nashuaworldcup Chapter 604 If we can't even suppress foreign enemies, how can we talk about the throne of the
Chapter 604 If we can't even suppress foreign enemies, how can we talk about the throne of the
"If nothing unexpected happens, most of the wealthy and powerful people who later raised the banner of anti-Qing restoration almost all participated in allowing the Manchus to enter the pass."
"That's why you said, 'The aristocratic class is ruining the country!'"
"They only ever think about themselves!"
"These spineless cowards who like to bet on both sides should all be killed!"
Liu Bang angrily rebuked.
The rise and fall of dynasties in the Central Plains, and the struggle for supremacy among various warlords, should all be decided behind closed doors.
"The best situation is like that of the Han Dynasty. At the end of the Han Dynasty, even though there were many warlords, no one suggested letting foreign enemies into the pass."
"Of course, given the fragmented state of the country at that time, any foreign enemy would face certain death."
Li Er sighed.
In his view, the charm of the late Han Dynasty lies not only in the romance of Shu Han and the integrity of Cao Wei.
More importantly, no matter which warlord it was, even if they were beaten to a pulp, their suppression of external enemies would still be absolute.
Even a warlord like Gongsun Zan, who quickly withdrew from the fray in the early stages, still had an impeccable record in external battles.
In his view, this is how the struggle for supremacy at the end of a dynasty should be.
If we can't even suppress foreign enemies, how can we talk about the throne of the Central Plains?
"Li Zicheng was a ruthless and ambitious man, but unfortunately his vision was ultimately short-sighted. If he had been able to prepare a countermeasure in advance, he would not have been defeated so decisively."
"A series of coincidences, if there had been even the slightest mistake, would not have led to the Manchu conquest of China."
"Although we don't know how well Li Zicheng will perform after he takes the throne, I imagine he won't be any worse than the Manchus."
Zhu Youjian is now starting to consider Li Zicheng's future.
He acknowledged his status as a deposed monarch.
He could now fully accept the fact that the Ming Dynasty had fallen at his own hands, and at the hands of Li Zicheng.
After all, even the founding emperor said that the rise and fall of dynasties is a normal occurrence.
If Li Zicheng could do better, then let him do it.
At the very least, we must not allow the Manchus to rule the world again!
Thinking of this, he looked at the eunuch Wang Chengen beside him.
"How is the army sent out to encircle and suppress Wu Sangui doing? Why haven't any battle reports come back these past few days?"
"I went to inquire today, and there was a battle report, but it was not a victory report. Wu Sangui joined forces with the Manchus as soon as he learned of the news, and the defensive line he built was difficult to break through for a while. Even our army's several strong attacks were repelled, and we suffered considerable losses."
"Perhaps that's why those high-ranking officials in the Ministry of War felt ashamed to let His Majesty see the battle reports."
"But please rest assured, Your Majesty, they have already dispatched a large army to reinforce us, and they will surely be able to capture Wu Sangui before the other rebel forces!"
Wang Chengen lowered his head and said.
"Send a large army to reinforce? The imperial court can't even afford to pay its soldiers now. Didn't they say they had no soldiers left? Where would reinforcements come from?"
Zhu Youjian looked at him suspiciously.
Wang Chengen: "..."
He knew that if he said something, Zhu Youjian would definitely be furious.
But faced with that aggressive gaze, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and speak.
"It was the money raised by the officials of the Ministry of War and the other five ministries. I heard that they raised enough money to cover most of the previous year's military pay, which is why they were able to mobilize the army."
"?"
"They scraped together the money? Where did they get the money?"
As expected, Zhu Youjian flew into a rage.
Although the previous inventory showed that the writing on the sky indicated that Li Zicheng had plundered tens of millions of taels of silver in the capital.
But he still naively believed that it was only wealthy gentry in the capital who were rich, and that even if officials in the court had some wealth, they wouldn't be that rich.
At that moment, upon hearing Wang Chengen's words, his beliefs crumbled.
"I have repeatedly swallowed my pride and tried to borrow money from them before. What did they say to me?"
"They said their families were poor and they really couldn't afford the money. I still remember their mournful faces!"
"So this is what they call poverty?"
"The military expenses that I couldn't afford, they made up for more than half of with their own money?"
Zhu Youjian felt he had reason to suspect that if he hadn't issued this final ultimatum, these people would probably have preferred to watch the Ming Dynasty perish rather than pay a single extra penny!
If the sword doesn't strike them, they'll just think that changing dynasties or emperors has no impact whatsoever!
It was his decree and the assessment of the Manchu Qing dynasty shown on the celestial screen that truly awakened them.
This time, their own interests have been completely affected!
"Your Majesty, it is not the right time to punish him. We still need to rely on the generals to punish Wu Sangui."
"Moreover, after Wu Sangui there is the traitor Li Zicheng. It's not too late to settle scores after all the worries are resolved."
Seeing Zhu Youjian's almost frantic state, Wang Chengen quickly and carefully advised him.
He was genuinely afraid that the emperor might unleash a massacre at the slightest provocation.
After all, His Majesty has a history of such offenses.
"I know, I know everything now."
"I am not capable enough, and I need their assistance to complete the Emperor Taizu's decree."
"However, this will only happen once. I no longer place my hopes on quelling the rebellion. The Ming Dynasty is already riddled with holes, and even with my abilities, I cannot repair it."
"After dealing with Wu Sangui, I will abdicate in favor of Li Zicheng."
"It can't get any worse than it is now, nor can it be worse than when the Manchus entered the Central Plains."
"My lord, ever since you said that I should be like Yao and Shun, I haven't had a good night's sleep. I'm too tired. You've misjudged me. I don't have that ability."
"I want to live as an ordinary person. When that time comes, Your Excellency, you will accompany me."
After a brief outburst of rage, Zhu Youjian came to terms with it all.
He realized his own limitations.
That means they lack ability.
The Ming Dynasty perished in its own hands.
I also realized my own poor judgment in judging people.
The court was full of treacherous officials who deceived the emperor, yet he spared those who deserved to be killed.
On the contrary, those who truly sacrificed their lives for the Ming Dynasty, such as Sun Chuanting, were persecuted by him.
He lacks ability, the ability to recognize talent, and the capacity to utilize people; that's just who he is.
After recognizing his own shortcomings, Zhu Youjian finally let go of his inhibitions.
It doesn't matter if the world doesn't belong to him, or to the Zhu family.
In any case, both the Taizu Emperor and the Chengzu Emperor accepted this fact.
As long as the country doesn't fall into the hands of the Manchus, it doesn't matter who controls it, whether it's Zhang Xianzhong or Li Zicheng.
"Ah? Your Majesty, you!?"
Wang Chengen was stunned.
He truly hadn't expected that the Emperor would have such a thought.
This is tantamount to abdicating the throne of the Ming Dynasty to a foreigner!
However, before he could offer any advice, he saw Emperor Taizu Zhu speaking on the sky.
"It's not a bad decision."
If one's own abilities are insufficient to resolve the current predicament, then one should relinquish the position to someone who can.
"As long as those bastards from the Qing dynasty don't sit on the throne, we can accept whoever it is!"