How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 326 The "Mongolians" in the Spotlight

Spring came exceptionally late in the sixth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

Although the charcoal braziers had been removed from the duty room of the Huai'an Imperial Court, a chill still crept up from the soles of the feet. It wasn't the weather that was cold; it was the kind of cold that comes from having an empty purse.

Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, sat behind a large desk, his finger resting on an open account book, motionless for a long time. On it, written in vermilion ink, was a number: ten million eight hundred thousand taels. This was the budget for the massive "Yellow River-Huai River Diversion" project, submitted by the renowned river works expert Shen Shiliang and the Grand Canal Commissioner Zhang Zhiji.

Several memorials, delivered by the courier, were piled up beside him. The provinces of Beizhili, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, and Shaanxi had not received a proper rain since the beginning of spring; locusts had returned, and coupled with the bad weather, many places were experiencing outbreaks of plague. The memorials were filled with anguish, each word conveying the same message: they needed money and grain.

"Your Majesty, it's late. Please take care of your health." Wei Zhongxian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, moved closer silently and whispered a reminder. He glanced at the Emperor's face, which was ashen and livid.

Emperor Chongzhen didn't look up, only grunting in response. "Wei Ban, tell me, where am I supposed to conjure up these ten million taels of silver?"

He exhaled a breath of stale air: "The money in Huangzhuang, Qin Jinyuan, and Lu Shengfeng has already been overdrawn considerably, while the money in Bawangzhuang and the Salt Administration still needs to be reserved to deal with this year's drought, locust plague, and epidemic. I, as emperor, am truly..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried yet cautious footsteps sounded outside the duty room. A junior attendant on duty knelt at the door, holding a sealed document in his hands, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, an urgent dispatch from Nanjing! It's a joint petition from Minister Qian of the Garrison Command, His Highness the Prince of Qin, and the Duke of Dingguo! And also... a secret report from Eunuch Sun Shouli!"

Emperor Chongzhen's brow unfurrowed: "Sun Shouli's Mongol delegation has arrived? Bring it here quickly!"

Wei Zhongxian quickly stepped forward, skillfully checked that the sealing wax seal was intact, then cut it open with a knife, held it with both hands, and hurriedly presented it to Chongzhen's desk.

Emperor Chongzhen first unfolded the formal memorial. Qian Qianyi, in his neat and elegant official script, gave a detailed report on the identities of the Mughal delegation's chief envoy, Mizar, and deputy envoy, Amir Khan, as well as their three core objectives for this trip: to marry Princess Sarintuya, a direct descendant of the Golden Family; and to hire real Mongol warriors—the Mughal Empire intended to launch a northern expedition to Transoxiana and restore the former territory of the Timurid Empire.

Next came Sun Shouli's secret report, which was even more frank, displaying the shrewdness characteristic of eunuchs. He described in detail the gifts brought by the delegation: how heavy the trunks were, and how precious the jewels were. He especially mentioned the astonishingly large diamonds and rubies and sapphires, which he had secretly appraised with several familiar old jewelers in Nanjing. They all said they had never seen anything like them before, and if sold, their total value would probably be no less than 1.5 million taels of silver! And this was only part of the betrothal gifts.

As Chongzhen watched, his breathing grew heavier. The worry on his face vanished like dark clouds blown away by a strong wind. His fingers began to tap lightly on the table, the tapping becoming faster and faster.

Suddenly, he slammed the memorial shut, jumped up from the dragon throne, and burst into laughter: "Haha! Hahaha! Good! Good! Excellent!"

Laughter echoed in the silent duty room, startling Wei Zhongxian and the servant at the door.

"Your Majesty... this is..." Wei Zhongxian asked tentatively.

"Wei Ban! Great news!" Chongzhen paced back and forth excitedly, his eyes shining brightly. "We're rich! The silver diverted from the Yellow River and Huai River basins! The silver for this year's disaster relief! It's all secured!"

Wei Zhongxian was still a little confused: "Your Majesty...you mean...the tribute from the Mongols? How much could there be..."

"Foolish!" Chongzhen stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed intently on him. "Tribute? That's just a stepping stone! Don't you understand? The Mongol Empire is an inexhaustible gold mine! They want people, they want genuine Mongols. Mongol means Mongolia, and the Mongol Empire is the Mongol State, a Mongol state established in India by the descendants of the Chagatai Khanate and the Timurid Empire! Do you know what this Mongol State lacks most? Mongols! The Mongol State must have Mongols! Can a Mongol State last long without Mongols? And here I have plenty of Mongols! Genuine Mongols, from the Mongolian steppes!"

He walked to a giant globe and pointed heavily at the Indian subcontinent: "They have money and demand. We have people and connections. This is an incredibly profitable business! Selling Mongols to Mongolia—I never imagined such a lucrative deal existed in the world. Hahahaha! Issue the decree: prepare the ships! I'm returning to Nanjing!"

A few days later, outside Jubao Gate in Nanjing, at the Great Bao'en Temple.

The glazed pagoda soared into the clouds, shimmering with seven colors under the spring sun. Today, the temple grounds were sprinkled with holy water, covered with yellow sand, and heavily guarded. The Ming Emperor Zhu Youjian would personally receive the delegation from the Mongol Empire here.

The ceremony was extremely grand. Emperor Chongzhen sat on the main throne in the hall, flanked by princes and high-ranking officials from Nanjing, including Qian Qianyi, Xu Yunzhen, and Zhu Cunshu. The sides of the hall were filled with prominent nobles, civil and military officials from Nanjing, as well as several wealthy merchants from Jiangnan who had been specially granted permission to attend. Everyone craned their necks, eager to see what this foreign delegation from thousands of miles away looked like.

When the chief envoy, Mizar, and his deputy, Amir Khan, entered the hall with their entourage, dressed in dazzling Mughal noble attire and stepping onto Persian carpets, everyone felt a strong sense of exotic extravagance. Mizar had a solemn face and a calm demeanor, while Amir Khan had sharp eyes and a lithe physique.

Sun Shouli, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, was acting as an interpreter at this moment, chanting in a high-pitched voice.

After the delegation paid their respects according to protocol, they moved on to the most anticipated part – presenting tribute and betrothal gifts.

Heavy sandalwood chests were carried up, and when the lids were opened, a collective gasp filled the hall.

The light was dazzling!
Diamonds the size of a baby's fist refracted their priceless brilliance against the velvet cushions; pigeon blood rubies were as vibrant as blood, and sapphires as deep as the ocean; the winding gold-thread carpet was studded with tiny pearls and gemstones of various colors, shimmering in the light; there were also chests full of ivory, rhinoceros horn, and precious spices exuding exotic fragrances...

Especially those enormous diamonds and rubies; even the well-traveled Qian Qianyi and Xu Yunzhen were stunned, their eyes twitching and their breath catching in their throats. The wealthy merchants of Jiangnan stared wide-eyed, practically wanting to pounce and examine them closely. This wasn't just wealth; this was a legendary treasure! It turned out that India not only possessed sacred scriptures but also precious jewels!
Through Sun Shouli's translation, Amir Khan loudly expressed his respect for the Great Ming Emperor and reiterated his requests to marry Princess Sarentuya and hire Mongol warriors. He emphasized that the Mongol Emperor Shah Jahan longed to restore the glory of his ancestors and urgently needed brave Mongol warriors, offering them excellent treatment and extremely generous resettlement allowances.

"It turns out that this Indian Mongolian kingdom lacked Mongolian warriors."

"Your Majesty, it seems that many of them are Mongol warriors!"

"The people who came from Southern Mongolia are just Mongols, aren't they?"

Among the spectators below, some people had already begun to exchange opinions in hushed tones.

Following the audience, Emperor Chongzhen convened a small-scale imperial meeting at the Wenhua Hall in the Forbidden City in Nanjing.

Those present included Qian Qianyi, Minister of War in Nanjing and leader of the Donglin Party; Zheng Sanjun, Minister of Revenue in Nanjing; Wei Zhongxian, Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial; Zhu Cunshu, Prince of Qin; and Kong Yinzhi, Duke Yansheng. Zhang Zhiji, the Grand Coordinator of the Water Transport Commission, was also present; he had just arrived from Huai'an, travel-worn and weary.

Emperor Chongzhen was in good spirits, his face bearing a calm air of "I'm about to get rich." He got straight to the point: "I've summoned you all here today to discuss the diversion of the Yellow River and the Huai River, as well as the funds for disaster relief in the north this year."

Qian Qianyi and Zheng Sanjun exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking. Qian Qianyi stepped forward, forcing a smile: "Your Majesty, the project will benefit future generations, but disaster relief is urgent. However… the needs are enormous. Could we… proceed in stages? Or perhaps allocate additional funds from the southeast…"

"Add more?" Chongzhen interrupted him with a smile, "We'll talk about it next time. I've already found a way to pay for this time's money."

Everyone was taken aback, even Wei Zhongxian quietly raised his eyes.

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Qian Qianyi: "Muzhai, you all must already know about the Mongol delegation. Zhiji's memorial and Sun Shouli's secret report have both explained it very clearly."

Qian Qianyi hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister, along with the Prince of Qin and the Duke of Dingguo, have read it in detail. The Mongols wish to marry Princess Sarentuya and also want to hire our Mongol warriors. Their intentions are very sincere, and the betrothal gifts are also generous."

Duke Yansheng Kong Yinzhi stroked his beard and pondered, “Your Majesty, the foreign lands admire our civilization and offer generous gifts, which is enough to demonstrate the majesty of the Emperor. However… using these to fund the project is probably just a drop in the ocean. Moreover, sending soldiers is a matter of great importance. India is thousands of miles away, and communication is difficult. It will take at least three to five years to see any results. It is truly a case of quenching a thirst with distant water.”

"Distant water?" Chongzhen smiled, a calm smile that came from seeing through the game. "What you see as distant water is, in my eyes, a gold mine right at my doorstep!"

He stood up and walked into the hall: "Everyone knows the rules of Mongolia, right? First-class Mongols, second-class Semu people, and that Indian Mongol is currently lacking Mongols!"

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Now, the Southern Mongols have recognized me as their sovereign, and Empress Dowager Sutai and Prince Altan are both under my command. This means that who is a Mongol and who is not is entirely up to me!"

"Is that even possible?" Qian Qianyi, Zheng Sanjun, Prince Qin Zhu Cunshu, Duke Yansheng Kong Yinzhi, and Zhang Zhiji, the Grand Coordinator of the Yellow River Transport Commission, all looked astonished.

Chongzhen continued, "The Huizhou merchants in Jiangnan, the silk merchants in Suzhou and Huzhou, the maritime merchants in Guangdong and Fujian, the Shanxi merchants and Shaanxi merchants in the north... Aren't they tempted? Don't they want to go to that Mongol country, become superior people, and do big business?"

Zheng Sanjun couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, we Ming merchants are, after all, Han Chinese. How can we..."

"Why not?" Chongzhen said decisively. "I say they are Mongolian merchants, so they are! I, Empress Dowager Sutai, and Prince Altan jointly authorize them to obtain official recognition! Let them go to Guihua City for a few months to 'learn' Mongolian customs and acquire a basic understanding of the Mongolian language. After graduation, they will be 'first-class Mongolian merchants' certified by the court and endorsed by the Southern Mongolians!"

He surveyed the crowd, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority: "With this status, they will be above everyone else when they go to the Mongol territory! They will be exempt from taxes when doing business, and they will be given a higher rank when meeting officials! They can transport the silk, porcelain, and tea of ​​the Ming Dynasty there, and bring back the treasures and spices of India. Can you all calculate how lucrative this round trip will be?"

“Therefore,” Chongzhen concluded, his tone regaining its calmness but gaining even more weight, “I have decided to establish the ‘Kheshig Merchant Guild’ in the names of Empress Dowager Sutai and Prince Altan.”

"This trading company will not only supply qualified 'Mongol warriors' to the Mongols, but will also specialize in large-scale trade with the Mongols. I allow Ming merchants to invest in it. For all investors, the trading company will provide them with a full set of 'Mongol merchant' certifications, guaranteeing their access to India."

Looking at the shocked officials, Emperor Chongzhen slowly said, "The silver obtained from the investment will be immediately used as the initial payment for the Yellow River-Huai River diversion project. Once the business makes a profit, dividends will be distributed according to the shares."

He sat back on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Now, do you all still think that more than ten million taels of silver is an unattainable dream?"

(End of this chapter)