How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 93 Niu Jinxing, you're a fucking genius! (Thirteenth update)
On the tenth day of the second lunar month, the festive atmosphere of the New Year had not yet dissipated, and the streets outside Zhengyangmen were bustling with people, their cries of vendors rising and falling. Emperor Chongzhen, dressed in a blue cloth robe and a square turban, disguised himself as an ordinary scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, walking among the crowd. Behind him were three people: Xu Qinian, dressed as a servant (the eunuch in charge of the imperial guards), and Zhou Yuji and Huang Degong, who were also dressed in plain clothes, looking sharp and reserved, like a wealthy young master with an old servant and two bodyguards.

"Young Master," Xu Qinian leaned in half a step and whispered, his voice just loud enough for Chongzhen to hear, "that teahouse 'Zhengxintang' up ahead is always the liveliest during the years of the imperial examinations. Scholars from all over the country who come to the capital often gather there to talk and discuss the world and comment on the gains and losses of the government. It's a good place to hear fresh ideas."

Emperor Chongzhen, using the alias Zhu Siming, smiled slightly upon hearing this, revealing the curiosity typical of a young man: "Oh? Then I'll have to go and see. Let's go!"

The group squeezed into Zhengxin Hall. The teahouse was indeed bustling, almost completely full. The air was thick with the aroma of tea, the smell of sweat, and the characteristic excitement of young scholars. At a large table by the window, several scholars dressed in various colored robes were arguing loudly, their spittle flying. Chongzhen glanced around and, seeing an empty table in the corner, led the three over. He himself sat down in the only empty chair, while Xu Qinian, Zhou Yuji, and Huang Degong stood behind him with their hands at their sides, their eyes fixed straight ahead, their demeanor composed and dignified.

"Waiter, a pot of Longjing tea and a plate of fruit," Chongzhen ordered, mimicking the tone of a scholar.

Just as the tea and fruit were served, and Chongzhen was about to listen to the lively discussion, a figure approached. The man was in his early twenties, wearing a slightly worn blue cloth robe, with dark skin and a somewhat travel-worn air—clearly a scholar from out of town. He awkwardly bowed slightly, his eyes glancing at the three empty chairs at Chongzhen's table: "Greetings, sir. May I ask… are these three chairs occupied?"

Chongzhen looked him up and saw that his eyes were fairly open, so he smiled and waved his hand: "No one is here, please make yourself at home, brother."

"Thank you, thank you!" The man breathed a sigh of relief and quickly sat down opposite Chongzhen. He then cupped his hands and said, "I am from Lushi County, Henan Prefecture. I passed the imperial examination in the seventh year of the Tianqi reign. My surname is Niu, my given name is Jinxing, and my courtesy name is Juming. May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

Emperor Chongzhen's heart skipped a beat!
Niu Jinxing from Lushi, Henan?!
Isn't this the infamous "Grand Secretary Niu" from Li Zicheng's later reign?! ​​He's actually come to the capital to take the imperial examination?!

Chongzhen remained outwardly calm, but his mind was in turmoil. No! This man must not be let escape! Whether he becomes a Grand Secretary or a rebel in the future, now that he's in my hands, he'll be my servant!
He suppressed his turbulent emotions, cupped his hands in greeting, and mimicked the other's tone: "So it's Brother Niu, I've long admired you. I am Zhu Siming from Jiangling, Jingzhou, courtesy name Shengwu."

"Oh, Brother Zhu!" Upon hearing that Chongzhen was already a Juren at such a young age (Chongzhen was seventeen or eighteen years old at the time), Niu Jinxing couldn't help but show some envy and admiration. "To pass the Juren at such a young age, your future is limitless! Brother, you've also come to listen to the senior's lecture, haven't you?"

"Giving lectures?" Chongzhen feigned ignorance. "What kind of lectures?"

Niu Jinxing wore an expression of "I knew it," thinking that this rich young master was indeed ignorant of the ways of the world. He explained, "These past few days, senior officials have often come to Zhengxin Hall to explain the state of affairs to us candidates who are going to the capital for the imperial examinations. It is said that this is very helpful for writing policy essays. My good brother, you've come at the right time, there's something for you today!"

Just then, someone in the center of the teahouse called out, "Please welcome Young Master Lu! Young Master Lu is a senior who passed the imperial examination in the forty-first year of the Wanli reign. It is truly our good fortune that he has taken time out of his busy schedule to come and guide us juniors!"

All eyes turned to look. There stood a man around fifty years old, with a dignified appearance and a thick beard, dressed in the elegant attire of a scholar. He was none other than Lu Shanji, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud, who had been recently promoted by Emperor Chongzhen.

Lu Shan bowed deeply to the crowd around him, his voice booming: "Fellow scholars, you are too kind. In a few days, the imperial examinations will be held. According to the system of this dynasty, there will be three examinations: one on the Four Books and Five Classics, requiring the writing of an eight-legged essay; another on choosing one from 'essays,' 'judgments,' and 'imperial edicts, memorials, and proclamations,' requiring the writing of an official document; and the third on policy essays. For the first two examinations, you have all honed your skills through ten years of hard work, so I will not presume to teach you. Today, I will talk to you about the third examination—policy essays!"

The teahouse fell silent immediately, and all the scholars pricked up their ears.

Lu Shanji stroked his beard and continued, "The current emperor is a young and talented man. Since ascending the throne, he has been working diligently to govern the country and has a strong desire to revitalize the world! In my opinion, the emperor will pay special attention to the affairs of the world during this grand competition! Therefore, the weight of this policy essay will probably be much greater than in previous years! The matters discussed will also be closely related to the most pressing predicaments facing the world today!"

A chorus of agreement immediately rose from below: "Young Master Lu, your insight is brilliant!" "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Lu!"

Lu Shanji smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd, then his expression turned serious: "Although you are not bookworms, since I have a connection with you all, I will venture to speak about the 'predicament'!"

He cleared his throat, his voice deepening: "First, the nine border garrisons and thirteen towns, a total of 590,000 troops! Men and horses are starving and hungry! The imperial granary is always running a deficit, a huge deficit! Second, seven or eight out of ten of the military settlements in the thirteen towns have been seized and divided up, existing in name only! Third, the provinces of Shaanxi and Shanxi bear a mountain of burdens! Every year, in addition to paying the quota to the granary and the Liaodong military pay, they also have to support the transport of grain and fodder for the civilians in eight border towns! And what's even more critical is..."

Lu Shanji paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and said, word by word, "We also have to support the stipends of eight vassal kings, dozens of county princes, and countless members of the imperial clan!"

His voice was heavy with sorrow: "In recent years, Shanxi and Shaanxi have suffered from natural disasters one after another, leaving the land barren and the people destitute! The imperial court is unable to collect grain, yet it still has to spend a lot on the stipends of the princes and royal families! There are still hundreds of thousands of border troops in the nine border regions and thirteen towns starving for food. Just think about it, what kind of situation is this? It's a powder keg! It could explode at any moment!"

He concluded, "Therefore, in my opinion, in this policy discussion, you should all focus on this predicament and devise a solution! The Emperor values ​​practical matters and responsibility! Whoever can pinpoint the crux of the problem will stand out!"

After Lu Shanji finished speaking, the teahouse was initially silent, then erupted into a heated discussion. The candidates were either excited, solemn, or deep in thought, all clearly shocked by this "predicament."

Emperor Chongzhen sat in a corner, nodding slightly. Lu Shanji's "leak" of the exam questions was naturally at the behest of Sun Chengzong. This was also, of course, Chongzhen's "desire"—he wanted to use this grand competition to select a group of petty officials who dared to challenge the imperial system and were willing to "dedicate themselves to the cause," then send them to Qian Qianyi to be the vanguard of reform in Shaanxi!
Whether the article itself is ornate or plain is unimportant! What he wants is a stance! Loyalty! The courage to be a pioneer!
Thinking of this, Chongzhen deliberately frowned, looking at Niu Jinxing across from him with a worried expression: "Brother Niu... how should I begin writing this policy essay? On one side are the 590,000 border troops of the thirteen garrisons, and on the other side are the millions of common people in Shaanxi and Shanxi, and so many members of the imperial family... Alas, it's difficult! So difficult!" Niu Jinxing glanced at Chongzhen a few times, seeing the air of wealth between his brows and the naiveté in his words, and thought to himself: This rich young master is probably only good at writing elegant articles, how could he understand the suffering of the common people? If he were to become an official, he would be a muddle-headed one.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Chongzhen deliberately asked, "Brother Niu is from Henan Prefecture. There are seven princes in Henan, including the Prince of Zhou and the Prince of Fu. The burden must be very heavy, right?"

Niu Jinxing gave a wry smile, speaking with a slight Henan accent: "The burden on the people is certainly heavy, but... what does that have to do with the work we're about to do?"

Emperor Chongzhen, with a seemingly naive expression, pressed on: "When I was on my way to the capital for the imperial examination, I passed through the prefectures and counties of Henan and saw a desolate scene. The people looked emaciated, and there were starving corpses on the roads! If the court does not implement benevolent policies, I fear that a popular uprising is imminent!"

Niu Jinxing shook his head and lowered his voice: "Popular uprising? Does the current court... even care about that?"

"Can't worry about that?" Chongzhen opened his eyes wide in "surprise." "What do you mean?" As he spoke, he poured Niu Jinxing a full cup of tea, his tone sincere. "Brother Niu is very knowledgeable. I'm new here and just wanted to ask for your advice. Later... at Zuixianlou, I'll treat you. How about we eat and chat?"

Seeing Chongzhen's humble attitude and his offer to treat him to a meal, and also because he had some thoughts he wanted to express, Niu Jinxing nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "Alright! But... there are too many people here, it's not the place to talk."

Chongzhen immediately understood, stood up and laughed, "Understood! Zuixianju, let's go now!"

In the elegant Tingtao Pavilion of Zuixianju, several exquisite dishes were served, along with a pot of warmed Shaoxing wine. Zhou Yuji and Huang Degong stood guard outside the door, while Xu Qinian stood behind Chongzhen, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.

After a few drinks, Niu Jinxing opened up completely. He wiped his mouth and said to Chongzhen, "Brother Zhu, you just asked how to write a policy essay? I'll give you four words—'Raising an army is paramount'! What does the court fear most in this world? It's those poor devils with knives on the nine borders starving!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded repeatedly and poured him another cup: "Brother Niu, your insights are brilliant! Please elaborate!"

Niu Jinxing downed his drink in one gulp, his face flushed, and his voice rose a little: "If the poor farmers rebel, they'll at most be armed with hoes and pitchforks! But if those poor devils with knives rebel in the Nine Garrisons... what are they? They're border troops! Most of them are hereditary military households! If they rise up, it will be the calamity of the Six Garrisons Rebellion of the Northern Wei! Ten times, a hundred times more terrifying than the refugees!"

Emperor Chongzhen inwardly praised the move, but outwardly appeared worried: "Then... what should the court do? Should it levy even more taxes?"

"Additional taxes?" Niu Jinxing scoffed, drawing a circle on the table with his wine. "What oil can you squeeze out of poor bastards? At least the poor bastards in Zhongzhou, Shaanxi, and Shanxi have been squeezed dry long ago! The court wants to squeeze oil out of their bones to support the border troops? That's wishful thinking! A pipe dream!"

He leaned closer to Chongzhen, his eyes sharp, and his voice even lower: "In my opinion, there is only one way out for the court!"

"Which one?" Emperor Chongzhen leaned forward slightly.

Niu Jinxing drew two lines heavily with his finger in the circle of wine on the table: "Cut off the nobles! Cut off the imperial family!"

Emperor Chongzhen feigned surprise: "Nobles and members of the imperial family? They are the very foundation of our dynasty!"

"The foundation?" Niu Jinxing sneered even more, his voice tinged with drunkenness. "Can they protect the emperor's empire with their swords? No! What is the true foundation of the Ming Dynasty? It is the hundreds of thousands of military households in the nine border regions and thirteen towns! It is the soldiers who have shed blood and sweat on the border for more than two hundred and sixty years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty! Emperor Taizu relied on the ancestors of these people to build the empire!"

He slammed his hand on the table (startling Xu Qinian): "The Ming Dynasty shares the throne with its military households! As long as the court can support these hundreds of thousands of border troops, ensuring they have food and pay, and are willing to risk their lives for the court, the Ming Dynasty will be as stable as Mount Tai! Otherwise..."

Niu Jinxing chuckled coldly twice, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He didn't say anything more, but the meaning was crystal clear.

As Chongzhen sat there, looking at the eloquent "county scholar" before him, only one thought surged in his mind: Niu Jinxing, the top scholar of this imperial examination, you are the one to be the top scholar this time!

(End of this chapter)