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

Look closely, this rather handsome young man is named Zhu Ziming.

He is a model youth who grew up in 21st-century China. He did not experience war or famine, and spent his childhood, went to school, and entered society in a stable and peaceful environment.

After contributing to society for several years, Zhu Ziming was fortunate to be born in a good era. His hard work also brought him opportunities, and he earned some money and accumulated some savings.

Tired of the monotonous office life and unwilling to be twisted into a pretzel, Zhu Ziming chose to return to his hometown, Changping District of Kyoto, and open a bookstore.

Opening a bookstore has always been his dream.

It just so happened that there was an old house vacant in his hometown of Jiantou Village, Changping District, so Zhu Ziming transformed it into a bookstore.

Making money isn't important; what matters is enjoying it.

To put it bluntly, he's not short of money, but that doesn't mean Zhu Ziming is rich. His family is just an ordinary working-class family. However, Zhu Ziming doesn't have high material desires, and he's not married or has a mortgage. For him, being able to eat well, dress warmly, and stay healthy is enough. The rest is about doing what he likes as much as possible in his limited life.

Zhu Ziming has loved reading since he was a child, reading all kinds of books. In his view, reading is a form of communication, communicating with all kinds of people or ideas.

He especially enjoys reading history books.

Because history is something that actually happened and exists objectively, there is no script, no assumptions. No matter how writers write history, history exists in its own way. Even if it was once nonexistent, it can always discover the real past.

At the same time, history is also profound; it is composed of the lives of countless vibrant individuals, many of whom are merely a single word in a history book.

To leave a mark on history is the lifelong pursuit of many talented and ambitious people throughout the ages.

Looking at history, you can see a trajectory of human civilization, see those people and those events from that time. They are very distant, but it seems that they have never gone away. History will let you know where you came from and where your roots are.

Learning from history allows us to understand the rise and fall of dynasties. Our ancestors and sages used their lives to perform wonderful dramas for future generations, which are not only entertaining but also invaluable experiences.

Therefore, history is not only real and profound, but also fascinating and enriching.

While running his bookstore, Zhu Ziming was also writing novels.

Because the bookstore's business isn't usually very good, he's quite free. When he's free, he thinks about doing something he likes.

In his view, writing novels is also an interesting thing. Like reading, it is a form of communication, a communication and intellectual collision with readers that transcends time and space.

He writes historical novels.

History is always full of regrets, but in the world of novels, these regrets can be made up for. The world of novels is like a parallel universe, where history that has become the past can be reinterpreted in a completely new way because of the existence of the protagonist.

He wrote a novel about the late Ming Dynasty, not for any other reason than that it was the period of history that he found most difficult to accept.

It snowed heavily today. Zhu Ziming hadn't seen such heavy snow in many years. The white snow seemed to have covered the whole world.

There were no customers in the shop except for Zhu Ziming.

The bookstore didn't have many customers to begin with, mainly students from universities around Changping District and tourists visiting the Ming Tombs. Now that the end of the year is approaching, students from surrounding universities are on holiday, and there aren't many tourists visiting the Ming Tombs either. So, the bookstore seemed deserted. Zhu Ziming didn't mind at all; on the contrary, he was happy to immerse himself in the world of novels.

As evening approached, the bookstore finally welcomed its first customer, but this customer was rather strange.

The reason it's considered strange is because this person's attire is quite bizarre; he's dressed in ancient costume, as if he stepped out of a play.

And judging from his appearance, he seems to be playing the emperor.

Regardless, guests are always welcome, and Zhu Ziming greeted them with a smile as usual: "Welcome!"

In today's society, outlandish costumes are no longer a rarity. Cosplayers are a common sight on the streets, and some livestreamers go to extreme lengths to create bizarre looks.

This place is adjacent to the Ming Tombs, and there are actually quite a few people who cosplay as Ming Dynasty emperors.

Some of them are hired by the scenic area to cosplay as emperors, some want to cosplay themselves, and some are specifically cosplaying as emperors to earn money by taking photos with tourists.

So Zhu Ziming wasn't surprised and didn't pay too much attention to the other person's clothes, but continued to immerse himself in his novel world.

Time always flies when you're focused on something.

It wasn't until after 10 p.m. that Zhu Ziming finished writing a chapter of his novel. When he looked up, he found that the person was still there.

It seems the other person is also a book lover.

Although he didn't want to disturb them, Zhu Ziming had no choice but to ask them to leave when it was time to close the door.

"Excuse me, student, the bookstore is about to close."

The reason he called him "classmate" was because the other person looked quite young, tall and thin, and fair-skinned, like a student. Zhu Ziming thought that the other person was probably a student who came to the scenic area to work during the winter vacation to earn some living expenses. Regardless of whether he was or not, it was always right to call him "classmate".

The other party seemed a little surprised, but quickly left quietly.

the next day.

Another guest dressed as the emperor has arrived.

This time, he arrived quite early, not long after the bookstore opened. Just like yesterday, there were only Zhu Ziming and him in the bookstore, and he was reading in the same spot as yesterday.

What was different this time was that Zhu Ziming paid special attention to the book he was reading.

It turned out to be a copy of the History of Ming.

Many people are interested in the history of the Ming Dynasty because it was a rather unique dynasty. The emperor guarded the country's gates, the monarch died for the country, and the dynasty refused to pay tribute, make peace through marriage, or become a vassal state. It was a dynasty with unyielding integrity and was also the last Han Chinese dynasty. There are too many stories and regrets. This is why a book about the history of the Ming Dynasty, "Those Things of the Ming Dynasty," is such a bestseller.

However, while many people read "Those Things About the Ming Dynasty," relatively few read "The History of Ming," because the "History of Ming," compiled by the Qing Dynasty in the form of official biographies, is indeed somewhat difficult for modern readers to understand.

It seemed that the other party not only liked history, but also had a certain level of literary talent, which made Zhu Ziming feel more favorably toward him and pay more attention to him.

Zhu Ziming discovered that when the other party was reading the History of Ming, he was not only very focused, but also... very excited.

Sometimes he would slam his fist on the table in indignation, sometimes he would beat his chest and stamp his feet, and sometimes he would sigh with regret.

Wow, it's rare to find someone so immersed in reading the History of Ming.

Although Zhu Ziming also liked the Ming Dynasty and could be considered a Ming Dynasty fan—otherwise he wouldn't have chosen to write a novel about the late Ming Dynasty—he had to admit his inferiority to this young man who cosplayed as an emperor. This was truly a great Ming Dynasty fan.

boom!

The other party suddenly slammed his fist on the table and sighed indignation, which startled Zhu Ziming.

The other person's emotions were genuine and heartfelt, not like an act. It's good to be engrossed in reading, but being overly excited is unnecessary. Zhu Ziming was genuinely worried about whether his desk could withstand the strain.

So Zhu Ziming picked up a pot of tea that he had just brewed and went over.

"Would you like a cup of tea, classmate?"

"what?"

The other person suddenly looked up, a hint of confusion in their eyes as they looked at Zhu Ziming.

Zhu Ziming then noticed that the other person's forehead was covered in sweat, as if he had just experienced a thrilling journey.

The extent to which one can become engrossed in reading is truly admirable.

Zhu Ziming poured the other person a cup of tea.

"Student, don't get too excited. Have a cup of tea to calm down first."

The guest dressed as the emperor nodded.

"that……"

Just as Zhu Ziming was about to leave, the other person, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

Zhu Ziming stopped and turned around. The other person pointed to the "History of Ming" in his hand and asked, "Classmate... do you think everything in this book is true?"