How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 84 Su Tai Fujin, I support you in giving birth to a son for the infertile Hu Dun Tu Khan (Fourth Update)

I'm convinced... that'll be fine!

Emperor Chongzhen was fully aware of the background of this second most beautiful woman in Yehe. It was she who later gave birth to Ejei, the only son of Huduntu Khan.

Hudun Tuhan had eight wives, seven of whom were childless, but she was the only one who gave birth. And that was after Hudun Tuhan had grown old... Her skill in treating infertility was indeed remarkable.

What's even more outrageous is that this woman even went so far as to surrender to the Jurchens in a creative way. She somehow acquired a piece of jade, had it carved into the "Imperial Seal of the State," and presented it to Huang Taiji. Huang Taiji, a despicable man, took this "made in Sutai" seal and insisted it was "made in Qin," then immediately declared himself emperor, claiming divine mandate. He had absolutely no shame!

Chongzhen sneered inwardly. Such a shrewd woman, now that she'd yielded, should be put to good use. Send her back to Hudun Tuhan's side to help bear him a son! Hudun Tuhan's vast empire needs an heir. Otherwise, who will benefit?

Thinking of this, he looked at Su Tai and softened his tone: "Now that you've submitted, are you willing to return to Hudun Tuhan's side?"

Sutai abruptly raised her head, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She looked at the young emperor on the throne; his face still resembled that of a young boy, yet his gaze held a profound and unfathomable depth. She was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer. Go back? Go back alone, or take "Jochi" back with you?
Before she could answer, Chongzhen continued, "Sutai, your Hudun Tuhan... doesn't have a son yet, right? Aren't you worried?"

Su Tai was taken aback again, a complicated expression flashing across his face. He sighed softly, "Your Majesty, although Hu Dun Tu Khan has eight wives, he... still has no children."

She was also suffering inside. What good was it if only she was anxious about this? None of the eight wives had made a move. It was self-evident who was at fault.

Emperor Chongzhen smiled encouragingly, "Then you still have a chance. Work hard, and you'll be the Empress Dowager of the Khan in the future!"

Su Tai's heart skipped a beat. The Empress Dowager? That sounded prestigious. But... this can't be accomplished by my efforts alone! The Great Khan... She dared not think too deeply and could only bury her head even lower.

Emperor Chongzhen seemed to see through her thoughts and smiled, "Don't worry, I will support you."

Su Tai quickly kowtowed: "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!" But in her heart she thought: With your support, I can get pregnant? That sounds strange... However, the support of the Emperor of the Great Ming is always a good thing.

"No need to be so polite." Chongzhen waved his hand, his tone turning cold. "Making you Empress Dowager would be beneficial to the court and the Chahan tribe."

Sutai readily agreed, but in her heart she knew perfectly well: My becoming Empress Dowager would benefit the court, and perhaps even the Chahan tribe, but for the Great Khan… it would bring absolutely no benefit. As long as the Great Khan lives, it will be impossible for me to become Empress Dowager.
Chongzhen ignored her little scheme and continued to throw out the bait: "In Datong, two thousand women and children were captured a few days ago, who said they were your people. I have ordered the Datong General's Office to take good care of them and not to neglect them." He paused, looking at Su Tai's suddenly bright eyes, "Once the two sides make peace, you will take them back to the grasslands and rebuild your Wanhu Ordo."

Sutai's heart skipped a beat. Her followers! Her foundation!

Chongzhen's voice was resolute: "From now on, your Wanhu Ordos will graze their herds outside the border walls of Datong and Xuanfu. While keeping watch over the border for me, you can also engage in border trade. I guarantee your tribe will have no worries about food and clothing."

This is forcing her to be the dog of the Ming Dynasty!
The thought flashed through Su Tai's mind. But it didn't bother her. On the contrary, she saw tangible benefits: her followers had returned, she had territory, trade permits, and the Emperor's support! She might even have a son—well, as long as the Emperor supported her, why worry about not having a son? With a son, she could even become Empress Dowager in the future.
"This servant kowtows in gratitude to Your Majesty! Your Majesty's grace in restoring me is something I will never forget! From now on, I will follow Your Majesty's lead without question!" Su Tai kowtowed repeatedly, his words filled with subservience and gratitude. How blissful it is to be a dog of the Ming Dynasty! There are bones to gnaw on, a place to stay, someone to back you up, and even a son!
Emperor Chongzhen was very satisfied with Su Tai's attitude. This woman was pragmatic, knew when to advance and retreat, understood the advantages and disadvantages, and was also very good at giving birth to a son for her infertile husband.

"Very well." Chongzhen nodded. "In that case, write a personal letter to Hudun Tu Khan. Advise him to pull back from the brink, form an alliance with our dynasty, and fight against the Jurchens together."

Su Tai raised his head and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, is an alliance sufficient?"

A glint flashed in Chongzhen's eyes: "An alliance would suffice. However..." He changed the subject, his tone enticing, "If he is willing to submit and pay tribute, I can allow him to annex the territory of the Shunyi King (of the Tumed tribe)! Otherwise... he cannot accept Guihua City!"

He stared at Su Tai: "As for the market reward, if Hudun Tu Khan is willing to submit and pay tribute, I may consider giving him the share allocated to the Prince of Shunyi. Otherwise..." Chongzhen's tone turned serious, "As long as you take back your own Wanhu Ordo (a type of military unit), I will allow you to trade with your people! In addition, I will give you a separate reward of 30,000 taels of silver every year! This is your Ordo's reward for guarding the border for me!" A blatant attempt to win him over! Openly supporting him!

Chongzhen's meaning was crystal clear: if Hudun Tu Khan was unwilling to be the Ming Dynasty's dog, then he would support Su Tailai to be the one! He would use his Wanhu Ordos as middlemen, and when Hudun Tu Khan passed away, he would become the Empress Dowager, using the Khan to command the grasslands.

Sutai's heart pounded; the benefits were too great. She remained silent for a moment, her mind racing. Finally, she prostrated herself deeply once more, her voice filled with a do-or-die determination:
"This servant, Su Tai, hereby swears! If Hu Dun Tu Khan remains obstinate and unwilling to submit to the Great Ming, this servant, after taking back the Wanhu Ordo, is willing to submit to His Majesty on behalf of the Great Khan! If Heaven is kind enough that this servant is fortunate enough to become the Empress Dowager of the Chahan tribe in the future, I will lead the entire Chahan tribe to submit to the Great Ming, to be a bulwark forever, and to have no other intentions!"

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Su Tai kneeling on the ground, slowly nodded, and smiled, "Good. I've remembered it."

At the same time, the atmosphere was somber inside the East Pavilion of the Forbidden City.

A court debate concerning the Prince of Dai's residence is underway.

The attendees were all high-ranking officials of the imperial court: Huang Lijie, Minister of Personnel; Li Banghua, Vice Minister of War; Lai Zongdao, Minister of Rites; Xue Zhen, Minister of Justice; Li Congxin, Minister of Works; Bi Ziyan, Minister of Revenue; Sun Chengzong, Left Censor-in-Chief; Yang Shaozhen, Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review; and Zhang Jiude, Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review. Among the nobles were Zhang Zhiji, Crown Prince of Yingguo, and Xu Xigao, Duke of Dingguo. Li Chengming, Marquis of Wuqing, concurrently served as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan Court and was also seated nearby.

There are two issues to be discussed in court today. The first is how to deal with Prince Zhu Naijun of Dai, who dared to collude with the Chahan tribe and plotted rebellion!
"Prince Zhu Naijun, a descendant of Emperor Taizu, has received the nation's favor for generations, yet he has not thought of repaying it. Instead, he has secretly colluded with the rebellious chieftain Ligdan Khan, plotting treason! His crimes are heinous and deserve to be punished with ten thousand deaths!" Minister of Justice Xue Zhen was the first to speak out, his words fierce. "I believe that his princely title should be stripped, he should be reduced to a commoner, and he should be imprisoned for life within the high walls of Fengyang! Any officials in his princely palace who knew about this but failed to report it should be severely punished!"

"Minister Xue is absolutely right!" Minister of Works Li Congxin immediately echoed, "Such rebellious acts must be severely punished. How can we deter other vassal kings? How can we uphold discipline and maintain order in the court? They must be dealt with strictly!"

"Yes! They must be severely punished!"

"They must not be let off lightly!"

For a time, the cabinet was filled with indignation. Whether they had a Donglin background or not, their attitudes toward dealing with the prince's rebellion—a matter that touched upon the very foundations of the dynasty—were remarkably unified. Calls for punishment were incessant. Stripping him of his title and placing him under house arrest became almost a consensus. This unfortunate prince was destined to become the "price-paying prince" of Chongzhen's new policies.

Marquis Wuqing, Li Chengming, as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, frowned slightly upon hearing the crowd's shouts of violence, but eventually joined them in condemning the Prince of Dai.

After all, the Prince of Dai brought this upon himself (in reality, he was extremely unlucky), and Zhu Chunchen caught him in his own residence; no one could protect him from that.

Grand Secretary Huang Lijie sat at the head of the table, his face filled with loyalty and righteous indignation. After the noise subsided slightly, he cleared his throat and slowly began to speak:
"Regarding the matter of the Prince of Dai, the evidence of his crimes is conclusive, and severe punishment is the proper course of action. The esteemed gentlemen share the same view, and this cabinet has no objection either. We will wait until the specific punishment terms are agreed upon before submitting them to His Majesty for judgment."

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, his voice becoming deep and serious:
"However, the case of Prince Dai's rebellion is so far-reaching that it may not be limited to the Prince Dai's family."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent. The ministers, who had just been indignant and shouting for severe punishment of the Prince of Dai, now held their breath and looked at the Grand Secretary.

Huang Lijie's expression was solemn, as if he were carefully choosing his words: "Prince Zhu Naijun of Dai colluded with the traitor Zhu Chunchen, and secretly colluded with the Han tribe's Ligdan Khan, stealing military supplies, embezzling military land, and plotting rebellion... This is an unforgivable crime. However, the Prince of Dai's lineage is prosperous, with seven princely mansions, including the Lingqiu Prince's Mansion, Guangling Prince's Mansion, Lucheng Prince's Mansion, Shanyin Prince's Mansion, Xiangyuan Prince's Mansion, Lechang Prince's Mansion, and Fenyang Prince's Mansion."

He raised his voice slightly: "The Prince of Dai is the main branch, and the seven princes are all minor branches. They have always maintained close ties and their interests are deeply intertwined. The Prince of Dai has committed this heinous act for more than a day, and the commotion is extraordinary. Are the seven princes' mansions all deaf and blind? Is there not a single person who knows about it? Is there not a single person who participated? Even if they really did not participate, the crime of knowing but not reporting, or condoning and protecting, is probably... inescapable, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)