[Handcrafted, no AI, no System, no mindless plot] I transmigrate into the body of Zhu Youxiao, the carpenter emperor. The moment I open my eyes, Guangning has already fallen, and the Jurchen armies are bearing down on Shanhaiguan. Yet no one at court dares take charge of the campaign in Liaodong. The border garrisons and capital guards are owed months of pay, exhausted from years of service, timid, and poorly mounted. At court, the Donglin faction boasts of its integrity but does nothing useful, caring only about rooting out its rivals. The common people in the countryside are crushed by taxes and corvee labor, refugees are on the move, and rebellions keep breaking out. Worst of all, the palace guards are lax and security is full of holes. If nothing changes, I’ll be the shortest-lived emperor in Ming history. I’ve got only six years before I kick the bucket... Well, I’m here now, so no need to panic. Raise money, sharpen the blades, kill the enemy. Nurhaci, just you wait. The Ming will be great again!
