Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 227 Time Waits for No One

Outside the window is Suzhou.

Even though it was late at night, the most decadent den of extravagance in the Ming Dynasty was still filled with the fragrance of cosmetics mixed with the soft, seductive sounds of Wu dialect, stubbornly trying to sneak into the study of this temporary palace.

However, they failed.

An even stronger and more domineering aura seemed to still linger between the beams and pillars; it was the smell of blood that had just passed.

The exquisite Suzhou gardens, with their pavilions, rockeries, bridges, and flowing water, are serene and picturesque under the moonlight.

But the image of the gentry and wealthy merchants being dragged out of their mansions by the emperor's soldiers during the day, their heads rolling along the canal, takes on an eerie crimson hue.

Inside the study, in the gold-plated incense burner with the animal head design, the finest sandalwood incense was burning quietly, its smoke rising straight up like a solitary wisp of smoke.

On the emperor's desk, reports and documents from all over the country were piled up like mountains, each one related to the life and death of countless people and millions of taels of silver.

Their reviewer, the current emperor Zhu Youjian, was not sitting upright at this moment.

He leaned back in a wide chair, carved from a single piece of rosewood, which was unusual for him.

One hand, with distinct knuckles, yet pale as jade, was kneading its brow with considerable force.

The flickering candlelight cast dappled shadows on his young yet profound face, perfectly highlighting the deep-seated weariness within him.

This is not a pathological state of physical unease, but rather a huge aftereffect of the sudden relaxation that occurs after the mind and will have been stretched to the limit, cutting through countless tangled threads and extinguishing countless flames.

Like a fully drawn bow, after the fatal arrow is released, the bow arm will tremble slightly for a moment unnoticed.

The world is his bow, and he is the tautest string.

Just when it was so quiet you could hear the crackling of the lamplight, a steady and powerful footstep sounded from outside the door, approaching and stopping at the study doorway.

"Your subject, Qin Liangyu, has come here by imperial decree!"

The voice was not loud, but each word was clear and resonant, instantly dispelling the slight weariness in the study.

Zhu Youjian raised his eyelids and looked over.

The newcomer wore soft armor still covered in dust, rather than the ornate and elaborate court robes of a marquis. The marks of sword cuts and arrow strikes were clearly visible on the armor, each one seemingly telling a story of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Qin Liangyu was over fifty years old. The years and the scorching sun of Sichuan had etched deep lines on her bronze face and the corners of her eyes, but her eyes were brighter than those of a twenty-year-old, like an eagle or a wolf, sharp enough to pierce the heart.

She entered the study, paying no heed to the emperor's somewhat improper posture, and simply knelt on one knee in a perfect military salute. The entire movement, from removing her armor to bending her knee and then bowing her head, was clean and swift, like a drawn sword, without the slightest sway or hesitation.

One was a king, slightly weary and as still as a deep pool; the other was an old general, spirited and still exuding a murderous aura.

The stillness and movement, the weariness and the intensity, create a strange yet harmonious contrast within this small study.

As soon as Qin Liangyu raised her eyes, she keenly noticed the lingering weariness between the emperor's brows.

That was not a pretense, nor a show of weakness, but a trace of truth that a man, who had single-handedly shouldered the entire crumbling empire, would unconsciously reveal in front of his most trusted and reliable ministers.

Qin Liangyu's heart tightened suddenly.

She had spent her life on the battlefield, seen countless formidable enemies and scenes of carnage, but never before had she felt such trepidation as she did now.

Qin Liangyu kowtowed again, her tone shifting from the previous resolute and decisive manner to a heartfelt and sincere concern.

"Your Majesty, even with thousands of troops and enemy lines like a forest, I have never seen you frown once. Now that the villains in Jiangnan have been beheaded and the traitors have been brought to justice, it is merely the execution of some chickens and dogs, yet your health appears weary. The fate of the nation is indeed important, but the weight of this responsibility rests entirely on Your Majesty's shoulders. I implore Your Majesty to take good care of yourself and not... not to overwork yourself!"

These words contained no flowery language, only the most basic concerns of a warrior.

Zhu Youjian paused for a moment, then a faint but genuine smile slowly crept onto his tense lips.

This pure concern touched the softest chord in his heart far more deeply than the memorials from his courtiers, which were full of classical allusions.

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, signaling Qin Liangyu to rise, and even pointed to an embroidered stool next to him, saying gently, "The old general is too kind, please sit down. I... am fine."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, or perhaps lost in thought, before finally letting out a self-deprecating bitter laugh, his voice carrying a sense of detachment as if from another world.

"I'm not tired, I was just a little dazed and didn't realize that I've already done so much."

This statement seemed to come out of nowhere, which puzzled Qin Liangyu, but she didn't press for details. Instead, she straightened her back after expressing her gratitude and sat down on the embroidered stool beside her, quietly waiting for what would follow.

She knew that the emperor had summoned her not simply to see her or hear her greetings.

Zhu Youjian did not directly answer Qin Liangyu's earlier concern. Instead, he turned his gaze to the flickering palace lantern, his eyes distant, as if piercing through time and space, seeing the thorny path he had personally paved over the past year, a path strewn with blood and bones!
His tone was almost like a dream, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he were making a cold assessment of the empty study and the magnificent history books.

This review is devoid of any boasting or excitement; it simply presents the facts calmly.

But to Qin Liangyu, it was like a series of thunderclaps, exploding into a raging storm in the depths of her heart.

"When I was in the north, I killed those Shanxi merchants who colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, which can be considered as... cutting off one of the Jianzhou Jurchen's lifelines from the interior."

He spoke very softly, as if he were only talking about a trivial matter.

Qin Liangyu nodded inwardly. The fact that the Shanxi merchants were colluding with the enemy was a secret known to everyone in the court and the public, but for a hundred years no one dared to touch them, and no one was able to touch them.

They were deeply entrenched, already integrated with the impenetrable court officials. To touch them would be tantamount to stirring up trouble! Yet the emperor did it with such nonchalance.

Zhu Youjian did not stop; his thoughts raced across the vast territory of the Ming Dynasty.

"In the capital, I executed Zhou Yanru, which served as a good warning to those so-called honest officials who only knew how to talk big, whitewash their actions, and form cliques for personal gain. The court is finally a little quieter now..."

Qin Liangyu unconsciously held her breath.

"Later on, those grain merchants who hoarded and manipulated grain prices also took advantage of the situation."

Qin Liangyu's eyes began to twitch slightly.

Jiangnan, the financial heart of the Ming Dynasty, is also where the gentry hold the most power. To wage war here could easily lead to widespread chaos and conflict!
Zhu Youjian turned her gaze to the west, the place she knew best.

"Further westward, after clearing out the Qin vassal state, I will personally cut away the rotten flesh oozing pus from the Zhu family. Otherwise, if they are allowed to prey on the people and compete with the country for profit, I will have nowhere to put my face."

Qin Liangyu's body jolted violently!
Having been directly involved in the Qin Fan affair, she naturally knew the dangers involved.

That's no outsider, that's the bloodline of Emperor Taizu Gao!
The emperor was even more ruthless towards his own people than towards his enemies!

This resolute decision sent a chill down her spine, even for a seasoned battlefield veteran like her who had seen countless life-and-death situations.

Zhu Youjian looked at Qin Liangyu, a hint of bitterness in his eyes. "Of course, there's also the situation outside Luoyang... all thanks to you, old general. That fat pig that had been raised for decades, fatter than the national treasury, was finally slaughtered, providing several months' worth of food for the millions of starving people in the north."

Upon hearing this, Qin Liangyu immediately rose from her seat and knelt on the ground, saying in a deep voice, "Your subject is acting under imperial decree and dares not claim credit!"

Her heart was in turmoil.

Kill Prince Fu!

This was the most rebellious and exhilarating thing she had ever done in her life!

Qin Liangyu originally thought that this was an outrageous act, enough to make the historian's pen tremble.

But now, listening to the emperor speak word by word...
In the grand scheme of the emperor's life, what she did was merely a necessary and ordinary step.

As if he felt the shock wasn't enough for her, Zhu Youjian added a sentence in a low voice.

"Oh, right, and Shandong too. That Duke Yansheng's mansion, with its thousand-year history, which has witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties and thought it could live and die with the nation... Now, it's time for it to change its appearance."

The last line of defense in Qin Liangyu's mind completely collapsed.

They killed Shanxi merchants, high-ranking officials, grain merchants, and vassal kings... In the end, they even overturned the ancestral tablet of the Duke Yansheng's mansion.

Each and every one of these events, taken individually, is a groundbreaking act that would shake the world and be recorded in history books!

Even if an ordinary emperor accomplished just one of these feats, it would be enough to demonstrate his great talent and ambition in the imperial court.

But the young emperor before us accomplished all of this in just over a year after his ascension to the throne, as smoothly and effortlessly as if he were wielding a brush and splashing ink.

What's even more frightening is that he spoke of these things with such calmness and an air of matter-of-fact.

This understated narrative after the storm has a more powerful, soul-stirring impact than any grand, self-aggrandizing boast!

After a long while, the emperor seemed to pull himself out of that memory. He glanced at the night view of Suzhou outside the window and said calmly, as if he were giving himself a summary.

"Thinking about it this way, the few people killed and the blood shed in Songjiang Prefecture a few days ago really are nothing serious."

He turned his head and looked at Qin Liangyu, who was still kneeling on the ground. He finally let out a long sigh, a sound that revealed the true exhaustion accumulated from all the emotions he had just experienced.

"Yes... I'm a little tired. Unfortunately, time waits for no one!"

This sigh, like a boulder falling from the clouds into a cold pool, instantly shattered the awe-inspiring feeling brought about by the review of glorious achievements, dragging Qin Liangyu's mind into a deeper, more unsettling abyss. It was a vast and profound sorrow unique to emperors, originating from the depths of the Nine Heavens.

Qin Liangyu was puzzled.

Following the train of thought of a loyal subject, she kowtowed again, raised her head to look up at the emperor, and sincerely asked:

"Your Majesty, please forgive my ignorance. In my view, the Jurchens in Liaodong have been severely weakened by your repeated blows, which have cut off their financial and logistical support. They are now hiding in fear, and there is no major trouble on the border for the time being. The refugees in Shaanxi are rising up everywhere, and the disaster is severe. It is only thanks to Your Majesty's grace and swift measures that the wealth of the Prince of Fu and the funds and grain from Jiangnan have been allocated, and the situation has been somewhat stabilized. Moreover, the gentry in Jiangnan have become even more submissive after this battle, and the whole country is terrified. They dare not have the slightest thought of disobeying!"
In my opinion, this...this is an unprecedentedly favorable situation since the late emperor's reign! Your Majesty...is there anything else on your mind?"

After asking the question, she immediately realized that she might have asked something she shouldn't have, and quickly added, "Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant, and I have presumptuously guessed Your Majesty's intentions. I deserve to die!"

"Get up, old general." Zhu Youjian helped the old general up with both hands. "If I were to blame even you, then I would truly have no one I could trust and nothing to say to anyone in this world."

The emperor's tone contained not a trace of blame, but rather a rare sincerity, as if he regarded her as a trusted confidante.

This unexpected encounter between ruler and subject even stirred a slight warmth in the eyes of Qin Liangyu, a woman who had spent her life on the battlefield.

The emperor did not answer her question directly. Instead, he stared into her eyes and asked, "General, let me ask you this. Back in the capital, I ordered you to lead troops to Luoyang and surround the Prince of Fu's residence based solely on a secret edict and a verbal command. Did you know that if things had gone wrong, your Qin family's century-old reputation for loyalty and your thousands of White-Spear soldiers would have been utterly destroyed? Why...why did you trust me? Why were you so decisive?"

This is an extremely crucial question.

Qin Liangyu did not hesitate at all. Her answer was as simple as a mountain stone, yet hard enough to break through any pretense.

"Your Majesty, I only acknowledge three things."

“The first thing is Your Majesty’s sincerity. In the past, when my White-Spear Army entered the capital to defend the emperor, our provisions, supplies, and armor were all incomplete. It was Your Majesty who delivered 200,000 taels of silver to my army without missing a single penny. This silver is not just provisions, but also Your Majesty’s trust. I cannot betray this trust.”

Qin Liangyu extended a second finger, her eyes dimming as if recalling some unbearable scene: "Secondly, on the way to Xi'an, I personally witnessed the horrific sight of starvation everywhere, of people exchanging children to eat each other. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that such a hell existed in the Ming Dynasty! At that moment, I truly understood that Your Majesty's cruel methods in the capital and in the north, though seemingly ruthless, were the only path to salvation for these millions of people!"

Finally, Qin Liangyu withdrew her hand, solemnly clasped her hands in a fist salute, and spoke with a voice as firm as metal.

"Therefore, I have come to a third conclusion. I do not understand any grand principles of the people being more important than the ruler, nor do I understand any ancestral laws. I only know that if we do not follow Your Majesty's lead, if we continue to be as tepid as before, the Ming Dynasty will surely perish! So, whatever Your Majesty wants to do, I will do. If there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I will lead my men to pave the way for you! I will go through fire and water, even unto death!"

These words were Qin Liangyu's pledge of allegiance, and also her truest thoughts!
Zhu Youjian listened quietly, but after he finished, that bitter smile reappeared on his face.

He slowly walked to the window, pushed open a carved wooden window, and let the cool air of the late night in Jiangnan blow on his face.

He gazed at the waning moon and the sparse stars on the horizon, and said softly, "Old General, I believe in your loyalty."

He paused, then uttered a term that Qin Liangyu could not understand at all.

"Old General, do you know... about the Little Ice Age?"

Before Qin Liangyu could answer, he continued speaking to himself. His voice seemed to come from the distant horizon, carrying a grand yet desperate sense of destiny that was out of step with this era.

"The weather is harsh, with floods in the south and droughts in the north, disasters are frequent, and there is almost no year without calamities! The north is frozen for thousands of miles, while the south is flooded by torrential rains. This is the sharpest and most merciless knife hanging over the head of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Killing a few corrupt officials, eliminating a few gentry, and confiscating the property of a few princes are merely patching up existing problems, adding more holes to this already shattered ship. But if Heaven intends for it to sink, that is the true, unstoppable terror!"

These words were completely beyond Qin Liangyu's comprehension.

She spent her life on the battlefield, only knowing how to fight against people. Fighting against fate? That was something she wouldn't even dare to think about.

Zhu Youjian's thoughts, however, had already drifted to a much farther place.

"What I fear is not the Jurchens who live by fishing and hunting beyond the Great Wall, nor the bandits in Shaanxi who are starving and cannot survive. What I fear is the grand trend of the world!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of anxiety and urgency.

"I have heard that some barbarians from overseas countries thousands of miles away, known as the Western barbarians, are building ships that are far stronger and larger than the Ming Dynasty's Fujian ships, to sail thousands of miles and explore the unknown; they are also researching a firearm whose power far exceeds that of the Hongyi cannons, to expand their territory!"
Old General, everyone is changing, everyone is progressing!
Our Great Ming Dynasty, possessing the four seas and abundant resources, is still endlessly embroiled in internal strife over some outdated rules and pointless factional struggles!
If we continue to be so closed off, we'll be like a fat lamb kept in a pen, just waiting for the wolves outside to sharpen their claws and come to devour us!

Finally, the emperor turned around, his gaze piercing as he looked at Qin Liangyu, who was completely stunned, and uttered those heartfelt, yet most solitary, words.

"What I fear even more is that something might happen to me, that if I were to fall, all the hard-won achievements would crumble immediately, and those evil spirits that I had suppressed would retaliate with even greater force! The Ming Dynasty would still fall apart and plunge into an abyss of no return!"

"Therefore, I dare not stop, dare not rest, I wish there were forty-eight hours in a day! I fear only that time will not wait for me, and Heaven will not grant me my full life..."

He exhaled a long breath, as if to expel all the pent-up emotions in his chest. Then, gazing at the vast night outside the window, he uttered two lines in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
"苟"

(End of this chapter)