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

"And then what happened!" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were filled with anger and a little helplessness after hearing that the Oirat Mongols had invaded Beiping.
after all.

It was an utterly humiliating thing to have the capital city directly breached by foreign tribes!
This would never have happened during Zhu Yuanzhang's era.

It should be understood that for the Ming Dynasty at present, only the Ming army could conquer the capital of other countries; there was absolutely no way that the army of a foreign tribe could conquer the capital of the Ming Empire.

"Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, after the Oirat Mongols captured Beiping, the court officials, led by Yu Qian, the Vice Minister of War, elected Zhu Qizhen's younger brother, Zhu Qiyu, as emperor!"

"And under the leadership of important ministers such as Yu Qian, they successfully defeated the invading Oirat army."

After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang showed a hint of relief on his face.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly and said, "That's more like it!"

"Yu Qian is a capable man! He managed to protect the court in such a chaotic time. Yu Qian has the merit of restoring the Ming Dynasty!" When Zhu Yuanzhang heard about Yu Qian's deeds, he was naturally quite satisfied with him!
"Tell me quickly, what's going on with the Ming Dynasty? Oh, and what about Yu Qian? What happened to him later?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked hurriedly.

just.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Zhu Youjian's face once again showed a hint of embarrassment.

Obviously.

This question posed by Zhu Yuanzhang was quite difficult for Zhu Youjian at that time to answer.

"Reporting to Emperor Hongwu... After the Ming Dynasty repelled the Oirat army, it underwent a certain transition period. However, not long after, the Oirat sent Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen back."

"Huh?" Zhu Yuanzhang was immediately dumbfounded!

He could never believe that such a bizarre thing could happen in his Ming Dynasty.

"And then what happened? After Zhu Qizhen returned to the capital, was Zhu Qiyu still able to hold onto the throne?" Crown Prince Zhu Biao asked curiously from the side.

Before Zhu Youjian could speak, Zhu Ying said first, "After Zhu Qiyu becomes emperor, he will naturally not easily hand over the throne."

"In fact, after Zhu Qizhen returned to the capital from the grasslands, Zhu Qiyu directly placed him under house arrest in the Southern Palace and assigned people to guard him to prevent him from seizing power."

After Zhu Ying finished speaking, Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian) standing in the main hall nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. After Zhu Qizhen returned to the capital from the grasslands, Zhu Qiyu placed him under house arrest!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was not surprised.

He said slowly, "This is normal. After all, Zhu Qiyu finally obtained the throne. How could he possibly hand it over to someone else? The temptation of imperial power is just too great."

As an emperor, he naturally understood how alluring the throne was to a person.

"and then?"

"How did the Ming Dynasty develop under Zhu Qiyu's rule?"

Zhu Yuanzhang then spoke to Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian.

Upon hearing this, the latter quickly replied, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Qiyu was a short-lived emperor. A few years later, Zhu Qiyu passed away due to serious illness."

"After Zhu Qiyu passed away, the throne was once again inherited by Zhu Qizhen. Therefore, Zhu Qizhen is one of the few emperors in history who was able to inherit the throne twice."

to be frank.

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard that Zhu Qizhen had become emperor again, a look of helplessness appeared on his face.

after all.

This is absolutely absurd.

"After Zhu Qizhen ascends the throne, he will surely purge some of the old ministers. Am I right?"

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, Zhu Ying nodded and said, "That's right, and they even went on a killing spree."

"Yu Qian was executed directly on charges of treason."

"This matter shocked the court and the public, and the people of the Ming Dynasty were extremely dissatisfied!"

After Zhu Ying finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up from his seat.

Then, Zhu Yuanzhang roared angrily, "This Zhu Qizhen is simply a tyrant!"

"Yu Qian is a meritorious official for our Ming Dynasty. How can we just kill him like this! Fool!"

At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, dared not say anything more and remained silent with his head down.

Zhu Youjian knew very well that what Zhu Qizhen had done was indeed inappropriate.

"Zhu Youjian!"

"Did our great Ming Dynasty only begin to rot under Zhu Qizhen?"

Suddenly, Zhu Yuanzhang questioned Zhu Youjian again.

Upon seeing this, the latter quickly replied, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, although Zhu Qizhen did many absurd things after his second ascension to the throne, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty is still intact."

"Zhu Qizhen reigned for a total of eight years during his second ascension to the throne. After these eight years, with the passing of Zhu Qizhen, the throne passed to Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen."

"Zhu Jianshen changed the reign title to Chenghua, and is historically known as Emperor Xianzong of Ming. Emperor Xianzong reigned for twenty-four years. When he first ascended the throne, Zhu Jianshen exonerated Yu Qian. However, in the later years of his reign, he neglected his duties, favored eunuchs, and established the Western Depot..."

"It had a significant impact on the descendants of our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, then said, "Hmph, none of the emperors who favored eunuchs were good people! They were all incompetent rulers!"

Zhu Ying nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with Zhu Yuanzhang's statement.

"Grandfather is right. It's just a pity that there are far too many emperors in the Ming Dynasty who favor eunuchs."

"I think Zhu Youjian must have a deep understanding of this."

The reason Zhu Ying said this to Zhu Youjian was mainly because Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, deeply hated eunuchs, especially Wei Zhongxian!

Zhu Youjian quickly replied, "Your Highness, you are right. I have indeed experienced this firsthand."

Zhu Yuanzhang also spoke up: "Let's not talk about the affairs of your dynasty for now, let's continue talking about the events that happened during the Chenghua era!"

Zhu Youjian immediately replied, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, after the death of Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Youcheng succeeded to the throne."

"Zhu Youcheng's reign title was Hongzhi, which is historically known as the Hongzhi Restoration."

"The Hongzhi Restoration?" Upon hearing the words "restoration," Zhu Yuanzhang immediately perked up.

After all, throughout history, whenever the word "revival" appears, it signifies the arrival of a golden age.

After listening to Zhu Youjian's long explanation, it seemed that this was the first time Zhu Youjian had heard the words "restoration".

Therefore, Old Zhu was naturally quite excited.

"Zhu Youjian, quickly tell us what exactly happened during the Hongzhi Restoration!"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked impatiently.

Zhu Youjian quickly spoke up, saying, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, after Emperor Hongzhi ascended the throne, he worked diligently to govern the country, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive. He was also diligent in his duties and cared for the people, which led to another golden age for the Ming Dynasty."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard about Emperor Hongzhi's achievements, a smile finally appeared on his face.

"Excellent! Excellent!" "We are very satisfied with Zhu Youcheng!"

"He didn't disgrace Old Zhu!"

Zhu Yuanzhang greatly admired the Hongzhi Emperor and praised his actions.

just.

Zhu Yuanzhang could not understand why the Ming Dynasty would decline again if Zhu Youcheng had achieved the Hongzhi Restoration.

"Who exactly destroyed our Great Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but sigh.

Zhu Ying chimed in, "Grandfather, don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."

After Zhu Ying finished speaking, he glanced at Zhu Youjian and then said, "Continue, tell Grandfather what will happen to the Ming Dynasty next."

Zhu Youjian hurriedly accepted the order, and then hastily added, "Although the Hongzhi Emperor achieved a revival, after his death, the Ming Dynasty fell into crisis again."

"Because the Hongzhi Emperor was quite frugal during his reign, he only had one empress and no concubines, so naturally he didn't have many children. To be more precise, the Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youcheng only had one son."

"Therefore, after the Hongzhi Emperor passed away, Crown Prince Zhu Houzhao succeeded to the throne."

"This Zhu Houzhao, also known as the Zhengde Emperor, is the most controversial emperor in the history of the Ming Dynasty and even in the history of the Han people."

After hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, Zhu Yuanzhang became curious and asked, "Then tell me, what exactly did Zhu Houzhao do?"

"Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, after Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, ascended the throne, he did not like to live in the palace. He built the Leopard House and spent his days playing there."

"The Leopard House? Where is the Leopard House!" Zhu Yuanzhang continued to press.

"Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, this Leopard House houses many ferocious beasts, as well as Buddhist temples and musicians."

"Quite prosperous."

"In addition, Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, was quite playful, disliked attending court, and favored eunuchs such as Liu Jin."

"According to you, Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, was a foolish ruler?" Zhu Yuanzhang then asked.

Faced with Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Zhu Youjian seemed somewhat hesitant and troubled.

after all.

Zhu Houzhao was a very controversial figure.

As for Zhu Youjian, he had no idea how to answer.

Fortunately, when Zhu Youjian hesitated, Zhu Ying spoke first: "This Zhu Houzhao is not a foolish ruler. He once quelled the rebellion of Prince Ning and also defeated the invasion of the northern barbarians."

"Moreover, Zhu Houzhao always killed innocent people indiscriminately, but he was not confused when it came to important matters. It's just that this Zhengde Emperor loved freedom too much and was not suitable to be an emperor."

After Zhu Ying finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought.

Obviously.

After all, even a knowledgeable emperor like Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless after hearing about Zhu Houzhao's deeds.

Much later.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly spoke up, "Then who will succeed Zhu Houzhao? Who will inherit the legitimate rule of our Great Ming?"

Zhu Youjian hurriedly said, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, because Emperor Zhengde Zhu Houzhao had no sons, and also because he had no biological brothers... the throne will be inherited by his cousin Zhu Houcong."

"Zhu Houcong ascended the throne at the age of fourteen, and his reign title was Jiajing. Emperor Jiajing reigned for forty-five years. Although he was quite accomplished in the early years, he became obsessed with Taoist practices and neglected state affairs in the later years."

"Fortunately, the political situation is relatively stable. Although there has been a war and the national treasury is tight, there have been no major problems."

After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, Zhu Ying suddenly said, "No, although the Jiajing era was relatively stable, the fact that Jiajing neglected state affairs for many years led to serious corruption among officials."

"It left a hidden danger for the Ming Dynasty."

"Although Zhu Houcong was extremely intelligent and shrewd, his later obsession with cultivating immortality led to chaos in the Ming Dynasty's bureaucratic system."

"The Ming Dynasty has fallen into this state, and Zhu Houcong is absolutely responsible for it."

Zhu Ying pointed out incisively.

after that.

Zhu Yuanzhang agreed with Zhu Ying's point of view. He took a deep breath and sighed softly, "Obsessed with cultivating immortality, humph, I never thought our descendants would be so disappointing!"

"If they could be as diligent in serving the people as we are, perhaps the Ming Dynasty would have lasted forever!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was furious!
At the same time, it was also filled with disappointment.

Zhu Ying continued, "Grandfather, please rest assured, Jiajing was not the worst emperor. The next few emperors were even worse than the last."

Then, Zhu Youjian immediately said, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, what His Highness the Imperial Grandson said is absolutely right. Emperor Jiajing, Zhu Houcong, reigned for more than forty years, which directly damaged the vitality of the Ming Dynasty."

"After the Jiajing Emperor passed away, the Longqing Emperor ascended the throne. The Longqing Emperor was not bad. He did business with foreign countries and allowed the Ming Dynasty to recuperate and develop. It's just a pity that the Longqing Emperor only reigned for six years and did not bring any substantial changes to the Ming Dynasty."

"After the Longqing Emperor passed away, Zhu Yijun succeeded to the throne, and his reign title became Wanli!"

"The Wanli Emperor heavily relied on Zhang Juzheng and launched three major campaigns! Afterwards, like the Jiajing Emperor, Wanli did not attend court for a full thirty years!"

"After that, the Ming Dynasty almost completely collapsed. After the death of the Wanli Emperor, his successor Zhu Changluo died of illness after only one month on the throne. Zhu Youxiao then succeeded him as the Tianqi Emperor."

When Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian) recounted this period of history, he was visibly agitated.

After all, the Wanli Emperor was Zhu Youjian's grandfather, and Zhu Changluo was Zhu Youjian's father.

As for Zhu Youxiao, he was also the elder brother of Zhu Youjian.

Zhu Youjian had met all these people and had a certain understanding of them.

It can be said that Zhu Youjian personally watched the Ming Dynasty decline step by step.

"Tell me about Zhu Youxiao's political achievements," Zhu Yuanzhang replied in a rather cold tone.

Zhu Youjian naturally dared not hesitate, and he quickly said, "Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Youxiao, also known as my elder brother, is not a qualified emperor. Since ascending the throne, my elder brother has been obsessed with carpentry."

"What??"

"What did you just say? Carpenter?"

Although Zhu Yuanzhang was mentally prepared, he was still greatly surprised when he heard that Zhu Youxiao was obsessed with carpentry.

"Reporting to Emperor Hongwu, my elder brother is indeed so obsessed with woodworking that he has directly led to the neglect of state affairs."

"Furthermore, this imperial brother also favors the eunuch Wei Zhongxian, which has made the court chaotic and the people fearful!"

"In addition, during this period, many natural disasters occurred in various places, which directly led to a large number of refugees."

...(End of this chapter)