The Cruelest Emperor Loved Only One Woman|A Different Story

Out of the more than 400 emperors in China's history, none is more legendary than Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. He went from a homeless orphan to a wandering monk begging for food, and eventually became the ruler of a great empire. But the most incredible part of his story isn't just his rise to power. It's the love story between him and his wife, Empress Ma. Here's a fun fact you probably wouldn't expect. Something that Chinese people still do every single year is actually connected to this empress's love story. Surprising, right? I bet you'll never guess what it is. Stick around until the end of this video and you'll find out. This is a different story. I'm Jason, and today we're diving into the story of Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. Zhu Yuanzhang was born in 1328 into an extremely poor farming family. His original name was Zhu Double Eight. Now, you might think that name sounds a little strange, but the reason is simple. He was the eighth child in the family, so they literally just named him Double Eight. You might be wondering, wait a second, Double Eight is 16, so why wasn't he called Zhu Double Four? Honestly, I have no idea. At that time, China was under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, established by the Mongols. Their rule over the Han people was extremely harsh. Society was divided into four classes, the Mongols at the top, then the Sumu people, those from Central and West Asia, followed by the Han, and finally, the Southerners. This ranking was based on military conquest. The earlier a region surrendered or joined the Mongol armies, the higher its status. Since Zhu Yuanzhang was from the Southern Han group, he belonged to the lowest class, almost no different from slaves. Families like his were at the very bottom. They weren't even allowed to get an education, and their names were nothing more than numbers. Later, after Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he gave all his deceased ancestors more formal names to make them seem noble, and he even banned anyone from mentioning those old, humble names again. All right, let's get back to the story. In 1343, Zhu Yuanzhang's hometown was hit by a severe drought. The following year, locusts and a deadly plague struck. In just two weeks, he lost his father, mother, and older brother. His family was so poor, they couldn't even afford coffins. Thankfully, a kind neighbor offered them a piece of land, and that's how they were able to bury their parents. To survive, Zhu Yuanzhang, his second brother, sister-in-law, and nephew had to split up and escape on their own. With nowhere else to turn, 17-year-old Zhu Double Eight went to a monastery to become a monk, hoping at least to get a full meal. While at the monastery, he learned how to read and write, but it didn't last long. Soon, the monastery ran out of food, too. He was forced to leave and beg for alms, wandering from place to place. This harsh period of his life left a deep mark on him, even shaping many of the policies he would later implement as emperor. By the time he was 25 years old, Zhu Yuanzhang joined a rebel army fighting against the Yuan Dynasty. The leader of the group was Guo Zijing. Zhu Yuanzhang proved himself brave in battle, and, rare for the rebels at the time, he could read and write. This quickly earned him Guo Zijing's trust and favor. Guo Zijing valued him so much that he married his adopted daughter, Ma Shuying, to Zhu Yuanzhang. Around this time, Zhu Double Eight changed his name to Zhu Yuanzhang, a name that symbolized his new beginning. After getting married, their relationship was very strong. Ma Shuying was kind-hearted and loving, and together they adopted many orphans. But the good times didn't last. Guo Zijing was naturally suspicious, and when someone falsely accused Zhu Yuanzhang, he imprisoned him and even refused to feed him. Ma Shuying was desperate. She secretly baked some buns, and to keep them hot for her husband, she hid the steaming bread against her chest. By the time she reached him, the skin on her chest was burned red and swollen. Historical records even say it was scorched. Zhu Yuanzhang held the buns, looked at her burn marks, and tears welled up in his eyes. Eventually, Ma Shuying's bravery moved Guo Zijing's wife, and after she gave a few gifts as well, Zhu Yuanzhang was finally released. From then on, Ma Shuying stayed by his side through battles. Whenever the army ran low on food, she would give him the best rations, quietly eating rough grains herself, even going hungry if necessary. On one occasion, Zhu Yuanzhang was injured on the front lines with enemy troops hot on his heels. Without hesitation, Ma Shuying lifted him onto her back and carried him through the encirclement, saving his life. Years later, when Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he would often tell his ministers, if it weren't for the empress back then, I wouldn't even be alive today. Ma Shuying was more than just his wife. She was his strategist. She could read and write while Zhu Yuanzhang had little education, so she helped him organize military reports and take notes. Her keen attention to detail meant that she could always remind him to watch for important matters. One winter, she noticed that the soldier's cotton jackets were too thin, so she stayed up all night with the women to make enough warm clothes, ensuring the army stayed strong in the freezing cold. Zhu Yuanzhang deeply relied on this wife who could share hardships with him and also offer sound advice. In 1368, after years of battles, Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming dynasty and made Nanjing the capital. Ma Shuying naturally became the empress. In China, she is also known as the Bigfoot Empress. And you might be wondering why. The answer is heartbreaking. In ancient China, there was a cruel custom for women called foot binding, but Empress Ma escaped this painful practice. Behind this is a sad story, and it also explains how she was able to carry Zhu Yuanzhang on her back to escape danger. For thousands of years in China, small feet were considered beautiful for women. To achieve this, girls had to have their feet tightly bound with cloth from a young age, forcing their feet into unnatural shapes. The process was extremely painful. Jason's great-grandmother even went through it, but Ma Shuying's mother died early, so no one bound her feet, and her feet remained normal. This is also why she could carry Zhu Yuanzhang on her back when needed. But even after becoming empress, Ma Shuying's life wasn't easy. She had to deal with a husband who grew increasingly suspicious and violent. Zhu Yuanzhang was a controversial emperor. Some admired him because he rose from a beggar to the ruler of an empire. Others disliked him, saying he ruled brutally and killed many loyal officials. Because he had become emperor through rebellion, he feared others might rebel it too. So after taking the throne, he carried out numerous purges, killing many of his former comrades-in-arms. On one occasion, in an effort to strengthen his authority, Zhu Yuanzhang had Hu Weiyang, the prime minister, and his entire family, over 70 people, executed. More than 10,000 people across the country were implicated. Even Song Lian, the crown prince's teacher, was sentenced to death because of his grandson's involvement. Empress Ma, seeing the injustice, tried to intervene. When persuasion failed, she chose to fast in protest and ultimately saved Song Lian's life. In China, there's a tradition of putting the fu character, which means luck, on doors during the new year to wish for good fortune. If you pay close attention, you'll notice that nowadays, people often hang it upside down. But do you know why? Zhu Yuanzhang, who came from a poor background, cared deeply about public opinion and often disguised himself as a commoner to visit villages. One time, for reasons we don't know, he got upset at a particular family and planned to have them all killed on Chinese New Year's Eve. To make it easier to find them later, he ordered someone to mark their home by hanging the fu character upside down on their door. When Empress Ma heard about this, she immediately made a decision, one that not only saved the family's lives, but also created a Chinese tradition that continues to this day. How did she do it? She noticed that Zhu Yuanzhang seemed upset after returning to the palace and asked what had happened. Not wanting her husband to make a grave mistake, she ordered every household in the city to hang their fu characters upside down. That way, Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't be able to find the family he was targeting. On New Year's Eve, Zhu Yuanzhang saw that all the fu characters across the city were upside down. Thinking that everyone was defying him, he was furious. That's when Empress Ma explained, they didn't hang the fu characters upside down to oppose you, it's for good luck. In Chinese, the word for upside down sounds the same as arrive. So an upside down fu means good luck has arrived. Hearing this, all his anger vanished. And from then on, the tradition of hanging fu upside down became a staple of Chinese New Year. She's so clever. Not only that, but as Empress, Ma Shiying lived a life of extreme simplicity. She would wash and mend her clothes again and again, wearing them for as long as possible. When palace maids suggested she wear something new, she would say, a piece of new cloth could make several garments for the common people. If I wear this one a little longer, it can save a bit more for those in need. She even planted crops in the palace so that the imperial sons could learn how hard it was to grow food. Seeing her example, Zhu Yuanzhang also curbed his extravagance and the entire palace became much more frugal. In 1382, Empress Ma fell seriously ill. Zhu Yuanzhang was frantic. He summoned the best doctors in the country and even considered granting a general amnesty to pray for her recovery. But Empress Ma stopped him saying, life and death are determined by fate. How can we let the laws of the land be overturned just for me? The doctors should do their best and if they can't cure me, don't make things difficult for them. In her final days, Zhu Yuanzhang stayed by her bedside, tears streaming down his face like a child. Weakly, Empress Ma smiled and spoke in fragments. Your Majesty, be wise. Listen to your ministers. Don't be too harsh. Treat the people well. When Empress Ma passed away, she was only 51 years old. Zhu Yuanzhang held her body in his arms, crying uncontrollably. The same iron-blooded emperor who had faced battles without blinking and executed traitorous officials without hesitation now looked like a child who had lost his anchor. He gave her a grand funeral, even breaking traditional protocol to allow all civil and military officials to mourn her. The people of Nanjing also took to the streets, crying as they bid farewell to the empress who had loved and cared for them like a mother. After Empress Ma passed away, Zhu Yuanzhang seemed like a completely different person. He never appointed another empress. His temper grew even more volatile and he killed without hesitation. Some ministers whispered privately, if the empress were still here, perhaps the emperor wouldn't be like this. Over 600 years later, in Mingzao Mausoleum in Nanjing, Empress Ma's tomb rests right next to Zhu Yuanzhang's just as they were in life, inseparable. Whenever people speak of the Bigfoot Empress, they think of the woman who carried her husband to safety amidst chaos, the empress who quietly protected him in moments of fury and the legendary woman who warmed an iron-blooded dynasty with her life. She shows us that true strength doesn't come from power over others, but from kindness and wisdom, planting flowers in the human heart that never wither. Zhu Yuanzhang's story is about how a beggar rose to the pinnacle of power. Empress Ma's story, however, is about how humanity can struggle and shine at the heart of power. She used a lifetime of kindness and wisdom to warm a soul twisted by poverty and suspicion. But in the end, when she passed, Zhu Yuanzhang's cruelty intensified and his killings became even more relentless. Does this mean that even the greatest love cannot truly change someone corrupted by power? Or was Ma Yuxiang's presence just the last trace of humanity in Zhu Yuanzhang? What kind of emperor do you think he was? And do you know of any other ruler whose lover had a lasting impact on them or on history? Share your thoughts in the comments below.