Tyrant of the Ming Dynasty

"Damn it, if you're going to time travel, go ahead and travel to the reigns of Emperors Huazhi, Hongzhi, Jiajing, or Wanli! At the very least, give me a princely title! Why did I have to travel to this unfortunate Emperor Chongzhen?" Under a crooked old locust tree on Coal Hill, Ye Xuan, after half an hour of self-doubt, finally accepted the fact that he had time-traveled. And his first stop was this crooked tree where Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, hanged himself. Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, is a controversial figure in later generations. Within the Ming Dynasty, he was considered a diligent and capable emperor. Unfortunately, he lived in a declining dynasty with over two hundred years of history, facing both internal and external crises. His character was a mixture of boldness and cunning, stubbornness and folly. The contradiction between appointing people based on merit and his lack of focus and paranoia is evident in his seventeen-year reign, during which he replaced 19 Grand Secretaries, over 50 Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, and executed 7 Ministers of War. His ministers were disloyal and timid, and in the end, only the eunuch Wang Chengen followed him to his death—a truly tragic situation. In Ye Xuan's view, the Ming Dynasty was essentially destroyed by Zhu Youjian himself. While that might be an exaggeration, if he hadn't acted recklessly, the Ming Dynasty could have lasted for another decade or so. "Seventeen years left... what should I do?" After reminiscing about Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian), Ye Xuan was about to sit on a rock to ponder his future when Wang Chengen quickly placed a cushion on the rock: "Your Majesty, please sit on the cushion; you'll catch a cold!" "Thank you for your kindness!" Ye Xuan felt a warmth in his heart and then fell into deep thought. His greatest characteristic in his previous life was—"Since I'm here, I'll make the best of it." Since he couldn't change his current situation, he would try to adapt. Now, Ye Xuan faced three paths: to be a foolish ruler, a tyrant… or a wise ruler! “If I were a foolish ruler, I'd just choose a few more concubines, live a life of luxury and ease, seventeen years of extravagance and glory—not a wasted life!” “If I were a tyrant, I'd kill Wei Zhongxian's eunuch faction, the Donglin Party, and those who sided with the Jurchens, even exterminate their entire families! I'd drag them down with me even in death.” “If I were a wise ruler? To rewrite the fate of the Ming Dynasty and extend its reign for hundreds of years?” Being a foolish ruler seemed impossible for now; ten of the sixteen Ming emperors died unnatural deaths. Let's not talk about the distant past, but about the recent past. Chongzhen's father, Zongzhu Changsheng, died at the age of 38 after taking a powerful tonic called "Red Pill" presented by a eunuch. His elder brother, Emperor Xizong Zhu Youxiao, fell ill while boating in the palace, took a "miracle drug," and died suddenly at the age of 23. He wanted to be a tyrannical ruler, but he might be killed one day; the risk was too high, so he's ruled out! A tyrant? That seems unlikely for now. He lacks military power; killing a few is possible, but trying to eliminate them all would likely result in him being eliminated by them before he could do so; too dangerous, so he's ruled out! A wise ruler? Constant natural disasters and man-made calamities, surrounded by powerful enemies, with ministers in power but no military power, even his decrees couldn't leave the Forbidden City. Reform would inevitably affect the interests of the gentry, leading to their unity. Wanting to be a wise ruler and rewrite history? He might as well dream; anything is possible in dreams. "A tyrannical ruler won't work, a despicable ruler won't work, a wise ruler definitely won't work, damn it, this is killing me! Maybe I should just... give up completely? Play for as many years as I can, that's it!" Ye Xuan looked utterly dejected. The game had started on hellish difficulty; without cheat codes, it was truly unplayable. "No, no, I don't want to hang myself, and I certainly don't want to be killed by my own subjects!" "I can't let the Central Plains see thousands of corpses, people exchanging children for food—that tragedy!" "I can't let Li Zicheng m******e the city of Wuguan, flood Kaifeng, and kill hundreds of thousands!" "Even more so, I can't let Zhang Zizhong plunder Huoshan, m******e the capital three times, and create a no-man's-land." "Even more so, I can't let the Jurchens slaughter hundreds of cities in my Great Ming, killing millions of people!" "No, I won't allow it!" Thinking of the tragedy years later, with bones littering the Central Plains, a thousand miles of silent desolation, Ye Xuan sighed, his heart roaring with rage. Not far away, Wang Chengen watched the Ming emperor's expression shift from contemplation to sorrow, from doubt to despair, and finally to anger. He was deeply moved, his eyes filled with heartache. This man, though emperor, was ultimately just an unprepared seventeen-year-old. The court was in turmoil, the Ming Dynasty faced external threats, and the entire burden rested on his shoulders. After his initial outburst, Ye Xuan calmed down; anger wouldn't solve anything. "Wang Chengen, how long have I been on the throne?" "Your Majesty, you ascended the throne on August 24th. Today is September 16th, twenty-four days." Hearing Wang Chengen's response, Ye Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. According to historical records, at this time, Zhu Youjian hadn't yet begun to deal with Wei Zhongxian, meaning Wei Zhongxian and his cronies were still alive. This was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. If Wei Zhongxian had already been killed by Zhu Youjian, Ye Xuan would be essentially useless now, just waiting to die. The fact that imperial power was consolidated through eunuchs is ironic, but it reflects the reality of the current situation. While Wei Zhongxian's power stemmed from the emperor's authority, and his death could be accomplished with a single imperial edict, this was only possible when imperial power was firmly established. The newly enthroned emperor couldn't do that. Ye Xuan recalled that Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, also spent three months testing Wei Zhongxian with various rewards before finally eliminating him with the help of the Wen faction. Moreover, his widespread faction throughout the court was the biggest headache. Killing Wei Zhongxian would weaken the Wen faction, creating an opportunity for them to exploit. Without an army, he was reduced to a puppet of the Wen faction. Historically, Emperor Chongzhen was misled by the Donglin Party. "It's not too late. Although I don't have any cheat codes, I've read 'The Biography of Emperor Chongzhen,' so I know some major events and future trends. I know who the loyal, capable, and efficient officials are, and who the mediocre and incompetent ones are. Add to that some knowledge from later generations and a perspective beyond this era, perhaps I can change everything! Can the Ming Dynasty still be saved?" Ye Xuan muttered to himself, looking at the locust tree, his face resolute, his heart roaring. "Zhu Youjian, rest in peace. Everything you have will be inherited by me, Ye Xuan. From this moment on, I am the sixteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty—Chongzhen. I hereby swear: Those you, Zhu Youjian, cannot kill, I, Chongzhen, will kill. Those you, Zhu Youjian, cannot do, I, Chongzhen, will do. Li Zicheng and Zhang Zizhong rebel? They'll have to see if I give them the chance! The Jurchens slaughter my people in the Central Plains? Then I will slaughter the Jurchens, exterminate their race, and wipe them out! The Eight Great Jinshangs collude with the Jurchens, acting as their spies? Then I will confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan! The scholars are ignorant, incompetent, and shameless, betraying their country and surrendering to the enemy; then I will slaughter them until the heavens and earth are turned upside down! ...In short, the mandate of heaven is in my hands. What you, Zhu Youjian, can do, I will..." "What Chongzhen can't do, I, Chongzhen, can do even better! In short, I want every man in the Ming Dynasty to be like a dragon, every man like a gentleman, so that the nation will be free from troubles and the world will be governed by morality! One day in the future, I will make the Oirat and Tatar tribes my Ming Dynasty's pastures, make the Western Regions and Tibet my Ming Dynasty's orchards, make Burma, Siam, and Annam my Ming Dynasty's granaries, make the southeastern coast my Ming Dynasty's fishing grounds, make Japan and other places my Ming Dynasty's mining areas. With congratulations from all directions and tribute from all nations, let us extend the Ming Dynasty's fortunes for another three hundred years!" After Chongzhen finished speaking, he suddenly felt much more relaxed. His previously somewhat drowsy mind suddenly cleared, and he felt a sense of liberation, as if he had completely taken control. The rising sun shone on Ye Xuan, making him appear incomparably sacred. Now he was to be a sage ruler, a tyrant on the surface, a wise ruler on the core, and a tyrant as an afterthought. From then on, the Ming Dynasty would be under his rule. As for the issue of the reign title, he couldn't do anything about it. According to etiquette, a new emperor had to choose a reign title upon his ascension to the throne. Half a month had passed; the reign title had long been decided. Who told him he was late in his transmigration? If he had come earlier, he would have chosen "Gan Sheng" from the four reign titles sent by the emperor—what a powerful reign title! However, the reign title Chongzhen wasn't bad either. Chongzhen meant "revitalization," the revival of the Ming Dynasty—the meaning was acceptable. PS: It's currently the seventh year of the Tianqi reign; the Chongzhen reign title began in the second year. "Your Majesty truly possesses the qualities of Yao and Shun!" Wang Chengen immediately knelt on the ground, offering his congratulations. Startled awake, Chongzhen muttered under his breath, "You certainly know how to talk. Get up!" These were the words Emperor Xizong of Ming had spoken to Zhu Youjian in the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace: "My brother should be like Yao and Shun!" Chongzhen turned to look at the Forbidden City below, then at the distant, densely packed city of Beijing, with wisps of smoke rising from its chimneys. If he hadn't traveled through time, two years later, this place would be besieged by the Jurchens; a decade or so later, nearly a million people in Beijing would have been wiped out by a plague, losing two hundred thousand. "Now I'm here. From this moment on, I will protect the Ming Dynasty!" However, protection requires resources. After a moment's thought, Chongzhen spoke. "Wang Chengen, find out where Fang Zhenghua is currently serving. Bring him to me!"