Zhu Yuanzhang governed the country diligently for thirty-one years, purging officials, severely punishing corrupt officials, establishing health stations, consolidating border defense, and paying attention to agriculture, which played a positive role in social stability, national unity and development. However, he instituted unjust prisons, killed meritorious officials, established royal guards, and implemented brutal rule over the officials and the people. He abolished the prime minister system and suppressed the assistance of talented people, making it easier for powerful ministers and eunuchs to control the political power. This led to the monopoly of eunuchs in the late Ming Dynasty and the rise of civil strife. He was both an outstanding statesman and a rare tyrant. Zhu Yuanzhang's legendary life was full of contradictions.
In the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu (1394), Zhu Yuanzhang killed Zhou Dexing, the Marquis of Jiangxia, and Fu Youde, the Duke of Ying. Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan, who had made contributions in the Battle of Yuerhai, was also sentenced to death.
Because of his large-scale unjust imprisonment and execution of meritorious officials, civil strife broke out.