"His first act upon ascending the throne was to eradicate the eunuch faction led by Wei Zhongxian, yet this action disrupted the internal political balance and allowed the Donglin faction to rise once again.
In 1628, Zhu Youjian brought Yuan Chonghuan back into service; that same year, a drought broke out in Shaanxi. The two kings of Weibei instigated a peasant uprising. In 1629, Zhu Youjian ordered layoffs, and a man from Shaanxi named Li Zicheng joined the peasant rebellion.
The following year, Zhu Youjian listened to the advice of his ministers and executed Yuan Chonghuan. In 1641, a 'Great Famine and Plague' swept through Henan, driving desperate peasants to join Li Zicheng. In 1644, after the Chongzhen Emperor killed his own kin, he took the eunuch Wang Chengen to Jingshan Hill and hanged himself.
Thus, the Ming Dynasty, which had spanned 276 years and seen 16 emperors, fell!"
In the Great Ming Plane,
Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes welled with tears, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
"I was wondering who would be the emperor to see the fall of the Great Ming! Zhu Youjian is no coward! The last emperor of the Ming went out in such a way, yet he preserved the final shred of dignity for the empire!"
Zhu Biao’s eyes were bloodshot. "Zhu Youjian wanted to bring about a restoration, but it never came to pass! By the time the Ming came into his hands, it was already riddled with holes! The Ming died in reality during the Wanli era, long before Chongzhen!"
Chapter 33