stubborn thief

The sixth day of July.

Chongzhen personally went to Zhengyang Gate to welcome Qian Shisheng's returning team.

This was also the request Qian Shisheng mentioned in the memorial he sent to the capital from Miyun by express horse.

Of course, in his memorial, Qian Shisheng asked Chongzhen to welcome not him, but the captive leaders who were escorted back. This was actually quite presumptuous, as he had already made arrangements for the emperor.

But Qian Shisheng didn't want to do it anymore.

Like most officials, he always had an imaginary image of the emperor in his mind.

The emperor should have noble morals and supreme status, provide advice and guidance to the cabinet and the six ministries, be close to the wise and stay away from flatterers, be frugal and love the people, and try not to interfere with the normal operation of the court.

I always felt that with an emperor like that, everything would be fine, and I kept persuading Chongzhen in this direction.

As a result, during this mission, he discovered that both Liu Chengzong and Huang Taiji, the main opponents of Emperor Chongzhen, were very powerful, but they were indeed contrary to the image of the ideal emperor he had imagined. On the contrary, Chongzhen's style of doing things was more like theirs.

They were all stubborn tyrants. Chongzhen was sandwiched between these two inhuman beings, and his moral character was made to appear impeccable, even to the point of appearing to be kind to the point of being cowardly.

Not to mention Huang Taiji, it is hard to say that he has any connection with morality when he killed his brother and sister and sacrificed his stepmother.

Liu Chengzong's contrast is even more frightening. He looks polite and humble, but in fact he is cruel and cold-blooded. No matter how many people die in front of him, he won't even twitch his eyelids.

This made Qian Shisheng, a cabinet minister who was born as the top scholar, doubt his own understanding - the minister thought that the king was not wise enough, and the king thought that the minister was not virtuous enough.

But have they always been hindering the emperor?
It was this doubt that made Qian Shisheng really not want to do it anymore, and the reason for not wanting to do it was different from before the mission.

Before the mission, I felt that the emperor's style had problems and could not be changed and could not be persuaded, so I decided to go home.

Now he suspected that there was something wrong with his own line. Others were more stubborn than him as emperor and did a good job, so there was nothing wrong with his emperor line.

It's simply a difference in ability.

This is more desperate than taking the wrong route.

Then why are you still a cabinet minister? Go home!

Therefore, his memorial to Chongzhen was very bold, and he comprehensively requested Chongzhen to receive the heads of the captives with great fanfare and set up an altar to commemorate the fallen soldiers mentioned in the inscription.

In order to eliminate the symbol of rebel from Liu Chengzong, change the people's perception into that the Ming Marshal's Office won outside the Great Wall, and try to eliminate Liu Chengzong's prestige in the capital in this battle.

At least he should not be allowed to gain great prestige in Gyeonggi Province as the leader of the rebels.

In addition, it also tells the impact that a war outside the border has brought to the world, and provides an opportunity for recuperation. If we can avoid provoking Liu Chengzong in the next two years and attack the Eastern Tartar with all our strength, we can eliminate the threat of the Jurchens that have been causing trouble for the past twenty years.

Originally Qian Shisheng thought that his arrangement would anger Chongzhen, but the result was just the opposite.

Chongzhen was very happy.

After receiving the memorial and reading Lord Qian's comprehensive arrangements, Chongzhen was shocked. Was Liu Chengzong's training so effective?

Look at this Lord Qian. Before he went there, no normal person could understand what he said. After returning from studying under Liu Chengzong, he saw what a real gangster was like. He started speaking in a pragmatic way and became a more compromised person.

Chongzhen recently learned the word "gouqiu" from his court officials.

This was his fourth call for donations this year, and everyone used this word to scold him.

Chongzhen likes Qian Shisheng's current behavior, this is just the right taste.

This is what a good minister is. You just tell me what should be done and come up with a detailed strategy. It is my business whether to do it or not.

Don’t always focus on my style of doing things and find fault with me. Who is the emperor?
Qian Shisheng's memorial solved Chongzhen's biggest concern.

Outside the Zhengyang Gate, Dai Qing's large military flags, ceremonial heads and banners were presented one by one, as well as the gold bars that Liu Chengzong asked him to hand over to the emperor. Qian Shisheng even solemnly and loudly repeated Liu Chengzong's declaration that there was only one emperor in the world when describing the engraving of stone to record merits in front of the court officials.

But Qian Shisheng played a trick.

Liu Chengzong's original words: This war is fought for the people of the world. There is only one emperor in the world and there is no place for Chongde.

Qian Shisheng said: There is only one emperor in the world, and this war is fought for all the people in the world, there is no place for Chongde.

Not to mention Chongzhen's uncontrollable smile on the city gate tower.

Commander Tian Hongyu, who was leading the Jinyiwei and standing nearby, almost jumped up when he heard this. This fellow villager was so crooked!
How domineering.

Liu Chengzong's original words focused on the fact that the throne was not a matter of Chongde, but a matter between him and Chongzhen.

But Qian Shisheng changed the order, which made it sound like Chongde blindly proclaimed himself emperor without the emperor having to worry about it, and the people of the world just killed him.

Just with this one sentence, Chongzhen was so happy on the city gate tower that he even looked at Qian Shisheng's old face with a bit of joy. He was about to bestow the dragon robe and colorful coins on Qian Shisheng at Zhengyang Gate on the spot.

There was no advance preparation for this, and the eunuchs in the imperial city were so tired that their legs were almost smoking.

When Wen Tiren saw Chongzhen's expression, he felt something was wrong.

He originally thought that it would be best if Qian Shisheng did not return from this diplomatic mission, as he would most likely be doomed if he did.

Even yesterday, he was planning to invite his younger brother Xue Guoguan into the cabinet after Qian Shisheng was finished.

Little did he know that Qian Shisheng's memorial would change the emperor's entire impression of him, and he even turned black into white, making it seem like Liu Chengzong's great victory outside the Great Wall was also a great victory for the Ming Dynasty.

What does that have to do with us, Your Majesty? They are the enemies who want to seize your throne!

The key point is that if Qian Shisheng does not retreat but advances, wouldn’t his position as prime minister be in danger?

Wen Tiren complained in his heart, this Liu Chengzong is no good, it was such a good opportunity, why didn't he kill Qian Shisheng?

Killing 18,000 bandits in battle is not a real skill on the battlefield. Only when you kill a Ming general once in anger can you be considered a true hero among the bandits!
He even wanted Xue Guoguan to report back to his hometown in Shaanxi, accusing Qian Shisheng of obliterating the achievements of Marshal Liu.

But at this moment, no matter what Wen Tihen thought, it was useless. He was very good at guessing the emperor's intentions. Chongzhen was a person who had a very clear distinction between likes and dislikes, so he was particularly easy to control.

His greatest characteristic is that no one can influence his thinking on employing people.

Chongzhen had many shortcomings in his abilities, but his strength was in employing people, and he was incredibly good at it.

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, no emperor was better at employing people than Chongzhen. There was no official who, after demonstrating his talent, would not be promoted or given a high position by Chongzhen. Chongzhen made exceptions to employ people every day.

The ancestral system of the imperial court and the rules of officialdom were like farts to Chongzhen.

As long as they demonstrated their talent and ambition, a civil official could become a general, a military official could become an imperial examiner, and even a dog could be assigned a position as a gatekeeper at the Meridian Gate by Chongzhen.

Chongzhen's problem was that he was impatient, extreme, and cruel. He would keep using people until something happened, something went wrong, or even his funeral was over.

The rewards for promotion are ridiculously high, and the penalties for making mistakes are also ridiculously high.

He punishes those who deserve to be scolded, imprisons those who deserve to be punished, and kills those who deserve to be imprisoned.

Therefore, Wen Tihen was very clear that whether Chongzhen liked or hated someone, he should not and need not disobey.

He just needs to wait for this person to make a mistake. At that time, he will nod his head gently and say, "Your Majesty is wise," indicating that he agrees with the emperor's punishment, and the person will be dead.

Because of this, Wen Tiren would not take the initiative to offer any suggestions when he was with Chongzhen. When something happened, he would just say, "I am an old and stupid minister, and I hope Your Majesty will make a wise decision." He could not make mistakes.

Soon, Chongzhen welcomed Qian Shisheng and held a banquet in the palace to entertain this great contributor who had made great contributions during his diplomatic missions.

Qian Shisheng felt that the emperor's treatment of him was outrageous.

He thought to himself: See, the trip to visit Liu Chengzong was useful. He came back and made the emperor happy. It was as if he had changed his character.

However, Chongzhen was only happy for a short while. At the banquet, he asked about the wars outside the border. As soon as the banquet was over, he called Qian Shisheng to the platform.

During the nearly three months of his diplomatic mission, memorials from various places were piled up in front of Qian Shisheng, putting Qian Shisheng under a lot of pressure.

To be honest, when Lord Qian was with Liu Chengzong, he really experienced what it meant to have leisure time.

There was no need to worry about domestic affairs or the war, and every day was a boring day of eating, drinking, and marching.

All you need to do is occasionally fill in the gaps and provide a little intelligence support, and the battle will be won with great honor.

It's different when you come back.

I was forced to go to work before I had even digested my food.

The first memorial was signed by Liu Zongzhou, the Minister of Works.

Qian Shisheng was delighted when he saw the name. He knew what was written inside the book without even opening it. He was scolding Chongzhen for not doing his job properly.

He opened the memorial and saw that it was indeed scolding Chongzhen for making donations and saying that the emperor's mind was full of shameful things.

If someone else cursed like this, Qian Shisheng would think that they were wrong, but when Liu Zongzhou cursed like this, Qian Shisheng thought he was right.

Because it’s really not Liu Zongzhou’s fault.

This person was not willing to be an official and liked to study, but he was very famous and had both talent and integrity.

At the end of the Wanli period, he felt that the government was too chaotic and there was going to be factional strife, so he returned home and lived there for seven years. He was so poor that he had no money to treat his illness and had to rely on loans to make ends meet.

Since he had no money, he became an official. During the Tianqi period, he was the Minister of Rites. As a result, he offended Wei Zhongxian and was stripped of his official title.

As soon as Chongzhen ascended the throne, he was called back to serve as the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture. Not long after he took office, Chongzhen issued a donation in the court, saying that officials who were righteous and willing to help others would be rewarded.

But Liu Zongzhou had no money, and he had to rely on his salary to repay the loan.

But if you don't donate, and you don't while others donate, you will lose face. Then you will submit a memorial to the emperor, saying that what you did was wrong, and that you will be rewarded if they donate money. This is to bribe officials and corrupt the atmosphere.

Chongzhen was not happy to hear this, and after reading the memorial he did not approve it.

Liu Zongzhou saw that he did not earn any money as an official, and the emperor not only wanted to extort his salary, but also did not respond to his memorials. So he resigned from his post and went home on the pretext of illness.

Chongzhen remembered this person this year and appointed him as the Minister of Works, allowing him to continue serving as an official.

As a result, only half of the year had passed, and Chongzhen had already issued three donation requests, which made Liu Zongzhou furious.

If I were not an official, I would live on loans. If I were an official, I would donate all my salary to the emperor and borrow even more. In the end, my father-in-law Zhou Kui is a professional money lender... The more Liu Zongzhou looked at the Ming Dynasty officialdom, the more it seemed like a high-speed perpetual motion machine!
The Ministry of Revenue paid salaries, the emperor forced donations, the father-in-law of the emperor lent money, and court officials borrowed money. The bloody primitive accumulation was completed relying on the palace's cattle and horses - this capitalism was more than just a bud!
He was scolded by the emperor again, and it was obvious that he was planning to go home again.

Qian Shisheng knew that Liu Zongzhou also had an ideal monarch in his mind, which was different from the current emperor.

He advised the emperor: "Liu Shilang's ideas of self-discipline and sincerity are not applicable to the emperor. Since he does not want to be an official, the emperor should not force him."

Chongzhen sighed when he heard this. He was not stupid. After being emperor for nine years, he already understood that knowledge was learned by officials, not emperors.

He always wanted to use Liu Zongzhou because people with such a character would make excellent officials.

But it's too roundabout.

With bandits lurking in the heart of the country and border troubles at one’s elbows, the annual military expenditure has skyrocketed from 4 million taels to 13 million taels today. How can Chongzhen be self-disciplined?

"I am not asking for donations because I don't expect the court officials to make a small contribution. If he doesn't want to donate, then don't donate. He must write a letter to the emperor, as if I am forcing him to donate his salary."

Chongzhen also felt aggrieved. What he wanted was the money of the royal family, royal relatives, idle eunuchs, and princesses' wives. But he had no reason to ask for this money openly, so he could only issue donations and ask people to donate more, exchanging nominal money for real benefits.

The estates and fields awarded by the previous emperor were mainly by my grandfather Wanli, who implemented the Reverse Extension of Favors Order. The Ministry of Revenue had to pay nearly one million taels of silver in land taxes to those landowners every year.

Just the two married daughters of Wanli were granted more than 600,000 mu of land in Shuntian Prefecture, and the Ministry of Revenue received 20,000 taels of silver every year, and this had been going on for forty years.

If he wants the money, he has no reason to do so; if he doesn't want it, he will be unwilling to give it up!

"Forget it. I will borrow money from you when I get back, and I won't bother with the donation issue for the whole court."

Chongzhen shook his head and pointed at the memorial and said, "Go on, Lord. I am very worried during your absence."

"King Tang, raise an army to support the king?"

Qian Shisheng frowned, his face wrinkled like a bun, thinking that if he could stay in the vassal state and not do anything stupid, he would be helping the court: "Isn't this just causing trouble?"

Chongzhen was very pleased with what he said. He shook his head and said unhappily, "Adding to the chaos, what you said was too light. He first beat his uncle to death and then led his army to leave the country without permission. If the more than 1,000 soldiers we recruited were captured by the Eastern Tartars, how would the royal family save face? And if the Eastern Tartars used him to attack the city, how would the local officials deal with it?"

Chongzhen cursed: "This lunatic!"

Then he sighed.

To be honest, if the King of Tang had the ability to save the country from danger and wanted to rebel, Chongzhen would be willing to abdicate on the spot.

The problem is that he didn't have it. When he was a vassal king, he was disrespected by others. Several county officials and a prefect had already been dismissed. Even a high-ranking official like Lu Xiangsheng, who led troops to suppress the rebellion, was scolded by him in a letter because he didn't make a detour to pay a special visit to him on the way to suppress the rebellion.

If Chongzhen had not strongly protected him, the royal family management regulations would have put even Lu Xiangsheng in jail.

The vassal king, Prince Tang, did far less well than Prince Xin of Chongzhen.

How could Chongzhen believe that the Tang prince would be better than the Xin prince as the emperor? If they were in each other's shoes, the Tang prince would be even more impatient than he was.

It seems as if Chongzhen was very happy to be the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

He was indeed happy in the past few years, but now he is really unhappy. When he sees the news about the bastard vassal king, he recalls when he was the Prince of Xin. How happy he was at that time. Being an emperor almost makes him think of himself as a lunatic.

Qian Shisheng was not sure what to say about the matter of the vassal kings, so he shook his head and put it aside.

Look again.

The Daiqing army was looting in northern Zhili, the peasant army was fighting in Zhongdu, and in southern Zhili... Qian Shisheng's eyes were wide open, people were freezing to death in southern Zhili.

Just last month, Liu Chengzong's army was so hot after fighting in Lingdong that they were all shirtless, but in Zhenjiang Prefecture in Nanzhili, it was snowing in June. The people all wore cotton-padded clothes, and those without them were even frozen to death. Neighboring prefectures such as Yangzhou sent Zhang Yichuan, the commander of Gaoyou Guard, to escort cotton-padded clothes and rice across the river for disaster relief.

What a horrible weather!

Qian Shisheng thought it was bad. With the weather in Jiangnan, he was afraid that there would be trouble in Shaanxi again. He must not let Liu Chengzong come back and attack again.

Just then, he saw a name.

Wait... Zhang Yichuan?
Qian Shisheng blinked. This name made him feel strangely familiar. It seemed that he had heard it from Liu Chengzong before? (End of this chapter)