Tags: Strategy | Contest for supremacy | Cultivating corrupt officials | Building a strong army | Reform!
In the doomed final years of the Ming, Chongzhen refuses to take the usual path.
Instead of executing the Donglin faction, he feeds them until they grow fat, handing them power, sharing tax revenues, and using them to kill by proxy. He lets these upright officials swallow up every faction at court, then fight the Zhu family princes until both sides are bloodied.
He keeps the nation’s military command firmly in his hands and secures half the tax revenue, watching coldly as the Donglin faction exploits the people and inflames tensions, waiting for the realm to descend into chaos.
He placates his ministers, allies with Ligdan Khan, and establishes his authority at the Battle of Kuanchengzi. He fortifies the line from the Liao River to Dongjiang Town, trapping the Later Jin beyond the passes.
He establishes a foothold in the northwest and lays the groundwork. When the Donglin faction brings the heavens crashing down, he will lead his armies south and conquer the entire realm!
Raising bandits to strengthen one’s own position? No, that’s an emperor’s brilliant strategy!
Come on, the scene is bleak.
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