How difficult is it for the ruler of the last dynasty to admit that he is incompetent?Most of the last monarchs in history, even when faced with the disaster of national destruction, tended to blame them on ministers or other factors. Even when death comes, it is difficult to admit that it is caused by one's own incompetence. And Emperor Chongzhen, the last generation of the Ming Dynasty, was such a self-convinced, but sympathetic ruler.
At the beginning of his ascension to the throne, Emperor Chongzhen was full of self-confidence and longed to lead the devastated country of the Ming Empire back on track and realize the ambition of the king of Zhongxing. However, the irony is that although he was the king of the fallen country, he became the object of much sympathy and praise in later generations, especially in the "History of the Ming Dynasty" compiled by the Qing Dynasty, the praise of Emperor Chongzhen was almost equal to that of the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.
Whether it is in the "History of the Ming Dynasty" or in the hearts of the literati at that time and even in later generations, the praise of Emperor Chongzhen cannot change the fact that he is the king of the fallen country. A king of a dead country, no matter how wise he is, he cannot escape the end of incompetence. The reason why Emperor Chongzhen received the reputation of "wise" was mainly because he decisively eliminated the eunuch Wei Zhongxian. Objectively evaluated, Emperor Chongzhen showed sophistication and wisdom in this regard that were not commensurate with his age and experience.
In October 1627, only two months after Emperor Chongzhen's accession to the throne, he faced the great challenge of purging Wei Zhongxian. At that time, Wei Zhongxian had been in charge of the government for many years, and his power was huge, and he was a formidable existence. Emperor Chongzhen was young and had a huge disparity in strength, but he dared to face this challenge, showing surprising sophistication and courage.
At that time, some people exposed Wei Zhongxian's crimes, including ten major crimes such as merging with the previous emperor, contempt for the empress, and threatening the emperor in the forbidden garden. Emperor Chongzhen faced such a situation, but he was only a 17-year-old minor, while Wei Zhongxian was a powerful minister. Emperor Chongzhen's determination and courage frightened Wei Zhongxian, and in the end, he brought Wei Zhongxian down in one fell swoop through a clever strategy, and achieved the elimination of the eunuchs.
However, Emperor Chongzhen's good beginnings and good endings did not continue. Over the next 17 years, his reign gradually led the Ming Empire to the abyss of destruction. Emperor Chongzhen pursued frugal governance, not only advocating tricks such as "withdrawing imperial meals", but also dismantling post stations, resulting in tens of thousands of post guards losing their jobs. One of the unemployed, named Li Zicheng, later became an important figure in the demise of the Ming Dynasty.
In the fourth year of Chongzhen, he approved a measure of 100,000 taels of silver to help the hungry, but this caused more riots. At the same time, the arrears of military pay led to a mutiny among the soldiers, and Emperor Chongzhen cried poverty every year, but was found to have a huge wealth in his private house. This act of greed and hypocrisy plunged the Ming Empire into a deeper crisis.
Emperor Chongzhen called on the emperor's relatives and noble ministers to donate money, but found that they were better at crying poor than the other. Even his in-laws Zhou Kui is also a master of crying poverty, and he obviously has a huge amount of wealth, but he withheld the silver sent by his daughter. This kind of greed and ruthlessness that leads by example makes people disappointed and indignant against Emperor Chongzhen.
Emperor Chongzhen praised himself as "Shen Ji and Arbitrary," but in handling the affairs of the dynasty, he showed the characteristics of being rigid and self-serving, and refusing to give advice to Xi. What's even more fatal is that he has a dark heart, a lot of vanity, and is good at playing with ministers with his cleverness. He often made a decision by suggesting to the minister that if he succeeded, he was "wise", and if he failed, he was the minister's culpability. This kind of cleverness has made the ministers learn to be obedient and no longer be fooled.
Emperor Chongzhen's treatment of civil and military ** is even more chilling. A ** Tang Xianzu's son Shang Shu bluntly said that the emperor was mean to the civil servants and lenient to the generals. However, his sincerity was retaliated against by the emperor and he was almost expelled from public office. This kind of treatment caused talents to stay away from the imperial court, and even caused some people to betray.
The fall of the Ming Empire is the trend of the times, but if Emperor Chongzhen is not greedy, short-sighted, incompetent, and inappropriate, there may be a glimmer of hope. However, until his death, he refused to admit that his incompetence led to the destruction of the country, and instead blamed his courtiers. It is a great tragedy, and the collapse of a country is all the more absurd by the blindness and stubbornness of a ruler.
In the long river of history, Emperor Chongzhen has become a stark negative teaching material, and his actions have become a warning. Rulers should put the country first and the people first, and not fall into narrow selfish desires and vanity. The fall of the Ming Empire left behind future generations a profound lesson for incompetent rulers and a tragic farewell to an era.
The image of the ruler of the last dynasty represented by Emperor Chongzhen is a clear negative teaching material in history. Through detailed historical facts and in-depth analysis, the article shows the various mistakes made by Emperor Chongzhen during his reign, and how these mistakes led to the rapid fall of the Ming Empire.
First of all, when Emperor Chongzhen faced the disaster of the country, although he was able to decisively eliminate the eunuch Wei Zhongxian and showed a certain sophistication and wisdom, this could not cover up his later mistakes. His frugal policies of statecraft, while ostensibly promising, actually led to social unrest and unemployment. In particular, the abolition of post stations had a negative impact on the livelihoods of tens of thousands of post guards, and one of them, Li Zicheng, an unemployed man, eventually became an important figure in the fall of the Ming Empire. This short-sighted policy left Emperor Chongzhen lacking sufficient support and resources in the face of external threats.
Secondly, Emperor Chongzhen's greed and hypocrisy were also one of the reasons for the fall of the Ming Empire. Despite his professed frugality, he amassed a great fortune in his private home. This kind of greedy behavior is particularly prominent in comparison with other imperial relatives and ministers, further undermining the fairness and stability of society.
The article also reveals Emperor Chongzhen's attitude towards civil and military ** and its influence. He treated Wenchen harshly and was lenient with military generals, which led to talents leaving the court one after another, and even caused some people to betray. This treatment caused him to lose more support and further weakened the strength of the Ming Empire.
Finally, Emperor Chongzhen's stubbornness and conceit also contributed to his inability to rule effectively to a certain extent. His stubbornness in dealing with the affairs of the DPRK and his refusal to advise him became a Xi, causing the ministers to learn to pretend to be deaf and dumb. He played with the ministers through his cleverness, and eventually made the ministers lose trust in him. This style of leadership not only deprived him of his right-hand man, but also plunged the country into chaos.
In general, Emperor Chongzhen's various mistakes and improper actions eventually led to the demise of the Ming Empire under his rule. His short-sightedness, greed, stubbornness, and conceit have become a lesson in history, reminding future generations that they should pay attention to the interests of the country and the people and stay away from selfish desires and vanity when they are in power. The fall of the Ming Empire was not only the end of a dynasty, but also a profound reflection on incompetent rulers.
The Last Ruler of the Last Dynasty reveals the dilemma faced by Emperor Chongzhen, the last ruler of the Ming Dynasty, and his rather ironic style of rule. The article vividly presents the various decisions and contradictions of this monarch on the occasion of the death of the country, as well as his self-fantasy and helplessness about the fate of the country.
At the beginning of Emperor Chongzhen's ascension, he was full of confidence in his wise rule. This confidence may have stemmed from his bold move to purge the eunuch Wei Zhongxian, but it was only a momentary success. After several years of rule, Emperor Chongzhen's decision-making gradually revealed short-sightedness, greed, and stubbornness. His frugal policies strained the country's finances, and the treatment of the hungry generated more social unrest.
What is even more thought-provoking is Emperor Chongzhen's dedication to his own image, as well as his various cleverness in dealing with court politics. By manipulating the minister, he tried to establish an image of himself as "wise and wise". However, this practice not only showed an excessive pursuit of power and intrigue, but also sowed seeds of suspicion and resentment among the courtiers. This is particularly vivid in the description of Tang Xianzu's son in the text, revealing the ruler's self-righteous blind self-confidence and the absurd image he has in the eyes of the ministers.
The article skillfully outlines the political situation of the last Ming Dynasty through historical details, and at the same time reflects the decision made by Emperor Chongzhen in a complex situation. His reign was both controversial and helpless. Comments on Emperor Chongzhen should not only stop at his incompetence, but also deeply reflect on the historical situation and the plight of the rulers.
The whole article presents the contradictions and struggles of the last rulers of the Ming Dynasty through specific historical events. Emperor Chongzhen's courage and wisdom in purging Wei Zhongxian contrasted sharply with his later helplessness and stubbornness in the management of the state. This way of presenting vividly outlines the complexity of historical figures, making it easier for readers to understand the complexity of the political environment at the time and the difficult choices faced by Emperor Chongzhen.
Overall, this article not only accurately restores the historical details, but also reveals the subtle relationship between the ruler and the fate of the state in a profound interpretation. Through the description of Emperor Chongzhen, the article provokes deep thinking about the monarch and the state, the individual and the responsibility in history.
Disclaimer: The above content information is ** on the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or insinuate any real country, political system, organization, race, or individual. The above content does not mean that the author of this article agrees with the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information. The author of this article is not responsible for any issues arising from the above or related issues, and does not assume any direct or indirect legal liability.
If the content of the article involves the content of the work, copyright**, infringement, rumors or other issues, please contact us to delete it. Finally, if you have any different thoughts about this event, please leave a message in the comment area to discuss!