How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 15 At a critical moment in the reform, the Tartars came to deliver their heads!

The candlelight flickered in the signing room of the Shuntian Governor's Office, casting Chongzhen's shadow on the wall covered with maps. He held his huanghuali wood thermos cup, sat behind a simple elm wood desk, a smile on his face, his gentle gaze sweeping over the two noblemen in plain white robes before him. To the uninformed, the scene would have looked like a superior chatting casually with his subordinates.

But Zhu Youjian knew perfectly well: these two men before him, Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian, and Duke of Cheng, Zhu Chunchen, were no ordinary people. Their ancestors had followed the founding emperor to drive out the Mongols and helped the founding emperor to seize the throne. They were top-ranking nobles who held imperial edicts and shared the fate of the Ming Dynasty!
Zhang Weixian, in particular, was a key figure who personally participated in the enthronement of his brother, the Tianqi Emperor, and himself as emperors! What's more troublesome is that the messy accounts of seizing military lands can be traced back to the time of "Emperor Yingzong Rui" Zhu Qizhen, or even earlier! These were all "good deeds" done by their ancestors who have long since passed away and received honorary titles.

Zhu Youjian's ancestors turned a blind eye to the deep-seated problems. Now that he's in the position, what can he do? Pry open those coffins, drag out a pile of bones, and convict them of "encroaching on military land"? The law doesn't punish everyone! In the nine border regions and thirteen garrisons, from top to bottom, who has completely clean hands? If they were all wiped out, who in the Ming Dynasty would still fight for them?

Without reforming the military farms, the border troops will never have enough to eat! Many of the soldiers in Li Zicheng's and his rebel camps were old border soldiers who couldn't survive...

"My two dukes," Chongzhen took another sip of hot tea, his voice still gentle, "the military farmland of these four garrisons—Jizhou, Changping, Xuanfu, Datong…—was originally estimated at over 20 million mu. How much is actually left now? I'm afraid more than 30% has been lost! These lands can't just grow legs and run away, can they?"

Zhang Weixian's gray head drooped even lower, his shoulders beneath his white robe slightly hunched, his voice carrying just the right amount of sorrow: "Your Majesty, please understand! This old minister... this old minister has failed in managing his household affairs, and perhaps there have been oversights. However, most of the properties in the mansion were inherited from our ancestors, and over the years, the account books have become scattered... When I return, I will certainly investigate thoroughly! If there is indeed any encroachment on military farmland, I will return every single penny to the court!"

Zhu Chunchen, standing nearby, quickly followed suit, his chubby face filled with shame: "Your Majesty! I am guilty! I will investigate when I get back! Investigate thoroughly! Investigate properly! Retreat! Definitely retreat! Not a single acre of land will be left! I am willing to sign a military pledge!" He patted his chest, appearing loyal and righteous.

Emperor Chongzhen's smile remained unchanged, but inwardly he sneered. The pronouncements of "strict investigation" and "purging" sounded resolute, but were in reality empty words. Who would investigate? How would they purge? They'd investigate for three to five years, only to conclude with "due to the passage of time, no concrete evidence found," or symbolically return some scraps, hoping to muddle through.

His "amnesty grant" scheme was an attempt to bypass the bloated, inefficient, and equally corrupt bureaucratic system, directly negotiating with the eunuch faction and corrupt officials—paying money in exchange for "amnesty." However, this tactic proved ineffective against these deeply entrenched hereditary nobles who controlled the Beijing garrison and whose influence extended even to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

What's more troublesome is that they themselves might not have directly committed the crime; the debts were incurred by their ancestors, and the emperor's blade can't easily fall on their heads. Those ancestors… many are already in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, eating cold pork! Can they be dug up and punished? It's difficult…

"Hehe," Chongzhen put down his thermos, the bottom of which tapped softly on the table, interrupting the two men's "pledge of loyalty." "You two dukes are too kind. I'm not trying to bring up the old grievances of our ancestors. Back when the Taizu and Chengzu reigned, everything was in disarray, and some oversights in the rules were inevitable." He then changed his tone, his voice becoming more like that of someone negotiating a business deal in a marketplace:

"My intention is that the past can be wiped clean. The occupied land doesn't have to be returned entirely. How about returning half? As for the remaining half, I'll grant it to your two families today! Consider it a reward for your generations of loyalty and diligence." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two men, and then offered an even more tempting condition, "Or, there's another way. If your two families can provide me with... well, the Duke of Ying's family will contribute 500, and the Duke of Cheng's family 300, these 800 brave men who can wear armor, draw bows, and ride into battle will be incorporated into the capital garrison. You will provide them with the manpower, equipment, and provisions, and they will be at the command of the court. If you can do that, then the remaining half of the land doesn't need to be returned either; consider it a special permission granted by me for you to support the court's soldiers! What do you say?"

These words were extremely polite, even carrying a hint of "discussion," as if they were genuinely showing consideration for the old minister. But Zhang Weixian and Zhu Chunchen knew perfectly well: this wasn't a reward; it was ruthless exploitation! Returning half the land was a devastating blow; providing able-bodied men based on the land's value was even more fatal! These were the very foundation upon which each family depended for their livelihood and to preserve their property in this chaotic world! To hand them over to the emperor? It was tantamount to cutting off one's own limbs. As for supporting the court's army… the money and provisions would come from within, while the soldiers would be at the emperor's command—who would do such a losing proposition?

Zhang Weixian suddenly coughed, then trembled and kowtowed again: "Your Majesty's grace is boundless, showing compassion for this old minister! But the encroachment on military land, no matter how much, is a grave crime! How dare this old minister use Your Majesty's kindness to cover up the mistakes of my family? After the investigation is completed, I will return everything, not a single penny! As for training troops... this old minister will certainly do my utmost to serve Your Majesty, even if it means selling everything I own, to train elite troops for Your Majesty! However, this matter of returning the land concerns the law of the land, and this old minister dares not let personal matters interfere with public duty!"

Zhu Chunchen also kowtowed repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! The old Duke is right! I will definitely retire completely! I will not keep a single penny! I will train troops to serve the country without any objection!" He clearly distinguished between "retire completely" and "train troops", and never mentioned exchanging land for soldiers.

Chongzhen's smile faded slightly, his fingers lightly tapping the elmwood tabletop. He understood. These two were determined to use delaying tactics and investigation. Investigate thoroughly and return the land? Easier said than done! The nobles' land grabbing was deeply entrenched; the land deeds and registers had long been laundered by them through various means—using cronies, forging documents, or even erasing the garrison archives. Who could be sent to investigate? The Ministry of Revenue? The Ministry of War? The Censorate? Which department didn't have their people? In the end, the investigation would only reveal a muddled mess, or at best, scraps to appease him.

The "harmonious" discussion behind the elmwood table was about to stall. Land was the root of a dynasty, and soldiers were the courage in times of chaos. Zhu Youjian hadn't truly grasped either of these. Was he really to be forced to emulate his grandfather, the founding emperor, and take up arms, unleashing a bloodbath to uproot the nobility and hereditary military officials? But did he have that ability right now?

Just as the emperor and his ministers were each lost in their own thoughts, and the air in the room seemed to freeze—

"Bang!" The heavy wooden door to the signing room was violently flung open, and a chill from the late autumn night, carrying with it panic, rushed in! Wei Zhongxian scrambled in, his usually obsequious face now deathly pale, his body trembling like a leaf, his shrill voice splitting with fear, choked with sobs:

"Your Majesty! No...it's terrible! The sky has fallen! The Eight Banners cavalry of the Jianzhou Tartars...have broken through Qiangzi Ridge...and are killing...killing their way in! They're less than forty li from Santunying! Waaah...the mountains and fields are full of Tartar soldiers! They're carrying plain yellow and white banners...Your Majesty! Hurry...hurry up and leave!"

"boom!"

It was like a thunderbolt striking the room!
Zhang Weixian and Zhu Chunchen looked up abruptly, their old faces instantly drained of color, replaced by ashen paleness and horror. The Duke of Yingguo's lips trembled, and the Duke of Chengguo's plump body shuddered, collapsing to the ground. The Jurchens? The Eight Banners? They've breached the pass? How could they possibly bypass Liaodong and Shanhaiguan, directly piercing the heart of Jizhou?!
All that remained in their minds was Wei Zhongxian's final, tearful cry: "Go quickly!"

If we don't run now, the tragedy of Tumubao will be repeated!
However, the young emperor, sitting behind the elmwood table, reacted quite differently.

The "amiable" expression on Chongzhen's face vanished instantly. There was no panic or trembling as expected; instead, there was an overwhelming, uncontrollable elation!
The Tartars are here... and they've come at just the right time!

Moreover, it's definitely not the real Eight Banners that are coming; at most, it's those ungrateful bastards from the Duoyan Guard outside the wall! Although these guys didn't dare to move during the Jizhou mutiny in my previous life... it doesn't matter, once they come, they won't be leaving!

He jumped up and slammed his hand on the table: "Great!"

These three words exploded in everyone's ears like thunder. Wei Zhongxian's wailing stopped abruptly, like a chicken with its neck choked. Zhang Weixian and Zhu Chunchen were trembling violently, looking up blankly at the young emperor as if they didn't recognize him.

He walked up to Duke Zhang Weixian of England, looked down at the old nobleman, and his face showed no sign of excitement: "Duke Zhang Weixian! Those armored guards in your manor are well-fed and strong, and they were very impressive during the military exercises of the Beijing Garrison! They must be itching to get back to guarding the house and patrolling the streets. Today, I'm giving you a chance to see some blood and make a real contribution!"

His gaze then turned to the still trembling Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunchen: "Duke Cheng! Your elite cavalry, with their saddles and bridles gleaming, kick up dust as they run, how impressive! But just putting on a show in the city doesn't make them heroes. Today, let them go out of the city and show me a few real Tartars!"

Before the two dukes and Wei Zhongxian could react and persuade him to flee, Chongzhen issued another order: "Summon Sun Zushou! Immediately muster the best soldiers in Jizhou and prepare to make a name for yourself! Tell him that the Tartars coming are definitely not from Jianzhou. Huang Taiji failed to capture Ningjin in June and fled. Now it's only September, and he can regroup his troops, bypass the Yanshan Mountains, and travel more than a thousand miles to break through my Great Wall?"

"It's September, the harvest season. The Jurchens aren't even harvesting the wheat in the fields. Are they really going to cross Ligdan Khan's territory on empty stomachs, then travel over a thousand miles to break through the walls of Jizhou? Is that even possible?"

After listening to Chongzhen's analysis, Zhang Weixian, Zhu Chunchen, and Wei Zhongxian all felt that the young emperor was right.

Zhang Weixian stroked his beard and said, "Your Majesty, if it's not the Jurchens, then who is it that has broken through the wall and entered now..."

Zhu Youjian suddenly burst into laughter: "It must be the lackeys of the Kharachin Mongols, the Doyan Guard! These ignorant Tartars have come at just the right time!"

(End of this chapter)