How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 274 Bringing a Bear into the House and the Outsider Master Who Can Kill!
The wind in the northern desert was like a knife, howling and whistling through the tents. In the Chechen Khan's winter camp, however, a warm charcoal brazier burned in Haug's large tent. The great prince sat on a wolfskin chair, his face darker than the sky outside. Fan Wencheng stood beside him, hands tucked into his sleeves, his brows furrowed tightly. The Russian man named Ivan lay slumped in the middle of the tent, blood seeping from the bandage on his right leg, his face as white as snow.

"Interrogate!" Haug raised his chin impatiently.

Fan Wencheng cleared his throat and gestured to the interpreter beside him who understood Russian (he was from the Chechen Khanate). The interpreter rattled off a series of questions, and Ivan, panting heavily, replied in broken Mongolian mixed with Russian: "Tobolsk...fortress...finding the trade route to the Khitan..."

Hauge scoffed, thinking that this red-bearded man was nothing special, only interested in making money off the Ming Dynasty.

Fan Wencheng leaned forward, his eyes sharp, and asked, "Ask him, which Khan governs Tobolsk? How many troops does it have?"

The interpreter asked again. Ivan suddenly struggled to sit up, a strange smug look on his face: "Sweat? No sweat! That's the outpost of His Majesty Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich of All Rus'! There are hundreds of musketeers and cannons inside!"

"The Tsar? All of Rus'?" Hauge was stunned and looked at Fan Wencheng. Fan Wencheng remained calm and gestured for the interpreter to continue asking.

The only sounds in the tent were the crackling of the charcoal fire and the interpreter's narration. Ivan spoke haltingly, saying that the Tsar's territory stretched from the western sea to the eastern sea, a journey that would take a whole year on horseback; that it wasn't a nomadic khanate, but that the people in the cities knew how to farm and manufacture firearms and cannons; and that the Tsar's soldiers, lined up with guns and pushing cannons, attacked cities, destroying countless khanates and duchies.

With each sentence, Fan Wencheng's face darkened further. Hauge unconsciously sat up straight, gripping his knees tightly with both hands.

The tent was warm, but Haug felt a chill run down his spine. He had thought dealing with a few Rakshasa spies was just like going hunting. Now he realized he had encountered a giant bear he had never seen before in the northern forest!

After the interpreter finished speaking, the tent fell into a deathly silence. Hauge stared at Ivan on the ground, as if seeing the man clearly for the first time. Fan Wencheng's eyelids were lowered, and a fine layer of sweat covered his forehead.

After a long silence, Fan Wencheng took a deep breath, turned to Hauge, and whispered, "Your Highness... this matter... is serious. This Rakshasa Kingdom is not just an ordinary border threat, but... a major threat!"

Haug gave a heavy "hmm," his cheeks taut.

Fan Wencheng immediately bent down and personally watched the interpreter, repeatedly questioning him about the details, sentence by sentence. The more detailed the questions, the more alarmed he became: not only was the Russian Empire vast in territory, but what was most troublesome was their fighting style—building fortifications, stationing troops, advancing step by step, and possessing formidable firearms. This was very similar to the Ming army's defensive tactics, but even more ruthless!
The Ming army only used this method to defend their homeland, but the Russian Kingdom was able to use it to expand! They expanded for more than 10,000 li, even reaching the backyard of the Jin Dynasty.

The interrogation ended, and Ivan was dragged away. Only the two of them remained in the tent, and even the charcoal fire couldn't dispel the chill.

Hauge stared at the flickering flames, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Mr. Fan... this Rakshasa is vast, populous, and armed with powerful firearms; it is a behemoth. Although our Great Jin is strong, the Southern Dynasty has not yet been destroyed. If the North were to press in again..." He couldn't finish his sentence and slammed his fist heavily on the armrest of the chair.

Fan Wencheng's face was also pale, but his eyes were flashing rapidly, clearly indicating that he was quickly weighing and calculating. He did not reply immediately, but slowly said, "The eldest prince's concerns are very valid. But fear alone is useless; we must think of a solution."

He paced back and forth, then lowered his voice and said, "During the interrogation just now, we got three key points out of them: the Russians want furs and gold and silver; they have powerful enemies to the west and south that are hindering them; and most importantly—they don't know the true strength of the Ming Dynasty, let alone whether it is stronger or weaker than the Southern Dynasty!"

Haug suddenly looked up: "What do you mean, sir?"

"The Rakshasa are hungry wolves." Fan Wencheng's tone became calm, even cold and hard. "Our Great Jin is the first hard bone blocking its path to prey, while the Great Ming is the fatter lamb behind that bone. Should we fight it to the death here, exhausting our national strength and letting the Southern Dynasty reap the benefits? Or... guide it, or even open the door for it, leading it straight to that more tempting prey?"

Silence fell over the tent. Haug's breathing suddenly became heavy, his eyes gleaming: "Luring the wolf to devour the sheep! But how do we prevent the wolf from biting us, the guides?"

"The key to this plan lies in 'control' and 'profit'," Fan Wencheng said confidently, analyzing the situation in detail: "First, we must strictly guard the eastern route. The Changbai Mountains and the Xing'an Mountains are the very foundation of our Great Jin, and not an inch of land can be ceded. We must inform the Russians that this is our exclusive territory, and any contact will result in war! Second, we must open up the northern desert. The Khalkha Mongols have far less water and pasture than our eastern route, and their tribes are disaffected. We can use this as a buffer, or even tacitly allow and guide the Russians to pass through to the south. Third, we can lure them with benefits. We can agree with them to allow their caravans to trade through the routes we tacitly approve to the border of the Great Ming, but we must levy heavy taxes as 'passage fees'. Fourth, we can barter with technology. Our Great Jin can use tax revenue to purchase muskets and cannons from them, or even hire their craftsmen, using their skills to strengthen our army!"

He paused, his tone chilling: "In this way, with my tacit approval, the Russians can directly reach the wealthy border towns of the Southern Dynasty through the harsh conditions of the northern desert. The benefits are enormous, and they will certainly not want to fight to the death with me here. Their military might will naturally be directed towards the wealth of the Central Plains, which seems easier to seize. Once they and the Southern Dynasty are both exhausted, our Great Jin army will be well-trained and well-supplied, and we can reap the benefits!"

"Excellent! What a brilliant plan!" Hauge slammed his fist on the table, his face filled with ruthlessness and satisfaction. "Let's do it this way! Mr. Fan, immediately write a letter to Father Khan detailing this strategy of 'allying with Luo to contain Ming and taking advantage of the situation to strengthen ourselves'! Let those hungry wolves from the north go and gnaw on that tough bone of the Ming Dynasty for us!"

Fan Wencheng bowed and agreed, immediately laying out paper and grinding ink to write a memorial. In the letter, he would first state the strength and threat of Russia, and then elaborate on the four strategies of "guarding the eastern route, releasing the northern desert, drawing southward, and reaping its benefits," arguing that this was a brilliant plan to "turn crisis into opportunity."

After the letter was written, it was carefully sealed with sealing wax. Fan Wencheng summoned several of Hauge's most trusted retainers and ordered them to send the captured Russian muskets, along with the retainers, to Shenyang by horse-drawn sleigh as quickly as possible... Depart immediately!
Inside the Agra Palace, the luxurious scents of sandalwood and rose water filled the air. Shah Jahan leaned against a soft couch, his fingertips unconsciously tapping a large emerald. Aurangzeb stood bowing below, his Persian tutor Mirza Jafar stood at his sides, and the old vizier Asaf Khan stood like a shadow beside the couch.

"Is there truly a princess of the Golden Family under the Ming Emperor's care? And unmarried at that?" Shah Jahan's voice was not loud, but it echoed in the hall. "Your Majesty, it is absolutely true." Aurangzeb's tone was filled with suppressed excitement. "Her name is Sarentuya, the younger sister of the former Mongol Khan, and the aunt of the current Crown Prince Altan. Both aunt and niece are currently under the protection of the Ming Emperor."

Shah Jahan was silent for a moment, then his gaze swept over Mirza Ghafar: "My teacher, what do you think?"

Mirza bowed deeply: “Your Majesty, this matter concerns the fate of the Timurid family. The direct line of the Golden Family is of unparalleled nobility to all the Mongols in the West. Whoever marries this legitimate princess will hold the authority to command the Central Asian steppes and win over numerous Mongol nobles. For a monarch who aspires to restore the glory of Timur’s ancestors…” He paused briefly, giving Aurangzeb a meaningful look, “its value surpasses that of a hundred thousand soldiers.”

These words truly resonated with Aurangzeb. Despite being only thirteen years old, he was an ambitious young man who had already set two great goals: to unify India and to restore the glory of the Timurid Empire.

Marrying a princess from a direct descendant of a golden family as his first wife would greatly help his two major life goals!
Having such a noble wife would greatly increase his appeal to the Mongol lords on the northern Central Asian steppes, which would make it easier for him to import lords from Central Asia!

If that legitimate princess of the Mongol Golden Family could bring him a group of northern gentlemen from the Mongol grasslands, wouldn't it be a piece of cake for him to pacify India in the future?

Because in India, there has long been a saying that "foreign lords are ruthless." Why is this? According to research in India, it's because the foreign lords "cultivated" good things!

Shah Jahan's finger stopped on the gem. He certainly believed that the blood of foreign lords was better, since the Timurid family was also foreign!

Therefore, his biggest goal in life now is to fight back to Central Asia. Not to mention revitalizing the Timurid Empire, he should at least seize a piece of Central Asia's rich lands—that way he can keep importing rich soldiers from Central Asia to kill Indians!

If we could really get our hands on a "pure Mongolian man" from Mongolia, then maybe we could really restore the Timurid Empire!

“A princess from a Golden Family is certainly tempting,” said Prime Minister Asaf Khan, somewhat puzzled, “but why would the Ming Dynasty give us such a precious gift? Wouldn’t the Ming emperor himself accept it?”

As a Persian nobleman serving as prime minister in India, he naturally couldn't understand the concept of "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" and he certainly couldn't believe that the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty could "start with a bowl and have the whole world at his disposal." Therefore, he couldn't understand why Emperor Chongzhen didn't want a princess from the Golden Family and instead sent such a precious child to India.
Shah Jahan grunted in agreement, also unable to understand, and then looked at his son: "Does the Ming Dynasty envoy have any special requests?"

Aurangzeb straightened up and replied, “Your Majesty is wise. The Ming Dynasty envoy Wang Chengen said that the greatest benefit of the marriage alliance is that the three of us—our country, the Ming Dynasty, and the Ottoman Empire—can work together to open a new Silk Road connecting land and sea. He said that this way we can bypass the maritime hegemons like the Netherlands and England and put the lifeline of East-West trade in the hands of our great land power.”

Shah Jahan frowned slightly, a look of bewilderment on his face. "Trade? The Ming emperor... was so poor, yet he was thinking of making money through maritime trade?" His words carried undisguised surprise, even a hint of disdain. "Compared to the wealth of Hindustan, is making such a fuss about earning a few silver dollars by crossing the ocean really worth it?"

In his eyes, the Ming Dynasty's plan was like a dragon eyeing the food of ants, which was really beneath its dignity.

Mirza Ghafar stepped forward at the opportune moment, bowing as he explained, “Your Majesty is unaware of the situation. Portuguese merchants who frequently travel to Macau say that the Ming Dynasty is currently facing difficulties both internally and externally. A new Tatar regime has risen in the northeast, invading the border every year, resulting in a protracted and arduous war that drains the treasury like water. Meanwhile, the interior of the country is suffering from famine, with refugees everywhere. The national treasury must be completely empty. Therefore, any avenue for generating revenue would be a lifeline for the Ming emperor.”

Shah Jahan listened, then slowly nodded, his previous confusion turning into understanding, tinged with a hint of condescending pity. "So that's how it is… they're short of money for war and disaster relief." He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, his tone more casual. "Since they're in such a hurry, it's just a piece of cake for us. Giving them some leeway in the trading ports, helping them establish connections with the Ottomans—it's not difficult at all." He waved his hand, as if discussing a trivial matter. "This matter, Aurangzeb, is left to you and Mirza to handle. Consider it giving the Ming emperor some face."

"Your subject obeys!" Aurangzeb quickly agreed, secretly pleased that his father had entrusted him with this task, which meant he could now manage more affairs.

Shah Jahan then turned to the important matter he was truly concerned about, his eyes sharpening as he looked at Mirza: "But that princess of the Golden Family... this concerns the face of the empire and the grand plan for Central Asia, it is by no means a trivial matter. We must verify the authenticity of her bloodline, there can be no ambiguity whatsoever."

Mirza understood and replied, “Your Majesty is wise. I think we should quickly send a capable delegation to Beijing under the pretext of thanking the Ming Dynasty and sending generous gifts to Prince Altan and his niece, to see the situation clearly. The delegation should include a scholar well-versed in Mongolian studies to investigate her family background, as well as someone knowledgeable in worldly affairs to carefully examine the current state of the Ming Dynasty.”

At this moment, Aurangzeb seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and said earnestly and firmly, “Father! If the princess’s lineage is truly genuine, I beg you to allow me to marry Sarentuya and make her my first lady! With this title, not only can we stabilize the northern frontier, but we can also use her prestige to help Father manage Central Asia and restore the glory of our ancestors, Timur!”

Shah Jahan looked at his son, who had volunteered, a complex expression of approval flashing in his eyes. He pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Hmm... if the princess truly lives up to her reputation, it would be an excellent choice for you to marry her. If this matter succeeds, it will be of great benefit to both the country and you." This was considered an agreement in principle to Aurangzeb's request.

"Thank you for your grace, Father!" Aurangzeb suppressed his overwhelming joy and bowed deeply.

Shah Jahan then looked at Mirza, who seemed to have plenty of money: "Mirza, the selection of the delegation and the preparation of gifts are all your responsibility. The procession must be grand, the gifts must be substantial, and it must reflect the magnificence and wealth of our Hindustan Empire!"

(End of this chapter)