Seizing the Throne: 1638

Indeed, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, you could either travel directly to become the Southern Ming emperor or the Chongzhen Emperor, or simply rebel, using the name of the Ming or Qing Dynasty but actually rebelling and vying for power. This is acceptable.

This is a very confusing topic. To be precise, in small- to medium-sized battles (less than 10,000 men), both the Ming and Qing sides had their own strengths and weaknesses. However, in battles involving more than 10,000 men, especially large-scale battles requiring coordination across multiple war zones, the Ming army had virtually no chance of winning. How so?

In my personal opinion, Confucianism is just parasites. One dynasty finishes its feast, then another takes its place, and they suffer no loss. What about the imperial family, military merit—is that wealth and glory something they deserve? Selfish and self-serving, they're the kind of people who harm others for their own benefit. The governance system functions perfectly well without them.

Like books from over a decade ago, from chapter titles to content...

A minor suggestion: the plots about Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong have been written too much; there's no need to go into too much detail about their internal decisions and siege strategies.

There were no good people in the late Ming, Southern Ming, and early Qing dynasties; they were all beasts in human skin, except for the common people. What about morality and etiquette, what about the teachings of sages? Who cares about their low moral character? Compared to the Five Barbarian Tribes period or the chaos of the Five Dynasties, they were no different.

Zuo Menggeng's strategic planning for the whole country was terrible. You knew that the Qing army would inevitably launch a surprise attack on the Shun army in history, and that the Shun army was no match for them. You should have sent envoys to inform the Shun army that the Qing army would launch a surprise attack.

It always feels like they're trying too hard.

It feels like the writing is getting better and better, but there are still many hidden dangers in governance. For example, the inability to collect taxes at the end of the Ming Dynasty was due to the gentry class refusing to pay taxes. How could the gentry class pay taxes?

Still thinking about saving Shandong? That's naive. Zuo Zhen won't gain anything. He should be thinking about Anhui and Huaiyang now. That's what a mature politician does, not some saintly figure! Historically, Zuo Menggeng wanted to occupy Nanjing, install a puppet emperor, and establish a new dynasty.