How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 30 Our ancestors once said: The more you kill the Tartars, the fewer they remain! (Seeking monthly votes and recommendations)
Qianqing Palace, morning.

Before dawn, only a few bronze lamps were lit inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhou Yufeng lowered her head, her slender fingers carefully tightening the sash of Chongzhen's plain white robe. She dared not look up, only hearing her husband's heavy, slow breathing, as if he were burdened with some unspoken worry.

"Yu Feng," Emperor Chongzhen suddenly spoke.

Zhou Yufeng's fingertips trembled, almost causing her to twitch her belt. She quickly steadied herself and whispered, "Your Majesty... I'm clumsy."

Chongzhen didn't pay any attention. He simply lowered his head slightly, looked at the top of her head, and said softly, "Ask whatever you want."

Zhou Yufeng bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, and finally whispered, "These past few days... I've heard some rumors."

"Ok?"

"He said...he said His Majesty ordered Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou to massacre the people of Daning, slaughtering seven or eight thousand people of the Duoyan tribe..." Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper, but she couldn't help but raise her eyes to secretly observe Chongzhen's expression.

Deep down, she didn't believe it. Her emperor was so handsome, with exquisite features and an innate noble air; how could he be the kind of tyrant who wouldn't even spare women and children?

Chongzhen looked into her timid eyes and suddenly smiled. His smile was gentle, yet it sent a chill down one's spine.

"There shouldn't be many women and children," he said calmly. "I ordered Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou to carry out the execution by cartwheel, which was aimed at the men. As for the women and children no taller than a cartwheel..." He paused, "they will all be distributed to the soldiers of Ji and Liao as slaves."

Zhou Yufeng's face turned pale, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at her, but his gaze gradually turned cold.

"Yu Feng, do you know? By the second year of Chongzhen's reign at the latest, there will be a great battle that will determine the fate of our Ming Dynasty." His voice was deep, as if it came from a great distance. "The Jurchens will bypass Ningjin, take the route through Daming, and attack our Jizhou border wall along the Kuanhe and Luanhe rivers. If Jizhou falls, tens of thousands of Jurchens will invade the heart of Beizhili..."

Fine beads of sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead, and his eyes glazed over for a moment, as if he had returned to a past life—when he was only nineteen, fooled by Yuan Chonghuan's big mouth, dreaming of "pacifying Liaodong in five years." And what was the result? Just as he was enjoying his success, the Jurchens' blades were already at the gates of Beijing!

Later, when he was studying at university in Handong, he discussed the History of Ming with Professor Gao, who was passionate about studying the History of Ming. Only then did he truly understand that after the Jisi Incident in the second year of Chongzhen's reign, it would be extremely difficult for the Ming Dynasty to turn the tide!
Because Huang Taiji didn't just tour the outskirts of Beijing and return home, but instead spent months burning, killing, and looting before finally leaving satisfied. The area surrounding Beijing alone suffered the loss of over 100,000 people (dead or captured), hundreds of thousands of refugees, and the theft of over 100,000 head of livestock, including more than 20,000 warhorses. Furthermore, the most fertile northern prefectures and counties surrounding Beijing suffered severe damage to their fields and houses, directly leading to a sharp decline in tax revenue in Beizhili, further straining the already tight finances. Moreover, he lost a large number of elite border troops and reinforcements from various regions—the total number of soldiers killed, routed, or mutinous exceeded 100,000!
To make up for the losses and rebuild the defenses, Emperor Chongzhen had no choice but to increase taxes and levies after the Jisi Incident. Meanwhile, the Jurchens discovered a clever way to solve their economic difficulties through the Jisi Incident: bypassing the Ningjin defense line, breaking through the Great Wall, and plundering and burning within Ming territory. They did this four more times after the Jisi Incident! In total, the Jurchens burned, killed, and looted within the Great Wall for a full 24 months, or two years!

The Chongzhen reign lasted only seventeen years!

"Your Majesty..." Zhou Yufeng called out softly when she saw that his expression was not right.

Chongzhen snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, reached out and patted the back of her hand, and whispered, "Don't worry, this time... Huang Taiji won't be able to break in."

No sooner had the words been spoken than Wang Chengen's voice came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, the time has come."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded, glanced at Zhou Yufeng one last time, and then strode out.

Huangji Hall, Wangshuo Chaohui.

As dawn broke, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was already filled with civil and military officials.

According to the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty, the monthly court assembly on the first and fifteenth of each month was a regular court session. All officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital were required to enter the palace to present their reports. Censors and officials could directly point out the current problems without prior registration, but their reports had to be submitted to the Office of Transmission first, and then the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial would announce their names and present them to the emperor.

Inside the hall, Emperor Chongzhen sat upright on his throne, his gaze icy cold. This was his first New Year's Day court assembly in this life, but in his previous life, he had experienced it countless times. Unfortunately, he was going in the wrong direction; the harder he tried, the closer he was to failure.

Li Juesi, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, dressed in plain robes and holding an ivory tablet, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, the Khan of the Chahan tribe, Huduntu Khan, has sent Lama Choerji as an envoy with a letter of state to the capital. He is currently waiting outside the palace for Your Majesty’s permission. We humbly request Your Majesty to grant us an audience.”

A hush fell over the hall. The officials exchanged glances, a subtle undercurrent of tension. Duke Zhu Chunchen of Chengguo lowered his eyelids, his plump hands fiddling with prayer beads in his sleeve; Cui Chengxiu took a deep breath, looking somewhat nervous; Sun Chengzong frowned, but his back remained ramrod straight.

Emperor Chongzhen lightly tapped the dragon-carved armrest with his fingertip and said in a low voice, "Summon them." "Summon the Han envoy, Lama Choerji, to an audience!" The high-pitched announcement from the Master of Ceremonies of the Court of State Ceremonies pierced through the palace gates.

Before long, the Chorji Lama, wearing a crimson robe and a golden rooster-shaped lama hat, strode into the hall, holding a scroll of state documents sealed with gold lacquer in both hands. He was led by a servant in a blue robe from the Honglu Temple.

Nine steps before the imperial steps, Chorji stopped and, following the etiquette previously taught by officials of the Court of State Ceremonies, bowed and proclaimed in somewhat broken Chinese: "Chorji, the Imperial Preceptor under the tutelage of the 400,000 Mongol Khans, the King of Baturu Genghis Khan, pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming! I respectfully present this letter from my Khanate!" He held the sheepskin scroll high above his head with both hands. On the cover of the letter, written in both Mongolian and Chinese, was the inscription: "A Letter from the Khan of the Great Yuan to the Emperor of the Great Ming."

A white-robed eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial descended the steps, received the imperial letter, and presented it to the emperor. Emperor Chongzhen did not immediately unfold it, but casually placed it on a corner of his desk, his gaze falling on the red-robed lama below the steps.

Choerji took a deep breath, suddenly raised his head, and his voice rose sharply, trembling with grief and indignation, echoing throughout the hall: "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming! Your humble servant, acting on the orders of my Khan, lodges a tearful accusation! Your esteemed General Sun Zushou of the Jizhou Garrison and Deputy General Zu Dashou of the Liaodong Garrison, disregarding the will of Heaven, have committed heinous acts, leading their troops deep into the heart of my southern steppe, massacring my Doyan Guard's city of Daning! Men taller than a cartwheel were all 'cartwheel cuts'! Women, children, the elderly, and the weak were either slaughtered or abducted! More than 30,000 people were turned into innocent souls in a single day! Such atrocities are beyond human comprehension, arousing the wrath of both gods and ghosts! Now, all the tribes of southern Mongolia, upon hearing this terrible news, are terrified and disloyal! As the ruler of all the Mongol tribes, how can my Khan sit idly by? I have specially dispatched this humble servant to demand justice from the Great Ming Court! I implore Your Majesty to severely punish the culprits, to comfort the innocent souls, and to secure the borders!"

Before the words were finished, Minister of War Cui Chengxiu stepped out of the ranks, raised his tablet high, and spoke in a voice as sharp as a knife: "Your Majesty! The words of the Grand Preceptor Choerji are filled with blood and tears! Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou, as generals of the court, did not think of protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people, but instead committed this massacre. They are cruel and inhumane, and have arbitrarily provoked conflict on the border! Their cruelty is comparable to that of the Jianzhou Jurchen chieftain! If this trend continues, it will surely chill the hearts of the barbarians, and the border will never have peace! I implore Your Majesty to immediately issue an edict to arrest Generals Sun and Zu, and hand them over to the three judicial departments for a strict trial and sentencing, so as to uphold the law of the country and appease the people!"

As if given a command, the hall erupted in chaos!

"I second that!" Chen Eryi, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, knelt down, his voice trembling with tears. "Sun Zushou's slaughter was excessive, which has damaged Your Majesty's benevolence and angered the Mongols, causing endless trouble for Your Majesty!"

Li Lusheng, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, followed closely behind, lamenting with indignation: "Your Majesty! Although the Doyan Guard has committed minor offenses, their crimes do not warrant the extermination of their entire clan! The actions of Sun and Zu were not only cruel but also cost the Ming Dynasty countless sums of money, grain, and military resources! What use are such cruel generals?"

Censor Shi Sanwei, his beard bristling and hair bristling, declared sternly, “I impeach Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou! These two are greedy for merit and rash, cruel and bloodthirsty, and have lost the essence of being generals! Furthermore, they have falsely reported military achievements, deceiving the emperor! I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!”

The nobles' ranks were even more excited.

Duke Zhu Chunchen of Cheng stepped forward, his fat face filled with grief: "Your Majesty! My family has been officials for generations, and I know that border generals should be based on benevolence and righteousness! Sun Zushou massacred a city and exterminated his clan. This is the behavior of a beast! If he is not severely punished, I fear that it will chill the hearts of the soldiers on the nine borders and bring shame to the spirits of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu in heaven!" His voice choked with sobs, as if he had lost a close relative.

Marquis Li Shouqi of Xiangcheng clasped his hands together, his face filled with sorrow: "Amitabha! Forgive me! Forgive me! General Sun's actions have offended Heaven! This old minister observed the celestial phenomena last night and fears there are signs of continuous warfare! Your Majesty, you should act quickly to appease Heaven's wrath!"

Duke Dingguo Xu Xigao, Marquis Fengcheng Li Chengzuo, Earl Xuancheng Wei Shitai, Marquis Funing Zhu Guobi, and others stepped forward one after another, each offering their own opinion:
"Your Majesty, please severely punish the culprits!"

This trend must not be allowed to continue!

"Seek justice for the people of Duoyanwei who died unjustly!"

“Set as a warning to others!”

The outcry was like a tidal wave, almost lifting the roof off the palace. All the criticism was directed at Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou. Civil officials cited classical texts to condemn their cruelty and immorality; nobles beat their chests and lamented their corruption of moral principles; and censors accused them of "unauthorized provocation of border conflicts" and "deceiving the emperor and squandering public funds."

Li Juesi, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, stood in a corner, watching the surging crowd, his expression shifting uncertainly. He was originally a member of the eunuch faction, but now he had joined the "Emperor's Party," so naturally he wouldn't follow Cui Chengxiu's lead. Those still clamoring with Cui Chengxiu, besides the other four of the Five Tigers, were some censors and officials from the eunuch faction. The minor censors were probably too busy for the Emperor to recruit, while the Five Tigers seemed unlikely to join the Emperor's Party without spending several million. This group was now jumping out to attack Sun Zushou, mostly hoping to save those millions, but they didn't know if they might anger the Emperor and lose their lives!

Amidst the clamor of voices, Emperor Chongzhen slowly raised his hand.

With just a simple gesture, the noise in the hall came to an abrupt halt, and all attention was instantly focused on the throne.

“National Preceptor Choerji,” Chongzhen’s voice was not loud, nor did it reveal a trace of anger, “you just said that Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou slaughtered 30,000 of your Doyan Guards?”

Choerji felt a chill run down his spine under that calm gaze, but forced himself to remain composed: "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming, it is indeed so! More than 30,000 people were brutally slaughtered!"

"Oh." Chongzhen responded softly, tapping the side of his thermos cup with his fingers as if by habit. "Thirty thousand men...that's quite a lot." He paused, then turned his gaze to Cui Chengxiu, Zhu Chunchen, and the others, and said in a low voice, "My dear ministers, it seems that Generals Sun and Zu were indeed not lying about their merit in slaughtering the Doyans. It is absolutely true!"

His tone was calm, yet it sent a chill down the spines of all the civil and military officials in the hall!

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly looked at Choerji with a half-smile: "Grand Preceptor, do you know? Our Ming Dynasty's founding emperors, Taizu and Chengzu, once warned their descendants: the more you kill these Tartars, the fewer they will remain!"

(End of this chapter)