Introduction to Rebuilding the Great Ming: An alternate history. Some plot points may not hold up to scrutiny.
A nightmare on Coal Hill: A brilliant modern physics student is reborn as a nine-year-old boy, Zhu Youjian, the Prince of Xin, future emperor Chongzhen and doomed ruler of the Ming! Knowing that the empire will soon be torn apart and the realm lost, he chooses a path no one has ever taken.
The young dragon bides his time. Under the pretext of recuperating from poor health, the young Prince of Xin quietly puts his plans in motion. Soap, glass, and distilled liquor become his first source of capital, while coke smelting, granular gunpowder, and prototypes of flintlock guns kindle the first sparks of industry in secret workshops. He wins over the loyal eunuch Fang Zhenghua to serve as his shadow, recruits the upright Imperial Guardsman Li Ruolian to build an intelligence network, and enlists the brilliant Song Yingxing to explore the power of “investigating things.”
At court, Wei Zhongxian holds sway over the entire realm, and factional strife rages. The prince feigns weakness and keeps a low profile, coldly recording the crimes of the eunuch faction, secretly shielding worthy officials, and gathering strength for a thunderous strike. With war flaring in Liaodong, refugees becoming a growing concern, and disasters ravaging the land during the Little Ice Age, he plans ahead and quietly uses scientific knowledge to avert calamities.
The moment the Tianqi Emperor dies and the Forbidden City falls into a power vacuum, the hidden dragon emerges! Li Ruolian’s elite troops take control of the capital, Fang Zhenghua commands the inner palace and captures the chief eunuch, Song Yingxing’s ingenious inventions breach defenses, and Shen Tingyang cuts off the enemy’s escape. In a single night, the eunuch faction is wiped out.
Now emperor, Chongzhen is no longer the despairing ruler of the history books. Armed with cutting-edge technology and a loyal inner circle, he sets about reform: Xu Guangqi advances science and education, Sun Yuanhua builds a powerful army, and Sun Chuanting pacifies the realm. He promotes high-yield crops, upgrades military weapons, surveys farmland and reforms taxation, and opens up maritime trade routes. With the principles of physics, he tackles the fiscal crisis, breaks the deadlock in Liaodong, and saves the crumbling empire!
This is a journey through
There is a lot of nonsense that goes on and on. . . . . . .
High-strength wine, soap, and glass all existed in the Ming Dynasty and became industries. Isn't it embarrassing to write about them? 😄😄😄