Ming Dynasty: Pick up attributes from the battlefield to create the Ming Dynasty

After Zhu Yuanzhang gave the order, all the Donglin Party officials knelt down and begged for mercy, terrified.

among them.

Fan Jingwen, the leading official of the Donglin Party, burst into tears!

They kept shouting that they were innocent!

"We beg the Emperor Taizu to see the truth! We are loyal subjects! Our hearts are solely for the Ming Dynasty!"

"Emperor Taizu must never listen to the slander of petty men!"

Fan Jingwen roared at the top of his lungs!

Upon hearing Fan Jingwen's words, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately showed displeasure!
What did you just say?

"Believing the slander of petty people?"

"Are you saying that our beloved grandson is a villain?"

It was obvious that Zhu Yuanzhang was furious.

He would absolutely not allow anyone to speak of his good grandson in that way.

Fan Jingwen was clearly unaware that he had walked right into the line of fire. After seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's anger, he was naturally quite frightened.

He kept kowtowing to Zhu Yuanzhang, begging for mercy.

"That's not what I meant!"

"How dare I say that the imperial grandson is a villain? Emperor Hongwu, you have misunderstood my intentions!"

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored Fan Jingwen and instead coldly addressed the imperial guards beside him: "Guards!"

"Bring out the gold and silver treasures confiscated from Fan Jingwen's house!"

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, several imperial guards immediately brought out more than a dozen boxes of silver.

One of the leading imperial guards hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this money was looted from Fan Jingwen's house!"

"There were fifteen large boxes in total!"

"A total value of five million taels of silver!"

As soon as the Imperial Guard finished speaking, Fan Jingwen's face showed despair. He never expected that all of his family's property would be confiscated by the Imperial Guard.

I was completely devastated!
"What else do you want to say?" Zhu Yuanzhang said to Fan Jingwen in an extremely desperate voice, and the latter fainted from fear upon seeing this.

"This man is the leader of the Donglin Party, and his crimes are heinous!"

"Someone come here!"

"Tear Fan Jingwen to pieces too!"

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, several imperial guards arrived directly in front of Fan Jingwen.

Then they forcibly dragged Fan Jingwen out of the hall.

Then... following Zhu Yuanzhang's orders, he was torn to pieces.

after that.

Other Donglin Party officials were also killed!
This is the end.

The Donglin Party Rebellion was also successfully resolved by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Next.

Zhu Yuanzhang then turned his attention to Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian.

to be frank.

When Zhu Youjian and Zhu Yuanzhang locked eyes, the latter immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

I was terrified.

Fortunately.

Zhu Yuanzhang would naturally not harm his own descendants.

Although historically the Ming Dynasty officially fell under Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Yuanzhang was well aware that this was not solely Zhu Youjian's fault.

"Zhu Youjian".

"Sun Chen is here!" Zhu Youjian responded respectfully as soon as Zhu Yuanzhang called his name.

"Tell me, what happened to the Ming Dynasty after I passed away!"

to be frank.

As for Zhu Yuanzhang, he had long been interested in the history that followed his death.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang had learned some things from Zhu Ying before, it was not a comprehensive understanding.

Now that Zhu Yuanzhang has arrived in the world at the end of the Ming Dynasty, he will definitely want to find out what happened after his death.

After hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, naturally dared not refuse.

He immediately replied, "May I ask, Emperor Hongwu, which part of history would you like to hear about?"

Although the Ming Dynasty has only lasted for 276 years.

However, it was no easy task to inform Zhu Yuanzhang of everything in a short period of time.

"We need to know all of history!"

"We have plenty of time, let's talk it out slowly, there's no rush!"

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on this throne with a hint of curiosity on his face, as did Zhu Biao, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, who sat beside him.

Zhu Ying, on the other hand, seemed quite calm.

After all... Zhu Ying was already very familiar with this history.

above the hall.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian) immediately became tense.

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhu Youjian still dared not disobey Zhu Yuanzhang's wishes.

Zhu Youjian slowly said, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, after your death, Emperor Jianwen, also known as Zhu Yunwen, succeeded to the throne and adopted a policy of weakening the power of the princes..."

"Zhu Yunwen? Reducing the power of the princes?" Upon hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought.

Zhu Yuanzhang vaguely remembered that Zhu Ying had once mentioned the dangers posed by vassal kings to him.

However, in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, Zhu Yunwen was weak-willed, and if he were to carry out the policy of reducing the power of the princes, he would certainly not succeed.

"Wait a moment!"

"Why did Zhu Yunwen inherit the throne? Where is our crown prince? And where is our good grandson?" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized something was wrong and immediately questioned Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen replied awkwardly, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, His Highness the Crown Prince passed away a long time ago, as did His Highness the Imperial Grandson..."

"Therefore, you chose Zhu Yunwen as your successor at that time."

After Zhu Yunwen finished speaking, he looked embarrassed and even a little lost.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang breathed a sigh of relief.

"Biao'er and Xiong Ying are both dead? And they died before us!"

"How is this possible!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was unable to accept it for a moment, but Zhu Ying, who was beside him, comforted him: "Grandfather, don't be nervous. The things that Zhu Youjian said are happening in the world today."

"My father and I are both living well in this world!"

After hearing Zhu Ying's words of comfort, Zhu Yuanzhang's emotions calmed down a little.

Then.

Zhu Yuanzhang then asked Zhu Youjian in front of him, "Tell me quickly, has Zhu Yunwen's attempt to reduce the power of the princes been successful?"

In response to Zhu Yuanzhang's inquiry, Zhu Youjian immediately replied, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, Emperor Jianwen's attempt to reduce the power of the princes was unsuccessful..."

"Emperor Jianwen's policy of weakening the power of the princes was quite direct, and it even drove Prince Xiang, Zhu Bai, to his death!"

"Emperor Jianwen sent troops disguised as a merchant caravan to launch a surprise attack and surround Zhu Bai's location while he was not paying attention!"

"And falsely accused Prince Zhu Bai of Xiang of plotting a rebellion and counterfeiting currency, etc..."

"What!" Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded.

He couldn't believe that Zhu Yunwen would use such ruthless methods.

Zhu Youjian continued, "It was precisely because Emperor Jianwen's series of policies to weaken the princes were too direct that they were met with a rebellion by Prince Yan, Zhu Di." "Prince Yan, Zhu Di, launched an attack from Beiping and marched straight towards Yingtian Prefecture."

"Emperor Jianwen disappeared during the war, and then Prince Yan, Zhu Di, sat on the dragon throne and changed the reign title to Yongle."

After Zhu Youjian tremblingly recounted this history to Zhu Yuanzhang, he immediately lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Zhu Yuanzhang.

He is very clear.

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard that Prince Yan, Zhu Di, was plotting a rebellion, he would surely be furious.

That is indeed the case!

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up abruptly from the dragon throne and then cursed loudly, "You fourth brother! You really are quite capable!"

"I never thought you would actually dare to rebel, even against your own nephew!"

"Then what!"

"Where has our grandson Yunwen gone?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhu Youjian after regaining his composure.

The latter quickly replied, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, the Jianwen Emperor has disappeared... Rumors circulate that he was killed by the Yongle Emperor, while others say he went to Southeast Asia!"

"Some even claim that Emperor Jianwen became a monk!"

Zhu Yunwen told Zhu Yuanzhang everything he knew, and the latter fell silent after hearing it.

"This Zhu Di is simply a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

After a long time, Zhu Yuanzhang denounced Zhu Di's actions to the crowd.

"If he dares to kill the imperial grandson Yunwen, we will surely tear him to pieces!"

At this moment, Zhu Biao, who was sitting next to Zhu Yuanzhang, was also feeling quite distressed.

After all, Zhu Yunwen was Zhu Biao's son, and Zhu Di was his own younger brother.

They are both equally dear to me.

Therefore, all Zhu Biao could do was offer simple words of comfort to Zhu Yuanzhang.

“Father, please don’t worry. Although my fourth brother has a volatile temper, I believe he will not kill Yunwen.”

"Besides, these are all just rumors; they shouldn't be believed!"

After Zhu Biao finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang felt a little better.

But the thought of Zhu Di's rebellion immediately brought a murderous look to his face!
"What happens next?"

Tell us everything!

Zhu Yuanzhang then turned his attention to Zhu Youjian and ordered him to tell him the details.

then.

Zhu Yunwen then said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, after Emperor Yongle ascended the throne, the Ming Dynasty enjoyed a period of relative stability."

"Even the national strength of the Ming Dynasty reached its peak."

Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, Zhu Yuanzhang's face showed a renewed excitement.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said, "This fourth son has this ability?"

Tell me more!

Zhu Yunwen, of course, dared not hesitate for a moment and immediately began to explain.

"After Emperor Yongle ascended the throne, he personally led five expeditions to the Mongolian steppe, which stabilized the northern border of the Ming Dynasty and also subdued Annam."

"In addition, the capital was moved to Beiping (Beijing), and the policy of the emperor guarding the country's gates was implemented!"

"At the same time, the Ming Dynasty's influence also expanded into large areas of the Northeast. In terms of military strength, the Ming Dynasty had almost reached its peak."

After hearing Zhu Yunwen's introduction of Zhu Di, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly and said, "This fourth son is indeed skilled in warfare."

"We're not surprised."

"Quickly tell me about the fourth prince's civil administration."

Zhu Yuanzhang was quite aware of his son's military abilities, so he was not at all surprised when he heard about Zhu Di's military achievements.

Compared to military prowess, Zhu Yuanzhang was actually more curious about Zhu Di's civil administration abilities.

After all, in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, Zhu Di was a military general.

He was not good at governing the country.

"Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, the Yongle Emperor also achieved considerable success in civil administration."

"The most famous of these is the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, a book that can be described as a culmination of the collections from past dynasties!"

"In addition, the cabinet system was established, which further centralized the emperor's power."

"Furthermore, Zheng He was dispatched on seven voyages to the Western Ocean, which spread the prestige of the Ming Dynasty both at home and abroad."

When Zhu Youjian recounted Zhu Di's achievements in civil administration to Zhu Yuanzhang in detail, the latter once again showed a satisfied smile on his face.

"Hmm, not bad."

"The fact that the fourth prince became emperor didn't bring us any shame. However, his act of seizing power by purging corrupt officials from the court was utterly despicable!"

"However... it's not entirely unfair to the fourth prince, after all, Yunwen's methods of weakening the princes were too despicable."

After listening to Zhu Youjian's remarks, Zhu Yuanzhang had extremely complicated feelings.

I felt both angry and helpless.

"Go on!"

"What were the achievements of the emperors who succeeded them?"

Zhu Yuanzhang urged Zhu Youjian again.

"Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, after the death of Emperor Yongle, it was his eldest son, Zhu Gaochi, who ascended the throne."

"However, Emperor Renzong of Ming, Zhu Gaochi, died of illness after only ten months on the throne, and the emperor who succeeded him was Zhu Zhanji."

"However, both Emperor Renzong Zhu Gaochi and Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji worked diligently to govern the country and adopted a policy of recuperation and development, which is known in history as the Renxuan Era of Rule."

"Continue!" Zhu Yuanzhang urged.

"After the death of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, Zhu Zhanji, the emperor who ascended the throne was Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen."

"The reign title is Zhengtong."

He was historically known as Emperor Yingzong of Ming.

"After Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, his favoritism towards the eunuch Wang Zhen caused the development of the Ming Dynasty to gradually slow down."

"It may even have turned from prosperity to decline!"

After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang pressed him again, "Tell me in detail!"

"Why did it suddenly turn from prosperity to decline!"

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang was like a doctor, seemingly trying to find the turning point in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

"The main reason is... the Tumu Crisis occurred during the reign of Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen!"

"When the Oirat Mongols invaded from the north, the Grand Eunuch Wang Zhen encouraged Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, to personally lead the expedition, but Wang Zhen was in charge of both military and political power."

"Wang Zhen was a eunuch, so naturally he didn't understand military strategy, which is why the Ming army suffered a great defeat in this battle!"

"This directly led to Emperor Yingzong of Ming being captured at Tumu Fortress!"

"Huh?" Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded. He said incredulously, "What did you just say? The emperor of the mighty Ming Dynasty was captured by these Oirats?"

"That Zhu Qizhen is utterly useless!"

"What are the differences between him and Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was absolutely furious!
He absolutely cannot accept this.

Zhu Ying, standing beside him, remained quite calm. He casually remarked, "Grandfather, there's no need to be angry. Zhu Qizhen will be back in a couple of years."

"After returning from studying in the north, he became emperor again," Zhu Ying joked.

"What's going on? Zhu Youjian, explain yourself to us immediately!" Zhu Yuanzhang pressed Chongzhen for answers.

The latter dared not hesitate and immediately said, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, His Highness the Imperial Grandson is right. After Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, was captured by the Oirats, the Oirat army directly attacked Beiping City."

"Then……"

...(End of this chapter)