WI: Wanli Emperor gets his way.

[GameBawesome]

In OTL, the Wanli Emperor had a dispute with his court, where he make his son, Zhu Changxun, to succeed him as Emperor. However, the court opposed this, wanting Zhu Changluo, future emperor Taichang Emperor to succeed him. Then the Wanli Emperor stopped in his government duty, practically going on strike, but in the end, the Wanli Emperor failed to overturn the rule of primogeniture. The Taichang Emperor would succeed his father, having the shortest reign in history (Dying under mysterious circumstances involving a red pill) before his son became puppet to the eunuch, Wei Zhongxian.

What if, the Wanli Emperor gotten his way, and Zhu Changxun became his heir apparent, butterflying away two emperors, one that died to early, and another that was practically useless?

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Wei Zhongxian does not get anywhere near power. Perhaps Zhu Changxun will be more into the imperial responsibilities, causing the Donglian scholars to be on his side

 

[Carter I'm Yog]

Then the Wanli Emperor stopped in his government duty, practically going on strike,

I suggest some reading to be done on this. You know, flip through the VOC records of Chinese ships suddenly everywhere, a sign Chinese naval policing is taken to the next level all of a sudden. And of course the Three Great Campaigns of Wanli.

before his son became puppet to the eunuch, Wei Zhongxian.

The Tianqi Emperor used Wei as his card to create a mildly compliant bureaucracy. If Wei was some kingmaker he wouldn't have, you know, died by the order of the next Emperor before the year is through, now wouldn't he? The records of the Ming demonstrate an active, competent Tianqi Emperor who succeeded in one crucial aspect of his reign his brother consistently failed in: getting his troops paid.

 

[Avrorrange]

If Wanli gets his way, we have another fat obese incompetent emperor for sure. Zhu Changxun was such an idiot that he refused to pay the garrison of his fief when Li Zicheng laid siege to Luoyang and was later killed.

 

[Emperor Constantine]

So wouldn't a better POD for the Ming be the Taichang Emperor not coming down with a bad case of poison? He seemed fairly competant in his month-long reign and can't be any worse than the disaster of hi son's reign.

 

[Carter I'm Yog]

So wouldn't a better POD for the Ming be the Taichang Emperor not coming down with a bad case of poison? He seemed fairly competant in his month-long reign and can't be any worse than the disaster of hi son's reign.

A month is hardly enough to assess an Emperor. Though I have to admit, few reigns could indeed be worse then Chongzhen's.

 

[Avrorrange]

So wouldn't a better POD for the Ming be the Taichang Emperor not coming down with a bad case of poison? He seemed fairly competant in his month-long reign and can't be any worse than the disaster of hi son's reign.

He too was actually looking like another incompetent emperor. Just like his sons,he was not trained as emperor and because his father deliberately denied him luxury and privileges as crown prince.He tried to make up all those years of living miserably upon ascending the throne by living a live of debauchery and fell sick as a result.We know how it all went when he tried to treat his poor health condition.