Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 78 The Temptation of Cats
The distance from the main hall of the Qianqing Palace to the Southern Study was only about two hundred meters, and they reached it quickly. Shortly after he sat down, the eunuchs from the Imperial Kitchen brought him a breakfast box. Zhu Changluo had not only slept soundly but also felt full, so he devoured several bowls of meat porridge.

Wang An and Wei Chao were relieved to see the emperor's healthy appetite. The rule of "a new emperor chooses his own ministers" applied even more strongly within the palace than outside. Upon seeing Zhu Changluo's dejected expression, Wang An's first feeling was that, after finally surviving the dark clouds and a clear blue sky, the sky was about to fall. The eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty could hold power and control everything, but they could not live without it.

"Are you here?" Zhu Changluo had just put down his bowl of porridge when Mi Mengshang arrived. "Bring a stool and sit over here."

After spending some time with him, Mi Mengshang discovered that the emperor was very approachable most of the time, even amiable. But that was only if he wasn't wearing that golden dragon robe and facing those ministers who always had stern faces.

"Concubine, greets the emperor." However, proper etiquette still had to be observed. Mi Mengshang performed the usual courtesy of a wife to her husband, then brought a stool from the door and placed it in front of the imperial table.

"Have you eaten?" Zhu Changluo patted the breakfast box gently with his hand and asked with a smile.

"I've eaten. But I'm a little hungry now." Mi Mengshang smiled.

"Then come and sit here." Zhu Changluo pointed to the open space next to the chair.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the meal." Mi Mengshang moved her stool to the side of the imperial table. Wang An, with great tact, picked up the empty bowl and chopsticks on another table and handed them to her.

Mi Mengshang received professional training at the Jiaofangsi, where a crucial lesson was how to eat and drink. Different styles of eating and drinking were tailored to different men. For example, when approaching a man eager for sex and wealth, she would eat to convey a sense of allure and charm, while when approaching a scholar, she would eat to convey a reserved and courteous air of scholarly grace.

"Just eat your meal properly. Why are you looking at me?" Zhu Changluo couldn't stand Mi Mengshang's bewitching eyes. It didn't look like she was eating at all. She was simply trying to eat people.

"Oh." Mi Mengshang restrained her coquettishness. She looked aggrieved, but in her heart she was cheering: It worked!

She learned that while the emperor didn't own a cat, he always petted the free-roaming ones in the palace. So she went and got a white cat. She combined the way cats eat with the "professional knowledge" taught by the Imperial Music Bureau and created a set of eating habits specifically tailored to Zhu Changluo's style. After finishing her meal, she even touched the edge of the bowl with her tongue.

Her cat would lick the entire bowl, but it would be rude for a human to do the same, so she just scraped the deliberately created porridge stain lightly with the tip of her tongue.

"Hey, come here and take the bowl away." Zhu Changluo felt a little angry.

Upon hearing this, the eunuch standing at the door hurried over and took away the dishes.

"Ahem!" Zhu Changluo cleared his throat and said seriously, "Have you settled the accounts of the various internal government offices and those eunuchs who collect mining taxes?"

When asked about serious matters, Mi Mengshang immediately entered the state of the second-in-command of the Western Factory. She stood up and walked to the imperial table, bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, the cleanup is basically completed."

"Basically?" Zhu Changluo noticed this word.

"The accounts in the internal shipping warehouse are too many and too complicated, and it is difficult to find the corresponding original bills," explained Mi Mengshang.

The Nei Cheng Yun Ku (Inner Transport Treasury) was responsible for managing the Ming Dynasty imperial treasury, encompassing all gold, silver, and other precious goods. It was staffed by one eunuch who held the seal, ten eunuchs who served as attendants, and several other eunuchs who supervised the treasury. It also had a number of staff, including those in charge of clerks, supervisors, and other personnel. "How much silver is currently stored in the Nei Ku?" Since taking office, Zhu Changluo rarely left the Qianqing Palace. Aside from occasional visits to the Western Factory and the inner cabinet, he rarely set foot elsewhere.

However, although he had never been to the inner treasury, he could roughly guess how much silver was available for use.

Shenzong was an extremely greedy monarch, obsessed with amassing wealth throughout his life. Even in the latter half of his life, when he was plagued by illness and neglected many state affairs, even absenting himself from court for years, he remained remarkably content with amassing wealth. In short, Shenzong was lazy in governing, aggressive in amassing wealth, and extremely stingy.

Mi Mengshang replied, "As for gold and silver, the inner treasury currently has over 15,860,000 taels of silver and 785,463 taels of gold."

"Sure enough." Zhu Changluo sighed.

"Your Majesty, isn't it good to have so much money at home?" Although this money had nothing to do with Mi Mengshang, she was still happy about it.

"If the Zhu family is a private family, it would be good to have so much money. But my Northern Yan family is now the royal family, and the subjects of the world call me the king and father." Zhu Changluo exhaled, but did not continue.

Shenzong's vast wealth stemmed largely from decades of relentless competition with the state for profits. From June of the 24th year of the Wanli reign to December of the 33rd year, eunuchs collecting mining taxes amassed vast sums, leading to year-long deficits in the imperial treasury and a severe commercial recession. It wasn't until civil uprisings in Shandong, Huguang, and Yunnan provinces that Shenzong was forced to recall the eunuchs responsible for mining. Even then, it wasn't until his death that Shenzong, through a willed edict, ordered his successor to remove the eunuchs.

This frenzied accumulation of wealth was not without cost. Zhu Changluo knew that from the 48th year of the Wanli reign to the 4th year of the Tianqi reign, Zhu Youxiao had allocated over 19 million taels of silver for military operations in Liaodong and civil unrest in various regions. In just four years, he had spent all the silver he had amassed over the past few decades.

"Tell me about the situation in each government office." Zhu Changluo changed the subject.

"." Mi Mengshang glanced at Wang An out of the corner of her eye.

"What's wrong? Speak." Zhu Changluo's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a slightly encouraging smile.

"Yes." Mi Mengshang thought for a moment and said, "Including the Imperial Household Department, all twenty-four yamen have seen corruption and overstepping of boundaries."

"That's right." Zhu Changluo nodded, then looked at Wang An. "Wang An, can you explain?"

Wang An put down his brush and walked over to Mi Mengshang. He bowed to the emperor first, then to Mi Mengshang, saying, "My lord, since I took over the Imperial Household Department in early September of the 48th year of the Wanli reign, I have reported every single sum of money I've handled to the emperor. This includes my own receipts."

"I accepted all the tributes and customary gifts from officials inside and outside the country without any hesitation. I have accepted silver from Cui Wensheng, Luo Sigong, and even from the Grand Secretary." Wang An was very frank.

Mi Mengshang fell silent again. She was stunned for a long time before she asked, "Your Majesty, I don't understand."

(End of this chapter)