vrcanaries Chapter 3 Zhu Qizhen, the God of War of the Ming Dynasty
Chapter 3 Zhu Qizhen, the God of War of the Ming Dynasty
Lin Ke knew that the time was almost up before revealing the answer: "Zhu Qizhen, the God of War of the Ming Dynasty, was able to build a temple for Wang Zhen and Esen, and he was also able to drag down an army of 500,000, causing the Ming Dynasty to decline from its peak."
"Unfortunately, Judy's answer is incorrect. Congratulations, General Fan, on obtaining a small telescope designed to detect enemy forces, produced by the system. Don't underestimate its small size; it can see thousands of miles ahead. However, we don't know the exact range. Why don't you try it out, General Fan?"
Zhu Di, standing to the side, preemptively took over, thinking, "I'll be the future Emperor Taizong, what's wrong with taking a few things from my subjects? I can just return them later!"
Zhu Di accepted his future identity well and also put his father out of his mind.
Fan Zhong: His Majesty the Emperor's pace is as swift as ever!
Zhu Di turned his gaze to the spot where Lin Ke had just demonstrated, then casually glanced out the window. What he saw was astonishing—there were so many tall buildings in this later era! He couldn't believe he was in such a high place.
Zhu Di's gaze towards Lin Ke gradually softened with pity. It must have been so difficult for this girl to go out! Unlike himself, who lived in a spacious and low-ceilinged place and could go wherever he wanted.
Lin Ke: What the hell are you imagining?!
When people in Wanchao saw how much the boy loved it, they knew it was a good item and started sending messages asking how they could buy it.
"This telescope will be available in the system store after this live stream. You can purchase it with points, but quantities are limited and it will be available on a first-come, first-served basis."
Qin Shi Huang period
Ying Zheng stared silently at the telescope that had suddenly appeared on the table. He never expected that he would be praised one day, and he suddenly looked forward to how future generations would evaluate him.
He picked up the telescope, first trying to look into the distance. Suppressing his excitement, he then ordered Meng Yi to summon Li Si, the Mohists, and others to an audience, to see if the Mohists could develop such a rare and valuable tool for military operations.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han
Liu Che had no objection to which side to bet on, after all, points could be bought with money, which was no big deal for an extremely wealthy emperor! It wasn't until he saw the telescope in Lin Ke's hand that his eyes widened involuntarily. This was a good thing, he had to have it!
I really envy those two. I wonder if he'll ever have a chance to go up there!
.......
At this time, the troops remaining at Juyong Pass
Zhu Qizhen, seated at the head of the table, had a gloomy expression, while Wang Zhen, standing beside him, cursed loudly: "How dare you, a person from later generations, speak like that! How can you so casually slander His Majesty!" Unexpectedly, his words became the comments on the live stream.
Lin Ke was furious when she saw Wang Zhen's words. Seeing the unwilling look on Zhu Qizhen's face, she knew that he was definitely not going to admit defeat.
Fan Zhong and the young Zhu Di, who were invited, have already returned to their respective timelines. It's just unknown whether the young Zhu Di will receive loving encouragement from his father after returning.
Back to the topic.
Lin Ke ignored Wang Zhen's words and continued, "Zhu Qizhen was the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, Zhu Zhanji. In fact, to some extent, the culprit behind this series of events was his father, Zhu Zhanji."
"If he hadn't forced Empress Hu to abdicate without fault and instead made Lady Sun empress, and hadn't passed the crown prince position to Zhu Qizhen, who was less than 100 days old, perhaps the Tumu Crisis wouldn't have happened at all. But who could have known that such a future might have led to a devastating war?"
"Speaking of Zhu Zhanji, Xie Jin once said: 'A good grandson can bring prosperity to three generations,' but no one expected that the prosperity to three generations meant counting back three generations."
Yongle period
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) could no longer contain his temper. He grabbed the trembling Zhu Zhanji and gave him a severe beating.
May your descendants prosper for three generations! May you have a son!
Lin Ke's voice continued to come through.
"Zhu Qizhen's mother, Lady Sun, entered the palace in the eighth year of the Yongle reign and grew up with Zhu Zhanji. Compared to the later Empress Hu, who was known for her virtue and wisdom, Zhu Zhanji preferred this younger sister he grew up with. He not only forced Empress Hu to abdicate because of her childlessness and illness, but also made Zhu Qizhen, who was less than 100 days old, the crown prince."
"Actually, there's not much to criticize in this regard. After all, no one would have thought that the son of a hexagonal emperor could be so incompetent."
"Ahem, we've gotten a bit off-topic. Let's talk specifically about the Tumu Crisis. When discussing this, we have to mention one person: Zhu Qizhen's personal eunuch, Wang Zhen."
"Wang Zhen was a ruthless man. He was originally a failed scholar, but it was rumored that he castrated himself to enter the palace. I ask everyone here, is there any ruthless person who could do that? Later, because of his knowledge, he was assigned by Zhu Zhanji to Zhu Qizhen, who was still the crown prince at the time. And so the two of them took a liking to each other and went together."
Zhang Fei: What a damn talent!
A spoiled young master from a wealthy family: So you just want to become a eunuch in the palace? ???
General Judy, the Northern Expeditionary Army: Zhu Zhanji, you just wait! If we can't handle Zhu Qizhen, we can certainly handle you!
……
Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di were both furious, Lin Ke couldn't help but think to herself that this was nothing compared to the many frustrating things that had happened to them!
"Before discussing the Tumu Crisis, it's important to mention the background. At that time, the Ming Dynasty was at its peak during the reigns of Hongwu and Yongle, and Renxuan. The society and economy were prosperous, and the people lived in peace and contentment. Yet, the enemy, with only a few tens of thousands of men, managed to wipe out the elite of the three major battalions, and the civil and military officials who accompanied them also all died. If it weren't for Yu Qian's desperate defense of Beijing, the Ming Dynasty might have become the Southern Ming, just like the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin's eyes widened in disbelief. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "The Great Song Dynasty has cracked open??? Which bastard did this?!"
"At that time, the Mongols lived in the desert, where all they could do was eat cattle and horses and watch the wind howl. It's no wonder they resorted to robbery. Who would want to be a subservient servant and beg the Ming Dynasty for money when they could openly become bandits? But after several military exchanges with the Ming Dynasty, the Mongols found that the more they fought, the poorer they became!"
"So, they decisively chose to be subservient, only to find that the rewards given by the Ming Dynasty were more than the local specialties they gave away. The Mongols said they liked rich and generous bosses! The Ming Dynasty thought that if they could stop the war by giving some things, why not?"
"I think the Song Dynasty should have a lot to say about this! But our Ming Dynasty was too generous, which has also made the Mongols' appetites grow. We agreed to give rewards based on the number of people, but you guys sent two or three thousand people directly. Do you think our Ming Dynasty is doing charity?"
Zhao Kuangyin: Which brat did it again that didn't benefit him?
"The key point is that you not only freeloaded, but also harmed the people along the way and crossed the bottom line of the Ming Dynasty several times. Even so, the Ming Dynasty did not take the Oirat seriously. And the Oirat rapidly expanded under the Ming Dynasty's nose, annexing small tribes. For a time, its strength reached its peak."
"So in July of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, Esen, the leader of the Oirat Mongols, led four cavalry routes to launch a surprise attack on the Ming Dynasty from four directions: Liaodong, Gansu, Xuanfu, and Datong. The Ming army was caught off guard and suffered a series of defeats at the front, which shocked the court and the public."
"At this time, the other protagonist, Zhu Qizhen, was in the period of ruling in his own right. He ignored all advice and only listened to Wang Zhen. So Wang Zhen encouraged him to personally lead the army. With his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and even great-great-grandfather all being ruthless people, he felt that he could do it! He was capable!"
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: I feel insulted!
Big Han Liu Zhuzhu: Ha! And that's how he squandered the wealth of several generations!
First Emperor: Even the greatest empire is no match for a spoiled brat!
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: Luckily, it's not my own child!
"As for why Wang Zhen did this, we can tell from his self-castration to enter the palace that he was also a person who was obsessed with fame, fortune and power. If he won, he might also go down in history. Most importantly, his wealth over the years is all in his hometown of Weizhou, which is so close to Datong. If Datong falls, it will be like all his efforts were for nothing. Who would be willing to do that!"
"Zhu Qizhen listened to his bluff and announced in the court that he would personally lead the expedition. The ministers all tried to dissuade him, but he was young and impetuous and insisted on going! There was no other way but for the civil and military officials to follow him, leaving a group of people to guard Beijing."