How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 313 I grant you permission to "lie low," but remember to eat well!

Zu Dashou turned his back, shielding himself from the wind, his fingers trembling as he tore open the sealing wax, took out the letter, and read it by the light of the lantern carried by his personal guard. The letter was thick, written in Chongzhen's own handwriting. The handwriting was somewhat messy, yet powerful enough to penetrate the paper, as if one could see the urgency and heartache of the emperor as he wrote it.

"I have heard that you are trapped at Xiaolinghe, with no food or provisions left. Lu Xiangshan has tried to rescue you three times but failed. I am filled with worry and indignation, wishing I could personally lead a troop to Liaodong! However, the mountains and passes are insurmountable and the Jurchens are rampant. This is my fault! I am ashamed that you and the soldiers of Liaodong have suffered so much!"

It wasn't that Lu Qing refused to fight; the real reason was that the mountains and valleys of western Liaoning had been ravaged by floods last summer and autumn, destroying all roads. Our officers and soldiers, burdened with armor and provisions, struggled to traverse the muddy mountain paths. The Jurchens, lightly armed and with minimal supplies, traversed mountains and valleys as if on flat ground, launching flanking attacks with unstoppable force. This was not a failure in battle, but rather a matter of unfavorable timing and terrain!

Though we may lose land but save our people, both land and people will survive! I now grant you a "letter of infiltration"! If things truly become unavoidable, to preserve the lives of the soldiers and civilians in this valley, you may... make a decision based on circumstances, feign shaving your head and submitting to the enemy, awaiting the opportune moment! I know you are loyal and will not betray the country. However, this expedient measure is not your fault, but my own! If the world slanders you, I will bear the blame for you! I forgive all your unavoidable actions! This promise is witnessed by heaven and earth!

But remember this well! Do not be hasty in surrendering. Instead, feign compliance with Huang Taiji, negotiate terms, and try to delay the inevitable. Why? Because I have already made other arrangements in Ji and Liao, and a major operation will be launched soon! When that time comes, you can then surrender, thus protecting more soldiers and securing a better position for future infiltration.

After going into hiding, focus on your duties and temporarily forget about the Ming Dynasty. I want you to live, and I want all your battle-hardened veterans to live! Remember... eat well and take good care of your health! One day, I will surely lead my army eastward! At that time, I hope you will still be a general of the Ming Dynasty, my pillar of strength, and launch a counterattack from within the enemy camp, achieving unparalleled feats!
Seeing this bronze talisman is like seeing me in person. I hope you will cherish it and look forward to the future!

—Written by Zhu Youjian.

I've finished reading the letter.

Zu Dashou was stunned, frozen in place as if struck by lightning. The words on the letter seemed to burn into his eyes, making his internal organs convulse.

This is a "latent" situation!
The Emperor… the Emperor actually personally wrote him a “letter of infiltration”! Allowing him… to feign surrender! He even made him… shave his head!
The letter contained not a single empty word. The Emperor clearly explained why Lu Xiang-sheng could not be saved, not to shirk responsibility, but to tell him it was "not a fault of war." The Emperor took all the blame upon himself—"If the world slanders you, I will bear it for you!"
The last few sentences... "Eat more, take good care of your health"... "Hoping you will remain a general of the Ming Dynasty"...

Zu Dashou, a man of iron, felt a surge of heat rush from his heart to the top of his head, making his nose sting and his eyes burn. He gripped the letter and the copper talisman tightly, his fingernails digging into his flesh, blood seeping out and staining the letter red, but he was completely unaware.

With a thud, he knelt heavily on the cold earth, facing southeast, his forehead pressed against the gravel, his shoulders heaving violently, emitting a wounded beast-like howl. It wasn't despair, but rather an excited anticipation for the future, for the Ming Dynasty, and for Emperor Chongzhen.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty!" he growled hoarsely from deep in his throat.

After a long silence, he suddenly raised his head, his face streaked with tears and blood, and roared hoarsely at his only trusted retainer beside him:
"Go! Quietly summon Zerun and Kefa! Quickly!"

Half an hour later, in the most secluded corner of the beacon tower, an oil lamp flickered dimly. Zu Dashou showed Chongzhen's edict to his son and nephew. After reading it, both men turned pale, then flushed crimson.

"Father! This...this really means we have to shave our heads and surrender?" Zu Zerun's voice trembled.

"It's not surrender! It's 'infiltration'!" Zu Dashou roared in a low voice, his eyes bloodshot. "This is an imperial decree! It's a way out left for our Zu family and these thousands of Liao soldiers by His Majesty! It's a spark left for us to turn things around!"

His gaze swept over his two closest relatives: "The Emperor is right. A direct confrontation is certain death. Only by surviving can we have a chance to fight back! This matter is known only to Heaven, Earth, and the three of us! If even a single word is leaked, I will personally kill him!"

"Then... what do we do now?" Zu Kefa asked, calming himself down.

"Do as the Emperor says!" Zu Dashou took a deep breath. "Delay! First, send a bold and meticulous assassin out to contact Huang Taiji's men and say... We are out of food and reinforcements, and we are willing to surrender, but we beg for the lives of all our men and a future. Ask them what conditions they can offer. We can negotiate for ten days or half a month!"

"Wait?" Zu Zerun asked.

"Wait!" Zu Dashou nodded emphatically, a glimmer of hope bestowed upon him by Emperor Chongzhen flashing in his eyes. "Wait for what the Emperor mentioned... the 'big move' in Jiliao!"

The plan was finalized. Zu Dashou took one last look at the bloodstained imperial edict, carefully wrapped it up again, and hid it close to his body. The bronze talisman was given to his son, Zu Zerun, for safekeeping.

He stepped out of the beacon tower and looked at the soldiers in the valley, starving and on the verge of death. An indescribable sense of sorrow welled up in his heart. The emperor had told him to "eat more," but now, where was there any food left?

"Pass down the order," he said to his personal guards, his voice regaining its usual coldness, "Send down the order to kill all the warhorses. We don't need them right now. Only by keeping people alive can we...wait."

Waiting for hope. Waiting for a chance that might allow them to live and finally wash away their shame.

Guazhou Wharf, Yangzhou Prefecture, in the winter of the fifth year of the Chongzhen reign (1644).

The Grand Canal flows into the Yangtze River here, making it a crucial waterway. The newly established checkpoint for grain transport tax (漢运厘金) stands by the water, with a large black flag on the wall bearing the four large white characters "漢运厘金". Next to the flagpole stands a large wooden sign, inscribed with the "Provisional Regulations for Grain Transport Tax" in red ink, written clearly and explicitly.

Xu Chengye's blue official robe was crisply starched, but he still looked a bit awkward in it. He led a dozen or so young tax collectors, guarding the checkpoint. Over the past three days, most of the passing ships had paid the required "li jin" according to regulations, and there had been no major trouble.

The Emperor decreed that the likin tax be collected in two ways: one was "based on quantity," calculated according to the length and width of the boat; the other was "based on value," a percentage based on the value of the goods on board. Boatmen could choose their preferred method. There was a trick to it. For transporting heavy, low-value goods like grain and sand, "based on value" was more cost-effective. However, if the boat was carrying valuable valuables, "based on quantity" was cheaper. Therefore, any boat that should have chosen "based on value" but instead chose "based on quantity" was almost certainly carrying hidden "goods" it didn't want to be thoroughly inspected, and required careful examination.

As for those boats that honestly choose the "quantity" option, they are still inspected, but only randomly. The checks focus on whether they are carrying prohibited items, such as smuggled salt. If caught, the penalties are severe!

As for who to inspect? The current situation is quite simple—whoever has the strongest reputation and the most powerful backing will be the one to be investigated! Even those from the imperial family will be investigated!

The sun rose higher, and a commotion arose on the river. A fleet of ships bearing the name "Wei" sailed majestically toward the checkpoint without slowing down.

"Lower the sails! Stop the ship! Await inspection!" Xu Chengye raised the command flag in his hand and shouted loudly.

The fleet slowed down, dawdling. On the lead ship, a man dressed in a silk jacket, who appeared to be a steward, walked to the bow, glanced at Xu Chengye sideways, and said with a hint of impatience, "Young man, you look unfamiliar. This is the fleet of the Duke of Wei's mansion in Nanjing, transporting some local products back to the capital. Could you do me a favor?"

Xu Chengye remained expressionless and said in a businesslike manner, "I am acting in accordance with regulations. Please report the dimensions of the ship and pay the likin tax."

The steward's face darkened: "You dare to stop the Duke of Wei's ship? If we're late, can you afford the consequences?"

"His Majesty has issued a decree that all members of the imperial family and vassal states must pay tribute!" Xu Chengye's voice rose a few decibels, each word clear. "I am Xu Chengye, a resident of the Right Guard of Fengyang! My ancestor was Xu Da, the Prince of Wuning of Zhongshan! Today I am here to carry out the Emperor's decree!"

Upon hearing this, the people waiting to cross the border on the nearby boats all perked up their ears. The steward was also stunned; he hadn't expected this lowly tax official to be a descendant of Xu Da! Although he also shared the surname Xu, it was a surname bestowed upon him by the government, while Xu Da was a true descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan, and now even a "disciple of the Emperor"! He suppressed his anger, reluctantly ordered his men to measure the boat, and obediently paid the eight taels of silver in transit tax.

"Check tickets! Let them through!" The tax collector lifted the iron chain blocking the river.

The manager breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the matter was over. Unexpectedly, Xu Chengye immediately followed up with another order: "Men! According to Article Two of the regulations, all ships carrying naval goods must be inspected on board for any smuggling!"

The steward's face changed drastically: "What? You want to inspect the ship? Inspector Xu! We've already paid the likin tax, why bother with this? The ship contains the Duke's mansion's supplies, how dare you inspect it at will?"

"The regulations are the regulations!" Xu Chengye stood his ground. "Smuggled salt is rampant in Guazhou. By imperial decree, the grain transport checkpoint is also responsible for cracking down on smuggled salt! Board the ship and inspect it!"

A squad of imperial guards clad in cloth-covered iron armor immediately stepped forward. These soldiers obeyed only the emperor and had no regard for the Duke's mansion.

"Stop them!" the steward shouted anxiously at the servants.

The servants of the Duke of Wei's mansion drew their swords to try to stop him, but the imperial guards were even faster. Without even drawing their swords, they struck with the hilts, quickly knocking the servants aside and protecting Xu Chengye as he leaped onto the large ship.

"This is outrageous! This is blatant robbery!" the manager screamed in exasperation.

Xu Chengye ignored him and directed his personal guards and tax collectors: "Lift up the tarpaulins! Focus your search on the middle of the goods pile!"

The tax collectors forcefully ripped open the heavy oilcloth covering the goods. Beneath it lay bundles of tightly bound Yangzhou silk. Xu Chengye stepped forward, first pressing down on the pile of silk with his hand, and immediately realized something was wrong! Then he drew his dagger and slashed open the top bundle.

The snow-white silk was split in two, revealing even whiter and finer grains underneath.

Xu Chengye dipped his finger in the mixture, put it in his mouth and tasted it; his eyes instantly turned cold.

It's salt. Top-quality Huai salt.

"Continue the investigation!" he ordered coldly.

The guards cut open several more packages, revealing hidden salt underneath. One package, two packages, ten packages… the entire ship was loaded with goods, outwardly gleaming silk, but underneath lay nothing but illicit salt!

The steward turned ashen-faced and collapsed onto the deck.

Xu Chengye looked at the mountain of smuggled salt and understood perfectly. The Emperor had said in the training institute that the salt administration in Lianghuai was corrupt and smuggled salt was rampant. If smuggling could be stopped, the court could collect an extra three to four million taels of silver in salt taxes alone each year! Now he understood that the biggest smugglers were these nobles who had taken over Nanjing!
"Record it!" Xu Chengye said to the clerk following him, "Seven cargo ships belonging to the Duke of Wei's mansion were smuggling salt... The quantity needs to be counted. The ships and cargo have all been seized, and all the criminals have been detained! Immediately send a report to the Huai'an Salt Transport Office and the River Transport Administration, and also inform the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing!"

He stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the pale-faced steward and the gleaming white smuggled salt. He knew he had stirred up a huge hole in the sky. But he also knew that the fire the Emperor had lit had to burn this way to bring about a clear and peaceful situation!
The news spread like wildfire along the canal. The Wei State Duke's fleet had been seized at Guazhou Ferry, and a massive quantity of smuggled salt had been discovered! The person in charge was Xu Chengye, a descendant of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan, and a self-proclaimed "protégé of the Emperor"!
(End of this chapter)