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

Zhu Youjian's fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the secret report, the paper making a soft rustling sound.

The candlelight cast half of his face onto the wall, the shadow flickering with the flame, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.

"Wang Chengen".

"This servant is here."

"Go, summon Chen Zhiyuan. He must come now."

"This servant obeys the decree."

As Wang Chengen bowed and withdrew, he caught a glimpse of the emperor's hand trembling slightly.

That wasn't fear; it was a sign of extreme anger.

He dared not look any longer and quickly disappeared into the shadows outside the hall.

The waiting time felt exceptionally long.

Zhu Youjian rose and paced around the hall, his boots making a dull thud as they stepped on the gold bricks.

He walked up to the hanging "Nine Border Map" and his gaze fell on the Liaodong area.

It was here that Yuan Chonghuan made his boast of "recovering Liaodong in five years" to him.

It was here that he was imprisoned and subjected to the excruciating punishment of slow slicing.

He hated Yuan Chonghuan intensely at the time.

I hate him for betraying trust, for killing Mao Wenlong without authorization, and for letting the enemy penetrate deep into our territory.

But now...

"Who exactly is the traitor?"

Zhu Youjian's voice was very soft, so soft that only he could hear it.

Footsteps could be heard outside the hall.

Chen Zhiyuan followed Wang Chengen in, bowed, and stood up.

He was wearing a light blue casual outfit, and his body was still damp from the night dew, indicating that he had come in a hurry.

Zhu Youjian neither told him to rise nor offered him a seat.

He just stared at him, his gaze as if he wanted to dissect him and see what was hidden inside.

"Regarding the Shanxi merchants," Zhu Youjian began, his voice hoarse.

You're right.

Chen Zhiyuan lowered his eyes and remained silent.

"They are indeed colluding with the enemy."

Zhu Youjian continued, each word sounding as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Sulfur, saltpeter, pig iron, and even grain and fodder... we'll sell anything."

"Before the enemy cavalry entered the pass last year, the Fan family's caravan left the pass ahead of time, carrying only dried food and meat."

He paused, then emphasized, "You knew all along?"

Chen Zhiyuan finally raised his head and met the emperor's gaze.

"I have already said that."

"I want to hear you say it again."

"I already said that when I was on the platform," Chen Zhiyuan said calmly, a calmness that only fueled the anger burning in Zhu Youjian's chest.

"Your Majesty, I say that Shanxi merchants have made considerable profits from trade with the areas beyond the Great Wall. And the border officials and officers have a share of the profits."

"If this matter is investigated thoroughly, it will surely have far-reaching implications. At the time, the ministers refuted my alarmist claims, but His Majesty neither agreed nor disagreed."

Zhu Youjian's face turned ashen.

He remembered that day.

I remember how vehemently Zheng Sanjun and the others opposed Chen Zhiyuan's words.

I do remember having some doubts in my mind—is this Chen Zhiyuan too outspoken?

Looking back now, those who opposed it...

Do they know?

Zhu Youjian asked, his voice very low.

"Do those who speak up for Shanxi merchants know about these things?"

Chen Zhiyuan remained silent for a moment.

Some people know, but pretend they don't. Some people don't know, and don't want to know.

"Then tell me," Zhu Youjian took a step forward, almost touching Chen Zhiyuan.

"What should I do?"

"Kill," Chen Zhiyuan uttered a single word.

Zhu Youjian was taken aback.

"With conclusive evidence, he should be killed."

Chen Zhiyuan continued.

"According to the Great Ming Code, those who collude with the enemy should have their entire family executed, including nine generations. Fan Yongdou and others should be killed."

"The officials who covered for them and the officials who accepted bribes should be executed."

"Those in the court who plead on his behalf, if found to have accepted bribes, should also be executed."

"What happens after you've finished killing them all?"

Zhu Youjian pressed further, "Will killing them all prevent this from happening again?"

Chen Zhiyuan shook his head.

"cannot."

"What's the point of killing them?"

"Killing people is to establish authority," Chen Zhiyuan said.

"It's to tell the world that those who collude with the enemy must die. But simply killing people won't solve the fundamental problem."

Zhu Youjian stared at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

This young man is very clear-headed.

"What is that?" Zhu Youjian returned to his desk and finally pointed to the chair next to him.

"Sit down and talk."

Chen Zhiyuan thanked the emperor and sat down.

He sat upright with his hands resting flat on his knees.

"The fundamental problem is that the profits from border trade are too great, while the pay for the border troops is too meager," Chen Zhiyuan said slowly.

"The soldiers on the border along the Xuanda line received a monthly salary of only five qian of silver, which was often delayed."

"The officers' salaries are also limited. But as long as they turn a blind eye to the merchant caravans leaving the pass, they can get tens or even hundreds of taels of 'tribute' at a time."

"Over the course of a year, it's several times more than my regular salary."

Zhu Youjian remained silent.

He knows these things.

He knew this when he was King Xin.

After ascending the throne, reports from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War vaguely mentioned things like "the border troops are suffering" and "officials are corrupt".

But every time he tried to investigate further, he was stopped by someone else.

"Your Majesty, water that is too clear has no fish."

"The border situation is difficult, so we should treat our soldiers with leniency."

"Furthermore," Chen Zhiyuan continued.

"The imperial court strictly forbids the export of ironware and sulfur, but these are urgently needed outside the border. Where there is demand, there are high profits."

"Fan Yongdou and his group make several times the profit from selling one pound of pig iron as they do from selling ten pounds of tea. With such exorbitant profits, it's natural that some people would take the risk."

"The imperial decree has become a dead letter!" Zhu Youjian slammed his fist on the table.

"Because those who abide by the prohibition are precisely those who profit from violating it."

Chen Zhiyuan put it very bluntly.

"Your Majesty can replace a group of officers and generals, but the newcomers, in the same positions and facing the same temptations, will likely follow the same path in the long run. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless the border troops are paid enough, and the officers can live a decent life without relying on extra income."

"Unless a strict inspection system can be established to prevent prohibited goods from leaving the country. Unless..." Chen Zhiyuan paused.

"Unless the imperial court can control border trade, collect taxes from it, and return the profits to the national treasury instead of pocketing them privately."

Zhu Youjian smiled.

That smile was full of bitterness.

"The border troops are well-paid? Chen Zhiyuan, do you even know how much silver is left in the imperial treasury?"

"I just asked the Ministry of Revenue the day before yesterday, and they say there are less than 800,000 taels in reserves."

"The monthly salary for the nine border regions alone is over 400,000 taels of silver. In Liaodong, the memorials urging payment have already piled up to half a person's height."

"The officers and soldiers who were suppressing the bandits haven't been paid for three months. The disaster relief funds for Shaanxi and Henan haven't been fully raised yet."

He spoke louder and louder until his voice was almost a growl.

"Provide them with adequate pay? How can I possibly provide them with adequate pay?"

Chen Zhiyuan listened quietly.

Only after the emperor had vented his anger did he speak softly.

"So here's the crux of the problem. The imperial court was short of money, the border troops were suffering, and the officials were corrupt. Taking advantage of this, Shanxi merchants colluded to use silver to pave the way and transport contraband goods out of the pass."

"With these supplies, the Later Jin became stronger and their invasions became more frequent."

"In order to resist, the imperial court needed more military funds, so it levied additional taxes on Liaodong and the suppression of rebellions."

"The burden on the people became heavier, and those who could not survive became bandits. Suppressing the bandits required military expenditures... This cycle continued, and the nation's power declined day by day."

Zhu Youjian slumped back onto the dragon throne.

He certainly understood these principles.

"Then what do you think?" Zhu Youjian's voice sounded tired.

What's the most important thing right now?

"Two things," Chen Zhiyuan said, holding up two fingers.

"First, the Shanxi merchants case must be investigated, but the method must be appropriate. We cannot just arrest a few merchants; we must follow the clues and expose all the officials and officers within the Great Wall who colluded with them."

"This case must be handled thoroughly, so that the world can see the consequences of colluding with the enemy."

"But it cannot be expanded or involve too many people, otherwise the border will be shaken and unforeseen changes may occur."

Zhu Youjian nodded: "And the second thing?"