In 1644, a peasant rebel army led by Li Zicheng invaded the inner city of Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen chose to hang himself in Coal Mountain, marking the official end of the Ming Dynasty, which lasted for 277 years. Emperor Chongzhen became the king of the Ming Dynasty as we know it. However, in Emperor Chongzhen's view, the fall of the Ming Dynasty was not through its own fault. When he saw that Li Zicheng was about to defeat the Ming army, Emperor Chongzhen rebuked his ministers: "I am not the king of the dead country, all the ministers are the ministers of the dead country." ”
Chongzhen reigned for 17 years, and his efforts to save the Ming Dynasty were understood in Mr. Chen Wutong's work "The Biography of Chongzhen". However, from the perspective of a bystander, the problems of Emperor Chongzhen are also obvious, and his "internal friction" ruling ideas became a key factor in the demise of the Ming Dynasty.
First of all, Emperor Chongzhen's lack of balance is vividly expressed. From the beginning of his reign, he was eager to bring prosperity back to the Ming Dynasty through his own efforts. He eliminated Wei Zhongxian, but he did not see the balance between him and the Donglin Party. This led to an imbalance in the imperial court, and the Donglin Party was dominant. Wu Zetian used mutual checks and balances in the struggle for power to maintain the relative stability of the imperial court.
Secondly, Emperor Chongzhen was too egoistic, emotional, and judged problems with subjective thinking, which inevitably led to problems. He only listened to good words, did not accept contrary words, and even held a grudge, causing loyal ministers to dare not speak out, and the court lost its support.
Emperor Chongzhen also had the problem of being too diligent, and long-term fatigue caused exhaustion for himself and his ministers. He demanded immediate results, accountability for mistakes, and severe punishment for ministers. This approach of seeking perfection and blame puts ministers at risk and makes it difficult for them to focus on the development of the country.
Emperor Chongzhen's suspicion led to Yuan Chonghuan's being Ling Chi, but this figure who could have saved the crisis died because of Chongzhen's suspicion. This kind of suspicion not only lost many capable ministers, but also contributed to Li Zicheng's success.
History cannot repeat itself, but the problems of Emperor Chongzhen have taught us lessons. When a leader becomes too egotistical and falls into an internal management mindset, the team will face a devastating blow. In this book, the diligent and incompetent Emperor Chongzhen leads his team to constant internal friction, which ultimately accelerates the demise of the Ming Dynasty.