How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 29: Whatever the eunuch faction supports, we oppose! Whatever the eunuch faction opposes, we support!
October 29th, the seventh year of the Tianqi reign.

Outside Zhengyang Gate in the outer city of Beijing, there is the "Zhengxintang" teahouse.

The teahouse stands facing the street, with its blue bricks and gray tiles. A black lacquered plaque with gold lettering hangs above the entrance, bearing the three large characters "Zhengxintang" in vigorous calligraphy, said to be the work of Qian Qianyi, the Vice Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Inside the teahouse, nanmu wood tables and chairs are arranged in a pleasing manner, and several landscape paintings by famous Jiangnan artists hang on the walls. The aroma of tea fills the air, creating a refined and elegant atmosphere.

Today, this usually quiet teahouse is packed with people.

Hundreds of scholars from the Donglin Academy, dressed as gentlemen, gathered together, some sitting, some standing, whispering and discussing amongst themselves. Most of them wore plain-colored robes and square headscarves, their faces either thin or round, but without exception, they all carried a hint of cynical arrogance between their brows.

Among these people were renowned Donglin scholars who had just traveled thousands of miles from Nanjing, Suzhou, Changzhou and other places to Beijing, as well as minor officials with Donglin backgrounds who had survived the purge of the eunuch faction. Now that they heard that the new emperor had ascended the throne and the eunuch faction was in decline, they often gathered here to inquire about the news.

At the head of the teahouse, there was an octagonal table, and three people sat around it—Sun Chengzong, Qian Qianyi, and Li Banghua.

Sun Chengzong, dressed in a blue cloth robe, had white hair and beard, and piercing eyes. Beside him, Qian Qianyi wore a plain scholar's robe, with clear features and an air of refined elegance typical of Jiangnan literati. Li Banghua sat on the other side, his expression solemn, yet still bearing the air of official authority.

To the left of the three sat Lu Shanji, a disciple of Sun Chengzong, who was looking down at a list of the scholars present.

The noisy discussions in the teahouse gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes were focused on Sun Chengzong, who was seated at the head of the table.

Sun Chengzong slowly stood up, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice, "I have invited you all here today to discuss the great victory in Jizhou."

"The great victory at Jizhou?" A young scholar couldn't help but exclaim. "Grand Secretary Sun, I've heard that Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou massacred the inhabitants of Da Ning, beheading over seven thousand and killing women and children alike. Is this true?"

Sun Chengzong nodded: "That is indeed true."

The teahouse erupted in an uproar.

"This...this is not the behavior of a benevolent army!" An old scholar from the Donglin Academy slammed his fist on the table and stood up angrily. "Although the Doyan Guard is a Mongol tribe, it has submitted to the Ming Dynasty since the Yongle era and has received the country's favor for generations! Now the court's border generals are slaughtering their people. How is this any different from the Jurchens?"

“Indeed!” another scholar echoed. “Such slaughter will surely chill the hearts of the Mongol tribes. If Huduntu Khan were to raise an army to retaliate because of this, the borders would once again be engulfed in flames of war!”

“Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou committed excessive killings and lacked benevolence!”

"This is an act of violence, not the way of a benevolent ruler!"

The crowd chimed in, accusing Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou of cruelty and inhumanity. Some even suggested submitting a joint memorial to impeach the two generals.

Sun Chengzong frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Qian Qianyi.

Qian Qianyi picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said calmly, "Grand Secretary Sun, this matter is indeed the fault of Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou. Border generals should act with benevolence and righteousness as their foundation. How can they kill indiscriminately like this? Moreover, if this matter were to reach the ears of the Mongol tribes, it would likely incite public anger and backfire on us."

Sun Chengzong said in a deep voice, "Mr. Qian, this matter was personally ordered by His Majesty."

"Your Majesty?" Qian Qianyi raised an eyebrow. "Even if it is Your Majesty's order, if the cabinet feels it is inappropriate, it can rescind the imperial edict and argue its case. As border generals, Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou should be even more discerning in distinguishing right from wrong. How can they blindly obey?"

"Yes!" everyone echoed. "The Cabinet should return the imperial decree!"

"A border general should possess integrity!"

Sun Chengzong's expression had already turned rather unpleasant; these Donglin Party members clearly didn't take him seriously!

He took a deep breath, turned to Qian Qianyi and said, “Shouzhi, although the emperor’s execution of Daning was violent, it was out of necessity. The Duoyan Guard had long been controlled by the Kharachin Mongols, and the Kharachin had submitted to Jianzhou.”

If the Jianyi were to bypass the Yanshan Mountains and advance south, the Duoyan tribe would undoubtedly become their accomplices. At that point, the thin Great Wall alone would be utterly insufficient to stop them!

Qian Qianyi disagreed: "Since we know that the Great Wall is unreliable, we should be even more lenient and befriend the Mongols! How can the mighty Celestial Empire compete with the Jianyi barbarians in terms of who has the faster sword? The Jianyi barbarians are beasts, while our Great Ming is a land of propriety!"

Sun Chengzong was speechless for a moment after Qian Qianyi's words. Just as the atmosphere was tense, Lu Shanji, Sun Chengzong's old subordinate who was sitting at the lower end of the table, suddenly stood up and said loudly, "Gentlemen! How can we, the gentlemen of Donglin, collude with the eunuch faction?!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared at Lu Shanji in astonishment, wondering what he meant by those words.

Lu Shanji looked around at everyone and sneered, "Do you all know that the eunuch faction is now colluding with the noble Zhu Chunchen, intending to impeach Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou at the court meeting on the first day of the eleventh month, accusing them of indiscriminately killing innocent people in Daning, angering the Mongols, and provoking border conflicts!"

"What?!" Qian Qianyi frowned, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Sun Chengzong. "Is this true?"

Sun Chengzong nodded: "That's true."

Qian Qianyi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly slammed his fist on the table and roared, "The eunuch faction is shameless!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening!

"How dare the eunuch faction distort the truth like this!"

“Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou are pillars of the nation; how can we allow the eunuch faction to slander them!”

"How could we, the gentlemen of Donglin, possibly collude with the eunuch faction?!"

"The eunuch faction dares to speak up for the Mongol Tartars; they must be colluding with foreign powers and betraying their country!"

"The actions of the eunuch faction are no different from Qin Hui framing Yue Fei on trumped-up charges!"

In an instant, the Donglin scholars were filled with righteous indignation, denouncing the eunuch faction for their shamelessness and even accusing them of "colluding with foreign powers and betraying the country"! They then turned their support to Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou.

The crowd that had just accused the two generals of cruelty is now comparing them to Yue Fei. The eunuch faction's impeachment of them must be no different from Qin Hui's!
The speed at which they changed their stance makes one wonder if they even have a real stance at all.
Qian Qianyi looked at Sun Chengzong, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of reproach, "Grand Secretary Sun, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Sun Chengzong smiled wryly: "Is it really that important whether the eunuch faction impeaches Generals Sun and Zu?"

Qian Qianyi snorted coldly, thinking to himself: Isn't that obvious? Can the Donglin faction be in agreement with the eunuch faction? How can we fight the eunuch faction then? If we don't bring down a few of the eunuch officials, where will the positions be for us gentlemen of the Donglin faction?

He then loudly proclaimed, “Gentlemen! Since the eunuch faction wants to impeach Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou, we, the gentlemen of Donglin, should do our utmost to protect the two generals! At the court assembly on the first day of the eleventh month, we should jointly petition the emperor to reward the two generals!”

"Yes! Submit a joint memorial!" "Request commendations for Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and for a moment, the teahouse was filled with excitement, as if Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou had transformed from "brutal border generals" into "the reincarnation of Yue Fei".

Sun Chengzong looked at the scene before him, feeling a mix of emotions.

The Donglin Party…when did it become like this? They only care about factionalism, not right or wrong. How are they any different from the eunuch faction? What's even more infuriating is that these Donglin gentlemen still refuse to acknowledge themselves as "party leaders"...no!
However, His Majesty's request was fulfilled. From now on, the court situation will no longer be a two-way power struggle between the remnants of Wei Zhongxian and the nobles, but will instead be a three-way balance of power with the addition of the Donglin faction. This will make it easier for His Majesty to eliminate the nobles and the eunuch faction.

The residence of Cui Chengxiu in Beijing.

As night deepened, candlelight flickered in the study in the backyard of the Cui residence, illuminating two somber faces.

Wei Liangqing tapped his fingers lightly on the rosewood tabletop, his brows furrowed. Opposite him sat Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunchen—this usually easygoing and plump nobleman was now dressed in coarse cloth, his face devoid of any smile.

"My lord, things are bad." Wei Liangqing's voice was extremely low. "Those Donglin Party members are going to submit a petition to the emperor at the court assembly on the first day of the eleventh month!"

Zhu Chunchen frowned: "Submitting a petition to the emperor? For whom?"

The current political situation is that the nobles and eunuchs are joining forces to attack the "new dogs" supported by the emperor. Although Sun Zushou is backed by the emperor, it's not uncommon for the emperor's people to be overthrown. Moreover, the emperor has gone a bit too far this time, forcing everyone to unite in resistance.

But if the Donglin faction were to actually enter the political arena, things would become complicated... The Donglin faction had a large number of registered officials, and if they were to reinstate a batch of them, the political situation would change drastically.

“Sun Zushou! Zu Dashou!” Wei Liangqing gritted his teeth. “Those Donglin gentlemen are now insisting that Sun and Zu are loyal ministers of the country, reincarnations of Yue Fei, and that impeaching them is ‘the eunuch faction framing loyal ministers’!”

Zhu Chunchen's face darkened, and he slammed his fat hand heavily on the table: "Bullshit! Sun Zushou massacred the city of Daning, leaving rivers of blood, sparing not even women and children! Those Donglin Party members were cursing him for his cruelty and inhumanity just a few days ago, how come they've suddenly become loyal and virtuous?"

Wei Liangqing sneered: "Lord Duke, don't you understand? The Donglin Party has always liked to form cliques and eliminate dissidents! If we want to impeach Sun Zushou, they will naturally protect him!"

A cold glint flashed in Zhu Chunchen's eyes: "These hypocrites!"

"That's not all," Wei Liangqing said in a sinister voice, "They also plan to accuse us of treason and collusion with foreign powers in their memorial to the throne, and to smear us as if we were Qin Hui!"

"What?" Zhu Chunchen frowned and quickly looked up at Cui Chengxiu, who had been sitting in the shadows. "Lord Cui, what do you think?"

Cui Chengxiu slowly emerged from the shadows, his face as cold as iron, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "We can't let these Donglin Party members ruin things!"

Wei Liangqing narrowed his eyes: "What does Lord Cui mean..."

"Arrest them." Cui Chengxiu coldly uttered two words.

Zhu Chunchen raised an eyebrow: "Arrest someone?"

Cui Chengxiu nodded, his voice as cold as ice: "On the first day of the eleventh month, before the morning court assembly, have the Embroidered Uniform Guard mobilize and arrest the leaders of those Donglin Party members who are preparing to submit petitions to the emperor!"

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Wei Liangqing's eyes: "Arrest someone? On what charge?"

"Crimes?" Cui Chengxiu sneered. "'Forming cliques and disrupting the government,' 'slandering the court,' 'discussing border affairs'—just pick one! Are there any other charges in the Jinyiwei prison?"

Zhu Chunchen pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Alright! Let's do it that way! But..." He looked at Wei Liangqing, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is currently under the command of Tian Ergeng, is he... reliable?"

Wei Liangqing chuckled sinisterly, "Don't worry, Duke, Tian Ergeng is barely able to protect himself! If he doesn't struggle harder... the Emperor will get rid of him sooner or later!"

Cui Chengxiu coldly added, "Tell Tian Ergeng that if this matter is accomplished, we will guarantee his whole family's wealth and honor; if it is botched..." A cold glint flashed in his eyes, "He will not be able to escape any of the seventy-two punishments in the imperial prison!"

Wei Liangqing grinned maliciously: "Understood!"

Zhu Chunchen took a deep breath: "Good! On the first day of the eleventh month, let's strike first and have the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrest Li Banghua and Qian Qianyi! I want to see what kind of trouble the underlings can cause without these two in charge!"

The warm pavilion of Qianqing Palace.

Sun Chengzong sat on an embroidered stool and reported the situation inside the Zhengxintang teahouse to Chongzhen in detail.

After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen smiled slightly and said calmly, "As expected."

Sun Chengzong was taken aback: "Your Majesty already knew?"

Emperor Chongzhen chuckled: "The Donglin Party members have always been like this. I left the eunuch faction alive precisely so they would fight amongst themselves."

Sun Chengzong remained silent.

Emperor Chongzhen said quietly, "Mr. Sun, Qian Qianyi and Li Banghua are still commoners, so you will probably have to engage in a heated debate with the court officials at the court meeting on the first day of the eleventh month in two days."

Sun Chengzong solemnly said, "This old minister will certainly fight for the rights of Sun Zushou, Zu Dashou, and the soldiers of Jizhou and Liaodong who died on the battlefield!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "Arguing with reason is just the beginning; there will be more trouble in the future!"

Emperor Chongzhen pointed to the map: "You've managed Liaoxi like an iron barrel. The Jurchens can't invade; they can only bypass the Great Wall by going around the Yanshan Mountains. The Great Wall's outer wall is so thin; how can you defend it? The Jurchens can break through it with a single, forceful thrust!"

We must push the defensive line forward—control the Luan River, the Kuan River, and the Qinglong River to block the main road southward from Jianzhou, and then defend layer by layer, resisting step by step, only then can the Jizhou Great Wall be held.

Sun Chengzong suddenly realized, then frowned: "Your Majesty, this plan is good, but it is extremely costly..."

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze was piercing: "Therefore, I must also collect the fines for the crimes and investigate the military farmland!"

Sun Chengzong took a deep breath and bowed solemnly: "This old minister understands."

Emperor Chongzhen helped him up and said meaningfully, "Mr. Sun, the Donglin Party is no longer the Donglin Party of the past. Now they are nothing more than spokespeople for the wealthy gentry of Jiangnan."

"But it's not that I can't do business with the wealthy merchants of Jiangnan. That's why I want you to be the head of this group. If you can represent the gentry of Jiangnan to negotiate with me, that would be even better!"

Sun Chengzong was speechless again—these Donglin gentlemen were neither gentlemen nor virtuous men, and the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty wanted to do business with the wealthy gentry of Jiangnan. What could they possibly be talking about? Surely they wouldn't be selling official positions or titles?
(End of this chapter)