From the Start, I Transmigrate into the Chongzhen Emperor and Save the Ming Dynasty

In the first year of the Chongzhen reign, the Ming Dynasty had fallen into dire straits. A severe drought in Shaanxi sparked peasant uprisings, with Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong beginning to make their mark. In Liaodong, the Later Jin, now under the rule of Hong Taiji, watched like a predator and had repeatedly crossed the passes to raid the region. At court, the Donglin faction held sway, factional strife continued unabated, officials were corrupt, and administration was inefficient. The military household system had completely collapsed, border troops were severely underpaid, and their combat strength was low. The imperial treasury was empty, land concentration had reached its peak, and refugees were everywhere. Western missionaries such as Johann Adam Schall von Bell were still in China, Western firearms technology had already edged ahead of the Ming, and European powers were expanding around the globe in the Age of Exploration.