Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 54 I employ you, intending to emulate the story of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhu Youjian specially ordered people to prepare fine wine and dishes to entertain Sun Chuanting.

“Minister Sun, these are seafood tributes from coastal provinces such as Fujian and Zhejiang, as well as vassal states. You probably rarely get to eat these in Shanxi. Try them,” Zhu Youjian said with a smile.

However, Sun Chuanting just ate his rice and didn't touch the sea cucumbers, yellow croakers, clams, and other dishes on the table.

Seeing Sun Chuanting's unusual mood, Zhu Youjian immediately sensed trouble was brewing. Sure enough, Sun Chuanting finally couldn't hold back any longer. He put down his chopsticks, stood up, and knelt on the ground with a thud, saying, "Your humble servant, risking death, submits this memorial:"

The current state of the empire is like a pile of eggs, and the people are filled with anxiety and fear. Recently, the people have become emaciated, and the fields are littered with the corpses of the starving; this is truly a critical moment of survival. Yet Your Majesty does not strive for effective governance, but instead indulges in gluttony, neglecting court affairs and neglecting state matters, heavily relying on eunuchs and allowing the empress and concubines to interfere in politics; abroad, you readily trust border officials, appointing high-ranking regional governors to control both military and political affairs without restraint. Has Your Majesty not heard of the rebellions of the regional military governors during the Tang Dynasty? When power becomes too great to control, it ultimately leads to disaster.

Natural disasters are frequent these days, and Your Majesty should be deeply concerned about the suffering of the people, yet you have remained aloof and indifferent to the disasters. I had thought that Your Majesty, having just ascended the throne, would revitalize the government and restore order, but I never imagined that Your Majesty would become so decadent!

I humbly beseech Your Majesty to heed my foolish loyalty, repent, revitalize yourself, befriend virtuous ministers, distance yourself from petty men, diligently govern and love the people, carry on the great legacy of our ancestors, and comfort the hopes of millions of people across the land, thus becoming a wise and benevolent ruler!

Sun Chuanting bowed deeply. Zhu Youjian steadily put the shrimp on his chopsticks into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed. The frozen shrimp was a bit fishy, ​​and the meat was mushy; it wasn't actually that delicious.

He then put down his chopsticks and said unhurriedly, "These sea cucumbers are dried goods that were presented as tribute from Korea. I heard that they have specialized sea cucumber harvesters there who can hold their breath underwater for fifteen minutes. They also sent over a few bundles of ginseng; I'll give you some to take back later."

The shark fins were a tribute brought by the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi, and the clams were a tribute from the Dengzhou and Laizhou naval forces. They were not required to pay tribute, but they bribed the garrison eunuch and insisted on giving them to me, hoping that I would grant the court funds to repair their ships. The yellow croaker was from Fujian, and the dried shrimp was a tribute from Songjiang Prefecture in Southern Zhili.

These seafood delicacies are actually something I rarely eat on a regular basis; it's only because of the grand court assembly that the tributes from various regions have been increased, resulting in such a lavish spread.

In Liu Zongyuan's writings, it is said: "In the wilds of Yongzhou, there are strange snakes that can cure leprosy, muscle spasms, fistulas, and other diseases, remove dead tissue, and kill three types of parasites. Initially, the imperial physicians, by royal decree, gathered them together, allocating two snakes annually, and offered rewards to those who could capture them, replacing their taxes. The people of Yongzhou flocked to them."

These tributes, if taken along the coast, might amount to a single fish or a basket of shellfish that could exempt a family from taxes for a year. If I were to suddenly ban them, do you think these fishermen would be grateful to me or hate me?!
As for your claim that I turned a blind eye to the disaster and epidemic, last year the court allocated 370,000 taels of silver for disaster relief to Shaanxi. Did you see any of that silver in Shaanxi?! Hong Chengchou wanted me to exempt Shaanxi from taxes, but I had already stopped collecting the Liaodong tax from Shaanxi at the beginning of my reign. Do the people of Shaanxi know that? Didn't Zhang Douyao, the magistrate of Chengcheng County, still torture the people to collect taxes, driving them into rebellion?!
As for the regional military governors, our Great Ming Dynasty established nine major regional military governors at its founding to guard the borders and serve as a bulwark for the Ming. Now that war has broken out on all nine borders, is this not the opportune time?! Moreover, the practice of border troops supporting bandits to enhance their own power has existed for a long time; how are they any different from the regional military governors?!

"Get up quickly, the ground is cold." Zhu Youjian stepped forward to help Sun Chuanting, who was somewhat confused after being rebuked, and continued, "I used Wanwan to help me handle state affairs because of her exceptional talent, her knowledge of military affairs, and her understanding of human nature. You accuse me of condoning the interference of the empress dowager in politics. Do you hope that I will distance myself from your daughter? Is this not the way of a father?" "This is nothing but sophistry to cover up one's faults!" Sun Chuanting retorted, his neck stiff. "Since Your Majesty is aware of the abuses of the court, why not try to eliminate them? The world has long suffered from these problems. Can they be solved by following the ways of Huang-Lao? Does Your Majesty intend to emulate Emperor Shizong and Emperor Shenzong by manipulating power and neglecting state affairs?!"

Seeing that Sun Chuanting was not easily fooled, Zhu Youjian was also somewhat troubled. He felt he had done what he was supposed to do, and had been very diligent, so what more did they want from him?! Not attending court didn't mean he wasn't handling government affairs. With this damned system in the Ming Dynasty, could attending court really solve anything other than watching a bunch of people argue? Even if something was resolved in court, could it actually be implemented?
Those who leave their mark on history are mostly capable ministers and generals, but these are a tiny minority. The majority of the Ming Dynasty's court today are those who remain anonymous, lurking in various positions and eroding the foundations of the dynasty. This group is beyond the emperor's control, and the court's officials are equally difficult to manage. They'll acknowledge you as their leader when their interests align, but will overthrow you when their interests diverge.

The corruption of the bureaucracy started from the bottom! Clerks "scattered money and grain and extorted money from the people." Even officials had to consider whether it was worth it for a three-year temporary post to go against these clerks and local gentry. Most officials turned a blind eye and let it go.

Zhu Youjian did not argue with Sun Chuanting about right and wrong anymore. Instead, he said, "I employ you in order to follow the example of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. Are you willing to abandon your pen for the sword and train a strong army for me that can command the world? Only then will I have the confidence to eliminate the long-standing problems of the Ming Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting's expression became somewhat complicated. He knew he was already on the emperor's henchman's ship, with no way off. Whether he admitted it or not, everyone now saw him as the emperor's lackey. So he cupped his hands and said, "My ancestor was a centurion of the Zhenwu Guard during the Hongwu era. I am willing to wield spear and halberd and serve Your Majesty!"

"Haha, that's wonderful!" Zhu Youjian beamed with joy, then urged, "This abalone is tender and flavorful; you must try it, my dear minister. This Jinhua rice wine is absolutely superb; please drink this cup to the brim!"

Helpless, Sun Chuanting could only give up the struggle and indulge in the emperor's extravagance and decadence. After several rounds of drinks, Sun Chuanting was drunk. Zhu Youjian poured out the water from his cup and replaced it with real wine, but after only taking a small sip, his ears turned red.

"Cheng'en, take my general to my room to rest. Have someone take these dishes and wine back and reheat them, then distribute them to everyone," Zhu Youjian instructed.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I will give the order immediately,” Wang Chengen said.

He looked at Sun Chuanting, who was drunk and passed out on the table, with a hint of envy. His Majesty had shown extraordinary trust in Sun Chuanting from the very beginning of his reign, attempting to win him over. However, judging from Sun Chuanting's resume, although he did possess some talent in hearing cases and deciding judgments when he served as the magistrate of Yongcheng, what made His Majesty believe that Sun Chuanting was comparable to Wei Qing and Huo Qubing?! Wang Chengen felt that this trust was simply unfounded.

(End of this chapter)