How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 45 The Eunuch Party? The Donglin Party? They're all my lackeys (Bonus chapter, please vote for me in September)
Inside the Wenhua Hall, the charcoal fire was silent, with only wisps of white steam rising from the huanghuali thermos cup on the imperial desk, slowly swirling in the slightly stagnant air.

Emperor Chongzhen sat upright behind his desk, his gaze calmly sweeping over the three people standing solemnly below the steps.

Huang Lijie, the Grand Secretary and Minister of Personnel; Fang Zhuangli, the Vice Minister of Personnel; and Sun Chengzong, the Left Censor-in-Chief.

The reason for bringing these three here is, of course, to arrange tomorrow's "dogfight," or as it's called, a court-sponsored contest.

"My three ministers," Emperor Chongzhen began, his voice steady and solemn, "Since my ascension to the throne, the court has been newly established, and many things need to be rebuilt. In personnel management, the most important thing is to follow the rules. From this day forward, the appointment and removal of officials of the third rank and above must be recommended by the court. Officials of the fourth rank and below will be recommended by the Ministry of Personnel, or appointed by special decree of me. What do you all think?"

Huang Liji immediately bowed and offered his flattery: "Your Majesty is wise! Only in this way can we gather wisdom from all sides and demonstrate the fairness of the court in selecting officials!"

Fang Zhuangli and Sun Chengzong followed suit, saying, "We second that Your Majesty is wise!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded slightly—his attitude was quite respectful—and then he got to the point: "In that case, this first court recommendation should get off to a good start. There are currently two important vacancies, and we need to recommend virtuous and capable people as soon as possible."

He paused briefly, his gaze slowly sweeping across the three faces: "Firstly, there is the position of Minister of War. Wang Zaijin has been acting as the Minister of War for several days with the title of Right Vice Minister, and has made considerable achievements in reorganizing the Beijing Garrison and checking the number of troops. This time, we will include him in the list of candidates recommended by the court to make a clear path."

Sun Chengzong, Huang Lijie, and Fang Zhuangli remained expressionless; they had anticipated this.

"Secondly," Chongzhen's voice remained calm, but he threw out a position that caught the three of them off guard, "the position of Salt Transport Commissioner of Lianghuai Salt Transport Office."

Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai?
Huang Lijie and Fang Zhuangli quickly exchanged a glance, both filled with doubt. This lucrative third-rank post was certainly important, but it seemed unnecessary to compare it to a key position like the Minister of War in the first court recommendation, right?
Chongzhen seemed oblivious to their concerns and continued speaking, his tone already tinged with displeasure: "The salt tax of Lianghuai is a vital source of revenue for the nation, with an annual quota of 1.2 million taels, but the actual amount collected is consistently less than 800,000 taels! The salt administration is in disarray, smugglers run rampant, and countless individuals are lining their own pockets! Now that the nation is facing financial difficulties and the nine border regions are desperately in need of supplies, not a single tael of this salt tax can be lost!"

He tapped his fingers lightly on the rosewood tabletop, making a soft, rhythmic sound: "Therefore, the position of Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai cannot be filled by anyone but a capable and competent minister. After much consideration, I have determined that this person must meet several conditions."

Chongzhen's gaze sharpened, and he said, word by word, "First, one must have served as a salt commissioner, be well-versed in the intricacies of salt administration, and be familiar with its long-standing abuses and ways to generate wealth!"

"Secondly, one must have the demeanor of a chief censor, preferably someone who has served as the Left Censor-in-Chief or Vice Censor-in-Chief. Only in this way can one deter petty villains with thunderous measures and eradicate corruption in the salt fields and canal transport!"

"Third, one must be knowledgeable in military affairs, or at least have served as a high-ranking official in the Ministry of War! Only then can one understand how vital the salt tax is to military pay, and only then can one wholeheartedly safeguard this money for supporting the army for me and the court!"

With each statement he made, the expressions of the three men below the steps changed.

These conditions... one by one, they are clearly tailor-made for that person who has just fallen from power and is "reflecting on his mistakes" at home!
He once served as the Salt Commissioner. When Cui Chengxiu was inspecting Huaiyang, he protected private salt trade and made a fortune for himself!

The style of the Grand Censor? Cui Chengxiu did serve as the Left Censor-in-Chief, but he only helped Wei Zhongxian eliminate dissidents and establish a "eunuch party dictatorship"!
Knowledgeable in military affairs? Cui Chengxiu even served as Minister of War, where he sold official positions, smuggled military equipment, and embezzled soldiers' pay. He was involved in every one of these activities.

Huang Lijie was secretly delighted—it seemed that Cui Chengxiu had also joined the "Emperor's Party" and was now his ally.

It seems that His Majesty's heart is still with the Imperial Party!
Fang Zhuangli lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the tips of his boots. Sun Chengzong's chest heaved slightly, his white beard trembling. Both of them were clearly seething with anger.

How could a corrupt and wicked man like Cui Chengxiu, who had just paid his sentence, be immediately put in charge of the most lucrative position in the land, the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office?

What is Your Majesty trying to do? Is he not greedy enough? Or is the Lianghuai Salt Administration not corrupt enough?

Or perhaps you're waiting for Choi Seong-soo to embezzle again so you can collect another sum of money as punishment? This is sustainable "anti-corruption," no, it's sustainable short-sighted exploitation!
An awkward, deathly silence fell over the hall; you could hear a pin drop. No one shouted "Wise Emperor!"

If you don't proclaim your wisdom, where is your loyalty?

Only the slow, deliberate tapping of Chongzhen's fingers on the table could be heard. His expression darkened slightly, and a soft, disgruntled cough escaped his nose. Grand Secretary Huang Lijie shuddered, almost instinctively offering his loyalty, bowing even lower, his voice clear and swift: "Your Majesty, I obey! Your Majesty's considerations are profound and your proposal is excellent! The salt administration of Lianghuai truly needs such a capable minister to reform! I will certainly follow Your Majesty's will and include Cui… this suitable candidate in the list of candidates recommended by the court!"

The imperialists' lackeys are indeed quite loyal.

Chongzhen then turned his attention to Fang Zhuangli and Sun Chengzong—the Donglin Party was also needed. Without them baring their teeth and preparing to attack the Emperor's faction, these Emperor's faction members would only know how to be greedy and wouldn't know how to share silver with the Emperor!

Fang Zhuangli, who was being watched by Chongzhen, sighed inwardly and bowed, saying, "Your subject seconds the motion."

Sun Chengzong's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end it only turned into a helpless sigh. He cupped his hands and said, "This old minister... obeys the decree."

"Good." Chongzhen nodded in satisfaction and continued to make arrangements. "I have also decided on the participants for this court recommendation."

"Among the Nine Ministers, Mr. Huang will personally attend the Ministry of Personnel. Guo Yunhou of the Ministry of Revenue, Li Congxin of the Ministry of Works, and Xue Zhen of the Ministry of Justice will all be represented by their respective Ministers."

Huang Lijie silently calculated in his mind that the four officials in the Ministry of Personnel were himself, the Ministry of Revenue Guo Yunhou, the Ministry of Works Li Congxin, and the Ministry of Justice Xue Zhen... These four were all the backbone of the former eunuch faction! Although they have now "repented" and have paid their fines, they are now considered to be His Majesty's people.

"Ministry of War," Chongzhen continued, "if the position of Minister is vacant, let Li Banghua, the Left Vice Minister, take it. Ministry of Rites, let Qian Qianyi, the Right Vice Minister, take it."

Li Banghua and Qian Qianyi represent the Qingliu faction and are the representatives of the Donglin lineage.

"Add to that Mr. Sun, the Left Censor-in-Chief; Zhang Jiude, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review; and Yang Shaozhen, the Commissioner of the Court of Transmission. Thus, the Nine Ministers are complete."

Huang Liji's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly did the math:

Those with eunuch faction backgrounds: himself (official), Guo Yunhou (household registration), Li Congxin (workers), and Xue Zhen (criminals) – four people.

Those from the Donglin Party or those opposed to the eunuch faction: Sun Chengzong (Minister of the Capital), Li Banghua (Minister of War), Qian Qianyi (Minister of Rites), and Yang Shaozhen (Minister of the Court of State Affairs) – four people.

There's another one... Zhang Jiude, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He's a notorious old fox, a fence-sitter who sways between two sides!
Four against four, plus one fence-sitter!

This lineup... Is His Majesty really trying to promote someone through court channels? This is clearly setting up a battleground, letting the eunuch faction and the Donglin faction fight face to face! And whichever side that fence-sitter leans towards will win!

Wait, the outcome could hinge entirely on Zhang Jiude alone? No, that's impossible!

Huang Lijie suddenly understood. What His Majesty wanted was not some "public nomination on the surface," but a fierce, evenly matched "dogfight" under his control. He wanted everyone to see clearly that in this court, who could rise and who should fall ultimately depended on only one thing—the Emperor's sole decision!
Emperor Chongzhen took in the reactions of the three men, leaned back slightly, picked up the cup of tea that was at the perfect temperature, and gently blew on it.

What about the eunuch faction? What about the Donglin Party?

They must all become my loyal lackeys!

Moreover, these lackeys not only need to know how to "walk", but also how to "fight"!
"Going" means being able to "work," while "fighting" means being "loyal"! Only loyal lackeys can stand firm in the "dogfighting" of the future Ming Dynasty court.

He took a sip of tea and casually instructed, "The sooner the better. Let's set the court recommendation for the day after tomorrow. Mr. Huang, go and make the arrangements."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Huang Liji bowed deeply and led Fang Zhuangli and Sun Chengzong, who had different thoughts, out of the Wenhua Hall.

(End of this chapter)