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

The Ming Dynasty not only perished, but it has been more than three hundred years since then?

Emperor Chongzhen was struck dumb.

Although he was utterly shocked, he also came to understand some things.

After communicating with the young owner of the bookstore, he has just figured out the most crucial point of the whole incident: this place is very likely the future.

Why is there a detailed history of the Ming Dynasty here?

Why did he feel as if he had passed through a distorted space and traversed endless years when he entered the bookstore?

Because this is the world more than three hundred years after the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

Once this point was understood, everything that had seemed strange and eerie in the bookstore made sense.

However, he still couldn't accept it, couldn't accept the fact that the Ming Dynasty had already perished, and what he couldn't accept even more was that the Ming Dynasty had actually died at his hands.

In his first year in power, he swiftly eliminated Wei Zhongxian.

His next step was to completely eliminate the eunuch faction, rectify the court, rebuild military discipline, and recover Liaoxi in order to seek the revival of the Ming Dynasty.

He had lofty ambitions; he aspired to be a wise ruler like the Taizu and Chengzu emperors, to work diligently to rebuild a prosperous Ming Dynasty.

But now you're telling him he's a king who lost his country? How can he accept that?

He had tried so hard, so why did the Ming Dynasty fall in his hands?

While reading the biography of Emperor Zhuanglie in the History of Ming, Chongzhen was already pondering this question.

According to the History of Ming, he had tried his best to do everything well, but in the end, everything went against his wishes.

The History of Ming, compiled by the Manchus, gave him this evaluation.

The eulogy reads: "The Emperor succeeded the Shen and Xi emperors and was full of ambition. At the beginning of his reign, Shen Ji made decisive decisions and eliminated treacherous and rebellious officials, and the world longed for peace and order."

Unfortunately, the tide has turned, and ingrained habits are hard to reverse.

In the court, factional disputes arise. On the battlefield, generals become arrogant and soldiers become lazy.

War broke out on all sides, and bandits spread.

It eventually festered beyond saving, which was truly unfortunate.

However, during his seventeen-year reign, he abstained from sensual pleasures, was constantly worried and vigilant, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to governing. At court, he sighed deeply, lamenting the lack of exceptional talent, but the incompetence of employing the wrong person only exacerbated the failure of his duties.

He then trusted eunuchs, arranged key locations, and his actions were inappropriate and his policies flawed.

When one's fortunes change and misfortune strikes, is it not simply a matter of fate?

When the emperor's fate was sealed and the evil influence was completely eradicated, he was posthumously granted the title of Jianling, and the ceremony was exceptionally grand. This demonstrates the virtuous rule of the Holy Dynasty, surpassing the achievements of a thousand years. It also shows that the emperor, despite suffering hardship, did not disgrace himself, a testament to the noble spirit of a fallen nation.

Why is this happening?

All his efforts seemed so futile, like being stuck in a quagmire, the more he struggled, the deeper he sank, ultimately resulting in a scene of constant warfare, frequent natural disasters, widespread suffering, and endless flames of war.

Could it be that this is truly a matter of fate?

If that's the case, then why bother trying? It's already destined anyway, so why not enjoy life while we can? But what's the point of enjoying life when we know the country is doomed?

A feeling of dejection instantly welled up in my heart.

Emperor Chongzhen looked blankly at Zhu Ziming: "Then... do you think I... Emperor Chongzhen, was he really a ruler who brought about the downfall of his country?"

"Um……"

Zhu Ziming thought for a moment and replied, "The Ming Dynasty did indeed fall at the hands of Emperor Chongzhen; he was indeed a ruler who brought about the downfall of the country."

These words struck Emperor Chongzhen like a blow to the head, causing the already dejected emperor to break down completely.

Everyone cares about what others think, and emperors care even more. They care about their reputation both during their lifetime and after their death. When they are alive, they are naturally showered with flattery, but after they die, the true evaluation will come to light.

According to the History of Ming, when the country was on the verge of collapse, Emperor Chongzhen summoned his ministers to discuss the matter. When the topic of war and defense came up, the ministers fell silent. Chongzhen could not help but fly into a rage and rebuked them: "I am not a ruler who would bring about the downfall of the country; all of you ministers are ministers who would bring about the downfall of the country!"

He was unwilling to admit that he was the ruler of a fallen kingdom.

However, later generations still consider him the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, because, as the bookstore owner said, the Ming Dynasty did indeed perish in his hands. This is an undeniable fact that he could not change with a single word.

Emperor Chongzhen was filled with grief. Putting aside his posthumous reputation, how could he face his ancestors?

He had just visited the mausoleum two days ago to reassure his ancestors of his ambition to revive the Ming Dynasty. Now, looking back, he realized that he was the one who had destroyed the Zhu family's centuries-old legacy.

What a huge irony!

If Zhu Ziming hadn't been here, Emperor Chongzhen would probably be kneeling on the ground in despair right now.

"But to be honest, you can't really blame Chongzhen for this."

Zhu Ziming's words finally brought a glimmer of light back to Chongzhen's dim eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

Emperor Chongzhen stared intently at Zhu Ziming as if he had grasped at a straw, wanting to hear what he had to say.

Zhu Ziming didn't know why the other party was so concerned about Chongzhen; perhaps it was empathy. Regardless, Zhu Ziming replied fairly and impartially, according to his own understanding:

"Because the Ming Dynasty had endured more than two hundred years of vicissitudes, it was already devastated and on its last legs. The History of Ming states that the Ming Dynasty actually perished under Emperor Shenzong. Regardless of whether this statement is right or wrong, it at least shows that the decline of the Ming Dynasty was not caused by Chongzhen. He simply failed to save the dynasty from collapse. But the dynasty was already rotten, and how many people can save it from collapse?"

"So, even if it wasn't Emperor Chongzhen, but someone else, the outcome would probably be the same, or even worse than Chongzhen's."

However, these attempts to whitewash Chongzhen did not help the real Chongzhen to shake off his decline; on the contrary, they made him even more disheartened.

Emperor Chongzhen sighed softly and said, "The fate of the Ming Dynasty has run its course. Such is destiny, and human effort will eventually be exhausted. There is no way to reverse it. What a tragedy! What a pity!"

However, to Chongzhen's surprise, Zhu Ziming shook his head and denied his statement: "No, it is not fortune or destiny, but a law of social development."