Chapter 187: Post-Battle Rewards (4k-Character Large Chapter, Two-in-One)

The grand court session the next day was no different from usual — the first half still made the Chongzhen Emperor feel like falling asleep.

No wonder people say spring brings drowsiness, autumn weariness, and summer dozing. In the fourth month he had taken Wanyan Yuzhuo as a consort, then soon after ran off to the steppe to hack at people, and now it was nearly the eighth month, the hottest time in the capital.

The Chongzhen Emperor began missing, with all his heart, the refrigerator and old-fashioned ice pops from before he transmigrated.

But that was utterly useless — if you don't have it now, you don't have it.

The secretly irritated Chongzhen Emperor suddenly heard Meng Shaoyu, the Minister of Rites, step out from the ranks and memorialize: "Your Majesty, when you personally led the campaign against Ligdan Khan, no edict was issued to proclaim it to the realm.

Now that Your Majesty has returned victorious, it is proper to issue a clear edict and grant a general amnesty, to display Your Majesty's heavenly might and heavenly grace."

Seeing that after all this rambling they were finally getting to the point, the Chongzhen Emperor perked up. He first gave a bland "Mm," then said: "Minister Meng speaks reason.

Proclaiming to the realm was the intended course all along. In that case, let the Grand Secretariat draft the edict, present it first to Us, and after the Directorate of Ceremonial affixes the seal, issue it openly to the realm."

After Wen Tiren also stepped out from the ranks and received the decree together with him, Meng Shaoyu continued: "Your Majesty, the spring examination has now passed, but the palace examination still requires Your Majesty's personal selection."

Chongzhen grunted an acknowledgment, but instead of addressing the palace examination, he asked: "We previously decreed the addition of the Ming Law, Ming Calculation, and Investigation of Things subjects. How many participated in these three subjects? What were the results?"

Meng Shaoyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief — thank heaven he had prepared in advance, or this one question alone would have left him unable to answer: "Your Majesty, for the Ming Law subject, one hundred and twenty-eight participated, and thirty-four passed; for the Ming Calculation subject, seventy-nine participated, and twenty-five passed; for the Investigation of Things subject, seventy-seven participated, and a mere fourteen passed."

Though he had been mentally prepared, Chongzhen was still deeply disappointed. Bullshit "thirty is old for the Ming Classics, fifty is young for the jinshi" — every last one of them a blockhead!

Compared to this, the later-era college entrance exam didn't even deserve to be called "a thousand troops and ten thousand horses crossing a single-plank bridge"!

Even the number of students admitted to any random second-tier university in later times far exceeded the number admitted in a single spring examination of the Great Ming — and this spring examination was only held once every three years!

If even half of them had taken the Ming Law, Ming Calculation, and Investigation of Things subjects, the final admitted tally wouldn't have fallen short of a hundred.

But since things had already come to this, Chongzhen could only resign himself. After pondering for a long while, he said: "In that case, let the Ming Law, Ming Calculation, and Investigation of Things subjects each be examined once a year.

If they coincide with the spring examination, hold them after the spring examination."

Very well, that fits perfectly with the style of a willful emperor like yourself. Meng Shaoyu, helpless, could only bow and receive the decree, then continued: "Your Majesty, the matter of the palace examination?"

This time the Chongzhen Emperor did not change the subject again and said directly: "Set it for the day after tomorrow. We shall set the questions personally."

After Meng Shaoyu received the decree, Cui Chengxiu stepped out from the ranks and memorialized: "Your Majesty, regarding the rewards and honors for all the officers and soldiers from Your Majesty's recent expedition against Ligdan Khan, the Ministry of War has already compiled them."

This, in truth, was not particularly troublesome. When Chongzhen set out on campaign, he had already assigned supervising eunuchs down to the Centurion level.

The battle merit statistics were all jointly submitted by these supervising eunuchs and the Centurion-level officers; the Ministry of War only needed to review them once.

Chongzhen grunted an acknowledgment, then said to Wang Cheng'en: "Bring it up."

Wang Cheng'en bowed to receive the order, descended the imperial steps to take the memorial from Cui Chengxiu's hands, and then presented it for the Chongzhen Emperor's perusal.

Chongzhen opened the memorial and studied it for a long while, then said with dissatisfaction: "The Capital Camps and the New Army are one thing, but why are the rewards for the ten thousand riders from Prince Shunyi and Jorightu Khan's side so meager?"

Cui Chengxiu was at a loss upon hearing this. Your Venerable Self has always treated those foreign tribes as less than human, using whatever underhanded method you could think of — weren't you planning to use those ten thousand riders as cannon fodder too?

But on this point, Cui Chengxiu and the others were mistaken. The Chongzhen Emperor's disregard for foreign tribes was based on the premise that they did not obey his commands.

These ten thousand riders were clearly "promising talents" not far from being diehard loyalists — they were the "horse bones" in the play "buying horse bones with a thousand gold" that he, the Chongzhen Emperor, intended to stage. How could the rewards possibly be too little?

Without waiting for Cui Chengxiu to explain, Chongzhen spoke first: "In Our view, the reward for this commander of ten thousand, Baatar, is too little — add another two-tenths. The commanders of a thousand and commanders of a hundred shall each receive an additional one-tenth."

This time, before Cui Chengxiu could voice opposition, Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, objected first: "Your Majesty, that commander of ten thousand, Battalion Commander, and commanders of a hundred are barbarians.

If we grant them further rewards, how would they differ from our Great Ming officers and soldiers?

The grain and silver in the national treasury are already running low — even the rewards for our own Great Ming officers and soldiers are barely sufficient; where would we find extra to give them?"

Motherfucker! On this point, the civil officials of the Great Ming were actually decent — not like that old bitch Cixi of the Manchu Qing, who was perfectly happy to give to foreign powers but not to her own serfs, generous to a fault.

That old Manchu Qing bitch was generous, but the Great Ming's civil officials were stingier than the next when it came to foreign tribes.

Even Ligdan Khan and the five Inner Khalkha tribes' earlier requests for rewards had been rejected by the Chongzhen Emperor at these civil officials' instigation — and the consequences were clear: of the five Inner Khalkha tribes, two remained, and Ligdan simply wanted to march south and take it himself, only to get smashed like a dead dog.

Of course, the Chongzhen Emperor declared that he, his old self, would carry this pot. He couldn't let his subordinates take the blame over such a trifling matter. They were barbarians anyway — I just won't give it; can you bite my dick off?

But now that wouldn't do. These ten thousand riders were the ones he intended to use to win hearts, and later he'd send them to the battlefield to sell their lives for him.

And for the moment, these ten thousand riders had already lost over three thousand men fighting for him — they counted as his own people now. The rewards couldn't differ from those for other Great Ming officers and soldiers.

Didn't later generations say it — worry not about scarcity but about inequality? If the Great Ming officers and soldiers got more and these people got less, would these people still wholeheartedly sell their lives for him?

Besides, wasn't it just money? Once he confiscated the Prince of Fu's estate, wouldn't there be plenty?

Having thought through this crux, the Chongzhen Emperor spoke: "Minister Guo need not worry about grain and silver. These ten thousand riders followed Us on the northern expedition to the steppe and rendered distinguished service.

In Our heart, they are no different from the officers and soldiers of the Capital Camps and the New Army. All pensions and rewards shall follow the standards of the Capital Camps and the New Army."

Guo Yunhou thought for a moment, then asked: "Your Majesty, what of those who died in battle? What of their families who remain on the steppe?"

Chongzhen pondered for a long while, then said: "Pensions shall follow the same regulations as for officers and soldiers of the Capital Camps and the New Army.

If their families are willing to enter the passes, select land for them to settle and grant them Great Ming household registration. If they are unwilling, convert the land that should have been allotted to them into grain and silver and distribute it to their families."

Seeing that Chongzhen had even considered this point, Guo Yunhou simply accepted the order and assented.

Meng Shaoyu, however, continued: "Your Majesty, your minister has one more matter to memorialize."

The Chongzhen Emperor had thought this was about wrapped up and was preparing to summon Liu Xingzuo and the other meritorious men for their rewards. Seeing that Meng Shaoyu still had something to say, he asked curiously: "What other matter does Minister Meng have?"

Meng Shaoyu's face, however, looked as though he were constipated — it was hard to tell how he managed to squeeze out that bizarre expression.

He bowed and said: "Your Majesty, your minister believes that henceforth, whether Your Majesty campaigns in person or a great army is dispatched, some captives should always be kept."

Upon hearing this, Chongzhen grunted an acknowledgment and asked: "Could it be that Minister Meng is reproaching Us, saying that killing captives is inauspicious?"

Holy shit! Big brother, please don't put it that way — those words cut straight to the heart.

Meng Shaoyu, pained, bowed and said: "Your minister would not dare! Your Majesty, if no captives are kept, how can captives be presented at the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

This recent campaign, which Your Majesty led in person, was originally a great victory, but if captives cannot be presented at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, I fear it falls short of perfect excellence."

Chongzhen had not expected Meng Shaoyu to be talking about this. Presenting captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple — did they absolutely have to be alive?

Weren't dead ones just as good? Bringing live ones back meant you'd have to feed them for days, and in the end wouldn't they still get chopped with one stroke?

Equally pained, the Chongzhen Emperor asked: "For presenting captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, wouldn't bringing their heads suffice? Must they be alive?

We see no great necessity. Perhaps the Hongwu Emperor, given his temperament, would be even more pleased to see these dead Tartars — who can say?"

That one question left Meng Shaoyu not knowing how to respond. What you said actually makes sense — I find myself with no words to refute it?

Thoroughly pained, Meng Shaoyu bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, presenting captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple is not only to please the Hongwu Emperor and the successive former emperors, but also to proclaim martial achievement and overawe the unsubmissive.

Therefore, it is still better to keep a few captives."

The Chongzhen Emperor thought it over, then said: "We take note. Instruct the Ministry of War to notify commanders everywhere that in future great battles, a few captives of standing must always be kept for presentation at the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Although Cui Chengxiu stepped out from the ranks to receive the order, inwardly he thought: Who doesn't know to keep a few of standing? Dragging enemy chieftains before His Majesty's steps — that is a tremendous deed of merit.

Who else but His Majesty the Emperor, your venerable self, would refuse to keep captives just because he wasn't in a good mood?

Seeing that no one else came forward to memorialize, the Chongzhen Emperor said to Wang Cheng'en: "Summon Liu Xingzuo, Zhang Zhiji, and Baatar to enter the hall."

Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng'en raised his voice and called out: "By His Majesty's decree, summon Liu Xingzuo, Zhang Zhiji, and Baatar to enter the hall and receive their enfeoffment!"

Listening to Wang Cheng'en's voice, Chongzhen could not help but inwardly admire him. A damned eunuch, yet his voice was not effeminate at all — instead, he managed to project a distinctive quality. Not quite a bronze bell or a great brazier, but it still carried a certain stately grandeur.

Liu Xingzuo, Zhang Zhiji, and Baatar were the three who had followed the Chongzhen Emperor on the entire northern expedition, killers beyond counting, the very bastards who had repeatedly led the charges.

Liu Xingzuo in particular — the Chongzhen Emperor had always had an especially good impression of him, and on top of that, his mother could be considered to have sacrificed herself for the nation.

Although she had been posthumously enfeoffed as a lady, Chongzhen felt it was still not enough, and he meant to take this opportunity to bestow further rewards all at once.

After Liu Xingzuo, Zhang Zhiji, and Baatar entered the hall in quick, mincing steps at a pace approaching a jog, performed the mountain-hail and prostrate dance, and shouted "Long live," Chongzhen did not bid them rise. He simply said to Wang Cheng'en: "Proclaim the decree."

Wang Cheng'en first bowed in assent, then took up an imperial edict, opened it, and proclaimed in a ringing voice: "By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: We have heard that order is brought to the age through civil governance, and rebellion is quelled through martial force.

Ligdan Khan of the Mongols, refusing to submit to royal civilizing influence, raided the borders and harmed the people. We had no choice but to raise troops and crush him.

We personally joined the battle lines, a campaign lasting two months. Relying on the spirits of Heaven, Earth, and our ancestors, his rebellion was thus pacified.

You, the officers and soldiers who received Heaven's mandate to chastise and punish, braved wind and rain, won every battle, and faced death ten thousand times to live but once.

Repaying the nation's profound grace, you gave great aid in times of hardship, exerted yourselves abundantly, and assisted in achieving this great deed. Now, for you meritorious ministers of the northern sweep, the grades of reward have been weighed and found fitting.

Judging merit by its height, We determine your noble ranks and rewards. We dare not be partial, and you, the commanders, know this yourselves."

"Now enfeoff Zhang Zhiji, heir of the Duke of Ying, as Martial Minister of Border Pacification and Northern Sweep, Sincerity-Pledging and Strength-Exerting, Specially Advanced Grand Master for Glorious Happiness, Right Pillar of State, Left Chief Commissioner of the Central Military Commission, Marquis of the Pacified North, with a stipend of 2,500 shi, to be inherited by his descendants generation after generation;"

"Now enfeoff Liu Xingzuo as Martial Minister of Border Pacification and Northern Sweep, Sincerity-Pledging and Strength-Exerting, Specially Advanced Grand Master for Glorious Happiness, Right Pillar of State, Left Chief Commissioner of the Left Military Commission, Marquis of the Settled North, with a stipend of 2,500 shi, to be inherited by his descendants generation after generation;"

"Now enfeoff Baatar as Martial Minister of Border Pacification and Northern Sweep, Sincerity-Pledging and Strength-Exerting, Specially Advanced Grand Master for Glorious Happiness, Right Pillar of State, Myriarch of the Mongol Ten Thousand Riders, Marquis of the Pacified Border, with a stipend of 2,500 shi, to be inherited by his descendants generation after generation;"

"Ah!

The duty of the sovereign lies solely in upholding Heaven's mandate; how can the bestowal of noble ranks and rewards permit selfish intent? Now, with the wealth of the realm, We reward the realm's meritorious deeds.

The people's resources are limited, but the value of titles and ranks is boundless. Therefore, what is bestowed here is not to be judged as heavy or light by its quantity.

Should We have overlooked something and not fully satisfied your hearts, declare it before Us yourselves. If any retreat and speak otherwise afterward, that would gravely violate the law and be utterly impermissible.

We only fear that you will not render further merit. If in the future you can indeed render merit, again and again, We shall not stint on noble ranks and rewards.

These words of Ours reach through Heaven and Earth. Proclaim this to you all, that all may hear and know.

The twenty-seventh day of the eighth month, first year of Chongzhen."

Liu Xingzuo and Zhang Zhiji were overjoyed beyond expectation upon hearing this. They'd been enfeoffed as marquises, just like that?

Liu Xingzuo especially — calling him a surrendered general wouldn't be far off — and he too could be enfeoffed as a marquis? His own old mother had once said it was a pity she wouldn't live to see the day he was enfeoffed as a marquis, and now he had been made a marquis.

Mother, if your spirit watches from heaven, can you see this?

And Zhang Zhiji was even more delighted. Let's see who the hell dares call him "young lord duke" after this! If anyone didn't address him as "Lord Marquis" from now on, he'd slap them across the face himself!

In the midst of their elation, seeing that Baatar still wore a completely dumbfounded expression, they hastily tugged at him, and the three knelt together to express their gratitude: "Your ministers, Liu Xingzuo, Zhang Zhiji, Baatar, thank His Majesty for his boundless grace!"

The Chongzhen Emperor, upon the dragon throne, said coolly: "Rise. We hope that you, ministers, will henceforth serve the nation with all your hearts.

We shall surely not stint on rewards and honors. Enfeoffed as marquises today, it is not impossible that you may be enfeoffed as dukes in the future."

Once the rewards were concluded, the Chongzhen Emperor announced the court's dismissal. From the time he had set out on campaign until now, by his reckoning it had been over two months, and he still had not had a proper conversation with the Empress.

The Empress was now about four months pregnant — precious beyond measure.

By the time the Chongzhen Emperor hurried into the rear palace and reached the Empress's bedchamber, he found Wanyan Yuzhuo already there keeping the Empress company in conversation.

Wanyan Yuzhuo had always been a free and easy sort, and without much thought for avoiding impropriety, she said with a trace of longing, "I wonder if His Majesty has suffered any hardship on this northern campaign against the Mongols. Has he grown thinner?

The wind and sand on the steppe can be terrible."

Empress Zhou had originally been a modest, sheltered beauty. Although she had become the principal consort upon entering the Prince of Xin's estate and was now exalted as Empress, she had never traveled far from home.

Hearing Wanyan Yuzhuo speak thus, she asked with interest, "What is the steppe like? You must tell Us all about it, little sister."

Wanyan Yuzhuo heard this and laughed lightly. "Aiya, what is there to tell? Those herdsmen just ride horses and herd sheep every day. As long as it isn't winter, it's not so bad, but when winter comes, the white disaster is a man-eating devil. Still, there is one good thing about it."

I've had a fever the past two days, up to 39 degrees. Only got better today. I'll try to resume updates tomorrow.

(End of chapter)