Chapter 20: A Belly Full of Scheming

Overawing Liaodong was, in essence, about intimidating these Liaodong officials, making them rein themselves in and stop stirring up trouble.

In Zhu Youxiao's view, the reason Xiong Tingbi opposed using Liaodong men to defend Liaodong's soil was precisely to keep Liaodong out of Liaodong men's control.

After all, in many cases the interests of the Liaodong people did not align with those of the court, and with some people being insatiably greedy and self-serving, how could Liaodong ever fare well?

Zhu Youxiao's approach was simple: make Liaodong's officials behave themselves. This time, it wasn't just Liu Guojin and Li Ruzhen who would be seized — a few more would be dragged in as well.

The reason for backing Xiong Tingbi was even simpler.

Last time, it was these very people who had driven Xiong Tingbi away. Investigating them here in the capital this time was naturally a way of venting on Xiong Tingbi's behalf.

The turn of events caught many officials off guard. First, Yao Zongwen admitted to framing Xiong Tingbi, with Liu Guojin among the participants, along with other censors from the Censorate — and so these people too were arrested by the Eastern Depot.

The entire capital's officialdom was gripped by panic; many began to fear, and everyone was crying out that this was Wei Zhongxian's revenge.

Censors report on hearsay — what crime is there in that?

As for Yao Zongwen's case, that was even simpler — it was a confession extracted under torture.

Routine memorials flew into the imperial palace like snowflakes once again, yet the palace remained utterly silent — not a single word in response.

Instead, new news came from the Eastern Depot: Li Ruzhen had actually also been involved in framing Xiong Tingbi — and moreover, it was Li Ruzhen and Liu Guojin, these two Liaodong men, who had jointly led the scheme, wanting to drive Xiong Tingbi out of Liaodong.

The capital was in an uproar. Before the crowd could even react, another piece of news spread: high-ranking court officials had also participated in the framing of Xiong Tingbi.

For a time, fear gripped everyone even more.

At such a moment, many people submitted routine memorials, but all of them were kept in the palace without reply — not a single word came out.

Meanwhile, a rumor leaked from within the palace: His Majesty was practicing martial arts together with that Han Li from the Qingyun Sect inside the palace, supposedly cultivating something called the "Taiji Profound Purity Dao," said to lead to immortality and enlightenment if cultivated to a high level.

The ministers were truly panicked this time. What was this all about? His Majesty sought immortality and the Dao? Had the lesson of Emperor Jiajing's reign back in the day not been bitter enough?

Many people submitted memorials once again, but these little documents vanished like clay oxen entering the sea.

And so, the ministers' target turned to Liu Yijing, Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat — how could you be so inactive and get away with it?

The commotion outside had little to do with Zhu Youxiao. He was contentedly examining his handiwork — a large chair with wheels, called in short a wheelchair.

Sitting in the chair, a blanket draped over his legs, Zhu Youxiao nodded in satisfaction. Add a handkerchief, cough a few times from time to time, and the appearance of frail health was complete.

"And at critical moments, feign fainting." Zhu Youxiao stroked the wheelchair, smiling with satisfaction.

No matter how fiercely the civil officials kicked up a fuss, it was really nothing much. In the original history, Wei Zhongxian went so far as to become Nine Thousand Years — and what did the civil officials do about it? Could they do anything but jump around, then run off to Emperor Chongzhen to curry favor?!

The Great Ming's real problem was never whether the civil officials jumped or not.

No money,

No soldiers —

those were the two cruxes of the problem.

Zhu Youxiao was perfectly clear on this. At a time like this, trying to raise money through normal means was simply hopeless.

Even the Wanli Emperor's tax collectors could be beaten to death — and what was the final result? It just fizzled out, didn't it?!

Zhu Youxiao would never make that kind of mistake.

In this era, the simplest way to get money was to raise a corrupt official, or to raise a powerful eunuch.

In his previous life, Wei Zhongxian was notorious for corruption — yet when his household was finally confiscated, why was so little money found?

Because his money had all been given to the emperor.

A major reason the Tianqi Emperor indulged Wei Zhongxian was that Wei Zhongxian could get money.

Wei Zhongxian's ability to collect taxes (his financial management) was what the Ming Empire needed most.

In the late Ming, with the development of the sprouts of capitalism, all the gold and silver under heaven gathered in the Three Wu region.

Targeting the Jiangnan region, where industry, commerce, and foreign trade flourished, Wei Zhongxian reinstated the commercial and industrial taxes and maritime taxes that the Donglin Faction had abolished at the end of the Wanli era, and had the capable Eastern Depot collect them.

As for the opposition of those "pure and lofty" types, Wei Zhongxian either gave a noncommittal response or suppressed them directly with thunderous means.

That was why the Donglin Faction members in the southeast hated Wei Zhongxian with every fiber of their being — because Wei Zhongxian took their money and killed their people.

Wei Zhongxian, born from the lowest strata, never added levies onto the peasants — on this single point alone, Chongzhen's governing ability was far inferior to Wei Zhongxian's. If the peasants could have survived, the Ming dynasty would not have collapsed.

Compared with the repeated additional taxation of the Chongzhen court, when Henan suffered disaster, Wei Zhongxian actually exempted taxes and allocated funds from the imperial treasury for disaster relief.

After the eunuch faction burned down the Donglin Academy, the Yellow River waterways that had gone unrepaired for decades also began to be maintained, the Liaodong army had sufficient funds and grain, and the entire court was harmonious and at peace.

With a reviled powerful eunuch in power, the Great Ming instead grew ever more stable.

With the Donglin Faction — praised as upright and impartial — in power, the Great Ming was instead plagued by peasant uprisings everywhere, and the situation in Liaodong deteriorated sharply.

It sounded like a joke.

Zhu Youxiao sat himself down in the wheelchair, raised his head expressionlessly, and a smile crept onto his face.

Glancing back at Chen Hong behind him, Zhu Youxiao slowly opened his mouth to ask: "Has that Sun Chuanting been found for Us?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the man has been found." Chen Hong dared not be negligent and hastily spoke: "Sun Chuanting, in the forty-seventh year of Wanli, passed the jinshi examination, was appointed magistrate of Yongcheng County, and entered the capital for duty at the start of the year, serving as Bureau Secretary of Verification in the Ministry of Personnel, then promoted to Bureau Director of Merit Evaluation."

Having said this, Chen Hong cautiously looked toward Zhu Youxiao: "This Sun Chuanting seems to harbor great dissatisfaction toward Eunuch Wei."

"Dissatisfaction is only normal; if he were satisfied, that would be strange indeed." Zhu Youxiao said with a smile: "What, are you also planning to throw in your lot with Wei Zhongxian?"

The moment these words left Zhu Youxiao's mouth, Chen Hong was struck with terror. With a thud he knelt to the ground, his face saying: "Your Majesty, this servant would never dare! This servant is utterly loyal to Your Majesty — heaven and earth bear witness!"

Looking at Chen Hong, who kept kowtowing, Zhu Youxiao waved a hand: "Enough, I was just speaking casually — don't take it seriously. Rise!"

The emperor could speak casually, but if you dared to listen casually, your life would likely be forfeit. Chen Hong was drenched in cold sweat — clearly His Majesty was displeased with him.

He had talked too much. Chen Hong knew his probing had displeased His Majesty, and at the same time His Majesty was warning him that if he got tangled up with Wei Zhongxian, his death would not be far off.

Zhu Youxiao lightly tapped the armrest of the chair, a smile on his face. After all, this Sun Chuanting was also a stubborn man of integrity.

In history, Sun Chuanting, dissatisfied with Wei Zhongxian's autocracy, had abandoned his post and returned home — but how could Zhu Youxiao possibly let a man like that go home?

Sun Chuanting was to be used, but how to use him — that was the question.

Still, Zhu Youxiao felt he needed to think of a way.

Besides, with only one Wei Zhongxian, how dull would this court be?

As for the people currently on this court, Zhu Youxiao thought little of most of them — they would be purged sooner or later.

As for the Donglin Faction and the Donglin Academy, perhaps there are good ones among them, perhaps there are usable ones, but definitely not now.

Unless the Donglin Faction is wiped out, I will absolutely never employ anyone from the Donglin Faction — except perhaps one or two individuals.