Although both the Donglin Faction and Zheng Zhilong faced a situation where not rebelling meant certain death, they still would not rebel if they saw no chance of victory. After all, choosing not to rebel at worst meant the ruin of one's family, while a failed rebellion resulted in the execution of the entire clan.
As the master strategist orchestrating the layout, Emperor Chongzhen had to take this into account. Therefore, his strategy was to continue projecting weakness while giving the Donglin Faction in Nanjing a helpful push at the critical moment.
On the twenty-eighth day of the eighth year of Chongzhen, Qian Qianyi sat alone in his room, drinking tea in gloomy silence. Like many members of the Donglin Faction, Qian Qianyi already harbored rebellious intentions in his heart, but it went no further than intent—he had no desire to put it into action.
Chapter 1223