The Li family's ups and downs

Zhu Yuanzhang ranked Li Wenzhong as the fourth statesman of great merit in the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, as during the early stages of the dynasty, he continued to pacify rebels, helping to stabilize his uncle's rule.

On display are two pieces of leather armor that once protected Li Wenzhong's chest and back and which symbolize his illustrious military service. "They are coated with black lacquer and seashell powder and patterned with gold," says Hu Yan, a curator at the National Museum of China. "The pieces of armor were restored before the show, and the last time they were on display was in the early 20th century."

After Li Wenzhong died, his two sons, Li Jinglong and Li Fangying, carried on the family's close relations with Zhu Yuanzhang. The emperor entrusted the elder, Li Jinglong, with important military undertakings, and often called Li Fangying to court and to check his progress in mastering classic texts.

On one occasion, Zhu Yuanzhang was so pleased with Li Fangying's development that he rewarded the young man with a steamed bun wrapped in his handkerchief. That handkerchief was later venerated at the family's ancestral temple, and Li Jinglong wrote about it in a note which, together with the handkerchief, is also on display.