Chapter 26: What We Give You, That Is Yours!

Chongzhen's words left the assembled ministers covering their faces with their sleeves, every face shifting between green and red.

Immediately a Censor stepped out from the ranks and memorialized: "Your Majesty, I humbly report.

Mencius said: 'When the sovereign treats his ministers as hands and feet, the ministers treat the sovereign as heart and soul; when the sovereign treats his ministers as dogs and horses, the ministers treat the sovereign as a stranger; when the sovereign treats his ministers as dirt and weeds, the ministers treat the sovereign as a foe.'

Your Majesty's words today are not the conduct of an enlightened sovereign."

Chongzhen laughed. "So, by this reasoning, the fault is Ours?"

The Censor said, "I dare not."

Chongzhen laughed. "Just now, my dear minister, you stated that your family has little surplus wealth, and that you sold your residence to aid the state in its crisis.

Then, my dear minister, come and tell Us: what of the new concubine you have installed in the East Fourth Alley? Where did the two thousand taels of silver to buy her freedom come from?

It is true that under your own name, my dear minister, there is little property — but where, then, did the three hundred-plus mu of fertile land under your younger brother's name come from?"

The Censor fell to his knees in panic. "I am terrified! I… am guilty!"

Chongzhen did not even glance at the Censor, continuing, "Terrified of what? If you dared to do it, why dare you not own it?

Chen Mo, courtesy name Buyan, originally a jinshi of the fifth year of Tianqi; in the sixth year of Tianqi, advanced to Censor.

In a mere two years, my dear minister, you have taken three concubines and keep two outside women. Your household's monthly expenses exceed three thousand taels of silver. Minister Chen, come and tell Us — where did this silver come from?"

The Censor, knowing in his heart there was no hope, offered no further defense, merely knelt on the ground and remained silent.

Chongzhen paid him no further heed, continuing, "My dear minister, you also hold a share in the Yongchang Bank, do you not? How does it feel, taking money every day for doing nothing at all? When you take that silver, does it not burn your hands?"

Having said all this, Chongzhen simply descended from the imperial steps, passed through the civil and military officials, and came again to where the State Father Zhou stood.

"The Earl of Jiading was originally a street fortune-teller.

After Lady Zhou entered the Prince of Xin's estate, my dear minister, you rose to heaven in a single bound, and now you are honored as State Father. Yet please, Earl of Jiading, instruct Us: where did the two hundred thousand-plus taels of silver in your household come from?

And how much fertile land outside the city have you seized by force and fraud? And tell Us, Earl of Jiading — did you truly believe that being State Father placed you beyond the law?"

Ignoring the State Father Zhou, who was now drenched in sweat, Chongzhen returned to the imperial steps, swept his gaze over the assembled ministers below, and spoke: "The dynasty has nurtured scholars for three hundred years.

Every day, my dear ministers, you invoke the Ancestral Injunctions — the Ancestral Injunctions! Yet you have forgotten that the Ancestral Injunctions do not teach you to prey upon the common people!

You have forgotten that corruption and graft are punished by flaying and stuffing the skin with straw!

The dynasty has shown you, my dear ministers, leniency and favor in the past — and in return, when We regarded you as heart and soul, you regarded Us as a foe!"

Looking down at the high ministers of the court kneeling across the floor, Chongzhen was suddenly seized by a surge of black fury and roared: "Tian Ergeng, Cao Huachun — where are you?"

Tian Ergeng hurriedly stepped out from the ranks. "I am here!"

Cao Huachun likewise said, "Your slave is here!"

The Chongzhen Emperor looked upon the assembled ministers and thundered: "Censor Chen Mo — deceiving his sovereign, wantonly corrupt! The Embroidered Uniform Guard is ordered to confiscate his household!

Chen Mo himself is to be flayed and stuffed with straw! Hang him at the Meridian Gate, to keep company with Huang Liji!

Once the Jianzhou barbarians have withdrawn, his three degrees of kinship are to be exiled to the miasmic lands of Lingnan, with no amnesty ever granted! All household lands and property are to be investigated and seized, and in their entirety forfeited to the imperial estates!"

Hearing the extreme severity of the Chongzhen Emperor's sentence, Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren had no choice but to step out and memorialize: "Your Majesty, I humbly report. Chen Mo's corruption merits death, and the laws of the dynasty provide for it.

But what crime have his three degrees of kinship committed? Your servant believes Your Majesty's punishment is excessive, and begs Your Majesty to examine this clearly."

Chongzhen fixed his eyes on Wen Tiren.

"What crime have his three degrees of kinship committed?

Then let Minister Wen tell Us — what crime had the common people whose lands his family seized?! Who among his clan has not enjoyed the benefits he provided?

His younger brother acquired over three hundred mu of fertile land; his clansmen, sheltered under his shade, have not paid a single coin in tax to the dynasty! This is precisely 'when one man finds the Way, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven'!

Since they shared in the benefits, they shall naturally share in the suffering as well!"

Having spoken, he ignored Wen Tiren and addressed the assembled ministers again: "The Great Ming Code: on all matters of benefit or harm to the military and the people, government students are not permitted to offer counsel.

Should there indeed be any matter of benefit or harm to the military and the people, the responsible officials, worthy men in retirement, men of ambition and valor, simple and honest farmers, merchants, and artisans may all speak of it. None shall obstruct them.

Only government students are not permitted.

Now, a certain tribute student surnamed Qian, presently in the capital,

has wantonly discussed state affairs and slandered the palace. In accordance with the Great Ming Code, this student is stripped of his degree, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard is ordered to deport him."

Ignoring the assembled ministers, who were all stunned by his sudden and ruthless punishment of a government student, Chongzhen turned to Cao Huachun and said: "The Empress has failed to properly discipline her own kin.

She is ordered to shut her doors and study books for three months, and without an imperial decree shall not set half a step beyond the inner palace. The State Father Zhou Kui has accepted bribes and encroached upon the people's lands.

Under the Great Ming Code's provision for deliberating on imperial relatives, he shall not be pursued. However, since the Great Ming has laws, where there are laws they must be upheld, and where they are violated they must be punished.

It is decreed: the eldest son of the Earl of Jiading shall suffer punishment in his father's stead, and is ordered to take his own life!

The Eastern Depot shall investigate and recover all lands encroached upon by the Earl of Jiading's household, all to be forfeited to the imperial estates, with further disposition after the Jianzhou barbarians have withdrawn."

Hearing Chongzhen's sentence, the State Father Zhou was frightened half to death. Only now did he understand that what his daughter had told him during last night's summons was no jest!

Coming to his senses, the State Father Zhou frantically knelt to beg for mercy: "Your Majesty! I am guilty! I am willing to donate two hundred thousand taels of silver! I am willing to donate my entire family fortune! Your Majesty, spare me this once!"

Chongzhen, however, looked at the State Father Zhou and laughed coldly. "Is the Earl of Jiading not a man whose family tradition is poetry and letters, who lives by plowing and study? How then does he possess a fortune of two hundred thousand taels?!

We gave you your chance yesterday. You failed to seize it yourself — whom else can you blame?"

Having spoken, he ignored the State Father Zhou, who was weeping bitterly, and addressed the assembled ministers again: "My dear ministers, remember this well: what We give you, that is yours.

What We do not give — whoever dares stretch out a hand shall have his house confiscated and his clan exterminated!"

"Court dismissed!"

The Chongzhen Emperor, who had once again left the court awash in rolling heads, had ordered his own brother-in-law to take his own life and felt too ashamed to face the Empress.

He therefore had someone help him don that exceedingly flamboyant suit of golden battle armor once more, and headed again for the Desheng Gate.

This time, however, Chongzhen brought Qin Liangyu and Ma Xianglin along with him. The three went together, intending to find Man Gui and discuss in detail how best to ruthlessly screw over the Jianzhou barbarians.

The Chongzhen Emperor had fled, but the gentlemen dispersing from the court were in a very bad way indeed.

Only now did the State Father Zhou realize that among all the court ministers who had been close and friendly with him in the past, not a single one had stepped forward to speak on his behalf.

Only now did he fully grasp what his daughter had meant: once the Son of Heaven was enraged, the consequences were more than his family alone could bear.

As for the several grandees of the Donglin Faction, they exchanged glances with one another and then dispersed one after another.

After returning home, each man's thoughts ran in different directions, and for a time, the capital was gripped by the sense that wind and rain were about to lash the tower.

By nightfall, near the hour of the curfew, the various grandees of the Donglin Faction gathered together at the residence of the Grand Secretariat's Second Grand Secretary, Zhou Yanru.

After dismissing all the servants, Zhou Yanru was the first to speak: "The present Son of Heaven is cruel and ruthless. I fear he is a sovereign in the mold of Jie and Zhou, unfit to serve the ancestral temple!" With this, he set the tone for the evening's discussion.

Vice Minister of War Hou Xun said, "Exactly. The present Son of Heaven relies heavily on the eunuch faction and the Depot and the Guard. If this continues, I fear the state will no longer be a state! We Donglin gentlemen must purge the sovereign's side and rectify the ancestral temple!"

Another man spoke up in rebuke: "Watch your words! Do you wish to rebel? We act for the sake of the realm and the altars of state — how can this be called purging the sovereign's side!"

Yet another Censor-in-Chief said, "We Censors must directly remonstrate against the sovereign's faults. As the saying goes, the law cannot punish the multitude.

Tomorrow, we Censors and remonstrance officials shall go outside the palace gates and remonstrate with tears, and we must compel His Majesty the Emperor to execute the eunuch faction and rectify the court's discipline!

Should the Emperor refuse to repent, I fear unspeakable things may occur."