Zhu Youjian, Emperor Chongzhen, was the 16th and last emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In 1627, the young Emperor Tianqi died because of taking “magic medicine”. Before his death, he handed over the mess of Daming to his brother Zhu Youjian, later Emperor Chongzhen.
Objectively speaking, until the collapse of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, Emperor Chongzhen did a good job, at least not a little better than many of the Ming emperors. This is also why many people feel sorry for the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, think that Chongzhen is a rare sad emperor in history, and even many people think that the Ming Dynasty should not be destroyed by Chongzhen.
Before Chongzhen died, there was no one around him, only a eunuch Wang Chengen, who cried bitterly at the sight of the emperor’s martyrdom. People were dying, and his words were also kind. Wang Chengen then said, “If loyalty and virtue are here, why?” Then he hanged himself on the begonia tree next to Chongzhen.
In fact, Wei Zhongxian is not Chongzhen’s confidant. He is a person trained by Emperor Tianqi. The reason why he was able to achieve great success during the apocalypse is very simple.
At that time, Wei Zhongxian, who was in the palace, met Zhu You’s nursing mother, Hakka, and they became “food lovers”. With the blessing of the Hakkas, Wei Zhongxian was naturally favored by Emperor Tianqi.
Of course, the most fundamental reason is that the emperor needed such a person.
Tianqi was an emperor who did not do his job. He put military affairs behind him all day, but he was interested in carpentry and dealt with axes, saws and planers all day.
However, at that time, the Great Ming Dynasty was not stable inside and outside. It is the time when the country is in danger and the country is suffering from internal and external problems.
At this time, the apocalypse doesn’t matter, so Wei Zhongxian is needed to deal with ministers for him. In this way, Wei Zhongxian began to exercise power and commit crimes. Over time, people only know that he is nine thousand years old.
Although Wei Zhongxian is not a good man, he has also made many “achievements”. Especially in dealing with the Donglin Party, he was very capable. At that time, it was objectively said that the imperial court and Daming Jiangshan were in a relatively stable situation.
Therefore, compared with Chongzhen who lost Wei Zhongxian, he was no longer oppressed by the Donglin Party at all times.
In the Chongzhen Dynasty, the Donglin Party abolished the industrial and commercial tax, but increased the tax on farmers. Many people said that if Wei Zhongxian was there, it would not happen at all, so it would not cancel the post system, forcing Li Zicheng to embark on the road of uprising.
In fact, it’s ridiculous to think about it. Since Chongzhen was an emperor who tried to make a difference, it would be a great shame if he could only do it by relying on a eunuch.
As soon as Chongzhen came to power, he killed Wei Zhongxian with the power of destroying the dead and destroying the dead. In fact, we don’t have to think about it too much.
After all, Wei Zhongxian is just an eunuch. Without the trust of the emperor, his fate will not be very good.
On the contrary, how to deal with the Donglin Party can reflect the ability of an emperor. Obviously, Chongzhen failed.
The trend after the Ming Dynasty was not determined by a eunuch like Wei Zhongxian.