Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Seated atop the dragon throne was none other than Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The emperors and founding ministers of the Ming Dynasty are arranged on both sides of the main hall.

On the left, the emperors and their descendants, all wearing crimson python robes, from Emperor Jianwen (Zhu Yunwen) and Emperor Chengzu (Zhu Di) down to Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian), stand solemnly.

On the right, Liu Bowen wears a black sash, Xie Jin holds a scroll, and Zhang Juzheng holds a jade tablet; ministers who served as advisors throughout history are depicted in purple and green robes.

It was as if the entire 276-year history of the Ming Dynasty was unfolding before my eyes.

Zhu Cilang walked slowly to the emperor's presence, each step seemingly floating on clouds.

Is all of this a dream or reality?

If it's a dream, it's too real; if it's real, it's too horrifying.

He lifted his robe, bent his knees, and performed the grand ceremony of five bows and three kowtows, revealing a corner of his plain hemp undergarment beneath his outer robe.

"Zhu Cilang, the thirteenth-generation descendant, pays respects to Emperor Taizu Gao!"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand and waved it lightly, his bright yellow sleeve sweeping across the dragon table:

Get up!

"You are my grandson, Zhu Cilang?"

"The great-grandfather, Emperor Gaozu, is hereby appointed as my grandson, Zhu Cilang."

Zhu Cilang lowered his head and stood up, his gaze falling on the paperweight on the imperial desk.

He felt countless gazes coming from both sides, like thorns in his back.

"I heard—"

A sound as heavy as a thousand pounds suddenly rang out.

"Has my Ming Dynasty fallen?"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly leaned forward, and the sun, moon, mountains and rivers on his black robe with the twelve imperial symbols suddenly tensed.

Zhu Cilang took a deep breath and replied:

"Reporting to Emperor Taizu Gao!"

"War rages across the northern frontier, and the capital has fallen into enemy hands. Fortunately, half of the southern border remains intact, and the people can temporarily find peace."

"The rebel leader once occupied the capital, but the people's hearts were not with him, and his power could not last long."

"The Jurchens have been preparing for war and have 200,000 iron cavalry and archers. Their ferocity far surpasses that of the bandits, and they are a major threat to our Great Ming."

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the imperial clan's ranks on the left:

"OK!"

His voice boomed with thunderous fury as he slammed his right hand on the armrest of the dragon throne with a loud bang.

"Our Zhu family has produced so many spendthrift sons!"

In an instant, a golden light split open in the sky outside Lingxu Palace, accompanied by rolling thunder, as if cheering on the wrath of the founding emperor.

Zhu Cilang felt the gold bricks beneath his feet trembling.

"The annual revenue of the Hongwu reign was no more than ten million shi, yet it was able to launch expeditions to the north and conquer Yunnan in the south."

"You possess vast amounts of grain and money, yet you leave your soldiers unpaid, refugees everywhere, and you've brought ruin to your kingdom!"

He pointed his spear at the royal family's ranks, his gaze finally settling on the tall, upright figure at the far left.

"The empire I built with my own hands has been handed over to others by you unworthy descendants."

Enraged, he ripped off his jade belt and hurled it at the figure.

"Especially you, fourth brother!"

"Is this the fine descendant you, Yan Prince, have raised? Where are the 300,000 elite troops I left for Yunwen?"

"Your Jingnan campaign has produced a white silk noose on Coal Hill."

The jade belt brushed against Zhu Di's shoulder and fell to the ground with a crisp cracking sound.

A shard of glass landed near Zhu Yunwen's feet, and the Jianwen Emperor instinctively curled his toes, his cloud-patterned boots instantly retracting into his robe.

Zhu Di suddenly stepped forward and retorted without showing any weakness:

"When Father Emperor passed the throne to Yunwen, if it weren't for your son, the Oirat Mongols would have already razed Nanjing to the ground."

The shadow cast by the Emperor Taizu's throne covered half of his face.

"Does Your Majesty know that Yunwen, heeding the words of Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng, has stripped five princes of their titles within six months?"

"When King Zhou was demoted to Yunnan, he wasn't even allowed to take a fur coat out of Kaifeng."

"If your son does not raise an army, the emperor's sons and grandsons will have long been slaughtered like lambs."

As the Yongle Emperor strode closer to Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yunwen unconsciously shrank back.

"presumptuous!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his fist on the table and stood up, causing the jade pen holder on the table to jingle and jump around.

He glared at Zhu Di, his eyes blazing with fury.

"No matter how wrong Yunwen is, he's still your nephew!"

"Back when I was on the throne, Biao'er treated you with utmost sincerity. Is this how you repay him?"

Zhu Cilang subconsciously looked towards the very front of the Xunchen train—

The Crown Prince Zhu Biao should have been standing there, but now it was empty except for a wisp of smoke.

Zhu Di was struck where it hurt by the question, and his face turned ashen instantly, his previous arguing momentum dissipating considerably.

His voice suddenly turned low and deep:

"How could I not know of His Highness's kindness towards me?"

"When Your Highness passed away, I kept vigil for him in the north for three days. Snow fell on my shoulders and my tears flowed like a long river."

"However, the Ming Dynasty cannot be destroyed by the hands of scholars."

He slowly raised his head, his eyes already red-rimmed.

"Yunwen is young and has been misled by treacherous officials. If I had not stood up for him, the country would have been torn apart long ago."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression changed slightly, his anger subsided somewhat, and he asked in a cold voice:

"Then tell me, after the Jingnan Rebellion, what did you do to my other descendants after forcing Yunwen to commit suicide?"

"Which of the Kings of Zhou, Qi, and Dai wasn't stripped of their power and dethroned by you?"

"You keep claiming it's for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, but how are your actions any different from those of Yunwen back then?"

Zhu Di suddenly grabbed the Yongle Encyclopedia from the table and presented it to the emperor with both hands.

"Father, I may have acted too harshly, but all of this is for the stability of the Ming Dynasty."

"Since ascending the throne, he has personally guarded the country's borders, led expeditions against Mongolia, recovered Annam, made six voyages to the Western Ocean, and compiled the Yongle Encyclopedia. These achievements are praised by the world."

He turned his head slightly to look at Zhu Cilang.

"Why must Father Emperor scold you every day, especially in front of his grandson today?"

Zhu Cilang's heart tightened.

He lowered his head slightly, looking flustered, and subconsciously shifted his feet.

He wanted to speak up to ease the tension, but out of respect for the majesty of the founding emperor, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and could only stand quietly to the side.

"I'm going to scold them every single day!"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up, his chest heaving violently.

"I was originally a commoner from Huaiyou. In my early years, I suffered from hunger and cold and had no choice but to become a beggar, begging for food on the streets and enduring all kinds of humiliation from the barbarians."

His gaze drifted into the distance, his brows furrowed, as if he were looking back on those years.

"With a red turban wrapped around his head, he risked his life! Crossing Haozhou and breaking through Caishi, he spent fifteen years licking blood from the edge of a knife."

"From having nothing to driving out the barbarians and restoring China, I have gone through countless hardships and dangers."

He pounded his chest forcefully.

"We trampled over Chen Youliang's skull and Zhang Shicheng's corpse, shattered the gates of Yuan Dadu, and painstakingly carved our Han land out of a sea of ​​blood!"

"This foundation of the Ming Dynasty's Han territory was built by us biting with our teeth, tearing with our hands, and pounding with bone fragments!"

He pointed at the emperors, his fingertips trembling slightly.

"And you lot! Lying on your thrones, indulging in luxury and spoiling our empire like this!"

"How can I not be heartbroken? You have ripped out my very heart!"

When the words reached a painful point, he braced himself against the dragon table with his hand, his eyes burning with anger.

Zhu Di's face turned bright red from the scolding. In the end, he lowered his head in dejection, stopped arguing, and slowly retreated back to the ranks.

The air seemed to freeze, the lingering power of the thunder still echoing between the beams and pillars.

Among the ranks of meritorious officials, Liu Bowen let out a barely audible sigh, while Zhang Juzheng silently lowered his head.

Among the imperial family members, several emperors from the middle and later periods of their reign either looked ashamed or had wandering eyes.

Zhu Cilang sighed inwardly, his gaze sweeping over the ranks of the imperial clan.

As they passed Zhu Qizhen, the emperor, who had been captured alive by the Oirats, suddenly flinched.

He buried almost his entire face in his collar, as if he sensed an impending storm.

"Zhu Qizhen!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice boomed like thunder.

"What a fine prisoner of the Oirats! As the emperor of the Great Ming, you have been captured alive, utterly disgracing the Ming Dynasty."

He grew angrier as he spoke, and pointed his halberd straight at Zhu Qizhen.

"Back then, we risked our lives, rolling through mountains of knives and seas of blood, all so that the descendants of the Zhu family could stand tall and rightfully rule this land."

"You, on the other hand, have turned the imperial robe into prison clothes, becoming a laughing stock of the world."

Zhu Qizhen was so angry at the scolding that his face turned ashen and his body trembled slightly.

"My grandson wanted to emulate the Taizu Emperor's ambition to expel the Tartars, so he personally led the three armies to the north to conquer the Oirat Mongols."

"Wang Zhen harbored treacherous intentions, used clever words to deceive the emperor, and pretended that the celestial phenomena indicated a need for war."

"My grandson was young and impetuous, and the border garrison falsely reported that the enemy's strength was declining. He underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, which led to this great defeat. It is truly my grandson's fault."

He instinctively hugged his arms tightly, as if the prison uniform were still on his body.

"Grandson...Grandson had no choice at the time..."

"Forced to do so?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered.

"It is because of your incompetence and foolishness, your favoritism towards treacherous officials, and your allowing that scoundrel Wang Zhen to wreak havoc on the court that such a great disaster has occurred."

He leaned forward abruptly, his gaze fixed on Zhu Qizhen.

"I ask you, as the Emperor, how could you allow a eunuch to control matters of state and military affairs? Have you lost your mind?"

Zhu Qizhen was so overwhelmed by the insults that he opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out.

He suddenly shrank his neck, curling up in the wide dragon robe like a frightened quail, his strength completely gone.