Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 242 Sister, don't even mention it. It's such a blessing to have such filial sons and grandsons!

"Zhongba, how did our Great Ming Dynasty fall, and how many years did it exist?"

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked the question that had been on her mind.

This matter had been weighing on her mind for a long time.

Logically speaking, Emperor Chongba, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, did many things quite well.

Chongba had always worked tirelessly for the Ming Dynasty, setting a good precedent.

All the systems and regulations are in good order.

Logically speaking, with the example set by Chongba, the future of our Ming Dynasty shouldn't be too bad.

How did it also lead to the fall of the country?
"Could it be that among the descendants of the fourth prince, there is also a scoundrel like Zhu Yunwen?"

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and spoke again.

Actually, when she asked this question, she basically understood that there must be a reason for it.

It's impossible for all the emperors of a country to be wise and virtuous.

Throughout history, which dynasty or era didn't have some incompetent rulers?
Later on, our Ming Dynasty will inevitably encounter this situation as well.

Even a founding emperor like Chongba was followed by Zhu Yunwen after his death. This incredibly stupid idiot made a complete mess of every aspect of the Ming Dynasty.

After such a capable person as the fourth son passed away, will his descendants also be virtuous and wise generation after generation?
I'm afraid it will be difficult for anyone to surpass the fourth one.

It is also impossible for every generation to be wise and virtuous.

However, while thinking this way, I also had a certain degree of confidence.

Even if the emperors of the Ming Dynasty after me are incompetent, I am certain that they will not be as useless as Emperor Huizong of Song and his son.

"Sister, our Great Ming Dynasty has existed for 276 years."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Empress Ma and spoke.

Empress Ma nodded upon hearing this. Two hundred and seventy-six years, nearly three hundred years, is quite a long time.

Throughout history, there have been very few dynasties that have lasted this long.

For our Great Ming Dynasty to have such a long reign is already quite satisfactory; it's not too bad.

"As for incompetent rulers, there certainly are some; every dynasty has its share of incompetent rulers."

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth as he said this.

Many of the emperors who were descendants of the Ming Dynasty were truly inhuman; just thinking about it makes me angry!
There was an emperor who, in his wildest dreams, indulged in cricket fighting and lost many of the territories his grandfather had conquered.

That damned war killed so many soldiers, and then they went to study in the Oirat Mongols, only to turn around and beg for their services!
Some people spend their days listening to Confucian scholars spout nonsense and being brainwashed by them. They seem very diligent, but in reality, they are doing all useless work. They are confused and their minds are not clear. They are just being dutiful sons and grandsons to the many civil officials.

Some people slack off and don't attend court.

The old Taoist priest was alright in the early stages; he genuinely wanted to accomplish something.

After a series of fires and being strangled by a palace maid, he chose to give up.

Undeniably, he was quite adept at fighting against those civil officials and engaging in power struggles.

However, this also caused national affairs to be neglected.

There are also those who, after becoming emperors, ruled without any real power, indulging in pleasure every day, and died within a few years.

There are also those who follow their grandfather's example and completely abandon their duties, not even filling vacancies in official positions, and some even go to court for over twenty years.

His grandfather didn't attend court, yet he was still able to keep the situation under control.

This thing doesn't go to court; it's just a street stall.

And then there was the Red Pill Case, which happened right after he ascended the throne, and he died after only a month as emperor.

There was a carpenter who fell into the water.

Finally, someone emerged who genuinely wanted to save the Ming Dynasty, and was exceptionally diligent and frugal, wholeheartedly dedicated to making the Ming Dynasty better.

In the end, he was someone who wanted to kill the enemy but was powerless to turn the tide; someone who wanted to do things but lacked the means and the brains.

The more they messed things up, the faster the Ming Dynasty would die.

These filial sons and grandsons! Just thinking about Zhu Yuanzhang makes me angry!

I really wanted to whip them all one by one, to give them a good beating, and it would be best to whip some of them to death, so as not to embarrass myself and ruin the Ming Dynasty!
When Empress Ma heard what her beloved Chongba said and saw his expression, she understood that among the future emperors, some of them would definitely be particularly bad.

Otherwise, Chongba would never have been so furious.

However, upon further reflection, it becomes understandable.

If all the emperors of my Ming Dynasty had done as well as Chongba, then my Ming Dynasty would not have perished.

"Chongba, then tell me first how my Great Ming Dynasty fell."

What did the last emperor of my Ming Dynasty do?

He must be a lazy, incompetent official who rarely attends court, right?

Empress Ma thought for a moment, then looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and spoke.

Actually, when she said this, she had already made a judgment about the matter in her mind.

I felt that this matter was definitely no different from what I had imagined.

Of all the rulers who lost their kingdoms, how many were diligent in their duties?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head: "Sister, the name of the last emperor of our Ming Dynasty was Zhu Youjian, and his reign title was Chongzhen."

He was not a lazy person at all; on the contrary, he was particularly diligent.

He was the most diligent of the dozen or so emperors of our Ming Dynasty, besides myself and the fourth prince.

If we take into account that the fourth prince often led troops into battle and left the administration to his eldest son, Zhu Youjian's diligence in governance might even surpass that of the fourth prince.

He will become the second most diligent official in our Great Ming Dynasty, after ourselves.

what?
Empress Ma was stunned upon hearing this, and she was extremely surprised.

A deposed emperor, yet so diligent in his duties? How could he become second only to Chongba in rank?
This is so unexpected!

"Then he must be addicted to alcohol and women, right?"

Empress Ma thought for a moment and then voiced her guess again.

Incompetent and immoral rulers, and those who are dissolute and licentious, are almost standard features of rulers who bring about the downfall of their kingdoms.

Since Zhu Youjian was a ruler who lost his country, it's likely that he couldn't avoid such things.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head again: "Sister, I don't have that either."

Zhu Youjian's harem did not have many concubines, which was within a very normal range.

Moreover, because of his diligence in government affairs, he was even less likely to become addicted to things like wine and women.

Moreover, he is frugal and not the type to be extravagant.

Ok? !

Empress Ma was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

No... this is becoming increasingly difficult to understand and comprehend.

What... what exactly is going on here?
Even though Empress Ma was always intelligent, she was still stunned by what Chongba had said at this moment.

"So, was Zhu Youjian, also known as Chongba, a child emperor? Was he a puppet?"

However, Empress Ma immediately denied this question after it was asked.

This Zhu Youjian was definitely not a child emperor.

After all, Chongba himself said that he was diligent in his duties and very hardworking.

A child emperor, a puppet emperor, what kind of government affairs could he possibly be diligent about?

Moreover, Zhu Youjian had a harem and children, making it even less likely that he was a child emperor.

Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang then denied Empress Ma's speculation once again.

Empress Ma was completely confused, her mind filled with too many doubts and questions.

This whole thing just doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it.

How could someone who was so diligent in government affairs, didn't squander money, and was wholeheartedly dedicated to making the Ming Dynasty better become the ruler who brought about the downfall of the country?

Not only did Empress Ma not understand, but Zhu Yuanzhang also had some complicated and difficult feelings.

He could understand how his sister felt right now.

After all, even he was quite bewildered when he first witnessed these situations in his later years.

It was unexpected.

The last rulers of other dynasties were either incompetent and tyrannical, completely neglecting state affairs, indulging in wine, women, and a life of debauchery.

Or it could be a child emperor, a puppet who can't rule or make decisions and is at the mercy of others.

But when it came to their own Great Ming Dynasty, everything was reversed.

He was a little emperor who wholeheartedly wanted to save the Ming Dynasty, lived a simple life, did not indulge in wine and women, and was not a puppet emperor.

This is truly a spectacle.

"Then...how come his country still fell?"

After saying this, another guess came to mind.

"Is it possible that he became emperor and soon the Ming Dynasty was gone?"

The Ming Dynasty was already terminally ill, so it didn't give him many opportunities to demonstrate his talents.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head again: "Sister, no."

He reigned as emperor for a full seventeen years.

Ok? !

Empress Ma was completely stunned, her mind a jumbled mess, unable to come up with any reasonable guesses.

This is so strange, it's completely incomprehensible!

"Girl, this matter... how should I put it... the situation is very complicated."

The story of Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian) is indeed difficult to understand.

However, you'll understand once I explain it to you.

Undeniably, Emperor Chongzhen was indeed diligent in his duties, concerned about the country, and wanted to make the Ming Dynasty better by solving its many problems.

However, to put it simply, his abilities were far from sufficient, and his ideas were far too simplistic.

The more effort you put in, the more mistakes you make.

The more diligent the rulers were, the faster the Ming Dynasty fell.

If Emperor Chongzhen hadn't been so diligent in governing after taking the throne, it's quite possible that the Ming Dynasty wouldn't have had so many problems.

At least it can exist for a few more years. Often, the hard work of a clever person cannot compare to the brilliant idea of ​​a seemingly foolish person who works exceptionally hard.

Moreover, Emperor Chongzhen worked hard for a full seventeen years.

After Emperor Chongzhen came to power, he was easily fooled by the numerous civil officials.

At that time, the government was in chaos, and the struggles were extremely intense.

This was especially true of the struggle between eunuchs and civil officials.

Although we have always disagreed with the interference of the imperial harem in politics, it depends on the circumstances.

By that time, the power of the civil officials had become too great, and their actions were too rampant.

Imperial power was severely suppressed in many places.

In order to demonstrate imperial power and reclaim some of the emperor's authority, the only option was to support eunuchs and put them in a position to compete with civil officials.

In that situation, the eunuch group had become a major extension of imperial power.

It is a knife in the emperor's hand.

When Zhu Youxiao was alive, things were alright; it was he who helped people like Wei Zhongxian rise to power.

It was used to fight against those civil officials.

He hid in the palace doing carpentry work, ignoring all the nagging and complaining.

Things changed after Emperor Chongzhen came to power.

Those numerous civil officials, like flies drawn to blood, swarmed around Emperor Chongzhen, showering him with all sorts of deception.

Whether it was the Tartars from beyond the Great Wall, the refugees within the country, or natural disasters and man-made calamities, they could all be blamed on the eunuchs.

When the emperor sought his advice, no matter what he asked, the answer was always the same: to eliminate the eunuchs.

It's as if after the eunuchs were executed, many problems could be easily solved.

Then, Zhu Youjian believed it and began to carry out the purge of the eunuchs.

The eunuchs of my Great Ming Dynasty are not the same as those of the Tang Dynasty.

In the Tang Dynasty, eunuchs controlled the army, so they could kill the emperor at will and replace him with whomever they wanted.

But the eunuchs of my Great Ming Dynasty do not have such abilities.

Wei Zhongxian was known as the "Nine Thousand Years Old" and wielded immense power in the court.

However, Emperor Chongzhen, who had just ascended the throne, could kill people as easily as killing a dog.

Undeniably, eunuchs also did many inhuman things and were not good people.

Wei Zhongxian was hardly a good person.

If Chongzhen killed him, then so be it.

However, after Emperor Chongzhen deposed Wei Zhongxian, he was unable to find someone else to replace him and check the civil officials.

That was the biggest mistake, and then things exploded.

The imperial court could no longer collect taxes.

Later in the Ming Dynasty, the court was filled with "righteous officials".

Those who were devoted to the country and spoke eloquently quickly showed Chongzhen their true power.

Regardless of what happened, Wei Zhongxian was able to raise tax revenue while he was in power, which was of great importance to the Ming Dynasty.

"You know how serious it is when an imperial court is broke."

Empress Ma nodded, for she truly understood this point.

Even a hero can be brought down by a penny, and a country cannot function without money either.

"At that time, the Ming Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles, as well as natural and man-made disasters."

Natural disasters... well, they've been a constant throughout history.

Our China is such a vast country that every year there are disasters either here or there.

How many emperors have ruled a time when the land was blessed with favorable weather and abundant harvests?
impossible!

Disasters every year are the most normal state of affairs.

Is everything in my Great Ming Dynasty going smoothly right now?
Isn't it just that some places are experiencing drought while others are flooded?

During the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of Tang, there were very few years with natural disasters, lasting only a few years.

For the remaining nearly twenty years, natural disasters continued one after another: locust plagues, earthquakes, floods, and droughts...

But what about the prosperous reign of Zhenguan, which still inspires people to this day?

Ultimately, those who are powerless in the face of natural disasters and blame everything on them are simply incompetent; they are rotten in every aspect of their lives.

Even when faced with people suffering from major disasters, they not only fail to provide relief, but also impose additional taxes.

These actions are simply outrageous.

Therefore, human error exacerbated the natural disaster.

The Ming Dynasty couldn't collect taxes, the court had no money, and many things couldn't be done.

This is a fundamental reason.

Emperor Chongzhen himself did have many problems. He was never raised as an emperor; he was just a prince.

After his elder brother passed away, he was chosen to be emperor.

Emperor Chongzhen had significant character flaws. The more he trusted the civil officials at the beginning, the more he distrusted them later, and the civil officials made him lose confidence.

In some matters, it is easy to be subject to secondary management.

And it's a non-stick pan, so I can't take responsibility.

When faced with major issues, he always wanted his court officials to speak first, and if any problems arose or there was any disturbance, he would protect everyone in front of him.

All the blame should be placed on those officials who spoke and acted before.

They showed no mercy when dealing with them.

After many such incidents, many people have come to the conclusion that the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; and if you do nothing, you make no mistakes.

Therefore, it is only natural and acceptable for someone who is already lazy to become even laxer.

When trouble comes, most people play dead; no one dares to rush to the front anymore.

He was equally inept at employing people. He didn't remember the principles of trusting those he employed and not employing those he didn't trust.

In many things, I am particularly eager and just want to see results immediately.

Putting aside other factors, just look at the speed at which the chief minister was changed during the Chongzhen reign to get a glimpse of the situation.

During the more than ten years that Emperor Chongzhen reigned, he appointed nineteen different chief ministers.

If someone were to do something like that, it would be strange if they actually did something good!

A newly appointed prime minister, before he could even get to the bottom of things and get anything done, was replaced.

How can you do it well?
Too hasty!

When Zhu Yuanzhang spoke of Chongzhen's various actions, he couldn't help but shake his head.

Emperor Chongzhen's actions were truly infuriating.

It made him so angry his liver hurt!

That's not how the emperor does it, and that's not how things are done.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that an emperor is afraid to take responsibility and can't handle things is unacceptable.

Empress Ma nodded upon hearing this, immediately understanding that Chongzhen would become the last emperor of the country.

This personality and the way he does things are truly terrible.

He lacked the wisdom and composure expected of a ruler.

How can one be a good emperor?
Just as Chongba said, if he hadn't been so diligent in governing the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty might have been able to hold on for a little longer.

"Of course, the Ming Dynasty was indeed terminally ill at that time, and it would be wrong to attribute all the problems to Chongzhen."

However, it is equally impossible to say that Emperor Chongzhen was not at fault and should not bear any responsibility.

Girl, the situation in our Ming Dynasty back then was really serious.

Natural disasters continued, including widespread droughts year after year and the Little Ice Age.

The Little Ice Age refers to a period when the weather became increasingly cold, with shorter periods of warmth.

The climate is much colder overall, which is not conducive to farming.

In the last few years of Chongzhen's reign, a plague struck, killing many people.

In the imperial court, the officials were no better; fierce infighting meant few dared to do anything practical, and many were all talk and no action.

The local government was even worse.

Many officials, after taking office, do not think about how to serve the country, but how to make money.

The problem is equally serious in every region.

For example, the Shanxi merchants were involved in all sorts of treasonous acts.

They traded with the Jurchens in Liaodong, selling large quantities of goods to them.

He also flirted with the Tartars outside the Great Wall in Liaodong, acting as their spy, intelligence gatherer, and guide.

In the southeast, the land became the private domain of many gentry who did not share the same interests as the imperial court and only cared about paying taxes.

They divided up a large portion of the taxes that should have been handed over to the imperial court.

The army was also in disarray; many Ming soldiers were unable to make a sound, and some soldiers even had to work on an empty stomach.

There was a saying at the time: "The Ming army is invincible when its pay is not full, but when it is fully paid."

Where is the full pay? To Huang Taiji in Liaodong.

Under such circumstances, how much fighting strength do you expect the soldiers to have?
Moreover, at that time, the status of generals was extremely low, and they were trampled underfoot by civil officials.

Decades ago, even nearly a century ago, renowned generals would kneel and bow before court officials, referring to themselves as their lackeys!

what? !

Empress Ma was shocked upon hearing this.

How...how did it turn out like this?!

What about the nobles of the Ming Dynasty? What about the military generals of the Ming Dynasty?
How could we allow these civil officials to bully us like this?!

(End of this chapter)