is inevitable to stay away from the political vortex.
At this time, Hu, who has been in charge of the real power of Zhongshu Province, somehow learned that Liu Ji said that he was incompetent in front of the emperor and was resentful, so he directed his cronies to frame Liu Ji, saying that Liu Ji could see Feng Shui and build a grave for himself in a land with "Wang Qi". This move really worked, which aroused Zhu Yuanzhang's suspicion and deprived him of his monkey salary. Liu Ji was afraid of bringing disaster, so he immediately went to Beijing to apologize and stayed in Nanjing, showing his generosity.
Soon, Hu was promoted to the left prime minister of Zhongshu Province. Liu Ji was very sad and sighed: I hope my previous prediction of "bad horse driving" will not work, and the world will be blessed. I was very worried, and finally I got sick. In the eighth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang sent someone to escort him back to his hometown and died soon.
Four years later, Liu Ji's colleague Cheng Tujie revealed that Liu Ji was poisoned by Hu. When Liu Ji was seriously ill in Nanjing, Hu sent a doctor to treat him. After taking the doctor's medicine, the condition worsened-"Everything in my stomach is like a fist stone". Hu poisoned Liu Ji, which was mentioned in many places in the Ming Dynasty. Mclynn Killman Liu, the eldest son of Liu Ji, is very talented. It is circumstantial evidence that he worked in Jiangxi for ten years and was coerced by Hu's cronies and fell into a well and died.
This can also be confirmed by Zhu Yuanzhang's conversation with his ministers: "Later Hu became a party, ate him and was cheated. Only one day he said to me,' Sir, I have a lump in my stomach. I'm afraid I can't see clearly. I sent him back to others, and all his family members died. Later, Xuan's son came to ask, saying that it was rising tightly, and then it collapsed, but it died. This is the trick. "
It is worth noting that Wu Han, a famous expert in Ming history, made a textual research conclusion: "Liu Ji was poisoned by Ming Taizu's conspiracy. Hu hated Liu Ji and was unconsciously used. " If this research is correct, then Liu Ji's tragedy is even more embarrassing.