Great Ming: I Vie with Zhu Di for the Throne

The best course of action would be to directly eliminate Zhu Di upon the successful capture of Nanjing after the Jingnan Rebellion and then seize the throne. How could a time traveler be so foolish as to consider a direct confrontation with Zhu Di? Imperial power has never been based on kinship; neither side will willingly relinquish it. In the end, a battle is inevitable, regardless of who wins.

Finally, I've found a book with something new, about the Ming Dynasty. When I read about the Hongwu and Yongle emperors, they're all just groveling and fawning. This one is really good.

I was planning to make a separate post about it, but I don't know how well the author researched it. However, after looking at the comments section, it seems quite toxic and not very factual. Anyway, if the author wants to write a straightforward story, then disregard what I said...

Just like Li Shimin, everyone condemns him for killing his brother and imprisoning his father, but I think Li Shimin did a really good job. I fought to conquer the world, but you sit on the throne. Why should I?

This book is quite imaginative. The colonial strategy of conquering the south first and then the north, as well as the ruthless pursuit of the throne, are both interesting. However, the treatment of the imperial family is absurd. While the Song dynasty's imperial family faced the least burden due to changing times and local conditions, the author points out the absolute dominance of civil…

That's incredibly arrogant. Improving officials' taxes might win them public support, but have you considered that the cost to the bureaucracy—where officials and gentry pay taxes together—is far greater than the extra amount? Furthermore, when you tell the prince and royal family that you want officials, scholars, and members of the royal family to pay taxes together, have you considered what…

Zhu Di was indeed biased in history. He advocated for primogeniture, but he himself wasn't the legitimate heir. Did he have the right to say that? Furthermore, he shouldn't have lured Zhu Gaochi in the first place and then enfeoffed him in Yunnan. His chosen grandson lost millions of square kilometers of land, and he was unjustly deposed as empress.

Throughout history, Zhu Yuanzhang was the best to the common people. The claim that Zhang Shicheng was good to the people of southern Jiangsu was simply because the gentry felt he paid too little tax. Zhu Yuanzhang surpassed all previous dynasties in cracking down on landlords and powerful clans. Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, for example, failed to effectively combat these powerful clans and ultimately perished at their hands.

To be honest, Zhu Di raised an army under the pretext of "pacifying the rebellion," but everyone knew the real reason behind it. Furthermore, to uphold the principle of primogeniture, the emperor had to be the eldest son; otherwise, once the eldest son ascended the throne, wouldn't other members of the royal family also be disregarded? The system also led to rebellions.

Having finished reading it, I personally feel indignant on behalf of Zhu Gaochi, but the book's portrayal of Zhu Di's military and political abilities is just too poor.