Synopsis
On the eighteenth day of the third month of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng laid siege to Beijing.
The Chongzhen Emperor tied his belt around his neck on Coal Hill, then kicked away the stool beneath him
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze had changed.
Zhu Yuanzhang had burst out of his coffin.
Seeing flames blaze outside the city, starving corpses litter the streets within, and the vast realm he had conquered reduced to one isolated city, Zhu Yuanzhang was so furious he cursed on the spot. “I started with nothing but a bowl, and you useless descendants have done even worse than I did back then?”
He beheaded the envoys, killed corrupt officials, and confiscated the estates of the entire court.
In three days, he raised three million taels in military funds. In seven, he had heads rolling everywhere.
Li Zicheng wanted to enter the city? He’d have to face the old man’s blade first.
Dorgon wanted to enter the Pass? Perfect, time to test the newly made cannons.
The entire court knelt, weeping and begging, “Great Ancestor, spare us!”
Zhu Yuanzhang stripped off his imperial robe, put on his armor, and took his blade up to the city wall.
“Back then, I rose from being a beggar to becoming emperor. Today, I can conquer the realm all over again from this lone city. The rebel king? The Eight Banners? Get in line and wait to die.”
When the ancestor makes his move, you know he means business.
