Liu Bowen can be reused because of his outstanding ability. And his ability is like a double-edged sword. Zhu Yuanzhang not only relied on him to seize the country, but also feared that he would seize power. In such a contradictory state of mind, Zhu Yuanzhang can only limit the development of Liu Bowen's power as much as possible. This is why Liu Bowen, the founding hero, won the title of Earl only after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. Since then, they have maintained a very delicate balance between the two emperors and ministers.
However, this balance was finally broken with the development of Liu Bowen's power. Because of the expansion of Liu Bowen's influence in North Korea, the emperor became more and more uneasy about him. So one day Zhu Yuanzhang asked Liu Bowen a question for the purpose of probing: Who can replace Li Shanchang as prime minister in the DPRK? Liu Bowen made an evasive answer, saying that he had no intention of becoming prime minister, but it was this answer that caused the emperor's displeasure.
The emperor thought that he had no intention of becoming prime minister, but he actually took a fancy to the throne. Once this suspicion arises, it is difficult for the emperor to control the killing. Fortunately, Ma Huanghou felt the emperor's mind and didn't want such a hero to be killed, so he sent him dates and pears. After receiving this gift, Liu Bowen immediately realized the meaning, so he submitted his resignation to the emperor and stayed away from the court.