My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Zhu Di looked furious.

"Damn it! When I get back, I'll add an ancestral precept: no descendant can change my posthumous title!"

"Let's see who dares to change it then!"

"If you change it, you'll skin him alive!"

Seeing Zhu Di's indignation, Chen Mo smiled and continued speaking.

"Continuing from what I just said, there was also the Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun, who again did not attend court for decades, setting a record for emperors who neglected their duties."

"Of course, it cannot be denied that he does have health problems."

"But to be fair, he personally pushed the Ming Dynasty, which had finally begun to show signs of improvement, back into the abyss."

Zhu Yuanzhang: ? ? ?

Zhu Di: ? ? ?

The two suppressed their anger, sensing that something terrible was about to happen.

Having been bombarded by so many bizarre emperors, the two of them were almost numb.

"In the early Wanli period, thanks to the assistance of his teacher, Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, a series of reforms were implemented, which are known in history as the Wanli New Deal or the Zhang Juzheng Reforms."

"Zhang Juzheng? Another capable minister?"

"Yes, Zhang Juzheng."

Chen Mo affirmed.

"He implemented the 'Single Whip Law,' which simplified the tax system by merging miscellaneous taxes such as land tax and corvée labor into a single tax levied in silver, thereby increasing national treasury revenue and reducing the burden on the people."

"In addition, he implemented the 'Performance Evaluation System' to strictly evaluate officials, rectify official corruption, and greatly improve the efficiency of the court."

"It was during his ten years in power that the Ming Dynasty's treasury was full, the grain stored in the granary could last for ten years, silver was piled up like mountains, and the border defenses were also strengthened, which was called the restoration."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di's eyes lit up simultaneously.

This is the magnificent scene they've always dreamed of!

After all, they were both short of money!

But soon, Chen Mo changed the subject.

"However, after Zhang Juzheng died, the Wanli Emperor, who had assumed power, either out of a rebellious mentality stemming from long-suppressed feelings or because he believed the slander against Zhang Juzheng by other officials, immediately turned against him."

"An imperial edict was issued to confiscate Zhang Juzheng's property! Zhang's descendants were trapped in their home and starved to death; more than ten died, and the entire family was nearly wiped out!"

"Zhang Juzheng had promised him before he died that he would protect the Zhang family, but in the end..."

Chen Mo sighed.

"That wasn't enough. He then completely rejected Zhang Juzheng's reforms, abolished the performance evaluation system, and rendered the Single Whip Law ineffective."

"Those corrupt officials and vested interests who had been purged by Zhang Juzheng have all made a comeback..."

Zhu Di's cheeks flushed red, and he almost couldn't catch his breath again.

Old Zhu was so angry he was trembling.

If someone's been killed, then so be it!

But why would you discard his method?

It had already been implemented, and you ruined it!

This is like someone else cooking a meal, and you throwing it away!

Stupid!

Chen Mo sighed again as he looked at the two of them who were angry.

"Later, the 'Succession Crisis' broke out, and the two sides clashed for decades over the issue of establishing a crown prince, making a mess of the government."

"For thirty years, he did not leave the palace, did not attend court affairs, did not go to the suburbs, did not visit the ancestral temple, did not hold court, did not meet with anyone, did not issue any decrees, and did not give any speeches."

"The government officials were not filled in their vacancies, which brought the state machinery to a near standstill. The national treasury was empty, but he was busy building his own mausoleum."

"He hasn't attended court for decades again!"

Old Zhu gritted his teeth and said.

"Looks like we'll have to establish an ancestral rule when we get back: all emperors must attend court!"

"Those who do not attend court will be replaced by other members of the Zhu family!"

Chen Mo smiled, as if he had suddenly thought of something, and spoke.

"Oh right, I forgot to mention his dad earlier."

"His dad plays too."

Chen Mo's tone carried a hint of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"When he was a prince, he was cautious and prudent. In just two and a half years after his ascension to the throne, he had already appointed thirteen concubines, not to mention countless other women below the rank of concubine."

"In the end, he died at the young age of thirty-six, after only six years on the throne, due to excessive indulgence."

When Chen Mo said this, the envy on his face was almost overflowing.

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di was the first to lose his temper, choking on his own saliva and coughing violently. His face was contorted, a mixture of anger and amusement on his lips.

He had fought his whole life and imagined all sorts of ways to die on the battlefield, but he never imagined that his descendants would die in such a shameful way!

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that his face turned green.

"Damn it! What a disgrace! You've brought shame upon the entire Zhu family!!!"

He roared.

"To be an emperor like this, dying on a woman's belly?! We...we..."

He stammered for a long time, so angry that he couldn't think of a suitable word to describe this absurd way of dying.

Seeing their expressions, Chen Mo prepared to add fuel to the fire one last time.

"Finally, there was the Tianqi Emperor, Zhu Youxiao."

Chen Mo added at the end.

"This man is a natural-born carpentry genius; his skills are said to surpass even those of Lu Ban (a legendary carpenter)."

"Initially, the Donglin Party members were heavily relied upon, leading to a situation where 'the Donglin Party was at its peak, and upright officials filled the court.' Later, the balance was disrupted, and Wei Zhongxian, the 'Nine Thousand Years Old,' was promoted to the position."

"It almost dissolved in water, and although it didn't work, it disappeared not long afterward."

"In the end, Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, who had not studied the art of rulership, eliminated the eunuch faction as soon as he ascended the throne. As a result, without the eunuch faction, the Donglin Party became the dominant force."

"In addition, he was extremely suspicious, frequently changing cabinet ministers and successively executing 18 regional officials, including Yuan Chonghuan."

"We have Tartars outside and rebel armies inside, and we still can't collect the money."

"And so, the Ming Dynasty was gone."

"..."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di remained silent.

After hearing about this series of bizarre emperors, they finally understood how the Ming Dynasty had fallen.

With these emperors around, it would truly be a miracle if the Ming Dynasty could still stand firm.

Chen Mo patted the two of them on the shoulders, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"Of course, many things, such as the death of Yu Qian, actually have some inside information. Of course, this is unofficial history, and I don't know if it can be believed."

"While Zhu Qizhen was indeed ambitious and petty, Yu Qian's death cannot be entirely attributed to him."

Chen Mo paused.

"At the same time, the Tumu Crisis was indeed caused by a series of questionable actions by Zhu Qizhen, but it is also possible that some people were behind it."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di's expressions tightened slightly.

"you mean……"

Zhu Di's expression grew increasingly solemn.

"A great man once said that when you can't see things clearly, you can often see them clearly by looking at interests and conflicts."

Chen Mo sighed and shared some of his guesses.

"After the Tumu Crisis, although the defense of Beijing was won, the elite military officers and nobles of the Ming Dynasty were almost wiped out, and a large number of generals and subordinates who went on the expedition perished at Tumu."

"From then on, the status and strength of the military generals of the Ming Dynasty were greatly weakened, and their voice in the court plummeted."

Chen Mo looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di, and Zhu Biao.

"Who do you think benefits the most from this?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes instantly became incredibly sharp.

He was already very politically astute, so he naturally understood...

Once the military forces decline, the civil officials will inevitably seize power.

If civil officials were to seize power, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As the founding emperor, he certainly understood what would happen next.

The rise of powerful civil officials inevitably leads to conflict with imperial authority...

When the imperial power was initially stable, things were fine, but once the power of the civil officials grew stronger and the imperial power weakened...

That would be a disaster!

The most important thing for an emperor is to maintain a balance.

Once the balance is lost, something bad is bound to happen.

Although he heavily relied on civil officials and explicitly told Zhu Biao that he should govern with civil administration in the future, he always maintained firm control over the army and the final decision-making power.

Similarly, Zhu Di understood this principle very well.

Civil officials are needed, but as an emperor, what he needs most is not civil officials, but the army.

With an army, even the most powerful civil officials are no match for you.

But without an army, things would be very bad.

Sure enough, Chen Mo continued speaking the next second.

"On the other hand, because civil officials such as Yu Qian stepped forward in times of crisis, took charge of the overall situation, and successfully protected the country, the power and prestige of the civil official group soared to unprecedented heights."

"With this ebb and flow, the power of the government was gradually taken over by the civil service system."

"Even in the later stages, the emperor often had to be constrained by the civil service."

At this point, Chen Mo hesitated for a moment, but still spoke.

"When the influence of civil officials reaches its extreme, it affects more than just government policy decisions."

"Sometimes... it can even directly threaten the emperor's safety and affect the stability of the nation."

Threatening the Emperor's safety?!

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di were suddenly startled, their eyes flashing with intense killing intent.

Chen Mo met their murderous gazes and continued speaking.

"Later historians, when studying the history of the Ming Dynasty, discovered a rather peculiar phenomenon—the emperors of the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty."

"Emperors who tried to break free from the constraints of the civil service, or who had their own ideas, or who were weak and young, often died mysteriously."

"Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, died shortly after falling into the water; the cause of his death remains a mystery."

"The Jiajing Emperor, who was devoted to Taoist practice, was almost strangled to death by a palace maid. Whether someone was behind it is still a matter of much debate."

"And then there's Emperor Taichang, Zhu Changluo, who reigned for only a month before dying suddenly due to the 'Red Pill Case'..."

With each example Chen Mo gave, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di's expressions grew increasingly grim.

These are all descendants of the Zhu family, and the emperors of the Ming Dynasty!

But the most important thing is not that, but that the civil officials were so bold as to dare to lay a hand on the emperor!

This is no ordinary gain of power!

We have to use a heavy hand!!!

Chen Mo looked at the two men whose expressions were about to turn grim and continued speaking.

"Many of these incidents were ultimately attributed to elixirs, indulgence, accidents, or the spontaneous actions of palace maids."

"However, considering the intense factional struggles of the time, as well as the sharp conflicts between certain emperors and the civil service, it is difficult for us, in later generations, not to suspect that behind these accidents and deaths from illness, there might be some...

Chen Mo looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, only to see that their faces were so pale that words could not describe it.

"Certain forces within or related to the civil service, for their own factional interests, have engaged in covert manipulation, and even... direct regicide!"

"So we have a saying now: the emperors of the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty were easily soluble in water."

"They dare!"

After uttering the words "murderer of the emperor," Zhu Yuanzhang roared in fury.

"They really think their entire family has lived too long!"

Zhu Di glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and snorted coldly in return.

"Don't even mention nine generations of their families, I think even exterminating ten generations would be too lenient!"

"But the question is, did the emperor at the time have the power to exterminate their entire clan?"

"Let alone exterminating nine generations of their families, I'm afraid that if the emperor ever has the idea of ​​taking action against civil officials, it won't be long before something unexpected happens."

Chen Mo sighed.

"By the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the emperor lived deep in the palace, isolated from the outside world, and the channels of information were almost monopolized by civil officials."

"They could use 'rumored reports' to suppress dissidents and influence the emperor's decisions by manipulating public opinion."

"Different factions form cliques to compete for power and interests, and then fight each other; this is factional strife."

"Factional strife was one of the main reasons for the demise of the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Mo paused for a moment, then came up with an example.

"For example, the Wanli Emperor I just mentioned, had a falling out with the civil service group over the issue of choosing a crown prince, and he was able to stay away from court for decades."

"Why? Because the entire state apparatus can now be maintained and operated independently by the civil service system, and the emperor has been rendered powerless to some extent."

"But at the same time, within the civil service system, the Zhejiang Party, the Chu Party, the Qi Party, the Donglin Party... were fighting to the death."

"They studied and became officials, perhaps initially with a desire to serve their country."

"But when they form a large class, their primary goal is no longer to govern the country and bring peace to the world, but to maintain and expand the interests of their own group."

"Take the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chongzhen, for example. Wasn't he diligent?"

"Didn't he want to save the Ming Dynasty? But what was he facing?"

"It's a financial system rotten to the core, controlled by civil servants; an army with utterly corrupt discipline; and a court where everyone is constantly arguing and undermining each other on every decision!"

"If he had received a proper imperial education, that would be fine, but the problem is he didn't."

"As soon as he came to power, he seized the opportunity to eliminate the eunuch faction, which was opposed to the civil officials, making the civil officials' faction very powerful."

"No matter what he wants to do, a group of civil officials will immediately criticize him with their righteous words, saying that he simply cannot do it."

"He wanted to appoint a capable general, and immediately countless impeachment memorials flew in, saying that the general was abusing his power and harboring treacherous intentions..."

"When he wanted to take action against a certain civil official, someone immediately said that this was persecuting a loyal and virtuous person."

"Didn't any of them realize that when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked on in disbelief.

"No, there really isn't!"

Chen Mo sneered.

"As the Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, Li Zicheng's million-strong army had already besieged Beijing. The garrison inside the city had been without pay for months, morale was low, and they were even starving. How could they possibly defend the city?"

"Emperor Chongzhen was forced into a corner. He abandoned all his imperial dignity and humbly summoned his ministers, pleading with them to donate some of their family wealth to the army for the sake of the country and the people, so as to relieve the urgent crisis."

"And the result?"

Chen Mo sneered again.

"Those high-ranking officials, ministers, and nobles who spouted righteousness, morality, loyalty, and patriotism were all starting to plead poverty before the emperor!"

"Some claimed to be extremely poor, some even took off their official robes on the spot and offered to pay for them, and some even put their pots and pans out on the street to show that they were destitute... In short, they were extremely stingy!"

"Emperor Chongzhen pleaded desperately, even shedding tears, but in the end he only managed to raise a mere 200,000 taels of silver. It was a drop in the ocean and utterly ineffective."

Chen Mo sneered three times.

"However, the irony is..."