Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 235 Leaving Beijing
The Chongzhen Emperor's reign was not lacking in capable ministers or those who dared to act; what it lacked was the emperor's unconditional trust and a clear governing policy.

In particular, the emperor's trust was extremely important.

Let's leave aside controversial matters like Yuan Chonghuan, and also leave aside Chen Xinjia, the scapegoat.

Speaking specifically of the military...

Geng Ruqi was the first to arrive in Beijing to defend the emperor during the Jisi Incident. His subordinates had been traveling for three days without food, and the soldiers mutinied. Emperor Chongzhen had Geng Ruqi dragged out and beheaded.

Mei Zhihuan, the governor of Gansu, suppressed a mutiny on his way to defend the emperor. Emperor Chongzhen arrested and dismissed him on the grounds that he was late.

Yang He told Chongzhen that tens of thousands of taels of silver were not enough to secure the pacification efforts, but Chongzhen forced him to do so. If the pacification failed, Chongzhen planned to execute him.

Lu Xiang-sheng fought bravely against the enemy and was buried alive by Gao Qi-qian. He sacrificed his life for the country. Emperor Chongzhen suspected that he had surrendered and left his body to rot in the wilderness for more than 80 days, and did not provide him with any pension for two years.

Zheng Chongjian, along with He Renlong, Zuo Liangyu, and a gang of ruffians and military leaders, relentlessly attacked Zhang Xianzhong, chasing after him and beating him repeatedly. Emperor Chongzhen had him executed on the grounds that he had caused the death of Yang Sichang.

Yan Jizu was particularly obedient to orders when the Qing army invaded Shandong; he went wherever Yang Sichang told him to. He was stationed in three different places in fifty days, resulting in the fall of Jinan and his execution by Emperor Chongzhen.

It should be noted that Yan Jizu was stationed in Dezhou on the orders of Yang Sichang, which was more than 200 miles away from Jinan. The fall of Jinan had nothing to do with him, yet he ended up in this situation.

In other words.

In the late Ming Dynasty, being a military commander meant certain death whether you obeyed orders or not, leading to a large number of generals like Zuo Liangyu and Gao Jie obeying orders but not proclamations.

This shows that Emperor Chongzhen's abilities were shockingly low.

If Zhu Youjian had dared to take the blame and trusted his ministers and military commanders, he would not have taken lives for a general's momentary mistake.

Furthermore, they dared to exert great effort to rectify the situation in Jiangnan and vigorously investigate and punish the tax evasion problems of the gentry in Jiangnan.

Then the Ming Dynasty will not lack silver or food, nor will it lack a brave and fighting army.

However, Emperor Chongzhen had many character flaws.

Suspicious, prone to shirking responsibility, stubborn and unwilling to listen to advice, impatient for quick results, unable to see the value of interests, extremely reckless, etc.

This resulted in many capable ministers who wanted to help him either being framed and killed by him, imprisoned by him multiple times, or no longer daring to help him.

The end result was that by the end of the Chongzhen era, the entire court was filled with incompetent officials, and there was not a single minister worthy of trust.

Therefore, there is no doubt that Zhu Yuanzhang was very dissatisfied with many of Chongzhen's actions, which was the main reason why he vehemently criticized Chongzhen.

On the other hand, Chongzhen's questionable actions only hastened the demise of the Ming Dynasty, but were not the root cause of its current state.

The decline of the Ming Dynasty was not caused by Emperor Chongzhen; he inherited a mess.

Starting from the reigns of the Jiajing, Longqing, Wanli, Taichang, and Tianqi emperors, the Ming Dynasty had already begun its decline.

It can even be traced back to the Zhengtong and Chenghua periods.

Emperor Chongzhen was simply incapable of governing the country well; this does not mean he was the direct cause of the Ming Dynasty's demise.

Even if Emperor Chongzhen had maintained the dynasty's rule without changing the status quo, it would have been extremely difficult for subsequent emperors to prevent the Ming Dynasty from collapsing.

Therefore, if we limit this to the Chongzhen era, then Chongzhen must bear 50% of the responsibility for his various actions.

However, if we consider the entire Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen's responsibility is much smaller.

In this situation, Zhu Yuanzhang severely reprimanded Chongzhen, and then turned his attention to the Ming Dynasty's officialdom, the corrupt gentry in the south, and the corruption in the army.

However, he had already killed many people in the south, and after Zhu Di arrived in Beijing, he killed an even larger number of them.

There are probably still a lot of corrupt officials in the court.

But the rest were all loyal ministers who died for their country. They were greedy, but they died for their country, so there was nothing more to say.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang only talked about the shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty and what he would do next, but he did not raise the butcher's knife and take action against his ministers.

"All right."

After finishing his speech, Zhu Yuanzhang sat back on the dragon throne and said, "I have said enough. The country is afflicted with problems, and it is time to eradicate these deep-seated ills and restore order. You may all settle down and perform your duties. Consider that the Ming Dynasty has already fallen once, and this is a new dynasty with new policies. Those old bad habits and outdated rules must be thoroughly rectified. As for ancestral precepts and regulations, I was short-sighted when I created them. From today onwards, all the military garrisons in the country will be abolished, and the land will be distributed to the soldiers. Those corrupt garrison commanders will all be executed by me."

"All vassal states in the country shall be abolished. I intended for them to guard the borders for the court, but now they have become local parasites, harming the people of the Ming Dynasty. This is my fault, and I admit it."

"As for the other reforms, let the King of Wu handle them."

"As for you."

Old Zhu then looked at Chongzhen and said, "Demote him to Prince Xin and exile him to Fengyang to guard the imperial tombs. How much suffering have our ancestors endured because of you? The remains of my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews cannot find peace."

Emperor Chongzhen's eyes reddened, and he and Empress Zhou knelt on the ground, saying, "Your grandson obeys."

Crown Prince Zhu Cilang cried and said, "Grandfather, please don't let Father and Mother leave. Please have mercy on us."

Old Zhu shook his head and said, "Your father is not a qualified emperor, nor does he deserve to be emperor, so he cannot stay in the capital. You must become a good emperor in the future. If you do well and make the Ming Dynasty prosper again, it is not impossible to bring your parents back after I leave."

Emperor Chongzhen forced a smile and patted Zhu Cilang's head, saying, "It's good that the Crown Prince is filial, but your father has indeed done a bad job and displeased the founding emperor. From now on, you must listen to the founding emperor and be a good emperor. Don't follow your father's example, understand?"

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu”

Zhu Cilang wept uncontrollably.

Wang Chengen also knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I request to accompany Prince Xin to Fengyang. I have been by Your Highness's side at Prince Xin's residence, and I fear that Your Highness will not be comfortable without my service."

"Ugh."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and said, "You are a loyal subject. Go with him."

"Thank you, Taizu."

Wang Chengen kowtowed three times.

"Let's disperse."

Old Zhu closed his eyes and said, "I am tired. You should do your jobs. Past corruption can be forgiven, but if it is discovered again in the future, then you will lose your heads."

"Dismiss the dynasty!"

Gao Shiming shouted.

"I'm waiting to retire."

The hundreds of ministers below bowed in unison and backed out of the palace gate.

Emperor Chongzhen was soon escorted away by eunuchs.

He would then pack his belongings, travel south in a carriage under the protection of guards.

Zhu Cilang saw him off.

Old Zhu then went to the Qianqing Palace with Zhu Yunfeng.

When they returned to the study in the Qianqing Palace, the two of them sat in chairs.

Zhu Yunfeng asked, "Grandfather, are you really going to exile Chongzhen to Fengyang to guard the imperial tombs?"

Zhu Yuanzhang, with his eyes closed, said, "What should we do if we don't exile him? Should we let him continue as emperor? Is he even capable of being one?"

"That won't work."

Zhu Yunfeng curled his lip and said, "Now we have to clean up his mess."

"Please take good care of me during this time."

Old Zhu said, "Just do whatever you think is right." "So, Ancestor, you're going to just wash your hands of the matter?"

"I need to go to Shenyang."

"Ok."

Zhu Yunfeng immediately understood.

Old Zhu probably had little interest in governing the country.

After all, he was the emperor during the Hongwu reign and ruled for so many years.

It's not that he was tired of it, but the Chongzhen era would eventually be the dynasty of his descendants, and he couldn't keep cleaning up their messes forever.

Therefore, we should first eliminate the Jurchens outside the Great Wall, and may even send people to cripple the Mongols, eliminating the external threat first.

Only in this way can we confidently and boldly carry out reforms internally.

However, he couldn't do things one by one. The Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, so he had to use his prestige to handle both matters simultaneously.

Therefore, doing both things at the same time is the best option.

Of course, he could also send Zhu Di to destroy the Jurchens, but that would not quell his hatred.

The Jurchens slaughtered countless Han people and enslaved them for so many years. If we cannot personally lead troops to exterminate the entire Jurchen race, how can we swallow this humiliation?

"What are your plans next?"

Old Zhu then asked a question.

Zhu Yunfeng thought for a moment and said, "First, we need to secure military power and establish the Embroidered Uniform Guard. After confiscating the property of so many corrupt officials, landlords, and gentry in Beijing and Jiangnan, the national treasury should be full. For the displaced people across the country, we should provide them with land if possible; if not, we should learn from the Song Dynasty and conscript them all into the army for bridge and road construction, and large-scale water conservancy projects. But as I said before, we can't just sit around and do nothing. Although we've confiscated so many properties and collected so much money and grain, the Ming Dynasty is a bottomless pit now, needing money everywhere. Perhaps we still need support from the modern world."

"Yes, go ahead and do it without worry."

Old Zhu nodded and said, "Now that things have come to this, we've already hit rock bottom. All that's left is to go up. It's better than the country being destroyed and our families dying."

Zhu Yunfeng chuckled, “You really think highly of me, Ancestor. I’ll probably only have a two- or three-day novelty about being emperor.”

"Even a couple of days of novelty is better than what that Chongzhen kid did."

Old Zhu said, "Besides, we really can't stay for too long. We've been here for almost a year since last September. I'll be going back soon. I haven't seen your great-grandmother for a long time, and I miss her terribly."

"That's true, then I'll do my best and try to make the Ming Dynasty look brand new in the next six months. To be honest, it's only because of you that I can keep things in order."

Zhu Yunfeng shook his head with a wry smile.

The power of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong was so great that there was little opposition throughout the country.

Perhaps there are, but the resistance is too weak.

Firstly, the existence of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di led many officials to defect and follow in their footsteps.

Secondly, they also commanded a powerful army, equipped with automatic rifles and rapid-fire artillery, enough to annihilate any enemy.

Therefore, with support from others, the knife in hand, and a god-like perspective, it is indeed possible to cut through the mess quickly.

Without Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, it would be extremely difficult for a modern person, even with a modern army of several thousand men, to bring about change in a short period of time.

"His Majesty."

Just then, Gao Shiming came in, his eyes still red.

"Has Emperor Chongzhen left?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"We've already left the Meridian Gate."

Gao Shiming replied.

"."

After pondering for a long time, Zhu Yuanzhang said softly, "Give him another 200,000 taels of silver, 5,000 taels of gold, and 5,000 bolts of silk. Although he has been a muddle-headed emperor for so many years, he has also worked diligently for so many years, so there is no need to be too harsh on him. Fengyang shall obey his orders and not be neglected."

"Yes."

Gao Shiming went out backwards to deliver the imperial decree.

At this moment, outside the Meridian Gate and Chengtian Gate Square, Emperor Chongzhen's carriage slowly moved forward.

He was accompanied only by Empress Zhou and Zhu Cilang.

Upon arriving at the gate of Chengtian Palace, Emperor Chongzhen said to Zhu Cilang, "My son, we are about to leave the palace. You may stay here."

"Father, Emperor, Mother."

Zhu Cilang's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face as he said, "Let me go and beg Grandfather Taizu again."

Emperor Chongzhen shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Given your great-grandfather's temperament, it's already a miracle he didn't kill your father. Now that I think about it, your great-grandfather was right. I did make many mistakes and do many foolish things. If it weren't for your great-grandfather's arrival, the Ming Dynasty would have been destroyed in my hands. I would be a deposed emperor. It's good enough that I'm still alive. Why should I have any other desires?"

Empress Zhou patted Zhu Cilang's head and said with a smile, "Lang'er, you are still the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. You must listen to your great-grandfather, the great-grandfather, and the Prince of Wu. When you become emperor in the future, you can ask your father and mother to come back and take good care of your younger brothers and sisters."

The couple had more than one child, but now that Zhu Yuanzhang had abolished all the vassal states, they would naturally not be granted fiefdoms anymore, so they all had to stay in the palace. It was unknown how the Taizu Emperor would arrange for them in the future.

However, this is no longer something they can worry about.

After being exiled to Fengyang, they probably wouldn't be able to see their children for a long time, so they could only hope that Zhu Cilang would protect his younger siblings.

"Yes, and your younger siblings too, you need to take on the responsibilities of an elder brother."

Emperor Chongzhen said solemnly, "They are still young, and with their father and mother not by their side, they must be entrusted to you."

"Yes, the child knows."

Zhu Cilang thought of her younger siblings, wiped away her tears, and her eyes became much more determined.

People really can grow up overnight.

Even though he is only fifteen years old, he has witnessed Zhu Di massacre the entire court of officials and saw Zhu Di depose his father with a single word.

Zhu Cilang is much quieter now, and he has also grown a lot.

"Okay, let's go."

Emperor Chongzhen patted him on the back, indicating that he should get off the carriage.

Zhu Cilang took one last look at his parents, slowly got off the carriage, and stood aside.

The carriage continued its slow journey and entered the Chengtianmen gate.

Empress Zhou lifted the carriage curtain, glanced back at Zhu Cilang who was standing there, and waved goodbye.

By the time she got back into the carriage, she could no longer hold back her tears.

Her father was killed by Emperor Taizong, her husband was deposed, and her son left her. All her previous strength vanished at this moment, leaving only tears.

Chongzhen held her in his arms. Through the carriage window, he could vaguely see that as the carriage passed the Six Ministries, some officials from the Six Ministries came out. Some bowed to his carriage, while others knelt and kowtowed.

At least for today.

It's better than having a few people come to see him leave during the sacrificial ceremony and court meeting in the first month of this year.

(End of this chapter)