Huangming

Chapter 230 Internal Strife Among the Kings, the Crimson Sun Calamity

In order to return to his fiefdom of Luoyang as soon as possible, Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, had no choice but to abandon the dignity of a prince of the imperial clan and willingly act as a traitor to the emperor, specializing in extorting other princes on behalf of the court.

A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist!
Prince Fu thought to himself through gritted teeth.

Since the emperor had already squeezed millions of taels of silver out of him, he could not let the emperor suffer alone.

That Chu King Zhu Hua Kui, who used to bully and oppress people in Wuchang, is now going to have his taste of being skinned alive!
Thinking of this, a sinister smile appeared on Prince Fu's fat face.

Since ancient times, the open and covert struggles between feudal lords have never ceased.

Although he has now become the emperor's tool for accumulating wealth, he may well take this opportunity to punish those vassal kings who have had conflicts with him in the past.

"King of Chu."

Zhu Youxiao pondered thoughtfully.

Although the current Prince of Chu, Zhu Huakui, cannot compare to the wealthy Prince of Fu in terms of family fortune, his treasury is still piled high with gold and silver treasures.

In the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Zhang Xianzhong led a large army to the gates of Wuchang, and the situation in Huguang became extremely precarious.

In a moment of desperation, the governor of Huguang, the provincial treasurer, and other local officials gathered at the Prince of Chu's residence, pleading with Prince Zhu Huakui to donate the gold and silver in his residence to fund the army and help the soldiers defending the city against the bandits.

However, faced with the officials' kneeling pleas, Zhu Huakui looked troubled and pointed to the gilded chair bestowed by the emperor during the Hongwu era in the hall, coldly saying, "This item was given by the Taizu Emperor and may be useful for the army, but as for anything else... I have nothing!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.

Seeing that the King of Chu was so stingy, refusing to spend money to relieve the country's difficulties even in the face of national crisis, the officials were extremely disappointed and could only leave in dejection.

Soon after, Wuchang fell, and Zhang Xianzhong led his troops into the Chu Prince's mansion, where they found a million taels of gold and silver, which, even after being loaded onto hundreds of carts, could not be transported away entirely.

Looking at the mountain of treasure, Zhang Xianzhong couldn't help but sneer, "Possessing such a huge amount of wealth yet refusing to take precautions, Zhu Hu Zi (Zhu Hua Kui) is truly a mediocre and foolish idiot!"

Subsequently, he ordered his men to tie up Zhu Huakui and throw him into the Yangtze River, whereupon the King of Chu ultimately drowned in the turbulent waters.

This anecdote demonstrates the abundance of the Chu King's treasury.

Even if they were not as wealthy as the Prince of Fu, raising one or two million taels of silver would not be difficult.

Seeing that the emperor was still pondering and remaining silent, a ruthless glint flashed in Prince Fu's eyes. He immediately stepped forward, bowed, and reported:

“Your Majesty, Prince Zhu Huakui of Chu has always been arrogant and domineering. I have a lot of evidence of his illegal crimes in my hands!”

Moreover, there are still some suspicious aspects to the "false king case" during the Wanli era. Why doesn't Your Majesty take this opportunity to reinvestigate the case?

A single imperial edict is all it takes to summon the King of Chu to the capital for a confrontation. If he dares to disobey the edict, it would be an admission of guilt, tantamount to admitting himself as a usurper!
At that time, Your Majesty can rightfully depose the King of Chu and install a new king!

Good guy!
Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao's gaze sharpened, and he looked at Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, with a hint of surprise.

In order to get away and return to Luoyang as soon as possible, this guy went to great lengths, even bringing up old news like the "false king case".

It seems there must be a mastermind behind this; otherwise, how could Prince Fu, with his usual mediocrity, have come up with such a vicious plan?
"The case of the false king is too old. If we reopen it, will it make the vassal kings think that I intend to weaken their power?"

As he spoke, Zhu Youxiao said with emotion, "I had good intentions and treated the various princes as if they were my own relatives and uncles. I really didn't want outsiders to misunderstand!"

Zhu Youxiao's actions aroused Prince Fu's arousal.

The fist is hard.

The fat prince was almost driven mad by Zhu Youxiao's words: If you really considered me a relative or uncle, you would have sent me back to Luoyang long ago. Not only would you not have taken my millions of taels, but you would have also given me a reward.

The results of it?
They swindled millions of taels from my Prince Fu's mansion and were still not satisfied, they even forced me, their own uncle, to amass wealth for them.

Your Majesty, what are you pretending for?

But in his heart, he cursed his nephew, the emperor, to the bone. On the surface, however, Prince Fu forced a smile on his fat face, showing great consideration for the emperor's wishes.

"Your Majesty has a compassionate heart and treats the vassal kings like brothers. This is known to all under heaven. Your Majesty can entrust this matter to your subject. Absolutely no one will dare to criticize Your Majesty."

Prince Fu was serious about doing the dirty and hard work for the emperor.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao was immediately moved and said, "Prince Fu is truly my imperial uncle."

Seeing the emperor's emotion, Zhu Changxun's fat face immediately plastered with a fawning smile.

He rubbed his hands together, his voice deliberately weak: "Your Majesty, you see, my body really can't withstand the water and soil of the capital. I've been dizzy and lightheaded for days, and the imperial physician says that if this continues, I'm afraid it will become a chronic illness!"

He even coughed twice, pretending to be serious.

"After dealing with the Prince of Chu, I beg Your Majesty to consider that I am your uncle and grant me permission to return to Luoyang to recuperate for some time."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao immediately looked troubled and coughed lightly, "Uncle~"

He sighed, his tone heavy.

"As you know, the war in Liaodong is now critical, and refugees are rising up everywhere. I really can't do without a capable minister like you by my side!"

As he spoke, he rose from his throne, went to Zhu Changxun, and patted him on the shoulder with genuine affection.

"Without my uncle's assistance, I feel like I'm missing an arm, and my heart feels empty."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Changxun felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and the fat on his face froze.

Not
His Majesty? !
You're really squeezing every last drop of profit from this one sheep!

Why should we, Zhu Changxun, be the only one targeted for trouble, when there are so many princes in my Ming Dynasty?

His face turned bright red, and he almost ground his back teeth to powder, but he still had to force out a smile that looked worse than a grimace.
"Your Majesty, you must give me a deadline, right?"

He had to sound out the emperor's opinion; he couldn't keep being treated like a sucker forever.

Zhu Youxiao chuckled inwardly: A deadline? I'd love for you to stay in the capital for the rest of your life as my money bag!

But on the surface, he feigned hesitation, revealing a troubled expression: "Uncle, I also hate to see you suffer, but the national treasury is empty right now, and the war in Liaodong is critical."

He paused, then suddenly seemed to have a flash of inspiration: "How about this, as long as you can raise another five million taels of silver for the court, even if I am reluctant, I will definitely let you go back to Luoyang to enjoy your life!"

five million? !

Zhu Changxun nearly ground his teeth to powder—this nephew emperor was really treating him like a fat sheep to be slaughtered!
But then he thought, since he couldn't escape, he couldn't let the other vassal kings have it easy either!
"The minister obeys the order!"

He clenched his fists tightly, his face contorted with tension, already plotting how to squeeze money out of the King of Chu and the King of Lu.

Dare not pay?

snort!
Then don't blame me for dragging you all down with me!
It makes no sense that I, the king, am living in fear in the capital while you are enjoying a life of luxury in your fiefdoms.

If we're going to suffer, we'll all suffer together!

Zhu Youxiao watched as Zhu Changxun's obese body trembled as he left the main hall. His wide python robe could not hide the heaviness in his steps, making him look like a fat pig that had been squeezed dry.

The emperor couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of guilt: Had he pushed his uncle too far?
The once dignified Prince Fu has now been turned into a traitor who extorts his own clansmen, completely disregarding his dignity.

But this feeling of guilt was fleeting.

Zhu Youxiao, what are you thinking about?

These princes, living in luxury and with their heads full of fat, usually act arrogantly and domineeringly, but when the country is in trouble, they only want to hide in their fiefdoms and enjoy their lives.

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

Zhu Youxiao thought coldly: Since you were born into the Zhu family, and you've been fattened up but are unwilling to work, then you should naturally be slaughtered!

His gaze swept over the mountain of memorials piled on his desk—there were urgent reports of starving people in Shandong exchanging children to eat, petitions from soldiers in Liaodong who were short of pay and food, and alarms of refugees rising up in rebellion in various places.
Compared to these common people who are truly struggling in purgatory, do you princes even deserve to complain?
Zhu Youxiao snapped out of his reverie and turned his gaze back to the mountain of memorials.

The memorials on the emperor's desk were piled up in layers, almost obscuring his view.

He casually flipped open a document, and the signature of Marquis Dingyuan, Deng Shaoyu, immediately caught his eye.

Recruiting soldiers
Zhu Youxiao frowned slightly, only then remembering that this nobleman had already returned from Shandong.

He turned to look at Wei Chao, who was standing to the side, and asked, "How long has it been since the Marquis of Dingyuan returned to the capital?" Wei Chao quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it has been a day. I sent a letter this morning requesting an audience, but Your Majesty was discussing military affairs in Liaodong with the cabinet ministers at the time, so I dared to ask him to come again tomorrow."

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly.

The emperor was extremely busy with state affairs, and not just anyone could see him whenever they wanted.

A day consists of only twelve hours, and the number of officials who can have an audience with the emperor is very small.

Those memorials that couldn't be prioritized often accumulated in the Office of Transmission for several days, or even longer.
Zhu Youxiao tapped the imperial desk lightly with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said, "Summon Marquis Dingyuan to the palace for an audience immediately."

The young emperor paid special attention to Deng Shaoyu's recruitment of soldiers in Shandong.

The three thousand new recruits previously enlisted in Beizhili have now become the backbone of the elite Beijing garrison.

The quality of these 7,000 Shandong soldiers will likely directly influence the future course of the Liaodong campaign.

"This servant will go and deliver the decree immediately."

Wei Chao bowed and accepted the order, then quickly left the main hall.

It was summer, and the heat was unbearable.

About half an hour later, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Deng Shaoyu arrived, looking travel-worn, with beads of sweat on his forehead and his official robes soaked through.

He strode into the hall and knelt down to pay his respects three zhang away from the imperial desk.
"Your subject, Marquis of Dingyuan, Deng Shaoyu, respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health and long life!"

Zhu Youxiao looked at the nobleman's slightly haggard face and nodded slightly: "Rise, my dear minister, and take a seat."

The young eunuchs who were standing by quickly brought over a brocade stool, but Deng Shaoyu did not dare to sit on it completely. He only sat on one side, keeping his back straight.

After Deng Shaoyu took his seat, Zhu Youxiao carefully examined the nobleman's face.

His once fair face was now tanned dark, his cheeks were sunken, his eyes were deep-set, and even his brocade official robes looked somewhat loose.

This trip to Shandong really made him suffer a lot.

"Deng Qing, you have had a hard time recruiting soldiers in Shandong."

Zhu Youxiao said in a gentle tone.

Upon hearing this, Deng Shaoyu quickly stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subject dares not accept such praise. Serving the country is simply my duty."

The emperor nodded slightly, pondering to himself: Of the three noble families who went to recruit soldiers, only Deng Shaoyu was found to have no record of corruption or embezzlement in the secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The other two either embezzled military pay or forcibly conscripted men, causing widespread resentment in the local area.

Zhu Youxiao leaned forward slightly, his gaze focused on Deng Shaoyu: "How did the recruitment of soldiers go on your trip to Shandong, Minister Deng? Was it going smoothly?"

"Your Majesty, the success of this recruitment has exceeded my expectations. It was originally estimated that it would take more than a month to complete, but unexpectedly, it has already exceeded the target in just a few days."

He paused briefly before continuing, "The reason I have been delayed in returning to the capital to report is because I dare not be careless. I must carefully select those who are physically strong and also properly settle their families. I know that Your Majesty is eager for talent, so I dare not use mediocre soldiers to do the job perfunctorily."

"Oh?"

Zhu Youxiao raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise on his face: "It went so smoothly?"

Deng Shaoyu explained solemnly, “Your Majesty may not know this, but since the 47th year of the Wanli reign, Shandong has suffered from severe drought year after year, leaving the land barren for thousands of miles. Refugees, young and old, have been brought along, and corpses of the starving are everywhere. When they heard that the court was recruiting soldiers for the Beijing Garrison, promising not only three meals a day but also a salary, those starving people rushed to the scene as if they had seen a savior.”

He paused, a hint of pity in his voice: "If it weren't for my insistence on rigorous selection of the strongest and most capable, I fear we could have recruited ten thousand within three days. Those emaciated refugees, for a bite to eat, were even willing to sell themselves into slavery."

Zhu Youxiao frowned slightly and continued to ask, "What is the state of military equipment in Dengzhou and Laizhou?"

Deng Shaoyu looked troubled and shook his head, sighing, "Your Majesty, the Denglai Garrison has long been a mere formality. Only a dozen or so naval warships remain, and most of them are rotten and dilapidated. The garrison is also severely understaffed, and those who remain are mostly old, weak, sick, or disabled."

"What is the situation like in Shandong?" The emperor's voice unconsciously lowered a few decibels.

Deng Shaoyu took a deep breath, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "The people of Shandong have always been known for their fierce spirit, and now there are undercurrents surging even more. In Yanzhou Prefecture, members of the Wenxiang sect openly gather to chant scriptures, and in Qingzhou and other places, prophecies of the 'Red Sun Calamity' are circulating. What is most worrying is Cao County—where the Yellow River breached its banks last year, turning 400,000 mu of fertile land into a vast expanse of water. Now, refugees are gathering there, and complaints are everywhere."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on his chest.

This once glorious Ming Dynasty is now nothing but dry wood everywhere!

Fortunately, I was prepared and have already sent Zuo Guangdou to the disaster area for relief.

He looked up at Deng Shaoyu, his tone serious: "How effective has Zuo Guangdou's river management and disaster relief efforts been in Cao County?"

After a moment's thought, Deng Shaoyu cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, the Grand Canal Supervisor Zuo Guangdou has indeed largely controlled the Yellow River's flooding by dredging the river channel and constructing dikes. However..."

He paused, then continued, "The resettlement of disaster victims remains a thorny issue. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have nowhere to go and are gathered in the Cao County area, surviving solely on porridge provided by the government each day."

Zhu Youxiao's gaze darkened: "You mean you fear a popular uprising?"

Deng Shaoyu quickly waved his hand: "I dare not make a rash judgment. However, within Shandong, there are countless people selling their wives and children. To transport military provisions to Liaodong, the prefectures and counties along the Grand Canal have conscripted five times the usual number of laborers. The people are overwhelmed and full of complaints. In addition, the White Lotus sect is stirring up trouble everywhere."

He hesitated to speak, but his meaning was clear.

The ground is covered in dry firewood, just one spark away from being ignited.

"If I don't personally visit the places, I will only ever hear reports that gloss over the truth and make things look better."

Zhu Youxiao sighed inwardly: Even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard is spread all over the world, if the direction of the investigation is not clearly indicated, they are nothing more than a bunch of headless flies.

Moreover, how could these military men possibly discern the signs of a popular uprising?

"Deng Qing's trip to Shandong has truly been a refreshing experience for me."

Zhu Youxiao looked up at Deng Shaoyu, his tone carrying a hint of approval.

“Nobles like you, who are able to understand the people’s sentiments, are the talents that the court truly needs.”

Upon hearing this, Deng Shaoyu dared not agree, but continued, "Before I left the capital, I thought the world was at peace. But what I have seen along the way..."

A flicker of pain crossed his eyes.

"Compared to the devastation outside the capital, Shandong was like hell."

Having witnessed firsthand the suffering of the common people, this nobleman truly understood.

Saving the Ming Dynasty, riddled with problems, is far from as easy as one might imagine.

Zhu Youxiao stared intently at Deng Shaoyu, it seemed he had truly found a treasure among the nobles.

"Knowing that it is difficult, one should still strive to achieve something!"

"Your Excellency has not only successfully recruited soldiers, but also reported the true situation in Shandong in detail, which greatly pleases me. You should be rewarded handsomely! These seven thousand new recruits must be trained intensively and must be formed into an army within a few months—the war in Liaodong is critical, and they may soon be put to use."

Deng Shaoyu immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured! The soldiers I have recruited are all over six feet tall and have strong bones. With just a little training, they will surely become a fierce and powerful army!"

These Shandong men were known for their tall and robust physiques, not to mention that Deng Shaoyu was a strong man carefully selected from hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Unlike the pampered soldiers of the Beijing garrison, they were starving people willing to risk their lives for a bite to eat.

If you feed them well and teach them battle tactics, they can immediately become an elite force that dares to fight and struggle.

after all
These men are not the pampered young masters and soldiers of the capital!

They were refugees from Shandong who had crawled out of piles of corpses. They were so hungry that they had even gnawed on tree bark, so they were naturally fearless in battle.

Their people are known for their fierce and unyielding spirit, no doubt about it.

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(End of this chapter)