How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 6: What reverse case? It's just greed!

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the morning light slanted in, and dust motes swirled in the beams of light. Emperor Chongzhen held a rosewood cup and sipped some hot tea. The taste was almost identical to the thermos he used to hold at meetings in his previous life.

The armor plates rustled outside the hall. Xu Qinian stood at attention with about a hundred personal guards, their hands on their swords. These men were originally soldiers from the Imperial Horse Administration, but now they had all become part of the "Emperor's Party." When Xu Qinian came to surrender, he brought more than two hundred men with him. Chongzhen then selected twenty clever ones and sent them back to the Four Guards to secretly recruit more people. In just two nights, several hundred more had gathered.

Five or six hundred people now. Chongzhen tapped his fingers on the warm rim of the cup. If he could just gather a few more, whether it was a "Xuanwu Gate Incident" or a scaled-down version of the "Jingnan Campaign," he would finally have some foundation.

Of course, he wasn't really trying to fight Wei Zhongxian's followers by winning them over. He wanted to cultivate a group of loyal people who would follow the emperor to overthrow the powerful eunuch faction and regain power. This merit of following the emperor and this "resume" that could bring glory to their ancestors and benefit their descendants was enough to make these ambitious soldiers risk their lives and become the most die-hard "imperial party" members!
"Your Majesty, regarding the reign title..." Grand Secretary Huang Liji unfolded the memorial from the Ministry of Rites, his voice seeming to drift from afar.

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze slowly swept across the crowd. Among the four Grand Secretaries, Huang Lijie, Shi Fenglai, and Zhang Ruitu all wore expressions that were respectful yet tinged with panic—they had all risen through the ranks thanks to Wei Zhongxian, and now they were terrified.

Li Guopu stood at the very end, his thin face still bearing a scholarly air—although he was from the same hometown as Wei Zhongxian, he had never tried to curry favor with him.

The two noblemen—Duke of Yingguo Zhang Weixian and Duke of Chengguo Zhu Chunchen—stood on either side.

Zhang Weixian had gray hair and a steady gaze; he was a loyal minister who helped two emperors, Tianqi and Chongzhen, ascend the throne, and his choice of sides was extremely accurate.

As for that chubby Zhu Chunchen... Chongzhen sneered inwardly, hoping that this fellow could "improve" in his life, preferably become a loyal martyr—like the kind who "bravely" died on the battlefield when Huang Taiji broke through the pass in the second year of Chongzhen's reign!
Wei Zhongxian stood to the side with his hands at his sides, his tall figure shrinking in the morning light, looking rather submissive.

“The Ministry of Rites has proposed three reign titles.” Huang Liji’s voice was steady. “The first is ‘Shaoqing,’ which means to carry on the past and open up the future; the second is ‘Yongchang,’ which means that the country will last a long time; and the third is ‘Chongzhen,’ which comes from the Book of Documents: ‘Be honest and trustworthy, be righteous and honorable, and you can govern the country by doing nothing.’”

Chongzhen… Chongzhen felt a sudden pang in his heart. This was the same reign title that had accompanied him for seventeen years in his previous life, the one that ultimately led to his death by being nailed to the crooked tree on Coal Hill! The old locust tree and the white silk fluttering in the wind flashed before his eyes again… How depressing!

"Yongchang"—his lips almost twitched. That was Li Zicheng's short-lived but brilliant pseudonym! Even more unlucky!

"Shaoqing"? Shao means to inherit, and Qing means auspicious celebration? What's there to celebrate about taking over such a terrible mess?

The current cabinet ministers' ability to come up with reign titles is truly appalling!
“Let’s go with Chongzhen!” Chongzhen gave a bitter, almost self-deprecating smile. “However, the character ‘贞’ is not suitable. Let’s add the ‘示’ radical.” The ‘示’ radical means to pray for divine protection, which is better than the character ‘贞’ which implies “chaste and virtuous woman.”

Everyone in the hall was taken aback. Huang Liji, forcing a smile, continued, "Your Majesty, while the character '祯' is auspicious, the original text of the *Shangshu*..."

“I know the original text.” Chongzhen’s voice was calm, but it carried an undeniable force. “‘Chongzhen’ sounds like it’s mocking me (it would be interpreted as admiring virginity), ‘Chongzhen’ is much better. It’s settled then.”

Huang Liji's Adam's apple bobbed, but he dared not speak further and bowed his head in agreement.

"Next, let's discuss the funds for the mausoleum construction." Chongzhen sipped his tea. "How much has the Ministry of Works reported?"

Shi Fenglai stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works has determined that the construction of the late Emperor's mausoleum will require 3.8 million taels of silver."

"Three million eight hundred thousand?!" Chongzhen's voice suddenly rose. "How much silver is in the imperial treasury? You dare to spend three million eight hundred thousand on a tomb? Do you all know how to manage money?!"

The crowd below—the Grand Secretaries, the nobles, even Wei Zhongxian—were dumbfounded. They had planned it all out: the new emperor, with his deep affection for his elder brother, would surely spare no expense in giving the late emperor a grand funeral. The Ministry of Works had toiled for years, counting on the most lucrative task of repairing the imperial mausoleum to recoup their losses… Why was this young emperor acting so unpredictably?

Emperor Chongzhen saw through their schemes—these people complained of poverty during wartime, but splurged when the emperor died! Weren't they just trying to make a quick buck? Did they think the young emperor on the throne knew nothing, only caring about his brother and wanting a grand mausoleum? Too bad, I, the emperor, have been in the new dynasty for decades, and have a solid grasp of materialism. I don't believe in feng shui, and I certainly don't care about exorbitantly priced tombs!

"Build it according to the scale and cost of my father's Qingling Mausoleum!" Chongzhen declared resolutely. "One million five hundred thousand taels! Not a penny more!"

That one strike severed two million three hundred thousand! The sound of someone's heart breaking seemed to echo within the hall.

"This 1.5 million taels..." Emperor Chongzhen leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing, "Where did it come from? How much silver is stored in the imperial granary?"

“Your Majesty,” the Vice Minister Shi Fenglai said hoarsely, “the Taicang… the Taicang treasury currently only has 190,000 taels of silver left…”

"190,000?!" Chongzhen's cold laugh echoed in the empty hall. "I remember that last year's Liaodong military tax alone collected more than 5 million! Where is the money?! Did it all go to the dogs?!" His gaze was like a knife, scraping across the faces of the four Grand Secretaries.

Zhang Ruitu hurriedly stepped forward and unfolded the account book: "Your Majesty, please allow me to report. The figure of over five million is from last year. This year, due to the severe drought in Shaanxi and the peasant uprising in Shanxi, we can only collect at most four million. The Ningjin Campaign cost two million two hundred thousand taels of silver, the Pi Island military pay was six hundred thousand taels, and the repair of the three main halls was... a diversion of one million five hundred thousand taels..."

Grand Secretary Huang Lijie quickly interjected, his voice heavy: "The back pay for the nine border regions has accumulated to over ten million taels. Soldiers in Xuanfu and Datong are barely clothed, and the soldiers in Jizhou haven't been paid for over a dozen months, leading to unrest! Shaanxi has suffered from a severe drought for years, and the cost of suppressing bandits and providing disaster relief is one million taels; the remnants of She An's rebellion in the southwest have not yet been quelled, costing six hundred thousand taels in military pay annually; and the pirates in the southeast are rampant, requiring another four hundred thousand taels to purchase ships and cannons for the navy..."

Each and every one of these is a deadly hole!
As Chongzhen listened, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. The Jizhou mutiny in August of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign! The Xuanfu mutiny in mid-October! These two swords hanging overhead were about to fall at any moment, threatening a major catastrophe!

"The military pay for Xuanfu and Jizhou cannot be delayed any longer!" Emperor Chongzhen slammed his hand on the imperial desk, causing the rosewood cup to bounce. "Immediately withdraw 180,000 taels from the Imperial Treasury! Send them to Xuanfu and Jizhou at top speed! As for Datong... we'll figure out a solution later."

Huang Liji's face turned pale: "Your Majesty! This... there's only ten thousand taels left..."

"Do as I say!" Chongzhen glared at him fiercely, his eyes sharp. "If a mutiny breaks out, it won't just be a matter of 180,000 taels of silver! It will cause rivers of blood to flow and tens of thousands to die! If things escalate... can you bear the responsibility?!"

Huang Lijie shuddered at the piercing gaze, daring not to contradict him further, and bowed to accept the decree: "Your subject... obeys the decree."

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, save for the rhythmic tapping of Chongzhen's fingers on the imperial desk, each tap striking a chord in everyone's hearts. Ten thousand taels? What good was that! The mausoleum construction would cost 1.5 million, the border regions were starving, and Shaanxi was littered with corpses of the starved… Where would the money come from?

“Your Majesty,” Huang Liji took a deep breath. As the chief minister, he had to make a decision. “The construction of the mausoleum is a grand ceremony of the state, concerning the dignity of the royal family and the posthumous honor of the late emperor. The amount of 1.5 million taels is simply too much to ask for. Since the treasury is empty, the only option now is… to levy an additional 1.5 million taels for the mausoleum construction and distribute it to the relatively stable regions of Beizhili, Shandong, and Henan to provide immediate relief.”

This is the most direct approach, and the one that officials are most familiar with—scraping another layer from the already exhausted populace.

"No!" Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo stepped forward, displaying the straightforwardness of a military man. "Your Majesty! Shaanxi is suffering from a severe drought, the land is parched and barren, and refugees are blocking the roads; Shanxi is in turmoil, with rebellions raging everywhere; Henan is also devastated! The northern provinces have long been exhausted! Adding another 1.5 million taels of 'mausoleum construction funds' now is like adding fuel to the fire—the fire will not be extinguished until the fuel is exhausted! If the order is issued, I'm afraid not only Shaanxi and Shanxi, but also Shandong and Henan will rebel! When the land is engulfed in flames, what will the court do? The rebellions on the nine borders have not been quelled, and the heartland is in chaos. The Ming Dynasty is doomed!"

He pleaded the point, gazing expectantly at Chongzhen, hoping this seemingly different young emperor would see the consequences of drinking poison to quench his thirst.

Huang Liji sighed helplessly, “The Duke of Yingguo is concerned about the country and its people, and I admire him. But… if we don’t increase the tax, where will the money come from? Are we just going to leave the late emperor’s coffin unburied?” He changed the subject, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Wei Zhongxian by the steps before quickly looking away. He lowered his voice, hinting, “Perhaps… Your Majesty could consider… the imperial treasury?”

The imperial treasury, the emperor's private coffers, has always been a place that civil officials envy but dare not openly discuss.

"The imperial treasury?" Chongzhen's lips curled into a wry smile, as if he had been waiting for this question. He leaned back slightly and said with a wry smile, "Mr. Huang has reminded me. The amount in the Imperial Treasury accounts, converted into silver, is about a million taels."

Several senior officials' eyes lit up, thinking: There's a chance!

But Chongzhen's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured on him: "What a pity! Most of these million-plus taels are tributes accumulated over the years—for example, coral trees from the South China Sea, as tall as a person, worth a fortune. But if I were to take them to the market and sell them now, they would immediately turn into piles of silver to pay the soldiers' salaries, buy food for disaster victims, and build a mausoleum for my imperial brother? Who would want this stuff?"

He spread his hands: "As for the imperial treasury's cash reserves, there are less than 300,000 taels. What good is that?"

The nascent hope was instantly extinguished. The Grand Secretaries exchanged glances, and the hall grew even more deathly silent. The nobles frowned deeply. Wei Zhongxian, who had been keeping his head down the whole time, revealed a hint of joy.

He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said in a still respectful voice, "This old servant dares to speak, but I have just remembered something." His old eyes swept over everyone in the hall, finally settling on Emperor Chongzhen. "Lady Fengsheng, Madam Ke, has been living in seclusion in Xian'an Palace since the late Emperor's death. Recently, officials have investigated her estates, including fields, shops, houses, and treasures." He paused deliberately, "A rough estimate suggests her assets are probably no less than two million taels!"

"Two million taels?!" A collective gasp filled the hall. Even Zhang Weixian looked at Wei Zhongxian in astonishment.

Emperor Chongzhen's lips curled slightly—this Wei Zhongxian was still as "soft" in the face of imperial power as he had been in the previous life. Upon learning that Madam Ke was being "kept under surveillance," he was eager to cut ties with her and even wanted to use Madam Ke's family property to cover up the treason case, downplaying the seriousness of the matter.

This attitude is acceptable! He's a typical feudalistic corrupt official; as long as he understands the essence of serving the emperor, he can continue to be used.

Wei Zhongxian continued, his tone becoming increasingly pained: "This was all lavishly rewarded by the late emperor and amassed by the lady herself; there must have been some embezzlement involved. With the national treasury in dire straits, this old servant believes we should thoroughly investigate and recover these illegal gains to alleviate the immediate crisis."

Zhang Weixian immediately saw through Wei Zhongxian's intentions. He took a step forward and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Eunuch Wei, you are mistaken! How could a mere palace woman like Madam Ke amass two million taels of silver without collusion with outsiders? This staggering sum must have been obtained through embezzlement and harm to the people!" He turned to Emperor Chongzhen and knelt on one knee, "Your Majesty! I have a memorial to present! Rumors have circulated that Madam Ke has engaged in debauchery within the palace, plotted against the imperial heir, persecuted the Empress, and even starved Consort Yu, Zhang, to death! Such heinous crimes cannot be covered up by mere corruption! I request a thorough investigation into this 'treasonous case'!"

"What?!" Emperor Chongzhen stood up abruptly, smashing the rosewood cup to pieces. His face was ashen, and his voice trembled: "Minister Zhang, is this true?"

Zhang Weixian kowtowed: "If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may ask Empress Zhang!"

The air in the hall froze instantly. Wei Zhongxian's face was ashen, and cold sweat soaked through his official robes—if he were proven guilty of "plotting to murder the imperial heir," it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family!

Emperor Chongzhen took a deep breath, as if suppressing his anger: "Four Grand Secretaries, what do you think of this matter?"

Li Guopu was the first to step forward, his expression stern: "Your Majesty, if what the Duke of Ying said is true, this is an unforgivable crime! I request that Lady Ke be arrested immediately and this case be thoroughly investigated!"

Huang Lijie, Shi Fenglai, and Zhang Ruitu exchanged glances. Wei Zhongxian stared at them with venomous eyes, but faced with the combined pressure from the emperor and nobles...
"I second that proposal," Shi Fenglai said with difficulty.

"I second that," Zhang Ruitu echoed.

Finally, Huang Liji seemed to age ten years in an instant, and bowed deeply: "This old minister seconds the motion."

Now all four Grand Secretaries are on Wei Zhongxian's side!
Wei Zhongxian trembled all over, as if he could see the edifice of power he had built up over many years collapsing. And today was only the third day since the new emperor ascended the throne!
At this critical moment, Emperor Chongzhen suddenly smiled.

A laugh from the young emperor echoed through the hall, shattering the tense atmosphere. Everyone looked up in surprise to see Chongzhen wiping his eyes, his tone light:

"My dear ministers, why are you so nervous? What 'treason case'? It sounds frightening." He stepped down from the imperial steps and patted Wei Zhongxian on the shoulder. "In my opinion, there is no 'treason case'."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, a faint smile playing on his lips:
"He's just greedy for money."

(End of this chapter)