How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 11 The Emperor Has Arrived!
On the third day of the ninth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1628), at the drill ground of Santunying in Jizhou.

The autumn rain kept falling, and the cold was biting.

The drill ground had become a muddy swamp, the murky water reaching above ankle height. More than 30,000 soldiers from Jizhou had been driven here, all emaciated and pale, most barefoot in the icy mud, shivering. In their hands they clutched either worn-down spears or rusty, chipped knives. Thirteen months without pay had long since drained them of their resources, leaving them nothing but skin and bones wrapped in tattered rags, enduring the wind and rain.

"By order of the Governor!" a soldier from the Governor's Battalion shouted, his voice drowning out the rain, "Your gathering and commotion are tantamount to treason! General Zu of Liaozhen has been ordered to suppress this disturbance. Anyone who continues to make noise will be killed without exception!"

The gate creaked open, and Zu Dashou, the deputy commander of Liaozhen, wearing chainmail and a shiny straw raincoat, rode a tall horse and led the charge into the muddy ground. Behind him were three thousand Guan Ning cavalry, all clad in helmets and armor, with powerful bows and crossbows hanging beside their saddles. Their eyes, hidden beneath straw raincoats and hats, were cold as they surveyed the hungry and staggering soldiers in the mud.

Zu Dashou reined in his horse, which snorted loudly. He glanced at the group of soldiers, who were starving and staggering, and grinned maliciously. "Governor Wang! Is this bunch of beggars even worth my time? They're nothing! Clean them up quickly, I still have to rush to the capital to report my victory to His Majesty!" The "victory" he was referring to was the "great achievement in suppressing the rebellion" built on the heads of these Jizhou soldiers.

Acting Governor of Shuntian, Wang Yingzhi, stood under the awning, his face beaming with excitement: "General Zu is truly mighty! These mutineers are stubborn and incorrigible; keeping them around is futile! Suppress them immediately! I will petition the court right away to award the general the highest honor!" He was already pondering how to write his memorial—"The mutineers of Jizhou garrison colluded with the Mongols, plotting rebellion. Fortunately, Deputy General Zu Dashou of Liaodong garrison descended like a divine army, wiping them out in one fell swoop..."

"No!" A hoarse roar suddenly drowned out the sound of rain. Sun Zushou, the commander-in-chief of Jizhou, rushed out of the crowd, rushed to the rain shelter, and slammed one knee heavily into the cold mud. Behind him, dozens of equally gaunt but fierce-looking officers of Jizhou followed closely.

“Your Excellency! General Zu!” Sun Zushou’s voice was hoarse. “The brothers are not rebelling! It’s the court… the court hasn’t paid a single penny in thirteen months!” He slammed his fist into the mud, splashing mud everywhere. “Our wives and children at home are starving and eating tree bark! The brothers are guarding the border on empty stomachs! We’ve gathered here today to beg for a way to survive! We beg the court… to pay our wages!” He shouted the last word.

"Sun Zushou! How dare you harbor these rioters?!" Wang Yingzhi shouted angrily, his finger almost poking Sun Zushou's face. "The court has its own difficulties in owing wages! You are soldiers under the court's command, yet instead of being loyal to the country, you gather a crowd to threaten your superiors. What is this if not rebellion?!" He turned sharply to Zu Dashou and said urgently, "General Zu, don't listen to him! Quickly send troops to suppress the ringleaders and uphold the law!"

Zu Dashou waved his hand impatiently, his riding whip cracking loudly in the air: "General Sun, if you know what's good for you, get out of here! Your soldiers are causing trouble, and I'm here on the Governor-General's orders! If you delay military orders, can you take responsibility?!" Behind him, three thousand Guan Ning cavalrymen slowly drew their sabers, their cold glints flashing in the rain.

Despair was like a knife, piercing the hearts of every soldier in Jizhou. Some gripped their rusty spears tightly, their knuckles turning white; others closed their eyes, resigned to their fate and awaiting death.

Sun Zushou abruptly raised his head, slowly straightening his body, rainwater seeping into the cracks of his tattered cotton armor. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, and suddenly pulled out something carefully wrapped in oilcloth from his bosom—he ripped it open, revealing a heavy bronze seal inside! It was none other than the official seal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Jizhou Garrison, issued by the Imperial Court, approved by the Ministry of War, and signed by the Governor!
"Wang Yingzhi! Zu Dashou!" Sun Zushou's voice boomed like thunder. "I am the Commander-in-Chief of Jizhou Garrison, appointed by the Imperial Court, approved by the Ministry of War, and signed by the Governor! According to the military law of the Ming Dynasty, any soldier of Jizhou Garrison, even if guilty, should be dealt with according to the military law of this garrison! You soldiers from other garrisons, without orders, have killed a single soldier of Jizhou Garrison. This is usurpation! This is treason! Do you want to rebel?!"

He raised the imperial seal high, the seal representing the laws of the court, causing the Guan Ning cavalry under Zu Dashou's command, who were about to charge forward, to suddenly rein in their horses and look at their commander with surprise and uncertainty.

Wang Yingzhi and Zu Dashou were both stunned. They hadn't expected Sun Zushou to dare to invoke the laws of the imperial court to pressure them at this critical juncture!

"Sun Bizhi! Are you insane?!" Wang Yingzhi was furious, his hand trembling as he pointed at Sun Zushou. "You think you can stop me with a broken seal? What a joke! Ask these peasants, can the imperial laws conjure up food for them? Can they even fill their stomachs?!"

Zu Dashou sneered, pointing his riding crop at Sun Zushou with utter contempt: "General Sun, stop trying to intimidate me with your big titles! So what if you're a general? Incompetent in command, allowing your soldiers to riot for unpaid wages—that's a serious crime! Today I'm cleaning house for the court, who dares to utter a word?!" He waved his hand sharply and shouted, "Men, get to work..."

"Your Majesty!" Sun Zushou cried out hoarsely, "His Majesty has already dispatched the Beijing Garrison to escort the silver supplies day and night! The silver is on its way! Just one more day! Just one more day! Once the silver arrives, the brothers will surely be grateful for His Majesty's grace and behave themselves! If we draw our swords today and cause a great upheaval, can Governor Wang and General Zu bear the responsibility of the entire 100,000-strong army of Jizhou being wiped out?! Who can withstand His Majesty's wrath?! Who can withstand it?!" "Hahaha!" Zu Dashou laughed wildly, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "His Majesty? The Beijing Garrison escorting the silver supplies? Sun Zushou, are you starving?! Open your dog eyes and look!" He pointed sharply at the gray, rain-soaked sky. "This torrential rain! Do you think those pampered old men of the Beijing Garrison would brave the rain to escort silver supplies for you bunch of peasants? Dream on! His Majesty is probably in the Forbidden City, embracing the Empress and drinking hot soup! Who remembers you stinking soldiers from the border!"

These words struck a nerve with every soldier in Jizhou! Even General Sun's final refutation of the "Emperor" and "salary" was refuted by Zu Dashou's foul mouth. Some threw down their wooden sticks, collapsing into the muddy water, their eyes vacant. Others gripped their spears tightly, their knuckles white, ready to fight to the death!
At this critical moment—

"His/Her/The Emperor has arrived!"

A piercing, almost deafening scream suddenly tore through the wind and rain and Zu Dashou's maniacal laughter! The voice came from the high slope outside the gate, shouted by a knight wearing a straw hat and raincoat!

Everyone, whether they were soldiers from Jizhou in the mud, cavalry from Guanning on horseback, or Wang Yingzhi and Zu Dashou under the awning, all shuddered and turned their heads sharply to look over.

On the official road to the southeast, a group of black-armored cavalrymen roared through the rain and mud, cutting through the rain curtain! Leading the way was a bright yellow dragon banner, fluttering in the wind, soaked and drooping heavily, yet still stubbornly displaying the majesty of imperial power! Beneath the banner, a single horse led the way. The rider, not wearing a dragon robe, was dressed in a black arrow-patterned vest, covered by a gleaming raincoat, and wore a wide-brimmed straw hat. Rain dripped down the edge of the hat, obscuring his face, but his imposing presence commanded respect!

Behind him stood a disciplined and imposing cavalry. Each rider wore a straw raincoat and hat, and gripped a lance. The horses' hooves thundered as they approached, splashing through the puddles. In the middle of the column, dozens of large carts covered with thick tarpaulins struggled forward through the mud, their wheels sinking deep into the sludge, leaving deep, heavy ruts—they carried enough pay to feed the 100,000 soldiers of Jizhou for one or two months!

Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo and Duke Zhu Chunchen of Chengguo followed closely behind the imperial carriage, one on the left and one on the right. Even Wei Zhongxian, the powerful eunuch, was now hiding under a straw hat and raincoat, following closely behind the imperial horse, his usual arrogance completely gone.

The Ming Emperor Zhu Youjian... actually came in person? In this torrential autumn rain, leading the Beijing garrison and escorting a heavy load of silver?!
Sun Zushou stood frozen in the rain, the rain washing away the mud and bloodstains from his face. He stared at the dragon flag, struggling against the wind and rain yet not falling, drawing ever closer; he stared at the figure bursting through the rain and charging straight towards him. His chest tightened, and he couldn't utter a single word. Although he had never seen the Emperor, he recognized the Duke of Yingguo and the Duke of Chengguo, who were standing respectfully on either side of him, and Wei Zhongxian, who, despite his immense power, was now cowering like a quail… Who but the current Emperor could make these three appear like this?!

An indescribable surge of heat rushed to Sun Zushou's head, his legs went weak, and he knelt heavily in the mud, his shoulders trembling. The 30,000 soldiers of Jizhou garrison, as if pushed by an invisible wave, knelt down in a dark mass, silent in the endless autumn rain, with only the sound of raindrops hitting the ground.

Zu Dashou's maniacal laughter froze completely, turning into disbelief and astonishment. Wang Yingzhi's face turned as white as a corpse, his legs cramped, and he almost couldn't stand, only managing to stay upright by holding onto the awning pillar.

Zhu Youjian reined in his horse, which dug several deep ruts in the mud before coming to a steady stop in front of the gate. He raised his hand and slowly removed the wide-brimmed bamboo hat.

The icy rain immediately streamed down his young face without any obstruction. His sharp eyes first swept over the dense mass of Jizhou soldiers kneeling in the mud, then over Sun Zushou, who was kneeling at the front, shivering from the mud, and finally landed on the panicked faces of Zu Dashou and Wang Yingzhi.

The entire Santunying drill ground was silent except for the sound of the pouring rain and the fluttering of the dragon flag in the wind. It seemed as if only the emperor in black robes and his silent iron cavalry remained in the world.

(End of this chapter)