Huangming

Chapter 208 Weighing the Yellow River, the Accumulation of the Imperial Treasury

The third day of the fourth month of the first year of the Tianqi reign.

In late spring, the willows in the capital have shed their pale yellow and donned a new, lush green coat.

A warm breeze swept across the golden tiles and vermilion walls of the Forbidden City, bringing with it a touch of early summer heat.

Zhu Youxiao raised his hand to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead. The eunuchs had already cleverly removed the cotton-padded spring clothes and put on light summer clothes.

Since the beginning of the year, the heavens have been stingy, sending down only two showers of rain.

A sudden storm came and went quickly; a light rain, as fine as cow's hair, stopped quietly before it could even quench the thirst of the fields.

The old ministers of the Imperial Observatory looked up at the stars and down at the earth's veins, and all shook their heads and sighed: "This looks like it will be another year of severe drought that will leave the land barren for thousands of miles."

Three days ago, the officials and soldiers who were ordered to investigate the Yellow River's water conditions rushed back to the capital, bringing back Yellow River water that the Yellow River messengers had risked their lives to obtain.

Presented on the vermilion lacquer tray are water samples taken from the center of the river each month since last year.

The night is dark.

Qianqing Palace.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion, candlelight shone brightly.

Zhu Youxiao personally held the golden jar and silver scales, and weighed the items with his cabinet ministers every month.

In the first month of the 48th year of the Wanli reign (1619), the Yellow River weighed 18.7 taels. The Yellow River was turbid and contained sand, and its color was like ochre.

In February of the 48th year of the Wanli reign (1619), the Yellow River weighed 17.9 taels. Due to sediment settling in the Yellow River, the water was slightly yellow.

In March of the 48th year of the Wanli reign (1619), the Yellow River weighed 16.4 taels. The river was half clear and half turbid, and fish could be seen swimming in it.

In the twelfth month of the first year of the Taichang reign, the Yellow River weighed twelve ounces, and the ice layer on the Yellow River was more than a foot thick, making it difficult to cut through.

When Zhu Youxiao discovered that the water in the twelfth lunar month was six taels and eight mace lighter than that in the first lunar month, his eyes darkened.

"Heavy water brings abundant rain, while light water brings drought and ravages."

"When heavy rain washes away the mud and sand, the river becomes turbid and heavy; when there is a long drought, the mud and sand settle, the water becomes clear but light. This is the warning the Yellow River gave to our Ming Dynasty."

Fang Congzhe and Liu Yiju exchanged a glance, both reading shock in each other's eyes.

Previously, when the emperor said that the Ming Dynasty would suffer a severe drought, they did not believe it and thought that the emperor was worrying unnecessarily. But now they saw that the markings on the golden scales were like a prophetic book from heaven, clearly indicating that a great drought was about to occur.

Now, Fang Congzhe and Liu Yizhu were truly convinced.

The two knelt down and bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty is in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven and understands the principles of geography. We, your subjects, admire you greatly!"

Zhu Youxiao's gaze was sharp as he swept over the kneeling cabinet ministers, his voice low yet carrying the majesty of an emperor:

"What good is mere verbal admiration? What I need are concrete actions!"

He raised his hand and tapped the golden scales on the table. The silver needles trembled slightly, as if silently warning of the impending disaster.

"The preparation of drought-resistant laws, drought-resistant crops, and disaster relief granaries—every single one of these must be implemented effectively! We haven't reached the most difficult time yet. If we wait until the land is barren and people are starving, it will be too late to remedy the situation!"

His tone grew increasingly cold, and his gaze sharp as a knife.

"At that time, millions of refugees will rise up, the country will be in turmoil, and the Ming Dynasty will collapse. Who will bear this responsibility?!"

No one can bear this responsibility, not even the emperor.

Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe, his forehead beaded with sweat, quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise! We will do our utmost and dare not slacken in the slightest!"

Cabinet ministers Liu Yizhu, Zhu Guozuo, and Sun Ruyou also expressed their commitment, their voices solemn: "We will respectfully obey Your Majesty's decree and ensure the smooth implementation of policies, taking precautions in advance!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly, but the solemnity in his eyes had not yet dissipated.

The purpose of summoning them to personally weigh the Yellow River is to let them see with their own eyes that the severe drought is not an exaggeration!

Even more frightening is the possibility that this drought may just be a harbinger of a Little Ice Age.

In the coming decades, droughts and floods will alternate, and natural disasters will be frequent. If the imperial court does not prepare in advance, I fear...

Chaos is imminent!
"Go back!"

After the cabinet ministers left, Zhu Youxiao let out a deep breath and pressed his aching temples.

He spent his days dealing with court officials, weighing the pros and cons while also guarding against their double-dealing. A slight misstep could lead to the collapse of the nation.

He shook his head with a wry smile. No wonder wise rulers often die young. It would be a miracle if they lived long lives, given how much they toiled and lived on the edge every day!

Just as he was pondering this, he heard light footsteps outside the hall.

Wei Chao, carrying a red lacquered tray, bowed and stepped inside. Several green-headed plaques were neatly arranged on the tray, gleaming warmly in the candlelight.

"Your Majesty, shall we choose a concubine today?"

Although the ceremony for selecting the empress had ended, the preparations for the emperor's wedding were still underway, so it was impossible to summon Empress Zhang Yan at this time.

However, those selected for the imperial concubine selection could serve the emperor at any time.

Zhu Youxiao glanced at the tray, waved his hand dismissively, and asked instead, "Wei Zhongxian has been confiscating property for so long, and there's still no definite answer?"

Seeing that the emperor had no intention of summoning him, Wei Chao gestured to the eunuchs behind him to remove the tray, and put on a respectful smile.
"Your Majesty, the confiscation of property is almost complete, and Wei Zhongxian has finished compiling his account books. If Your Majesty wishes to see him, I will go and summon him immediately. However..."

He hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It's already late at night. Your Majesty has worked hard all day. Why don't you rest first and summon him for questioning tomorrow?"

As the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Workshop, Wei Chao was fully aware of the actions of Wei Zhongxian, Wang Tiqian, and others.

He knew that the emperor was extremely concerned about Wei Zhongxian's "family wealth," but he understood even more clearly that the emperor's health was of paramount importance.

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for argument: "It's still early, no rush. Have Wei Zhongxian come to see me immediately."

It was only 1:15 PM, which is equivalent to 9:15 PM in modern time.

Zhu Youxiao thought to himself that this was far too early for him.

He recalled the novel "Huang Ming" that he had been following before he transmigrated. The author often wrote until one or two in the morning. Compared to that, this time of day was not late at all.

Seeing that the emperor was determined to do so, Wei Chao could only bow and reply, "This servant will go and summon Eunuch Wei immediately."

Before long, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the hall. Wei Zhongxian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Director of the Eastern Depot, had arrived.

Although Wei Zhongxian held the prestigious position of Director of the Eastern Depot, he always kept in mind his other, more important identity—the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The Director of the Eastern Depot was merely a henchman, while the Grand Eunuch was the true foundation of his power.

Within the Forbidden City, only those who were close to the emperor had power; distancing oneself from the emperor was tantamount to ruining one's future.

Therefore, even though there was a luxurious mansion outside the palace bestowed by the emperor, he rarely went back to live there. Instead, he spent most of his time in the palace on duty, just in order to be ready to be summoned by the emperor at any time.

"This servant, Wei Zhongxian, greets Your Majesty."

Wei Zhongxian knelt respectfully on the ground.

Zhu Youxiao hadn't even finished reading a single memorial when he heard Wei Zhongxian's voice.

Without making a sound, he gently placed the memorial in his hand on the imperial desk and looked up at Wei Zhongxian, who was kneeling on the ground.

"How's the raid going?"

Zhu Youxiao asked directly, his voice soft yet carrying an authoritative tone that demanded no perfunctory response.

The previous case of Duke Chengguo Zhu Chunchen's rebellion, although he was spared from having his family property confiscated because his heir Zhu Chengzong put righteousness before family, implicated three noble families: Duke Dingguo, Marquis Huaining, and Marquis Wu'an.

These three mansions have now been completely raided and looted.

Considering the tense situation in Liaodong, the astronomical sums of money needed for disaster relief during the severe drought, and the enormous expenses of training the new army, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but frown slightly.

With the national treasury currently strained, every confiscated asset is extremely precious.

Wei Zhongxian was prepared and immediately took out an exquisitely bound account book from his bosom, presenting it with both hands: "Your Majesty, the confiscation of property has been completed. This is a detailed account book of the confiscation; please take a look."

As a close eunuch who was well-versed in the emperor's intentions, Wei Zhongxian understood the emperor's bottom line best: matters of money could not be handled carelessly.

As long as no one tampers with this matter, the emperor will turn a blind eye to any slight favors made in other areas, considering it as payment for the hard work of those who do the work.

Wei Chao handed the account books from Wei Zhongxian to the emperor.

Zhu Youxiao flicked his finger, and the account book unfolded with a whoosh, revealing its contents to him:

One million taels of silver in cash!
If this money were invested in Liaodong, it would be enough to support the border troops' food and pay for half a year; if it were used for disaster relief, it could alleviate the urgent needs of starving people in several provinces.

300,000 mu of land!

The imperial desk was covered with densely packed land deeds and registers. The fertile lands of Beizhili and the paddy fields of Jiangnan were all rich and fertile lands that the nobles had seized by trickery and force.

Zhu Youxiao sneered. If these lands were distributed to landless refugees, it would not only appease the people but also increase tax revenue. Wouldn't that be better than keeping these parasites around?

Of course, these lands will be allocated first to the families of recruited soldiers to ensure morale in the army.

As for the extra land, it will be used to resettle the displaced people as appropriate.

These loyal military households would later become the foundation upon which he consolidated his power.

That's also his base of support.

The shops and treasures were listed on twelve pages, valued at 500,000 taels.

The former dynasty Ru kiln celadon glaze privately collected by the Marquis of Huaining's mansion, and the mutton-fat white jade mountain heirloom of the Marquis of Wu'an's family, are all products of the people's hard-earned money.

The more Zhu Youxiao looked at it, the more satisfied he became.

"Wei Daban is indeed efficient in handling affairs."

Zhu Youxiao tapped the ledger lightly with his fingertips, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Wei Zhongxian prostrated himself even more respectfully, his forehead almost covered in gold bricks: "To share the Emperor's burdens, this servant would gladly die ten thousand times!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded and continued to look through the account books.

Turning to the last page, a secret report suddenly came into view: Marquis Huaining was illegally opening an iron mine in Shanxi and colluding with Shanxi merchants to smuggle weapons; Marquis Wu'an was lending money at exorbitant interest rates, which drove more than 400 farmers to their deaths.

Zhu Youxiao's gaze suddenly turned cold, and he slammed the account book shut, causing three drops of ink to spill from the inkstone.

"Old rules."

His voice was icy.

"Thirty percent goes into the national treasury, and seventy percent goes into the private treasury."

Don't ask why the national treasury is only 30%. Even if all the confiscated assets of tens of millions of yuan were put into the national treasury, it would only be a temporary respite for this rotten machine.

For example, disaster relief.

One million taels of silver departed from the capital, but after passing through the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's office, only seven hundred thousand remained. The Provincial Administration Commissioner then took another thirty percent, and after being stripped of its share by the prefectural and county governments, the final amount that could be exchanged for even a grain of rice in a soup kitchen would probably be less than one hundred thousand taels.

The so-called "losses" were blatant robbery, while "carriage and horse expenses" were a dignified way of dividing the spoils. Furthermore, some clerks would tamper with the measuring cups and measures, even scraping off the oil from the few grains of millet floating in the bowls of disaster victims.

It's better to keep it in your hand and let him use it where it's most crucial.

The advantage of using the imperial treasury's money was that it could avoid the layers of exploitation by the civil service system.

While the civil officials were still arguing over the "fire loss to the public treasury," the Imperial Horse Stable's Warrior Battalion had already taken silver from the Imperial Treasury to the border to purchase warhorses.

While the Ministry of Revenue was delaying military pay by claiming "insufficient treasury funds," eunuchs from the Imperial Wardrobe were escorting cotton-padded coats from the emperor's private treasury to the cold-weather camp in Jizhou.

Only through such swift and decisive measures can the proceeds from confiscation of property truly be transformed into a powerful tool to safeguard the foundation of the nation.

The problems of the Ming Dynasty could not be completely eliminated in a short period of time, while supporting the Liaodong campaign, providing disaster relief, and training troops were all necessary.

This was also a helpless move by Zhu Youxiao.

Still the same sentence.

Only when the troops are well-trained and the foundation is solid can we truly begin reforms.

The time is not yet ripe.

(End of this chapter)