How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 328 The Age of Exploration of Mongolia is Coming!
Springtime in Nanjing in the sixth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

The rain had just stopped after several days, and the air was still filled with the damp smell of earth. But beneath this wet ground, a restless energy was already beginning to stir.

On the banks of the Qinhuai River, a large garden that originally belonged to the Duke of Wei was quietly adorned with a new plaque—"Mongol Kheshig Merchant Guild".

Several large, gilded characters gleamed in the steam, catching the eye.

Although this place bears signs for the Mongols and the Kheshig (imperial guard), making it seem like Genghis Khan's property, those in the know understand that it's actually a trading company—no, a merchant guild that transports Mongol officials to India, and incidentally smuggles tea, silk, porcelain, and other goods there for sale. They're involved in a massive, far-reaching business!

Anyone who can get involved is guaranteed to make a fortune!
Outside the garden, carriages and horses were already completely blocked. Gentlemen dressed in silk and satin robes greeted each other with smiles and clasped hands, but their eyes held a hidden glint when they met. Servants and attendants stood in a dark mass, while the horses snorted restlessly and pawed at the ground.

Those who can enter this garden are not ordinary people.

Among the maritime merchants were Zheng Zhilong's brother, Zheng Zhihu, a short, stocky man with a thick beard and a booming voice; Yang Liu, the general of the Ryukyu navy, whose nouveau riche air was undeniable even in casual clothes; Liu Xiang's cousin, Liu Jindou, whose name reflected his wealth; and Shen Tingyang, a prominent figure among the Southeast maritime merchants, who looked refined but had shrewd eyes.

Even more conspicuous were the newly rich in Nanjing. The old Duke of Wei had fallen on hard times and, along with his son, had been executed for embezzling military funds and seizing military farms. His distant nephew, Xu Chengye, who had taken his place, was a confidant of the current emperor.

Beside him were Liu Yongzhao, the Earl of Chengyi; Li Yongmao, the Marquis of Funing; and Zhao Zhijiang, the Earl of Xincheng, all of whom had just graduated from the Imperial Canal Training Institute and taken over the family responsibilities. The heads of these families had all been punished for crimes, and these collateral relatives had been handpicked by the Emperor to take their place because of their good performance at the training institute. Although they were now living in wealth and power, their foundations were shallow, and their eyes always held a hint of caution and eagerness when they looked at others.

You have to do something to prove yourself!
And what could they do? Seize more military farms and government lands? They dared not! What they had already swallowed, they had to obediently return half of it, and the rest would be distributed equally among the poor illegitimate children of the clan in the name of the emperor and the public lands of each family. Therefore, the path of continuing to annex land was temporarily out of the question. They had no choice but to try another path.

Just then, the "Age of Exploration of the Mongols" arrived. This was an opportunity that couldn't be missed!

On the screen wall of the garden, there was a large yellow paper with the ink still wet, which read "The Articles of Association of the Qiexue Merchants".

Just 500 shares.

The starting price is three thousand taels of silver. The shares will be auctioned publicly, and the highest bidder will win.

Each share of "Kheshig Merchant Shares" came with a "Kheshig Bronze Plaque." The plaque was said to have been jointly issued by the Ming Emperor, Empress Dowager Sutai of Southern Mongolia, and Prince Altan (Hongtaiji).

With this badge, one becomes the "Imperial Merchant of the Mongolian Princess," making them a first-class citizen in India and Mongolia! They can receive official treatment without kneeling before officials and enjoy tax-free trade.

And that "Mongolian princess" is the future crown princess of the Indian Kingdom, and the princess's royal merchant is the crown prince's faction!
This was no longer just about trading across the ocean; it was about climbing the social ladder to become the future emperor of India! And the wealth of India was already well-known in southeastern China—the Ming Dynasty's maritime ban had long been a mere formality, and the official opening of seven ports to trade had been delayed for several years by Emperor Chongzhen. Although customs duties hadn't been collected in large quantities, the number of people in the southeast who had opened their eyes to the world had increased many times over!
Zheng Zhihu was someone who had long since opened his eyes to the world. Right now, he was grinning and patting Yang Liu on the shoulder: "Brother Yang, with this brand, our business trips to the Western Ocean will be much smoother. Even the East India Company of the Red Haired Country won't dare to stop us!"

Yang Liu, more composed, nodded: "Of course! If they dare to stop us, they're simultaneously provoking both the Ming Dynasty and India/Mongols!"

It turns out that these two big merchants didn't care much about duty-free policies or anything like that. The real force blocking them from going west was the Dutch East India Company!
However, for a company to offend both the Ming Dynasty and the Mughal Empire of India at the same time would be incredibly foolish.
Shen Tingyang, a prominent merchant from Chongming Island, whispered to his accountant, "Prepare an extra 100,000 taels of silver. My family must at least qualify to own a ship!" His eyes blazed with rage as he muttered, "That way, my family can sail to Southeast Asia and the Western Ocean."

Although the Shen family were also maritime merchants, they had previously traded in the coastal waters north of the Yangtze River and Korea. This time, however, was a golden opportunity for the Shen family, the Mughal delegation from India, and the Zheng, Liu, and Yang families to join forces and set sail together!

Don't miss it!
Those newly appointed nobles gathered together.

Duke Xu Chengye of Wei sighed and said to Liu Yongzhao, "Brother Liu, our family has just gone through a crisis and is in a weak position. But we must seize the opportunity the Emperor has given us. This is a golden road to heaven!"

Liu Yongzhao nodded emphatically: "Lord Xu is right. We know how we got this title. If we don't set a good example, we'll be letting down the Emperor's grace and won't be able to keep the people in line."

Marquis Li Yongmao of Funing and Earl Zhao Zhijiang of Xincheng echoed his sentiments, their eyes fixed intently on the plan. Unlike the maritime merchants who possessed large ships, they had titles, connections in Nanjing, and some savings. If they didn't want to squander their wealth, they had to seek new opportunities.

No one mentioned the auction yet, but the air was thick with tension. Five hundred spots were up for grabs; far more wolves than sheep. Everyone knew that a bloodless battle would rage in Nanjing in two weeks.

At roughly the same time, on the official road heading north, Emperor Chongzhen's imperial carriage was slowly traveling.

The further north you go, the grayer the sky becomes. The traces of last year's flood are still visible; the fields are barren, with only withered grass roots. The riverbed is exposed, cracked silt, and the dilapidated village is eerily quiet. Occasionally, a few emaciated people, carrying tattered bundles, wander aimlessly along the main road—they are refugees fleeing famine.

Inside the imperial carriage, Emperor Chongzhen lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside. A breeze blew in, carrying the earthy smell and a faint odor of decay. He frowned, remaining silent.

Zhang Zhiji, the Grand Canal Commissioner who accompanied the emperor, rode alongside the carriage and whispered, "Your Majesty, the site of the Yellow River-Huai River diversion project is just ahead."

Emperor Chongzhen hummed in agreement.

After walking for a while, the view suddenly opened up. It was no longer a desolate wasteland, but a sea of ​​people stretching as far as the eye could see.

Hundreds of thousands of people were scattered like ants across the vast construction site. The sounds of carrying loads, pushing carts, and pounding earth mingled with shouts, the clanging of metal, and the yelling of officials, creating a deafening cacophony. The newly excavated riverbed resembled a huge, yellowish-brown scar branded onto the earth. Emperor Chongzhen alighted from his carriage and ascended a nearby high slope. Zhang Zhiji and several officials from the Ministry of Works followed closely behind.

"Duke of England," Chongzhen looked down, "how much grain and fodder do you consume daily?"

Zhang Zhiji quickly reported a number and added, "We can still manage for now, but if we can't get enough money and supplies later, we're afraid we won't be able to finish before the flood season. If the flood season comes again, not only will all our previous efforts be wasted, but it could also lead to a major disaster."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and did not ask any further questions. He knew that the sixth year of his reign was mainly characterized by drought, locusts, and plague, while the seventh year without water would bring both drought and floods. Therefore, there was still time to act quickly! As long as the floods of the seventh year of Chongzhen did not completely inundate both banks of the Huai River, the famine of that year could still be saved.

Emperor Chongzhen paused, then asked, "Is there any news from Nanjing?"

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei has sent a secret letter saying... the response from all sides is enthusiastic, and raising ten million taels should not be a problem."

When Zhang Zhiji said this, he was already completely impressed.

This emperor has so many ways to make money!
Emperor Chongzhen remained silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze from the bustling construction site to the gray sky to the north. The money from Nanjing was the lifeline to save this construction site and the millions of people north of the Yangtze River.

"Every tael of my silver must be counted." His voice was not loud, but carried a chilling tone.

In a corner of the construction site, Zhu Xiaoba stood in line for food, holding a rough earthenware bowl. He was more robust than when he was fighting for rice at the Nanjing docks, with dark skin and thick calluses on his hands.

He clutched his tattered pocket tightly to his chest. Inside were the one or two taels of silver he had saved from working day and night, and that heavy, cold thing—a large gold ring he had taken off the money shopkeeper's finger.

This was all his possessions, the last bit of warmth in his heart, and his hope for a turnaround.

The procession moved slowly, and he overheard two respectable-looking officials chatting ahead of him. He recognized one of them; he was Chang Yansi, the engineering supervisor from the Ministry of Water Resources.

Chang Yansi said to another person, "...Didn't you see? Nanjing has gone crazy! The Duke of Wei, that is, Old Xu, is going to sell everything he owns to snatch that 'Mongolian Merchant's License' for making a fortune at sea!"

The other person exclaimed in surprise, "What brand is so expensive?"

"Hey, I heard that if you have that badge, you can go to India with the Mongolian princess's fleet! You'll be a big shot there, and even officials will treat you with deference! You'll be a royal merchant for the Indian prince!"

India… Zhu Xiaoba couldn’t understand. But he understood “going to sea,” “making a fortune,” and “the Duke of Wei also wants to get involved.”

His heart skipped a beat.

The Duke of Wei...that's an extremely important figure. Does his family also want to go overseas to do business?

Zhu Xiaoba instinctively clutched his pocket tighter. The gold ring was digging painfully into his palm.

He thought of the large merchant ships at the Nanjing docks, and the wealthy merchants dressed in fine silks and satins disembarking from them. Was there truly a way to survive overseas? A way to avoid a lifetime of toiling in the dirt and the fear of starvation?
If... he could join the Wei State Duke's fleet... with his life and this little bit of capital, could he take a gamble?
The thought flashed through his mind like a spark in the weeds, and he couldn't suppress it.

That evening, the imperial carriage arrived at the palace.

Emperor Chongzhen sat in his makeshift tent, reading a secret report from Nanjing on the table. It briefly described the determination of the Duke of Wei, the Zheng family, the Yang family, the Liu family, Shen Tingyang, and others to acquire the "Kheshig merchant shares."

He put down the note and went outside the tent.

The lights of Nanjing are not visible to the south. To the north, there is only endless darkness, stretching towards the grasslands.

The money of Nanjing, the people of Huaibei, the roads of the grasslands, and the dreams of India.

All of this depends on him working together as one.

The night breeze was cool. He stood there for a while, then turned around and went back to his tent to sleep with Gao Guiying.

We still have to travel tomorrow.

In the distance, in a makeshift shack on a construction site, Zhu Xiaoba, amidst his companion's snoring, once again pulled out the gold ring and gazed at its hazy gold color in the faint moonlight filtering through the cracks.

(End of this chapter)