Chapter 12: The Gathering of Suffering
Looking at the raindrops outside, listening to the sound of water dripping on the roof, Ye Xiang slowly fell into contemplation.
Looking back on history, countless eunuchs in the Ming dynasty held power, such as Wang Zhi, Liu Jin, and Wei Zhongxian. No matter how arrogant and tyrannical they were, persecuting those who opposed them, they were loyal to their masters, the emperors.
When Ye Xiang was in college, this piece of history made him sigh the most. Most of those who were greedy for money and surrendered to the enemy were so-called high-ranking officials. When Li Zicheng entered Beijing, countless ministers surrendered, but it was these eunuchs who fought to the end. When Li Zicheng attacked the Forbidden City, countless Eastern Depot eunuchs raised their knives, knowing they would lose, but preferring to die under the enemy's blade. Even just to delay some time for Emperor Chongzhen, because of their delay, Emperor Chongzhen had time to kill his wife and children.
When Emperor Chongzhen fled to Coal Hill, there was only one person by his side, the eunuch Wang Chengen. After Emperor Chongzhen died, this eunuch who had watched over him since he was young, took his own life and accompanied his master in death.
Looking back on every event in the history of the Ming Dynasty, one can't help but think of these emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, from a humble origin, drove out the Yuan Dynasty to the north and established the capital, but he killed many meritorious officials. In his later years, he became even more tyrannical, leading to the people suffering and the Ming Dynasty almost perishing in one generation.
The second emperor of the Ming Dynasty was Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen, who didn't even have a chance to show his talent before being overthrown by his uncle.
The third emperor was Yongle Emperor Zhu Di, widely regarded as one of the most brilliant emperors in Ming history.
He let out a soft sigh, and Ye Xiang's mood was somewhat heavy. Since the death of the Yongle Emperor, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty had been getting worse with each generation.
The fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty was Renzong Zhu Gaochi. He had been a crown prince for twenty years, and every day he was as cautious as if he were walking on thin ice. However, this emperor only reigned for one year before dying. His reign was so short that it's not worth mentioning his achievements or failures - he may not have even known what to do as an emperor!
The fifth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Xianzong Zhu Zhanji, was a very hardworking emperor. He ascended to the throne at the age of 29 and reigned for 20 years until his death at the age of 49. During his reign, he worked extremely hard but ultimately exhausted himself to death. Although the Ming Dynasty experienced a brief period of prosperity during his rule, his son turned out to be very disappointing.
The sixth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Yingzong Zhu Qizhen, was only seven years old when he ascended to the throne. However, unlike Kangxi Emperor, he did not become a good emperor. Instead, he heavily relied on eunuch Wang Zhen and was captured by Esen. As a result, the Ming Dynasty quickly changed emperors, and Yingzong became a discarded son. Although he later regained his throne, he was left with a tarnished reputation.
The seventh emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Jing of Zhu Qiyu, was pushed to the forefront after Yingzong was captured, but when Yingzong returned, he was killed, and his eyes were filled with tears!
The eighth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Xianzong Zhu Jianshen, was originally his own crown prince and was stolen away. Although he was later recovered, he himself had a severe stutter and could only say yes or no when attending court sessions. He created an infamous organization in the history of the Ming Dynasty - the Western Depot.
The ninth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Xiaozong Zhu Youjian, a good emperor and representative of monogamy. However, he died at the age of 36 and only reigned for 18 years.
The tenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Wuzong Zhu Houzhao, was another weird emperor. He set up a leopard house and spent his days indulging in lust, but he didn't have a single son. In modern terms, wasn't he simply infertile?
The eleventh emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Shizong Zhu Houheng, did not attend court for over thirty years and only knew how to practice alchemy to become an immortal, finally starving himself to death.
The twelfth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Muzong Zhu Zaiyu, his brothers and younger brother all died one after another, and the throne fell to him in a muddle. His biggest characteristic was that he was incompetent. This emperor died at the age of 36 after being on the throne for six years.
The thirteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Wanli Emperor, also known as the most infamous tyrannical emperor in history. In the early years, thanks to Zhang Juzheng's reforms, the imperial treasury was full. Later, he took revenge on Zhang Juzheng and began to settle accounts after his death.
The fourteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty was the Taichang Emperor. He died in a more tragic way, dying on the belly of a woman after only one month.
The fifteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Tianqi Emperor Zhu Youjian, was also a strange character. He couldn't govern the country but did excellent woodworking and died after only seven years on the throne.
The last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian, who succeeded his brother, had ambitions to revive the great Ming, but what his father left him was a river with a thousand holes. Although he had great aspirations, he could not fulfill them and finally hanged himself.
Slowly recalling the 16 emperors of the Ming dynasty, Ye Xiang couldn't help but sigh. What kind of dynasty was this? Having gone through so many unreliable emperors, it's surprising that the country didn't collapse. It has to be said that the Ming dynasty is also a strange case in history.
Here is the translation:
Up to this point, Ye Xiang summarized the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. First: Incompetence. Among these sixteen generations of emperors, except for Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, the rest were incompetent emperors. Second: Short-lived. The longest reign of a Ming emperor was forty-eight years, while the shortest lasted only one month; those who lived beyond forty were considered long-lived. Third: Lustful and tyrannical. Simply saying that these emperors were incompetent cannot highlight the problem; relying on eunuchs and indulging in debauchery are characteristics shared by almost every Ming emperor. The last sentence is: These emperors of the Ming Dynasty were just a bunch of miserable wretches.
Such a dynasty, such an emperor, yet it existed for 300 years, and one cannot help but say that it is a strange existence. Although the Ming Dynasty was such a dynasty, it was Ye Xiang's favorite dynasty. In the 300 years of the Ming Dynasty, there were no alliances by marriage, no cession of land, no negotiations, no indemnities, and no tributes. The emperor guarded the country gate, and the king died for his country. There was backbone, dignity, no surrender, and never compromise. Even if the emperor was captured, he would not retreat, this is the spirit of the Han people, the backbone of Huaxia. This is why Ye Xiang liked the Ming Dynasty so much, even though powerful dynasties like Han and Tang had policies of negotiation and alliance by marriage, only the Ming Dynasty did not.
He let out a gentle sigh, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and couldn't help but sigh again. At this time, the Great Ming dynasty had not yet suffered from the disaster of Wei Zhongxian, but it was already riddled with holes.
He withdrew his attention from the water droplets falling from the eaves and turned to Li Jinzhong and Li Lan beside him, instructing, "It's late at night, rest!" This night, the rain outside the window didn't stop, constantly pounding against everyone's hearts, as well as this land that was originally rich but now desolate.
Today's Chapter 3 will resume normally tomorrow morning, noon and night.
