Huangming

Chapter 238 The Troubles of Jiangnan: Fire Dragon Burns the Granary

As dusk settled, the eaves of the Forbidden City were outlined in a somber silhouette under the moonlight.

Li Ruhua walked slowly out of the Meridian Gate on the bluestone slabs. Behind him, the vermilion palace gate closed slowly in the hands of the eunuchs, making a dull sound.

A solitary moon hung high in the sky, its cool light spilling onto the golden roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and flowing down the white marble steps, casting a long and lonely shadow of Li Ruhua.

The cabinet minister had a deep frown, and even his steps were heavier than usual.

"Your Excellency, please wait!"

A call came from behind.

Li Ruhua stopped and turned around, only to see Li Changgeng, the Minister of Revenue, lifting the hem of his official robe and quickly chasing after him.

Under the moonlight, fine beads of sweat still clung to his forehead.

"What is it, Minister Li?" Li Ruhua nodded slightly, his voice tinged with weariness.

Li Changgeng stopped in front of the sedan chair and, by the dim light of the lantern, carefully observed Li Ruhua's expression.

"Why is Your Excellency so worried after meeting with the Emperor today?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ruhua raised his hand to signal the sedan chair bearers to step back a few steps, and lowered his voice to say, "His Majesty's establishment of the Maritime Trade Office in Tianjin this time seems to be a move that benefits the country and the people, but I am worried about its actual effect."

Upon hearing this, Li Changgeng frowned and stepped forward, saying, "What do you mean by this, Your Excellency? I am ignorant and hope you can enlighten me."

Li Ruhua looked around and, seeing that no one was around, whispered, "Have you ever thought about how the gentry in Jiangnan will react once the maritime trade opens up?"

"Since the end of the Wanli era, the power of gentry in Southern Zhili and Zhejiang has gradually grown. Although many of the Donglin scholars have been dismissed, they are backed by powerful families and wealthy merchants from all over Jiangnan!"

The night wind ruffled Li Ruhua's official robes. He raised his hand to hold down the hem of his robes that was being blown by the wind, and continued, "Over the years, they have monopolized the maritime trade in Yuegang and Guangzhou, pocketing all the profits from silk and porcelain. Now that Your Majesty wants to open a new maritime trade in Tianjin, it is tantamount to cutting off their source of wealth."

Li Changgeng nodded thoughtfully: "Your Excellency is worried that they will..."

"Not bad!"

Li Ruhua sighed heavily.

"Once northern maritime merchants can trade directly with foreign merchants, the exorbitant profits of middlemen in Jiangnan will inevitably be greatly reduced. What's even more frightening is that if silk and porcelain are diverted to Tianjin, the tax revenue of the Jiangnan Maritime Trade Office will surely plummet. At that time, those gentry who usually spout benevolence and morality will probably not let this go easily!"

Upon hearing this, Li Changgeng frowned slightly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the ivory token at his waist.

Under the moonlight, his expression shifted between light and shadow.

"What the Grand Secretary says is absolutely right."

Li Changgeng spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of deep thought.

“The Jiangnan region alone contributes four million shi of grain annually, and its commercial taxes account for 30% of the national total. Since Emperor Wanli increased the tax on Liaodong, the people of Suzhou, Songjiang and other places have been filled with resentment. Last year, the governor of Yingtian reported that in Suzhou alone, the amount of tax arrears reached a staggering two hundred thousand taels.”

"Not to mention His Majesty's recent reopening of the Western Depot, the re-establishment of the Imperial Depot, and the implementation of the land survey. There are already undercurrents of unrest throughout the court and the country. Now that the Tianjin port is being reopened, those people will certainly not sit still."

At this point, he had some questions.

"Since the Grand Secretary has such concerns, why not present them directly to the Emperor?"

Li Ruhua gave a wry smile and said, "I'm afraid that if I say these words, His Majesty will stir up another bloody storm in the court."

He didn't want another period of factional strife.

Too many people have died since Your Majesty ascended the throne.

If they die again, there won't even be enough officials left.

"I think the Grand Secretary is overthinking it."

Li Changgeng smiled broadly.

"Your Majesty is exceptionally wise and insightful. Since you have adopted this strategy, you must have planned it thoroughly. How could Your Majesty not know about this? Perhaps the secret agents of the Imperial Guard have already laid a trap in Jiangnan, just waiting for those clowns to walk right into it."

As Li Changgeng spoke, he straightened his clothes and a relaxed expression appeared on his face.

In his mind, no matter how big the turmoil in the court was, the Grand Secretary and other "tall men" would take care of it.

He only needs to perform his duties diligently and do a good job in handling the tasks assigned by His Majesty. Once he has enough seniority, entering the cabinet and becoming prime minister will be a natural outcome.

"I hope so."

Li Ruhua sighed deeply, her voice tinged with helplessness.

He was well aware of his situation.
In the eyes of the gentry in Jiangnan, he was a henchman who aided and abetted evil; in the writings of the Donglin Party members, he was a sycophantic and obsequious minister.

But who knows that he was just a pawn on the chessboard, unable to move freely?
He was a close advisor to the emperor, a staunch member of the "emperor's party," and enjoyed immense prestige.

But the title "Imperial Party" was both an honor and a shackle.

Now that he was in this position, he had no way out.

Since His Majesty has already made the decisions unilaterally, he, as a subject, can only do his utmost to complete the task well.

As for the turbulent waves that are about to be unleashed...
"When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it." The old advisor muttered to himself.

As the night breeze grew cooler, Li Ruhua straightened his clothes and solemnly cupped his hands to Li Changgeng, saying, "It's getting late, so I'll take my leave first. Minister Li, you should also return to your residence and rest early."

"Respectfully seeing off the Grand Secretary."

Li Changgeng bowed deeply, the jade belt at his waist gleaming with a cool luster under the moonlight.

He maintained the posture of bowing.

Once the sedan chair had completely disappeared from sight, Li Changgeng straightened up.

His eyes gleamed, and his fists clenched.

As long as he can get into the cabinet, he won't care about the opinions of the Donglin Party members and the gentry of Jiangnan!
As the night deepened and the water clock dripped away, all was utterly silent.

It is late at night.

Inside Chaoyang Gate, the distinctive aroma of grain transported by the Grand Canal could be faintly detected in the night breeze. This city gate, which carries the lifeline of the capital, has been a vital passage for the transport of grain into Beijing since the Yongle era.

On the bluestone road, one can still faintly see the deep ruts left by grain carts and horses during the day.

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly over the endless granaries.

Since the Grand Canal was rerouted at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, seven majestic granaries have stood like giant dragons inside and outside Chaoyang Gate.

The eaves and brackets of the old Taicang on the south side outline a weathered silhouette in the moonlight. Adjacent to it are Fuxincang, Xingpingcang, and Nanxincang, with rows of granaries standing side by side. The Haiyuncang and Beixincang on the north side are even more grand in scale, with granaries arranged neatly like a chessboard.

The granaries were as follows: the old Taicang had 83 granaries, the Fuxin granary had 64 granaries, the Xingping granary had 81 granaries, the Nanxin granary had 76 granaries, the Beixin granary had 85 granaries, and the Haiyun granary had a staggering 100 granaries.

The more than five million shi of grain stored in these granaries were not only the source of salaries for officials, but also the lifeline for maintaining the stability of the capital.

The night breeze rustled through the passageways between the barns.

Under the moonlight, the four large characters "Tianyu Zhenggong" on the warehouse wall were faintly visible.

Occasionally, a guard on patrol would pass by, and the lanterns would cast swaying shadows in the warehouse.

And this moment.

Inside the lobby of the shipping warehouse, a lone lamp flickered, casting a long shadow of Ambassador Zhao Ji onto the mottled brick wall.

He paced back and forth on the blue brick floor like an ant on a hot pan, the sound of his official boots echoing jarringly in the empty hall.

"It's over, it's over!"

Zhao Ji slapped his thigh suddenly, his voice trembling with tears.

Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead under the light.

The hem of his wrinkled blue official robe had long been unconsciously crumpled and mangled beyond recognition.

He walked to the desk and, with trembling fingers, opened the account book.

The rustling of the paper was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

"What am I going to do?" he murmured to himself, his voice trembling.

A night breeze swept in from outside the window, making the window frame creak.

Zhao Ji shuddered, suddenly looked up, and stared intently at the door with his bloodshot eyes.

He subconsciously touched his neck, as if he could already feel the chill of a steel knife pressed against it.

"grown ups."

A minor official timidly peeked in, but before he could finish speaking, Zhao Ji interrupted him with a loud shout: "Get out!"

After the minor official hurriedly retreated, Zhao Ji slumped into the armchair.

He grabbed the teacup on the table, only to find his hand trembling so badly that he spilled tea all over himself.

The warm touch, however, made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Heaven is going to destroy me!" he sighed, looking up at the sky, his voice filled with despair.

Since the emperor issued an edict several days ago to investigate the grain supplies throughout the country, Zhao Ji has felt like he had a thorn in his side.

At first, he still held onto a sliver of hope.

Although the official in charge of grain transport arrived with an imperial insignia, he was ultimately an outsider.

Zhao Ji had long prepared the "double-layered warehouse" trick.

He ordered his men to erect wooden planks in the granary overnight, with a thin layer of new grain on top and a hidden deficit on the bottom.

On the day of the inspection, the grain inspector lifted the warehouse door and saw that the surface layer of rice grains were plump. He casually touched them a couple of times, then hastily stamped the seal and left.

Zhao Ji breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the retreating figure; his undergarments beneath his official robes were already soaked with cold sweat.

But before they could catch their breath for three days, a secret report exploded like a thunderclap.

It's unclear which damned bastard leaked the news, but the emperor actually wants to send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a second investigation!
Zhao Ji held the note handed to him by the informant, his fingers trembling so much that he could barely hold the thin mulberry paper.

Who are the Embroidered Uniform Guards?

Those were the hounds that could smell the concubines' cosmetics even through the palace walls!

Let alone the trick of double-layered warehouses, even if a single grain of rice were missing from a grain sack, it probably wouldn't escape their notice.

Crackling~
The candle flame flickered and burst, illuminating Zhao Ji's deathly pale face.

The red annotation in the ledger on his desk that read "680,000 shi of grain actually stored in the sea freight warehouse" stung his eyes.

But right now, we can't even gather half of them!

He clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm.

If the Northern Garrison were to discover this enormous deficit, not only would his head be severed, but the lives of his entire family would likely be crushed to dust by the eighteen sets of torture instruments in the imperial prison.

but
There's no use in being anxious.
Zhao Ji suddenly calmed down.

He straightened his wrinkled quail-patterned robe and took out a flint and steel from his sleeve.

Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating the twisted smile lines at the corners of his mouth.

Since Heaven intends to destroy him, then let this century-old granary be transformed into a raging inferno.

After all, the ancient precedent of "burning down the granary with fire" was far more respectable than the crime of "embezzling grain tribute".

He just wanted to live.

That's it.

(End of this chapter)