How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 96 The Spring of the Ming Dynasty's New Reforms is Coming! (Sixteenth Update)
The back hall of Wenhua Hall was filled with the gentle fragrance of incense.

Emperor Chongzhen held a huanghuali wood thermos cup, his gaze calmly sweeping over the officials in the hall. The Grand Secretary Huang Liji, the Second Grand Secretary Shi Fenglai, the Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong (Left Censor-in-Chief), the Minister of War Wang Zaijin, the Minister of Rites Lai Zongdao, the Vice Minister of War Li Banghua, and the Acting Military Governor Zhang Zhiji sat on embroidered stools on both sides.

"Minister Wang," Chongzhen looked at the weary-looking Wang Zaijin, "how is the matter of the Great Harmony?"

Wang Zaijin hurriedly stood up, took out a scroll of confession from his sleeve, and bowed as he presented it: "Your Majesty, Prince Zhu Naijun, the Prince's Palace Attendant Pang Yugui, and others have confessed to the crimes of colluding with Zhu Chunchen to smuggle military supplies for the capital garrison and encroaching on military farms, but..." He looked up, his gaze sharp, "they insist that they have absolutely no collusion with Hudun Tuhan! They claim that Zhu Chunchen is hiding in the palace because he was coerced by the Duke of Cheng's palace, and that they are unaware of his collusion with the barbarians!"

Emperor Chongzhen remained expressionless, tapping lightly on the lid of the thermos with his fingertips: "Oh? You don't know?" Wang Zaijin lowered his head: "I... questioned him repeatedly, but he still tried to evade and deny the allegations."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "This matter is not urgent; someone will take care of it later."

He turned his gaze to Li Banghua and Zhang Zhiji: "What about the Beijing Garrison?"

Li Banghua rose and presented a stack of documents: "Your Majesty, the seventy-eight officers of the Beijing Garrison detained in Tsinghua Garden have all submitted 'letters of repentance and apology.' They are willing to pay a total of 1.08 million taels of silver for apology and return 345,000 mu of illegally occupied farmland and estates."

His voice was heavy: "According to his confession and repeated verifications by the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions, the old Beijing garrison's official troop strength was 153,000, but the actual number... was less than 40,000! Among them, seven or eight out of ten were old and weak men serving in vain or were simply fictitious! The truly capable and strong soldiers, after being screened one by one by Governor Zhang and myself, weeded out the weak and kept the strong. The Five Military Commissions actually had 3,000 soldiers, the Three Thousand Cavalry Battalion actually had 1,000 soldiers, and the Divine Machine Battalion actually had 1,500 soldiers, totaling 5,500 elite soldiers. There are also 21 camp officers and commanders who are quite brave and can be retained. The rest have all been dismissed with silver, costing a total of 160,000 taels of silver."

"Oh." Chongzhen wasn't particularly angry. He had known this outcome for a long time. He personally oversaw the "mass layoffs of the five military battalions." Zhang Zhiji and Li Banghua were at most assistants. It was they who presided over the subsequent downsizing of the Three Thousand Battalions and the Divine Machine Battalion.

However, Zhang Zhiji still consciously got up, then knelt down with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold gold brick, and began to pretend to be "Zhang Xianzhong": "Your subject... Your subject deserves to die ten thousand times! I failed in my duty of supervision and deserve to die ten thousand times!"

He then took out a thick memorial from his robes, raised it high above his head, and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Yingguo's mansion, along with the noble families of Marquis Xue Lian of Yangwu and Marquis Liang Shixun of Baoding, feel deeply guilty! We are willing to offer an additional 530,000 mu of farmland, one million taels of silver, 27 residences in Beijing, and more than 50 shops... to atone for our sins! We beg Your Majesty... to have mercy!"

Offering loyalty, handing over the money for punishment, and redeeming the land—this "Zhang Xianzhong" is indeed very loyal!

Emperor Chongzhen said calmly, "Bring it here."

Wang Chengen quickly took it.

Emperor Chongzhen did not open the document, but placed it alongside the list of the Prince of Dai's residence on his desk. He waved his hand and said, "Minister Zhang, rise. Please take a seat."

Zhang Zhiji felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He kowtowed to express his gratitude, his back soaked with cold sweat. He sat down with half of his buttocks resting on the embroidered stool, not daring to raise his head again.

Emperor Chongzhen's expression softened slightly as he looked at Li Banghua: "Minister Li, by eliminating the weak and retaining the strong, and cutting redundant officials, you only spent 160,000 taels of silver to obtain 5,500 elite soldiers and 21 capable generals. This matter has been handled efficiently! I am very pleased!"

Li Banghua bowed and said, "This is my duty. It is thanks to Your Majesty's virtue and the soldiers' gratitude for the Emperor's grace that things have gone so smoothly."

"Good!" Chongzhen nodded, then glanced at Wang Zaijin, the Minister of War. "Minister Wang, the Ministry of War shall immediately draft a proposal to reorganize the Beijing Garrison! Using these 5,500 elite soldiers as the backbone, and combining them with my 10,000 Imperial Guards, we will reorganize a new Beijing Garrison of 50,000 men, truly capable of fighting! We need elite soldiers, real pay, and a fresh start! I will personally oversee this matter!"

Wang Zaijin quickly rose to accept the order: "Your subject obeys! I will do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations!"

With the matter of the Beijing garrison settled, Chongzhen then said, "Summon Qian Qianyi."

Qian Qianyi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, bowed as he entered the hall, holding two scrolls in his hands.

"Your Majesty," Qian Qianyi bowed, "I have finished reading the essays for the Wuchen imperial examination. These two volumes are: one by Niu Jinxing, a candidate from Henan, entitled 'More than ten years of military campaigns in Liaodong, the army is exhausted and the treasury is depleted, while the Jurchens are growing stronger...'; the other by Huang Zongxi, a candidate from Zhejiang, entitled 'Questioning the multitude of official salaries, the poverty of the people of Qin and Jin, and the exhaustion of the Central Plains, given the current difficulties, what is the best course of action?' Both are written in a vigorous style and are incisive in addressing the current problems. I present them to Your Majesty for your perusal."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded: "Read it. First, read Niu Jinxing's piece."

"Yes." Qian Qianyi unfurled the scroll:

"...Therefore, the foundation for maintaining peace and security on the border lies in firm defense. However, this defense is not about fighting for every inch of land, but about fighting for every grain of millet and ensuring that not a single grain of rice is lost! What the Jurchens seek is not land and cities, but the wealth and people of our Great Ming! Therefore, protecting the people and safeguarding the grain should be our top priority!"

"Strengthen our defenses and clear the fields, leaving the enemy with nothing to plunder! Seize strategic locations, rely on fortified cities, deploy heavy artillery, train elite troops, and build deep trenches and high walls, making it difficult for the Jurchen cavalry to charge, and rendering their battering rams and siege ladders useless. If they attack, their forces will be halted and their morale broken; if they retreat, they will fear our pursuit. They will be unable to fight and unable to plunder, and their strength will wane day by day and month by month, until their power is exhausted..."

"...Once their army is exhausted and internal strife is brewing, we will seize the opportunity to strike, sending elite cavalry beyond the border to join forces with the Western barbarians, cutting off their supply lines and burning their strongholds. This is the gradual process of recovering all of Liaodong. However, all of this is a plan for the future. The most important thing now is to make the Jurchens like a tiger encountering a hedgehog; even with sharp claws and teeth, they will have nowhere to bite!" After Qian Qianyi finished reading, the hall fell silent. Chongzhen's gaze swept over Sun Chengzong, Wang Zaijin, and Li Banghua: "My three ministers, you have long been experienced in border affairs, what do you think of this strategy?"

Sun Chengzong raised his white eyebrows slightly and pondered, "Your Majesty, although this young man has not personally experienced battle, he is well-versed in the principles of 'exhausting the enemy' and 'trapping the enemy.' His statement that 'protecting the people and grain is the first priority' is a mature and strategic statement! The Jurchens excel at field raids and are weak in prolonged sieges. If we can truly hold the key points, protect the borders and the people, and prevent them from plundering, we can indeed achieve the effect of subduing the enemy without fighting!" He paused, "However, the foundation of this strategy lies in 'deep trenches and high walls' and 'training elite troops.' At present, the towns of Xuanda, Jiliao, and other places can make a concerted effort to achieve this after this reorganization. However, to extend it to the whole of Liaodong, it will take several years of management, accumulating grain and supplies, and eliminating the weak and retaining the strong."

Wang Zaijin interjected, “General Sun is absolutely right. In my opinion, the key to this strategy lies in ‘making the enemy have nothing left to plunder.’ The Jurchens are like bandits, living by plunder. If we can relocate the people of western and southern Liaoning inland, and seize all the grain and provisions from the fortified cities, then even if they obtain empty cities, they will have nothing to gain. This will indeed exhaust their troops. However…” He looked worried, “The western Liaoning corridor is the shield of the capital. If it is abandoned, I fear…”

Li Banghua said, “Minister Wang’s concerns are very valid. Liaoxi should not be abandoned lightly. However, I wholeheartedly agree with Niu Sheng’s statement about ‘controlling strategic locations.’ Rather than dividing our forces to defend everywhere, we should concentrate our forces to guard the three vital points of Ningyuan, Jinzhou, and Lushun! We should rely on strong cities, deploy heavy artillery, and station elite troops! If the Jurchens attack, they will be halted and their morale will be blunted; if they try to bypass us, they will fear that we will cut off their retreat! This will leave them in a dilemma!”

As Chongzhen listened to the three men's discussion, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he spoke up: "What you three ministers have seen is exactly what I think! Liaoxi and Liaonan are vast and sparsely populated. Even if the Jurchens were to obtain them, they would be like chicken ribs, tasteless to eat! However, the three cities of Ningyuan, Jinzhou, and Lushun control vital passes and must be defended! Rather than spending huge sums of money to maintain the thousand-mile defense line in Liaoxi, it would be better to concentrate heavy troops to defend these three towns!"

His voice was steady and powerful: "I intend to establish three fiefdoms: Ningyuan, Jinzhou, and Lushun! I appoint Zu Dashou as the General of Ningyuan, Zhao Shuaijiao as the General of Jinzhou, and Mao Wenlong's former subordinates as the commanders of Lushun! Each fiefdom will be allocated 760,000 taels of silver annually, and will be allowed to recruit more than 10,000 elite troops to be solely responsible for defending their territory! The court will not interfere, but only seeks to protect the borders and ensure the safety of the people, so that the Jurchens will not be able to plunder!"

He surveyed the crowd, his speech quickening: "The annual expenditure of the Three Feudatories is 2.28 million taels of silver, which seems like a huge sum, but compared to the wasteful expenditure on Liaodong in previous years, it is actually a relief! The saved funds can be used to fully strengthen the border walls of the four garrisons of Jizhou, Xuanfu, Datong, and Changping! Deep moats and high walls, training elite troops, and storing grain and fodder! In this way, the Jurchens will not be able to break through the formidable pass of Jizhou, nor will they be able to plunder grain in western Liaodong, and their power will inevitably decline! In the end, they will become... bandits who have nothing left to plunder!"

What do you think? "

The hall was deathly silent. The officials looked at each other, none daring to speak. Establishing regional military governorships? This was a grave taboo for the dynasty! Yet Liaodong was in such a state of chaos, and the Emperor's plan... seemed like a way to survive against all odds? Huang Lijie and Shi Fenglai lowered their eyes and remained silent, Lai Zongdao frowned deeply, and Zhang Zhiji dared not even breathe.

Emperor Chongzhen took in everyone's reactions, said nothing more, and turned to Qian Qianyi: "Read Huang Zongxi's essay again."

Qian Qianyi unfolds another volume:
"This student respectfully submits: The root cause of the three predicaments lies in 'poverty'! Three strategies to alleviate poverty: increase revenue, relocate vassal states, and lift restrictions!"

"Open up new sources: Please open five ports—Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Ningbo, Songjiang, and Yangzhou—and establish Maritime Trade Offices to strictly inspect maritime goods and impose a tithe on bulk commodities such as porcelain, silk, tea, and sugar! Also, send imperial censors to investigate and rectify hidden tax evasion in the southeastern commerce and industry, which could increase annual revenue by two million taels!"

"Relocate the fiefdoms: Move 20,000 to 30,000 poor military households from Shaanxi and Gansu to Sichuan to help suppress the rebellious She An. After the rebellion is quelled, they will be granted land and settled in Shuixi and Yongning! Then select vassal kings from Qin, Jin, and Yu with large populations (such as the King of Han and the King of Rui) and grant them lands in Sichuan and Guizhou, allowing them to bring guards to cultivate wasteland, thus serving as a bulwark against the barbarians!"

"The ban is lifted: members of the imperial clan below the rank of lieutenant general are free to engage in any of their own occupations! They may take the imperial examinations, work, do business, or farm as they please. The court will gradually stop issuing stipends for rice! This will save 800,000 shi of grain per year! A clan school will be established to guide talented individuals, and outstanding individuals will be appointed as assistant officials in border regions."

After Qian Qianyi finished reading, the atmosphere in the hall became even more somber. The policy of increasing revenue directly targeted the powerful clans in the southeast, while the policy of relocating the fiefdoms seemed to be "diverting the disaster westward," and lifting the ban on members of the imperial clan was a violation of ancestral rules!
Bi Ziyan (Minister of Revenue) frowned: "Huang Sheng's proposal... is commendable in its courage. However, this strategy of increasing revenue will affect a wide area in the southeast and may cause turmoil. Relocating the princes... the Shuixi region is a wild and desolate place, rife with malaria and fierce local chieftains. Moving the military households from Shaanxi and Gansu to Sichuan is already difficult enough, but moving the princes again... may trigger a major upheaval! As for lifting the ban on the imperial clan..." He shook his head and did not continue.

Lai Zongdao (Minister of Rites) also said: "The imperial family members are of noble lineage. Allowing them to engage in their own occupations, as they belong to the four classes of people, already violates ancestral precepts. Further stopping their stipends... I fear it will invite public criticism and cause turmoil within the imperial family!"

Huang Liji stroked his beard and pondered: "Your Majesty, Huang Sheng's plan... is a fundamental solution, but it involves too many aspects and will cause too much upheaval. It should not be acted lightly without thorough preparation. In particular, the two matters of relocating the vassal states and lifting the ban are related to the foundation of the country and ancestral systems, and should be considered carefully and planned gradually."

Shi Fenglai echoed, "The words of the Grand Secretary are wise and insightful in his advice on governing the country. The most urgent task is to strengthen border defenses and replenish the treasury. Policies to increase revenue may be implemented first, such as relocating vassal states and lifting restrictions... but these must be approached with utmost caution."

Emperor Chongzhen listened to the discussions, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. He glanced at Qian Qianyi and asked, "Minister Qian, of these two sons, is it appropriate to choose?"

Qian Qianyi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, both sons are excellent in writing and possess extraordinary courage. I believe... they should be chosen!"

"Good!" Chongzhen's lips curled into a smirk. "The top scholar in this provincial examination is Niu Jinxing! Huang Zongxi is second only to him!"

He waved his hand sharply: "Copy these two policy essays and post them on the gate of the examination hall! Let all the candidates in the country see what a truly practical essay looks like!"

Qian Qianyi felt a chill run down his spine—the Emperor was using the imperial examination to fan the flames of his new policies!
Emperor Chongzhen picked up his thermos, sipped his warm tea, and gazed at the gray sky outside the palace.

Now, the Ming Dynasty has established its reform policy, the "costs" are clear, and the determination has long been made! Public opinion and capable officials will soon follow!

It seems that the spring of reform and new policies in the Ming Dynasty is coming!

(End of this chapter)