The Ming Dynasty's Turbulent Times

Great Ming: From Beggar to Emperor

A bowl from the start, an empire in the end.

Zhu Chongba was a lowly cowherd from Gushu Village in Haozhou. When he was seventeen, drought, locusts, and plague struck all at once, and his parents and eldest brother died of hunger one after another within half a month. Unable to find anyone who would even grant him a place to bury his family, he entered Huangjue Temple as a monk. He was then forced to wander with a begging bowl for three years, tasting the deepest bitterness of life.

At twenty-five, he joined the army, married the virtuous Ma Shi, and changed his name to Zhu Yuanzhang, a weapon for destroying the Yuan dynasty.

From then on, a beggar defied fate and changed his fortunes: he crossed the river and seized Jiqing, adopted Zhu Sheng's nine-character strategy, used fire to defeat Chen Youliang at Poyang Lake, and besieged Zhang Shicheng at Pingjiang. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun led the northern campaign and captured Dadu. The cowherd ascended the throne and founded the Great Ming.

He executed corrupt officials, abolished the chancellorship, and established the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The strictness of his administration was almost unparalleled in history. He named his beloved son Zhu Biao as heir, only to watch his own child die before him. He slaughtered his meritorious subjects, and by the time he lay dying, there was no one left by his side to entrust with the regency.

A great ruler of his age, his merits and faults are for others to judge. He rose from the lowest depths and ended his life in loneliness at the highest peak.

See how Zhu Yuanzhang went from beggar to emperor. His journey was woven with blood and fire, every inch laid bare to the bone.

Reader's guide:

1. No transmigrate, no System, no golden finger, just a pure historical narrative.

2. The romance is minimal. The main story follows Zhu Yuanzhang's lifelong struggle with power, human nature, and loneliness.

3. An ensemble cast, with plenty of heartbreak.

Theme: Remember history