Chapter 246: Hiring Mercenary Battalions, Borrowing a Chicken to Lay Eggs

"Transcendence" is a form of self-understanding where one's feet are off the ground, and this type of self-understanding is prevalent among the powerful and wealthy families of the Great Ming.

For everything, there is someone to do the work for them; they only need to indulge in pleasure. Yet, in a long-term life of luxury, the threshold for pleasure keeps piling higher, eventually entering a state of transcendence where they believe they can cognitively and self-transcendently defeat death head-on.

This is the mental state of the Great Ming's "base scholars." And the current reality is: since the Wanli era, in the Great Ming, only death and taxes are unavoidable.

Zhu Yijun and Zhu Yi spoke for a long time about this sense of superiority, which is the fundamental reason for Zhu Yi's harsh treatment of his servants. His status is exalted, and he can do whatever he wishes.

Zhu Yijun educated Zhu Yi, not by citing other examples, but by bringing up the "Daoist Master" and the Renyin Palace Incident in the twenty-first year of Jiajing.

In the Renyin Palace Incident, a case where over a dozen palace maids attempted to assassinate the Emperor, the Jiajing Emperor was in a state of extreme passivity when dealing with it. Because he was indeed suspicious by nature, capricious, and harsh to his servants, the assassination by over a dozen maids was an extremely rare and major palace case. However, in the end, the Jiajing Emperor could only hush the matter up and did not pursue it to the very end.

Therefore, being harsh to servants has only disadvantages and no benefits.

After visiting Wang Xijue's mansion in the capital, Zhu Yijun rode the Grand Imperial Carriage back to the palace. The next day, Zhu Yijun headed to the Yongding Woolen Mill. Today's itinerary was to receive the Western envoys, Li Yashi and Antonio, at the mill.

Facing the massive industrial scale of the woolen mill, the two envoys were incomparably shocked.

The two Western envoys felt there were two areas where the Great Ming possessed Western-style superiority. The first was shipbuilding and maritime trade. The Great Ming could not build oceangoing ships and had no blueprints. This sense of superiority was completely lost the moment Antonio purchased the Great Ming's five-masted oceangoing ship.

The second sense of superiority was the wool business. Spain is a country "sitting on the back of sheep." Regarding the woolen industry, in this era, only the British could see their backs.

But now, the Great Ming had taken the lead.

The Great Ming's construction of its industrial chain left Li Yashi speechless; he could only choose to accept it.

This is the Great Ming's terrifying and formidable national strength, or rather, the terrifying power of the Eastern Emperor: as long as he wants it, someone can realize it.

Zhu Yijun had the general manager of the Yongding Woolen Mill take the Western envoys to tour the official woolen factory.

"Grand Secretary, ever since I went to the palace construction site last time, I haven't been back. You have obstructed me in every way each time. Why is that?" Zhu Yijun asked about a matter with some confusion: the palace construction site, which the Emperor was forbidden to enter.

Although Wang Chonggu always used the excuse that "nobles should not tread on base ground" to stall him, it was never the real reason. Zhu Yijun had even visited the composting plant—the official factory that collected and sold the capital's excrement as fertilizer—which was also one of the massive groups of official factories built by Wang Chonggu.

If he could go to the composting plant, he should be able to go to the palace construction site; the "base ground" argument did not hold water.

It is worth mentioning that because the Emperor hoarded wealth and sought profit, even making money from excrement, he earned the nickname "The World's Number One Excrement Tyrant" among the common people.

"Your Majesty values frugality; this is the fortune of the dynasty. Your subject often rejoices in it." Wang Chonggu answered the Emperor's confusion with a bit of flattery, praising the Emperor while directly answering his question.

In fact, the reason was simple: Wang Chonggu was afraid that Zhu Yijun would go to the site and instruct them on how to cut corners.

The last time Zhu Yijun went to the site, it truly shocked Wang Chonggu. The holes left by the Great Wall's construction already made Wang Chonggu tremble with fear; if any more problems arose with the palace construction, he, Wang Chonggu, would bear full responsibility. He couldn't let the Emperor take the blame.

"So that's how it is." Zhu Yijun understood Wang Chonggu's concerns and stopped insisting. In his view, there was no need for luxury, but in Wang Chonggu's view, this was already very frugal. The Emperor and Wang Chonggu had different definitions of luxury, and both stood their ground based on their respective positions.

Soon, Li Yashi and Antonio finished touring the entire woolen mill and then had an audience with the Emperor, presenting the credentials of Philip II.

Philip II's credentials mainly emphasized the importance of trade exchanges and expressed approval of the shift in the Great Ming's public opinion, especially the "opening of the seas." At the same time, he reminded the Great Ming Emperor to always be wary of those "invisible enemies."

Zhu Yijun looked at a sentence in the credentials and, with furrowed brows, said to Antonio: "Civilization, order, and peace are merely compromises made by the powerful when they lack the absolute advantage to break the balance."

This was Philip II's original statement, the Western definition of civilization, order, and peace. This sentence was blunt and explicit, revealing the mode and values of the West's "robber logic" development.

It was clear that Philip II was very aware of the conflict between the Great Ming and Spain in Luzon—a status quo where neither could do anything to the other. Philip II's ability to project power in the Far East was simply too low, so he could only choose to ignore it and compromise as if he didn't know.

"The two envoys sent by the Great Ming to the West, Gao Qiyu and Xu Fan, recounted some things, and the King's envoy, Li Yashi, also frequently wrote letters describing the current state of the Great Ming. This is the King's bewilderment at the Great Ming's 'valuing literature and suppressing martial arts.' The King is very puzzled: why does the Great Ming hand over the power of whether or not to be beaten to the enemy?" Antonio said very sincerely.

Philip II was very curious about the Eastern world. He simply could not understand the formation of the Great Ming's public opinion of "valuing literature and suppressing martial arts." He could understand the reasons, but Philip II did not approve of this trend.

"Ah, so that's how it is." Zhu Yijun gritted his back teeth, looked at Antonio, and said, appearing calm.

The supreme Emperor of the Great Ming had been poked in the lungs by Philip II, the King of the Empire on which the sun never sets, tens of thousands of miles away. Antonio's explanation was like rubbing salt into a wound. In this era of Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli, "valuing literature and suppressing martial arts" was equivalent to sticking one's face out to be beaten—if the left cheek was beaten swollen, one would then stick out the right cheek.

Zhu Yijun had truly been poked in a sore spot. The eloquent little Emperor was silenced this time and could only choose to remain silent, because the facts were right before his eyes. As the Son of Heaven, Zhu Yijun could not tell lies with a straight face.

The invasion by Altan Khan in the twenty-ninth year of Jiajing, the invasion by Tumen Khan in the first year of Longqing, and the Japanese pirate troubles that lasted for decades after the twentieth year of Jiajing, etc., were all typical examples. Two hundred years of "valuing literature and suppressing martial arts" had created a humiliating era.

Antonio hadn't actually finished what he was saying, but the Emperor understood.

There was no need for the captain to be too explicit. In the Great Ming, in the capital, in front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Great Han Generals, poking the Emperor in the lungs was a very bold act. A light poke was enough. If the Emperor was blocked and unable to refute, that was that. Pushing one's luck would truly lead to death.

In fact, Antonio's subtext was that the gentle and refined Great Ming people were not suited for maritime trade. Maritime trade was a mix of risk and opportunity—high risk, high return. Those indigenous people living on habitable land were to be driven away with weapons, casting aside all morality.

Because maritime trade is a commercial act, driven and dominated by profit. How to maximize profit in the shortest time is the purpose of going to sea.

Antonio knew very well that the Emperor understood. Since he understood, there was no need to say more.

"The King reminds me to be careful of some enemies, but he is vague." Zhu Yijun looked at the credentials and asked about the content not clearly written within. Philip II used a tone of lamentation to criticize the horror brought by the devil of money, and also solemnly reminded the Emperor to be wary of those demons whose souls had been corroded by gold and silver.

"The most popular activity in the West now is the 'Grand Tour.' Under the atmosphere of this travel, national boundaries are beginning to blur. Those who can participate in the Grand Tour are only a small portion, yet this small portion can determine the fate of the majority." Antonio's words were also very vague, but his meaning was already expressed very clearly.

Behind the benefits of cultural exchange brought by the Grand Tour cultural trend was the emergence of traitors, and they were emerging one after another, leaving Philip II in a state of exhaustion.

These were the people Philip II was reminding the Emperor to be wary of. Their reasons were strange and varied: some opposed religion, some were about trade, and some spoke of misery and misfortune, providing some self-comfort for their betrayal.

To translate: these people are called "global citizens" in later generations.

This small group of people holds the fate of the dynasty. If the Great Ming Emperor is not careful enough, he will encounter all kinds of problems during the opening of the seas.

In the Great Ming, this was specifically manifested as "colluding with the Japanese."

Zhu Yijun and Antonio chatted for a long time, mainly about some basic situations in the West. Afterward, Antonio presented the national gifts, and Zhu Yijun returned the national gifts.

"Generous and benevolent Emperor, can you give me a few more five-masted oceangoing ships this year? This time, the Songjiang Shipyard only gave one." Antonio put forward his request. He had exhausted all his methods, but the Great Ming simply refused to loosen its grip.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "It only takes one day from Songjiang to Tianjin. The decision of the Songjiang Shipyard is the result of court deliberation. Even I cannot easily change it. I have disappointed the captain."

"But I have something here that you are interested in."

Zhu Yijun mysteriously introduced his own products. These products were expensive, but absolutely worth the price. With Antonio's wealth, he still needed to borrow money to buy them. Antonio was very tempted, but he still intended to think about the pros and cons before giving the Emperor an answer.

What Zhu Yijun provided were the retired guest soldiers of the Great Ming Navy, or more clearly, the Great Ming's organized mercenary battalions.

Antonio could hire the Great Ming Navy in organized units. A battalion of 3,000 men had a starting price of 200,000 taels of silver, not counting other military supplies. If Antonio didn't trust these mercenaries, he could also choose to buy only military equipment. A battalion's worth of naval equipment was not expensive, and Antonio wouldn't need to borrow money.

They could be purchased separately or combined.

Qi Jiguang repeatedly told the Emperor that the most important thing for an army is the soldiers, not the equipment, because all weapons must be used by people. If the hearts of the people are scattered, even the most sophisticated equipment is just a pile of scrap metal.

It didn't matter if Antonio refused to hire them, because the training of military personnel and the maintenance of equipment were also a massive business.

"Actually, I suggest you hire the Great Ming Navy in organized units directly, rather than buying equipment to build it yourself." Zhu Yijun offered his advice very sincerely. He said very firmly: "You know very well that selecting soldiers from civilians is a very difficult task. The quality of the source of soldiers directly determines the combat effectiveness of the battalion."

"Therefore, hiring in organized units directly is the easiest."

"What Your Majesty says is indeed tempting, but I find it hard to be sure that they won't use muskets to blow my head off." Antonio was still very hesitant.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said: "I thought that a captain who has drifted on the sea for over a decade, after witnessing wild storms and giant waves, would have already understood a principle: that everything has risks. Perhaps the captain understands this principle, but only wants to bear the gains and not the risks."

"Captain Antonio told me that he is the heir to the King of Portugal, but now it seems that was just a very good story told to seek profit from maritime trade."

"Respected Emperor, you are always able to see through the hypocrisy of the world. Your teachings will benefit me for a lifetime." Antonio said very politely, but he was still hesitating.

Antonio had already witnessed the formidable combat power of the Great Ming Navy, but he really dared not bear the risk of hiring a battalion. In this era, military force still played a decisive role. Did these mercenaries listen to him? Or to the money? Or to the Emperor?

Antonio had extensive plantations in the South Seas and the Western Seas. These plantations were not peaceful, and the forts they built were not indestructible; they were always broken and burned by local indigenous people. As for the shipping routes, there were all kinds of pirates. The pirates in the Strait of Malacca gave Antonio a headache.

Antonio had a real need.

But the Great Ming Navy was loyal to the Emperor. There was no need to doubt this. After witnessing the Great Ming army standing motionless in heavy rain, Antonio knew that these warriors would always be loyal to the Great Ming.

Of course Antonio had to hesitate. He gave so much money and had to pay so much interest to maintain the stability of the shipping routes and plantations, only to end up using it all to hire the Great Ming Navy to garrison them and pay "protection fees." Calculating it this way, it was truly a loss.

However, he was indeed greedy for the formidable combat power of the Great Ming Navy. A battalion of 3,000 men, if it truly reached the West, would be a force capable of changing the situation of the war.

The high price was not a shortcoming of the Great Ming mercenary battalion; it was Antonio's shortcoming.

Zhu Yijun did not push further. In any case, Antonio knew the combat effectiveness of the Great Ming Navy clearly. Zhu Yijun was not afraid that Antonio wouldn't be tempted. As long as the spark of temptation was ignited in his heart, there was absolutely no possibility of it being extinguished.

The Great Ming mercenary battalion was not Zhu Yijun's idea alone; it had been through court deliberation.

The placement of guest soldiers in the Great Ming had always been a massive problem. Frequent wars produced guest soldiers who only had military skills. After leaving the military, they inevitably became a hidden danger for the Great Ming, and the localities lacked the ability to place them.

And the Great Ming Navy now had a serious problem: a severe lack of experience in maritime combat. The Great Ming's last accumulation of naval combat experience could be traced back to the Great Voyages of the Yongle era. Times had changed; no matter how much they trained, without actual combat, they were just "embroidered pillows."

And what prompted the court to pass the resolution on mercenary battalions was mainly that they were "poor and scared."

The expenses of the Great Ming Navy were already almost equal to half the expenses of the 120,000-strong Capital Battalion. The Great Ming's annual military expenditure was 6.6 million taels of silver and 2 million piculs of rice for the Nine Frontiers, while the Capital Battalion's annual expenditure was 2.6 million taels of silver and nearly 1 million piculs of rice, beans, and fodder. The Navy's annual expenditure had already exceeded 1 million taels.

But the Great Ming Navy only had 30,000 men in total.

In any era, at any time, a sophisticated navy is extremely expensive because of the ships.

Such terrifying expenditure often made the Grand Secretary worry. It was true that the court was currently "opening sources and reducing expenditures" and the finances were good, but once a large-scale war was encountered, military expenditure would grow at a terrifying speed. Once they fell into the endless quagmire of war after the twenty-ninth year of Jiajing, the Great Ming's finances would immediately become stretched.

Therefore, the court deliberation of "hiring mercenary battalions, borrowing a chicken to lay eggs" was widely accepted.

Antonio wanted to hire them very, very much, but he still needed to think it through carefully and needed the court to give him some time.

"Then the captain should think it over carefully." Zhu Yijun chose to end this audience with Antonio. He believed that Antonio would definitely make the right choice. Antonio was a very ambitious person, and to realize his ambition, he needed massive wealth to operate.

After Antonio left, Zhu Yijun stood on the Wangshan Tower of the Yongding Woolen Mill and looked west. Over there was Zhang Juzheng's Yicheng Bo mansion.

"Your Majesty?" Feng Bao observed the Emperor's solemn expression and distant gaze. Knowing the Emperor wished to go and see for himself, he offered a tentative reminder.

Zhu Yijun boarded the Grand Imperial Carriage, thought for a moment, and said to Feng Bao: "Set off for the Yicheng Bo mansion."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Feng Bao answered hurriedly.

The place where Zhang Juzheng lived was only 51 li and 32 paces away from where Zhu Yijun lived. It would only take half a day for Zhu Yijun's carriage to arrive, even starting from the Yongding Woolen Mill.

But if Zhu Yijun went to the Yicheng Bo mansion at this hour, he wouldn't be able to return to the palace today. It wasn't that the little Emperor was afraid of the dark; it was that the city gates would be locked.

This time, Zhu Yijun did not call for the ministers to accompany him. The identity he was going with this time was that of a student, not an Emperor.

While Zhu Yijun was heading to the Yicheng Bo mansion, Wang Qian walked into the prison. He had come to the Northern Division's prison today to see Wang Xijue, or rather, to supervise Wang Xijue's "suicide out of fear of crime."

"So it was you." Only when Wang Qian appeared did Wang Xijue suddenly realize that it was Wang Qian who was investigating him. Those bizarre aspects no longer seemed so bizarre.

Hence Hai Rui was too upright and only walked the straight path. Wang Xijue, a powerful and influential third-rank official, would never have had evidence against him found by Hence Hai Rui. But Wang Qian was different; Wang Qian was ruthless and cunning.

Wang Qian held the case files and began to present the evidence. Even without any trial, and even if the final determination was that Wang Xijue committed suicide out of fear of crime, the necessary procedures still had to be followed. Wang Xijue's various crimes were clearly presented before him.

"I want to see His Majesty." Wang Xijue's expression was still very calm. He knew his death was imminent, but he still wanted to see the Emperor and plead his case.

"No chance. When His Majesty gave you a chance, you didn't grasp it. Now that you want to see him, you can't." Wang Qian shook his head and decisively rejected the proposal.

"Wang Qian, one day, you and I will die the same way. In this dark and cramped cell, with three feet of white silk, and that will be the end of it." Wang Xijue didn't struggle too much, because many of the crimes were investigated by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which meant His Majesty already knew. The last audience was the final chance.

"Cruel officials don't have good endings!" Wang Xijue's tone finally carried anger as he pointed at Wang Qian and shouted sternly.

Wang Qian blinked and said in surprise: "In your eyes, I could actually end up hanging myself? I thought someone like me would be sliced into a thousand pieces."

"Shameless!" Wang Xijue had never dealt with Wang Qian and never expected this guy to be so shameless!

"Thank you for the high praise." Wang Qian said shamelessly.

Before Wang Qian arrived, the prison had already sent the "last meal," prepared according to the standard of two taels of silver. Wang Xijue wouldn't starve to death. Placing all the case files in a rosewood box, Wang Qian finally spoke: "Eat your fill, then write your suicide note."

"Can I see my son? I have things to entrust to him." Wang Xijue's mouth twitched twice; instead, he felt a sense of relief. The time waiting for the judgment had been agonizing, and now that the result was out, he actually felt a bit of ease.

"Your son is at the gambling den." Wang Qian said with a complex expression: "Before I came, I had someone go call him, but he hasn't come yet. Don't be impatient, we'll wait a bit longer, no rush."

"Recently, your son has been competing with a gambler named Long Er and has lost quite a bit of money. I heard he even gambled away that ten-mu mansion you have in the capital. It doesn't matter if Long Er wins; that mansion now belongs to the Inner Treasury. How much nerve does Long Er have to come to His Majesty to settle gambling debts?"

Wang Xijue had only one son, named Wang Heng, who was very talented, romantic, and wrote good plays. Everywhere he went, he was called "Young Master Wang." But Wang Heng had recently been targeted, mainly to be swindled out of money.

Long Er didn't dare to settle gambling debts with the Emperor, and even less so with Wang Xijue. The purpose of setting this trap was just to get some silver to spend.

If Wang Xijue hadn't gotten into trouble, if Long Er had tried to extort him, the next day, Long Er and his gang would have disappeared forever—and disappeared without a trace.

Wang Qian's father was the current Grand Secretary, Crown Prince's Junior Preceptor, and Minister of Justice—one of the few figures at the peak of power in the Great Ming. He knew that if someone set such a trap for him, Wang Chonggu would definitely deal with it that way.

To some extent, the ministers in the Wenhua Hall were transcendent and had jumped out of the "Five Elements." For most things, they didn't need to worry about the rules.

The Wang Xijue case also illustrated this reality. Whether voluntary or not, Wang Xijue committed suicide out of fear of crime. With this case, the person is dead and the debt is cleared.

"Sigh." Wang Xijue sighed. Hearing that his son was still at the gambling den, he became even more dejected.

"Don't worry. After you are gone, someone will help clean up Long Er and his gang. After all, you still have some students in the court." Wang Qian smiled and urged Wang Xijue to set his mind at ease. Wang Xijue's son had more opportunities to correct his mistakes than ordinary people; even if Wang Xijue died, someone would help look after him.

This was also the universal tacit understanding of the "meat-eaters" that Zhang Juzheng spoke of.

The benefits of Wang Xijue choosing to be "decent" were reflected here: only if he was decent could his son be decent, and only then could everyone be decent.

Wang Xijue began to write his suicide note. Although he was very calm on the surface, his handwriting had become distorted. There is great terror between life and death; no one can defeat death head-on. Wang Xijue's hand trembled, and he wrote the suicide note tremblingly for a long time, until dusk.

Wang Heng had not yet arrived, but Wang Xijue's suicide note was already finished.

"I can't manage my son's affairs anymore." Wang Xijue handed the suicide note to Wang Qian. Wang Qian read it, made a copy, placed the original in the rosewood box, locked it, and then sealed it with a stamp. Only then was the final process completed.

"Send him on his way." Wang Qian nodded. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had already tied the three feet of white silk and helped Wang Xijue onto a chair. After Wang Xijue put the silk around his neck himself, the guard took the chair away.

Wang Qian watched Wang Xijue's struggle without moving. The golden light of the setting sun shone through the prison skylight, making Wang Xijue's struggling figure look somewhat beautiful in the light and shadow.

Wang Qian just watched, until Wang Xijue's hands fell from the silk, and he hung there straight, swaying back and forth continuously.

He narrowed his eyes. This hanging figure seemed to be Wang Xijue, but also seemed to be Wang Chonggu, and also seemed to be Wang Qian himself.

"Father! Father!" Wang Heng finally arrived, rushing in from outside, shouting heart-rendingly. He cried so hard that he slowly squatted outside the cell, but Wang Xijue was already breathless.

The guard carried the rosewood box behind Wang Qian. When Wang Qian passed Wang Heng, he stopped and slowly squatted down, looking at Wang Heng with a sneer: "You are that gambler son of Wang Xijue?"

"Truly a scoundrel."

"Slap!"

Wang Qian slapped Wang Heng across the face. This slap was very forceful, directly cutting off Wang Heng's crying, and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.

The cruel official Wang Qian flexed his wrists and said: "Wang Heng, His Majesty summoned your father. Your father knew exactly what His Majesty was talking about, but he refused to turn back. Do you know why? Because he couldn't turn back. How much money have you, this gambler son, lost in the past few years? 100,000 taels? 200,000? Or 300,000?"

After saying this, Wang Qian stood up and left the prison with his men, leaving Wang Heng to collect the body.

Zhu Yijun had already arrived at the Yicheng Bo mansion. Zhang Juzheng, wearing mourning clothes, stood in front of the gate, respectfully waiting for the Emperor. The threshold of the Yicheng Bo mansion had been completely removed.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. Is Your Majesty's sacred body at peace?" Zhang Juzheng bowed respectfully as he saw the Emperor get off the carriage.

Zhu Yijun helped Zhang Juzheng up and said with a full smile: "Teacher, please rise quickly. It is late, and I fear I must trouble you today and stay at the Yicheng Bo mansion for the night."

"Your Majesty's sacred grace, your subject is deeply grateful." Zhang Juzheng bowed again.

An Emperor staying at his Grand Preceptor's home was a manifestation of extreme trust and respect for the Grand Preceptor. Once spread, it would inevitably become a story of a sage monarch and a virtuous minister. Regardless, in the future, no one could say that Zhang Juzheng dominated the state and intimidated his sovereign. The Emperor's actions were to clear Zhang Juzheng's name and support him.

"Teacher, I have killed Wang Xijue." The first thing Zhu Yijun said upon entering the door was about the killing—the death of Wang Xijue.

"He committed suicide out of fear of crime. It was suicide, Your Majesty." Zhang Juzheng reminded the Emperor. How could the Emperor kill someone? That was impossible! It was clearly a suicide, and there was even a handwritten suicide note.

Your Majesty must not speak nonsense.

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(End of chapter)