Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

After recounting the story of "Sun Quan wielding his sword to cut off the corner of the table," Zhu Cilang strode toward the throne.

A gentle breeze blew into the palace from the window, softly lifting the hem of his dragon robe.

"Fellow officials!"

His voice suddenly became extremely soft, yet it could be clearly heard in the empty hall:

Was Sun Quan's sword strike a mistake?

In an instant, the air in the hall suddenly became heavy, and everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Some ministers subconsciously gripped the hem of their court robes, their eyes darting around; others frowned, lost in thought.

Minister of War Shi Kefa stepped out of the ranks, his voice resounding:

"Your Majesty, as Sun Tzu said, 'Those who are united in purpose will prevail.' This is an eternal truth."

He pointed diagonally towards the depths of the palace.

"The phrase 'shared desires between superiors and inferiors' means not only about being of one mind, but also about sharing life and death."

"This sword strike silenced the cowardly voices in the court, uniting the people of Eastern Wu in a shared hatred of the enemy."

Shi Kefa suddenly turned around and faced the assembled officials:

"Now that our Great Ming Dynasty is in turmoil, we especially need to emulate the will of the ancients. Since Your Majesty's mind is made up, we should act like the civil and military officials of Jiangdong in those days."

The wind howled outside the hall, blowing into the hall and causing the hem of the official robes to ripple.

Zhang Shenyan immediately stepped forward, his voice high-pitched:

"Your Majesty is wise! Sun Quan's act of cutting off the corner of the table to demonstrate his resolve was truly a swift and decisive action!"

"I request that the Edict on Pacifying the Barbarians be promulgated in all the schools throughout the land, so that all students may recite it on the first and fifteenth of each month, in order to rectify people's hearts and unite the people's strength."

Before Zhang Shenyan could finish speaking, a chorus of agreement arose from inside the hall.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to sacrifice my life to rid Your Majesty of wickedness and stabilize the court!"

"This humble general is willing to lead his brave soldiers into battle, charging into the fray and annihilating the barbarian invaders!"

......

Amidst the rousing roar, there were also brief moments of silence.

Several elderly ministers with white hair and beards lowered their eyelids, as if in deep meditation.

Ma Shiying subconsciously exchanged a glance with his colleague, then quickly lowered his head and followed the others in bowing.

Zhu Cilang's ears were filled with the impassioned voices of his ministers:

"What Minister Shi said, 'Those who are united in purpose will prevail,' deeply resonates with me."

His eyes were sharp as knives.

"In the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208 AD), the Battle of Red Cliffs was launched with fire. The young lord of Jiangdong was no more than twenty-six years old."

"As the court was filled with officials in high rank, fearing for their lives, he drew his sword, cleaved the corner of the table in two, and silenced the slanderous words."

"The sound of breaking wood was so powerful that it caused Cao Cao's 800,000-strong navy to be reduced to ashes."

He paused slightly, his voice as firm as metal:

"Do you all know that Sun Quan did more than just cut the corner of the table?"

"He cut off the morale of the people, the cowardice of the army, and the imminent collapse of the nation!"

The young emperor finally announced his decision:

"Today, in the Hall of Martial Valor, I will follow the example of Sun Quan."

"From this day forward, on all matters concerning important state affairs, I will allow my ministers to engage in heated debates in court."

"However, if the imperial decree has been made, and there are any further objections, I will certainly deal with them with strict laws to maintain order and discipline."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

As soon as the words were spoken, all the officials straightened up and bowed, shouting in unison, the sound almost lifting the dome of the Wuying Hall.

Zhu Cilang's face remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

Beneath this thunderous praise, the malignant tumor that festered in the very marrow of the court—

Can factional strife truly be resolved with a single sword strike from Sun Quan?

His gaze slowly swept over the diverse faces of the assembled officials, his mind clear as a mirror:

Is this calamity entirely the fault of the officials?

The root cause, in fact, lies in the way a monarch governs.

Since ascending the throne, he has been cautious in using eunuchs and has strictly prevented them from interfering in politics and abusing their power.

He strictly adhered to the ironclad rules of the imperial examination system, regarding it as the foundation of the nation, and never dared to deviate from them.

He adhered to ancestral rules and strived to be a ruler who conformed to propriety.

Even so, the factional strife in the court remained as persistent as a centipede, stubbornly clinging to life.

These century-old problems are deeply entrenched and have penetrated deep into the very marrow of the empire. How could they be eradicated by a single imperial edict or a single court assembly?

Thinking of this, a surge of violent energy suddenly welled up in my heart!

The five fingers suddenly tightened—

The powerful, long-brewing technique within him almost burst forth...

But he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his surging anger.

It's not quite done yet.

The dark clouds outside the window churned and surged, as if foreshadowing an even more violent storm to come...

"All officials of the Wuying Hall, heed my decree!"

Zhu Cilang rose abruptly, his voice like a dragon's roar:

"Now the Jurchen invaders have crossed our borders, and our mountains and rivers weep blood."

"The governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, Jiang Yueguang, is ordered to rush to the capital overnight, and all civil and military officials are to prepare military supplies."

His arms stretched out like wings, and the wide sleeves of his bright yellow robe fluttered in the wind.

"After the oath-taking ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, I shall personally lead the six armies and recapture Dezhou!"

"This battle is not merely about avenging our humiliation; it is a battle to restore the glory of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Cilang decided to personally lead an expedition to recapture Dezhou.

These words immediately caused an uproar in the imperial court.

With a flick of his whisk, Han Zanzhou, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, cleaved through the chorus of wailing and remonstrance.

"Your subject risks his life to remonstrate with you!"

An old minister knelt down on the ground.

"The tragedy of Emperor Yingzong's capture during his northern expedition is still fresh in our minds. The Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty state, 'The Son of Heaven resides in the ninefold palace to govern the four seas.'"

"The Jurchens still have a large army stationed in Ji and Liao. If Your Majesty makes any rash moves, I fear the grain transport in Jiangnan will be disrupted and the capital garrison will face internal troubles!"

"The Imperial Observatory reported yesterday that the Purple Palace Enclosure was obscured, and Venus was traversing the sky!"

"This is a warning from Heaven. If Your Majesty goes against the will of Heaven and lightly abdicates the throne, where will you place the dragon's aura at the Xiaoling Mausoleum?"

"For seventeen years, the late emperor toiled day and night, still confined to the capital. How can Your Majesty bear to repeat the mistakes of Coal Hill?"

Zhu Cilang resolutely decided to lead the expedition personally; he had calculated it clearly:

How can we find the enemy's weak point without seeing firsthand how the Jurchen cavalry broke through the defenses?

How can the refugees believe that the Ming Dynasty's fate is not yet over if the emperor's banner is not planted on the walls of Dezhou?

Furthermore, it is essential to make those governors and viceroys who are vague in their memorials see clearly.

The young emperor of the Forbidden City dared to disregard his own life and death, betting on this game that would turn the tide of history.

Amid the objections of the court officials, the Grand Eunuch Han Zanzhou announced the adjournment of the court.

Zhu Cilang gazed at the departing crowd, his mind clear as a mirror.

At this time, Shandong was in a state of near power vacuum.

After the Da Shun army retreated westward, the Da Shun local regime in Shandong and Hebei was quickly overthrown by the former Ming officials and gentry.

The Qing army then took advantage of the situation to occupy the area surrounding Beijing.

However, the Qing government's forced implementation of policies such as shaving the head caused widespread panic among the people around the capital.

People in many places rose up in rebellion against the Qing Dynasty's rule.

Even the coal from the Western Hills, which was essential for the daily needs of the capital, could not be transported into the city smoothly due to blocked roads.

Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the capital, with widespread speculation that the Qing army would massacre civilians.

Dorgon and other Qing rulers repeatedly refuted the rumors in an attempt to appease the people, but they also dispatched troops to suppress dissent in various places.

Even the elderly and young who were unable to bend a bow or wield a sword were brutally slaughtered.

Faced with this situation, the Qing court urgently needed a period of time to stabilize its rule over the capital region and conserve its strength.

Furthermore, the Shun army still held Shanxi, posing a significant threat to the Qing court and preventing it from easily sending its main force south.

This is undoubtedly a golden opportunity to recapture Dezhou and take control of Shandong.

Once Shandong was under control, a much larger strategic game gradually emerged in Zhu Cilang's calculations...