How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 5 Joining the Emperor's Party! (Please add to your favorites)

Outside the Qianqing Gate, Wang Tiqian, hunched over, was being supported by two young eunuchs, staggering as he walked out. This once imposing old eunuch now looked ashen-faced as a frostbitten eggplant, resembling a plucked rooster. The guards of the Four Guards Battalion dared not utter a sound. The leading eunuch, Tu Qinian, gripped his sword hilt and stepped forward to help him: "Grand Ancestor..." Before he could finish speaking, Wang Tiqian glanced at him with his cloudy eyes, uttered a gurgling sound, and was carried away.

Tu Qinian stood frozen in place, the burly man in his thirties as taut as a stone. He was the adopted son of Tu Wenfu, the head of the Imperial Horse Administration, and at this moment he felt only panic and shortness of breath. Just as he was about to send someone to report the news, he saw Wang Chengen turn out from inside the door, the young eunuch of twenty-two years old walking steadily: "Director Tu, His Majesty wants you to come in."

In the small hallway, Emperor Chongzhen sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a thick wooden cup, a gentle smile on his face that seemed incongruous with his age. Tu Qinian knelt down with a thud: "This servant, Tu Qinian, pays her respects to Your Majesty."

"Can you read?" Chongzhen asked, taking a sip of hot water.

"Your Majesty, this servant attended a private school for a few years."

Have you read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"?

"I've watched it several times..."

“There’s a fool named Chengji in there,” Chongzhen suddenly put down his wooden cup, “who killed the emperor for the Sima family and was eventually exterminated along with his entire clan. Tell me, was this man loyal or a fool?”

Tu Qinian shuddered, cold sweat soaking his undershirt.

Wang Chengen promptly handed over a roll of yellow silk. Tu Qinian's hand trembled as he unfolded it—it was Wang Tiqian's resignation letter!
"Eunuch Wang has wisely retired while he was still at the height of his power," Chongzhen said calmly. "His entire family's wealth and status have been preserved. Don't you think his retirement was a good decision?"

Tu Qinian suddenly looked up, and in a flash of inspiration, he exclaimed: "Wang Tiqian... has surrendered!"

"This servant...this servant also wishes to learn from Eunuch Wang!" Tu Qinian's voice trembled.

The room was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat. Chongzhen stroked the wooden cup, suddenly remembering the crooked tree on Coal Hill. He'd killed too many people in his past life; in the end, even finding a loyal servant to protect him was difficult. This Tu Qinian before him, burly and strong, was a good prospect.

“It’s time for Eunuch Wang to retire,” Chongzhen suddenly smiled, “but you’re only in your early thirties. Why are you retiring? Don’t you want to follow me to save the country and its people?”

Cao Huachun immediately chimed in, "Qinian, His Majesty is giving you a high honor!"

Tu Qinian kowtowed deeply, saying, "This servant is willing to serve Your Majesty like a slave!"

"Your surname is Tu? Tu Wenfu's godson?" Chongzhen asked slowly.

Tu Qinian hardened his heart: "This servant's original surname is Wang! Tu Wenfu... is just a godfather recognized by the palace!"

Emperor Chongzhen raised his chin at Xu Yingyuan and said, "Xu Banban is an old friend of mine from when I was a prince. How about you recognize him as your godfather?" The fifty-year-old Xu Yingyuan straightened his back, his face showing pride.

Tu Qinian was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed and kowtowed: "Godfather above, please accept my bow!" He kowtowed repeatedly.

“Words are no proof.” Chongzhen took out a sheet of gold-flecked Xuan paper, and Wang Chengen ground the ink and handed him a brush. “Write a letter of acknowledgment of your father, and I will keep it for you.”

The pen scratched softly, and Tu Qinian understood—this was a pledge of allegiance! When he presented the petition stating, "I am willing to acknowledge Xu Yingyuan as my father, and my life, honor, and disgrace are all tied to the Emperor's grace," Chongzhen casually folded it up and stuffed it into his sleeve, as if he had received a "joining party application."

“Xu Qinian,” Chongzhen changed his form of address, “tell all the brothers outside to come in.”

More than two hundred soldiers from the Fourth Guard Battalion marched into the courtyard. Cao Huachun opened the camphor wood chest, its silvery light dazzling. Chongzhen grabbed a handful of loose silver and walked up to the lead soldier: "What's your name? Which guard are you from?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty! I am Zhang Tiezhu, squad leader of the Tengxiang Left Guard Cavalry!"

Chongzhen slapped the silver into his palm: "A good name! Wang Banban, remember it!"

Wang Chengen picked up his brush and wrote quickly: "On the 25th day of the eighth month of the seventh year of Tianqi, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), Zhang Tiezhu, the Left Guard of Tengxiang, was the first to receive an imperial reward." With a dot of vermilion, this rough man felt a surge of "one of our own" in his heart.

Emperor Chongzhen didn't actually have much money, but he knew that people's hearts were more important than money. In his previous life, he had scattered Wei Zhongxian's elite troops, and as a result, he couldn't even find anyone to protect him. He couldn't afford to be foolish this time.

When the last silver ingot was placed in the hand of the baby-faced soldier, the courtyard was already filled with kneeling soldiers. The soft sound of Wang Chengen closing the book was like announcing that they had all become the first batch of the "Emperor's Personal Army."

……

Inside the flower hall of the Suning Earl's mansion, the candlelight shone brightly, yet it couldn't dispel the chill in people's hearts. Wei Zhongxian paced anxiously, muttering, "Without our household, can the court function?" Li Yongzhen and Shi Yuanya stood with their hands at their sides, the air thick with tension.

Wei Liangqing dragged Wang Tiqian in. Wang Tiqian was pale as a ghost, his official hat askew. Wei Zhongxian asked urgently, "Tiqian... has the Emperor given his permission?"

Wang Tiqian knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty... he's forcing this servant to recommend someone!"

Wei Zhongxian feigned composure: "Whom did you recommend?"

Wang Tiqian, tears streaming down his face, said, "First I recommended Eunuch Li... His Majesty said the Imperial Secretariat couldn't do without him... Then I recommended Eunuch Shi and Eunuch Tu... The Emperor said Eunuch Shi would be good in charge of the Needlework Bureau, and Eunuch Tu would be in charge of the Imperial Horse Administration..." Wei Zhongxian's vision blurred, "Who did you finally recommend?"

Wang Tiqian burst into tears: "This servant...this servant had no choice...to recommend Your Majesty!"

"It's over..." Wei Zhongxian slumped into his chair. The emperor was taking his life!

In the dead silence, Wei Liangqing said fiercely, "Uncle! Let's fight to the death! While that brat is still weak..."

"Slap!" A loud slap interrupted Wei Liangqing's words. Wei Zhongxian had sat up straight at some point, his eyes blazing with anger, and slapped Wei Liangqing so hard that he staggered back, half of his face swelling up instantly.

"You bastard! Do you want our entire family to be executed?" Wei Zhongxian roared. "A fight to the death? What are you going to use to fight back? Just these few hundred servants in the mansion? Fools!"

Wei Liangqing covered his face, both in pain and fear, yet still unwilling to give up: "Uncle! Even if we hand over the Eastern Depot and the Directorate of Ceremonial, will the Emperor let us go? What about Empress Zhang..."

"Shut up!" Wei Zhongxian roared, but his voice betrayed a hint of weakness. These words struck at his deepest fear—even if he relinquished power, would the Emperor and Empress Zhang spare him?

At that moment, the door to the flower hall was suddenly kicked open. Hou Xingguo, the son of Madam Ke, stumbled in, his face filled with terror: "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! My mother has been detained in the palace by His Majesty! The maids and eunuchs who went with her have all been sent back!"

Everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave. The detention of Madam Ke was a hundred times worse than Wang Tiqian being forced to retreat! The shameful things she held in her hands, if she were to reveal even a few, would be enough to wipe out the entire eunuch faction!
A glint of madness flashed in Wei Liangqing's eyes: "Uncle! We can't..."

"Report...!" A shrill report interrupted him. Tu Wenfu stumbled in, his hat falling off as he ran: "Your Excellency! Something terrible has happened! My godson, Tu Qinian, has betrayed us! His Majesty has captured all two hundred elite soldiers in the Qianqing Palace!"

Our biggest reliance has collapsed!

Wei Zhongxian felt a sweet taste in his throat, his vision blurred, and he almost collapsed. Li Yongzhen and Shi Yuanya quickly supported him.

“It’s over…it’s over…” Wei Zhongxian muttered to himself, his face ashen.

At this moment, Li Yongzhen suddenly looked up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Chief Eunuch! This isn't over yet! His Majesty is using this as a warning! Tomorrow's audience at the Wenhua Hall is the key!"

He lowered his voice: "We need to get the Grand Secretaries to cry poverty together! Lay out the mess of the empty treasury and the expenses for the imperial mausoleum! Let the Emperor know that without your presence, the court can't function!"

"As for the Eastern Depot..." Li Yongzhen gritted his teeth and said, "It can be given to Xu Yingyuan. But the power to approve imperial edicts in the Directorate of Ceremonial must be firmly held!"

He then turned to Hou Xingguo: "Young Master Hou, hurry up and hide all the silver and land deeds under your mother's name! Especially those deadly account books, burn them all! As long as you can't find any money, your mother still has a chance to live!"

Hou Xingguo suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly ran out.

Wei Liangqing asked urgently, "What if the emperor insists on putting my uncle to death?"

A cold glint flashed in Wei Zhongxian's eyes: "Then let the governors and viceroys of the nine border regions submit memorials, lamenting the serious arrears in wages and fearing a mutiny! Let's see if the emperor is afraid!"

He swept his gaze across the crowd, his voice hoarse yet ruthless: "Liangqing, go and contact Cui Chengxiu and the others. Tomorrow at the Wenhua Hall, we'll put on a grand show for His Majesty! Let him know that the Ming Dynasty cannot do without our family!"

……

Deep within the Qianqing Palace.

The candlelight was soft. Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, flipped through the testimony of Madam Ke and the preliminary list of her assets presented by Xu Yingyuan, his face expressionless.

Xu Yingyuan said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Madam Ke vomited quite readily in order to save her life. But if she only wants cash, I'm afraid it won't be enough for 300,000 taels. If she wants the estate, shops, and treasures as well, we can raise 1.5 million taels. I have already appeased her as you instructed, asking only for money and not for her life."

Emperor Chongzhen closed the booklet and tapped the table with his finger: "One million five hundred thousand... It won't quench the thirst, but it can help in an emergency. Let her continue vomiting until she's vomited it all out."

Xu Yingyuan's face showed worry: "Your Majesty, tomorrow at the Wenhua Hall, the Duke of Yingguo and his ilk, as well as those eager censors and officials, will probably hear the news... After suffering such heavy blows, Wei Zhongxian's followers will surely retaliate like mad dogs. This servant is worried..."

Emperor Chongzhen interrupted him with a faint smile:

"A counterattack? With what? Xu Banban, remember this: where in this world are there so many die-hard 'eunuchs'?" He stood up and walked to the window:

"They're nothing more than a bunch of flies and dogs who've gathered together because they smell the stench of official positions and money. Some want to be officials, some are afraid of losing their positions, and some... are greedy for money."

"As for Wei Zhongxian," Chongzhen's gaze seemed to pierce through the night, landing in the direction of the Suning Earl's residence, "if he were smart, he would know that my net has never contained heavy weapons like the 'treason case.' What I want are nothing more than some material possessions and... the positions that need to be vacated. My Ming Dynasty... can have Wei Zhongxian, but it cannot have the Nine Thousand Years Old!"

(End of this chapter)