Shen Wansan, regarded as a living god of wealth by the people.
Zhouzhuang, known as "the first water town in China", is full of poetry and painting. It is a "Zeguo water town" with rivers passing through the city. By the bridge in the water town, a middle-aged woman was cursing the child who dropped the rice grains: "Is there a Shen Wansan at home?" This sentence is very interesting, that is, there is no such rich person as Shen Wansan at home, so we should know how to be frugal and not extravagant. In many places in the Yangtze River Delta, when it comes to Shen Wansan, ordinary people can know a thing or two. With Zhouzhuang becoming a tourist attraction, Shen Wansan's former residence (said to have been renovated during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty) attracted many tourists, and the "three thousand hoofs" and "three thousand cakes" sold in small shops in the town also feasted their eyes. Shen Wansan's story spread like wildfire and spread all over the country.
Shen Wansan is really worth exploring. Since the Ming Dynasty, Shen Wansan has almost become synonymous with the rich. During the Jiajing period, Yan Song came to power, and a Chen Bing Jinshi in Jiaxing County, Zhejiang Province spent 23,200 silver to buy the director of the examination department of the official department, which provoked people at that time to call him "Shen Wansan official". In Jin Ping Mei Hua Ci published in Wanli, Pan Jinlian's repeated words are impressive: "Shen Wansan in Nanjing, withered willow in Beijing, names of people, shadows of trees." This means that everything is objective, just like Shen Wansan in Nanjing is famous, and the withered willow trees in Beijing have shadows. You can't hide if you want. Shen Wansan is really famous all over the country, and women and children know it.
In Zhouzhuang, Shen Wansan became the god of wealth admired by generations; Nanjing Zhonghua Gate also bears the memory of Shen Wansan, and the ancient city wall bears the story of Shen Wansan's cornucopia. Even in remote Yunnan, there are traces of Shen Wansan's activities. All kinds of rumors about the richest man in Jiangnan are confusing and puzzling.
Statue of Shen Wansan
Shen Wansan is indeed a "extremely rich" figure. How rich is he? According to "Ming History", it is said that Shen Wansan rewarded private school teachers: "Anyone who succeeds will be rewarded with platinum." Platinum is silver, and an "easy" is twenty-two. Such a high salary for one item shows Shen Wansan's family background. When Zhu Yuanzhang planned to build a city, a single brick-making unit involved a Ministry (Ministry of Industry), three health centers (garrison health centers), five provinces, 28 states, 118 counties and three other towns. Shen Wansan is responsible for the wall from Hongwumen to Shuiximen, which is more than ten kilometers long, accounting for one third of the whole project. In the Ming Dynasty, Kong Er's "Jiao Yunting Ji" said that Shen Shi "had dozens of hectares of fields, and dug ditches to divert water for brewing", which meant that Shen Shi needed dozens of hectares of fields to divert water for brewing, so its property was amazing. Emperor Heng also wrote in "A Letter for Youth": Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to reward the three armed forces, and Shen Wansan said that he would pay for it. Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately made things difficult: I have a million troops. Can you disperse them? I didn't expect Shen Wansan to respond generously: I wish each army one or two gold! Accordingly, people today may understand why Shen Wansan can be called "the richest man in the south of the Yangtze River".
How Shen Wansan got rich has always been a mystery. The most legendary and widespread saying is "cornucopia". It is said that when Shen Wansan was poor, he saw a farmer carrying more than 100 frogs, so he kindly bought them and set them free. But the next day, he saw frogs gathered in a earthen basin and didn't disperse, so he took the earthen basin home and washed his hands. Once, when his wife washed her hands, she accidentally dropped a silver hairpin into the basin. Unexpectedly, the silver hairpin changed from two to four, and soon it was full. Shen Wansan is rich in the world, and it is said that the name of Nanjing Zhonghua Gate Gujubao Gate also comes from this. He also said that Shen Wansan could "touch the gold" and turn things into gold, so the gold kept flowing. In addition, it is said that there was a rich man named Lu in Wujiang in Yuan Dynasty, and Shen Wansan took care of the accounts and finances for him. Later, Lu saw through the world of mortals, left his hometown and gave all his wealth to Shen Wansan, thus Shen Wansan became a "rich family in the south of the Yangtze River". In addition, there are legends such as crow stone or horseshoe gold obtained by fishermen in Shen Wansan, which are very magical.
How much money does Shen Wansan have?
It is said that after Shen Wansan became rich, he took Suzhou as an important place to do business. He once supported Zhou regime in Pingjiang (Suzhou) Zhang Shicheng, and Zhang Shicheng once erected a monument for Shen Wansan. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang made Nanjing his capital, and Shen Wansan actively built the city wall, so his two sons were sealed by Zhu Yuanzhang. But soon, Shen Wansan was exiled by Zhu Yuanzhang and spent the rest of his life in Yunnan.
1979 revised "Ci Yuan" records: "Shen Wansan was born in Wuxing, Ming Dynasty, and his name was Zhongrong. Later moved to Suzhou. Very rich, known as the first in Jiangnan. Zhu Yuanzhang, the capital of Nanjing, summoned him and gave him one thousand ingots of platinum and one hundred Jin of gold. Ma Jia Qian Gu, get more money from his family. Later, he was sent to Yunnan to commit crimes (say Liaoyang), and his descendants are still rich. There are many legends about the wealth of three thousand, but due to the differences recorded in various books, it is difficult to make a detailed judgment. "
The popular folk saying is that Zhu Yuanzhang didn't find any evidence of Shen Wansan at first, and Shen Wansan didn't seem to commit any illegal acts in making a fortune. Shen Wansan probably understood that one tree catches the wind. In order to keep safe, he wanted to take the initiative to serve. In the sixth year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1373), he learned that the capital (now Nanjing) was going to build a wall. He took the initiative to bear one-third of the cost, built the wall from Hongwumen to Shuiximen, and paid tribute to Zhu Yuanzhang's Dragon Horn, and presented 2,000 ingots of platinum, 200 kilograms of gold, soldiers 10 and horses/kloc. In addition, Shen Wansan even offered to donate money to reward the sergeant. Who knows that Zhu Yuanzhang flew into a rage and wanted to execute Shen Wansan: Isn't it a rebellion for a common people to dare to join the army? Fortunately, Ma Huanghou dissuaded me: I heard that the law only kills those who break the law, not those who are unlucky. Shen Wansan, a civilian, is extremely rich, but unfortunately. God will bring disaster to such people. Why did your majesty kill them? Zhu Yuanzhang was sent to Yunnan to avoid his own death. Naturally, all the property in Shenyang was confiscated. It is said that there are thousands of hectares of fields alone.
This blow not only made Shenyang lose Shen Wansan, the head of the family, but also reduced its wealth by more than half. Now it seems that even if Shen Wansan doesn't donate his own labor, he will be punished. In Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, Shen Wansan's wealth is a crime. If you want to add a crime, why not stop here? In short, all his property should belong to the public. In the early Ming Dynasty, the story of Shen Wansan's disaster caused by wealth spread widely and convincingly, which seems beyond doubt.
Mr. Gu Cheng, an expert in Ming history, made a detailed textual research on Shen Wansan's life experience in his monograph "A Study on Shen Wansan and His Family's Deeds", denying the statement that he was born and died in the Yuan Dynasty, and all the "deeds" about Shen Wansan in the historical books in the early Ming Dynasty were false.
Although it is difficult to know the exact date of birth and death of Shen Fu (Shen Wansan), it is certain that he died before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. "Wujiang County Records" said: "According to Wu Shiwan's death, Zhang Shicheng and his second son Mao transported rice from the sea to Yanjing." Zhang Shicheng's army captured Pingjiang Road (Suzhou) in February (1356), that is to say, when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty in 1368, Shen Wansan had been dead for more than two years. Since he died at the end of Yuan Dynasty, he certainly could not be attacked by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of Ming Dynasty.
Whether the records in Wujiang County Records are reliable or not can be investigated from three aspects: one is to calculate the life span of Shen Wansan's descendants; The second is to demonstrate from the narration of people who are closely related to the Shen Shi family; Thirdly, look at the age of Shen Wansan's own activities from credible documents. According to the Epitaph of Shen and Epitaph of Shen Maoqing written by Wang Xing at the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty, in the first year of Ming Hongwu (1368), Shen Wansan's son Shen Rong was 62 years old and his grandson Shen Sen was 39 years old, which was at least 80 years since Shen Wansan was born. In the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Shen Wansan's son has entered his twilight years, and it is extremely unlikely that he is still alive. Although it can't be concluded that Shen Wansan will never live to be over 80 years old, nor can he prove the establishment of the empire, the Ming army, led by General Fu Youde, Aquamarine and Mu Ying, invaded Yunnan in the 14th year of Hongwu (138 1) and pacified the area in the 15th year (1382), even though Shen Wansan was still alive. From this point of view, unofficial history's notes in the Ming Dynasty and Shen Wansan's records in the Ming Dynasty probably recorded folklore, and some people mistakenly attached the story of Shen Wansan's descendants to Shen Wansan himself without knowing the truth.
Was there a Shen Wansan in the Ming Dynasty?
Shen Wansan was already rich in the Yuan Dynasty. As for the statement of the treasure plate and the touch of gold, it seems too absurd to believe today. So what is the reason why he really got rich?
According to relevant historical records, Shen Wansan's ancestral home is Huzhou, Zhejiang. My ancestors moved to Caidong Village in Changzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu), and my father Shen Youshi moved to Nanxun Town, Huzhou. In the second year of Yuan Dynasty (1342), there was a flood in Nanxun, and poor people fled to other places. At this time, Shen You also moved to Zhouzhuang.
Shen Wansan should start from farming and then get rich through business. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, a native of Suzhou, Huang, wrote in Wu: "Shen Wansan claimed to have a vast land and happy ever after, and so far he has made money." Shen Wansan's father moved from Nanxun Town, Huzhou to Changzhou County. After that, he worked hard and fully developed a large area of fertile land.
Due to proper management and extensive land occupation, the Shen family has become a big landlord who rents, rents land, employs long-term and short-term workers and issues usury. When the Shen Wansan brothers were in charge of the family business, they already owned fertile land spanning several counties. When it came to Shen Daqing's generation, the Shen family was "rich and rich", and the history books recorded that its land was as many as thousands of hectares. The Travel Notes of Kongming also records that Shen Wansan attaches great importance to water conservancy construction. "If there is a field by the lake, build a stone embankment by the lake to block the field." . In addition, Shen Shi Cemetery in Xiunan Village was built in the 21st year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1388). The owner of the tomb is Shen Wansan's grandson, Shen Zhuang, and the local people call it "An Shan Tomb". In his epitaph, it is recorded that "ancestors started by planting crops with their heads down, their fathers were rich (Shen Wansan), and their children were handsome", and so on. This is the ironclad proof that Shen Wansan was first "cultivated".
After Shen Wansan accumulated a certain amount of wealth, it became extremely rich by engaging in trade. During the Yuan Dynasty, shipping was developed and foreign trade was smooth, and many foreigners came to China for trade. On the other hand, Jiangnan's economy is developed, and it was not damaged during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it was the highest in the country. Suzhou and Hangjiahu areas have always been famous "granaries" in China, and they are known as "Suzhou and Lake are ripe, and the world is full". Shen Wansan has thousands of hectares of land, and naturally there is a lot of rice for sale as a commodity. At that time, the food needed by the North, including the Yuan Dynasty (Beijing), was mainly supplied by the South, and Shen Wansan was certainly a "big grain seller". As a result, Shen Wansan has accumulated a lot of capital. Shen Wansan, who made a fortune, turned to "Fan Fan", exported local textiles and porcelain to Asian and African countries, and returned to the ship to import a large number of treasures, spices and medicinal materials, earning huge price differences again and again. With these advantages and profitable foreign trade, it is not surprising that Shen Wansan has become rich quickly. Kong Er wrote in Jiao Yunting Ji that Shen Wansan became a maritime merchant, traveling between Huizhou, Chizhou (now Guichi), Taipingfu (now Dangtu) and Changzhou, and gained millions of gold, so it became rich. Mr. Wu Han, a famous historian, also said: "Suzhou Shen Wansan made a fortune because of its overseas trade." This can also be confirmed from the "Wujiang County Records". "Shen Wansan has a residence in Zhouzhuang, the 29 th capital of Wujiang, which is rich in the world. It is said that it comes from the same story." Pan Qun, a professor at Nanjing University and an expert on Ming history, believes that Shen Wansan's wealth accumulation was completed in the Yuan Dynasty. His wealth originated from "agriculture" and was complicated by "commerce". He is a real big landlord and businessman.
Since Shen Wansan died at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it is certainly impossible for him to be attacked by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. After the "rebellion case" of aquamarine in the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu, bad luck befell the descendants of Shen Wansan. Previously, the Shen family had been implicated in some disasters. In the 19th year of Hongwu, Shen Wansan's son Wang Shen's two sons, Shen Zhi and Shenzhuang, were once imprisoned and soon released. About the same year, Shen Wansan's son-in-law, Lu Zhonghe, director of the Grain Bureau of Wujiang County, Suzhou Prefecture, was doomed and charged with "Hu Dang". On the whole, Shenyang, as the richest man in the south of the Yangtze River before the "Blue Party" incident, was not hit hard by the imperial power and the government. The statement that Shenyang was exiled before Ma Huanghou died in Hongwu 15 was completely false, and Shenyang remained rich until Hongwu's 24th year. The following facts can prove this.
1. In the twenty-first year of Hongwu (1388), Suzhou government recommended talents to Beijing as officials, and the grandson of Shen Guizhi was appointed as the foreign minister, while Shen Fu's in-laws Morley was appointed as the foreign minister, Wang Gongda as the principal, Zhang Jin and Yi as the foreign minister, and Gong Da as the foreign minister. These ten people resigned on the same day. On February 29th, 2002, when Gai Hua Hall was in the early morning, Shen Jun and others played: "The ministers and other fields and wealth were preserved by the emperor, and now they are paid a salary. It's really hard to accept and ask for resignation. " The imperial edict said: If you want to resign, it's up to you. Then there is a purpose: I want the receiver to listen. Shen Jun said, "I sincerely dare not hinder these families because of my wealth. I missed my family many times, and I kept my wife and family. I have exceeded my expectations, and I am honored to be an official. I dare to be luckier! " Thanks again. It can be seen that Shenyang at this time is still "preserved" by Zhu Yuanzhang, as rich as ever.
Another thing about Hongwu's blue-and-white jade pot spring bottle is that Molly, who has been promoted to the position of left assistant minister in the 23rd year of Hongwu (1390), asked for leave to go back to her hometown to visit relatives. At that time, the utensils used by the Shen family were all gold and silver, and the carved silk was used as a banquet. There are twelve tables with purple sand fixers. Each table is equipped with two pieces of suet jade, which is long and wide. There is a passage in it for chopsticks to prevent them from staining the carved silk. The white agate plate used to make wine has stripes and a purple grape, which is called five apes competing for fruit. It is a treasure. The adopted son-in-law has set up twelve tables of Xuan He Ding, each with seven rows of wine, each with a glass of wine. Even the two servants are dressed in silks and satins, not to mention other precious delicacies. Molly sighed, "Alas, a hairpin cost 700,000 yuan, but the predecessors thought it was a monster, and it was a disaster from the mouth. Today's wealth in Shen Shi is more than 700,000 women! It is also a disaster! "
In the twenty-third year of Hongwu, Mo Li returned to his hometown to visit relatives, which was the time when Zhu Yuanzhang recaptured Hu Dang. In March, Tan Wang Zhuzi died because her father-in-law was caught in a party disaster and accidentally set himself on fire with Princess Jade. In April, Li Shanchang, the teacher of Bi Gong Xiao He and a Korean hero, was imprisoned, and soon the same group of heroes were executed, leaving no family. It is in such a frightening political environment that Molly took a leave of absence to return to China for a short stay. He wrote the poem "To the Mother of Wujiang Province" and said, "If you don't steal Lu Yi's fist, you will pay tribute to Japan for the time being. It is a shame to serve the country without economic policies, and it is a year of parting to miss one's loved ones. One thousand dollars can't buy a long body, and Five Blessingg is the first one to live like this. When I return to the bottom of the hut with a smile, I like to see people reunited. " Choosing words carefully only vaguely expresses a feeling that it is a blessing not to be punished. Obviously, when Mo returned to his hometown, his heart was full of anxiety, and his in-laws in Shenyang feasted on the nobles who held high positions in the capital. Of course they don't understand the coming crisis. And Mo Dan's record of entertaining Molly in Shenyang this year is exactly the same as Shen Boxi's epitaph. Although the Shenyang family suffered a little in the 19th year of Hongwu, they had not suffered or even expected the devastating blow of imperial power. Liu Sanwu, a bachelor of Hanlin in the early Ming Dynasty, wrote an epitaph for Shen in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, and still praised Shen Fugui for his courtesy and was rewarded by God. All these can fully prove that not only did the Shen family not be expelled from the army before Ma Huanghou died in the 15th year of Hongwu, but the position of the Shen family as a rich man remained until the 24th year of Hongwu.
The tragic ending of the Shen Shi family.
The failure of the Shen family began with the "Blue Party" incident in the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu. In the 25th year of Hongwu, Prince Zhu Biao of Wen Yi died of illness, and Zhu Yunwen became the legal heir to the throne. Zhu Yuanzhang was afraid that his grandson was too young, and his prestige and experience were not enough to control the world. In case of a "hero" outburst, the Daming Empire he built may fall into the hands of others, so he is bent on restarting the killing and eradicating all potential forces that may endanger Zhu Jiachao. It is in this political background that the case of "rebellion" led by Liang Guogong and Lan Yu came into being. Whether there is an aquamarine rebellion case or not, please listen to the following breakdown. However, more than two months after the Aquamarine Rebellion, the rebellion record of Minister Hanlin Pavilion edited by Zhu Yuanzhang himself was full of loopholes. Not to mention the factors of extorting a confession, even if it is given, most of them are also groundless and incredible. Nowadays, Zhu Yuanzhang has cast a wide net, and the rich people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang who still have considerable strength after the martial arts group and the "Hu Party" cannot escape. There is one of the best excuses to bring the Shen Shi family into the "Blue Party" first, and that is to seize the close relationship between Wang Hang and the Blue Family and the Shenyang Family.
The word stops at the clock, and the number is Banxuan Garden. When I was a child, my family was poor, and my father sold medicine in the pharmacy opened by Xujiakai in Nagato, Suzhou. Wang Xing was so clever that he became his father's right-hand man at the age of ten. The master found that he was gifted, so he let him enjoy reading the "classic history" books collected at home. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, Wang Xing began to associate with local literati and set up a private school in Beiqimen, Suzhou. Gao Qi, a famous scholar in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, and Shi Daoyan (Yao), who later gave advice to Judy, the prince of Yan, were good friends. When Zhang Shicheng was stationed in Pingjiang (now Suzhou), Rao Jie, a political commissar stationed in Zhejiang Post, recommended Wang Hang to the court of the Yuan Dynasty, but Wang Hang was unable to become an official because of the eventful times. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Wei Guan, the magistrate of Suzhou, and Wang Guan both recommended Zhu Yuanzhang to appoint talents, but Zhu Yuanzhang had never been an official except once as an instructor in Fu Xue, Suzhou. Wang Xing's life is basically a teaching career. He worked as a protege in Shenyang twice and as a tutor in Lan Yu twice. He first taught in the home of Shen Daqing, the son of Shen Wansan in the late Yuan Dynasty. In the 12th year of Hongwu (1379), he was hired by the general aquamarine in Nanjing to sit in Lanjiage, which was quite appreciated by aquamarine. He once accompanied Aquamarine to visit Premier Hu's home. The following year, due to the Hu Dang case, he resigned from the library for fear of being implicated and returned to his hometown in Suzhou. After that, he went to Shen Daqing's house to sit in the pavilion and teach Shen Daqing's grandchildren Shen Xun, Shen Cheng, Shen Heng and others. In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu (139 1), his family was compiled as a "weaver" for some reason and went to live in the 18th Square of Shangyuan County, Yingtianfu. In view of Zhu Yuanzhang's "strict laws", friends tried their best to persuade him not to go to Nanjing. Wang Xing was nearly sixty years old at that time. He could have sent his son to serve, but he insisted on going by himself. He replied, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Go deep into the tiger's den-Nanjing. At this time, aquamarine was already a cool Lord protector (Hongwu was sealed by Yongchang Hou Jin in December of the 21st year). Lan Biying, the eldest son of Aquamarine, heard that Wang Xing had come to Beijing and immediately asked the government to teach his son Lan Qingsun. These materials show that Wang Hang has a friendship with the Shen family for at least 30 years and with the Blue family for more than 10 years. And this kind of friendship is extraordinary, sitting in the museum as the owner of Xibin. Before Zhu Yuanzhang was determined to eradicate the martial arts group headed by aquamarine, aquamarine became the duke and served as the general several times, and became famous in the ruling and opposition circles. The Shen family mistook the iceberg as a backer, just as Hongwu presented Zhu Yuanzhang with a large amount of property in his early years, trying to think that the intermediary had a relationship with General Lan. In their view, Aquamarine not only holds the military power and has a hot figure, but also his sister (Chang Yuchun's wife)' s daughter is the princess of Prince Wen Yi, so it is "wise" to get in touch with the Crown Prince. If there is a king line to say something from it, the relationship will naturally pass, and fate will follow.
In fact, in the two cases of the Hu Party and the Blue Party that began during the Hongwu period, Zhu Yuanzhang carefully studied the positions of the left prime minister Hu and the general Lan Yuyu. There are many people who come into contact with him at work, and many people follow suit to commit crimes and punish potential dissidents. Under this kind of premeditation, one is to catch people who are slightly involved in the case, and the other is to encourage them to report. After their arrest, they were tortured to extract confessions. The arrested people were not only tortured to extract confessions, but also implicated in many cases. Many people in "The Record of Rebellion" are afraid that the person caught at the beginning of the case will confess his name, and secretly find someone to bribe the interrogators to "erase his name". Unexpectedly, it turned out to be the "hard evidence" of participating in the rebellion.
Wang Xing taught Mr. Shu in Aquamarine's home. Aquamarine recommended it to Zhu Yuanzhang several times, so Wang Xing was summoned by Zhu Yuanzhang. After the Blue Party case, let alone Wang Hang, all the people who hooked up with the Blue Family through him fell into the net.
In the 26th year of Hongwu (1393), Zhu Yuanzhang issued a record of rebellion. At that time, there were nearly a thousand people called "Blue Party", and this was just the beginning. Molly and others were not among them. On the 10th day of September of the same year, Zhu Yuanzhang promulgated "Pardon the Blue Party and the Hu Party", saying, "Your courtiers, such as Li Shanchang, are guilty of unfaithfulness and disaster. This year, the blue thief made a mess. He was arrested and arrested. This tribe has killed 5000 people. Those unfinished things have been forgiven. I am still worried about being raped, stubborn and ignorant, and I still have doubts. Today is a great day. Except for those who have committed crimes, they will be served by the official. Those who have committed crimes but have not committed them, regardless of the Blue Party or the Hu Party, will be forgiven. " From April to September, the number of participants in the blue party's "clan punishment" surged from 1000 to 15000, which shows that it involves a wide range. We don't know whether Zhu Yuanzhang really stopped the search after the release of this pardon edict, because it was stated in the edict that the clan leaders of the Blue Party case had reached 15,000, and then it was claimed that "except those who committed crimes and were arrested by officials", but the "Hulan Party" was still being executed until February of the 31st year of Hongwu. In the thirty-first year of Hongwu (1398), "learning from Zhu Yuanzhang's portrait, the disaster of Hulan Dang, even three thousand great-great-grandchildren and six people, the Gu family died on the same day." This time, Shen Wansan's son-in-law, Gu's family of six, was all killed, and nearly 80 people were confiscated, which can be said to be beheaded. Shen Wansan's huge family business, which was painstakingly managed, declined sharply. Zhouzhuang Shen Shi, known as the richest man in the south of the Yangtze River, has turned from prosperity to decline.
It is worth noting that Zhu Yuanzhang died in May this year. In February, when he was ill, he still made the decision to be detained as "Hulan party member" in the middle of the year, and cut off Taguchi's family wealth, so to speak, he would never rest until he died. From the spring of the 26th year of Hongwu to the spring of the 31st year, it lasted for five years. During this period, the work of extorting a confession by torture to conceal Ding Kou's property must have been done thoroughly, and there was no oil and water in the end. Shen Wansan's great-grandson Shen Dequan and others were sentenced to death that year. Even after Zhu Yuanzhang's death, a large number of unjust cases in Hongwu Dynasty remained taboo for a long time, and the true story of Shen Shi family, the richest man in the south of the Yangtze River, was gradually forgotten. Except some historical records that Wen Jian pardoned his henchmen after he ascended the throne, and Shen Hong, the sixth grandson of Shen Wansan, was famous for his calligraphy during Chenghua and Hongzhi years, only some myths about Shen Wansan were widely circulated.