The Ming Dynasty: As Tyrant Chongzhen, I Start by Executing the Princes

[Historical · Martial Arts · Drama]

No system! Killing and conquests! Shadow war! Unification!

Later Han emperors were often child emperors, and emperors of the Ming Dynasty often met with accidents!

This emperor is no longer impatient and suspicious, no longer obstinate and self-important, and instead steadily stabilizes the court while slowly reclaiming power!

First the military authority, then the newcomers in the court!

He makes use of Sun Chengzong to numb the Donglin officials and balance the court. When someone wants to seize the commercial taxes of Jiangnan, he protects talented people so they won’t be persecuted.

From seeming useless and inactive at the start, he promotes talented people and step by step tightens the power in his own hands.

He promotes Lu Xiangsheng openly but elevates him in secret, protects Ma Xianglin from persecution, and makes use of young generals to take military power back.

He cries over whichever imperial uncle he wants, and whichever imperial uncle he cries over is the one who gets unlucky!

There’s no such thing as moral blackmail.

Chongzhen begins to widely deploy secret agents again.

The Eastern Depot and the Jinyiwei are his hounds and claws. He establishes an Outer Depot specifically against the Tartars, sends large numbers of covert agents into Liaodong, and adds an Inner Depot above the three guards to check and balance others.

They gather military intelligence, root out traitors, assassinate enemy generals, and fight fire with fire!

He builds a navy, blocks the borders, divides the Mongol tribes, and isolates Hong Taiji!

First pacify the inside, then resist the outside; defend the north and attack the south!

Using his trusted aides and limited power to lull his opponents, he slowly pries apart all the interest groups feeding on the Ming Dynasty.

Imperial princes, bandits, civil officials, smuggling merchants, southeastern pirates, and Jiangnan gentry—if they cannot be used by this country, they will be killed off one by one!

Crack down on smuggling merchants, gradually seal off the movement space of the Manchus, levy commercial taxes in Jiangnan, and open border trade. From then on, the Ming court will be wealthy beyond measure and never again troubled by finances.