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

When Cheng Jiming returned to the cabinet office from the platform, the sun was already setting.

He walked slower than usual.

Every step felt like walking on cotton, soft and yielding, making it impossible to exert any strength.

Zhou Yanru followed behind him, also without saying a word.

The two entered the duty room one after the other. The door closed, and the footsteps outside faded into the distance, leaving only the sound of their breathing inside.

Cheng Jiming sat down in the chair without saying a word.

Zhou Yanru stood by the window, his back to the light, his face half-lit and half-shadowed.

He waited a while, and seeing that Cheng Jiming didn't intend to speak, he spoke first.

"Prime Minister, what's your opinion on today's matter?"

Cheng Jiming raised his eyelids to look at him.

"What are you trying to say?"

Zhou Yanru turned around and sat down opposite Cheng Jiming.

"The Grand Secretary heard what the Emperor said on the platform today. Public disclosure, reform, posting the names of corrupt officials on the city gates. This isn't just investigating a case; this is exposing this whole affair to the heavens."

Cheng Jiming did not respond.

Zhou Yanru continued.

"The Prime Minister also understood Chen Zhiyuan's plan. It involves four steps: investigation, conviction, public disclosure, and reform."

"He's trying to dig up this mess of military spending, lay it all out in the open, and let the whole world see it."

"Let the whole world know how the military funds disappeared, where the money went, and who took it."

He paused.

"Prime Minister, if he really succeeds in this, how many people in the court will still be able to stand firm?"

Cheng Jiming finally spoke.

"What are you trying to say?"

Zhou Yanru leaned forward slightly.

"Spread the word."

Cheng Jiming looked at him.

"What news?"

"The news on the platform today," Zhou Yanru said in a low voice.

"The Emperor wants to investigate military expenditures, make the accounts public, and reform the system. These words are still on the platform, outside the Meridian Gate, outside the East Prosperity Gate, and outside the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, but those who should know are still unaware."

"Let them know."

Cheng Jiming remained silent for a while.

"Who do you want to make anxious?"

Zhou Yanru said.

"Whoever has a guilty conscience should be anxious. The Ministry of War is anxious, the Ministry of Revenue is anxious, the Grand Canal transport is anxious, and the border towns are anxious too."

"His Majesty wants to investigate military expenditures, not empty talk. The account books are in Chen Zhiyuan's hands, and the figures are in His Majesty's mind."

"The difference of 680,000 taels can buy 560,000 shi of rice, enough to feed 100,000 soldiers for a year. Chen Zhiyuan said this himself on the platform, and the Emperor did not refute it."

"Anyone who handled military funds knows how those 680,000 taels disappeared. If they're not worried, who is?"

Cheng Jiming remained silent.

Zhou Yanru continued.

"Spread the word and get those who need to get anxious to act. Once they're anxious, they'll start looking for solutions."

"We also need time to buffer. I don't actually oppose investigating the military expenditure case, but if everything develops in this direction in the future, the court will be in danger."

Cheng Jiming looked at him, his gaze deep and intense.

"You're treating the political situation like a chessboard."

Zhou Yanru said.

"Prime Minister, the court is like a chessboard. The Emperor makes his move, Chen Zhiyuan makes his move, and we must make ours too."

"Now that the Emperor has brought up the military expenditure case, if we don't make a move, we'll lose this game."

Cheng Jiming remained silent for a long time.

The light outside the window gradually dimmed.

The duty room was dark, and both of their faces were hidden in shadow.

Zhou Yanru pushed open the door and went out.

After the door closed, Cheng Jiming sat alone in the darkness for a long time.

He recalled the numbers Chen Zhiyuan had mentioned on the platform.

Six hundred and eighty thousand taels.

Five hundred and sixty thousand stone meters.

One hundred thousand soldiers can eat for a year.

He recalled the last question Zhu Youjian had asked him.

"How long can the Ming Dynasty remain so stable?"

He did not answer.

Because he didn't know how to answer.

three days later.

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian sat behind his desk, with a memorial in front of him.

The memorial was personally delivered by Luo Yangxing, and the cover was stamped with the seal of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and sealed tightly with sealing wax.

Zhu Youjian opened the book and read through it page by page.

As he looked at it, his hands began to tremble.

Luo Yangxing wrote in great detail.

It details everything down to the date of each transaction, the quantity of each batch of goods, and the route taken along each path.

In March of the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Fan Yongdou's merchant caravan crossed the border, with the manifest listing "200 boxes of tea and 500 bolts of cloth." Secret agents of the Imperial Guard secretly inspected the cargo and discovered that it contained 5,000 catties of pig iron and 300 catties of sulfur. Hidden within the cargo boxes were 12,000 iron arrowheads.

In July of the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Wang Dengku's caravan crossed the border, with the manifest listing "200 dan of porcelain and 300 dan of medicinal herbs." The actual cargo included 500 jin of saltpeter and 800 iron pots. While iron pots were permitted for civilian use, the Imperial Guard intercepted a batch outside Zhangjiakou and discovered that the pots had been melted down and cast into knife blanks, each pot enough to make three knives.

In September of the second year of the Chongzhen reign (1643), Jin Liangyu's caravan crossed the border, with the cargo manifest listing "200 bolts of silk and 100 boxes of tea." Hidden among the cargo were 3,000 catties of iron nails and 500 sets of armor plates. Armor plates were crucial components of armor; Later Jin craftsmen only needed to assemble them to complete the armor.

In October of the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, a month before the Later Jin dynasty breached the Great Wall, Fan Yongdou's caravan crossed the border ahead of schedule. The manifest listed "fifty boxes of tea and one hundred bolts of cloth." The actual cargo included eight thousand catties of dried food and meat. Secret agents of the Imperial Guard followed the caravan for three days and discovered that it had not gone to any trading posts outside Zhangjiakou, but instead headed directly north into Mongolian territory. Three days later, they encountered Later Jin patrolling cavalry on the grasslands. The caravan members spoke with the cavalry, handed over their goods, and then turned back.

In November of the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the Later Jin army breached the pass and withdrew. Fan Yongdou's caravan crossed the pass again, its manifest listing "one hundred boxes of tea and two hundred bolts of cloth." However, three thousand shi of grain were smuggled into the cargo. Secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard intercepted a lone porter on the caravan's return journey. After severe interrogation, they learned that the grain was intended for the Later Jin army stationed in Yongping Prefecture. The porter explained that this was business with a "regular customer," something they did every year, but this year they were on a larger scale.

Luo Yangxing wrote at the end of his memorial.

"Your Majesty, I have verified that eight Shanxi merchants—Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Jiabin, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, and Huang Yunfa—transported approximately 120,000 catties of pig iron, 8,000 catties of sulfur, 6,000 catties of saltpeter, 20,000 shi of grain, and 30,000 bolts of cloth to the Later Jin from the seventh year of the Tianqi reign to the second year of the Chongzhen reign. The exact quantities of military supplies such as ironware, armor plates, and arrowheads are difficult to determine, but based on existing account books, it is estimated to be equivalent to approximately 300,000 taels of silver."

"Eight Shanxi merchants colluded with border officials and officers, and over the years they 'paid tribute' to officials at all levels, including the garrison commanders, border guards, and inspectors of Xuanfu, Datong, and Ji, totaling about 80,000 taels of silver. Those who accepted their bribes included thirteen military officers, such as Wang Chengyin, the general of Xuanfu, and Wang Pu, the general of Datong, as well as twenty-one civil officials and thirty-seven clerks."

"Eight Shanxi merchants also had dealings with officials in the imperial court. According to investigations, Feng Quan, a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel, Wu Zhiyu, a supervising secretary in the Ministry of War, and Mao Yujian, an imperial censor of Shanxi Circuit, among others, accepted gifts of silver, antiques, calligraphy and paintings from Shanxi merchants, totaling about 30,000 taels of silver. Feng Quan's son, Feng Yuan, partnered with Shanxi merchants to operate border trade and received a dividend of 12,000 taels last year."

"This case has far-reaching implications. If it is investigated and prosecuted publicly, the generals of Xuanfu, Datong, and Jizhou may be in turmoil. However, if we tolerate this evil, the Later Jin will receive a continuous supply of military provisions, and the border defenses will become increasingly weak. We humbly submit our decision on how to handle this matter."

After reading the last word, Zhu Youjian slammed the memorial heavily onto his desk.

His hands were still shaking.