Chapter 25: In Our Eyes, You Are Not Even the Equal of a Prostitute!

After Tian Ergeng and Wei Zhongxian had received their orders and left, Chongzhen sat down on a chair, and suddenly felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body.

Wang Cheng'en watched from the side, knowing the Emperor was under immense pressure, but hindered by his status as a eunuch slave, he could not speak.

Chongzhen had originally thought that by letting the Jianzhou barbarians fight their way to the capital's feet, the crisis of national annihilation might spur some change in the court. He had not expected to have so grossly overestimated these people's integrity.

The eunuch faction scrambled over each other to donate; though what they gave was less than one-tenth of their fortunes, not even half a tenth, when compared to the Donglin gentlemen who would not part with a single feather, Chongzhen suddenly understood one thing: what eunuch faction did the Great Ming have?

They were all practically the Imperial Faction. Hadn't every so-called eunuch faction in Ming history simply been written into infamy by these self-styled upright gentlemen?

Having seen the light, Chongzhen no longer agonized over it. Whether you are the eunuch faction or the Donglin Faction, if you obey, there are benefits; if you don't, then all of you can go die!

Slowly straightening his body, Chongzhen murmured, "This—this is Our realm!"

Just as the Chongzhen Emperor was rallying his spirits, in the rear palace, Empress Zhou was also summoning State Uncle Zhou.

The two parties first performed the rites between sovereign and subject, then the rites between father and daughter.

After they were seated, Empress Zhou spoke: "Today your daughter ordered someone to summon Father to the palace because I heard that at today's court assembly, when the Emperor asked to borrow money, Father pledged only ten thousand taels of silver?"

Zhou Kui said, "That is correct. The family has no surplus wealth. This ten thousand taels is what your old father saved over many years of frugal living."

Hearing this, Empress Zhou was disappointed, and finally understood the meaning of the words Chongzhen had spoken to her earlier. When the nest is overturned, can any egg remain intact?

Her own father was, moreover, the State Uncle of the dynasty. If the Jianzhou barbarians truly entered the capital, others might fare well, but her own family would likely die without a burial place.

How could Father be so muddled!

Empress Zhou spoke again: "Father, there is a saying: thunder and rain and dew are all the sovereign's grace. The family holds its current status solely because your daughter is the Empress.

If the Emperor's dragon countenance were provoked into great wrath, and he conceived the intention of deposing the Empress, could the family's estates still be preserved?"

Zhou Kui's mind raced. His daughter's words were indeed reasonable, but he recalled his usual close dealings with important court ministers, and then considered that the Chongzhen Emperor was a man who valued sentiment—how could he lightly speak of deposing the Empress?

His own future was surely only growing more prosperous; how could it be as his daughter said? Resisting the Jianzhou barbarians was originally the business of those guard-station soldiers.

His own family was a house of farming and scholarship; how could they meddle in such affairs? Would that not be a loss of dignity?

Thinking to this point, Zhou Kui said, "My dear daughter, you do not know how many mouths this large family has to feed, how many horses to fodder—how much silver can possibly be left over? Your father was rather thinking of asking you for a loan."

Empress Zhou, hearing this, was greatly disappointed in her heart. Since that was the case, she would simply help her father one last time.

She immediately ordered someone to fetch the five thousand taels of silver notes she had saved over a long period, handed them to Zhou Kui, and said, "Your daughter still has five thousand taels of silver here. Father, donate it all together at tomorrow's court assembly.

We are weary and shall retire to rest. Attendants, escort the State Uncle out of the palace."

The utterly disappointed Empress Zhou had actually referred to herself with the formal "We," clearly indicating she no longer regarded Zhou Kui as her father, but as a court minister.

After leaving the palace, Zhou Kui thought to himself, "Upsetting my daughter today is of no great consequence. Could she truly refuse to acknowledge me as her father in the future?

In a couple of days, I'll enter the palace to plead and make a tearful appeal, and that will be that. But this gleaming silver—how can it be lent to the Emperor?

The realm is his, not our family's!"

When the next day's grand court assembly arrived, after the formalities of greeting were completed, Chongzhen first asked State Uncle Zhou, "Has the State Uncle given the matter further thought?"

Zhou Kui stepped out from the ranks and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, your minister's household truly has little surplus silver. I am willing to add another three thousand taels to aid the national cause."

Hearing Zhou Kui's words, Chongzhen laughed in extreme fury and said to Zhou Kui, "Good! Minister Zhou, truly a pillar of the state!"

Others might not know, but the Chongzhen Emperor knew perfectly well that last night Empress Zhou had summoned Zhou Kui and sent him back with five thousand taels of silver that the Empress herself had saved over a long time.

In just one night, those five thousand taels had shrunk straight down to three thousand. This State Uncle Zhou truly had remarkable skill!

Recalling the message the Empress had sent someone to deliver last night, Chongzhen added, "Since that is the case, so be it. Thirteen thousand taels it is. And the other ministers?"

The other ennobled nobles and high officials, seeing that Zhou Kui had pledged only thirteen thousand taels and the Emperor had not blamed him, began pledging—you a thousand taels, I eight hundred. Some even stepped out to report: "Your minister's household has no surplus wealth.

After yesterday's court was dismissed, I already ordered my residence to be sold. The silver obtained from the sale shall all be donated."

When the final tally was made, even including several high-ranking Donglin grandees, the total was only a little over a hundred thousand taels—not even a fraction of what the eunuch faction had donated.

Chongzhen sat on the dragon throne, watching the farce below, then burst out laughing: "Ha, ha! Good! My beloved ministers are truly wholeheartedly devoted to the state!"

Looking at the assembled court officials, stunned into silence by his sudden loud laughter, Chongzhen added, "My beloved ministers, is there any business to memorialize today?"

At once, a Censor stepped out from the ranks and reported: "Reporting to Your Majesty, your minister has a memorial."

Chongzhen was very curious, wondering what madness had seized these Censors. Outside the city walls, beacon fires raged; inside the city, the Emperor was pressing for loans—and they still had the mood to come out and impeach and memorialize? He said, "Speak!"

That Censor immediately said, "Your minister has heard that when the state has monstrous evils, the common people know no peace.

There is a tribute student remaining in the capital, Qian Jiazheng, who has submitted a letter impeaching the eunuch traitor Wei Zhongxian on ten great crimes! Each charge is substantiated with conclusive evidence; his crimes warrant execution!"

Hearing this, Chongzhen was displeased and thought to himself, "These mad dogs know nothing but biting people—utterly useless! With national calamity at hand, they still think only of endless factional strife, giving no thought whatsoever to how to repel the enemy!"

He immediately frowned and said, "This matter shall be discussed later. Minister, you may submit the memorial to the palace."

Without waiting for the Censor to reply, Chongzhen continued, "If you ministers have no further business, We have something to say.

Yesterday, We dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot to solicit donations on the streets of the capital. The Depot and the Guard reported back that the sum raised was over a hundred thousand taels.

The maiden Mobai of the Yihong Pavilion donated three thousand taels of silver.

This was originally the silver she had prepared for her own redemption. Upon hearing that the court lacked funds, she actually donated it directly.

An Embroidered Uniform Guard squad leader advised her to donate a little less, lest she have no money to redeem herself. That maiden Mobai refused, saying only that when the nest is overturned, can any egg remain intact, and insisted on donating the entire sum.

There was also a beggar who donated the ten-odd copper coins he had begged.

When We heard the Depot and the Guard's report, Our heart was deeply comforted!"

As he spoke, Chongzhen rose from the dragon throne and paced onto the imperial steps, continuing, "A prostitute still possesses a heart of patriotism. Even the silver for her own redemption, which concerned her very person, she could donate.

Today, the assembled lords of the court, each of extraordinary personal worth, have likewise produced only a little over a hundred thousand taels!

In Our eyes, Our beloved ministers are not even the equal of a prostitute!"

(End of chapter)