26 Facts About Liu Bowen

Liu Ji, courtesy name Bowen, better known as Liu Bowen, was a Chinese military strategist, philosopher, and politician who lived in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties.

Liu Bowen served as a key advisor to Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty, in the latter's struggle to overthrow the Yuan dynasty and unify China proper under his rule.

Liu Bowen initially aided Zhu Yuanzhang in his ascent to power, but later Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong quarrelled with Liu, forcing Liu to resign.

Liu Bowen warned the Hongwu Emperor that Hu was not suitable for the position of prime minister.

Liu Bowen died soon after, possibly having been poisoned by the emperor and Hu Weiyong, in a political affair that became the first of the Four Major Cases of the early Ming dynasty.

Liu Bowen served under Zhu Yuanzhang's rebellion against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, which had ruled all of China proper since the conquest of the Southern Song in 1279.

Liu Bowen dabbled in many fields of statecraft, philosophy, scholarly works, and technology.

Liu Bowen was known to be a friendly associate of the mathematician and alchemist Zhao Yuqin, and collaborated with the contemporary general and scholar Jiao Yu to edit and compile the military-technology treatise of the Huolongjing, which outlined the use of various gunpowder weapons.

Liu Bowen was very interested in the latter, and once said that "thunder is like fire shot from a cannon".

Liu Bowen sat for the imperial examination and obtained the position of a jinshi in the final years of the Yuan dynasty.

Liu Bowen spent much of his early career attempting to save the Yuan dynasty from collapse.

Liu Bowen served the Yuan dynasty as an official for 25 years, gaining a reputation for integrity and honesty, and became known as a distinguished scholar and strategist.

When Liu Bowen refused, the rebel went to Beijing and succeeded in bribing his way into favour there.

Liu Bowen attempted to resign twice, in 1349 and 1352.

Liu Bowen was demoted in 1358, and finally left service to retire in his ancestral homeland.

In 1360, Liu Bowen was introduced to Zhu Yuanzhang, a former leader of a radical White Lotus rebellion who was then the leader of a broad anti-Yuan rebellion.

Liu Bowen served not only in the administration of Zhu Yuanzhang, but in many battles as a commanding officer on land and water, leading the early Ming naval forces.

Liu Bowen was responsible for military ventures against opposing Chinese rebel groups, as well as the wokou.

Liu Bowen's forces owed much of their success to the use of the medieval Chinese firearm known as the fire lance.

Liu Bowen was most often consulted for his strategic advice during this period.

In 1375, Liu Bowen rejected a man, Hu Weiyong, for appointment to high office.

Hu Weiyong later obtained an audience with the Hongwu Emperor and slandered Liu Bowen by telling the emperor that Liu Bowen was plotting to establish his own power.

The precise cause of Liu Bowen's death is considered uncertain by modern scholars.

However, after Liu Bowen had taken the doctor's medicines, he felt as if some uneven stones were being squeezed together in his stomach, which gave him even more pain.

Liu Bowen gently told Zhu Yuanzhang that he felt more pain after taking Hu Weiyong's doctor's medicines.

Some scholars believe that Liu Bowen was poisoned by the Hongwu Emperor himself, not because Liu Bowen had failed his duty, but because the emperor was envious and even fearful of his knowledge and influence.