In the late Wanli years of the Ming Dynasty, the empire was like a leaking giant ship, slowly sinking in the stormy waves of history. The negligent administration of Emperor Wanli and the rampant eunuchship of the Tianqi Dynasty gradually eroded the foundation of the dynasty. And Emperor Chongzhen, a diligent but suspicious loner, struggled to support the collapsed building under the double attack of the Liaodong cavalry and the Central Plains bandits.
In 1644, during the Jiashen Incident, the sky collapsed and the earth collapsed. Li Zicheng conquered Beijing, and Chongzhen hanged himself on Meishan, but he only dreamed of being emperor for forty-two days. Wu Sangui's decision in front of a stone and Dorgon's command of troops to enter the Pass completely rewrote the direction of history. From then on, the afterglow of the Ming Dynasty sank into the party struggles and tragedies of the Southern Ming Dynasty, while the Qing Dynasty conquered the mountains and rivers step by step with iron blood and strategy.
From the Tenth Day in Yangzhou to the Three Massacres in Jiading, from Shi Kefa's martyrdom to the hanging of Emperor Yongli, from Yuan Chonghuan's unjust death to Hong Chengchou's surrender to the Qing Dynasty - this is a history full of contradictions, betrayal, loyalty and reconstruction. It is not only the collapse of one dynasty, but also the entire process of the rise of another dynasty amidst opportunity and violence.
Through eighteen volumes of in-depth analysis, this book uses a unique narrative perspective and profound insights to lead readers back to that bloody and confusing era to see how the rise and fall were determined, and how the rise and fall were unfounded.
