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

Is this just the beginning? Or is an even greater disaster about to strike?

When Chongzhen came to the bookstore, he was initially in a good mood because the disaster relief efforts were progressing and everything in the Ming Dynasty was beginning to show signs of improvement. He even prepared a gift for Zhu Ziming, and Zhu Ziming's shocked expression helped him regain the face he had previously lost.

He also wanted to tell Zhu Ziming how he distanced himself from the Donglin Party, how he manipulated Qian Qianyi, and how he made advance arrangements to have Hong Chengchou eliminate those rebels, and all the changes that had taken place in the Ming Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Ziming immediately hit him on the head with a stick.

An even greater disaster?

Emperor Chongzhen asked, bewildered, "Is it serious?"

Zhu Ziming nodded: "It's serious, very serious!"

"Later historians, when explaining the reasons for the fall of the Ming Dynasty, often focus on human factors, such as the incompetence of the emperor, the power of eunuchs, intense factional strife, and corruption among officials. However, in fact, climate factors were also closely related to the economic crisis, financial crisis, military crisis, and ruling crisis at the end of the Ming Dynasty."

"It can be said that this natural disaster during the Chongzhen era was the fuse that ignited the fall of the Ming Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen's expression turned completely serious.

He originally thought the disaster relief was complete, but he did not expect that this was only the beginning of the disaster, and that this disaster was one that could lead to the downfall of the country. How could Chongzhen not be solemn?

Zhu Ziming already knew the other party's identity, so he didn't beat around the bush and said directly:

"The drought that began in Shaanxi in the first year of the Chongzhen reign was initially only a case of crop damage and famine for people and livestock in some parts of Shaanxi. No one paid much attention to it, thinking it was just an ordinary drought, until the disaster gradually got out of control."

"In the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, the drought in Shaanxi began to spread throughout the entire province."

"In the fifth year of the Chongzhen reign, Shaanxi suffered from continuous famine."

"In the sixth year of the Chongzhen reign, Shaanxi was hit by floods, and starving people wandered everywhere in search of food."

"In the seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, the first autumn harvest after the great flood was followed by a locust plague, resulting in a complete crop failure and countless people starving to death."

"In the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, Xixiang suffered a severe drought, while Luezhou was hit by a flood."

"In the ninth year of the Chongzhen reign, Shaanxi suffered a severe drought and was also plagued by locusts."

"In the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign, locusts devoured the seedlings, and all the crops were destroyed."

"In the eleventh year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Shaanxi was struck by another locust plague."

"In the thirteenth and fourteenth years of the Chongzhen reign, a severe drought struck the entire Shaanxi province. The poor starved to the extreme, and when they encountered a dead body, they would fight to cut off its flesh to fill their stomachs. They even killed and ate living people..."

"In Shaanxi alone, disasters never ceased throughout the Chongzhen reign."

Just listening to it made Chongzhen feel completely numb.

Last year's drought had already exhausted Emperor Chongzhen, and the entire court was at a loss. In the end, they had to ask Zhu Ziming for help. Zhu Ziming helped them come up with a strategy: to rob landlords and gentry of money and grain, which barely solved the disaster relief problem.

however……

Who could have imagined that, for more than a decade, Shaanxi Province would suffer from natural disasters almost every year, and each year the disasters would be more severe than the last?

Who can stand this?

Emperor Chongzhen was so angry he wanted to curse.

However, Zhu Ziming's next words made him even more desperate.

Zhu Ziming continued, "This is only the Shaanxi region. This rare natural disaster is not limited to Shaanxi. Starting from the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, the drought area gradually spread to the entire Yellow River basin. By the tenth year of Chongzhen's reign, several provinces had experienced severe drought."

"The Fen River and Zhang River in Shanxi have both dried up, all nine rivers in Hebei have dried up, and Baiyangdian Lake has dried up. This phenomenon of lake and river drying up is widespread, and all rivers in the Haihe River basin have stopped flowing."

"Severe droughts have occurred in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, and Shandong, accompanied by locust plagues and severe epidemics, which have exacerbated the situation. Cannibalism has become widespread and can be seen everywhere."

"In Henan, a severe drought swept across the entire province, withered all crops, the Luo River was less than a foot deep, and all vegetation, animal hides, insects, and flies were consumed. Many people starved to death, corpses littered the roads, and the land was desolate." In Gansu, large areas of drought-stricken regions saw people resorting to cannibalism. In Shaanxi, "rice markets were completely shut down, and people ate only wood bark and stone noodles. Fathers, sons, husbands, and wives dismembered and ate each other, and eight or nine out of ten died."

"This drought continued until the Qing army entered the pass and the Ming Dynasty fell, without stopping."

"After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the temperature began to rise rapidly after the seventh year of the Shunzhi reign, and the disasters gradually subsided. This led to the later records of the so-called 'Kangxi and Qianlong Prosperity' of the Qing Dynasty. In fact, it was just a matter of the disasters lessening and the disaster areas shrinking after the temperature warmed up."

Upon hearing Zhu Ziming's words, Emperor Chongzhen was completely stunned.

He originally thought that disaster relief was on track, and he began to try to make changes. The Ming Dynasty was starting to improve, and with Zhu Ziming's help, the Ming Dynasty would not repeat the same mistakes, and its revival was just around the corner.

The whole of Shaanxi province almost drove him to despair.

Now, five provinces in North China have all fallen victim to natural disasters, this...

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Zhu Ziming and sighed dejectedly, "Is Heaven going to destroy the Ming Dynasty?"

"good."

Zhu Ziming said, "It is indeed Heaven's will to destroy the Ming Dynasty."

Why do you say that?

"Because the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty was actually in a very special climatic period, the Little Ice Age. Because it occurred at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, it is also known as the 'Ming-Qing Little Ice Age'. During the Little Ice Age, the temperature across the entire Chinese land dropped significantly and it was exceptionally cold."

"But during the Little Ice Age, the cold was not the most terrible thing; the most terrible thing was the series of chain reactions brought about by climate change. For example, drought, plague, and locust plague."

"This also made the Ming Dynasty the period with the most severe drought in Chinese history, almost without exception."

"Especially during the Chongzhen era."

"The Chongzhen drought was the longest, most widespread, and most affected drought in nearly five hundred years of human history."

"And such a disaster just happened to befall Emperor Chongzhen."

"Under the horrific natural disasters, coupled with land annexation, corrupt officials, and powerful enemies all around, it can be said that all kinds of negative conditions were piled up. That's why I said before that even if Chongzhen made many mistakes, it's not certain that someone else could have done better than Chongzhen. Even if that person had done better, it's not certain that they could have saved the Ming Dynasty."

Emperor Chongzhen was completely stunned, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up within him.

When he first saw the History of Ming, he also felt this sense of powerlessness. At that time, he didn't know how to change things or where to start, so he had no choice but to go back and cut down the crooked locust tree.

Later, it was Zhu Ziming who gave him direction.

From that time on, he also understood a principle: if he wanted to save the Ming Dynasty, he could only rely on Zhu Ziming, and he regarded this place as his military headquarters.

However, this time the feeling of powerlessness and despair was even deeper than before.

So, just like before, the only person he can rely on now is still Zhu Ziming.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Zhu Ziming with pleading eyes, "Then what should we do?"

"There is no solution."

Zhu Ziming shook his head and spread his hands: "This time there is truly no solution."