How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 294 Settle accounts with reason and win people over with virtue!
In the back hall of the Xiangyang government office, the doors and windows were tightly shut, even the cracks were stuffed with thick cloth. A few candles cast a yellowish glow, barely illuminating a few gloomy faces.

Tang Hui, the governor of Huguang, sat in the main seat, squinting at a copy of the "Imperial Ming Bulletin." The retired Grand Secretary He Fengsheng sat next to him, his old face drooping, looking as if he were "worried about the people's plight." Below him were six eunuchs in python robes—Wang Yu, the chief eunuch of the Chu Prince's residence; Zhang Cai, the chief eunuch of the Jing Prince's residence; Li Zhongxian, the chief eunuch of the Xiang Prince's residence; Zhao An, the chief eunuch of the Gui Prince's residence; Chen Zheng, the chief eunuch of the Hui Prince's residence; and Huang Bao, the chief eunuch of the Rong Prince's residence. Qian Wenwang, the prefect of Xiangyang, shrank to the last seat, barely daring to breathe, his forehead covered in fine sweat.

The newspaper lay open on the table, and Zhu Siwen's article, "North and South are One Family, Sharing Weal and Woe," was particularly striking.

"Let's discuss this," Tang Hui finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "The Emperor... this time he's going to uproot us."

He Fengsheng slowly raised his eyelids, but did not reply. He simply took out a book of Jiangxi's taxes and levies and placed it on the table.

Tang Hui took a breath and then gave the prefect of Xiangyang a wink.

The latter picked up a booklet from Jiangxi, tracing the numbers with his fingers, moving slower and slower, occasionally counting on his fingers.

After a long while, Qian Wenwang finally exhaled a heavy breath, looked up at everyone, and his face was ashen.

"The accounts... are settled."

He pointed to the number he had just calculated on the paper, his voice trembling: "If we really follow the standard per mu in Jiangxi, our 220 million mu of land in Huguang would have an annual tax of not just 700,000 taels, but... more than 4.7 million taels!"

"How much?" Wang Yu asked in a shrill voice, his eyes wide open.

"Four million seven hundred thousand... taels?" Zhang Cai's teacup wobbled, and tea spilled out.

Li Zhongxian didn't say a word, his face turning completely white in an instant.

Qian Wenwang ignored them and continued, "It's not over yet. Jiangxi's grain transport quota is 570,000 shi. According to this ratio, our Huguang quota is not 250,000 shi, but 1.7 million shi!"

The governor of Huguang swallowed hard and added, "This is only based on the tax rate of Jiangxi. If it were based on the tax rate of Southern Zhili, it would at least double!"

“Governor, there’s something even more critical: the ‘reform of the tax system’!” Qian Wenwang whispered a reminder. “Right now, what the Emperor needs most isn’t silver, but grain. If the Emperor wants to collect grain in kind, the land tax quota for Jiangxi is 2.66 million shi, and our Huguang region will have to pay 8 million shi! Add to that the additional Liaodong tax, which is 9 li per mu, and that’s another 2 million taels of silver!”

He looked around at the pale faces: "Rice prices in Huguang are now almost two taels per shi. This eight million shi of grain is equivalent to sixteen million taels! Adding the additional levies, it's nearly twenty million taels! How many times more than what we're actually paying? If the Emperor wants Huguang to pay according to the standards of Southern Zhili, then... then... then..."

He can't even speak properly anymore!
Inside the room, Wang Yu was panting heavily, Zhang Cai's fingers were trembling, Li Zhongxian's eyes were blank, and Zhao An, Chen Zheng, and Huang Bao were all sweating profusely. Behind them were the princes of Huguang, whose mansions owned countless fields, all of which were subject to taxes under Chongzhen's new policies! If this knife were to fall, they would be the first to bleed.

"Lord He! Governor Tang!" Wang Yu cried out, his voice trembling with sobs, "We have to think of a way! We absolutely cannot let him get away with this!"

He Fengsheng finally coughed, and everyone's eyes turned to him.

"What's the panic?" His voice was calm, but icy. "If the Emperor wants to settle accounts, we'll settle them with him. But we'll be the ones to set the abacus beads."

He curled his fingers, one by one, slowly and deliberately:

"The first thing to do is to cry poverty and report disasters. This summer and autumn, the water levels in the Yangtze and Han Rivers and Dongting Lakes were quite high, weren't they? Report it as a once-in-fifty-years, no, a once-in-five-hundred-years flood! At least 50%, no, 60% of the farmland was flooded! There was no harvest, and millions of people starved! If taxes are increased at this time, it will be seen as officials forcing the people to rebel!"

The prefect of Xiangyang quickly replied, "Absolutely! I will order all counties to investigate this matter thoroughly tomorrow, and all documents... will be revised to be more drastic."

"Secondly, the soil is infertile," He Fengsheng continued. "'When Hubei and Hunan are prosperous, the whole country is well-fed'? That's ancient history! In recent years, there have been many floods, and the soil is no longer fertile. The yield per mu is less than 30% of that in Jiangxi! If we harvest according to Jiangxi's standards, it's like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Next year, the people will have to flee famine, and the land will have to be left uncultivated!"

Tang Hui nodded: "This matter is important. Have the Provincial Administration Commission issue a detailed report explaining that the fertility of Huguang is 'hyperplastic' but actually barren."

“The third issue is the arduous nature of the grain transport,” He Fengsheng said. “Just look at the old grain transport boats; the waterways of the Xiang River, Han River, and Yangtze River are difficult to navigate. 250,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) is already the limit. If we increase it to 1.7 million shi, the grain transport will immediately collapse, and the capital will run out of food. Who can bear the consequences of that?” He then looked at the six high-ranking officials in Huguang and said, “You should also tell the higher-ups about this.”

Wang Yu, the eldest of the six eunuchs, immediately nodded: "I will go back and inform the Prince, so that the Prince can personally plead with His Majesty."

"The fourth thing is fundamental: invoke the 'perpetual system'!" He Fengsheng's voice suddenly became stern. "The tax and grain transport quotas in Huguang are ancestral systems established by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu! How can later generations lightly change them? If Your Majesty insists on changing them, you are shaking the foundation of the country! As your subjects, we would rather die than obey the edict!"

These words were like a reassuring pill, calming everyone down.

Li Zhongxian added menacingly, "Lord He is right. And... we can't just stand by and take the beatings. The Emperor has people from Huguang around him; our fellow townsmen in the capital and Nanjing must also mobilize. Let the rumors of this 'taxation and oppression of the people' spread! Ideally... we should have a few 'stubborn' officials submit a memorial to resign, threatening suicide to remonstrate! Let's see if the Emperor is afraid of bearing the infamy of 'forcing loyal ministers to their deaths'!" Zhang Cai also lowered his voice, "The students and scholars of each county can also 'speak out for justice.' Students from Huguang value integrity; how can they sit idly by and watch their hometown be exploited?"

The secret meeting went on until late into the night. A set of "soft resistance" tactics was set: politically, they would raise the banner of "ancestral system" and launch public criticism; administratively, they would exaggerate the disaster and create trouble; economically, they would exaggerate the collapse and frighten the court; if pushed too far, they would incite public resentment and escalate the situation.

Finally, He Fengsheng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark night outside.

"His Majesty's main force is almost here. Gentlemen, be alert. Right here in Xiangyang, we'll settle this... messy debt with His Majesty over Huguang!"

……

A few days later, on the official road north of Fancheng, a dark mass of people knelt on the ground.

The six princes—King of Chu, King of Jing, King of Xiang, King of Gui, King of Hui, and King of Rong—stood at the forefront, dressed in their formal princely robes. Behind them were Governor Tang Hui, General Xu Ziqiang, retired Grand Secretary He Fengsheng, and officials of all ranks from the three provincial governments of Huguang. Banners and ceremonial guards were arrayed, and the music troupe was ready, awaiting the emperor's arrival.

The sun rose higher, and the autumn heat was making people dizzy. Sweat beaded on the foreheads of the princes, and the backs of the officials' robes were soaked. There was a slight commotion in the ranks, and many people secretly stretched their legs that had gone numb from standing.

Tang Hui and He Fengsheng exchanged a glance, both seeing the composure in each other's eyes. The score was settled, the countermeasures were in place, and they felt confident.

Suddenly, General Xu Ziqiang, who was standing at the rear of the formation, straightened up slightly and listened intently to the sounds. He was a soldier by training, and his hearing was exceptional.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered to the officer beside him.

The general shook his head blankly.

Xu Ziqiang's expression turned serious. In the distance, a muffled thunder-like sound could be faintly heard, not from the sky, but from the ground. Immediately afterward, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly, the tremors growing more and more noticeable.

The King of Chu, kneeling in front, also sensed it and shifted his obese body uneasily.

At that moment, everyone heard it. The muffled thunder turned into rolling thunder, continuous and relentless, pressing in from the end of the official road to the north.

On the horizon, first appeared the emperor's banner, a bright yellow one embroidered with a golden dragon. Immediately following were several rows of cavalrymen in full armor, both men and horses clad in bright red cloth-covered iron armor, their breastplates reflecting a blinding, cold light in the autumn sun.

The murmurs in the group instantly disappeared.

Behind the cavalry were even more cavalry, followed by an endless array of infantry. The soldiers were all clad in red cloth-covered iron armor, with iron arm guards and helmets adorned with red tassels; from a distance, they resembled a moving cloud of fire. Scattered among the ranks were numerous artillery carts pulled by pack horses and mules. The cannons were covered with oilcloth, but their thick, long outlines were clearly visible—some were long bronze cannons weighing six or four jin, while others were short and stout general cannons weighing three hundred jin.

There was no commotion, only the sound of footsteps. The sound of thousands of people marching as one, mixed with the rustling of armor plates and the muffled thud of cannon wheels rolling over the road, resonated deeply in everyone's hearts. Banners stretched out one after another, spears stood like a forest, swords and shields like a sea, and the muskets on the shoulders of the musketeers gleamed darkly in the sunlight, their muzzles densely packed, seemingly endless. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that soldiers carrying muskets made up more than three or four tenths of the total.

The army drew closer, and the faces of the soldiers at the front became clear. Young, dark-skinned, expressionless, their eyes fixed straight ahead, exuding a battle-hardened aura. The only sounds in the ranks were the officers' short, sharp commands; nothing else could be heard.

The kneeling welcoming procession fell completely silent. The princes stood with their mouths agape, forgetting to wipe their sweat. The officials lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer. The pressure from the silent military bearing and the menacing firearms was far greater than the deafening sound of gongs and drums, making it hard to breathe.

Tang Hui felt his palms were ice-cold. What was His Majesty going to do? He Fengsheng, who had been half-closing his eyes, opened them completely, looking at the torrent of iron and fire, his lips pressed into a straight line.

Xu Ziqiang clenched his fists tightly. As a military commander, he knew more about the situation than the civil officials. This imperial guard, with its bright armor, superior firearms, and disciplined marching, was more than ten times better than his own poorly dressed soldiers who were causing trouble over unpaid wages! The Emperor had brought such soldiers and so many cannons… This was no place for reasoning.
Finally, the emperor's golden carriage, escorted by elite cavalry, slowly made its way to the front of the welcoming procession. Flanking and behind the carriage followed a group of important figures: the Prince of Qin in his princely robes, the young and valiant Prince of Tang, the emperor's "personal endorser," Duke Yansheng Kong Yinzhi, and the Minister of Rites Qian Qianyi, the Vice Minister of War Li Banghua, among others, all with complex expressions. The Grand Eunuch Wei Zhongxian, also mounted on horseback, his sinister gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowd.

Once the carriage came to a stop, the guards lifted the curtain.

Emperor Chongzhen alighted from the carriage, not wearing a dragon robe, but a dark blue military uniform with arrow-sleeved sleeves, covered by a scarlet cloak. He stood on the carriage shaft, his gaze calmly sweeping over the officials and princes kneeling below.

His gaze lingered on He Fengsheng's jade belt, then swept over Tang Hui's tense face, paused behind the fat necks of several vassal kings, and finally swept over the silent, well-equipped army behind him, as well as the imperial family members, meritorious officials, civil officials, and inner court personnel who had accompanied him.

The young emperor had no expression on his face; he simply jumped off the carriage and stepped onto the land of Huguang.

In the wilderness, only the sound of the wind blowing the banners and the suffocating pressure brought by the Imperial New Army, which even Huang Taiji struggled to fight.

(End of this chapter)