How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 110 The Prince Divides Everything Equally! (Thirty Updates)

The Forbidden City, East Pavilion.

As dawn broke, the pavilion was already full of people.

Grand Secretary and Minister of Personnel Huang Lijie sat in the head seat, his old face taut, revealing neither joy nor anger. To his left and right sat Minister of Works Li Congxin, Minister of Justice Xue Zhen, Minister of War Wang Zaijin, and Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan—all members of the Emperor's faction—each sitting upright, their eyes occasionally meeting before quickly looking away.

Opposite him, Sun Chengzong, the Left Censor-in-Chief and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, remained expressionless, yet his back was ramrod straight. Beside him, Li Banghua, the Left Vice Minister of War, had his brows furrowed, while Qian Qianyi, the Right Vice Minister of Rites, appeared completely unperturbed. Yang Shaozhen, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, sat beside Qian Qianyi, his eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.

On the noble side, Li Chengming, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan Court and Marquis of Wuqing, and Zhang Zhiji, the heir apparent of the Duke of Yingguo, sat side by side. Li Chengming had a look of amusement on his face, while Zhang Zhiji was solemn.

The six censors sat at the lower end of the table. Among them were Wei Zhaocheng from Henan, Xie Xuelong from Southern Zhili, Qi Shijiao from Shandong, Tao Chongdao and Zhang Guowei from Zhejiang, and Li Juesi from Guangdong. These officials, half from the Donglin faction and half from other factions, were all listening intently, their eyes sharp, ready to fire their criticisms at any moment.

Huang Liji cleared his throat, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the room.

"Today's court meeting will focus on one matter," Huang Lijie began, "the matter of the seven princes of Datong requesting a change of title." He paused briefly, then reiterated the events surrounding the Dai rebellion, the large number of members of the Datong imperial family, the concerns about the border towns, and the princes' loyalty in "proving their innocence." Finally, his tone turned serious: "His Majesty is very pleased with the princes' loyalty and dedication to the country. If trouble arises due to the incompetence of us officials... none of us can bear the responsibility."

The room was deathly silent.

Suddenly, Xie Xuelong, a censor from Southern Zhili, spoke up: "Since His Majesty has said that the prince's request to be re- conferred a title is a matter of loyalty and righteousness, and there is nothing wrong with it, then what is there to discuss today? Is it just a formality?"

Huang Liji didn't even lift his eyelids: "Of course we need to discuss it. We need to discuss three things: First, should we grant new titles? Second, where should we grant new titles? Third, how should we grant new titles?" He turned his gaze to Marquis Wuqing, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, "Marquis Wuqing, you are in charge of the Imperial Clan Court. Tell me, is the granting of new titles to the Seventh Prince in accordance with the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty'?"

Marquis Li Chengming of Wuqing stood up abruptly and answered decisively: "It is in accordance with the Emperor's will! How could it not be in accordance with the Emperor's will! The princes are grateful for the Emperor's grace and have voluntarily requested to be re-enfeoffed to share the burden of the court. This is precisely in accordance with ancestral teachings and the Emperor's heart!" He, Marquis Li Chengming, understood loyalty best! The re-enfeoffment of the seven princes was the Emperor's "wishful thinking." How could it not be in accordance with ancestral rules?

"Very well." Huang Liji nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "His Majesty is pleased, and this aligns with ancestral rules. So, who supports this? Who opposes it?"

All eyes instantly turned to Qian Qianyi. He was the leader of the Donglin Party and the mouthpiece of the Jiangnan gentry.

Qian Qianyi slowly rose, straightened his sleeves, and said in a gentle, jade-like voice, "Your Majesty, I support this." Then, he subtly changed the subject, "The princes are all very righteous, and the court will naturally make proper arrangements for them. But I wonder... does the Grand Secretary think that it is good or bad for the local area to further enfeoff the princes?" He casually posed a difficult question.

Huang Lijie was not about to be stumped by his question. He immediately retorted, raising his voice: "Of course it's a good thing! A great thing! The prince's enfeoffment is a blessing from the imperial family! The construction of the prince's residence, the ceremonial guards, the purchase of rice—everything benefits the local area. The people are receiving the emperor's grace; isn't that a fortunate thing?"

His words sounded grand and dignified, but many people below were secretly sneering. The prince was a money-devouring beast; wherever he went, he would be eaten into poverty. What kind of "benefit" was he talking about?
Li Banghua, the Left Vice Minister of War (from Jiangxi), suddenly spoke up, his voice loud and clear, carrying an air of righteousness: "The Grand Secretary is right!"

Everyone was taken aback. How did the Donglin Party end up on the same page as the "Emperor Party"?
He stood up, his gaze intense: "However, the distribution of princes in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of our Great Ming is extremely unfair! Provinces such as Henan, Huguang, Shandong, Shanxi, and Shaanxi are filled with princes and dukes! But provinces such as Zhejiang, Southern Zhili, Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou, and even the capital region of Northern Zhili, have not a single prince or duke enfeoffed! This is an uneven distribution of imperial favor! Now that the seven dukes of Datong have been re-enfeoffed, we can take this opportunity to ensure that they all receive the emperor's favor, thus demonstrating His Majesty's fairness and impartiality!"

These words shocked everyone present! "Divide the prince's property equally"? Li Banghua is too ruthless!

Yang Shaozhen, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review (Southern Zhili), almost jumped up and loudly echoed, "Vice Minister Li's words are excellent! Provinces without princes should welcome princes to receive the Emperor's grace! Zhejiang, Southern Zhili, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Guizhou—that's exactly seven provinces! Seven princes going to seven provinces—is this not the will of Heaven!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke. Currently, there are seven provinces in the Ming Dynasty without princes. Each of the seven provinces will be granted a prince, with one prince per province. The Southern Zhili Province only needs to support one prince. The burden is not heavy.

Tao Chongdao and Zhang Guowei, officials from Zhejiang, immediately echoed, "That's exactly right! The Emperor's grace should shine upon all the land!" They naturally agreed that Zhejiang could afford to enfeoff a prince. However, if all seven princes were to be enfeoffed in the narrow sense of Jiangnan, then Zhejiang and the Jiangnan region of Southern Zhili would have to share the burden.

"Vice Minister Li, you are mistaken!" Minister of Works Li Congxin (Beizhili) immediately retorted, his voice clearly displeased. "Beizhili is a vital area surrounding the capital, protecting the city. The court is already there; why should a prince be stationed there? Furthermore, the grain transport is difficult, and the food supply for the million soldiers and civilians in the capital still needs to be supplied from the southeast. How can we add another burden to the imperial family? This proposal is absolutely unacceptable!"

He never mentioned that there was no prince in Beizhili, but only emphasized that the capital was under heavy burden. The subtext was clear: Beizhili cannot have a prince.

Yang Shaozhen, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review (Southern Zhili), was not about to let this go and immediately retorted: "Minister Li's words are wrong! The people of the capital region are also His Majesty's subjects. Are they not worthy of receiving His Majesty's grace? When a prince is enfeoffed, he will have his own estates and stipends. How can this be considered a heavy burden? In my opinion, each prefecture in Northern Zhili should select a wealthy county to settle a prince. This would perfectly demonstrate His Majesty's virtuous rule and ensure the safety of the capital region!"

"All right?" Xue Zhen, the Minister of Justice (from Shaanxi), though not from Beizhili, couldn't help but interject, his tone sarcastic. "Yang Tongzheng has been in Nanzhili for a long time, he probably doesn't know how hard life is for the people of Beizhili! Why are there so many mutinies in Xuanfu and Datong? Isn't it because of the lack of food and pay that they were forced to do so! Sending the prince to the capital again, is it because the nine border regions are too peaceful?" He was putting the blame on the safety of the border towns.

"Minister Xue!" Xie Xuelong, a censor from Southern Zhili, suddenly raised his voice. "According to you, the princes are the source of all this trouble? What does such talk do to the imperial dignity! Could it be that the chaos in Shanxi and Henan was caused by these princes?"

He skillfully steered the conversation away from Beizhili and instead attacked Xue Zhen for his inappropriate remarks.

Xue Zhen blushed, realizing she had spoken out of turn, and snorted before falling silent.

Seeing this, Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Revenue (from Shandong), stepped in to smooth things over: "Gentlemen, arguing is pointless. The situation in Beizhili is special, and it is indeed not suitable to settle princes there. However, Vice Minister Li's proposal to 'divide the spoils' is also excellent. But at present, the war in Yunnan and Guizhou has not ended, and the rebel chieftain An She has not yet been beheaded. The region is not peaceful. How can it be the time to settle the imperial heirs? In my opinion, it would be better to first settle five princes in the four provinces of Nanzhili, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Fujian. Nanzhili is a large area, so we can settle two princes there. The remaining two can be settled after the An She rebellion is quelled."

His words, though seemingly a compromise, actually put pressure on the southern provinces.

"Minister Bi!" Xie Xuelong, a censor from Southern Zhili, immediately exclaimed anxiously, "Although Southern Zhili is known as a land of plenty, it is also a region of heavy taxes, and the people are already exhausted! It may be difficult to support two princes if they are suddenly settled there! I believe that since the land is to be divided equally, one prince should be assigned to each province to ensure fairness! Although Yunnan and Guizhou are in turmoil, the imperial army is about to recover them. It is not unreasonable for the princes to take up their fiefs a year or two later!"

Zhang Guowei (Zhejiang) immediately chimed in: "Exactly! How can we favor one over the other because of a temporary war? If we must divide, then all seven provinces should be divided equally!"

Li Congxin, Li Chengming, and others from Beizhili once again voiced their opposition.
Officials from both the northern and southern Zhili provinces were arguing fiercely.

Sun Chengzong, the Left Censor-in-Chief (Beizhili), who had been silent all along, finally opened his eyes slowly and coughed lightly.

The room fell silent. Everyone looked at the leader of the "Northern Donglin Party".

"Gentlemen," Sun Chengzong said in a steady voice, "the arrangement of the prince concerns the foundation of the nation and the stability of the region. Arguing over the gains and losses of a single province will only damage harmony and will not help the greater good."

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Grand Secretary Huang Lijie: "Grand Secretary, the situations in different places vary, and the advantages and disadvantages cannot be decided by our empty discussions here. I believe that this matter... should be respectfully submitted to His Majesty for judgment. We shall truthfully report the advantages and disadvantages of each point discussed today to His Majesty, and request His Majesty to make the final decision."

He skillfully passed the buck to the emperor. This avoided further arguments and friction among his colleagues, and it also followed procedure—such an important matter should have been decided by the emperor himself.

But an emperor must be able to make decisions at crucial moments and cannot push everything onto his subordinates.

Huang Lijie nodded slightly: "What Grand Secretary Sun said is very true. Then let us proceed accordingly and submit a memorial to the throne regarding the proposal of 'equal division'."

He paused, then changed the subject, returning to a more practical issue: "However, regardless of where the princes are enfeoffed, there is one matter that needs to be decided immediately—how should the properties and people in the original hometowns of the seven princes of Datong be handled? How should the princely palaces and estates in the new fiefs be acquired? The Ministry of Revenue…" He turned his gaze to Bi Ziyan, "...how much silver can you afford to handle this matter now?"

Bi Ziyan took a deep breath, stood up again, this time with a resolute look on his face. He gave a slight bow towards the throne, his voice deep yet clear:
"Reporting to the Grand Secretary and fellow colleagues, the matter of the re- conferment of titles was requested by the seven princes themselves and was also approved by His Majesty. This is an act of the princes showing their concern for the country's difficulties and their loyalty to the emperor!"

His tone suddenly shifted, becoming extremely sharp: "In that case, the costs of relocating the princes—the construction of the princely residences, the acquisition of estates, and the relocation of the population—should be borne by the treasuries of the seven princely residences themselves! This is one point."

"Secondly," he continued, his gaze sweeping over the crowd whose expressions had suddenly changed, "if the Prince's mansion's reserves are insufficient, His Majesty's imperial treasury, being the main treasury of the empire, should also be allocated as appropriate for the sake of the imperial clan's important affairs, so as to fulfill the princes' loyalty and righteousness!"

Finally, he spread his hands, his tone almost mournful: "As for the treasury silver... since last year, there has been war everywhere in Jiliao, Xuanda, and the southwest, and the demand for supplies is like wildfire. The national treasury is already empty! I, your humble servant, cannot cook without rice, truly... cannot produce even a single tael of silver!"

The chamber was deathly silent. Bi Ziyan's words were tantamount to throwing the problem back to the princes and the emperor's private treasury, completely absolving the Ministry of Revenue of any responsibility!

Huang Liji's eyelids twitched suddenly, and he gave Bi Ziyan a deep look. This old guy really dares to speak his mind!
However, it's not a big problem, since the emperor didn't say he wouldn't give money.

Thinking of this, Huang Liji turned his gaze to Wang Zaijin, the Minister of War, and Li Banghua, the Vice Minister of War: "The seven princes will be enfeoffed and will travel thousands of miles to settle in unfamiliar places. The Ministry of War must arrange soldiers to protect them, right? You two tell me, how many men should be assigned to protect each prince?"

(End of this chapter)