Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 54 Post-Ming Dynasty!

[“Your Majesty, please bring down divine punishment on the Western Barbarians!”]

[You made a solemn request to the Divine Emperor!]

Compared to the previous temptation of requesting an increase in salary, this direct request for punishment on the Western Ocean is obviously a better way to test His true intentions. Moreover, your reason for making this request is very sufficient, so there is no need to suspect that you are trying to test Him...

After all, the foreigners are truly a foreign power with ill intentions. Their ability to secretly sign a plan to slaughter the gods with the Yangzhou rebels clearly reveals their evil ambitions. Any Divine Emperor with any temper or ability would surely punish them!

[As a "loyal minister," you naturally want to share your king's worries, so making this proposal is reasonable.]

[The Divine Emperor has no reason to refuse! ]

【But...He actually refused.】

After hearing your request, the Divine Emperor revealed a helpless expression. He hesitated for a moment, wanting to speak, before finally shaking his head, his face filled with embarrassment...

【Um? ! 】

Your eyes widen instantly: No way?! He... He really got weaker?!

[You're not even going to do anything about this?!]

[In an instant, a myriad of thoughts surged through your mind, and a bold idea gradually emerged...]

[Ding! Facing the Divine Emperor's failing form, your fiery heart begins to stir involuntarily. What is your choice: (?)]

[A: Secretly raise a group of assassins, emulating Sima Zhongda's example! The Divine Emperor is still very powerful, but you're still young enough. If you follow Sima Zhongda's example and maintain good health, you might even live to see the Divine Emperor's utter decline. Then, you'll raise your voice, and everyone will unanimously support you as the new Emperor! Then you can yell at him, "I, I, I! Dog-footed I!" and punch him three times...]

B: Dedicate yourself to your work, emulating the example of Zhuge Kongming! The Divine Emperor, halfway through his mission, delegated power to you, elevating you to the position of Prime Minister in one fell swoop. Thus, the fate of the world is at your mercy... He is like a combination of Liu Bei and Liu Chan, father and son. His kindness to you is immense. According to "feudal values," you must devote yourself to his work until your death, becoming a loyal Prime Minister like Zhou Zifang. His illustrious legacy will illuminate the past and present!

【…】

what? !

Zhou Liang couldn't help scratching his head:

"What's going on? Can the Divine Emperor really become weaker like those people in Yangzhou say?!"

Isn't that right? Clearly, Zhu Youjian hadn't been overthrown until the 99th year of Chongzhen's reign. How come it's only the 74th year of Chongzhen's reign, and the imitation of "He" is no longer working?

Could it be that the so-called God-killing plan is really feasible?
Zhou Liang, who had wanted to kill gods all his life, immediately couldn't help but think of a couple of things...

Is it necessary for the Divine Emperor to be slaughtered?

Of course!
If the killing of the god succeeds, on the one hand, it can avenge the tens of millions of people who died in those years, and on the other hand, it can eliminate a potential bomb for the world. After all, no one knows whether he will launch a shocking killing spree like he did in the past.

The last point is the secret of becoming a god...

How many people who have lived under the oppression of the Divine Emperor's might since childhood do not envy His power and dignity?
Just like what Liu Bang and Xiang Yu said when they saw the majesty of Qin Shi Huang's tour of the world:
This is what a man should do!
He can take his place!
Later, Napoleon said something similar: A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier!
It is human nature to envy others' strength and want to become like them... let alone a time traveler like Zhou Liang. Knowing that there are gods in the world, how could he not have any thoughts about this great power?

If the Divine Emperor is killed, not only will a great threat to the world be eliminated, but one may also gain the power he has always dreamed of... Why not do it?

It's a true win-win!
But Zhou Liang was no fool, and he wouldn't do inappropriate things at inappropriate times. After a little thought, he calmed down:

"Killing the Divine Emperor is naturally a good idea, but the timing is wrong... He is the only pillar of the Ming Dynasty right now. Once he falls, the already weakened Ming Dynasty will be directly invaded and oppressed by various forces. The casualties among the people will be huge!"

"Although I really want to replace him, personal interests should never be placed above the collective, so the Divine Emperor cannot die yet... At least until the Ming Dynasty is truly revived, He must live!"

So, should we choose A?

Zhou Liang was about to make a choice, but then frowned:
"wrong……"

"The Divine Emperor isn't one of those blind men like Cao Wei. I was overthinking it, imitating Sima Yi's tactics of raising assassins and orchestrating the Gaopingling coup right under His nose... Besides, if I were the Divine Emperor, I'd have to leave enough divine power as a backup. How could I possibly use it all up and wait for my subjects to rebel?"

"If He discovers my little trick, I will die..."

"Besides, I still have some doubts about whether the Divine Emperor is truly weakened..." Zhou Liang looked troubled.

Thinking from multiple angles, I cannot rule out the possibility that the Divine Emperor is deliberately showing weakness to the enemy so as to use it as a bait for law enforcement... Rather than getting hooked and becoming a black carp, it is better to act like this for the rest of my life!

Just like the famous saying: If a villain plays the role of a gentleman all his life, then he is not a hypocrite, but a true gentleman!
"Who cares? I'll just be Zhuge Liang, living a pure and flawless life, a perfect Zhou Zifang who perfectly conforms to the feudal ethics of monarchy and ministers... After all, loyal ministers can live longer and more safely, and if they live long enough, they can also find out Chongzhen's true strengths and weaknesses."

"At worst, I can just be Sima Yi next time and have a blast!"

Zhou Liang made up his mind and made his own choice:

"Choose B! I want to be a perfect person forever!"

Ding! You chose option B, devoting yourself to the cause, emulating the story of Zhuge Kongming! The Divine Emperor, halfway through his career, delegated power, promoting you to the position of Prime Minister in one fell swoop. Now, the fate of the world is yours... He is like a combination of Liu Bei and Liu Chan, father and son. His kindness to you is immense. According to "feudal values," you must devote yourself to the cause until your death, becoming a loyal Prime Minister like Zhou Zifang, a virtuous minister whose light shines through the ages!

[So your originally flickering eyes became firm again, even firmer than before! ]

No one knows what decision you've made in your heart, but from this moment on, there's one less "Sima Yi" in the world, and one more "Zhuge Liang." From now on, you will dedicate yourself to the Ming Dynasty and the great Divine Emperor, until your death!

[You kowtowed several times to the Divine Emperor without a word, then calmly left the palace to continue your important cause of reform.]

The Divine Emperor is the only one left in the palace. He sits on the dragon throne, gazing at your back from afar. His face, which had just been filled with helplessness and embarrassment, suddenly furrows its brow, his expression uncertain: He seems to be somewhat confused about you...

【…】

In July of the 74th year of the Chongzhen reign, the Prime Minister recruited tens of thousands of people from the capital, amassing a total of 100,000 troops. He also hired Western instructors to train the troops using Western tactics.

This month, the Prime Minister equipped the Beijing camp with foreign guns and cannons captured during the southern expedition, and ordered Wanggongchang to prepare more gunpowder and projectiles for military use!

In October, after three months of training, the Beijing Army finally became familiar with Western tactics and had become quite effective in using Western rifles and cannons. Although their actual combat effectiveness was probably not very high, they were still considered a "strong army" in the midst of the Ming Dynasty, where weaklings were fighting each other...

[So you decisively mobilized 50,000 of the troops and ordered them to attack various parts of Hebei and suppress the Hebei rebels!]

In December of the 74th year of the Chongzhen reign, although the 50,000 new troops were still somewhat flustered on the battlefield, the Hebei rebels were mostly ignorant peasants who had been instigated, so their fighting power was far inferior to that of Yangzhou... Coupled with sufficient ammunition and food supplies, they were able to successfully quell the Hebei rebels!

When the news reached the capital, you were naturally delighted. You rewarded the meritorious soldiers and quickly evaluated the officials in the prefectures and counties of Hebei. Those with serious misdeeds were sentenced on the spot, while those with lesser misdeeds were retained. You also provided financial aid to the people. Soon, Hebei was stabilized and the people praised you!

Then, you ordered the 50,000-strong army to expand in all directions, with Hebei as their base.

[Every time the new army annihilates a bandit in a certain area, you replicate the process in Hebei, and soon your actual control area will expand greatly...]

[In February of the seventy-fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, Shandong was razed to the ground!]

[In April of the 75th year of Chongzhen's reign, Henan was pacified!]

In June of the seventy-fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, Shanxi surrendered, and the four provinces of Shanxi and He were all effectively controlled by your "Later Ming" regime...

【…】

[I don't know if you wiped out all the high-intensity rebels in Yangzhou, but the Beijing New Army barely fought any tough battles during its sweep across the country. Even the local officials rarely rebelled. As long as the imperial army wiped out the rebels, the military and political powers in all regions surrendered smoothly...]

[After so many favorable battles, the new troops in the Beijing camp developed the illusion that they were invincible...]

Finally, in August of the 76th year of the Chongzhen reign, the new army reached the Zhennan Pass in Guangxi. From then on, the two capitals and thirteen provinces were completely annihilated. The original officials also underwent a complete transformation, becoming efficient and upright!

Your political tentacles have finally spread throughout the entire Ming Dynasty. Across the vast expanse of the two capitals and thirteen provinces, and in the ears of hundreds of millions of people, only one voice remains!

[After a series of de facto unification wars, the "Great Ming Dynasty" symbolizing the sun was officially declared dead! ]

[At the same time, a new dynasty, which later historians called "Later Ming" or "Zhou Ming", officially replaced it! ]

In August of the seventy-sixth year of the Chongzhen reign, under Prime Minister Zhou Zifang's plan to "kill insects and shoot the sun," Chinese history entered the "Post-Ming" era. You will personally lead this ancient land and its people to another era of glory...

……

(End of this chapter)