Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Mud can't hold up a wall!"

Zhu Youjian commented.

He was really angry at the remaining eunuch party members for not fighting back.

If these people had shown some courage, he wouldn't have to keep reinstating the Donglin Party.

However, most of the eunuch party members he protected, except for a few capable people like Yang Jingchen and Guo Yunhou, did not do any real work.

Some people even failed to clean up their previous affairs, so they were dug out by the Donglin Party during the imperial inspection.

Zhu Youjian, who had already given them one chance, did not intend to protect them again this time.

He needed to use the fate of these people to restore the majesty of the Beijing Inspection.

Moreover, to this day, Zhu Youjian is no longer just on the throne.

He didn't need to keep these people to prevent the Donglin Party from coming to power.

He had been on the throne for a year and a half, and anyone with discerning eyes in the court could see that although the emperor attached great importance to the Donglin Party, he was far from obeying its every word.

He was even extremely wary of ministers from the Donglin Party.

Up to now, the only Grand Secretaries and Nine Ministers who came from the Donglin Party were Han Yu and Cheng Jiming.

Qian Qianyi, a rising star of the Donglin Party, was firmly pinned on the position of Junior Secretary of the Taichang Temple. He had not yet become a Vice Minister and had no chance to join the cabinet.

Therefore, the insightful ministers have begun to distance themselves from the Donglin Party.

Ni Yuanlu, who was previously regarded as a member of the Donglin Party, was now closer to his teacher Yuan Keli.

Local governors and governors-general such as Sun Chuanting and Lu Xiangsheng were also close to Yuan Keli.

There were even officials like Wen Tihen and Zhou Yanru who directly drew a line between themselves and the Donglin Party, and there was a subtle trend of tit-for-tat between them.

All this led to the fact that Zhu Youjian could suppress the Donglin Party without relying on the remnants of the eunuch party.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian quickly decided on their treatment and examined them according to the Four Principles and Eight Methods to establish the majesty of the imperial examination.

Those who engage in corruption will have their property confiscated to raise military funds for this year's war.

There were only a handful of capable people, and he signaled Yang Jingchen to save them.

Li Ruolin is not on this list, but he has a good brother named Li Ruolian——

This person was the military scholar last year. Zhu Youjian remembered that he was a Jinyiwei who died for his country in Jiashen Year, so he arranged for him to be the director of the Weiwei Office in Zhuolu District.

Zhu Youjian would not allow such a close minister who would be of great use to be disappointed.

So Li Ruolin was only fined some money and then sent to Southeast Asia by Zhu Youjian to serve as an official.

I hope he can turn over a new leaf and come back from Nanyang in the future.

In addition to Li Ruolin and others, there were also ministers sent to Southeast Asia by Zhu Youjian.

The highest-ranking one among them was Wang Tiqian, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, who could be called the chief minister of the inner court.

Zhu Youjian was somewhat surprised by Wang Tiquan's resignation.

Because he didn't expect that someone would be willing to voluntarily step down from the position of Prime Minister of the Inner Court.

So he tried to persuade him to stay and said to Wang Tiqian:
"Why did Wang Qing resign?"

"I have forgiven all previous crimes."

"The mistakes made by those officials in the outer court do not involve you now."

Wang Tiquan smiled bitterly, feeling grateful for the emperor's appreciation of him, but also knowing that he really couldn't do it anymore.

As the second-in-command of the eunuch party, he became the symbol of the eunuch party after Wei Zhongxian's fall. I wonder how many people are looking forward to his fall so that they can share the power vacated by the eunuch party.

With Huang Liji confirmed to step down in August this year, he, as the leader of the remnants of the eunuch party in the inner court, is becoming increasingly prominent in the court.

When Han Yu presided over the trial of the rebellion case, he dug up many cases related to him.

There were numerous memorials impeaching him in the court, and as the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, Wang Tijian could not have been unaware of this.

If the emperor hadn't protected him, he would have been unable to continue working last year and would not have been able to survive until now.

But his situation is not much better now, because Tu Wenfu has returned from Nanjing, and many eunuchs in the inner court are worried that the two will join forces and allow the eunuch party left behind by Wei Zhongxian to become powerful again.

So they kept making trouble for Wang Tiquan and forced him to resign voluntarily.

Wang Tijian was increasingly unable to bear the pressure, and after seeing that the emperor had decided to abandon the remaining eunuch party members in the outer court, he decided to resign.

This way he could at least leave a good impression on others and avoid being targeted by them after he retreated.

So after Wang Tiqian thanked the emperor for his appreciation, he said sincerely:
"I am getting old, and I am increasingly unable to do things."

"Now all I want is to leave a legacy for my family so that there will be someone to worship them in the future."

"Your Majesty, please allow me to retire and spend my later years in peace."

After hearing these words, Zhu Youjian felt that what Wang Tiquan said was untrue, because Wang Tiquan was not old enough to be unable to do things.

Before, he was working in the Imperial Household Department, and he still did his best.

So the reason why he resigned was what he said later:

I want to spend my old age in peace and leave a fortune for my family.

This reminded him of his previous promise to Wang Tiqian, and he sighed:
"Since Lord Wang is determined to resign, I can only agree to it."

"I promised to confer a title upon you, so that you can be worshipped in the ancestral temple in the future."

"It can be fulfilled now. Wang Qing can be made a hereditary viscount. The first generation was originally said to be a second-class viscount, but now it has been promoted to a first-class viscount."

"After that, every generation will be demoted to the third rank and will not be demoted any more."

Turn the previous private promise into a formal decree.

When Wang Tiquan heard this, the joy in his heart could not help but show on his face.

Wei Zhongxian made painstaking plans back then, but in the end, all the titles of duke, marquis and earl that he conferred on his sons and nephews were lost.

He was rewarded with the title of hereditary viscount just for helping the emperor stabilize the situation.

He felt that the current emperor was truly a good emperor and that he had done the right thing before.

However, thinking about the fact that the emperor had turned Dongning Guard into a military and civilian government, and that hereditary officials could only be allocated permanent farmland, Wang Tiqian said with uneasiness:

"Dongning is directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. I dare not covet the territory."

"I would like to place my territory in Southeast Asia. I hope Your Majesty will allow it."

Zhu Youjian was very surprised when he heard this and was very much surprised by Wang Tiqian's choice.

Up to now, except for those pirates like Zheng Zhilong, most of the baronies he conferred on others chose the well-field system if possible.

There was no one who took the initiative to open up territory in Southeast Asia.

Even the empty land certificates he granted were more attractive than the territories in Southeast Asia.

Therefore, he was very surprised by Wang Tiqian's choice and praised:

"Your Majesty's move is very much in line with my wishes."

"Someone, come and get the map of Nanyang, so that Wang Qing can choose a territory of 200 miles." He ordered someone to get the map of Nanyang, and let Wang Tiqian choose the fiefdom himself.

This was the treatment that Yang Wuhou had received before. Wang Tiquan never thought that he would be able to enjoy it as well. This made him realize that he had made the right move and won the emperor's favor.

As long as he didn't make any big mistakes in the future, his title of viscount would be passed down. Even if someone slandered him, the emperor would protect him.

It can be said that this is the real reason why he chose to open up territory in Southeast Asia.

He was afraid that he would be forgotten by the emperor after leaving the palace, and that his enemies would find an opportunity to impeach him and he would lose his title.

Otherwise, why would he leave Dongning near Fujian and go to Southeast Asia, thousands of miles away?
Looking at the map that the emperor took out, Wang Tiqian was still amazed even though he had seen it before.

Unlike the previous emperors who were more like mortals, the current emperor firmly believes that he was gifted by God.

Otherwise, how could the emperor, who lived deep in the palace, draw maps of places like Southeast Asia?
This is something that Matteo Ricci, Li Zhizao and others did not draw clearly. They were not as clear as the emperor who lived deep in the palace.

Therefore, he was in awe of the emperor. He did not choose for himself, but said to the emperor with a shameless face:
"My choice is definitely not as good as your majesty's."

"Please grant it, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youjian laughed when he heard this and pointed at Wang Tiqian and said:

"You!"

"He's a smart one!"

Looking at the Nanyang map, he pointed to the west of Yangwuhou State and said:

"There is an island here, which Zheng He called Penang Island."

"I think it has great potential and can be used as a stopover from Malacca to India in the future."

"Send people to occupy this island and carve out a 200-li territory on the nearby shore."

"The Nanyang Governor's Office said there is a Kingdom of Kedah over there, and its national strength is not very strong. You go and help the Nanyang Governor's Office to separate it."

Wang Tiqian was surprised and happy when he heard the emperor's arrangements.

What was surprising was that the emperor had too high expectations of him and asked him to separate the so-called Kedah Kingdom.

The good news is that this is indeed a good place and can become a stopping point on the way from Malacca to India in the future.

After all, even Zheng He named it, which shows that it does have the potential to establish a trading point.

If the business is well managed in the future, the income should not be small.

So he accepted the emperor's arrangement with concern.

"Your Majesty, since there is a so-called threat from the Kingdom of Kedah, can you send me more military households or set up more garrisons?"

Zhu Youjian thought about it for a while, but still didn't give in. He said to Wang Tiqian:

"A Viscount can have two thousand households. If the subordinates are military and civilian households, each thousand households can have a maximum of 10,000 households."

"Wait until you can accept 20,000 immigrants. I will then reward you based on your merits."

After hearing this, Wang Tiquan felt relieved.

Because of this, the Qianhu Suo should actually be called Wanhu Suo. When fully mobilized, it can be equivalent to the two guards in the past.

He had two thousand households, which were equivalent to the strength of four guards. Although he could only maintain 2,000 soldiers in peacetime, he could mobilize 20,000 in war.

With 20,000 troops, he didn't have to worry about any other small countries in Southeast Asia as long as he didn't provoke a big country like Siam.

He even set his sights on the so-called Kingdom of Kedah, to see if he could conquer it, gain merit, and get his viscountship, and later upgrade it to a vassal state.

Just like that, the resignation of Wang Tiqian, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, was finalized.

In order to strengthen his control over Nanyang, Zhu Youjian also gave him the title of eunuch garrisoning Nanyang to assist the Nanyang Governor-General's Office in guarding the area.

This made Wang Tiquan even happier, as he would be able to mobilize human and material resources from Nanyang in the future.

Seeing how favorably the emperor treated Wang Tiqian, other eunuchs in the inner court became more loyal to the current emperor.

Because they wanted to be like Wang Tiquan, to be granted a title, build an ancestral temple and enjoy sacrifices.

Therefore, when Wang Tiqian left the palace, he received blessings from many eunuchs, who hoped that he could blaze a new trail and successfully establish a vassal state overseas.

Wang Tiquan was not worried about being purged at this time, because the emperor's attitude clearly showed that he still trusted him.

This time he can be said to be transferred out, not completely leaving the job.

In addition, Wang Wenzhen, whom he had previously arranged to go to the Xinwang Palace and who is now the emperor's confidant, and Tu Wenfu, who previously served under Wei Zhongxian and has now returned to the capital, are both his trusted supporters in the palace.

So he left Beijing with great ambition, hoping to achieve great things overseas like the eunuch Sanbao.

Tu Wenfu looked at Wang Tiquan's departing back and felt a little envious.

But what he was thinking more about at this time was the situation in the palace.

Previously, as the seal holder of the Imperial Stables, he was attached to Xu Yingyuan. He made great contributions to the ascension of the current emperor to the throne. His hope was to keep his power and position, or even get promoted to a higher position.

But what he didn't expect was that Xu Yingyuan had too much shit under his butt, and after being reported, he was directly executed by the emperor.

He, the nephew who was under the care of Xu Yingyuan, was also implicated.

Because the emperor was worried about him, he was sent to Nanjing to serve as a garrison eunuch.

Although this position is not bad, being one of the three great men in Nanjing, it is nothing compared to being the seal holder of the Imperial Stables, who is one of the three great men in the inner court in Beijing.

Therefore, he had been trying every possible way to make meritorious deeds over the past year, just to show his loyalty to the emperor and be able to return to Beijing.

What made him happy was that the emperor really remembered his contribution to the throne. After confirming that he had no intention of being buried with Xu Yingyuan, he transferred him back to Beijing.

Although the rank of the current Imperial Assets Commission is unclear, it is obvious that it has great power and can supervise and manage companies under the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Household Officials Department, the Imperial Clothing Department, the Imperial Food Department and other government offices.

He hopes to make a career in this position and become the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department in the future.

Speaking of this, we have to mention the current structure of the inner court after Wang Tijian stepped down as the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department.

As one of the most senior eunuchs in the palace, Gao Shiming, the seal holder of the Imperial Stables, who had helped the emperor stabilize the inner court after the incident of Xu Yingyuan, undoubtedly took over the position of seal holder of the Imperial Household Department and became the chief minister of the inner court.

The emperor appointed Li Fengxiang to take over the vacant post of the Imperial Horse Supervisor.

This person was selected by the emperor from the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department and had rich insights into military affairs.

Moreover, his appointment shows that all eunuchs in the palace are treated equally.

Therefore, Li Fengxiang, the previously unknown eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, rose to become the third most important eunuch in the inner court after Gao Shiming, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, and Wang Yongzuo, the governor of the Eastern Depot.

The other officials, Wang Wenzheng, Liu Ruoyu, and Wang Chengen, were not less powerful than them and were highly valued by the emperor. However, they were ranked behind because of their juniority.

Tu Wenfu has less experience, but he previously served as the seal holder of the Imperial Horse Administration. The Imperial Assets Commission, which he is currently in charge of, is a cross-departmental government office, so he considers himself the fourth in command of the inner court, and the current inner court eunuchs are ranked in the same way.

Gao Shiming, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household, Wang Yongzuo, the governor of the Eastern Depot, Li Fengxiang, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Stables, Tu Wenfu, the director of the Imperial Assets Commission, Wang Wenzhen, the chief eunuch of the Metropolitan Administration, Liu Ruoyu, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household, and Wang Chengen, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household, these seven eunuchs became the new rulers of the inner court and formed the new structure of the inner court.

Except for Gao Shiming, who was obviously superior to others as the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, the East Factory, whose power was reduced, and the Imperial Horse Bureau, whose subordinate troops were directly controlled by the emperor, did not have obvious advantages over the Imperial Assets Commission, the Metropolitan Supervisory Bureau, the Internal Affairs Bureau, and the Imperial Household Department.

In addition, they all have the status of Silijian, so the status of these six people is basically the same, they are just arranged according to previous conventions.

The actual power they possess depends on the government office they are in charge of.

Tu Wenfu hopes to do a good job as the director of the Imperial Assets Commission and improve his ranking in the inner court.

Therefore, after returning to the capital for nearly a month and understanding the situation in the capital, he began to take action against the banks under the Imperial Capital Commission and implement the policies implemented in Nanjing. (End of this chapter)