How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 307 Although I have no money and no grain, I am going to start a big project!

In the study of the Duke of Wei's mansion, the lights were bright, yet they made people's faces look bluish.

Xu Hongji sat in the armchair, his hand supporting his forehead, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. Below him sat Zheng Sanjun, Zhang Pu, Zhao Zhilong, and several others, even Wu Tianxing, the usually quiet head of the Huizhou merchants, was huddled in the shadows of a corner.

"What a brilliant scheme... truly brilliant scheme!" Xu Hongji suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Using the Duke of England to manage the river transport! That's a resounding slap in the face!"

Zheng Sanjun smiled bitterly: "There's no way to stop him. Zhang Zhiji is a hereditary duke, his rank is what it is. If the emperor uses him, we can't even find a reason to 'favor him'."

"If we can't stop him, then we'll make sure he can't get it done!" Zhang Pu was young and hot-tempered. He slammed his fist on the coffee table, making the teacups clang. "River engineering and canal transport—aren't they all money-devouring beasts? Without money and supplies, the Duke of Yingguo is just an empty shell!"

Wu Tianxing spoke quietly from the shadows: "Mr. Zhang is right. In Nanjing, in the major grain markets of Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou and Zhenjiang, we can still have a few words to say. It's not difficult to muddy the waters."

Xu Hongji's eyes flashed as he looked at Zheng Sanjun: "Minister Zheng, you're in charge of money and supplies. Is Zu Dashou about to run out of food in Liaoxi?"

Zheng Sanjun was taken aback for a moment, then understood: "What the Duke means is..."

"Add fuel to the fire!" Xu Hongji's voice turned cold. "In the name of the Ministry of Revenue, issue a document to all prefectures and counties, saying that the military situation in Liaoxi is urgent and the court is urgently requesting the transport of grain to the north, so that everyone can prepare! I will also have my familiar grain merchants spread the word that the north is facing a severe grain shortage, and that there may not be a single grain left this year! First, raise the grain prices in Jiangning and Suzhou!"

Wu Tianxing nodded immediately: "That's easy. Once the market is in chaos, people will panic. Grain prices will skyrocket, let's see how they manage to stabilize them!"

“Raising prices alone isn’t enough,” Zhao Zhilong said in a low voice. “The number of refugees in Huaibei is increasing. I think we should… open the floodgates a little wider and let them all come to Nanjing. Doesn’t the Emperor want to save the people? Let him do it! Let’s see how much grain he can conjure up to fill this bottomless pit!”

Zhang Pu sneered: "Fine! I'll have the students of the Fushe Society start writing right now. They'll write about the soldiers in western Liaoning suffering from hunger and cold, and about the soaring grain prices and widespread poverty in Nanjing! Let the whole world see the chaos this 'new policy' has created!"

Several treacherous schemes were devised in the secret room. Xu Hongji let out a long breath, but his face showed no sign of relief.

"Remember, we're not going to stand our ground now; we're going to let him know how difficult things are for Southern Zhili. If we want to stabilize the situation, we have to rely on him!"

The people inside looked at each other and nodded. But they all knew in their hearts that once the fire was lit, it would be out of their control.

……

The Forbidden City in Nanjing, the Hall of Literary Glory. Night had fallen.

Emperor Chongzhen was having a meeting with Zhang Zhiji, Lu Jiude, Wei Zhongxian, the Prince of Qin, and the Duke of Yansheng. Li Guo and Gao Yigong, along with guards, stood watch outside, preventing unauthorized personnel from approaching.

Only a few lamps were lit in the hall, casting a yellowish glow that made people's faces appear to be indistinctly lit or shadowed.

"Tell me about it," Chongzhen said with a wry smile. "This job in Southern Zhili is difficult. It's ten times more difficult than in Huguang."

None of them responded immediately. They all understood the difficulties. The sheer number of disaster victims they had seen when they entered the city during the day was overwhelming; even just accommodating them was beyond the capacity of the Hubei and Hunan regions.

Moreover, Huguang was a province, and most of its officials were from the north, whose hometowns had suffered disasters. When the emperor went to Huguang to procure grain for disaster relief, they were loyal to the court. But Nanjing was the capital! Serving as an official here meant being a capital official, not subject to the restrictions of "serving in a different region." After the emperor ascended the throne, he heavily relied on northerners. Since the Six Ministries in Beijing were mostly composed of northerners, the Six Ministries in Nanjing were naturally mostly composed of southerners, and many of them were from Southern Zhili.

As a result, the officials in Nanjing and the local gentry became very close, not to mention the nobles left behind by Zhu Yuanzhang!

"It may be difficult, but it must be done." Chongzhen turned around and glanced at them. "I called you here today for three reasons. First, don't be afraid of difficulties. Second, you must be able to endure. Third, you must grasp the key points."

He walked up to Zhang Zhiji and said, "Zhiji, you're the Premier of the Hebei Provincial Transportation Commission, you're under the most pressure. Aren't you afraid?"

Zhang Zhiji quickly bowed and said, "Your subject would gladly die for you!"

“It’s no use just to be fearless.” Chongzhen waved his hand. “We need to have a solid foundation. Where does our foundation lie?” He pointed west. “In Huguang! Hong Hengjiu and Hou Ruogu have established a foothold for us there! The grain from Huguang is our foundation! As long as the 20,000 Imperial Guards are here, the grain from Huguang can flow down the Yangtze River, and Nanjing will not fall into chaos!”

He paused, looking at everyone: "This is what I mean by 'not afraid of difficulties.' With soldiers and provisions, we have nothing to fear."

Lu Jiude asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, what does 'endure' mean...?"

"I'm not leaving," Chongzhen's voice deepened. "I'll stay in Nanjing and keep an eye on them. If they try to trip me up while I'm here, they won't be targeting you, Duke of Ying, or you, Grand Eunuch Lu, but me, the Emperor! If they use any underhanded tactics against me, it's treason!"

He turned his gaze to the Prince of Qin and the Duke of Yansheng: "Moreover, it's not just me alone. The Prince of Qin is here, the Duke of Yansheng is here, the Prince of Chu and the Prince of Xiang have also come. The Prince of Fu arrived in Fujian even earlier! And there are our Princes in Yangzhou, Songjiang, and others."

We represent the Ming imperial family, the lineage of Confucius. Those local bullies are inferior in status! They only dare to engage in petty schemes behind the scenes! Even when they resort to tricks, they are timid and hesitant… They will never achieve anything great!

Emperor Chongzhen walked back to the map and pressed his finger heavily on the marshland where the Yellow River and the Huai River meet.

"Finally, we need to grasp the key point! The Southern Zhili Treasury Office is too much of a hindrance and can't be touched, but that's alright. With the River Transport Office as our backing, that's enough." He took a deep breath, as if he had made a tremendous decision.

"Because I intend to use this plaque to accomplish a great undertaking. A great undertaking that will gather the wealth and manpower of the entire nation, an undertaking whose merit will last for generations..."

The hall fell silent immediately.

"I, the Emperor, will eradicate the scourge of the Yellow River diverting the Huai River! I will allow the Yellow River to flow into the sea through a newly opened channel, and let the Huai River flow into the sea on its own! From now on, the Yellow and Huai Rivers will be separated, and the Yellow River's silt will no longer raise the Huai River's riverbed, allowing Huaibei and Xuzhou to once again become fertile land for grain production!"

Upon hearing this, even Wei Zhongxian abruptly raised his head. Zhang Zhiji gasped in shock.

To completely control the Yellow River? How many emperors throughout history dared to even consider such a thing? And how many actually succeeded?
Seeing the astonishment on their faces, Chongzhen's tone calmed down: "The project is massive. The difficulties are even greater. But this is a calculated move. Under the guise of flood control, we will seize control of the money, grain, and manpower. If the project succeeds, the floods will be quelled, and the people will praise us, and we will be firmly established. If the project fails, as long as the project continues and the money, grain, and manpower are in our hands, they will always be in trouble!"

He looked at Zhang Zhiji: "Duke of Yingguo, you can't handle this project by yourself, but I have a way! So, you just need to hold onto your position as the Minister of Water Transport and be a 'Three-Decrees Minister'!"

This project, to put it bluntly, was simply digging a ditch over two hundred miles long to separate the Yellow River and the Huai River. For Zhang Zhiji, this was a monumental undertaking, a game-changing event. But for Zhu Siwen, who had risen to the rank of deputy director in Handong, it was merely a matter of moving twenty or thirty million cubic meters of earth…

Chongzhen then looked at the Prince of Qin and the Duke of Yansheng: "Prince of Qin, Duke of Yansheng, we need your help to pacify the local areas and connect with the gentry."

Finally, his gaze swept over everyone: "Remember, we didn't come to the Southeast to fight. We're here to accomplish a great undertaking that benefits the present and future generations. There will be no shortage of difficulties and obstacles. But this matter must be accomplished!"

……

The following morning, in the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City in Nanjing.

Officials from Beijing and Nanjing of the fifth rank and above who had accompanied Emperor Chongzhen on his southern tour gathered, dressed in scarlet robes and jade belts, and lined up on both sides. Emperor Chongzhen on his throne appeared calm, while Xu Hongji, Zheng Sanjun, and others stood at the front of the procession with their heads bowed, eyes downcast and seemingly lost in thought.

After a brief ceremony, Chongzhen did not give the censors a chance to make a fuss and went straight to the point.

"I have summoned you all today for one matter." Emperor Chongzhen's clear voice echoed in the hall. "The Huai River is flooding, the Yellow River is causing frequent floods, people are being displaced, and the Grand Canal is disrupted. This is a major concern for me, and it is also a matter of national survival."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials before settling on the vast marshland depicted on a huge map spread across the floor tiles of the main hall.

"My mind is made up. From this day forward, the General Office of the Yellow River and the State Administration of Waterways shall take overall charge and mobilize the resources of Southern Zhili to carry out the massive project of 'Diverting the Yellow River and the Huai River.' A new channel of the Yellow River, more than two hundred miles long, shall be opened, allowing it to flow directly eastward into the sea, thus permanently eliminating the threat of the Huai River being diverted! The Huai River shall once again form its own system and flow safely into the sea. This will relieve the suffering of the people and strengthen the foundation of the southeast."

The imperial decree caused an uproar throughout the hall!

Although some had vaguely guessed it, hearing firsthand that the emperor was going to dedicate the entire nation's resources to this project, a daunting undertaking for emperors throughout history, still left them utterly shocked. Xu Hongji and Zheng Sanjun exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of smugness in it. The larger the project, the greater the cost, the higher the chance of failure, and the more opportunities they had.

Amidst the whispers, Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand and pressed down.

"I know this is a massive undertaking that cannot be accomplished overnight. However, for the sake of our descendants and for the sake of our nation, this is a necessary task. I hope that all my officials will work together with one heart and one mind."

As was customary, officials should have stepped forward to receive the imperial decree and offer their praises at this time. However, before Duke Zhang Zhiji of England and others could step forward, a figure rushed out from the end of the Ministry of Works' ranks and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty's benevolent heart is boundless, and you wish to relieve the people from their suffering. We, your subjects, are deeply moved and weep with gratitude!"

Everyone looked over and saw Shen Shiliang, the Assistant Director of the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works in Nanjing. He came from a family with a long tradition of scholarship and had been studying water conservancy for generations. He was upright and honest and was known as the "River Obsessed" in the department. However, because he was not good at currying favor, he was still only a fifth-rank official.

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze sharpened slightly: "What do you have to say?"

Shen Shiliang raised his head, his face flushed with excitement and panic, but his eyes were firm: "Your Majesty... I dare to ask, there is something I do not understand, and I beg Your Majesty's wise judgment!"

"speak."

"Your Majesty! Even if a new channel is opened in the Yellow River to direct its main force eastward, the Grand Canal is vital to the nation's survival and must not be abandoned! To safeguard the Grand Canal, after the Yellow River is diverted to the sea, the Grand Canal will inevitably intersect with it. As a result, the large amount of silt carried by the Yellow River will continue to flow through the Grand Canal and into the Huai River! Even worse, a large amount of Yellow River silt will flow into the Grand Canal, and within a few years, the canal channel may become silted up!"

He got more and more excited as he spoke: "Your Majesty is wise, this is moving sand, not controlling it! The Huai River will still silt up year by year, it will only shift the problem of the Yellow River to the Huai River and alleviate the crisis for a few years! And the silting up of the Grand Canal will cause the grain transport to be interrupted, it is a losing proposition and should never be promoted!"

These words truly shocked the entire hall!
Xu Hongji and the others were stunned at first, then their eyes lit up with ecstasy! They had only thought of opposing the project from the perspectives of money, food, and public sentiment, but they had not expected such a fatal flaw in the technology! Shen Shiliang's words were like a sharp knife being handed to them! Even Zheng Sanjun couldn't help but nod slightly, his gaze towards Shen Shiliang filled with "unexpected joy".

Zhang Zhiji, Lu Jiude, and the others' expressions changed drastically. If that were truly the case, wouldn't this project become a colossal joke?
All eyes in the hall instantly focused on the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty sitting on the throne.

(End of this chapter)