[Power Struggles + Nation-Building + No System + War]
The beleaguered Southern Ming finally approached its end in 1827. But a storm in the north a hundred years earlier had prolonged its life by several centuries.
The Qing captured Jinling, and the Southern Ming court stood on the verge of collapse.
Zhu Yongzhi was a student who had gone to seek an education. His only connection to the imperial family was his surname, Zhu. Born into a wealthy farming family, he had wanted nothing more than to become a scholar, but ended up joining the remnants of the Southern Ming.
As the Southern Ming fell, he turned the tide. He led the Northern Expedition and brought down the Qing. He was no royal, but was forced to wear the crown.
