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

The next day.

The third quarter of the hour of You (5-7 PM).

The window paper of the office of the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate didn't let in much light, and the lamps inside were already lit.

Chen Zhiyuan sat at his desk, with three account books spread out in front of him.

One book contains the troop quota list of Xuanfu Town in the second year of Chongzhen's reign, another book contains the Ministry of Revenue's allocation ledger for the same period, and the third book contains the transport records of the Grand Canal Administration.

When the three ledgers are turned to the same page, three sets of numbers are laid out side by side.

The Xuanfu Garrison reported to the Ministry of War the actual number of soldiers: 12,000 combat soldiers and 6,000 auxiliary soldiers.

The Ministry of Revenue allocated funds for military pay: based on a quota of 18,000 soldiers, the annual pay was 324,000 taels.

The actual amount of silver transported to Xuanfu was 270,000 taels.

There was a shortfall of 54,000 taels.

Chen Zhiyuan drew a horizontal line under this set of numbers with his pen.

Zhao Delu pushed open the door and came in, carrying a stack of newly arrived files. He placed the files on the long table against the wall, where they were already piled up to half a person's height.

"Your Excellency, the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs has sent another batch. They say these are the garrison deployment records for Jizhou Town from the first year of the Chongzhen reign, as well as the barracks repair records for Changping Town."

Chen Zhiyuan did not look up.

"Have you checked it?"

"I've checked the catalog, and it matches what we need." Zhao Delu paused.

"The document was personally checked and handed over by Chief Clerk Shen of the Bureau of Personnel, and not a single copy was missing."

Chen Zhiyuan then looked up.

"What was his expression?"

Zhao Delu thought for a moment.

"He didn't have much of an expression. His face was just a little pale, and the handwriting on the handover documents was messier than usual."

Chen Zhiyuan didn't speak and continued to look down at the account books.

Zhao Delu stood aside, not leaving immediately.

Chen Zhiyuan sensed his hesitation.

"Is there anything else?"

"Vice Censor," Zhao Delu said in a low voice, "an acquaintance in the Office of Transmission has sent word. Today alone, seventeen more impeachment memorials have been submitted."

Chen Zhiyuan paused for a moment.

Zhao Delu continued, "Among them, there are eleven impeachments against you and six impeachments against the cabinet."

"Impeach the cabinet?"

"Yes. They say the cabinet is 'flattering superiors for fame,' 'indulging cruel officials,' and 'disregarding ancestral laws.'" Zhao Delu's voice was even lower.

"Some people also say that the cabinet received money from you when it issued that document."

Chen Zhiyuan put down his pen.

"And what was the cabinet's reaction?"

"Grand Secretary Cheng didn't say anything. Grand Secretary Zhou met several censors at the entrance of his office this morning and only said one sentence."

"What did you say?"

“‘The Cabinet has its own reasons for issuing documents,’” Zhao Delu repeated, then added.

"Then he left, without giving those people a chance to ask any more questions."

Chen Zhiyuan leaned back in his chair.

It was pretty much as he had expected.

Once the news of his manipulation of the military expenditure books spread, those who depend on the military budget for their livelihood would not stand idly by.

Impeachment is the most direct means.

He was impeached because he had taken their money.

He impeached the cabinet because the cabinet's documents made it easier for him to act.

Both sides are putting in a lot of effort.

But the direction of the force is different.

Those who impeached him wanted to remove him and prevent the case from being investigated.

Those who impeach the cabinet are trying to force it to retract its decision and return to the old path of "not supporting or cooperating".

The cabinet is now caught in the middle.

Cheng Jiming was impeached by a unanimous vote yesterday, and today he has become an accomplice of the cruel official who "flattered his superiors and sought fame".

Zhou Yanru's words were very clever: "The Cabinet has its own reasons for issuing documents."

They offered no explanation and denied everything.

They attribute all the problems to the word "reason".

What is the reason?

The reason is that the emperor approved it as "not permitted".

The reason is that the Emperor wants to investigate this case.

The cabinet was merely following orders.

Chen Zhiyuan picked up the pen he had put down again.

"Zhao Jingli"

"exist."

"The platform will hold a meeting tomorrow; you'll come with me. Bring three of the most convincing account books: one each for troop numbers, allocations, and transportation. Also, bring five original copies of the sergeants' complaints."

Zhao Delu agreed.

"Qianxian, are you going back to your residence tonight?"

Chen Zhiyuan glanced out the window.

It was completely dark.

"I'm not going back," he said. "I'll just rest here."

Zhao Delu didn't ask any more questions and went out to prepare.

The room fell silent again.

Chen Zhiyuan continued to look at the three sets of numbers.

Xuanfu, Datong, Shanxi, Jizhou, Changping, Baoding, Liaodong.

The vacancy rate in each town is over 20%.

The actual allocation in each town was 30% to 40% less than the allocation that should have been made.

The transshipment losses in each town were kept within a "reasonable" range.

It's too neat.

The holes were so neatly arranged that they didn't look like naturally formed holes; they looked more like a sieve that had been carefully designed.

The mesh size of the sieve is just right.

Those at the top get a lot of kickbacks, while those at the bottom neither starve nor get enough to eat, and even those in the middle who are responsible for passing things on get a share.

No one took more, and no one took less.

Everyone involved felt they were "deserving" what they received.

The Ministry of Revenue said that they were only allocating funds according to the quota approved by the Ministry of War.

The Ministry of War said that they only verified the troop numbers reported by the border towns.

The border town official said that they were simply distributing the grain and pay according to the actual amount received.

No one admits to being greedy.

No one thought they were guilty.

But the money just disappeared.

Chen Zhiyuan closed the three account books.

He recalled the words Yuan Chonghuan had said in prison.

"That's the rule."

Yes, that's the rule.

A set of rules that has been in operation for over a century, tacitly accepted by everyone, and used by everyone.

What he is doing is laying these rules out in the open and telling everyone that these rules are wrong.

No, it's not wrong.

It is a sin.

At three quarters past 7 PM, there was a knock on the door of the main room.

Chen Zhiyuan raised his head.

The voices of the Imperial Guards could be heard outside the door.

"Vice-Prefect Chen, someone from the palace has arrived."

Chen Zhiyuan put down his pen and stood up.

The door opened, and a young eunuch entered. Chen Zhiyuan recognized him; he was Wang Chengen's personal attendant, surnamed Li.

Eunuch Li bowed, his face bearing his usual respectful demeanor.

"Vice-Prefect Chen, His Majesty has issued an edict requesting that you enter the palace immediately."

Chen Zhiyuan didn't ask what it was about.

He straightened his clothes and left the room with Eunuch Li.

A small sedan chair was parked outside the gate of the Censorate.

Two sedan chair carriers stood with their hands at their sides, and the lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze.

Chen Zhiyuan got into the sedan chair.

The sedan chair passed through the quiet streets and alleys, heading towards the imperial city.

Chen Zhiyuan leaned against the wall of the sedan chair and closed his eyes.

Zhu Youjian summoned him at this time, surely for the purpose of the audience at the platform tomorrow.

The Emperor read all seventeen impeachment memorials.

The Emperor understood the purpose of the cabinet's official document.

What should we ask him now?

Ask him if he can handle it?

Ask him what his plans are for tomorrow?

Or should we ask him—should we postpone that budget draft?

Chen Zhiyuan opened his eyes and looked at the dark patterns on the ceiling of the sedan chair.

he does not know.

But he knew that no matter what Zhu Youjian asked, he could only give one answer.

The sedan chair stopped outside Donghua Gate.

Chen Zhiyuan alighted from the sedan chair and followed Eunuch Li on foot into the palace.

The Forbidden City is quieter at night than during the day.

The patrolling imperial guards walked past, the sound of their armor rubbing together clearly audible in the empty passageway.

The candles in the Qianqing Palace were still lit.

Wang Chengen waited outside the palace gate. When he saw Chen Zhiyuan arrive, he nodded, said nothing, and led him inside.

There was only Zhu Youjian inside the hall.

He sat behind his desk, with several memorials spread out in front of him.

Chen Zhiyuan bowed.

"Your subject Chen Zhiyuan pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The hall remained quiet for a long time.

It went on for so long that Chen Zhiyuan could hear his own heartbeat.

Then Zhu Youjian spoke.

Get up.