Neither Xu Da nor Zhu Yuanzhang actually thought about it. Even unofficial history said that Xu Da was poisoned by Zhu Yuanzhang, based on Xu Da's illness in his later years. The doctor told him never to eat geese, or his illness would be more serious and life-threatening. After Zhu Yuanzhang knew it, he kept singing geese the next day. Xu Da had to eat with tears in his eyes and soon died of illness.
This statement is actually unfounded. First of all, he attached great importance to the friendship with Xu Da, and more importantly, he married his three daughters to his three sons, one of whom was later the queen of Yongle Emperor Judy-Queen Xu. This shows that Zhu Yuanzhang was kind to such an old friend even though he was cruel.
Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang had no motive to kill him. Zhu Yuanzhang killed the founding hero mainly to eliminate the potential crisis of Daming. At that time, Xu Da took the initiative to withdraw the military power and set his mind at home to provide for the aged, which posed little threat to the dynasty. Besides, after the death of Prince Zhu Biao, Zhu Yuanzhang felt bad and killed the hero. When Xu Da died, Zhu Biao was fine. There is no need for him to kill Xu Da psychologically or logically.
In his early years, when Xu Da attacked Chen Youliang with Zhu Yuanzhang, he was shot in the spine by an arrow. Later, due to improper disposal, the infection became a large tumor. Xu Da used this big tumor as an excuse to get away with it and go home to rest. And retired Xu Da, in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, is still not at ease. He has been hesitating to get rid of him.
So once, he was going to visit Xu Da's house to test him. Xu Da saw his old friend and brother Zhu Yuanzhang coming to visit him in bed, and endured the waist pain and saluted. Zhu Yuanzhang immediately picked him up and greeted him. Zhu Yuanzhang, who tried fruitless, decided to leave. Inadvertently looking around, I found something on the table, and my face immediately darkened.
It turned out to be a gauntlet, and it has been rolled up for many pages. Presumably, Xu Da just finished reading this gauntlet not long ago. Zhu Yuanzhang pondered repeatedly that the world has been peaceful for so many years, and this general Xu has been disarmed for many years. Why are you still reading the Art of War? Is this about infidelity? The more he thinks about it, the more terrible it becomes. A person who can help him farmland can also help others farmland. So I asked him, what is this gauntlet for?
At this time, Xu Da was lying in bed, snoring and sleeping, with a mouthful of saliva in his mouth. Zhu Yuanzhang saw He Wen bossing him around, but he didn't respond. Looking at Xu Dagang just fell asleep and appeared senile, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that he was thinking too much. Now he is no longer a brave man in those days, and he is sick. How can he resist?
Up to now, we all don't know the significance of Xu Da putting Sun Tzu's Art of War on the table from the beginning. Maybe he knew he was a right-winger. Although he has fought for so many years, he doesn't know much about the art of war. When he has leisure, he will make up for it. Perhaps Xu Da, the first general of the Ming Dynasty, summed up and reflected on the battles he fought when he was young by reading The Art of War.
And Zhu Yuanzhang, after this temptation, gave up the idea of getting rid of Xu Da. Now, as one of the few founding heroes of Daming, Xu Da's philosophy of retirement is also worth learning by many of us today. Similarly, in the face of doubt, like Xu Da, the first thing that comes to mind is not to defend immediately, but to prove himself with actions. What do you think of my interpretation of Xu Da? Welcome to comment below.