Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 248: Seven-eighths of the Budget Cut
"Shouling" isn't the official name for a specific mausoleum complex, but rather a general designation for mausoleums built for living emperors. In February of the seventh year of the Jingtai reign, Emperor Jing's successor, Empress Hang, passed away. The emperor ordered eunuch Cao Jixiang, Marquis of Baoding Liang Yan, and Zhao Rong, Right Vice Minister of Works, to oversee the construction of Shouling. In June, the underground mausoleum was completed, and Empress Hang was buried there, while construction of the emperor's main mausoleum continued. In the eighth year of the Jingtai reign, Emperor Yingzong was restored to the throne, abolishing the Jingtai title and changing it to Prince of Qin. A month later, Emperor Jing, under house arrest, died.

At the time, the Jingtai Shou Mausoleum, located in the imperial mausoleum area, was not yet completed, and its Ming Tower had not yet begun. However, the completed Ming Tower of Queen Hang resembled those at the Chang Mausoleum of Emperor Chengzu and the Xian Mausoleum of Emperor Renzong. In May of the first year of the Tianshun reign, Prince Xiang, Zhu Zhanji, to allay Yingzong's concerns, submitted a memorial stating, "The emperor's virtue can be tolerated, but the rites and laws are difficult to forgive. I humbly hope that the mausoleum walls and the towers will be demolished. This will make the rites and laws known to the world."

By this time, Emperor Yingzong, deeply resentful of Emperor Jing, readily agreed. He ordered Zhao Rong, then Minister of Works, to lead 5,000 guards from the Changling Mausoleum and other three mausoleum guards to demolish the Shou Mausoleum where Hang was buried, abolish her posthumous title of "Suxiao Empress," and "move her to a separate chamber." Emperor Jing was then buried with the rites of a prince in the so-called "Tomb of the Prince of Ying" on Jinshan in the western suburbs. He also proposed posthumously naming him Prince Li, calling him Prince of Yingli, and ordered court officials to discuss burying Emperor Jing's concubine with him.

After Emperor Yingzong's death, Emperor Xianzong rehabilitated Emperor Jing, removing the posthumous title of "Prince of Li" proposed by his father and posthumously honoring him with the title "Emperor Gongren Kangding Jing." He also expanded the Prince of Ying's tomb into an imperial mausoleum, adding structures such as a hall for offering sacrifices, a shrine, a kitchen, a pavilion for slaughtering animals, and inner chambers, all while remaining covered in green glazed tiles. It wasn't until the Jiajing reign that the mausoleum's main structure was completely rebuilt, with the green glazed tiles replaced with yellow glazed tiles, reserved for the emperor. Only then did the entire mausoleum finally conform to the regulations for an imperial mausoleum.

However, as a result, the Emperor Jing's Tomb, which was originally built in the imperial mausoleum area, became abandoned and turned into an empty tomb with only part of the underground mysterious power.

"Your Majesty, this is inappropriate!" Wang Zuo was shocked.

"What's wrong with that? Isn't the place still empty? The location has been chosen, and the tomb chamber has been dug. It would be a waste if it weren't used." Zhu Changluo was unconcerned. "This way, the cost of site selection can be reduced, and the cost of building the underground mausoleum can also be saved."

The construction of an imperial mausoleum can be roughly divided into three steps: site selection, construction of the underground mausoleum, and construction of the above-ground structures. Each of these steps requires significant investment. For example, the site selection for the Dingling Mausoleum of the late Emperor Wanli took two years alone, with eleven locations selected. Emperor Wanli even personally led civil and military officials and feng shui masters to Tianshou Mountain to select the burial site.

Construction of Dingling began in the tenth year of the Wanli reign, the year Zhang Juzheng passed away, and was completed in the eighteenth year. Excluding the two years spent on site selection, the construction period lasted six years. 20,000 to 30,000 craftsmen and laborers were employed daily, costing over eight million taels of silver. Among the ten Tianshou emperors' tombs, Dingling is second only to the Changling of Emperor Chengzu Wen and the Yongling of Emperor Shizong Su.

"There is no such precedent!" Wang Zuo frowned.

"It's available now. The Ministry of Works will restore the ground buildings. There's no need to use too fine materials. They need to be repaired every year anyway, so it's fine as long as they're sturdy. The Ministry of Works will control the budget. It shouldn't exceed one million in total. Also, this money must come from the uterus. Don't embezzle the Ministry of Works' treasury, and don't impose additional land taxes." Zhu Changluo straightened the black Yishan crown on his head and said.

"This..." Wang Zuo wanted to say something else, but the emperor cut him off. "That's it. No more discussion. The cabinet will draft an edict based on this. After the Ministry of Works submits its budget, the Imperial Household Department will allocate silver. As for the Governor-General's project, there will still be one for the nobles, one for the cabinet, and one for the palace. There will be no additional conscription. The soldiers and workers involved in the construction will be paid according to the market price."

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Fang Congzhe and Wang An immediately stood up and knelt in two rows with the civil servants and eunuchs. "Your Majesty is blessed with divine wisdom! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long, long live the Emperor!" The officials sang in unison, their voices filled with sincerity.

Zhu Changluo's gaze swept from front to back, then back again. He didn't notice that among the six eunuchs and twelve officials who kowtowed, some bowed their heads particularly deeply.

"Everyone, stand up. Let's get on with the discussion." Zhu Changluo clapped his hands together to cheer himself up. He wanted to see how complicated and chaotic this deformed financial system, which was rooted in the ancestral system and had undergone several evolutions, was.

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While the imperial court was holding a meeting in the Forbidden City, the imperial guards also assembled in the main hall of the East Office.

The four centurions under the East Office were kneeling on one knee in front of Luo Yangxing, the experience officer of the Experience Office and acting governor of the East Office, and Wang Chengen, the director of the External Inspection Office of the West Inspection Bureau, waiting for instructions on action.

"Director Wang, I plan to have them directly stationed in the Ministry of War and the Rear Army Governor's Office. Let's start with the investigation in these two offices. What do you think?" Although Luo Yangxing temporarily took over the position of Governor of the Eastern Office, he did not sit in the main seat in the main hall. Instead, he and Wang Chengen stood in front of the main desk, one on the left and one on the right.

"You decide. I won't ask any more questions." Wang Chengen was much shorter than Luo Yangxing. He couldn't reach Luo Yangxing's neck even on tiptoe, so he could only look up at Luo Yangxing.

Luo Yangxing frowned slightly. He had always thought that this half-grown boy who looked like his father and could wear bright red was sent by the Western Factory or Wei Zhongxian to cause trouble for him.

"Aren't you here to guide this mission? Of course I have to ask your opinion first. How can I make a decision on my own?" Luo Yangxing asked tentatively.

"It's not guidance, it's supervision." Wang Cheng'en took a step back, lowering his head. "As long as the Jinyiwei don't act rashly, don't overstep their authority, don't solicit bribes, and strictly follow the instructions and permits, the Western Depot won't interfere. This is a rule clearly stated in the regulations."

Luo Yangxing felt that Wang Chengen was a bit dull, but his dullness was not that of a fool. Instead, it was more like the dullness of a pedantic scholar. In short, he lacked the spirituality that a child should have. So he simply asked directly, "What level do you think is a good level for investigation?"

"What do you mean by 'to what extent'? I don't quite understand what you mean." Wang Chengen's face darkened.

"This case is not a small one." Luo Yangxing's eyes subconsciously glanced to the lower right.

"Of course it's not small! Don't hesitate." Wang Chengen said, "Just do what needs to be done. Whoever we find out will be the one to be investigated. That's what His Majesty said! Even if they find out about the palace, the Imperial Household Department will cover for you. Don't be afraid."

Luo Yangxing smiled, a genuine smile. If it weren't for the red robe blocking his way, he really wanted to take two steps over and touch Wang Chengen's head.

"You all heard it." Luo Yangxing turned around and looked at the centurions who were still kneeling on one knee on the ground.

"Yes!" The centurions responded loudly.

"Si Zheng Wang, shall we go to the Rear Army Commander's Office together?" Luo Yangxing asked with a smile.

"Okay." Wang Chengen nodded.

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A little earlier, at the duty room of the Tianjin Wei Zhenfu Division.

"Captain." When Luo Zongqi saw Lu Wen coming, he immediately bowed and greeted him.

"Yeah." Lu Wenzhao just nodded at him, then walked straight to the front of the Tianjin Wei Zhenfu Division's Zhenfu Envoy Shen and asked, "Shen Zhenfu, how is your writing going?"

"It's done. Here it is." Shen Zhengping walked quickly to the table and handed a stack of papers to Lu Wenzhao. After Lu Wenzhao took it, he said, "If there's anything you're not satisfied with, I can revise it again."

"Shen Zhenfu. I have to correct you on one thing." Lu Wenzhao said to Shen Zhengping while flipping through it, "This is your personal revelation, and it is proof that you are determined not to collude with others to engage in despicable deeds and do evil things. Do you understand?" "Yes." Shen Zhengping licked his dry and cracked lower lip and said.

"Ah! That's right. Correcting corruption and upholding justice is the job of your Pacification Division." Lu Wenzhao handed the manuscript back to Shen Zhengping and pulled out a standard blank sixteen-leaf folding book from his pocket. "Transcribe this manuscript. Write it as a memorial, now."

"Okay." Shen Zhengping breathed a sigh of relief. He sat back at the desk, picked up the brush, and immediately began copying.

Soon, a book of impeachment certificates that almost covered the entire Tianjin Wei was freshly published.

"Here you go. Please take a look." Shen Zhengping blew the ink dry, closed the memorial, picked it up and handed it to Lu Wenzhao.

"No need." Lu Wenzhao withdrew his gaze and put the memorial back to where it originally lay.

"Since I have already finished writing the memorial myself, can you let me go back?" Shen Zhengping asked earnestly.

"Don't be impatient. It's rude not to reciprocate." Lu Wenzhao hooked his finger. "Come with me. Our people have brought you a gift."

"What gift?" Shen Zhengping's eyelids twitched, and he subconsciously felt that this would not be a good thing.

"I'll know when I see you. The gift is in the prison of your Pacification Division." Lu Wenzhao smiled and said, "I think you should be satisfied."

"Okay." Shen Zhengping stood up and followed Lu Wenzhao out. At this time, Luo Zongqi also followed.

The early spring sunshine was gentle, not glaring, and instantly warming the moment it touched the body. Yet, this natural and gentle warmth felt strange to Shen Zhengping. He followed Lu Wenzhao to the prison of the Pacification Division. Before even entering, he heard the wailing and screaming of men and women. Clearly, the torture of the Shen family was still ongoing.

"Shen Zhenfu. Do you know this person?" Lu Wenzhao brought Shen Zhengping to the door of a relatively empty cell and waved to the Jinyi captain standing inside.

The captain understood what he meant and immediately grabbed a young man's hair, half-lifted him up, and dragged him to the cell door.

The backlight streaming in through the window briefly blinded Shen Zhengping's eyes, but when he focused his gaze, he immediately recognized the young man. "This is Shen Fujing!" His pupils shrank slightly, and a look of horror crossed his face.

"It seems that we did not catch the wrong person." Lu Wenzhao waved his hand, signaling the captain to throw Shen Fujing back.

After committing the heinous crimes of murder and rape, Shen Fujing immediately fled back to his hometown in Cangzhou, Hejian Prefecture, to hide from the public. He had intended to wait until his victim, Wang Gui, died before returning to Tianjin. However, he never expected to be met by the Imperial Guards.

After the reinforcements from the local centurions arrived in Tianjin, Lu Wenzhao appointed a small flagman named Lu from among the people he brought with him to lead a flag of reinforcements to go south to Cangzhou to capture Shen Fujing.

The arrest process went smoothly. Along with Shen Fujing, two of Shen Xie's lackeys were also arrested to protect him.

There were actually three lackeys, but one attempted to flee. Lü Xiaoqi didn't tolerate this and instead struck the lackey with a knife. Lü Xiaoqi had aimed for the back, but he fumbled and dodged, and the knife struck his neck instead. Blood flowed profusely, but the Jinyiwei were too lazy to try to save him, not even willing to spare a second glance. They simply tied up the terrified Shen Fujing and the other two surviving lackeys and returned to report.

Lu Wenzhao looked at Shen Fujing, whose mouth was stuffed with a smelly rag, and asked Shen Zhengping, "The Shen family's servants confessed that Shen Fujing was only fifteen. But he looks as strong as an ox. Is he really only fifteen?"

"I don't know." Shen Zhengping shook his head and replied, "I only know that Shen Fujing hasn't come of age yet."

Not reaching adulthood means not reaching adulthood.

Lu Wenzhao turned his head and looked at Shen Zhengping. "Shen Zhenfu, do you like the gift we gave you?"

"Ha, ha. Ha!" Shen Zhengping didn't know what Lu Wenzhao was trying to do, so he didn't respond. Instead, he stood there in a daze and laughed dryly a few times.

"Shen Zhenfu, don't just pretend to smile. Tell me, do you like this gift?" Lu Wenzhao insisted.

"I don't know whether I should like it or not." Shen Zhengping had to answer tactfully.

"Haha. Shen Zhenfu, if you don't like this gift, then I'll have no choice but to hand Shen Xie and his son over to Han Tongzhi." Lu Wenzhao grasped Shen Zhengping's suddenly stiff shoulders, twisted his body, and said to the captain in charge of the keys, "Open the door."

"Yes." The captain immediately found the corresponding key and opened the door.

"What are you doing?!" Shen Zhengping's forehead was covered with fine beads of cold sweat.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Lu Wenzhao exerted force with his palms, forcing Shen Zhengping into the cell. "Sit down." Lu Wenzhao sat on the empty bed and patted the space beside him.

"Okay." The cell door was still wide open, which made Shen Zhengping's tense nerves relax a little.

Lu Wenzhao turned sideways to face Shen Zhengping and said, "Here's what happened. Han Tongzhi gave me a small suggestion. He said he would promise me one hundred thousand taels of silver to buy the safety of that group of people. If I..." Lu Wenzhao said halfway when Shen Zhengping couldn't sit still and stood up, but as soon as he stood up, he was forced to sit back down by Luo Zongqi and another Jinyiqi officer who followed in.

Lu Wenzhao continued, "If I hand Shen Xie over to them, I can get another 10,000 taels of silver. But you want to impeach them. What do you think I should do?"

(End of this chapter)