Chapter 132: Murder, Arson, and Imperial Amnesty

Inside the Hall of Self-Examination, the Chongzhen Emperor watched Shi Fenglai and Cui Chengxiu, who had been kept back after court, his fingers drumming ceaselessly on the desk before him.

The two men, half-perched on their stools, were inwardly drumming too, with no idea what the Emperor was thinking now. An Emperor whose mind soared too wildly, whose thoughts were too deep and unfathomable — these two old foxes had no clue where to even begin guessing.

Only after a long while did Chongzhen seem to suddenly notice the two men standing before him. Putting on a look of abrupt realization, he instructed Wang Cheng'en: "Send someone to the imperial kitchens to order a few dishes. We shall treat Ministers Shi and Cui to a meal today."

After the attending young eunuch had gone to order the meal, Chongzhen stopped Shi Fenglai and Cui Chengxiu as they moved to bow in gratitude. He pulled a memorial from the desk and gestured for Wang Cheng'en beside him to hand it to Shi Fenglai.

Once Shi Fenglai had finished reading the memorial and passed it to Cui Chengxiu, Chongzhen finally spoke: "What does Minister Shi make of it?"

Shi Fenglai, in truth, had no wish to offer any opinion at all. The matter raised in Fujian Governor Xiong Wencan's memorial was far too awkward.

So much so that Shi Fenglai simply did not know where to begin. Hearing Chongzhen's question, Shi Fenglai cupped his hands and answered bluntly: "In reply to Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance.

Would it not be better to wait until Minister Cui of the Ministry of War has read it, and first hear his ministry's opinion?"

Chongzhen grunted an acknowledgment and said, "Very well."

By the time Shi Fenglai had finished passing the buck, Cui Chengxiu had just finished reading the memorial.

Cui Chengxiu handed the memorial back to Wang Cheng'en, then cupped his hands and bowed to Chongzhen: "In reply to Your Majesty, this matter has both advantages and disadvantages. Your servant also finds it difficult to decide."

Chongzhen, hearing this, rapped his fingers on the desk and spoke: "What is so difficult to decide? Either he surrenders and accepts reorganization, or he dies. We will not give him a third path."

Cui Chengxiu smiled bitterly.

"Your Majesty, your servant's thought is to simply strike down this Zheng Yiguan.

To dare haggle with the imperial court — such a precedent must never be set. It is just that the current state of our dynasty's navy is not very good.

Your Majesty, would it not be better to first grant him amnesty, and then drive the wolf to devour the tiger — have him strike at the barbarians entrenched on Little Liuqiu?"

Chongzhen also knew that the current Great Ming navy was no longer the Great Ming navy of the Yongle era, which had roamed the four seas without rival and stood supreme before the entire world. Now, whether in training or equipment, it likely could not even match these pirates.

Especially the treasure-ship construction techniques, which were said to have been burned to ashes in a single blaze by that scoundrel Liu Daxia.

Yet even knowing this, Chongzhen still said, deeply dejected: "How these treasure ships were built, I fear no one left in this world still knows. Otherwise, if we could just build the treasure ships and train the navy, what would a petty Zheng Yiguan even count for?"

Cui Chengxiu, however, exchanged a look of astonishment with Shi Fenglai and said, puzzled: "Your Majesty, while these treasure ships are indeed not easy to build, spending a few years' effort would yield many of them; it is merely a matter of great expense.

How can it be said that no one knows how to build them anymore?"

Fuck me!

This was the truest thought in Chongzhen's mind at that moment. Wasn't it said that the treasure-ship blueprints had all been burned by that old wretch Liu Daxia? From what Cui Chengxiu was saying, there were still blueprints surviving in the world?

Acting on the principle of asking when you don't understand, Chongzhen inquired: "Is it not said that during the Chenghua era, these blueprints were already destroyed by Liu Daxia?"

Shi Fenglai said: "In reply to Your Majesty, though Master Dongshan was bold, he absolutely could not have arbitrarily burned the treasure-ship blueprints. Otherwise, with what face could he meet the Chengzu Emperor?

These treasure-ship blueprints have always been kept at the Ministry of War. It is simply that the national treasury could not bear the expense.

Otherwise, what difficulty would there be in building treasure ships?"

Cui Chengxiu also said: "In reply to Your Majesty, when your servant took charge of the Ministry of War, he already examined these treasure-ship blueprints. Since the Chenghua era, the blueprints had been gradually deteriorating.

Your servant long ago ordered a minor clerk to make a copy, which has been stored separately. May I ask Your Majesty, from whom did you hear that the blueprints were burned?"

Even for a veteran old hand of later ages, long steeped in places like Zhihu and self-styled as having a face as thick as a city wall, Chongzhen could not help his old face reddening upon hearing Shi Fenglai and Cui Chengxiu's words.

Chongzhen understood in his heart that he had probably been duped once again by the sort of forum shitposts of later generations.

Thinking about it, one should have known: the treasure ships were of such paramount importance that even if Liu Daxia had several heads, he would never have dared lightly burn them. It seemed the greater likelihood was their destruction during the repeated literary inquisitions of the Manchu Qing.

Having figured out the crux of the matter, Chongzhen had no intention of admitting fault, and stubbornly insisted: "Oh? Then We must have remembered incorrectly.

Since that is the case, order the Ministry of Works to dispatch men to build them. This navy must be established.

This Zheng Yiguan has bullied his way onto Our head — We want his head!"

Shi Fenglai stroked his beard and smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty, why quibble over a moment's advantage with a petty pirate chief?

This is precisely the time when such men can be of use. Would it not be better to first offer amnesty and surrender, then divide them?

Whether it be Little Liuqiu, or Liaodong, or Macau — in any case, let him die in a worthy cause, and that will be that."

Hearing this, Chongzhen felt a chill in his heart and thought to himself that these scholars truly were bastards, every one of them capable of screwing a man to death without paying with their lives!

Come to think of it, wasn't Song Jiang of the former dynasty played to death in just this way? Still, the one dying would be Zheng Yiguan anyway — why should he care?

As for the later Koxinga, he could just think up an excuse to summon him to the capital, and then send Zheng Yiguan off to die. Wouldn't that settle it?

Having thought it through, Chongzhen spoke: "That will do, then. At present, it is a time when the dynasty needs men. What harm is there in granting amnesty to this Zheng Yiguan?"

Seeing that Chongzhen no longer intended to fight Zheng Yiguan to the death, both Shi Fenglai and Cui Chengxiu breathed a sigh of relief.

If the Emperor was willful and insisted on a showdown with this Zheng Yiguan, he could certainly be annihilated, but the cost would inevitably be great.

If amnesty was granted, then wouldn't this Zheng Yiguan be a grasshopper after autumn, to be kneaded and pinched as they pleased? At once, the two men said in unison: "Your Majesty is brilliant!"

After the two men had withdrawn from the palace, Chongzhen pondered for another long while before saying to Wang Cheng'en: "Draft an edict.

Order Fujian Governor Xiong Wencan to grant amnesty to Zheng Yiguan, and confer upon Zheng Yiguan the additional title of Mobile Corps Commander of the Great Ming Navy, under the jurisdiction of the Fujian Governor.

Order him to exterminate the pirates along the southeastern coast, excluding the barbarians on Little Liuqiu. His station shall be in Fujian."

After pondering a while longer, Chongzhen continued: "Another edict. Order the Ministry of Works to dispatch personnel to Denglai to construct treasure ships.

Order the Ministry of War to take the existing Denglai Navy as a foundation and establish the Great Ming Eastern Sea Navy, to be directly administered by the Ministry of War and no longer under the jurisdiction of the Denglai Governor."

Thinking he had left nothing out, Chongzhen then summoned Xu Xianchun and once again headed for the Imperial Prison.

Chongzhen reflected that since his ascension, the number of trips he had made to this Imperial Prison was hardly small.

Having secretly resolved to try not to come to the Imperial Prison in the future, or at least to come less often, Chongzhen nonetheless made no attempt to restrain his own feet and still headed for the cell where Yuan Chonghuan was held.

By now, Yuan Chonghuan no longer bore any resemblance to the high-spirited Governor-General of Ningyuan and Jinzhou. Under repeated torture, he was utterly haggard and broken.

Seeing Chongzhen arrive at the Imperial Prison yet again, his four limbs bound to a wooden rack and his jaw dislocated by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Yuan Chonghuan could only make whimpering sounds, his eyes filled with pleading.

Chongzhen, however, looked at Yuan Chonghuan and laughed. "Governor-General Yuan, you thought We could not touch the line of the Duke for Fulfilling the Sage. Today, We have come precisely to talk to you about this matter."

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(End of Chapter)