The Chongzhen Emperor

The reign of the Chongzhen Emperor is one of the most important events in ancient China, he came to power in 1627 AD at the age of 16 after the death of Emperor Tianqi. His succession was helped by Empress Zhang (widow of the Emperor) despite opposition from the central eunuch Wei Zhongxing, who wanted to retain power over the magnificent court. He is not an extraordinary king, nor a pioneer or superhero who can make a big change and save his kingdom. He has devoted his entire life to defending his crumbling empire, and should not be blamed for the doom of the Ming Dynasty.

From the very beginning of his rule, the Chongzhen Emperor did his best to keep the Ming dynasty alive, but despite his best efforts, years of internal corruption and an empty treasury made it difficult to fill the Essential government functions become difficult. Emperor Chongzhen's rule was dominated by his fear of rebellion within the government, which was a major problem during Emperor Tianqi's rule. Not long after his brother's death, Emperor Chongzhen quickly deposed Wei Zhongxian and Madam Ke, the emperor's nanny, an association known as the "Wei-keet conspiracy". At the same time, Donglin Academy re-emerged, which had been crushed under Wei Zhongxing, and established political associations throughout the Jiangnan region.