vrcanaries Chapter 6 Yu Qian
Chapter 6 Yu Qian
Lin Ke continued her narration, muttering curses.
"Zhu Qizhen lived a life of unbridled freedom in Esen's territory; one might think he was on vacation. After the Battle of Tumu, 200,000 elite troops were annihilated, leaving only the elderly, weak, and disabled to defend the capital. Therefore, the capital was truly in a critical moment of survival."
"At this critical moment, a man stepped forward, later known as Yu Qian, who saved the nation from peril and extended the Ming Dynasty for two hundred years."
Lin Ke's face was full of admiration, yet also tinged with regret.
"At the same time, news of the disastrous defeat at Tumu Fortress and the emperor's capture reached the capital, causing widespread panic and turmoil. During a court meeting chaired by the regent Zhu Qiyu, heated arguments erupted over whether to move the capital south."
"One faction, led by Xu Youzhen, a Hanlin Academy lecturer, believed that moving the capital south was the best policy. Yu Qian, the Vice Minister of War, firmly opposed this, stating: 'Those who advocate moving the capital south should be executed. The capital is the foundation of the empire; moving it would mean the end of everything. Haven't the lessons of the Southern Song Dynasty been profound enough?'"
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: ...
All the emperors of the Song Dynasty: ...First of all, we haven't provoked anyone...
"However, the intellectuals of the Ming Dynasty were truly tough; they actually dared to kill someone in court! On the 23rd day of the eighth month of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, during a court meeting presided over by Zhu Qiyu, the ministers started fighting, and they were fighting against none other than Wang Zhen's accomplices."
"Chen Yi, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, started the discussion, requesting the confiscation of Wang Zhen's property and the execution of his entire clan, saying, 'Zhen is endangering the dynasty and the state; we request the extermination of his clan to appease the people. If we do not obey the imperial edict, we, the officials, will die rather than back down.' He remained silent until the very end, and once he spoke, it was like a fuse that ignited the anger of the officials, turning the scene into a chaotic marketplace."
"What did our Comrade Zhu Qiyu say? He said he was just acting as regent, and that the execution of nine generations of his family could be discussed another day. This made the ministers even more furious. At this critical juncture, I never expected that someone would dare to step into the line of fire. That person was none other than Wang Zhen's henchman, Ma Shun."
"What happened next was predictable. Ma Shun angered the public and then the crowd was indignant. These civil officials were all Confucian scholars, and they believed that a gentleman who is not serious will not be respected. In the end, they directly caused someone to be beaten to death."
"It's infuriating that they lost their temper and reason. It's not really their fault, Wang Zhen is just too universally disliked. Not only was he corrupt and lawless, but he also caused the Tumu Fortress defeat. If anyone still doesn't understand what the Tumu Fortress defeat means, then let me tell you about the legacy Zhu Zhanji left him before Zhu Qizhen ascended the throne."
"Firstly, as mentioned earlier, the Ming Dynasty at that time was stable and peaceful after the reigns of several emperors. Secondly, the rebellion of the Prince of Han had been resolved before Zhu Zhanji passed away."
"The ministers entrusted to him were basically capable and loyal to him. Just as Zhu Biao's old ministers protected Zhu Yunwen, these people would only protect Zhu Qizhen."
"The elite three camps at that time were cultivated from the time of Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di). This start can be described as a divine start. However, the disastrous defeat at Tumu Fortress directly led to the decline of the Ming Dynasty and squandered most of the wealth accumulated by Zhu Di and his three generations. Zhu Qizhen became the number one spendthrift in the Ming Dynasty after Hu Hai and Yang Guang."
Qin Shi Huang: Who are you talking about?! Qin Er Shi!!!
Emperor Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty: What happened? How did we lose?!
Zhu Bajie of the Ming Dynasty: "Fourth brother! How dare you usurp your elder brother's throne! We'll beat him to death this time!"
Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanji coughed up blood. "For the sake of my beloved, I will make her empress and her son the crown prince."
I never imagined that this child would cause the decline of the Ming Dynasty. I am a sinner! A sinner of the Ming Dynasty!
Lin Ke's voice continued to come from the screen.
"But Zhu Qizhen was the emperor after all. They couldn't refuse to pay the ransom, but they wouldn't release him even if they did. So these ministers came up with a brilliant idea that was unprecedented in history: to replace the emperor."
Zhu Qizhen: I still have a chance, I can still save him...
Zhu Qiyu: You guys, don't come any closer!
On August 15th, 1449 (the 14th year of the Zhengtong reign), Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, was captured by the Mongol Oirat cavalry at Tumu Fortress. The event was sudden, and Zhu Qiyu was appointed regent and ascended the throne, changing the following year to the first year of the Jingtai reign. Zhu Qizhen was posthumously honored as the Retired Emperor. This series of actions completely stunned Esen on the grasslands, and also stunned Zhu Qizhen.
Esen: Brother, what's going on? Your brother has become emperor, so what are you doing eating and drinking here?
Zhu Qizhen: Huh!? What is it!?
"Just as Yu Qian was preparing for the defense of Beijing, Esen Ze led Zhu Qizhen south. However, a very serious problem arose: how could they win a war when only new recruits still in training and veterans about to retire remained, while the strongest and most capable soldiers had perished at Tumu Fortress? The pressure fell on one person—Yu Qian."
"First of all, Zhu Qiyu did this very well. He promoted Yu Qian to Minister of War. If you ask whether the Minister of War has the power to command troops, the answer is no! But Zhu Qiyu said that this was no problem, so he gave it to him! Thus, the survival of the entire Ming Dynasty was entrusted to Yu Qian."