Huangming

Chapter 442: Financial scarcity causes worries, so stop paying to relieve people

On the official road from Xuanfu to Beijing, three fast horses were galloping away at breakneck speed.

The courier on horseback was dressed in a blue courier uniform, with a token reading "Eight Hundred Li Urgent Delivery" hanging from his waist.

The news of the great victory from Xuanfu traveled 400 li in just one day.

At this time, Beijing had not yet recovered from the tense atmosphere that had lasted for half a month.

Upon receiving news of the rebellion in Xuanfu, the capital of the Ming Dynasty reacted instantly:

The price of rice in the inner city soared from three qian of silver per shi to five qian, and the prices of coarse cloth and firewood nearly doubled. Long queues formed in front of grain shops every day as people clutched their silver to buy grain, fearing that they would run out of food if they were late.

The cloth merchants in the south and the salt merchants in the west were in a panic. Manager Wang of Wang's Cloth Shop stayed up for three nights in a row, directing his employees to pack up the cloth and plan to retreat south to Baoding Prefecture.

Xuanfu is the northwestern shield of the capital!

"If this barrier is breached, and the Tartars rush in through Dushi Fortress, won't all his possessions in Beijing become someone else's?"

Furthermore, the rebellion in Xuanfu affected not only the common people, but also led to a sudden tightening of city defenses.

The number of guards at the nine gates was 30% more than usual, and they even opened and inspected the bundles of passersby.

The captains patrolled the city with their soldiers, and at night, night watchmen would shout, "Beware of fire and spies!"

The entire capital was shrouded in a shadow of unease.

While the idea of ​​"the emperor guarding the nation's gates" could indeed stabilize the nine border regions, it wasn't without its drawbacks.

Just like now.

Once Xuanfu is in chaos, the capital will have no buffer. If an enemy were to invade, it would be a desperate situation where "the emperor dies for the state."

The tension finally broke when the three fast horses galloped into Desheng Gate and the courier raised the victory report, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Great victory at Xuanfu! The rebels have been routed!"

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of Beijing in just half a day.

Inside the Heshunju tavern, the customers who had been drinking in silence suddenly erupted into a commotion.

The porter in short clothes put down his wine bowl, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted:
"I knew it! Who is His Majesty? He can even crush the Jurchens, how could he not deal with a mere kingdom?"

The scholar in the long gown also put down his folding fan, shook his head, and said:

"When the ruler is wise, the world is at peace. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have rectified the court and enforced strict military discipline. The swift suppression of this rebellion is clear proof of this!"

The people sitting in the corner, however, were more concerned with practical matters: "A great victory! Now the grain supply lines should be open, and rice prices should finally come down, right? If they don't come down soon, we won't even have money for thin porridge!"

Meanwhile, in the Forbidden City at this moment.

Emperor Zhu Youxiao was bent over his desk, reviewing a mountain of memorials. One of them, spread out on the desk, was the Xuanfu battle report that had been delivered yesterday, still bearing the marks of his red ink corrections.

He was dressed in casual clothes, and although there was a hint of weariness in his eyes, his gaze remained sharp.

"Your Majesty, the news of the great victory at Xuanfu has arrived!"

The voice of the eunuch Wei Chao came from outside the hall, filled with barely concealed joy.

Wei Chao, carrying the victory report, walked briskly into the hall and bowed to present it to Zhu Youxiao:
"Urgent report from Ma Shilong and Chen Ce: The main force of the rebels has been wiped out, and the rebellion in Xuanfu has been quelled!"

Zhu Youxiao raised his head, his face showing little surprise, but rather a hint of "I knew it."

Since the Xuanfu rebellion broke out, he immediately mobilized troops from Jizhou, Liaodong, and the capital to encircle the rebels. He also ordered the garrisons of Shanxi and Datong to be stabilized, cutting off Wang Guoliang's external support. With such meticulous planning, it would be a real dereliction of duty if he still couldn't quell a border rebellion.

He reached out and took the report of victory, but as he unfolded it and read it word by word, his brows furrowed slightly.

The report of victory stated that "the bandit general Wang Guoxiong was beheaded and hundreds of rebels were captured," and that "the people of Xuanfu live in peace and prosperity," but it made no mention of "the capture of the bandit leader Wang Guoliang."

It is said that he fled north with several hundred surviving cavalry, and has not been captured to this day.

"How can it be considered a great victory if the bandit leader hasn't been eliminated?"

Zhu Youxiao murmured softly as he placed the report of victory on the table.

As long as Wang Guoliang remains at large, there will be a threat to the north.

This man is familiar with the terrain of the border town. If he flees to the grasslands to join the Tartars, or gathers his remaining troops to cause trouble, he will be a problem sooner or later.

at this time.

The eunuch standing nearby handed over another memorial:
"Your Majesty, news has come from Jizhou that Xiong Tingbi has arrived in Jizhou and is organizing his troops in preparation for rushing to Xuanfu."

The pacification of Xuanfu was so swift that even he hadn't anticipated it when he made his initial plans, rendering Xiong Tingbi, who had rushed there overnight, a useless figurehead.

"Ma Shilong, Chen Ce, Qi Jin, and others will be richly rewarded."

Zhu Youxiao looked up at Wei Chao, who was standing to the side, and said:
"Ma Shilong set up a trap to lure the enemy, Chen Ce firmly controlled Xuanfu, and Qi Jin pursued and wiped out the remaining troops. Each of them made great contributions. The Ministry of War should reward them according to their merits and leave no one out."

"As for those rebels, they should be dealt with more clearly."

Wang Guoliang's core henchmen, especially those who followed him in killing the imperial envoy and robbing the grain transport route, should not be spared. They should be escorted to the capital and publicly executed. The purpose was to make an example of them and show those in the border towns who had ulterior motives what the consequences of treason would be.

"What about the ordinary soldiers?"

Wei Chao asked softly.

"Most ordinary soldiers were coerced."

Zhu Youxiao's tone softened somewhat.

"As long as they surrender their weapons and return to their units, and register truthfully, they will be pardoned, and those who wish to remain in the army will retain their original positions."

The border towns are already short-staffed; there's no need to push all the capable fighters to the brink of despair.

"This servant understands. I will go and convey the decree to the cabinet so that they can draft it."

Wei Chao bowed in agreement, turned around and walked quickly to the door. He whispered to the eunuch guarding outside to go to the inner cabinet to deliver a message. Then he returned to the warm pavilion, his face showing some hesitation.

Seeing his expression, Zhu Youxiao knew he had something to say, so he raised his hand to signal him to speak.

"Your Majesty."

Wei Chao lowered his voice, his tone filled with concern for money and supplies.

"Now that Xuanfu has been pacified, Xiong Tingbi is still in Jizhou with 30,000 Liaodong soldiers. The daily cost of food and military pay for these 30,000 soldiers is astronomical."

The prefectures and counties along the way were almost empty of their grain reserves in order to supply them for their journey.

Should we send Xiong Jinglue back to Liaodong with his troops?
That way we can save some money.

As the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Wei Chao was well aware of the current financial situation of the Ming Dynasty.

To sum it up in five words would be quite bad.

The reason it hasn't collapsed yet is because His Majesty has been constantly confiscating property and has obtained a lot of silver.

But no matter how much property is confiscated, it can't withstand such expenses.

Especially war, which is no different from burning money.

But Zhu Youxiao shook his head.

"You think this matter is over now that Xuanfu has been pacified?"

"The chaos in the border town cannot be eradicated simply by beheading Wang Guoliang."

Over the years, the fragmentation of military families, the proliferation of private armies, and the embezzlement of military pay have become chronic problems.

Xuanfu is the town closest to the capital. Now that it has been captured, we can take advantage of this momentum to reorganize.

"Since Xiong Tingbi has already come all this way, how can we let him go back empty-handed?"

Wei Chao's heart stirred, and he instantly understood His Majesty's profound meaning.

His Majesty intends to use him as a "pilot project" to establish rules for the nine border regions!

"Bring me a blank secret decree."

As soon as Zhu Youxiao finished speaking, Wei Chao strode to the bookshelf inside the warm pavilion, took out a blank imperial edict in bright yellow from a hidden compartment, and presented it with a vermilion inkpad and a wolf-hair brush.

Zhu Youxiao took the brush, dipped it in the inkstone, and with his wrist slightly suspended, the ink slowly spread on the Xuan paper.

He wrote extremely quickly, with vigorous strokes, and the contents of the secret edict were clearly organized:

He appointed Xiong Tingbi as acting governor of Xuanfu, giving him overall command of Xuanfu's military and political affairs.

The private troops of the Zhenbiao Camp were investigated and all soldiers were incorporated into the imperial army. It was strictly forbidden for military families to keep private troops.

Inspect the granaries and armories, recover the military funds embezzled by Wang Guoliang, and severely punish corrupt officials.

The garrison system was reorganized, old, weak, and disabled soldiers were eliminated, and capable officers were transferred from Liaodong to replenish the ranks.

Finally, using Xuanfu as a base, it could deter the two towns of Datong and Shanxi, and temporarily assume control if the two towns made any moves.

After writing the secret edict, Zhu Youxiao blew on it to dry the ink before rolling it up.

"You should personally deliver this secret edict to Xiong Tingbi and instruct him to prioritize stability in all matters. He should rectify the abuses but also avoid pushing the military families to the brink of rebellion."

What we want is to subdue the nine border regions, not to stir up another upheaval.

Zhu Youxiao carefully folded the secret edict and handed it to Wei Chao, his tone full of solemnity.

Wei Chao accepted the secret edict with both hands, carefully tucked it into his robes, and bowed, saying:
"This slave will remember it."

"besides."

Zhu Youxiao added:

"Have the Ministry of Revenue allocate some silver to Xiong Tingbi for this purpose only."

First, to pay the back wages owed to the soldiers in Xuanfu; second, to reorganize the military equipment of the garrisons.

Money should be spent transparently, and every expenditure must be accounted for.

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Wei Chao bowed again before backing out of the warm pavilion.

After Wei Chao left, Zhu Youxiao turned to look at the map of the nine border regions in the warm pavilion.

Xuanfu, Jizhen, and Liaodong account for half of the troops in the nine border regions. As long as these three border regions are under our control, we will have the confidence to reorganize the remaining six garrisons, including Datong, Shanxi, and Yansui.

Then, we can use grain and military pay as bait, and with the help of elite troops, we can deter them. Why should we worry about the nine border regions not submitting?
Only by reforming the blood-soaked border army system of the Ming Dynasty can the imperial court have money.

"I hope Xiong Tingbi will not disappoint me!"

After dealing with the news of victory, Zhu Youxiao returned to his desk to review the memorials.

However, he quickly frowned.

Of the seven or eight memorials piled on his desk, six were requests for funding from the Ministry of Revenue. The memorials were filled with grievances such as "the military pay is in dire need" and "projects are awaiting funding," which made his temples throb.

"It costs money again!"

They had just confiscated tens of millions of taels of silver from Liaodong a few months ago.

Although 70% went into the imperial treasury for emergency use, a full three million taels were allocated to the national treasury. How come the Ministry of Revenue started complaining about being poor again after only a few months?
Zhu Youxiao frowned, a thought popping into his mind:
Haven't we killed enough corrupt officials before?
Are the subordinates still secretly embezzling funds?

"Summon Li Changgeng, the Minister of Revenue! Tell him to bring the national treasury account books for the past three months and come to see me immediately!"

He shouted towards the outside of the hall, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

The eunuch in charge dared not delay and ran to deliver the imperial decree.

In less than half an hour, Li Changgeng arrived at the East Warm Pavilion, panting heavily.

He was dressed in a scarlet official robe, holding a thick stack of account books in his arms. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and even the beads on his official hat were swaying slightly.

"Your Majesty, I, Li Changgeng, the Minister of Revenue, respectfully wish Your Majesty good health!"

He knelt on the ground, his voice trembling slightly.

At this time, the emperor urgently summoned him and specifically asked for the account books. Could it be that he was here to interrogate him?

He felt a little uneasy. "Get up."

Zhu Youxiao's voice lacked warmth.

"I ask you, how long has it been since these three million taels of illicit silver from Liaodong were allocated to the national treasury, and they're already almost gone?"

"Where did all the money go? Explain it to me clearly."

Upon hearing this, Li Changgeng's heart skipped a beat. He quickly spread the account book out on the table, pointing to each item and explaining it one by one:

"Your Majesty, the biggest expense was the suppression of the rebellion in Xuanfu."

The extra monthly pay for soldiers, the transportation costs of grain and fodder from the capital, and the resettlement allowance for conscripted civilians—these three items combined amounted to 800,000 taels of silver.

Secondly, there were the regular expenses of the Beijing Garrison, including the monthly salaries of 5,000 cavalrymen, replacement of worn-out armor and warhorses, replenishment of chariots, and military exercises. These cost 600,000 taels of silver.

There was also the supervision of firearms production. The Bureau of Armaments requested the manufacture of 500 breech-loading cannons and 3,000 muskets, which, along with cannonballs and gunpowder, cost another 600,000 taels of silver.

In addition, the Tianjin Navy oversaw the construction of warships, which cost 500,000 taels of silver.

......"

As he spoke, he stole glances at Zhu Youxiao's face. Seeing that the emperor's brows were furrowing more and more, he simply shut up after he finished speaking.

Zhu Youxiao listened to Li Changgeng's words and counted on his fingers; the three million taels were indeed exactly as described, but his doubts only deepened.
"The expenses for suppressing the rebellion in Xuanfu and the expenses for the Beijing garrison are understandable, but why is the cost of manufacturing firearms so high?"
Even if the materials used in a Portuguese cannon or arquebus are of the finest quality, surely it shouldn't cost 600,000 taels of silver?

Li Changgeng was already prepared and quickly bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty may not know this, but the funds for the manufacture of firearms are directly allocated to the Bureau of Armaments. The Ministry of Revenue is only responsible for allocating funds according to the Bureau of Armaments' memorials. I am not clear about the specific details of the expenditures."

To find out where this money went, we'll have to ask the Armed Forces Bureau.

"The Bureau of Armory..."

Zhu Youxiao murmured the name, his eyes flickering.

The Bureau of Arms and Weapons was not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works, but was one of the "Eight Bureaus" among the Twenty-Four Offices of the Inner Palace. It was under the management of the eunuch system and was directly responsible to the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Emperor. The Ministry of Revenue had no say in it.

He was so busy dealing with matters in Xuanfu that he forgot about this.

"Summon Wei Zhongxian."

Zhu Youxiao shouted towards the outside of the hall.

Wei Zhongxian was in charge of the Eastern Depot, and there was nothing about the inner palace that he was unaware of.

Before long, Wei Zhongxian came in with small, quick steps.

He was dressed in a robe with python patterns, a humble smile on his face, and bowed as he said:

"This servant greets Your Majesty?"

Before Wei Zhongxian could get up, Zhu Youxiao asked directly:
"I ask you, are you clear about the details of the Bureau of Armory?"

Wei Zhongxian's heart skipped a beat.

The Bureau of Armory?

He immediately remembered that Li Zhizhong was now in charge of the Bureau of Armaments, and Li Zhizhong was the adopted son of the Wei Dynasty.

During this period, Wei Chao took advantage of the opportunity to issue imperial edicts to win over many eunuchs in the palace, and he vaguely wanted to become the most powerful person in the palace and become the patriarch.

Your Majesty wishes to inspect the Bureau of Armory?

This is an opportunity.

His smile remained unchanged, but his words became more ingratiating.

"Your Majesty, the Bureau of Armaments is now under the supervision of the Grand Eunuch Li Zhizhong. Li Zhizhong is the adopted son of Wei Chao, and he usually holds absolute power in the Bureau by relying on Wei Chao's influence."

As for the specific accounts of the firearms manufacturing supervision, although this servant is not clear about them, as long as Your Majesty gives the order, this servant will immediately send someone to investigate, and I guarantee that the investigation will be thorough and that not a single tael of silver will be missed!

Seeing his quick reaction, Zhu Youxiao was somewhat satisfied and nodded:

"Okay, then I'll leave this to you."

Investigate whether the money allocated for firearms manufacturing was used properly and whether there was any embezzlement or misappropriation.

If the investigation yields a good result, I will reward you handsomely.

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Wei Zhongxian immediately knelt down, his voice full of respect, but a hint of calculation flashed in his eyes.

This mission would both please the emperor and provide an opportunity to suppress the Wei Dynasty, achieving two goals at once.

After Wei Zhongxian left, Zhu Youxiao turned to look at Li Changgeng, who was still standing to the side.

“Li Qing, you are in charge of the money, you should understand the weight of the words ‘increase revenue and reduce expenditure’.”

This money didn't come from a flood; we can't squander it like this.

As the Minister of Revenue, you must oversee everything for me. Every expenditure must be carefully calculated, and we must not overspend where possible.

Li Changgeng immediately bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree and will certainly do his utmost to manage the national treasury well for Your Majesty."

"One more thing."

Zhu Youxiao then changed the subject.

"The war in Liaodong has ended, and the Liaodong tax will cease to be levied starting from the first month of next year."

"what?"

Li Changgeng suddenly looked up, his face almost overflowing with astonishment, and the beads on his official hat swayed violently.

"Your Majesty! This...this is absolutely unacceptable!"
The Liaodong military tax brings in over three million taels of silver annually; if it were to stop, the national treasury would likely be depleted!

His voice was trembling.

Since the Liaodong tax was levied during the Wanli era, successive emperors have only dared to increase it, but no one has ever dared to stop it. Your Majesty's move is truly unprecedented!
Zhu Youxiao looked at his panicked expression and sighed softly:
"With the Liaodong military pay, is the national treasury truly not short of money?"

“Look at Shaanxi, how many people are forced to flee famine and rebel because they can’t afford to pay the Liaodong tax?”

If the government were to send troops to quell the rebellion, the military expenses alone would amount to more than two million taels of silver, which is more than half a year's worth of Liaodong military pay.

If we push further, the people will rebel, and the military expenditure will far exceed a few million taels of silver.

Li Changgeng opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't find the words.

Your Majesty is right. In recent years, due to the increased tax on Liaodong, there have been more and more peasant uprisings in various places, and the expenses for suppressing the rebellions are indeed a bottomless pit.

But he still couldn't help but worry:
"But...but without the Liaodong military pay, where will the funds come from to pay the border troops and cover the expenses of the capital?"

"There will always be a way."

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand.

“Searching the homes of corrupt officials, investigating embezzled funds, and reforming salt, iron, and tea taxes... we can always find a way.”

It's better than driving the people into rebellion and losing the country.

Go and prepare. Draft an edict tomorrow, announcing to the world that the Liaodong tax will be abolished next year, and that all outstanding Liaodong taxes from various provinces will also be waived.”

"I...I obey your order."

Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, Li Changgeng said no more, bowed, and carefully left the warm pavilion with the account books in his arms.

After Li Changgeng left, Zhu Youxiao gently picked up a cup of strong tea, and after drinking it, he felt much more energetic.

Liaodong military pay
How could he not want to continue collecting taxes from Liaodong?

Who doesn't like money?

Even in later generations, many taxes and fees that should have been suspended were still postponed.

But he can't.

The Ming Dynasty's lower classes are already overburdened, and the Liaodong military pay is like a taut string that will eventually snap if pulled any further.

However, he also knew the truth in his heart.

If he issues an imperial edict, the Liaodong military tax might not actually be abolished.

The Ming Dynasty's control over the grassroots was no longer what it used to be. Even if it issued an edict to stop the Liaodong tax, those local officials, local tyrants and gentry might still collect the Liaodong tax privately, but they would not report it to the national treasury.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

These corrupt officials, local tyrants, and evil gentry will have to be brought to justice sooner or later; otherwise, even the best policies will be distorted at the grassroots level.

Also.

Stopping the Liaodong military tax is only the first step. There are still corruption to be investigated, the nine border regions to be reorganized, and the people's livelihood of the nation to be taken care of.

There is still a long way to go before the Ming Dynasty can stabilize its rule.

With the two capitals and thirteen provinces on his shoulders, Zhu Youxiao had no choice but to continue moving forward.

of course
These are all big goals.

Today's primary task is to finish reviewing this towering pile of memorials on my desk.

Zhu Youxiao took a deep breath, suppressing his inner resistance, and carefully reviewed the memorials on his desk.

Time passes slowly.

Before we knew it, it was already dark.

Zhu Youxiao rubbed his throbbing temples.

The thick stack of memorials on the table was finally cleared of most of them, leaving only two or three memorials concerning local disaster relief that had not yet been read in detail.

The days of hard work had made his back ache. He subconsciously stretched and yawned, his joints making a slight "click" sound, finally getting a moment of relaxation.

at this time.

The door to the warm pavilion was gently pushed open, and Wang Tiqian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, entered, bowing as he carried a black lacquered box with gold trim.

He moved with utmost care, as if afraid of disturbing the emperor, and only spoke in a low voice when he was close at hand:
"Your Majesty, the secret reports from the provincial inspectors and imperial censors have arrived. I am presenting them to you."

Zhu Youxiao nodded in acknowledgment, and Wang Tiqian placed the secret report box on the table and opened the lid.
The secret reports inside were all wrapped in specially made kraft paper, and the seals were stamped with different sealing wax seals. Some were for "Inspector General of Liaodong", and some were for "Inspector General of Shaanxi". They were all private reports presented directly to the emperor.

Zhu Youxiao picked up a few documents at random. Most of them were greetings from officials in various places, which were nothing more than standard phrases reporting on local stability and inquiring about the emperor's well-being.

He glanced at it a few times and then casually put it aside, his face showing no emotion.

He paused only when his fingertips touched a secret memorial with the seal of "Yuan Keli, Minister of War in Nanjing" on it.

Yuan Keli was sent to Jiangnan by him with an important mission.

The goal was to reorganize the Nanjing garrison, ensure sufficient quantities of silk for trade with the Western barbarians, and ultimately reorganize the entire Jiangnan officialdom.

Whether he could control Jiangnan would determine whether he, as emperor, could control the Ming Dynasty's financial resources.

If things were well controlled, Zhu Youxiao would have the funds to implement many of his policies.

But if it cannot be controlled.

An emperor without money can accomplish nothing.

He pinched his tightly folded fingers and slightly tightened them, tearing open the kraft paper seal and unfolding the Xuan paper inside.

At first, he just looked at it casually, his brows slightly furrowed, but the further he looked, the more his expression darkened, and his previously relaxed shoulders and back tensed up again.

Wang Tiqian stood to the side and saw the emperor's face suddenly turn ashen and his brows furrow. He was so frightened that he immediately lowered his head and lowered his eyes, not daring to breathe.

What earth-shattering thing did Yuan Keli write in his secret memorial that caused His Majesty to lose his composure like this?
PS:

The extra chapter will be posted tomorrow at noon.

Adjust your sleep schedule.

(End of this chapter)