Introduction – This will be a Ming AAR using the 5.1 DW patch. For those interested in how to do so properly I can only refer you to Knul's brilliant Yin, Yang and the ugly . This will be less competent and also 5.1 has changed a few mechanics, not least I have to play the whole game as a Celestial Empire and with the constraints imposed by the faction system.
Its on hard and lucky nations were random.
Table Of Contents
Dear Diary, 14 October 1399
The Ming Emperors (& one Empress)
The Frustration of Jianwen
1399-1401 ... in which the Eunuchs are given the chop
1402-1404 ... in which he overindulges - with predictable results
The idiot Yongle
1404-1407 ... in which he is packed off to take part in every war in the region
1407-1410 ... in which he is not even invited to his own wedding party
1410-1412 ... in which he follows the Queen Mother - to a very predictable end
The impotent Hongxi
1412-1414 ... in which he does his best to hide away
1414-1417 ... in which his productivity is called into doubt
1417-1421 ... in which he tries to forbid certain visitors
1422-1427 ... in which he has some rather valuable help
1428-1434 ... in which the realm expands and he expires
The unfortunate Wanli
1434-1438 ... in which the realm undergoes a few crises and he stays in the nursery (sensible boy)
1439-1444 ... in which Wanli seems to have grown up very quickly
1444-1448 ... in which Wanli is pretty much a one man marriage and war machine
1448-1451 ... in which Wanli shows his soft caring cultural side
1452-1455 ... in which Wanli becomes rather infamous
1456-1459 ... in which Wanli dies of a surfeit of peaches
The awesome Xuande
1459-1466 ... in which another peach related death occurs
Tianqi the Psycho
1466-1472 ... in which he has a varied education
1472-1474 ... in which he is a growing pain
1474-1479 ... in which his dark side emerges
1480-1485 ... in which he does seem to have a lot of wars
1486-1490 ... in which he starts a big war but doesn't live to see the end
The ill advised Youyi
1491-1497 ... in which his upbringing is a source of strife
1497-1501 ... in which he receives a lot of (contradictory) advice
1501-1515 ... in which he tries to peel a peach with a large spear and other problems
Jiajing the village idiot in charge
1515-1520 ... in which Jiajing has problems following simple directions
1521-1525 ... in which all he has to do is breed/stability/die ... and he still gets confused
1526-1529 ... in which he gets them all in the right order
Youxue, the mildly unlucky
1530-1540 ... in which his childhood is dominated by confusion between east and west
1541-1549 ... in which the Queen Mother's dress sense causes problems
1549-1556 ... in which an unfortunate tea leaf ends a glittering career
The rather violent Youjian
1556-1562 ... in which a few minor disputes disturb the calm
1562-1563 ... in which (with some help) Youjian is triumphant
1563-1567 ... in which a little bit of peace is soon shattered
1568-1576 ... in which Youjian reaches the top, only to find he's no longer needed
Zhengiong, an emperor with a mission
1576-1586 ... in which he ends up leaning too far to the West
Shaowu, the basher of India and other places
1586-1592 ... in which he forgets to be nice to the French
1592-1597 ... in which the Queen Mother is very nice to the British
1597-1600 ... in which the Queen Mother is nice even to the French, till her party is spoilt
1600-1611 ... in which Shaowu overstays his welcome and other explosive events
The Empress Yiping
1611-1615 ... in which a sailing accident and other little incidents occur
1615-1615 ... in which Yiping finds out that two Empresses is one too many
Yongle II, the bystander
1615-1619 ... in which Yongle feels very left out of things
1619-1622 ... in which no one takes much notice of Yongle
1623-1633 ... in which he is ignored, till he books the wrong tribute band
Wanli II, the undiplomatic
1633-1636 ... in which he decides not to believe in ghosts and other mistakes
1636-1639 ... in which he feels the need to hide in a big safe place
1640-1645 ... in which his self-esteem expands
1645-1656 ... in which he manages to ignore all the chaos around him
1657-1666 ... in which he shows very little self-awareness
1666-1673 ... in which Wanli impresses himself
1674-1684 ... in which Wanli has some lapses
1684-1690 ... in which not much is left of Wanli
Youshan, the rather late heir who doesn't get much credit for his achievements
1690-1699 ... in which his sense of direction is queried
1700-1706 ... Youshan conquers America - and gets no thanks at all
Taichang I, the easily scared Emperor
1706-1712 ... in which he overlooks a major war
Taichan II, the expansionary Emperor
1712-1717 ... in which the conqueror of the Americas is battered by a peach tree
Wanli III, the last of the Mings
1718-1728 ... in which the dynasty almost comes to an early end
1728-1735 ... in which his education is ended prematurely
The Shi Emperors
Gaoxu, Conqueror of Mexico
1736-1743 ... in which Queen Mother laments the decline of China
1744-1751 ... in which Gaoxu has some French lessons
1751-1758 ... in which Gaoxu has a Bohemian phase
Hongxi II, 'Even nuttier than a sesame seed'
1758-1769 ... in which Hongxi has a brief rampage
Tianqi II, the often overlooked
1769-1773 ... in which the QM's self belief takes a battering (& GB declares war)
1773-1779 ... in which the QM has a few mood swings
1779-1783 ... in which Tianqi is rather overlooked
1783-1806 ... in which Tianqi finally makes his mark (on a peach tree)
Shaowu II, the survivor
1806-1821 ... in which China is remarkably peaceful
Dear Diary, 14 October 1399
The Ming Emperors (& one Empress)
The Frustration of Jianwen
1399-1401 ... in which the Eunuchs are given the chop
1402-1404 ... in which he overindulges - with predictable results
The idiot Yongle
1404-1407 ... in which he is packed off to take part in every war in the region
1407-1410 ... in which he is not even invited to his own wedding party
1410-1412 ... in which he follows the Queen Mother - to a very predictable end
The impotent Hongxi
1412-1414 ... in which he does his best to hide away
1414-1417 ... in which his productivity is called into doubt
1417-1421 ... in which he tries to forbid certain visitors
1422-1427 ... in which he has some rather valuable help
1428-1434 ... in which the realm expands and he expires
The unfortunate Wanli
1434-1438 ... in which the realm undergoes a few crises and he stays in the nursery (sensible boy)
1439-1444 ... in which Wanli seems to have grown up very quickly
1444-1448 ... in which Wanli is pretty much a one man marriage and war machine
1448-1451 ... in which Wanli shows his soft caring cultural side
1452-1455 ... in which Wanli becomes rather infamous
1456-1459 ... in which Wanli dies of a surfeit of peaches
The awesome Xuande
1459-1466 ... in which another peach related death occurs
Tianqi the Psycho
1466-1472 ... in which he has a varied education
1472-1474 ... in which he is a growing pain
1474-1479 ... in which his dark side emerges
1480-1485 ... in which he does seem to have a lot of wars
1486-1490 ... in which he starts a big war but doesn't live to see the end
The ill advised Youyi
1491-1497 ... in which his upbringing is a source of strife
1497-1501 ... in which he receives a lot of (contradictory) advice
1501-1515 ... in which he tries to peel a peach with a large spear and other problems
Jiajing the village idiot in charge
1515-1520 ... in which Jiajing has problems following simple directions
1521-1525 ... in which all he has to do is breed/stability/die ... and he still gets confused
1526-1529 ... in which he gets them all in the right order
Youxue, the mildly unlucky
1530-1540 ... in which his childhood is dominated by confusion between east and west
1541-1549 ... in which the Queen Mother's dress sense causes problems
1549-1556 ... in which an unfortunate tea leaf ends a glittering career
The rather violent Youjian
1556-1562 ... in which a few minor disputes disturb the calm
1562-1563 ... in which (with some help) Youjian is triumphant
1563-1567 ... in which a little bit of peace is soon shattered
1568-1576 ... in which Youjian reaches the top, only to find he's no longer needed
Zhengiong, an emperor with a mission
1576-1586 ... in which he ends up leaning too far to the West
Shaowu, the basher of India and other places
1586-1592 ... in which he forgets to be nice to the French
1592-1597 ... in which the Queen Mother is very nice to the British
1597-1600 ... in which the Queen Mother is nice even to the French, till her party is spoilt
1600-1611 ... in which Shaowu overstays his welcome and other explosive events
The Empress Yiping
1611-1615 ... in which a sailing accident and other little incidents occur
1615-1615 ... in which Yiping finds out that two Empresses is one too many
Yongle II, the bystander
1615-1619 ... in which Yongle feels very left out of things
1619-1622 ... in which no one takes much notice of Yongle
1623-1633 ... in which he is ignored, till he books the wrong tribute band
Wanli II, the undiplomatic
1633-1636 ... in which he decides not to believe in ghosts and other mistakes
1636-1639 ... in which he feels the need to hide in a big safe place
1640-1645 ... in which his self-esteem expands
1645-1656 ... in which he manages to ignore all the chaos around him
1657-1666 ... in which he shows very little self-awareness
1666-1673 ... in which Wanli impresses himself
1674-1684 ... in which Wanli has some lapses
1684-1690 ... in which not much is left of Wanli
Youshan, the rather late heir who doesn't get much credit for his achievements
1690-1699 ... in which his sense of direction is queried
1700-1706 ... Youshan conquers America - and gets no thanks at all
Taichang I, the easily scared Emperor
1706-1712 ... in which he overlooks a major war
Taichan II, the expansionary Emperor
1712-1717 ... in which the conqueror of the Americas is battered by a peach tree
Wanli III, the last of the Mings
1718-1728 ... in which the dynasty almost comes to an early end
1728-1735 ... in which his education is ended prematurely
The Shi Emperors
Gaoxu, Conqueror of Mexico
1736-1743 ... in which Queen Mother laments the decline of China
1744-1751 ... in which Gaoxu has some French lessons
1751-1758 ... in which Gaoxu has a Bohemian phase
Hongxi II, 'Even nuttier than a sesame seed'
1758-1769 ... in which Hongxi has a brief rampage
Tianqi II, the often overlooked
1769-1773 ... in which the QM's self belief takes a battering (& GB declares war)
1773-1779 ... in which the QM has a few mood swings
1779-1783 ... in which Tianqi is rather overlooked
1783-1806 ... in which Tianqi finally makes his mark (on a peach tree)
Shaowu II, the survivor
1806-1821 ... in which China is remarkably peaceful
A quick summary, final review of the end-game world and comments
Last edited: