Chapter 004 History

However, Zhang Mingwei quickly demonstrated to them the layers of resistance exhibited by the Soviet people. Even though they initially suffered the loss of several million troops, the Soviet people, including children and the elderly, unhesitatingly devoted themselves to the fight against the invasion of the German army. In summary, the Soviet people displayed a spirit of fearlessness in their efforts to defend their homeland, and through their countless sacrifices, they ultimately brought about a change in the situation, culminating in victory.

Zhang Mingwei quickly turned off his phone, as the battery had already turned red, indicating it was below 10 percent.

I never expected that one day I would actually encounter something like "time travel," and to a time as regrettable as the late Ming Dynasty. Is it possible that, in some mysterious way, there are indeed deities who want me to change the history of the land of Huaxia?

After speaking, he began to play a documentary about the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War. Of course, it was not the entire film, as there was not enough battery power, so he could only select certain parts to play.

What they witnessed, such as why this object emits light, led to a multitude of various people and events, and why there are different sounds. In short, all of this left them profoundly shocked

As the film concluded, Zhang Mingwei immediately turned off the device to conserve the little remaining battery. He then looked at them and noticed that each of them was still immersed in the film they had just watched, and no one spoke a word

The others remained silent, once again immersed in the footage they had just seen

Zhang Mingwei did not break the silence either, allowing them to digest the content of the film a bit more. Turning his head, he glanced outside the main hall; at this moment, the light had dimmed, and it was already evening

Zhang Mingwei listened and smiled slightly, saying: "Your Majesty, no matter how late it is, as long as we strive, there will surely be hope. If there is no hope, then let us create hope! In this way, even in death, there will be no regrets"

The ethnic groups on the land of Huaxia were like fish and meat on a chopping board, until later, when various forms of resistance began, and the people of Huaxia ultimately unleashed tremendous power to establish the New China

These scenes were truly unbelievable for Chongzhen and others, feeling as if they were apocalyptic. It left them unable to imagine that the world could transform in such a way, that humanity could possess such terrifying power, and how could they possibly resist this

The focus of the documentary primarily revolves around the various hardships experienced on the land of Huaxia, including backwardness in the world, the division by great powers, warlord conflicts, the invasion by Japanese pirates, and ultimately leading to the establishment of the new China

However, no one asked questions, nor did anyone exclaim in surprise. They were all captivated by the content of the visual materials, their mouths agape, maintaining expressions of shock, and striving to absorb the information conveyed by the images

Most critically, there are only two years left until the fall of the Ming Dynasty. In such a short period, how much can be changed? The thought of "Is there still hope for the Ming Dynasty?" remains his greatest inner demon, even though Zhang Mingwei had already answered it once before.

Although Zhang Mingwei had told him that he would help him, just now he watched a historical documentary and felt that the tide of history is rolling forward, which cannot be changed in a short period of time

This segment of history truly left Chongzhen and others with exceptionally grave expressions, to the extent that they even felt as though they were struggling to breathe

At that moment, Zhang Mingwei's stomach suddenly made a rumbling sound!

When others heard Emperor Chongzhen's words, they also came to their senses

Adding to this, he himself is the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and he is most aware of the current situation of the Ming. The rampant banditry is uncontrollable, and the power of the Manchus beyond the borders is unstoppable. Regardless of either situation, he finds himself unable to cope, overwhelmed to the point of breathlessness

It was not until this moment that everyone realized they were already in darkness. Time had unknowingly slipped into the evening.

He watched the video, and since Zhang Mingwei had already explained it once beforehand, he was able to digest the information the fastest and understood more.

Emperor Chongzhen felt exhausted walking alone, but upon hearing this piece of motivational wisdom, he suddenly found it very reasonable. Looking at Zhang Mingwei, who was smiling at him, his spirits were lifted by the infectious emotions, and his fighting spirit was immediately rekindled

Only Emperor Chongzhen has watched "The Elegy of Chongzhen" on his mobile phone once, so it is somewhat better. However, it is only slightly better, as the mobile phone screen is too small; projecting it gives a more realistic and more shocking experience

As soon as the playback began, the images appeared clearly on the white cloth, moving and accompanied by voices, creating an incredibly realistic experience, as if one were in a dream, which left everyone in awe.

Before Zhang Mingwei could respond, he continued, "However... since my ascension to the throne, I have truly been working very hard, yet the affairs of the state have only deteriorated day by day. What more can I do to strive?"

The feeling of Emperor Chongzhen is akin to being trapped in a labyrinth; no matter how hard he tries, there is no hope of finding his way out. Moreover, having been in the labyrinth for so long, his confidence has long been worn away. It is also like a drowning person who, after struggling for a long time to survive, ultimately finds himself on the verge of sinking.

Only after the light appeared in the main hall and the eunuchs had retreated once more did Emperor Chongzhen slowly confirm with Zhang Mingwei: "What you mean, sir, is that as long as one strives to do so, there will be hope"

The simplest question is, where does the money and grain come from? Without money and grain, everything is mere talk

One by one, they were affected by the content of the images, all turning pale. Even Zhu Cilang and Zhu Meisheng found it hard to accept that the Ming Dynasty was soon to perish

The film quickly delves into the late Qing Dynasty, when the great powers began to carve up the world and subsequently turned their attention to China. Foreign forces acted with impunity on Chinese soil, leading to events such as the Opium War, the invasion by the Eight-Nation Alliance, the breach of Beijing, and the incursions by Japanese pirates, all of which weighed heavily on the minds of figures like Emperor Chongzhen. After all, the founding of the Ming Dynasty was a rise amidst the struggle between the Chinese and the barbarian tribes.

What the truth is, Zhang Mingwei has no way of knowing. However, as an atheist, he is more inclined to believe the latter. Otherwise, with so much suffering in Huaxia, there has been no sign of divine protection. Or perhaps the deities could show themselves to take a look; without seeing it with his own eyes, there will always be doubts

Is it still said that this is a natural phenomenon? Throughout history, there have been many instances of time travelers. For example, Wang Mang, Liu Xiu, and so on; or perhaps, many of the time travelers are just unfortunate souls who, upon their arrival, fall into a tiger's den or a fire pit, and before they can achieve anything, they meet their demise

At that moment, Emperor Chongzhen came to his senses and asked in a heavy tone: "Sir, is there truly any hope for the Ming Dynasty?"

The city of Beijing was breached, and in the pursuit of recovering stolen goods and providing supplies, Wu Sangui welcomed the Manchu Qing into the pass, sweeping across the northern lands. Li Zicheng and his forces quickly suffered defeat, while the Southern Ming princes vied for power, and officials competed for authority. Military generals either defected or maintained their own power. Ultimately, the Southern Ming and the remnants of the Dashun and Daxi armies united to resist the Qing, but they ultimately failed, resulting in countless civilians perishing in the flames of war. The cities of Jiading and Yangzhou were subjected to massacres, and the last emperor of the Southern Ming was betrayed by Dong Wu and subsequently strangled by Wu Sangui in Kunming

This historical documentary begins with the Jashen Incident at the end of the Ming Dynasty and continues through the history of the Southern Ming until the establishment of the New China

Subsequently, the playback of the Treaty of Nerchinsk, the rebellion of the Zunghars, the literary inquisition of the Manchu Qing, and the reforms of Yongzheng allowed them to somewhat ease their tensions. After all, these were matters concerning the rebellion against the Ming Dynasty, which did not resonate deeply with them.

At this thought, Zhang Mingwei's eyes turned a bit red. It was not that he feared this era; having just graduated from university, he was full of youthful vigor and had a laid-back disposition that allowed him to face historical figures like Emperor Chongzhen without hesitation. He simply missed his parents and loved ones, knowing that from now on, he would truly never see them again

Wang Cheng'en first regained his composure and immediately went out to summon the eunuchs waiting outside the hall to light the candles inside the palace.

Zhang Mingwei showed them the steel torrent of the German army, a true million-strong force, fully invading the Soviet Union with unstoppable momentum. The ground was covered with tanks and armored vehicles, while the sky was filled with swarms of aircraft, darkening the horizon. The scenes of explosions were even more earth-shattering, annihilating everything in their path

As the mobile phone was turned off, the main hall was suddenly plunged into darkness

Zhang Mingwei turned to look at Emperor Chongzhen, observing the pain and a hint of despair on his face, as well as the glimmer of hope in his eyes directed towards himself. After a moment of thought, he said nothing and began to operate his phone, pulling up another documentary. Before it started playing, he addressed Emperor Chongzhen with a serious tone: "Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates once invaded our China, claiming they would annihilate us in three months. However, through our unyielding resistance, even at great cost, we ultimately slapped them in the face. Here, I have another documentary, which also tells the story of an immensely powerful nation that boasted it would destroy another country in three months, only to see that boast shattered. Let me show you first."

I inexplicably traversed through time, and unlike some films and television dramas, there is no specific condition that can trigger my return. I must live in this era for the rest of my life, and everything from my original time is now a permanent farewell