How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 137 Zheng Yiguan, Prince Fu, it's your turn! (Please subscribe)

At the end of May in the first year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Beijing was as hot as a steamer. In the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, the windows were propped open, but not a breath of wind could get in. A large copper basin filled with ice sat in the corner, emitting wisps of cool air, which made people feel slightly better.

Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, was wearing only a thin crimson gauze robe with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hunched over his desk reviewing memorials. His forehead was covered in sweat, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.

Niu Jinxing, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy who also helped manage the Beijing Garrison, and Xu Yingyuan, the chief scribe of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the director of the Eastern Depot, stood by with their hands hanging down, not daring to utter a sound.

On the emperor's desk, the most conspicuous items were two urgent documents.

One of the documents was from Datong, a memorial from Wei Zhongxian pleading guilty and reporting his achievements. The handwriting was somewhat messy, revealing a mixture of hatred and fear. He described the death of his nephew, Wei Liangqing, as a heroic and loyal martyr, practically making him the top contributor to the great victory beyond the Great Wall.

The other document was a secret letter from Yuan Chonghuan, detailing the situation after the battle. Ligdan Khan was terrified and fled, but Xifu, Fan Wencheng, and a few others from the Later Jin were still going in and out of the Mongol tents. Yuan Chonghuan asked for instructions on the next step: whether to continue fighting or to offer amnesty, and if to offer amnesty, what price to offer.

Emperor Chongzhen first picked up Wei Zhongxian's memorial, read it carefully twice, and tapped the four characters "fighting bravely and dying for his country" with his finger: "Xu Banban".

“Your Majesty,” Xu Yingyuan quickly replied.

“That Liangqing,” Chongzhen began, “was a bit arrogant and not very clear-headed, and he courted death. But in the end, he died on the battlefield and did not disgrace our Ming Dynasty. His reputation as a loyal and valiant man must be truly established.”

Xu Yingyuan understood perfectly well, and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. The Earl of Suning... is indeed brave and commendable."

"Posthumously confer upon him the title of Marquis of Suning, and his posthumous name shall be 'Yongyi' (勇毅)," Chongzhen continued. "All funeral rites shall be conducted according to the highest standards for a marquis, a grand and glorious funeral... This matter concerns the reward of meritorious officials and the boosting of morale, so there is no need for discussion within the ministry; it shall be handled by special decree."

He paused for a moment, then said, "As for Wei Daban, reward him with some silver ingots and silk fabrics to commend him for his meritorious service as military commander and his dedication to the country over his family. As for Li Huaixin, Ma Chengen, Liu Yingkun, and those other meritorious soldiers, have the Ministry of War quickly discuss and reward them."

"This servant obeys your command," Xu Yingyuan replied.

Emperor Chongzhen made the decision regarding Wei Liangqing's matter, paused briefly, and lowered his voice: "In addition, you shall draft another imperial edict for me, seal it in a box, and send it directly to Wei Liangqing himself via express courier service."

"Yes, Your Majesty. This servant has remembered." Xu Yingyuan bowed and replied.

Chongzhen's tone carried a hint of sympathy and compassion: "I must tell Wei Daban that Liangqing sacrificed his life for the country, and I feel the same way he does. Posthumously granting him a marquisate and giving him a grand funeral is my way of rewarding a meritorious official, and I also hope it can alleviate his grief. I urge him to take care of himself and find some solace in his loss. The Ming Dynasty and the nation still need a wise and capable minister like him by my side."

He paused again after saying this: "It is precisely because we rely on him that we have more important matters to entrust to him. The military affairs of Datong will be temporarily handled by Yuan Chonghuan and Li Huaixin."

“That traitor Dai Fan has colluded with the enemy and plotted rebellion. The evidence against him is conclusive. I have decided to abolish his hereditary title and imprison him in the high walls of Fengyang to uphold the law of the court.”

"These traitors are a matter of national honor for the imperial family. I am uneasy if they remain in Shanxi for long."

"Have Wei Daban handle the handover immediately, personally select capable personnel, and escort the Dai family south to Fengyang."

"This journey...we could stop in Luoyang, let him see the prosperity of the Central Plains, witness the majesty of a proper vassal king, and perhaps reflect on his own sins."

Finally, Emperor Chongzhen's words were profound: "This is both my family matter and a matter of state. I can only rest assured if I entrust it to the Grand Eunuch. And also..."

Emperor Chongzhen gave a long explanation before finally saying, "Xu Banban, remember, the matter of the imperial edict must not be known to anyone else."

"This servant understands! I will deliver it sealed and without missing a single word!" Xu Yingyuan replied, while thinking to himself: The Emperor specifically requested that the rebels stay in Luoyang... I hope nothing goes wrong in Luoyang.

"Furthermore," Chongzhen said, picking up another official document, his tone suddenly turning cold, "the joint trial of Zhu Chunchen by the three judicial departments should also have a result. He instigated the Xuanfu mutiny and secretly colluded with the Mongol chieftains; the evidence is conclusive, and there is no room for argument. Tell the Ministry of Justice not to delay any longer, to draft the charges as soon as possible, and to submit them to me for a decision. This case should end with him personally and should not be expanded."

Xu Yingyuan's heart tightened. The emperor had made his decision and drawn the line. Zhu Chunchen was doomed, but the case would end there... If they investigated further and uncovered something else, things would be difficult to handle.

He hurriedly replied, "This servant understands, I will go and convey the message immediately."

After dealing with these two old matters, Chongzhen picked up Yuan Chonghuan's secret letter, and his eyes sharpened again.

"Governor-General of the Southern Desert? And add the title of Prince Zhongshun?" He looked at Yuan Chonghuan's suggestion, shook his head, and handed the secret letter to Niu Jinxing below. "Jinxing, take a look too. In your opinion, can the price Yuan Chonghuan offered fill Huduntu's stomach? Can it outweigh the empty title of 'Great Yuan Khan' that Huang Taiji promised him?"

Niu Jinxing took it with both hands, quickly glanced at it, thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, according to Governor Yuan, perhaps he wants to seek stability first, to temporarily appease Lindan Khan and prevent him from completely siding with the Jurchens."

“We can’t hold him back.” Chongzhen said decisively, grabbing a jade-bone fan from the table, opening it with a “whoosh,” and fanning himself vigorously a few times. “If we give him too little, he’ll feel humiliated, which will only force him to be determined to follow the Jurchens. If we’re going to give him something, we have to give him something big, something that he’ll be reluctant to part with, yet won’t dare to disbelieve!” He stood up and paced back and forth behind his desk, the fan whirring loudly.

"Draft an edict for Yuan Chonghuan. Tell him that I have granted Huduntu Khan the title of 'Prince of Chahar,' hereditary and without fail, and bestowed upon him a golden seal. In addition, I will give him the post of 'General-in-Chief of Military Affairs of Southern Mongolia.' Tell him that this is the highest price I can offer. If he knows what's good for him, he can use this title to win over his followers, and I will open the horse market to give him a way to survive. If he still doesn't know what's good for him..."

Emperor Chongzhen stopped in his tracks, snapped his fan shut, and his voice turned cold: "...Let Yuan Chonghuan reorganize his troops and prepare for another battle. Wherever the Heavenly Army goes, there will be no mercy! What I can give him, I can take back!"

Niu Jinxing was startled. A prince! Military governor! This reward was almost unprecedented, far exceeding the usual rules for treating vassal states. He thought to himself that Hudun Tu Khan, that ambitious fool, would most likely not accept it; these two empty titles from His Majesty were at most just a way for him to experience the "sincerity" of the Ming emperor.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Niu Jinxing responded and walked back to his small desk to begin drafting a secret edict for Chongzhen to Yuan Chonghuan. The matter of making empty promises to Hudun Tuhan could not be discussed in court, otherwise the matter would be ruined by those censors before it even got done.

Soon, Niu Jinxing presented the draft imperial edict to Emperor Chongzhen.

Emperor Chongzhen took it and read it once, then picked up a secret letter, which was sent from Fujian by the Imperial Censor Zhou Yingqiu.

As he looked at it, his brows furrowed slightly, and the fan in his hand unconsciously slowed down.

The secret letter said that Zheng Yiguan really wanted to become an official! He was also willing to spend money, and the price was negotiable. But this guy had probably been burned before, so he wanted to pay money and get the official certificate in return—it wasn't that he was unwilling to spend tens of thousands of taels of silver to go through the proper channels, but he had difficulty coming up with hundreds of thousands or millions of taels at once, and he also had reservations about bypassing those "middlemen" and trading directly with the court.

"Hmph." Chongzhen sneered, tossing the secret letter onto the table. "Are you afraid the money will go down the drain? Afraid I'll go back on my word? Or are you afraid some people... don't want me to receive this military pay at all?"

Niu Jinxing lowered his head, not daring to respond. The situation in the southeast was complex and murky.

Seeing that Niu Jinxing remained silent, Chongzhen began to miss Yang Sichang. Niu Jinxing had served as an official for a short time and was a "first-generation official," so he didn't understand the intricacies of officialdom as well as Yang Sichang.

After pondering for a while, a glint of light flashed in Chongzhen's eyes. He walked to the huge map of the vast land again, his gaze sweeping over Liaodong and stopping at a small island on the west side of the Korean Peninsula.

"Niu Jinxing, draft another secret edict for Zhou Yingqiu."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

“Tell Zheng Yiguan,” Chongzhen carefully chose his words, “that my words are more substantial than official correspondence. Doesn’t he want the court’s sincerity? I will give him a legitimate and honorable way to do so!”

"Your Majesty is wise." Niu Jinxing quickly laid out the paper and dipped it in ink.

"Right now, the Eastern barbarians have invaded Korea, and King Yi has taken refuge on Ganghwa Island. This is the time for loyal and righteous people to serve their country. I have heard that King Yi of Korea intends to sell Jeju Island, which belongs to their territory, in exchange for a large sum of money to fight against the slaves and save the country."

Emperor Chongzhen paused, his tone becoming increasingly persuasive, "I have heard that Zheng Yiguan has always been loyal and righteous, and that he is also very wealthy, with an elite fleet under his command. Order him to immediately prepare one million taels worth of grain, weapons, and gunpowder, and transport them swiftly to Ganghwa Island as aid to Korea and a reward for our Ming troops entering Korea. This is a timely and righteous act, and the credit will go to the nation!"

Niu Jinxing kept writing, and he roughly understood the emperor's plan.

Emperor Chongzhen paused for a moment, then continued, “Once this batch of provisions and military equipment arrives on the island, King Joseon of Joseon will hand over Jeju Island to the Zheng family. The island will then belong to the Zheng family, and I can vouch for this deal. After the Zheng family takes over Jeju Island, I will discuss with them the matter of leading Jeju Island to submit to the court and become a vassal state… At that time, Zheng Yiguan will be able to become a prince of the Ming Dynasty, just like King Joseon of Joseon and King Sang of Ryukyu.”

"Wonderful, Your Majesty!" Niu Jinxing couldn't help but exclaim in praise upon hearing this.

This was a brilliant move! They transformed what appeared to be a blatant act of buying and selling official positions into a righteous act of "contributing funds to aid the nation." The court not only secured substantial military supplies (which would ultimately be used on the front lines against the Qing), preserving its dignity, but also traded a desolate island in Korea for the allegiance of Zheng Zhilong's powerful navy and absolute control over the Korean and Liaodong waters. The Zheng family's navy was a truly formidable force at sea, braving wind and rain, charging tolls, and engaging in armed smuggling—they couldn't have been that ruthless without considerable skill. If Jeju Island had fallen to the Zheng family, they would have had to maintain an armed fleet in Korean waters, ensuring logistical support for the three battlefields of western and southern Liaoning and Korea.

For the Zheng family, providing food, equipment, and ammunition to the three battlefields of Liaoxi, Liaonan, and Korea was another big deal. Moreover, they also had the opportunity to obtain official positions and a status equivalent to that of the King of Ryukyu and the King of Korea by providing logistics for the Ming army!

A confident smile appeared on Chongzhen's lips: "Go and write it down. Tell Zhou Yingqiu to make things clear to Zheng Yiguan. What lies before us is the foundation of Jeju Island, and what lies ahead is the honor of a prince. Let him see clearly that following me and serving the Ming Dynasty will lead to a much brighter future than if he were to make his own way at sea!"

"Oh, right, add one more sentence at the end of the secret edict." Chongzhen tapped his palm lightly with the bone of his fan and said casually, "'I have also heard that there is a wealthy merchant named Liu Xiang in the South China Sea who is quite enthusiastic about national affairs and often laments that he wants to serve the court but cannot find a way.'"

Niu Jinxing was about to put down his pen when he heard these words. His wrist paused slightly, and his mind suddenly cleared. This was going to be a "two thieves (pirates) competing for food"!

Seeing Niu Jinxing's reaction, Chongzhen said in his usual calm tone, "Tell Zheng Yiguan the same thing, exactly as it was said."

(End of this chapter)