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

This time there's truly no solution.

These words, spoken by Zhu Ziming, were like the final nail in Chongzhen's hand, sealing the deal.

Because, in Chongzhen's mind, Zhu Ziming was now his only hope for saving the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Ziming had previously used the word "unsolvable".

That time, they were talking about a dynasty that lasted no more than three hundred years. But at that time, Zhu Ziming added that unless there was a radical reform, it would be difficult to escape the cycle of rise and fall of feudal dynasties.

So there is actually a solution, but this time, Zhu Ziming directly said there is no solution.

However, after so many conversations, Chongzhen had a general understanding of Zhu Ziming's way of speaking: first, he would exaggerate the seriousness of the problem to make you take it seriously, and then he would introduce a solution gradually.

This is probably a flaw that Zhu Ziming developed while writing novels; after all, writing is like viewing mountains, which brings joy but also discontent.

So, amidst his despair, Chongzhen felt a glimmer of hope and asked, "Sir, is there no exception this time?"

Zhu Ziming replied, "In most cases, natural disasters are beyond human control. Even today, we humans still don't have a good way to prevent natural disasters from happening, let alone during the Chongzhen era. Under the influence of the Little Ice Age, the natural disaster during the Chongzhen era was unstoppable and inevitable."

"The great drought during the Chongzhen era was a disaster that was rare even in hundreds or thousands of years. Even by today's standards, it would be a major catastrophe. Given the level of productivity during the Chongzhen era, it was simply impossible to cope with it."

Emperor Chongzhen pondered for a moment, then pressed further, "Even future generations won't be able to handle it?"

Zhu Ziming shook his head: "No, we can handle it in future generations."

Emperor Chongzhen pressed on, "Then why was it so difficult to manage during the Chongzhen era?"

Zhu Ziming replied, "As I just said, the level of productivity is different today. Today's productivity level is incomparable to that of the Chongzhen era. Abundant resources, professional organization, an army capable of fighting tough battles, and the country's strong safety net are all things that were impossible to have during the Chongzhen era."

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Ziming added, "Even if Chongzhen knew all this in advance, or even had the opportunity to increase productivity and prepare supplies, it would still be very difficult."

Emperor Chongzhen asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Zhu Ziming replied, "Because there is no time left. Chongzhen's disaster has already begun. It's like a fire that has already started. If you try to find water and make firefighting tools, it's already too late. By the time you find water and make the tools, the fire will have spread, if not nearly burned, and it will be very difficult to put out."

Emperor Chongzhen remained silent.

long silence.

Suddenly, Emperor Chongzhen thought of something and asked, "If I don't put out the fire, what if I move it to a place where the fire won't reach?"

"You mean migration?"

Zhu Ziming quickly understood Chongzhen's meaning, and Chongzhen nodded.

Zhu Ziming said: "During the Hongwu era, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty initiated the Hongwu Great Migration. At that time, due to the famine and war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Central Plains were 'unpopulated and desolate for a long time.' Zhu Yuanzhang decided to transfer people from Shanxi, which was least affected by the war and had a large population, to the sparsely populated Central Plains.

"This massive migration involved millions of people and took more than fifty years to complete."

"By the Chongzhen reign, land annexation had reached its peak. Where were there still sparsely populated areas? Moreover, all five provinces in North China were affected by the disaster, with the affected area covering the entire Yellow River basin. The number of people affected was well over a million. Tell me, how are we supposed to relocate them? Where are we supposed to relocate them to?"

Using the Hongwu Emperor's great migration as a comparison, Zhu Ziming's words were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, completely stumping Emperor Chongzhen.

Zhu Ziming said, "Under the natural disaster, there are countless people starving to death, and it has come to the point where people are eating each other. The people cannot survive anywhere, and there is only one way left for them: to rebel."

"Therefore, uprisings broke out everywhere, especially in Shaanxi. After Wang Er's uprising, Zhang Xianzhong, Gao Yingxiang, and Li Zicheng all rose up in rebellion. The uprisings spread like wildfire to the Yellow River basin and even the whole country."

"Li Zicheng eventually captured the capital of the Ming Dynasty, marking the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the next dynasty."

Emperor Chongzhen gritted his teeth; he was unwilling to accept this.

Of course he was unwilling to accept it.

He had made such a big decision, and he had done his best to change things. He thought that the Ming Dynasty had begun to improve, but the reality was not like that at all. The Ming Dynasty was still in the quagmire, and was even sliding further down the path.

It's like knowing that this road is a dead end, and then resolutely choosing to take another road, trying to get as far away from this dead end as possible. But who would have thought that you would end up back on this dead end again? No, it should be said that you never left this road from beginning to end.

How could he not feel bad about this?

At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen's eyes were red as he looked at Zhu Ziming: "If... if I were to kill all of Li Zicheng's ilk, would the Ming Dynasty still have a glimmer of hope?"

"kill?"

Zhu Ziming said, "If you kill one Li Zicheng, there will be thousands upon thousands more. Or rather, every refugee could potentially become a Li Zicheng. Can you kill them all?"

"Just like when the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, if Zhu Yuanzhang had starved to death like his parents, would the Mongol Yuan Dynasty have survived?"

"Therefore, killing one person is useless; in fact, it will only lead to more deaths, and the more people are killed, the faster the Ming Dynasty will perish!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was completely bewildered.

He looked at Zhu Ziming blankly. Heaven was going to destroy the Ming Dynasty, so why did it bring him to this bookstore hundreds of years later and let him meet Zhu Ziming?

Do not!

There must be another way!

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Zhu Ziming as if grasping at a last straw: "Sir, please save the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Ziming said, "Do you remember what we said before? Unless there is a radical change, the Ming Dynasty, as a feudal dynasty, will naturally not be able to escape the cycle of feudal dynasties."

"History has proven this many times. What no emperor or wise ruler of any dynasty could accomplish, do you think Chongzhen could?"

"Therefore, even without this natural disaster, the Ming Dynasty would still have perished; this natural disaster merely hastened its demise."

These were actually the words Zhu Ziming had said to Chongzhen when he first visited the bookstore.

But this time, upon hearing it again, a glimmer of light appeared in Chongzhen's bewildered eyes. He asked urgently, "What if... what if the Ming Dynasty could usher in a revolutionary change?"

He originally wanted to avoid this question because Zhu Ziming had said that the emperor was actually the biggest landlord, representing the interests of the landlord class, and was the biggest obstacle to solving the problem of land annexation. Wasn't the so-called earth-shaking reform just about breaking down this obstacle?

Of course, this was Chongzhen's own understanding.

Now, Chongzhen realized that he had tried to circumvent the problem, but no matter how he tried, he could not get around it. The problem was like a mountain blocking his way forward; if he did not climb over it, he would never see a new path.

Zhu Ziming thought for a moment and replied, "If possible, there is still a sliver of hope."

Emperor Chongzhen hurriedly said, "Please speak, sir!"

Zhu Ziming then changed the subject: "But before that, I want to confirm one thing."

With that, Zhu Ziming looked directly into Chongzhen's eyes and asked, "Who exactly are you?"