Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 245 Better to give to friendly nations than to domestic slaves? Empress Ma roars in fury: He should be killed!

"Zhongba, who...who ultimately won the throne?"

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked, her voice filled with tension and heaviness.

At this point, the demise of the Ming Dynasty was inevitable.

But the question of who wins the world is different.

It would be excellent if the Han people gained control of the country.

The worst fear was that a foreign tribe from beyond the Great Wall would invade and rule the Central Plains, but for Empress Ma, this was acceptable.

This has become her biggest worry now.

But now, through Chongba's account, it seems that what she was most worried about might very well come true.

When Chongba talked about these things, he kept mentioning internal and external troubles.

It was also said that Li Zicheng, who occupied Beiping, was incapable of achieving anything, and was soon defeated by the foreign tribes outside the Great Wall, losing Beiping in a humiliating retreat.

Well, this matter... I'm afraid it's not a good thing...

"Sister..."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "You guessed right, the Tartars entered the pass and gained control of the country."

Our Great Ming Dynasty drove out the Tartars and restored China.

But then, China was taken over by foreign races again…

Zhu Yuanzhang's heart was heavy when he said these words.

As an emperor who expelled the Manchus and restored China, he found this matter truly unacceptable.

He knew that in modern times, due to ethnic integration and various historical reasons, the Qing Dynasty had fallen, and the people were collectively referred to as Huaxia.

The boundary is no longer as clear as it used to be.

But things are different now. Now it's the Ming Dynasty, and he is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

As someone who drove out the Manchus and restored China, it's natural to feel uneasy and find it hard to accept when considering this matter from today's perspective.

Empress Ma's heart skipped a beat, and her face turned pale.

It actually...it actually came true?

The thing I least wanted to see actually came true!

Why are the descendants of later generations so disappointing?

This is absolutely infuriating!

"Chongba, if you think about it carefully, the greatest responsibility for this matter should be placed on Li Zicheng's head."

The Ming Dynasty fell to Li Zicheng. He captured Beiping, but later lost it again.

He couldn't defeat the Tartars beyond the Great Wall, so he chose to flee.

After a moment, Empress Ma spoke, her attitude on the matter appearing resolute.

She truly did not want to see the Ming Dynasty fall at the hands of foreign tribes.

"Sister, you are absolutely right. Our Great Ming Dynasty did indeed perish at the hands of Li Zicheng."

After Li Zicheng captured Beiping, the emperor and crown prince of our Great Ming Dynasty were killed one after another.

He then ascended the throne in Beiping and established the Great Shun Dynasty.

This means that the demise of my Great Ming Dynasty has nothing to do with the Tartars.

The Han dynasty's empire was indeed seized from Li Zicheng.

That's what they said, but Zhu Yuanzhang was mostly just agreeing with his sister to comfort her.

To be honest, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the Ming Dynasty's territory was taken away by the Tartars.

The Tartars gradually grew in power during the reign of the Ming Dynasty.

By the time Li Zicheng became emperor, he had already established a significant power.

Another point is that Li Zicheng's reign as emperor was far too short.

"Chongba, how did those people do after they entered the Central Plains?"
Is it... is it like that Yuan Tartar again?

After a moment of silence, Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and spoke again, asking a question that had been troubling her.

"Sister, how good can these Tartars be to us Han people?"

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally knew what his sister was thinking, but although he couldn't bear it, he still told Empress Ma about it.

"Girl, you don't know, at that time, it can be said that from top to bottom, except for a very small number of people, most people were hoping that the Ming Dynasty would fall and a new dynasty would be established."

Hoping they can have a better life?

Many vassal kings did not consider the Ming Dynasty to be their own; they only felt that the Ming Dynasty belonged to the emperor and had nothing to do with them.

Many scholars, officials, landlords, merchants, and others felt that the Ming Dynasty was doomed.

It's time to change the dynasty.

No matter who comes, after the change of dynasty, his life will definitely be more comfortable than before.

Therefore, after the Manchus from outside the pass entered the pass and drove away Li Zicheng, many people in Beiping were overjoyed.

They felt they had been given a new lease on life and that their lives would get better.

But in the end, they were met with the executioner's blade.

Not only them, but also many local landlords, officials and gentry, and many others initially welcomed the Jurchens' entry into the Central Plains.

They felt that their lives would be even more carefree and comfortable than before.

But that wasn't the case. They soon discovered that the Tartars were far more harsh on them than the Ming Dynasty had been.

They need money, food, and even more importantly, their lives. Their dream of not paying taxes as before is now just a pipe dream.

Anyone who dared to resist was met with a swift and decisive attack...

At this point, many people realized that the Ming Dynasty, which they had previously despised and thought should have perished long ago, was actually the good one!

Compared to now, when the Ming Dynasty still existed, their lives were already in heaven.

The new dynasty they were so excited about treated them like pigs and dogs, not even human beings.

"Kill them without hesitation, without any mercy..."

Empress Ma closed her eyes in pain, and after a moment, she looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Chongba, if we do this, won't we lose the hearts of the people? How can we stand firm?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and said, "Sister, how should I put it? There has never been a shortage of traitors, collaborators, or opportunists."

These traitors are even more despicable than the Japanese.

The Tartars' perverse and brutal rule naturally provoked resistance from many people.

But by then it was too late to resist; the tide had turned, and the resistance in various places was fragmented and disorganized.

The fact that the knife didn't hit their heads gave many people a sense of relief.

In addition, there were many Han Chinese who fought bravely for him and actively planned to conquer the country.

Therefore, those who dared to resist were all killed.

Furthermore, the Kong family, represented by the Duke Yansheng, immediately submitted a letter of surrender, welcoming the emperor from beyond the Great Wall into China.

With many great Confucian scholars debating its principles, many things naturally became impossible.

"The Kong family? It's the Kong family again?! They don't even have the slightest bit of backbone they should have!"

Empress Ma's voice carried a hint of anger and disbelief.

"Girl, don't have too much hope for these people."

They were a bunch of spineless cowards, utterly shameless. The Confucius family at this time was completely different from the Confucius of yesteryear.

They are a bunch of parasites who have survived by relying on the blessings of their ancestors.

Calling them parasites is giving them too much credit.

That's why, in later generations, some people wrote couplets to criticize them.

For example, his unyielding spirit teaches loyalty, and his family has a long history of submitting memorials to the Duke of Yansheng.

For example, yesterday they surrendered to the Yuan Mongols, today they surrender to the Manchus; what's the big deal? Fang Mingfa: A family that skillfully persuades others to ascend the throne will have abundant blessings.

Confucius said to achieve benevolence, Mencius said to uphold righteousness, but they've all been forgotten. All that's remembered is: those who understand the times are heroes.

The horizontal scroll reads: "The Surrender of the Worldly Cultivators."

"Good, well written! Well said!"

Empress Ma couldn't help but cheer.

That was such a satisfying scolding! People like that deserve to be treated with utter ruthlessness.

The descendants of Confucius, who constantly preach loyalty, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame, are quick to offer congratulatory messages and sing praises whenever a new dynasty changes, regardless of whether the rulers are Han or not. Such behavior is truly inhuman!

Just thinking about it is infuriating.

Chongba is right, these people are already different from the most revered teacher Confucius!

They are maggots that live there, relying on the blessings of their ancestors.

If Confucius knew what his descendants had done, he would be shocked.

They might get so angry they'd grab their swords and kill them!

"The atrocities committed by the Tartars when they entered the pass are far more than just a little bit."

During this process, a series of massacres were carried out.

The Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiading Massacre, the Datong Massacre, the Sichuan Massacre, the Guangzhou Massacre...

So many people have died just like that…

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes reddened as he thought of these things.

Empress Ma was also in a bad mood.

Even knowing that these people wouldn't show any mercy once they entered the pass.

But even now, listening to what my beloved Chongba is saying, I still can't help but feel sad.

The Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiading Massacre... Behind these simple words, how many vibrant lives were lost!

"It was this series of cruel methods that made many people behave themselves."

Commercial taxes in our Great Ming Dynasty are treated as if they were confiscated.

And yet, all those people kept whining and complaining.

They felt that the Ming Dynasty owed them money, and that things were not going well for them, so they wished the court would pay them back.

When they arrived at the Tartar territory, they were subjected to a brutal beating, and one by one they obediently began to pay up.

This also applies to various local taxes.

After we returned, we learned from our mistakes and realized that our Great Ming Dynasty could no longer afford to be poor!
Whether it's scholars or people like those below, we can't be too polite to them.

Taxes should be collected when they are due, and anyone who dares not to pay should be dealt with.

Don't be afraid of them causing chaos; chaos means fewer people will be killed.

If you cut them down enough, they'll behave!
The gentry class in Jiangnan began to emerge in the Song Dynasty and was strengthened in the Yuan Dynasty.

It remains a malignant tumor in our Great Ming Dynasty!
They never wanted to pay money, and they were always thinking of going against the imperial court, always feeling that the court was taking too much from them.

Throughout history, they have always been treated with courtesy and respect.

But as a result, they were not satisfied and only wanted more.

It's just a habit.

Pick them up, chop them up, and they all quieted down immediately.

These people can't cause any real trouble; the reason they're so disruptive is because not many have been killed.

"After killing enough, they stopped causing trouble..."

Empress Ma felt that what her son, Chongba, said made a lot of sense.

Especially when combined with what Chongba said about how the Tartars treated them after entering the pass, and how they behaved, it all seemed to make more sense.

We really can't be too polite to these people.

No wonder Chongba's attitude toward many things, such as commercial taxes, was quite different after he returned.

Even I myself would have my thoughts changed after learning about these things.

Judging from the effects of everything he did after returning from Chongba's return, his actions were correct and the results were immediate...

"The Southern Ming, which later became the small court, also bears a great deal of responsibility for how things turned out this way."

Even at that point, they were still constantly fighting amongst themselves.

When it comes to making decisions on major strategic directions, they are even more disorganized and utterly stupid!

When the Tartars entered the pass and captured Beiping, he actually did not advocate that everyone work together to drive out the Tartars and unite against the enemy. Instead, he wanted to join forces with the Tartars and kill Li Zicheng first!
Then, Li Zicheng died, and their side was also routed and forced to retreat...

I can't talk much about the Southern Ming Dynasty; just mentioning it will send my blood pressure soaring.

It's even more heartbreaking than the Chongzhen era.

"Girl, after they became emperors and seized power, they have always been extremely wary of the Han people."

I've never considered myself one of them.

He had always planned to retreat to the border region if things didn't go smoothly.

To maintain a rule that keeps the people ignorant.

They were on their way to attack my Great Ming, and firearms played a huge role in that.

In order to keep the people ignorant and to prevent others from rebelling using firearms, they insisted on spreading the story that they had won the world through horsemanship and archery.

In many ways, it hindered the development of firearms.

Firearms, which had already been developed during the Ming Dynasty, never recovered.

The funny thing is, with all the publicity, even they started to believe it themselves.

Then, they were beaten particularly badly...

Another example is the rampant literary inquisition.

Just because Qingfeng is illiterate, why is he randomly flipping through books? He has already gotten countless people into trouble.

Guarding against the Han people is more important than preventing a river from overflowing.

Many Han Chinese were truly willing to kneel on the ground and serve as slaves.

Even when submitting memorials to the Qing emperor, he specifically referred to himself as a servant.

As a result, the Qing emperor singled him out, saying he was unfit to employ servants.

Zhu Yuanzhang would laugh in exasperation at the mention of these things.

"It wasn't until later that Hong Xiuquan launched the Taiping Rebellion, which swept across Jiangnan and seized half of the Qing Dynasty's territory."

These people could no longer hold out, and only then did they have no choice but to begin to delegate power to the Han people.

This led to the emergence of a group of Han Chinese generals…

"How dare these mere Japanese pirates be so arrogant?"

"What a fine example of 'preferring to give to friendly nations than to domestic slaves'!"

What does it mean to use China's resources to win the favor of foreign powers?

How could this be? How could this be!

Can't you even be a human being?!
Empress Ma was furious when she heard her son, Chongba's, account.

That was the beautiful land of China, and half of it has been so easily ruined!
Then came the series of unequal treaties. Even Empress Ma, with her good temper, couldn't help but slam her hand on the table.

"Such a humiliating and disgraceful agreement! How could they even sign such a shameless agreement!"
That's... utterly shameless!
Why don't you just die already!

Empress Ma shouted angrily, her emotions running high, wishing she could skin him alive!
……

"Zhongba, firearms must be developed, and science and technology must also be developed!"

"Schools should be established, and new schools should be promoted!"

"Taxes should be levied where they are due, and those intellectuals should have their perceptions changed."

Those who are stubborn and incorrigible should be killed!

Chongba, my Great Ming Dynasty must never again suffer such a fate!
We must never let something like what happened at the end of the Qing Dynasty happen again!
It turns out that our enemy isn't just in the north or around us; they might even be coming from across the ocean!

It was late at night when Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang. Her face was serious, and her voice was filled with urgency.

What Chongba said to her today really had a huge impact on her.

This left her completely bewildered, and a great deal of urgency followed.

"Don't worry, girl, we'll definitely do it."

This kind of thing must never happen again.

It is up to our Great Ming Dynasty to initiate the Age of Geographical Discovery and bring the flame of civilization to the world!

Empress Ma nodded vigorously, confident that her son, Chongba, could definitely accomplish these things!

After a while, when her emotions had gradually calmed down, Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Chongba, why did the military generals and nobles of my Great Ming Dynasty decline so much in the end?"

(End of this chapter)