How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 309 Water Can Carry a Boat—Petition Group of Disaster Victims in Huaibei
Before dawn, Nanjing was still shrouded in a gray, damp atmosphere.

Several men dressed in ordinary prison gowns quietly slipped into the messy shack area outside Jubao Gate in the south of the city.

The shack was packed with people. They were all refugees who had fled from Jiangbei, and they lay there listlessly, their eyes sunken from hunger.

"Have you heard?" A man approached a group of disaster victims and whispered, "The Emperor is about to do something big!"

No one ignored him.

The man wasn't annoyed. He took out a cold steamed bun from his pocket, broke it open, and handed it to a child next to him who was staring at it longingly.

"What's the big deal?" the child's father finally asked in a hoarse voice.

"Control the river!" the man exclaimed, his eyes wide. "The Emperor has said that a new channel will be opened in the Yellow River so that it flows directly into the sea! We'll never again have the people of Huaibei, Xuzhou, and Fengyang suffer from floods!"

These words were like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, creating ripples.

Several heads peeked out from the shed next door.

"Really? Will it work?"

"Why not?" another man chimed in, his voice also low. "The Emperor truly cares for us common people. But you know, some people aren't happy about this good thing!"

"Who wouldn't be happy?"

"Who else? Those dukes and ministers in Nanjing!" the man spat. "They've made their fortunes off the Grand Canal! The Emperor's opening of this new canal has threatened their very livelihood! They're plotting something, trying to stop the Emperor and prevent us common people north of the Yangtze River from surviving!"

"They dare!" A commotion arose among the starving disaster victims. Those who are desperate hate those who extinguish their hope most.

“What’s the use of just shouting?” The man stood up, patted his backside, and said, “The Emperor is wise, but he can’t stop those old men from making things difficult for us! If we want to have food to eat and land to cultivate, we have to let the Emperor know that we are looking forward to this new river!”

"How can we let the Emperor know?"

"Go petition!" the man waved his hand. "Go to the gates of the imperial city, to the gates of those high-ranking officials! Shout 'We beg the Emperor to have mercy and quickly divert the Yellow River and Huai River!' Shout 'Save Huaibei! Save Xuzhou! Save Fengyang!' They've said that we are the water, and the Emperor is the boat. The more water there is, the more stable the boat will be! Besides, we're not just water for free! We get two copper coins a day, plus two full meals a day, steamed buns and thin porridge!"

These words were like igniting dry tinder.

A starving person can unleash amazing strength as long as they have enough steamed buns and thin porridge, not to mention that they need twenty copper coins a day!

"Yes! Let's go petition!"

"We need to get an explanation from those men!"

"We can't let them cut off our livelihood!"

The news spread like wildfire among the refugees before dawn. Not only outside Jubao Gate, but also outside Yifeng Gate and in other areas where refugees gathered, there were people secretly stirring things up.

White rice and steaming hot buns were carried out by some people from the "garrison eunuch's office" and distributed as porridge on the spot. After eating, and then paying a deposit of five copper coins, people immediately felt reassured and their hearts were united.

As soon as the sun climbed over the city walls, a dense, dark mass of people began to surge towards the imperial city from all the city gates.

Duke Xu Hongji of Wei had just gotten up and was being served mouthwash by his maid.

The butler scrambled in, his face as white as paper.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! The refugees outside the city...they've all...all poured in!"

"What?!" Xu Hongji spat out a mouthful of water. "What are the soldiers guarding the city doing? How could they let refugees into the city?"

"We couldn't stop them...we couldn't stop them!" the steward cried. "There were too many people, thousands upon thousands! They weren't causing trouble, they were just...just heading towards the imperial city, shouting...shouting..."

"What to shout?"

"They shouted... begged the Emperor to control the river, and they also shouted... shouted the names of the Duke... and all the other gentlemen, begging you to give them a way out!"

The teacup in Xu Hongji's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered into pieces.

His mind went blank for a moment.

broken.

Your Majesty... you struck first!
Before they even started mobilizing the grain transport workers, the emperor used the refugees they had let in to turn against them!

That was incredibly fast!

The Imperial City of Nanjing, Hongwu Gate.

The imperial guards at the gate were on high alert, gripping their spears tightly as they watched the growing crowd gather in the square outside the palace gates.

There are really too many people.

They were a dense crowd, supporting the elderly and carrying children, stretching as far as the eye could see. Most of them were ragged and emaciated, but their eyes shone with hope.

They did not storm the palace gates; instead, they knelt down in a dense, dark mass.

Cries, shouts, and pleas mingled together, rolling across the square like muffled thunder.

"Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

"Save Huaibei!"

We need a way to survive!

"Duke of Wei, please give me a way out!"

"Gentlemen of the Six Ministries, please give me a way out!"

The voices rose in waves.

The goalkeepers were all sweating profusely; they had never seen anything like this before.

At that moment, squads of imperial guards clad in cloth-covered iron armor came running, swords drawn and arrows nocked, quickly forming a defensive formation in front of the palace gates. Their movements were clean and efficient, exuding a murderous aura. These were soldiers who had truly seen battle.

The officer in charge, his hand on his sword, coldly swept his gaze across the crowd, then looked at the palace walls. He knew perfectly well that the Emperor had already given all the instructions.

Inside the Wuying Hall, Emperor Chongzhen had just finished breakfast and was wiping his hands.

Wei Zhongxian strode in quickly, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Your Majesty, the area outside Hongwu Gate is already packed with people! The sound of weeping is deafening!"

Emperor Chongzhen threw the towel into the basin, his face expressionless.

Who is shouting?

“Many are praising the Emperor’s wisdom! But quite a few are also crying out for justice towards the Duke of Wei’s mansion and the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works in Nanjing!” Wei Zhongxian bowed. “As you instructed, this old servant has already sent people to ‘invite’ all the noble ministers, as well as Prince Qin and the Duke of Yansheng, to come together to the Meridian Gate Tower.”

"Hmm." Chongzhen nodded. "Tell Zhang Zhiji and Lu Jiude that their men are mixed in there. Keep a close watch on them and make sure there are no trouble. Give them food as they deserve, and don't shortchange them on any of the copper coins they are entitled to. What I want is a petition, not a riot."

"Old slave understands!"

Emperor Chongzhen straightened his ochre-yellow casual clothes and spoke in a calm tone.

"Let's go, let's go take a look. Let's see just how deep the 'waters' of the Ming Dynasty really are."

A group of people were already standing on the Hongwu Gate tower.

Xu Hongji, Zheng Sanjun, Lü Weiqi, and other Nanjing nobles and ministers were all deathly pale, but they tried to remain calm. They had all been "politely" "invited" up by the Imperial Guards. Upon arriving, they were stunned by the scene before them.

The crowd surged forward, a sea of ​​people. The cries and shouts pierced their ears like needles. Xu Hongji's legs trembled, especially when he heard the words "Duke of Wei" and "Minister Zheng" clearly uttered from the crowd.

This is no petition; it's a bloodless battle!
When did Emperor Chongzhen start interfering with the plight of refugees? His methods and ruthlessness are hardly those of an emperor raised in the inner palace.
Just then, footsteps and the sound of a whip came from behind.

"His Majesty has arrived."

Everyone on the city wall turned around and knelt down in unison.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome you!"

Emperor Chongzhen was not wearing his court robes, but rather simple everyday clothes, which made his figure appear even more upright. His face was expressionless, and his gaze swept over the kneeling officials, pausing briefly on Xu Hongji.

"Be flat."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out the noise from below the city.

Everyone stood up and lined up on both sides, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Chongzhen slowly walked to the front of the city gate tower, placed his hands on the cold bricks, and looked down.

The dense crowd also spotted a figure in ochre yellow on the city wall.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a deafening roar of cries and prostrations.

"emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, please do justice for this humble subject!"

The roar almost lifted the city walls.

Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand and gently pressed it down.

Miraculously, the deafening roar gradually subsided. The square, filled with tens of thousands of people, fell silent. Only the whistling of the wind through the flagpoles could be heard.

Everyone held their breath and looked up at the figure.

Xu Hongji and the others were on tenterhooks. What was the Emperor going to do?
Emperor Chongzhen surveyed the faces below the city, a mixture of longing, despair, and anticipation, and remained silent for a moment.

He turned around and his gaze fell on Xu Hongji's pale face.

"Wei Guogong."

Xu Hongji trembled and quickly stepped forward, bowing: "Your subject is here."

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him, then at Zheng Sanjun, Lü Weiqi, and the others. His voice was deep and slow, yet it struck everyone's heart like a hammer.

"Did you all see it?"

No one dared to answer the call.

Emperor Chongzhen stretched out his finger and pointed down to the city.

Did you all hear that?

His voice suddenly rose, filled with an overwhelming sense of heartache and anger.

Tell me! What lies beneath this city?!

Xu Hongji lowered his head even further, cold sweat trickling down his temples.

Emperor Chongzhen stopped looking at him, his gaze sweeping over all the nobles and ministers. His voice was as cold as ice, yet carried the power of thunder.

"These people below the city walls are not rioters!"

"They are my subjects!"

"It is the cornerstone of my Great Ming Dynasty!"

He slammed his hand on the edge of the brickwork, and the bricks seemed to tremble.

"It is they who till the land and pay taxes! It is they who transport grain and serve in the army! It is they who, with their blood, sweat, and bones, sustain the prosperity of Nanjing! They sustain me! And they sustain you noble officials and high-ranking ministers!"

Every word was like a slap in the face to Xu Hongji and the others.

Many of the people below the city walls wept aloud. The Emperor… the Emperor said they were oil slickers!

Emperor Chongzhen took a deep breath, his gaze sharp as lightning, and stared intently at Xu Hongji.

“Ancient texts say,” he said, enunciating each word clearly, his voice carrying throughout the city walls, “that the ruler is the boat, and the common people are the water.”

He paused for a moment, letting each word strike deep into everyone's hearts.

Then, he almost roared it out, his voice echoing across the surrounding area:

"Water can carry a boat."

"Water can capsize a boat!"

"Today, the area outside Hongwu Gate is all water!"

Tell me.

His gaze was so intense that it almost paralyzed Xu Hongji and the others.

"How are we supposed to get these ships from the Ming Dynasty moving?!"

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

Then, from below the city gate, a deafening roar of cries and shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" erupted. Countless people kowtowed repeatedly.

"Long live!"

"Your Majesty!"

"We are willing to dig canals for the Emperor! We are willing to serve the Ming Dynasty!"

Xu Hongji collapsed to his knees with a thud, trembling violently. He was finished. Morally and in the eyes of the people, he and the forces he represented had been utterly crushed by the Emperor in the most honorable way.

Chongzhen stopped looking at them, turned to face the city below, and shouted with all his might:
"I, it's approved!"

"The Yellow River-Huai River diversion project will commence immediately upon surveying and construction!"

"I will never allow the foundation of the Ming Dynasty to be displaced again, or for its homes to be repeatedly flooded!"

"I will use public works as a form of relief to dredge the rivers and strengthen the foundation!"

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" resounded through the heavens.

(End of this chapter)