The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

Wansui Mountain, located north of the Forbidden City, is the closest garden to the imperial palace. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was a mound within the city of Dadu. Later, after Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, he piled the slag from the demolition of the Yuan Dynasty palace and the excavation of the Forbidden City's moat onto it to build palaces, and named it Wansui Mountain.

Legend has it that this place was once where the imperial palace stored coal, hence it is also commonly known as Coal Hill.

Emperor Chongzhen walked towards the somewhat crooked locust tree on Wansui Mountain, stood under it, and had a complicated expression.

"Your Majesty, these were planted last year, and you were there at the time," Wang Chengen said from behind.

"I know."

Emperor Chongzhen's voice was deep and somber.

Of course he remembered that in early spring last year, he passed by Wansui Mountain and saw several eunuchs putting a locust tree as thick as a bowl into a pit. On a whim, he picked up a eunuch's shovel and piled the first shovelful of soil on it, and everyone cheered immediately!

After the eunuchs finished covering the base of the locust tree with soil, Chongzhen took the bucket of water handed to him and poured the first ladle of water at the base of the tree. Seeing the emperor working personally, the palace maids quickly offered him a towel to wipe his sweat and hands...

The joyful scenes from last year are still vivid in my mind.

But who could have imagined that seventeen years later, he would hang himself on the very locust tree he had planted with his own hands?

How ironic!

Emperor Chongzhen felt as if his heart was filled with lead, incredibly heavy.

He possessed a complete set of the History of Ming, and Yuan Chonghuan had already proven its authenticity. However, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness, a feeling that had already begun to surface when he summoned Yuan Chonghuan.

He didn't even know whether or not he should appoint Yuan Chonghuan.

According to the History of Ming, Yuan Chonghuan did not fulfill his bold claim of recovering Liaodong in five years. Just one year later, Yuan Chonghuan exhibited various inexplicable behaviors in the fierce battle against Huang Taiji's surprise attack on the capital. Although he eventually repelled Huang Taiji and defended the capital, rumors still circulated in the capital that Yuan Chonghuan "lured the enemy to coerce peace." Folk songs such as "Kill Yuan Chonghuan, and half of the Tartars will leave" and "Capture Yuan Chonghuan, and everyone will have a peaceful feast" even spread and entered the palace.

Soon, Yuan Chonghuan was arrested and imprisoned. Nine months later, he was executed for treason.

Emperor Chongzhen actually liked Yuan Chonghuan very much, but given the circumstances, how should he use Yuan Chonghuan? Did he have to repeat the same mistakes as before?

Do not!

He must never repeat his old mistakes!

If he can't appoint Yuan Chonghuan, who should he appoint?

The old path is clearly a dead end, but where is the new path? And how should we take it?

Emperor Chongzhen was truly at his wit's end.

To be honest, he had this feeling while reading the History of Ming, because he felt that he had done his best to follow the old path.

Faced with a politically precarious situation, he earnestly sought to improve the country. At every imperial lecture, he listened attentively to the interpretation of classics without weariness, and summoned court officials to discuss strategies for governing the nation. He was diligent in his duties, personally attending to every matter. Simultaneously, he overturned wrongful convictions, reinstated officials dismissed during the Tianqi era, comprehensively evaluated officials, prohibited factionalism, and strictly prohibited court officials from associating with eunuchs. He rectified border administration, appointing Yuan Chonghuan as Minister of War, bestowing upon him the imperial sword, and entrusting him with the crucial task of recovering Liaodong…

After reading the whole thing, he had only one feeling: everywhere he looked for a way out, he seemed to have no way out; seemingly accessible, yet every step was difficult.

He didn't know where he went wrong, but he felt that everything he did was wrong. It was like facing a series of mountains, and he tried his best to climb them. Sometimes he would climb over the mountains, and sometimes the mountains would disappear for a while. Several roads appeared in front of him, so many that he didn't know which one to take. But when he chose a path, the mountains would reappear in front of him. He encountered obstacles everywhere and finally had no way out.

Even if you let him do it again, he still wouldn't know which way to go.

This is actually the most painful part.

Knowing full well that this path was a dead end, yet still having to continue down it, the profound sense of powerlessness made Emperor Chongzhen feel suffocated. He was already in a bad mood when he summoned Yuan Chonghuan, so he hastily adjourned the court session.

The negative emotions stemming from this sense of powerlessness erupted completely upon seeing the locust tree on Wansui Mountain.

Chongzhen seemed to see himself hanging on this crooked locust tree again sixteen years later, with only Wang Chengen by his side, just like now.

No!

Emperor Chongzhen seemed to wake from a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat.

boom!

Suddenly, Emperor Chongzhen slammed his fist into the locust tree, which was now only as thick as a bowl, causing the withered branches and leaves to fall to the ground.

Wang Chengen, standing behind Chongzhen, was stunned by Chongzhen's sudden action.

Wang Chengen had already sensed that something was wrong with Chongzhen. It seemed that things had started to change after he returned from visiting the imperial tombs at Tianshou Mountain. As the emperor's personal eunuch, he was second to none in understanding the emperor.

After returning from Tianshou Mountain, the Emperor was preoccupied with his thoughts. The most obvious sign of this was his absent-mindedness. He was absent-minded when reviewing memorials, when he summoned Yuan Chonghuan, and when he saw the somewhat crooked locust trees on Wansui Mountain.

He had just suddenly gone berserk and punched the locust tree hard.

What exactly happened?

Before Wang Chengen could think twice, he rushed forward to check and saw that Chongzhen's hand, which had struck the locust tree, was bleeding profusely. Wang Chengen was shocked.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"Help! Help!"

Wang Chengen was about to call for help, but Chongzhen stopped him by raising his hand.

He punched the locust tree that would later hang himself hard. His hand really hurt, but no matter how painful it was, it couldn't compare to the pain he would suffer later. His country was destroyed, his family was destroyed, he killed everyone around him with his own hands, and then committed suicide, covering his face with his hair, unable to face his ancestors. Was there anything more painful than this?

However, the excruciating pain from the back of his hand actually made Chongzhen feel a little better and calmed him down a bit.

"Go, have someone cut down this locust tree! No, don't leave even the roots!"

"yes!"

Wang Chengen was puzzled. He didn't know why the emperor was so hostile to a locust tree planted last year, but he still quickly accepted the order.

Emperor Chongzhen stepped over the locust tree and walked forward without looking back.

Regardless, let's start with this locust tree. At least in the future, even if the country falls and the family is destroyed again, he won't hang himself on the same tree again...