Zhu Wu knew he was someone important, but he never imagined he would turn out to be an ornament hanging from that crooked-neck tree.
Even harder to understand was how, despite never properly acting as emperor all those years, the Ming dynasty hadn't fallen into chaos. In fact, it had revived on the spot, ushering in the Chongzhen Prosperity and even achieving the pacification of Liaodong in just three years.
Did those officials think the Ming had produced another master of remote control? But he really didn't know he was the emperor, and he hadn't involved himself in court affairs at all.
Also known as: Chongzhen Is Actually Me; I'm Really Not a Master of Remote Control
Official Synopsis:
The Ming dynasty's failure to fill vacant official posts created a power vacuum. That vacuum allowed local gentry and wealthy landowners to grow powerful, and their rise in turn gave them a steady stream of proxies in the imperial court.
The court could no longer collect taxes, ordinary people had nowhere to turn, and the Little Ice Age brought constant famine and rebellion. Imperial authority waned, officials took pride in being caned, local administration fell into decay, and the people were left destitute.
Faced with a crisis on the brink of collapse, the Great Emperor Chongzhen submitted this answer: above, he controlled the imperial court from behind the scenes to keep the central government stable; below, he traveled incognito, wiped out local tyrants and unscrupulous gentry, and secured the people's livelihoods.
He also established a small court to strengthen imperial power and rebuild the foundations of an empire meant to last for ages, starting from the bottom up. As for the mere Manchus, once the Celestial Empire flourished, a single deputy general could sweep through their lands and wipe them out.
What, you want to know what really happened? That's what the history books say, so you'd better believe it.
Do We Not All Have the Same Blood?
Emperor of Longevity: Emperor Xian of Han
Aren't You the South American Tyrant? Why Are You Fighting the Empire?
Great Han: I Kicked Liu Bang Out of the Car from the Start
Reconstruction After the Plague
Liu Xie: I Really Just Want to Abdicate!
The Grand Strategists' Alliance
The Top Immortal of the College Entrance Exam
A Pair of Living People
Low-IQ Power Plays in the Great Ming Dynasty
I’m Zhu Changluo. What’s Wrong with Slacking Off a Little?
Apocalypse: My Teacher Is the Machine Herald
There are so many novels these days that describe characters who don't know their own status, or who are somewhere between incredibly powerful and incredibly weak, or who don't realize the person they just met is an emperor. It feels pretty idiotic. The most idiotic one, in my opinion, is the novel about the Ming Dynasty that's about teaching in rural areas for five years.
The book title itself is problematic. It's impressive that you didn't know who you were for three years, and that your subordinates didn't suspect you were an imposter for three years. 🐮
Emperor Chongzhen was an incompetent fool, a good emperor indeed.
I have high hopes for this book. It clearly demonstrates a synchronized thinking approach: the Ming Dynasty was corrupt, so they rebuilt it, using a strategy of encircling the cities from the countryside—a bottom-up reform. Also, the character of Yuan Chonghuan is well-written. The emperor is central, but the book also gives generals opportunities to shine. Now, let's see what the upcoming battles bring.
While initially intriguing and intriguing, the initial misunderstanding stems from a reluctance to acknowledge one's identity. However, this is highly improbable. Ancient rulers, especially emperors, carried numerous seals, affixing them frequently for various purposes.
Here's a joke: all the emperors of the Qing Dynasty were wise and virtuous rulers, while the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were known for producing incompetent and tyrannical rulers.
To be honest, Emperor Chongzhen is a very complex figure in my mind. He was diligent and frugal, but the Ming Dynasty's policy of raising princes meant that he was essentially raised like a pig, meaning that although he was born into the royal family, he was completely unaware of the dangers of society.
What I'm about to say isn't about this particular novel, but rather my personal reflections after reading so many novels from the late Ming Dynasty. I basically don't read any novels from the late Ming Dynasty. Think about it: natural disasters, floods, droughts, earthquakes, plagues—even Guangdong experienced blizzards in winter. These were all widespread calamities.
Emperor Chongzhen asked his officials, "Who is the richest? How do you make money?" The official said, "Your Highness is wealthy; let's borrow some money from him." Chongzhen: Let the people suffer a little more. An official asked a prince for money.
Has the book been drastically revised? The plot doesn't make sense at all, what's the point of reading it?