Chongzhen Had Just Hanged Himself, So I Went Mad to Save the Ming

In 1644, the Chongzhen Emperor hanged himself at Coal Hill, and the Great Ming was on the brink of ruin.

To protect their wealth and status, the entire court forced Zhu Youlang, who had just transmigrated, onto the throne, hoping to use him as a puppet emperor to take the blame.

Faced with the Qing cavalry at the gates and a treasury so empty even the rats were starving, the modern college student Zhu Youlang merely sneered. “You want to work me like a beast of burden? Sorry, I choose to go crazy!”

Following the principle of “forget your personal standards and enjoy a shameless life,” he gave the Great Ming a complete makeover!

When the Donglin faction tried to guilt-trip him with moral arguments, Zhu Youlang hit back with KPI assessments. Anyone who failed was sent straight to the chopping block, along with their entire clan!

When Jiangnan's wealthy magnates refused to pay taxes, he sent troops to surround their gates and forced them to “invest” at swordpoint!

By the time he had whipped the Southern Ming court into shape, the Qing regent Dorgon was proudly marching south with his Eight Banners troops. Then, to his despair, he discovered that the little Southern Ming emperor who should have been easy to manipulate was as steady as a rock, and fought with absolutely no regard for limits!

Dorgon broke down. “What emperor goes on campaign with a Gatling gun? That Southern Ming emperor is terrifyingly steady and completely insane!”