How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 111 Chongzhen: Princes, please accept this; it is my favor. (High-interest loan today, 10,000 per day)
Inside the Wenhua Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, but it couldn't suppress a sudden burst of hearty laughter.

Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, sat behind his desk, a memorial in his hand, laughing so hard he almost fell over, tears welling in his eyes. The laughter sounded particularly jarring in the solemn hall, causing the four officials standing below—Grand Secretary Huang Lijie, Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong, Minister of War Wang Zaijin, and Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan—to exchange bewildered glances, their hearts pounding.

Was the emperor... laughing in anger? Or was he genuinely pleased?

Emperor Chongzhen finally managed to stop laughing, wiped his eyes with the corner of his sleeve, and pointed at the memorial to Huang Liji, saying, "Mr. Huang, was it really Qian Qianyi and Li Banghua who proposed this 'sharing the prince's title equally'?"

Huang Liji quickly bowed and said, “Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. During the court discussion, Qian Muzhai and Vice Minister Li suggested that the seven princes of Datong should not remain concentrated in one corner of Shanxi, but should be enfeoffed in various places to reduce the burden on Shanxi Province and allow the princes to enjoy the benefits of the land and water from all directions. This proposal is quite bold. Since the court discussion has not yet reached a decision, it is presented to Your Majesty for Your Majesty’s decision.”

"Bold? Bold is an understatement!" Chongzhen slapped his thigh, his smile widening. "It's simply... exactly what I want! It's exactly what I desire!"

The four people below the steps felt a jolt of surprise. The emperor's reaction was completely unexpected. Dividing the prince's share equally? It sounded absurd! But instead of being angry, the emperor was... overjoyed?
Emperor Chongzhen stood up, paced back and forth in front of his desk, his voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement: "Mr. Huang, Mr. Sun, Minister Wang, Minister Bi, tell me, where are all those princes and dukes of my Great Ming Dynasty, and those hundreds of thousands of imperial descendants, crammed together? Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi! Especially in the last two years, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong have been plagued by natural disasters, barren land, and impoverished people. They are already short of food, yet we still have to support these hundreds of thousands of imperial descendants who only eat and do no work! Is this reasonable? Is this fair?"

He whirled around, his gaze sweeping fiercely over the four men: "Look at the provinces of Zhili, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Guizhou! Not a single prince! Is this acceptable? Absolutely unacceptable! The empire belongs to the Zhu family; the princes should share the spoils equally, allowing each province to get its share!"

Sun Chengzong frowned and couldn't help but speak up: "Your Majesty, according to ancestral rules..."

"Ancestral rules?" Chongzhen interrupted him, his tone resolute. "Ancestral rules also depend on the times! What is the situation now? Shaanxi and Shanxi are barren, and refugees are starving! Relying on the south to transport grain? Hmph! It's a long journey, with people and horses eating and drinking. If ten bushels of grain are transported to Shaanxi, and only one or two bushels are left, we'll be grateful to heaven! It's a drop in the ocean, what good will it do?"

He walked to the map and tapped his finger heavily on the location of Shanxi: "The only way is to move people out! Move one as many as possible! Move as many as possible! Every one less mouth to feed means one more chance of survival! Mr. Qian and Vice Minister Li's plan to 'share the prince's position' is exactly the right medicine! Good! Very good! This shows the sincere heart of the scholars in Jiangnan. The Donglin Party is indeed a good party with the world in their hearts!"

Huang Lijie and Bi Ziyan were already silently mourning for Qian Qianyi and Li Banghua. The emperor's demeanor clearly indicated that he had long wanted to do this, but no one dared to bring it up. Now these two "hotheads" were spouting nonsense and had directly walked into the line of fire; they were likely to be tied to the emperor's chariot and pushed out to be the vanguard in this "equal division of the princes' spoils."

If one or two hundred princes were to be sent to Jiangnan to exploit the land, wouldn't the gentry and noble families of Jiangnan hate them to death?

Wang Zaijin felt a tightness in his chest. His hometown was in Southern Zhili. The thought of princes roaming everywhere made his vision blur.

Chongzhen didn't care what they thought. He returned to his throne in high spirits and said to Yang Sichang, who was standing to the side trying hard to suppress his laughter, "Fat old man!"

"Your subject is here!" Yang Sichang quickly bowed.

"Remember this!" Emperor Chongzhen said loudly. "Qian Qianyi and Li Banghua are experienced strategists who have made valuable contributions to the country! Starting next month, arrange for Mr. Qian and Mr. Xu (Xu Guangqi) to take turns serving as my daily lecturers! Especially Mr. Qian, I want to hear carefully his grand theory on 'sharing the princes equally' and see exactly how he plans to divide them!"

Well, I guess I'm really stuck with this blame now!

"Your subject obeys!" Yang Sichang quickly jotted it down in his notebook, a smirk playing on his lips. Qian Muzhai was in for a good scare.

Huang Lijie was secretly gloating, while Sun Chengzong was worried, thinking that if the emperor really "allocated" a lot of princes to Beizhili... Bi Ziyan breathed a sigh of relief, if Shandong could be given ten or eight princes, the burden would indeed be much lighter.

Emperor Chongzhen picked up the huanghuali thermos on his desk, took a sip of warm goji berry tea to moisten his throat, then put the cup down, his tone becoming unquestionable: "Since the court has pushed this matter onto me, then I will decide! Fat old man!"

"Chen is here!"

"Upload the map!"

"Yes!"

Yang Sichang was prepared and immediately took out a scroll of the Ming Dynasty map that he had prepared in advance and carefully spread it out on the desk next to the imperial desk.

Emperor Chongzhen stood up, walked to his desk, picked up a vermilion brush, and gazed at the map. Huang Lijie and the others also gathered around.

“Since we’re going to ‘divide it equally,’ then we must be fair.” Chongzhen pointed at the map with his vermilion brush. “Beizhili, right under the emperor’s nose, how can it be without a prince in charge? Give him one! He’ll be enfeoffed in… Tianjin!”

Tianjin Wei? Everyone was taken aback. That was a garrison, not a prefectural city.

Emperor Chongzhen seemed oblivious to their doubts, continuing to move his vermilion brush: "Yunnan and Guizhou are remote, and the She-An Rebellion is still raging. Let it go this time, we'll deal with it next time." He then shifted his focus to the prosperous south: "Of the remaining six kings, two will be divided in Southern Zhili! One will be granted Yangzhou Prefecture, and the other Songjiang Prefecture!"

Yangzhou? Songjiang? Both are good places. One is the base of the Lianghuai salt industry, and the other is the "Song" in Suzhou and Songjiang, which is famous throughout the country. "If Zhejiang were to be divided into one, it would be Ningbo Prefecture!"

"One part of Fujian will be Quanzhou Prefecture!"

"Guangdong will be divided into two! Both will be placed in Guangzhou Prefecture! One will be located within Guangzhou City, and the other... in Xiangshan County!"

As he spoke, Emperor Chongzhen used a vermilion brush to draw prominent red circles at the corresponding locations on the map.

Tianjin (Tianjin Customs), Yangzhou Prefecture (Guazhou Port, a vital point on the Yangtze River), Songjiang Prefecture (Shanghai!), Ningbo Prefecture (trade with Japan), Quanzhou Prefecture (Zheng Yiguan's stronghold), Guangzhou Prefecture (the first town south of the Yangtze River, Guangdong Customs), Xiangshan County (Macau is right next door, the hometown of the cannon)...

The seven red circles represent the seven fiefdoms of the princes. Without exception, they are all coastal or riverside locations, either ancient commercial ports or places with the potential to become important trading ports!
Emperor Chongzhen's bestowal of princes was not arbitrary! It was clearly a strategy to use these princes as seven key pieces in the future "reform and opening up" of the Ming Dynasty!
"Your Majesty is wise..." Huang Liji and the others looked at the red circle on the map and vaguely understood something, but dared not think too deeply about it.

Emperor Chongzhen put down his vermilion brush, as if he had accomplished a great task, and asked casually, "Minister Wang, what about the guards? We can't just send a prince to his fiefdom with no one in command, can we?"

Wang Zaijin quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, according to ancestral rules, princes of the commandery are not entitled to guards. However, in order to ensure the safety of the imperial clan, the court may send troops to escort them to their fiefs. The court has decided that three hundred troops per prince is sufficient. The soldiers can be drawn from the elite of the Imperial Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The commanding officers can be granted the title of Imperial Guard or Commander of a Thousand Households of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded: "Yes, three hundred men, that's about right. Safety first! If they get kidnapped by bandits or pirates, it won't look good for the court."

His gaze shifted to Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Revenue, his smile fading slightly, carrying a hint of knowing the answer already: "Minister Bi, what does the Ministry of Revenue say about the expenses for the seven princes' enfeoffment? The construction of the princes' residences, the relocation of the ceremonial guards, the settlement of personnel, and the expenses for the deployment and resettlement of these three hundred guards—it's no small sum."

Bi Ziyan's heart tightened; he knew there was no escaping it. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed even deeper, and spoke with the heaviness and helplessness characteristic of a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue: "Your Majesty, please understand! From last year until now, war has raged in Jiliao, Xuanda, and the Southwest, and military pay is being demanded like wildfire. The Taicang treasury... is already empty! Your Majesty, even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice; truly... we cannot squeeze out a single tael of silver!"

He raised his head, his face resolute and determined: "Your Majesty! The Seven Princes' request to be reassigned is an act of compassion for the nation's difficulties and loyalty to the emperor! I believe that the expenses incurred in relocating the princes—the construction of their palaces, the acquisition of estates, and the relocation of their populations—should be borne by the Seven Princes' own treasuries! This is the first point!"

He paused, glanced at Chongzhen's face, and seeing that the emperor was not angry, continued: "Secondly, if the treasury of the Seven Princes is insufficient, His Majesty's imperial treasury, being the main treasury of the empire, should also be allocated as appropriate for the sake of the great affairs of the imperial family, so as to fulfill the loyalty of the princes!"

Bi Ziyan's words were almost a repetition of what was said at the court meeting, the core of which was one word: poverty! The Ministry of Revenue has no money! If you want money, either the prince pays out of his own pocket, or the emperor pays out of his private funds!

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was not angry at all; instead, he laughed again, but this time his smile carried a hint of cunning and calculation.

"What Bi Qing said is absolutely right!" Chongzhen clapped his hands and said, "The seven princes have voluntarily requested to be reassigned, which is commendable in their loyalty and righteousness. It is only right that they bear part of the expenses for the relocation! The court can't possibly cover all the costs; would the court be begging them to move?"

He then changed the subject: "As for the imperial treasury... the money in the imperial treasury doesn't come from thin air. My imperial treasury needs to support people, cover the palace's expenses, and prepare for unforeseen needs. Taking out hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to help seven princes move is painful for me too!"

Emperor Chongzhen stood up, walked to Bi Ziyan, and said with a "let's discuss this" expression: "Minister Bi, what do you think? Let the seven princes cover the expenses for their new titles themselves. If that's not enough, I can lend them the rest from my own treasury!"

"Borrow?" Bi Ziyan was stunned, thinking he had misheard. The emperor lending money to a prince to move? What kind of logic is that?
"Yes, lend it!" Chongzhen nodded firmly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "I am benevolent, as for the interest... let's just charge them three percent."

"Three percent interest?" Bi Ziyan repeated subconsciously, his mind racing with calculations. Three percent monthly interest? That's 36% a year! That's not low! It's usury! And how will the princes repay it?

Chongzhen seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled, "Are you worried that they still haven't arrived?"

Bi Ziyan said with a bitter face, "Your Majesty is wise... The princes may have some savings in Datong, but this move of their entire families south will undoubtedly be extremely expensive. Once they arrive in their new fiefdoms, they will need to build mansions and acquire properties... It will be difficult to generate income in the short term. This loan... I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of? Afraid they'll default on their debts?" Chongzhen laughed heartily, turning to point at the seven red circles on the map. "Minister Bi, you underestimate the places I've chosen for the princes! Yangzhou, Songjiang, Ningbo, Quanzhou, Guangzhou, Xiangshan, Tianjin! Aren't they all strategic waterways and land routes, bustling commercial hubs? Aren't they all destined to be lucrative in the future?"

He pointed to the map and emphasized, "We'll allocate them some good land near the port, land suitable for building docks! As long as they're not completely stupid, and they get a little bit of profit from maritime trade, what's a little interest? They might even pay back the principal and interest quickly! No, they don't even need to pay back the principal, just the interest every year!"

Bi Ziyan was dumbfounded. The princes were to pay for their own relocation, and if that wasn't enough, they'd have to borrow from the emperor at exorbitant interest rates? And then expect them to "do business" in their new fiefdoms to pay the interest? This…this was unheard of! But seeing the emperor's confident expression, as if to say, "I've already thought of a way out for them," Bi Ziyan opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words.

What could he say? The emperor had blocked all avenues. It was a fact that the Ministry of Revenue was short of funds; the emperor's willingness to "lend" money from the imperial treasury was already a "merciful act." As for whether the princes could repay it… that was a matter between the princes and the emperor. In any case, the Ministry of Revenue wouldn't have to pay a single penny!
Bi Ziyan bowed deeply: "Your Majesty's wisdom is profound and compassionate towards the nation's difficulties. Your subject... has no objection. However, this loan agreement still needs to be clearly promulgated to the Seven Princes to prevent future..."

"Of course!" Chongzhen waved his hand. "Fat old man, remember this! Add a clause when drafting the decree: The expenses required for the seven princes' enfeoffment shall be raised by them themselves. If they are unable to do so, they may borrow from the Imperial Treasury at a monthly interest rate of three percent, payable annually, and only interest shall be paid, no principal repayment is allowed! I... await their good news of making a fortune!"

Yang Sichang suppressed a laugh and quickly wrote it down. Huang Lijie, Sun Chengzong, and Wang Zaijin exchanged glances, each with only one thought: those princes of Datong, upon receiving this imperial edict, would probably be too heartbroken to even cry.
(End of this chapter)