Chongzhen: Destiny and Lonely Ministers

He was not a foolish king, but he became a king who subjugated his country. On the dragon throne, Chongzhen worked hard every night, trying to repair the devastated empire. He possesses the brightest minds in the Ming Dynasty: Yang Sichang's strategy, Hong Chengchou's iron-bloodedness, and Sun Chuanting's bravery. However, every effort made to govern pushed the dynasty deeper into the abyss. The additional "suppression pay" raised more rogue bandits; the elite soldiers dispatched became larger warlords; the secret edicts issued killed the last loyal ministers. This is a dilemma that no one can solve. Everyone is struggling within their own logic, but everyone's efforts have jointly created the dead end road to Meishan. In 1644, when Li Zicheng's war drums beat on the walls of Beijing, Chongzhen finally understood: He had not lost to the enemy, but to the entire era under his rule.