The Ming Dynasty: Starting with Emperor Chongzhen's crackdown on factionalism

"You gained your official position by flattering His Majesty, and now you're misleading him, attempting to overturn the verdict!"

"Are you aware that Yuan Chonghuan colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, and the evidence against him is irrefutable?"

"By advocating for him, you are associating with a traitor!"

"Did all the Confucian classics you read go to waste?"

"You are a disgrace to scholars!"

This performance came suddenly and was both loud and fierce.

If one didn't know his background, one might really think he was a righteous and outspoken official.

Chen Zhiyuan watched him quietly, and only after he finished speaking did he slowly say, "Has Physician Feng finished speaking?"

Feng Quan was taken aback. He had expected Chen Zhiyuan to panic or vehemently refute him, but he was surprised by his calm demeanor.

Chen Zhiyuan stood up, walked to the window, and with his back to him, said calmly, "Was Doctor Feng's impassioned speech specifically for me, or was it intended for others outside?"

Feng Quan's expression changed slightly: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is," Chen Zhiyuan turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"If Physician Feng truly cares about national affairs, he should first take care of his own family."

Feng Quan's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"What about my family? Don't talk nonsense!"

"Does Doctor Feng know what kind of business your son, Feng Yuan, is doing in Shanxi these days?"

Chen Zhiyuan slowly approached.

"Your son-in-law, Zhang Shilu, went out of the pass three times last year. Where did he go and who did he meet? Does Physician Feng know?"

Feng Quan's face began to turn pale.

Chen Zhiyuan continued, "The imperial court strictly prohibits the export of ironware, sulfur, and saltpeter. Violators will be treated as traitors and their entire families will be executed."

"But as far as I know, your son-in-law Zhang Shilu handled no less than five thousand catties of pig iron at his warehouse in Zhangjiakou last year."

"Where did all that pig iron end up? Would you like to guess, Physician Feng?"

"You...you're spouting nonsense!"

Feng Quan's voice trembled, but he had lost his previous imposing manner.

"Whether it's slander or not, we'll find out by investigating," Chen Zhiyuan said calmly.

These are things that Chen Zhiyuan saw in some materials from later generations.

I don't know if these things are true or false, but judging from Feng Quan's expression now, they are probably true.

Moreover, Feng Quan was one of the earliest people to defect to the Qing Dynasty.

Feng Quan's legs went weak, and he slumped into the chair, his underwear instantly soaked with cold sweat.

His son does business in Shanxi and does indeed have dealings with Shanxi merchants.

The son-in-law even opened a warehouse in Zhangjiakou, doing some border trade business.

As for whether he was smuggling contraband... he actually had a vague idea, but he pretended not to know.

The profits from border trade were too great, and the "shares" offered by those Shanxi merchants were too tempting.

How did Chen Zhiyuan know all these things so clearly?

"What...what do you want?"

Feng Quan's voice softened completely.

"I don't want anything." Chen Zhiyuan sat back down at his desk.

"This is just a reminder to Physician Feng to keep a close eye on his family and not give anyone a handle to use against him."

"As for the Yuan case, I have been ordered to investigate it, and Your Majesty will make the final decision."

"No need for Physician Feng—and his colleagues behind him—to worry about it."

Feng Quan dared not say anything more, staggered to his feet, and almost ran out.

Late at night.

Chen Zhiyuan knew that starting with the Yuan Chonghuan case was the best way to address military spending.

The entire military expenditure system of the Ming Dynasty was already riddled with problems.

When the imperial granary was empty, additional taxes were levied for Liaodong, suppression, and military training.

Increased taxes forced the people to rebel, displaced people became bandits, and suppressing the bandits required even more military spending... a vicious cycle, an intractable deadlock.

And within this deadlock, countless people are sucking blood.

From high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Revenue to local clerks, from military commanders to battalion commanders, everyone gets a share of the pie in this system.

Chen Zhiyuan closed his eyes.

He recalled the "Treatise on Food and Commodities" in the History of Ming Dynasty, which he had read in his previous life.

"At the beginning of the Chongzhen reign, the annual revenue of the Taicang granary was no more than three million taels, while the annual grain and salary of the nine border regions required more than four million taels. The annual expenditure exceeded the annual revenue by more than one million taels."

"And the Liaodong levy was increased by more than five million taels, which the people could not bear, and bandits rose up everywhere."

I also recalled the records in those local chronicles.

"In the third year of the Chongzhen reign, a severe drought struck northern Shaanxi, leading to cannibalism. The government continued to demand taxes as before, and the people, unable to pay even by selling their children, turned to banditry."

This dynasty is rotting from within.

What he needs to do now is to cut open this rotting body and let the pus and blood flow out—even if it causes excruciating pain, even if it accelerates the collapse.

Because if you don't cut it, it will only rot more completely.

The candlelight in the Qianqing Palace crackled and popped.

Zhu Youjian stared at the secret memorial that had just been sent urgently from the Directorate of Ceremonial, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.

The secret memorial was written by Luo Yangxing himself, and the handwriting was slightly messy, indicating that it was written in a hurry.

"...I was ordered to conduct a secret investigation into the Shanxi merchants in Zhangjiakou. After seven days of covert investigation, I have obtained solid evidence."

"Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, and eight other families did indeed engage in prohibited trade with areas outside the Great Wall."

"In addition to tea and cloth, the goods carried by their caravans when they left the border often included sulfur, saltpeter, pig iron, and other items, which were hidden in hidden boxes or disguised as other goods."

"The customs officials received hefty bribes, and their inspections became largely a formality."

"The items they exchanged included furs, pearls, and some military equipment lost in Liaodong, such as arrowheads and broken armor."

"Furthermore, a clerk working for a Shanxi merchant family testified that in October of last year, a month before the enemy cavalry entered the pass, a cavalry caravan from the Fan family left the pass ahead of schedule, carrying mostly non-perishable dried rations and dried meat, in quantities far exceeding the usual amount..."

Zhu Youjian slammed the secret report on the table, his chest heaving violently.

The four words "dried food and dried meat" were like four poisonous thorns, piercing his heart.

Last October, how were Huang Taiji's cavalry able to move so swiftly, almost without any supplies, and advance straight in?

If there are people along the way to meet and resupply...

"Bastards! Traitors! They deserve to die! All of them deserve to die!"

A low growl squeezed out from his throat, echoing in the empty hall.

The image of Zheng Sanjun, Zhang Jimeng, and Hou Xun's passionate faces flashed before his eyes on the day the platform convened.

The resounding words of "loyalty and righteousness passed down through generations," "meritorious service to the country," and "the people's love and respect" that once echoed in my ears have now turned into the most vicious mockery.

Whom are they speaking for?

Is this to defend the loyal officials of the Ming Dynasty, or to advocate for these traitors who aid the enemy?

Some of these people came from respectable backgrounds, some were known as capable officials, and some were even ministers he once considered useful.

Do they know?

Did they receive the money?

Or are they simply foolish, blinded by a few words of "loyalty" and hometown ties?

At the end of his secret report, Luo Yangxing wrote: "...This case seems to have many connections, like a spider web in the dark. I fear that if we act rashly, we will alert the enemy and aid them. I earnestly request Your Majesty to allow me to continue to investigate thoroughly, clarify the details, and then close the net."

Zhu Youjian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

The murderous intent in his chest was like boiling water, almost bursting through his head.

He wanted to issue an imperial edict immediately to arrest Fan Yongdou and the others, bring them to the capital, and execute them by a thousand cuts!

All the officials who pleaded for him should be imprisoned and interrogated!

But he knew Luo Yangxing was right.

How could someone manage to pull off such a massive business, bypassing so many checkpoints? Surely there must be someone in the imperial court capable of doing so?

The generals and commanders in Xuanda, the officials in Shanxi, and even those in the capital...

If things start happening now, it might be easy to arrest a few businessmen, but the root causes behind it will be difficult to eradicate completely.

The Later Jin are still eyeing us covetously beyond the Great Wall, and bandits are rampant in Shanxi. If the court is to be violently shaken by another major case at this moment...

But he couldn't swallow this insult!

"Chen Zhiyuan..." he uttered the name unconsciously.

On the platform, the image of that minor official in blue robes calmly stating "sulfur, saltpeter, and pig iron" in the face of the court's doubts clearly appeared before my eyes.

At the time, I was furious, thinking this person was spreading alarmist rumors and trying to gain attention. Later, I even suspected that he was using the investigation as a pretext to exonerate Yuan Chonghuan.

"He was right again."

Zhu Youjian murmured, a bitter smile curving his lips.

Not a coincidence.

From predicting impeachment to revealing the leak of information, and then to the Shanxi merchants aiding the enemy...