Character’s life and early experience
Zhou Dexing and Zhu Yuanzhang were from the same hometown and had been friends since they were teenagers. In June of the 13th year of Yuan Zhizheng (AD 1353), Zhu Yuanzhang returned to his hometown to recruit troops. Zhou Dexing should have defected to Zhu Yuanzhang at this time, and in the same year he accompanied the army to conquer Chuzhou and Hezhou. From the Conquest of the World
In the fifteenth year of Zhizheng (1355), he crossed the river with Zhu Yuanzhang, made many military exploits, and was promoted to the general marshal of the left wing.
In the eighteenth year of Zhizheng (1358), he followed the army to capture Jinhua.
In the 21st year of Zhizheng (1361), he followed the army to capture Anqing.
In March of the 23rd year of Zhizheng (1363), he accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang to rescue Anfeng.
In the 24th year of Zhizheng (1364), he followed Xu Da to conquer Luzhou and was promoted to commander. In July, he followed Chang Yuchun to attack Ganzhou. In August, the army captured Ji'an.
In the first month of the twenty-fifth year of Zhizheng (1365), he conquered Ganzhou, Anfu, and Yongxin, and followed Xu Da to attack Gaoyou.
In the twenty-sixth year of Zhizheng (1366) In March, he captured Gaoyou and was promoted to Zuocheng of Huguang Province.
In the twenty-seventh year of Zhizheng (1367), he and Yang Zhi and Zhang Bin conquered Guangxi and attacked Yongzhou. Yuan Pingzhang Aslan and Zhou Wengui came from Quanzhou to reinforce, and Zhou Dexing fought against them. He killed his general Zhu Yuanxuan, captured Yuanshi Qijia and six other men, and pursued him to Quanzhou, whereupon he captured Quanzhou. Daozhou, Ningzhou and Lanshan were all captured. Then he conquered Wugang Prefecture, divided his troops to defend strategic positions, cut off reinforcements from Jingjiang, and pacified Guangxi, which made outstanding contributions.
In the third year of Hongwu (1370), he was granted the title of Marquis of Jiangxia, with an annual salary of 1,500 shi, and was allowed to be hereditary. In the same year, the Cili Chief Qin X united with the Maogang villages to rebel, and Changsha Dongmiao All were instigated. Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Zhou Dexing as the general of the southern expedition and led the troops to conquer and pacify Ding. At the peak of power
In the fourth year of Hongwu (1371), he led the army to conquer Mingxia, assisted Tang He as general in the expedition to the west and conquered Baoning. At first, Fu Youde captured Jie and Wen, but the boat division led by Tang He did not advance. After Boryeong was captured, the two armies reunited. After the peace of Shu, Zhu Yuanzhang believed that Tang He's achievements were all due to Zhou Dexing, so he rewarded Zhou Dexing, but reprimanded Tang He in person. He also said that Yang Z could not conquer the battle of Qin and X, and Zhao Yong returned halfway. How can their achievements be compared with Zhou Dexing's.
In the first month of the fifth year of Hongwu (1372), he served as the general of the Southern Zuo Conquest, assisted Deng Yu, and led Zhao Yong and Zuo Junbi to Nanning to attack the ethnic minorities in Hunan and Guangxi. In September, he defeated the barbarians in Lufeng and Antian prefectures, and conquered Sicheng prefecture. His achievements were superior to those of other generals. The rewards he received were several times those of other generals, and he was appointed as the governor of the central government, exercising the power of the governor. Zhou Dexing's achievements had reached the peak, and he was a fellow countryman of Zhu Yuanzhang, so his official residence exceeded the standards. The Ministry of Punishment listed his crimes and sued him, and Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict to pardon him.
In the thirteenth year of Hongwu (1380), he was ordered to manage the military affairs of Fujian and was recalled soon after.
In May of the fourteenth year of Hongwu (1381), the ethnic minorities in Wuxi rebelled. Although Zhou Dexing was old, he also requested to go to quell it. Zhu Yuanzhang readily agreed. After arriving at Wuxi, all the barbarians dispersed and fled. It happened that when the water source in Sichuan was exhausted, the caves in Tongta were leveled, and the ethnic minorities in Shizhou were in rebellion, Zhu Yuanzhang still ordered Zhou Dexing to go to pacify it.
In the first month of the eighteenth year of Hongwu (1385), he was ordered to go to Henan to recruit generals from the old Yuan Dynasty. In March, the Wukai barbarians in Sizhou rebelled. Zhou Dexing served as deputy general and general Tang He to assist Chu King Zhu Zhen and led his army to crusade. Zhou Dexing stayed in Chu for a long time and used soldiers from Chu. He was powerful among the barbarians. , soon pacified Wuchang and other fifteen guards, and trained 44,800 troops a year. He also opened the Yueshan Dam in Jingzhou to irrigate farmland, and increased the official rent by 4,300 shi a year. The people of Chu praised his merits. When he returned home, Zhu Yuanzhang gave him 200 taels of gold, 2,000 taels of platinum, and 100 pieces of Wenqi.
In the twentieth year of Hongwu (1387), Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhou Dexing: "Fujian's achievements have not been completed. Although you are old, you can still go there for me." In April, Zhou Dexing arrived in Fujian. The household registration recruitment exercise resulted in more than 100,000 militiamen. In strategic military locations and coastal areas, 16 buildings including Tongshan City were built, 45 patrol divisions were set up, and five guards including Zhenhai Guard were built. From then on, Fujian's measures to defend against Japanese pirates were completed.
In July of the 21st year of Hongwu (1388), he returned to Zhongli in Haozhou and was given two hundred taels of gold, two thousand taels of platinum, one thousand ingots of banknotes, and thirty pieces of Wenqi.
In the first month of the 22nd year of Hongwu (1389), he was ordered to control the Fengyang left-behind division and train the guards' sergeants. When all the ministers were alive, Zhou Dexing was the oldest. He entered the court every year and received endless rewards.
In April of the 23rd year of Hongwu (1390), he was given two thousand ingots of money and ordered to build a Shinto monument. In September, he came to the court with Duke Feng Sheng of the Song Dynasty, Lan Yu, the Duke of the Liang Kingdom, Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan, and other princes to congratulate him, and was given a hundred ingots of banknotes. Implicated and killed
On August 10, the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu (1392), his son Zhou Ji had sex with the palace maid in the palace. Zhou Dexing was implicated and killed, and his public land was confiscated. Main achievements
Zhou Dexing followed Zhu Yuanzhang in the uprising to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. He went through hundreds of battles and made countless achievements. Among them, in the 27th year of Zhizheng (1367), he conquered Guangxi with Yang Z and Zhang Bin and divided his troops to defend strategic positions. , cut off reinforcements from Jingjiang, and made great contributions to the pacification of Guangxi. After that, Mingxia was defeated again, and his contribution was even greater than that of coach Tang He. Starting from the first month of the fifth year of Hongwu (1372), the barbarians in Yunnan, Hugui, Sichuan and other places were pacified, which contributed to the stability of the early Ming Dynasty. In addition, in the 18th year of Hongwu (1385), he trained troops and developed water conservancy in the Chu region. He increased the number of officials and rented 4,300 shi a year in the Chu region, which made the people of Chu praise him. In the 20th year of Hongwu (1387), troops were trained and cities built in Fujian, which completed the preparations for Fujian's defense against Japanese pirates in the early Ming Dynasty. Historical evaluation
Zhu Yuanzhang: Zhao Chongguo planned to conquer the Western Qiang, and Ma Yuan asked for a delivery address. I have always praised him, saying that it is difficult for people today. Your Majesty is loyal and diligent, so why did you, the virtuous person before you, calm the chaos and bring peace to the people?
"History of the Ming Dynasty": People below Liang Zu not only do not know how to protect one's own life, but also violate the principle of restraint and prudence. Relatives
Son: Zhou Ji, who caused trouble in the palace. Folklore
There are many legends about Zhou Dexing in Quanzhou, Fujian:
It is said that Zhou Dexing destroyed the feng shui of Chengtian Temple.
Zhou Dexing wanted to destroy the Wu family's feng shui, but because of burning gold paper, the descendants of the Wu family prospered.
Because Zhou Dexing destroyed eighteen places of emperor in Quanzhou, before Zhou Dexing returned to Beijing, the people of Quanzhou used funeral drum music to see him off. Zhou Dexing mistakenly thought it was festive music, and felt guilty, so he warned him The squire built a Guandi temple at each city gate in Quanzhou to suppress evil spirits. Buildings built
Ximen Street
In the 20th year of Hongwu (1387), Zhou Dexing built Tongshan City and set up Tongshan Guards House for Thousand Households. A road was planned to the southwest of Tongshan City. The street built along the mountain and parallel to the city allowed the families of the garrison to settle down here. This is Ximen Street, also called Yingqian Street.
Lu'ao City
Zhou Dexing expanded the ancient city of Liu'ao into an anti-bandit castle and set up a garrison for thousands of households. Because the city is built around green hills and looks like a big turtle climbing onto the land, it is called Lu'ao City. Historical controversy
Wanli's "Quanzhou Prefecture Chronicle" records that Zhou Dexing built Xiamen City on Jiahe Island in the 27th year of Hongwu (1394). However, the "Xiamen Chronicle" of Daoguang's reign records that Zhou Dexing built Xiamen City in the 20th year of Hongwu. In 1387, Xiamen City was built during the military campaign in Fujian. However, "Records of the Ming Dynasty" and "History of the Ming Dynasty" record that Zhou Dexing was executed by Zhu Yuanzhang in the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu (1392), which shows that the guards in Fujian, including the Zhongzuo Station in Xiamen, had not been completed before Zhou Fuxing was executed.