Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 193: Su Nei Dong Feng
Cui Wensheng wore a new style of dragon robe, created by eunuchs during the mid-Wanli reign. This robe featured a yellow dragon woven into the front, facing left, and a blue dragon woven into the back, tracing forward from the left back. The two dragons seemed to meet by chance, gazing at each other, evoking the image of a dragon playing with a pearl. He wore a cloud-shaped cape over his shoulders. He wore a hair crown adorned with bamboo silk, covered with genuine blue crepe, and inlaid with emerald eyes and flanked by long pheasant feathers. He stood proudly in the center of the main hall of the Inner East Factory. His appearance was truly magnificent and dignified.

In front of Cui Wensheng knelt He Mengzhun, Wang Pingjing, Wen Gongyin, Zhang Chongzhao and other four captains of the East, South, West and North of the East Factory.

Although the West and East Factories were organized identically—small teams, small flags, general flags, squadrons, and battalions—and used the same numbering system, Cui Wensheng still referred to them as teams of ten, thirty, one hundred, three hundred, and one thousand men. He also insisted on dividing the four thousand households into eastern, western, and northern divisions. He did this partly to contradict Wei Zhongxian and partly because he felt it would be more prestigious.

"Please give me the sword!" Cui Wensheng shouted, and then a young eunuch in a dark red flying fish uniform came to Cui Wensheng and knelt down holding a one-handed sword inlaid with gold and jade.

This young eunuch was Cui Wensheng's second son, Cui Zhongqing, and the sword in Cui Zhongqing's hand was the imperial sword that Cui Wensheng had requested from the emperor, which did not allow him to execute someone first and report to the emperor later.

He asked for the sword for no other reason than to show off his power. He took the sword with both hands and hung it at his waist. "Please grant me your command!" Cui Wensheng shouted again.

Immediately afterwards, a young eunuch came over holding a bright yellow scroll. This was Cui Wensheng’s third son, Cui Shuhuan.

The imperial edict in Cui Shuhuan's hand was actually an imperial decree ordering Cui Wensheng to reopen the East Depot. For this operation, Cui Wensheng had never received the imperial edict, which had been used as a precious imperial seal. The so-called imperial edict was merely a verbal instruction from Wang An, which contained only six words: "Follow the map and arrest the person."

Cui Shuhuan came and stood before Cui Wensheng. Then Cui Wensheng kowtowed three times towards the imperial edict and shouted, "Long live the emperor!"

"Long live the emperor!" The four thousand households also kowtowed and shouted sincerely.

These four thousand households were selected from various thousand-man teams according to the Jinyiwei's military and political selection method. Under the supervision of the Western Factory, this selection was completely fair and impartial, without any water.

Because the new recruits to the East Depot were all newly recruited civilians, the four thousand households were all young farmers or miners when they were conscripted. Aside from their muscular bodies, which hadn't been worn out by fatigue, they possessed nothing else. Before they were granted names by the emperor, they didn't even have proper titles, but were simply code names like "One, Two, Three, Four." For example, He Mengzhun's original name was He Shiyi.

Cui Wensheng was very satisfied with the scene. He stood up, straightened his hat, and then turned to the captains in front of him and said, "Men, we are here to arrest someone by order."

"He Mengzhun, the Eastern Captain!" Cui Wensheng called out.

"I'm here." He Mengzhun stood up and clasped his fists, waiting for orders.

"Arrest the tax-collecting eunuchs Zhang Yu, Ma Tang, Hu Bin, Pan Xiang, Qiu Chengyun, and others, and seal off their homes. If they resist, execute them on the spot." Cui Wensheng had already written down the targets. But he still gave He Mengzhun a note. This wasn't a letter from the emperor, but a detailed summary of the destinations of the eunuchs involved.

Zhang, Ma, Hu, Xiang, Qiu and other five people were the last batch of tax-collecting eunuchs who were recalled from various places to Beijing in the name of the previous emperor's will after the new emperor ascended the throne.

"I obey your command!" He Mengzhun stood up and turned to leave the lobby of the Inner East Factory.

"Southern Captain Wang Pingjing!" Cui Wensheng called again.

"Here I am!" Wang Pingjing stood up straight, clasped his fists and waited for orders.

"Arrest the eunuch Chen Feng, the commander of the Imperial Horse Stables; Lu Kun, the assistant eunuch; Liang Yong, the supervisor of the Fourth Guard Battalion; Wang Hu, the commander of the Internal Transport Depot; and Chen Zeng, the assistant eunuch. We have also dismissed Gao Cai, the eunuch who ran the mines in Fujian; Shen Yongshou, the eunuch who ran the mines in Guangxi; and Li Jing, the eunuch who ran the mines in Guangdong. Their homes have also been sealed off. Any resistance will be executed on the spot."

The eunuchs singled out were those who had been recalled to Beijing in December of the 33rd year of the Wanli reign to operate mines or collect taxes. Among them, Chen Feng, Lu Kun, Liang Yong, Wang Hu, and Chen Zeng were reinstated due to their effective management or the Emperor Shenzong's blessing. Meanwhile, Gao Cai, Shen Yongshou, and Li Jing were dismissed due to poor management or a lack of support. However, Emperor Shenzong valued eunuchs and was partial to them, so the maximum punishment for these exiled eunuchs was arrest and transfer to the Imperial Household Department for punishment.

In fact, there were quite a few eunuchs who were recalled to Beijing for mining, but those who were not mentioned were either eunuchs like Gao Huai, the Liaodong mining tax eunuch, who had been arrested and imprisoned by the Imperial Household Department but was still alive, or eunuchs like Tian Jin, the Changli mining eunuch, who had died of old age.

"I obey your command!" Wang Pingjing stood up and left the Inner East Factory.

"West Captain Wen Gongyin!" Cui Wensheng called again.

"Here I am!" Wen Gongyin stood up straight, clasped his fists and waited for orders.

"Arrest the former eunuchs Chang Yun, the seal-bearing eunuch of the Imperial Household Department; Du Xun, the seal-bearing eunuch of the Imperial Food Department; Sun Long, the seal-bearing eunuch of the Needlework Bureau; Huang Debao, the seal-bearing eunuch of the Hat and Scarf Bureau; Li Conggao, the seal-bearing eunuch of the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau; and Tian Wu, the seal-bearing eunuch of the Imperial Banknote Bureau. Seal off their homes. Execute any resistance on the spot." A smug expression played on Cui Wensheng's face. Unlike the previous eunuchs collecting mining taxes, these individuals were now the heads of the Imperial Household Department. Cui Wensheng believed that bringing them under control would enhance his personal prestige within the Imperial Household.

"I obey your command!" Wen Gongyin stood up and left.

"Northern Thousand Household Officer Zhang Chongzhao." Cui Wensheng called out finally.

"I'm here." Zhang Chongzhao clasped his fists and waited for orders.

"Divide your men into three, and have them guard the Xuanwu Gate, Xihua Gate, and Dong'an Gate, and strictly enforce the palace ban. No one is allowed to enter or leave unless ordered to do so." Cui Wensheng gave the order.

"Huh?" Zhang Chongzhao was stunned and didn't dare to accept the order. "The defense of the Forbidden City is supervised by the Imperial Horse, right?" Zhang Chongzhao asked.

"You've learned the rules well. This is how it should be." Cui Wensheng carefully pulled out a gold plaque engraved with "As if I were here in person" from his pocket. "But today is an exception."

------

While Cui Wensheng was mobilizing troops, Shang Jingying, the current eunuch in charge of the Imperial Stables, was summoned by the emperor to the Qianqing Palace. Shang Jingying discovered that in the Southern Study, in addition to the emperor and Wang An, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household, there was also Wei Zhongxian, the eunuch in charge of the Western Factory, Mi Cairen from the Yongshou Palace, and a middle-aged eunuch in his forties. Shang Jingying knew this middle-aged eunuch; he was his subordinate, Han Benyong, who had been transferred to the Imperial Stables to serve as the eunuch supervisor of the Warrior Battalion after the emperor ascended the throne in August of the 48th year of the Wanli reign. Furthermore, it was Shang Jingying himself who had transferred the former eunuch supervisor of the Warrior Battalion out of office. This move earned him great favor with the new emperor, and he has remained in office ever since.

"Your servant kowtows to our emperor, long live the emperor, long live the emperor!" Shang Jingying knelt and kowtowed.

"Wang An. Bring a stool over to Shang Jingying." Zhu Changluo said with a smile.

Shang Jingying was startled, but she didn't look up. Instead, she declined according to etiquette, saying, "How dare I, an old servant, sit before you, my Lord?"

"Please sit down." Zhu Changluo said again.

"Your Majesty, I bow to you for your grace." Shang Jingying kowtowed in thanks. He slowly stood up and leaned his hips on the stool. After sitting down, he turned and thanked Wang An. It was rare for the emperor to grant a seat to an eunuch, and even rarer for the head of the Imperial Household Department to personally bring a stool. Shang Jingying had a vague feeling that the emperor seemed to want him to step down.

"Shang Jingying, how old are you this year?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"In reply to the emperor, I am sixty-nine years old this year." As soon as this question was asked, Shang Jingying immediately understood and thought: It's better to step down and go home to retire.

But just as he was about to follow the emperor's lead and say that he was old and wanted to retire, the emperor spoke first: "If I remember correctly, Liang Yong and Chen Feng are both your godsons, right?"

"In reply to the emperor, Liang Yong and Chen Feng are indeed my godsons." Shang Jingying swallowed and nodded in response.

"Wang An, give that to him." Zhu Changluo gestured to Wang An.

"Yes." Wang An understood and immediately returned to his desk. He picked up a new account book and a stack of faded, yellowed papers and handed them to Shang Jingying. "Eunuch Shang, please take a look."

Shang Jingying took it and looked at it, and his eyelids jumped suddenly.

The two pages at the top contained the confession of Wang Zhizheng, the magistrate of Fuping. In February of the 27th year of the Wanli reign, Liang Yong, then the assistant eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, was dispatched by Emperor Wanli to Shaanxi to collect taxes on fine horses. According to ancestral rules, eunuchs assigned to foreign missions were forbidden from leading troops, yet Liang Yong recruited soldiers and horses without authorization and entered and exited the border. This led to his impeachment by Wang Zhizheng, the magistrate of Fuping. However, unexpectedly, it was Wang Zhizheng himself who was ultimately arrested by Emperor Shenzong. He was imprisoned in the Jinyiwei prison, under the jurisdiction of the Northern Pacification Office. Four years later, Wang Zhizheng died under unexplained circumstances, and the case fell silent.

This confession was discovered by Wei Zhongxian when he was reviewing the files of the Northern Pacification Office. It detailed Liang Yong's misconduct and Wang Zhizheng's accusation against Liang Yong.

Next, Xu Douniu, the magistrate of Weinan, made a tearful accusation against Liang Yong before hanging himself. Xu Douniu had always been honest, but Liang Yong had been extorting him while passing through his territory. Unwilling to extort money from the people or open the county treasury to satisfy Liang Yong's demands, Xu Douniu ultimately hanged himself in anger. Before his death, Xu Douniu instructed his family to submit this accusation to Jia Daiwen, then the governor of Shaanxi. Jia Daiwen reported the matter to Emperor Shenzong, hoping for an impartial response. However, Emperor Shenzong instead ordered the accused, Liang Yong himself, to participate in the investigation.

Liang Yong, relying on the imperial order, falsely accused Song Xian, the co-magistrate of Xi'an Prefecture, and Jia Daiwen, the governor of Shaanxi Province, of having ulterior motives, and wanted to investigate these people together. He had turned right and wrong upside down, and Shenzong actually agreed. After that, Liang Yong became even more arrogant.
There is an overwhelming amount of evidence or reports of Liang Yong's crimes. This situation arose because the arrogant Liang Yong had no intention of covering it up.

Because he exceeded his authority and ordered Xianyang County Magistrate Song Shiji to contribute precious medicinal herbs such as borneol and musk, which was rejected, and because Xianning County Magistrate Man Chaojian recommended the arrest of Liang Yong's henchmen who were committing daytime thieves, Liang Yong falsely accused Song Shiji and Man Chaojian of "arbitrary taxation" and "robbery of tax silver" to Emperor Shenzong. Shenzong believed them and accused Song Shiji and Man Chaojian of "disobedience and rebellion" and "instigating the traitors to rob tax silver." He ordered "the inspectors to be arrested and tortured and imprisoned." He also ordered Song Shiji to be escorted to the capital and Man Chaojian to be demoted one level.

Later, Imperial Censor Yu Maoheng, during his inspection tour of Shaanxi, uncovered Liang Yong's crimes, including smuggling stolen property to the capital and secretly maintaining troops. He reported this to Emperor Shenzong. Liang Yong, enraged, sent his henchman, Le Gang, to bribe the chef in an attempt to poison Yu Maoheng. Yu Maoheng, having survived repeated attempts at poison, determined that Liang Yong was responsible and immediately reported this to Emperor Shenzong.

Upon learning of this, the censors were filled with righteous indignation and rushed to submit memorials impeaching Liang Yong. Liang Yong, however, retaliated, falsely accusing Man Chaojian and Yu Maoheng of attempting to plunder treasures presented to the imperial treasury. When the conflict reached a climax, Emperor Shenzong, still favoring Liang Yong, ordered the arrest of Man Chaojian, who had been demoted, and ordered Shaanxi officials to escort Liang Yong back to Beijing.

This is what is meant by being fearless.

After reviewing the incriminating evidence, Shang Jingying was sweating profusely. He finally understood why there were so many Western Factory soldiers near the Qianqing Palace, and why Han Benyong, the eunuch supervising the Warrior Battalion, was there. The emperor didn't just want him to retire.

Later, evidence related to his other adopted son, Chen Feng. Chen Feng was more restrained, and official evidence was less abundant. However, Chen Feng was implicated in a case known as the "Huguang Rebellion." The most compelling piece of evidence was a handwritten note from Du Mao, the eunuch who served as garrison commander of Chengtian Prefecture.

In the 29th year of the Wanli reign, the "Huguang Rebellion" reached its climax, with tens of thousands of Wuchang citizens surrounding and burning down Chen Feng's tax collector's office. Frightened, Chen Feng fled in panic and hid in the Chu Prince's palace.

The citizens dared to burn down the tax collector's office, but they didn't dare to besiege the Prince of Chu's palace, as this was a grave crime punishable by extermination of the entire clan. Therefore, Chen Feng, having recovered from his shock, secretly dispatched nearly 300 of his followers to suppress the protesters, resulting in heavy casualties.

The situation escalated, but the emperor refused to admit even a simple mistake of "inappropriate appointment," and continued to argue with the civil servants who had opposed his decision to appoint Zhu Changxun as crown prince. It wasn't until Li Dao, the eunuch in charge of taxation in Jiangxi, exposed Chen Feng's crimes of obstructing merchants, collecting one-third of the tax revenue, and exploiting the people that the emperor recalled him. He then appointed Du Mao, the eunuch guarding Chengtian Prefecture, as the acting tax collector for Huguang. Du Mao was the former eunuch who had recently passed away and held the seal of the Imperial Household Department.

It can be said that the mine supervisors and tax supervisors sent to various places by Emperor Shenzong were almost all parasites that harmed the country and the people.

For example, Sun Long, the eunuch in charge of the Needlework Bureau, who was on the wanted list, sparked the Suzhou Rebellion while serving as both the Suzhou and Hangzhou weaving and tax collection eunuch. Pan Xiang, who was summoned back to the capital after Taichang ascended the throne, sparked the Jiangxi Rebellion. Gao Cai, the deposed Fujian tax collection eunuch, sparked the Fujian Rebellion. Of course, the most significant of these individuals was Gao Huai, the Liaodong mining tax eunuch. His instigation of the Liaodong Rebellion was a crucial factor in Nurhaci's rapid engulfment of the Liaodong Peninsula.

"Have you finished reading it?" When Zhu Changluo asked, Shang Jingying had just picked up the account book and was about to read it.

The emperor's sudden question startled Shang Jingying, already apprehensive, and she shuddered. The account books and the evidence fell to the ground, and Shang Jingying instinctively reached out to grab them, but her hand was empty. The evidence was scattered all over the floor, and Shang Jingying half-fell, half-knelt on the ground, crying, "Your Majesty, I have failed in my parenting. Please punish me!"

Shang Jingying was certainly aware of and concerned about the affairs of Liang Yong and Chen Feng, which had caused widespread controversy. However, he wasn't a eunuch in charge of ceremonies, and lacked access to intelligence networks. Liang Yong and Chen Feng wouldn't tell his godfather what atrocities they had committed while in office, or how much money and grain they had extorted. Therefore, Shang Jingying only knew the surface of the situation, and even felt that the civil servants were just looking for trouble, trying to make the emperor uncomfortable.

"I am willing to die as an apology!"

(End of this chapter)