How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 119 Your Majesty, the Court Meeting Has Exploded (Another 10,000 words a day)
The next day, in the East Pavilion of the Forbidden City. The sun outside the window was already quite scorching, but a trace of coolness still lingered inside the hall.

The officials stood in shifts, filling the hall to capacity.

Seated at the head of the table was Grand Secretary Huang Lijie, and below him were 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 with a calm expression.

Opposite them stood Sun Chengzong, the Left Censor-in-Chief and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, his hair and beard all white, his expression solemn. Li Banghua, the Left Vice Minister of War, frowned slightly, while Qian Qianyi, the Right Vice Minister of Rites, held his official tablet with composure. Yang Shaozhen, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, and Xu Guangqi, the Left Vice Minister of Rites, stood quietly behind them. These were all members of the Donglin faction, pillars of the Qingliu faction.

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, stood silently among the nobles, their faces displaying unwavering loyalty to the Chongzhen Emperor. These nobles no longer controlled the Beijing Garrison, but they weren't entirely useless. Many of the Ming Dynasty's leaders in the Embroidered Uniform Guard had connections to noble families, allowing them to act as "house-confiscation dogs." Furthermore, nobles could attend court meetings and recommendations—as long as the discussions concerned military matters. Therefore, they could "vote out their loyalty" in these meetings.

Next to the next were the six supervising secretaries: 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 men were fewer from the Donglin faction and more from the Emperor's faction—a ratio meticulously controlled by Chongzhen! He needed to ensure the Donglin faction could attack the "former Emperor's faction" that had lost Chongzhen's protection, while simultaneously preventing them from uniting to sabotage Chongzhen's own plans.

With the Donglin faction keeping an eye on things, the corrupt officials of the Emperor's faction didn't dare to be too greedy! With the Emperor's faction keeping things in check, the upright officials of the Donglin faction wouldn't cause too much trouble. This is the so-called art of emperorship! Chongzhen didn't understand this at first. He swept away the Emperor's faction (the eunuch faction) as soon as he came to power, replacing them all with upright officials. The court was full of righteous people, and then tragedy struck.
In his later years, Emperor Tianqi was probably annoyed by the corrupt officials, so he replaced all the Grand Secretaries and Nine Ministers in the court with Wei Zhongxian's cronies. As a result, these guys became unscrupulous in their greed and didn't even bother to share with the newly enthroned Emperor Chongzhen. Of course, Emperor Chongzhen had only been on the throne for a few months and didn't have any means to extort money. Then, he took action and wiped out the "eunuch faction," which shows that he didn't quite grasp the balance of the power struggle.

At this moment, Huang Liji cleared his throat, and his voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Today's court meeting is about the affairs of Korea." He paused, then picked up two documents. "One is 'Urgent Report from General Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town Regarding the Large-Scale Invasion of Korea by the Jurchens.' The other is 'Urgent Appeal for Aid from King Yi Jong of Korea.'"

He gave a brief account of the events: how the Jurchens harassed the borders, how fearful Korea was, and how the king pleaded for help.

"The situation is urgent. If any of you have any good ideas, please feel free to share them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qian Qianyi was the first to leave the class.

He bowed with his scepter, his voice clear and resonant: "Prime Minister, gentlemen, Korea has been the foremost bulwark of our Great Ming for over two hundred years, remaining loyal and steadfast. Now that it is in distress, how can the Emperor sit idly by? We should swiftly dispatch a large army to provide swift and decisive assistance, to demonstrate the might and power of the Celestial Empire and to deter the disobedient!"

"What Muzhai said is absolutely right!" Li Banghua, the Vice Minister of War, immediately chimed in. "The King of Joseon wrote a tearful plea in blood, every word filled with sorrow. If the court hesitates and fails to offer assistance, it will chill the hearts of our vassal states and make all loyal and righteous men in the land feel disgusted!"

Wang Zaijin stepped forward and said, “Minister, gentlemen, the Jurchens are powerful, and our dynasty has not yet recovered. In the matter of aiding Korea, we must proceed with caution. I have three strategies: First, ‘Protect the King!’” His voice was steady and clear, “We must quickly dispatch elite troops to Korea to ensure the King of Joseon moves to Ganghwa Island! With the King on our side, the righteous cause is ours!”

He paused briefly, then continued, “Secondly, ‘defend the island!’ With Ganghwa Island as the base, we will build deep trenches and high walls, construct large fortresses, and defend it in the style of the West, making it as solid as Mount Tai! Even if the Jurchens have iron cavalry, they will find it difficult to defend the sea frontier.”

His gaze swept over the crowd. "Thirdly, 'Support Korea against the Jurchens!' Now that the King is safe, we should, in the name of the Celestial Empire, call upon the officials, soldiers, and civilians of the eight provinces of Korea to fight the Jurchens with all our might! We should provide them with military equipment and provisions, so that they will fight the Jurchens relentlessly for their own country! By implementing these three strategies in parallel, we can wear down the Jurchens at the lowest possible cost, keeping them bogged down in the quagmire and unable to attend to anything else! This is the best strategy!"

"absurd!"

With a sharp shout, the veteran minister Sun Chengzong, his hair and beard bristling, stepped forward abruptly. His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over Wang Zaijin and Bi Ziyan: "Minister of War Wang! Minister of Revenue Bi! How can you two only know how to calculate accounts? Do you know that Korea is as essential as lips and teeth to our Great Ming? If Korea is lost, the Jurchens will have no worries about the east, and will plunder all their people and provisions, their power will grow even stronger! At that time, Liaoxi, Dongjiang, and even Jizhou and Xuanda will be engulfed in flames of war, what will become of us then?"

He paused slightly, then said with great anticipation, "The Jurchens entering Korea is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If the Jurchen army enters Korea, our border forces will transport troops by sea, heading straight from Dengzhou and Laizhou, and the Dongjiang River to the mouth of the Yalu River, building fortifications along the river to cut off their retreat!"
Then, send a powerful force from western Liaoning eastward to harass their heartland, forcing them to return to reinforce. Simultaneously, dispatch a strong contingent across the sea to the west coast of Korea to coordinate with the Korean army and civilians in pursuing the retreating Jurchens. With a pincer movement in front and a pursuit behind, we can surely inflict heavy damage on the Jurchen chieftain and secure ten years of peace in Liaodong! How can such a golden opportunity be missed because of mere money and provisions?

Wang Zaijin snorted: "How many troops would be needed to launch a three-pronged attack?"

Sun Chengzong took a deep breath and said decisively, "We need at least 60,000 elite troops! And we need a commander-in-chief with a long-standing reputation and knowledge of Liaodong affairs! I recommend Yuan Chonghuan, the former governor of Liaodong!"

"I second that!" Qian Qianyi exclaimed. "How can the Celestial Empire stand idly by when its vassal states are in trouble? If we adopt the strategy of 'defending the islands for self-preservation,' shrinking back and watching most of Korea fall and the capital be lost, where will the Celestial Empire's prestige be? How will our vassal states view our Great Ming? This is not cowardice, but self-destruction! Although Grand Secretary Sun's plan is extremely costly, if it can be successful in one battle, it will be a blessing for the nation! And Yuan Yuansu is indeed the only choice to be the commander-in-chief!"

On the Emperor's side, Wang Zaijin and Bi Ziyan wore grim expressions. Huang Lijie still kept his eyes half-closed. Duke Zhang Zhiji of Yingguo frowned deeply. Sixty thousand soldiers? Wouldn't that cost millions in pay? This was practically gambling with their entire fortune!

Wang Zaijin couldn't help but retort: ​​"Grand Secretary Sun! Vice Minister Qian! Who can't talk about righteousness? Where will the money and provisions come from? Where will the troops be mobilized? Liaoxi, Jizhou, Xuanda—where can we deploy troops? If we send all our elite troops to Korea, the Jurchens will take advantage of the situation, breach the border, and ravage the capital region. Who will bear the consequences of this catastrophic disaster? 'To repel external aggression, we must first pacify the interior!' Currently, domestically, relocating members of the imperial family, confiscating maritime trade, clearing official lands, and regulating salt taxes—which of these is not urgent? If we squander all our money and provisions on Korea, our domestic foundation will be shaken, and how can we sustain a war against foreign powers?"

"What a fine 'pacifying the interior before resisting external aggression'!" Qian Qianyi, as if he had been waiting for this, immediately retorted loudly, "Lord Wang, you are mistaken! The matter of 'pacifying the interior' is not limited to the official lands, trade, and salt taxes in Jiangnan. The Anshe Rebellion in the southwest has ravaged several provinces, causing immense suffering! Suppressing this rebellion, pacifying the local areas, and restoring Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan to the rule of the emperor are the most urgent tasks at hand! They cannot be delayed!"

He paused, then emphasized, "The imperial clans of Shaanxi and Shanxi are in dire straits. Relocating them to Sichuan and developing the border regions would not only relieve their plight but also strengthen the southwest and help suppress the remnants of An She's rebellion—a triple benefit! This is also a crucial task for 'pacifying the interior'! I believe we should implement the relocation policy as soon as possible, mobilize elite troops, quell the unrest in the southwest first, and then proceed with the relocation prudently! This is the foundation for the long-term stability of the nation!"

Li Banghua immediately chimed in, "Minister Qian is absolutely right! With Anshe in turmoil and the southwest unstable, relocating the princes is futile! Furthermore, the lands of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan are still plagued by pestilence and the chieftains are constantly changing. Without strong troops to guard them, a hasty relocation of the imperial clan would be like lambs to the slaughter. Suppressing Anshe and stabilizing the southwest are prerequisites for relocating the princes! We should quickly dispatch capable generals to oversee the suppression of the rebellion!" The topic was instantly veered off course. The expressions of the Imperial Party members changed slightly. Huang Liji frowned deeply, his murky gaze sweeping over Qian Qianyi and Li Banghua. He slowly spoke, "Relocating princes to Sichuan is indeed a national policy. However, there are priorities. The Anshe rebellion must be quelled first. Only after the southwest is somewhat stabilized and roads are clear should we proceed with the relocation of the princes gradually. Otherwise, if the imperial clan suffers losses in dangerous areas, what will become of the court's reputation?"

This statement is watertight, both supporting the relocation of the feudal lords and emphasizing the order of suppressing the rebellion before relocating them.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out, not loud, but like a needle piercing the tense atmosphere.

"Your Majesty! Your Excellencies!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Wei Zhaocheng, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Rites. He stepped forward, his expression solemn, exuding a sense of righteous indignation for the country.

"What Grand Secretary Huang says is quite right! Relocating the princes to Sichuan and quelling Anshe are all important tasks for maintaining internal stability! However..." He changed the subject, his voice rising, "I have a concern! Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan are mountainous and far-reaching, unlike the Central Plains! The princes of the imperial family, being of noble birth, are being moved to dangerous places. Even if the imperial army quells the rebellion first, how can the army stay for long? After the army withdraws, the local chieftains will rebel again, and the barbarians will cause trouble. The princes will be unarmed. How will they protect themselves? How will they deter the villains? How will they... ensure the imperial court's permanent defense of the southwestern border?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, taking in countless bewildered looks. A barely perceptible smile seemed to curve at the corner of his lips before he spoke loudly:

"Your Majesty, I have consulted the Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty! The Great Ancestor Emperor Gaozu clearly instructed: 'All those enfeoffed shall be granted guards. The minimum number shall be three thousand, and the maximum number shall be nineteen thousand!'" He used the word "your subject" to refer to himself, indicating that he was not speaking to Huang Lijie and the other officials present, but rather to the Chongzhen Emperor, who was not present at the time!
"At this critical juncture, extraordinary measures must be devised! To ensure the safety of the various vassal states of Tianchuan, and to ensure they live up to Your Majesty's trust and truly serve as a bulwark for the nation and guard the southwest, I—boldly request Your Majesty's grace! Grant permission for the 'Tianchuan' vassal states to rebuild their protective defenses in accordance with the ancestral instructions of Emperor Taizu!"

boom!
The entire East Pavilion of Wenhua Hall fell into a deathly silence!

You can hear the needle drop!

Most people's expressions froze. Nobles like Duke Zhang Zhiji of Yingguo and Marquis Li Chengming of Wuqing stared wide-eyed, their mouths slightly agape, as if they had been choked. Imperial faction officials like Huang Lijie and Wang Zaijin turned deathly pale, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief!
A feudal lord...possessing an army?!

Is this...is this going to turn the world upside down?!

After a brief silence, there was an uproar like a volcanic eruption!

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!" A censor from the Emperor's faction suddenly jumped out, his finger trembling as he pointed at Wei Zhaocheng. "A prince holding military power is a grave taboo for the country! This is a path to disaster! It must not be allowed! This proposal should be executed!"

"The laws of our ancestors! How can they be lightly altered!" another official shouted hoarsely. "Wei Zhaocheng! You have ulterior motives! Are you trying to lead the feudal lords into injustice and the court into danger?!"

The nobles were in an uproar. Li Chengming was so angry his beard trembled: "Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Reinstate the guards? Which prince would dare to accept them? Isn't this just being unreasonable?"

However, Wei Zhaocheng also had supporters, and some immediately refuted him by citing classical texts.

"The ancestral precepts of the founding emperor are still fresh in our minds! The establishment of guards for vassal kings is an ancestral rule! How can this be considered a violation of the rule?"

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! The southwestern frontier cannot be left undefended without a powerful vassal state! What's the point of relocating a vassal state if it lacks military power?"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch our imperial relatives and nobles be slaughtered in this desolate land? What will become of the court's reputation?"

The supporting opinions seemed valid, while the opponents were indignant, listing the calamities caused by the vassal kings' armies. Spittle flew, faces flushed, and arguments, shouts, and quotations mingled together, turning the East Pavilion of the Wenhua Hall into a chaotic mess.

Grand Secretary Huang Lijie tried several times to speak up and maintain order, but his voice was drowned out. Wang Zaijin, Bi Ziyan, and others wanted to bring up Joseon and Gwanjeon in Jiangnan again, but their words were interrupted by an even more heated argument about "protection."

Sun Chengzong, Qian Qianyi, Li Banghua and other core members of the Donglin Party either remained silent, showed "worries" on their faces, or occasionally "fairly" interjected with a sentence or two, such as "Although this proposal is shocking, at this extraordinary time, perhaps we can think of the late Emperor Taizu's instructions and respond with extraordinary measures?" In reality, they were just adding fuel to the fire.

The debates about whether the Korean war should be a "protracted" or "quick" one, whether to send a few thousand or sixty thousand troops, and the strife over the "disappearance" of the Gwanjeon in Gangnam... all became insignificant in the face of the earth-shattering bombshell of "Guards of the Feudal Kings," and were completely submerged in the raging tide of arguments.

The discussion in the Eastern Pavilion completely erupted.

(End of this chapter)