Chapter 280: Calculations

The Western Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City — warming stoves all around breathed out heat, and the lamp stand on the imperial desk burned bright, illuminating the piled-up memorials with perfect clarity.

The Emperor had already changed into informal robes and was holding a bowl of gold-thread bird's nest soup, slowly savoring its flavor.

Wang Cheng'en's voice came softly: "This one is submitted by the Datong Governor. On the twenty-eighth, three thousand northern barbarians invaded and massed inside Beikou. Datong government troops reached the Kill Barbarians Parade Ground on the twenty-ninth."

The Chongzhen Emperor gave a slight shake of his head. Wang Cheng'en set that memorial aside. This young emperor had to read a vast number of memorials every day, and when many still remained by evening, Wang Cheng'en would read them aloud so the emperor could decide whether to look at them.

Two tall stacks had already piled up there — all memorials whose topics the Chongzhen Emperor had heard and then declined to read. Either they would follow the Cabinet's Drafting and Redacting, or else they would be held in the palace without action.

"The Zhejiang Education Vice-Commissioner impeaches Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren… The Fengyang Governor, on behalf of prefectures and counties raided this year, petitions to exempt arrears of rations and pay from the eighth and ninth years and to cancel the new and old stipends due for the tenth year… The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works each submit memorials stating that the Taicang and Jie Shen Granary are empty, that the Provincial Administration Commissions' arrears of the Old Stipend grow ever larger, and request disbursement from the Imperial Privy Purse… Henan Governor Chen Biqian reports: Bandit Chuang has repeatedly lured other bands away — first fleeing west from Chen, Qi, Da, Xu, Yu, and Jia to blunt the Government Troops' spearhead — while he himself has gone from Zhongmu, Mi, and Dengfeng into the deep mountains and remote wilds to evade the armies' sharp edge."

Wang Cheng'en read over ten memorials; the Chongzhen Emperor showed no inclination to look at any of them.

"Your Majesty, this one is from Liu Zongzhou…"

The Emperor set down his small soup bowl. "Liu Zongzhou's memorials — no need to bring them in the future. And Huang Daozhou's as well. So long as the Cabinet has issued no Drafting and Redacting, do not bring them."

"This slave understands." Wang Cheng'en set down Liu Zongzhou's thick memorial and picked up the next one. "Supreme Commander Lu Xiangsheng reports: Li Inner City and the other great bandits have fled south of the Han River; the remnant bandits are watching and waiting between Qin and Yu."

The Chongzhen Emperor's body stirred. He turned toward Wang Cheng'en and said, "Continue reading."

"Yu, Chu, Qin, and Chuan — great mountains stretch unbroken, and the bandits appear and vanish without pattern. If we pursue fiercely and exterminate them, where can one rest? Every high ridge and steep peak, every dense bamboo grove and deep forest — pulling up wood, hanging from cliffs, advancing thirty or forty li a day. Horses cannot proceed; men suffer in the climbing. At such times, Commuted Tax Silver is useless, grain tax in kind grain cannot be transported, carts and donkeys cannot be employed. The situation will inevitably require men to carry two Bean of rice on their backs, following the troops back and forth, eating one sheng per day — one to supply the soldier, one to sustain himself. In ten days, the two Bean of grain are exhausted. Never mind whether in those ten days one encounters the bandits or not, whether one is locked in combat or not. And if a thousand troops enter, a thousand men must carry supplies on their shoulders; if ten thousand troops enter, ten thousand men must carry supplies. Grain transported by troops — in no more than ten days, it is utterly exhausted…"

"Stop there," the Chongzhen Emperor said. He closed his eyes, propped both hands on the imperial desk, and after a long while suddenly spoke: "Since all enter the mountains, why can bandits survive while troops cannot? Why can bandit horses advance while government horses cannot? Why do bandits not lack grain while troops do?"

"This…" Wang Cheng'en hesitated a moment, then said, "Those bandit spawn are, after all, fleeing for their lives. This slave has heard that in the mountains they can eat human flesh. Government troops, of course, cannot do such a thing."

The Chongzhen Emperor's gaze shifted to Wang Cheng'en. "You do seem inclined to speak on Supreme Commander Lu's behalf."

With a thud, Wang Cheng'en dropped to his knees. "This slave would not dare. This slave's heart is inclined only toward Your Majesty. It is merely that this slave feels the Supreme Commander Lu has always served with all his heart, and having just won a great victory at Chuzhou, he surely would not toy with the bandits to aggrandize himself."

"Get up. We did not accuse him of anything." The Chongzhen Emperor reached out and took Lu Xiangsheng's memorial, reading as he spoke. "The strongest of the roving thieves is none other than Bandit Chuang. This time, the various roving-thief bands were routed at Chuzhou; their strength has been reduced by six or seven tenths. Lu Xiangsheng can still get things done. In his memorial, he still requests full pay and recognition of merit. Let some of the rations and pay come from the Imperial Privy Purse; have the Ministry of Revenue, the Court of the Imperial Stud, and the Ministry of Works raise the rest together. We must not, after all, let him dispatch hungry troops. As for the other merit requests, have the Cabinet handle them all promptly."

"This slave has noted it."

The Chongzhen Emperor closed Lu Xiangsheng's memorial and was about to set it aside when he suddenly picked it up again and flipped through it. After a moment, he asked, "In Zhang Guowei's earlier Jiangpu victory report, did he also request merit for a military officer named Pang Yu?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, that is indeed the case." Wang Cheng'en answered almost without pause. Among the twenty to thirty thousand eunuchs in the palace, his ability to win the Emperor's favor owed much to his excellent memory. "This slave recalls that this man single-handedly quelled the Tongcheng Civil Unrest, slaying over thirty rioting bandits in a single night and killing the bandit chief Wang Guohua with his own hands. Later, when the roving thieves invaded, he also achieved the feat of preserving Tongcheng intact. For this, he was exceptionally promoted to the post of Anqing Garrison Commander. After assuming the garrison command, he smashed the bandits at North Gorge Pass, taking several hundred heads. This time, he rescued Puzikou from Anqing and won a victory, thereby securing Nanjing. For these reasons, Zhang Guowei petitions to increase the garrison battalion's troop quota by one thousand, to retain thirty-one thousand taels of rations and pay from the three prefectures of Anqing, Chizhou, and Taiping, and to grant Pang Yu the rank of Mobile Corps Commander while still commanding the Anqing Garrison Battalion."

The Chongzhen Emperor gave an "mm." He looked at Lu Xiangsheng's memorial a moment longer, then said to Wang Cheng'en, "We also recall now — it was this man who quelled the unrest in Tongcheng alone. Lu Xiangsheng likewise praises him highly, and the battle of Chuzhou is enough to show he possesses some courage and martial prowess… Yet both of these men say Anqing needs an increase of one thousand troops. A few days ago, Liu Ruozai submitted a memorial proposing the establishment of a Bronze Standard Battalion at Tongcheng, also with a quota of one thousand troops. This is somewhat suspicious."

Wang Cheng'en dared not interject at this moment. This emperor was most sensitive to officials privately colluding and forming cliques. Once suspicion arose, any word spoken could implicate oneself.

At this thought, Wang Cheng'en turned and gave a few instructions to a junior eunuch. The eunuch immediately led others out and returned moments later with a memorial. Wang Cheng'en flipped through it, then presented it with both hands before the Chongzhen Emperor. "Your Majesty, Zhang Guowei's memorial — it has the Cabinet's Drafting and Redacting but has not yet been sent to the Six Offices of Scrutiny for copying."

The Chongzhen Emperor took it and read carefully for a moment. His expression gradually eased. Wang Cheng'en recalled its contents: Zhang Guowei had impeached the Liao Garrison for seizing the Anqing Garrison Battalion's horses, and had obliquely implied that Lu Xiangsheng had condoned it. This more or less dispelled the Emperor's suspicions.

"Having repeatedly achieved military merit, Zhang Guowei still only requests the rank of Mobile Corps Commander for this garrison commander — merely because he feels this man was exceptionally promoted directly to Garrison Commander not long ago and his qualifications are still shallow. He still harbors this mentality of qualification-based appointment."

The Emperor picked up his brush and annotated Lu Xiangsheng's memorial: "Since Pang Yu is indeed proven brave and martial, he should be substantively appointed Mobile Corps Commander. The increase of one thousand troops is permitted. The retention of rations and pay is not permitted."

Wang Cheng'en set the annotated memorial aside separately, then beckoned a junior eunuch to clear the soup bowl from the table and brought another cup of tea.

"Are there any other important memorials?"

"One from Eunuch Cao, delivered just this evening. It confirms the intelligence sent by Fang Yizao. Among the Mongols along the frontier, there is indeed word spreading: the Tartars have summoned the Kharchin, the Khalkha, and the Chahar, ordering the taiji of each tribe to proceed to Shenyang in the fourth month to attend a ceremony. The Tartar Huang Taiji is about to found a state."

The Chongzhen Emperor was in the middle of returning his brush to its rest. At these words, his movements slowed. Wang Cheng'en hurriedly caught the brush and gently placed it on the five-dragon ivory brush stand.

After a moment of silence, the Chongzhen Emperor finally said in a low voice, "What is the name of the state?"

"It is… Qing."

After the reply, the Chongzhen Emperor asked no further questions. He sat behind the imperial desk in silence. The dim yellow light fell upon his gaunt face but could not dispel that trace of pallor.

He sat for a very long time before he heard Wang Cheng'en's low voice: "Your Majesty, someone from the Empress has come, asking whether Your Majesty will retire early."

The Chongzhen Emperor raised his head and looked at Wang Cheng'en, his gaze somewhat unfocused. Only after a good while did he shake his head and say, "Tell the Empress not to worry. We will manage on our own."

Wang Cheng'en knelt again and kowtowed. "The Tartar menace did not begin today, nor can the realm be pacified in a single day. This slave begs Your Majesty to cherish the dragon body. There is time yet ahead. With the blessings of our ancestors, the realm will surely see days of peace."

The Chongzhen Emperor gave a low sigh and said, "Very well, then. We shall go to the Palace of Heavenly Favor. Stop first at the Empress's quarters so she may be at ease, and Our heart may also feel more settled."

…

The sedan chair halted before the gates of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. The Emperor descended from the chair and paused a moment, rubbing his face with one hand to ease his expression. Only then did he walk through the palace gates.

Eunuchs and palace maids dropped to their knees one after another, but out of the corner of his eye, the Chongzhen Emperor saw someone already kneeling before the steps of the winding corridor — now turning around on his knees.

The Chongzhen Emperor had already walked past the person, but he turned back and stopped before the kneeling figure — a young eunuch of about ten, his childish face full of alarm. The Chongzhen Emperor bent down, studied him carefully for a moment, and asked, "Little one, what offense has earned you this kneeling punishment?"

"Slave… Her Majesty the Empress was teaching this slave to read numbers, and this slave failed to remember them." The young eunuch's face was on the verge of tears. Being questioned by the Emperor made him extremely nervous, terrified that the Emperor would punish him as well. He looked utterly pitiful.

The Chongzhen Emperor was briefly taken aback. The young eunuch was filled with panic, but the Chongzhen Emperor suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"When the teacher teaches and you do not carefully remember it, punishment is only proper." The Chongzhen Emperor reined in his laughter, though a smile still lingered on his face. "Then shall We plead with your teacher on your behalf, to spare you this kneeling punishment?"

Just then, a gentle woman's voice came chidingly from within the door: "Your Majesty must not disrupt the rules of study."

The Emperor lightly nudged the young eunuch with his foot. "Her Majesty has consented. Why don't you hurry and thank your teacher for remitting the punishment?"

The young eunuch's eyes darted; he immediately kowtowed in gratitude and, without even waiting for the Empress's response, hastily scrambled to his feet.

The Empress looked at the young eunuch with a slight smile. "You are quick enough to seize an opportunity. That was His Majesty who consented; I did not consent. If you cannot write them out tomorrow, you will be punished right here again."

"This slave will go practice at once." The young eunuch hurriedly kowtowed once more and fled in utter panic.

The Chongzhen Emperor laughed twice and followed the Empress into the palace.

The surrounding palace maids lined up and came forward to attend the Emperor as he removed his outer robe. The Empress saw that Wang Cheng'en was still waiting outside and knew the Emperor did not intend to stay here.

"Has Your Majesty just finished reviewing memorials? Those memorials can never all be read. Your Majesty must still look after your own health somewhat."

"If We can read a few more, We read a few more. Wang Cheng'en said the Empress had sent someone to inquire, and it has been two days since We last met. We came to speak with the Empress for a while." The Emperor wore a smile. "The Empress is the model for all under Heaven; even your teaching is so accomplished. Though you are a bit strict."

"I taught him three times and he still could not remember — of course he deserved punishment. Without some strictness, he would never learn his lessons." Empress Zhou picked up a cotton-padded vest from the tea table behind her and said, "I made this myself. The nights are chilly; Your Majesty can wear it when not receiving ministers."

The Emperor took it and glanced around the room. In one corner, he spotted a spinning wheel and could not help smiling. "The Empress's hands are still the most skillful. Of the twenty-four spinning wheels sent from Jiangnan to instruct the palace maids, why do I see only one?"

"It is just the same as with that young eunuch. After all these days of teaching, not one has spun anything satisfactory. In a fit of frustration, I had them moved away."

The Chongzhen Emperor smiled and shook his head, his mood much lightened. Empress Zhou turned her eyes to him and said, "If Your Majesty has leisure, you might speak more with Imperial Consort Tian. She is from Yangzhou. Some time ago, when the roving thieves were ravaging Jiangbei and pressing close to Yangzhou, she worried day and night and suffered a great fright. Yesterday, I went to see her; she has grown somewhat thin. It is truly heart-wrenching."

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor reached out and took the Empress's hand. "When We go to see Tian Fei, We will certainly convey the Empress's sentiments to her."

Empress Zhou lowered her head. "Whether you tell her or not is unimportant. I am from Suzhou; when the roving thieves drew near Jiangnan, I was just as anxious. Putting myself in her place, naturally Tian Fei felt it even more keenly. To think that Yangzhou, a place of such elegance and splendor, could produce a lovely person like Tian Fei — how could one bear to let the roving thieves lay waste to it?"

The Chongzhen Emperor nodded. "We, too, have long heard of Yangzhou's fame. When the realm is at peace someday, We shall visit Yangzhou together with the Empress and Tian Fei."

Empress Zhou suddenly seemed to grow interested, and said with a touch of excitement, "That would be wonderful. Your servant has heard many curious things about Yangzhou, which Your Majesty in the Capital may not have heard. They say that there, people gather talented and pretty girls from various regions, teach them the Path of being a concubine, and also how to read and write. Some of these women are even skilled in painting and music. They are called Slender Horses, far beyond what common folk women can compare to. When the time comes, your servant would very much like to see one."

The Chongzhen Emperor had worn a smile the whole time, but at these words it stiffened slightly for a moment, then returned to normal.

Wang Cheng'en, who was attending them, felt his gaze flicker. He stole a glance at the Empress and saw that her expression was perfectly composed, revealing no trace of anything unusual.

……

When they emerged from the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Emperor had fallen silent again. He boarded his sedan chair directly, and the ranks of Palace Attendants before and behind him set off toward Eastern Long Street. The Imperial Consort Tian's Palace of Heavenly Favor, where the Emperor was headed, lay right on Eastern Long Street.

The Forbidden City under the night was rather still and hushed. Along the long street, there was only the soft sound of the imperial sedan bearers' footsteps.

When the procession reached a mat-roofed cooling arbor, the Chongzhen Emperor's voice came from within the sedan, "Stop."

The lead bearer gave a low command, and all eight eunuch bearers halted at once. Wang Cheng'en waited outside as the Chongzhen Emperor, leaning on his hand, stepped down from the sedan.

On the empty Eastern Long Street, palace lanterns blazed brilliantly. A single lantern hung before the gate of each consort's palace, their warm yellow light casting upon the deep, secluded long street, giving the imposing palace walls an unreal, illusory quality.

The Emperor stood for a brief moment, then walked slowly into the cooling arbor and sat down directly on a long bench meant for resting Palace Attendants. Wang Cheng'en hurriedly brought over a rush cushion, but the Chongzhen Emperor waved his hand. Wang Cheng'en could only stand by, holding the cushion.

"Your Majesty, these are seats for the Palace Attendants. I fear they will soil Your Majesty's robes."

The Chongzhen Emperor paid no heed. Leaning back on the bench, he said leisurely, "These cooling arbors were not here originally. In the scorching heat, the Palace Attendants toiling back and forth had no place to take shelter. After Tian Fei entered the palace, she had people erect these arbors. From then on, the Palace Attendants have had a place to escape the heat and rest their feet."

Wang Cheng'en immediately said, "Tian Fei has the heart of a bodhisattva. She is widely praised within the palace."

"Xiuying's intentions are good. She was originally from Shaanxi, and later moved to Yangzhou. She is well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and her skill with the qin is especially remarkable. Xiuying says it was taught to her by her mother."

Hearing the words "skill with the qin," Wang Cheng'en again did not know how to respond. It seemed the Empress Zhou's few words just now had already planted a Seed of doubt in the Emperor's heart.

The Emperor shifted his head to lean on a different spot, and changed the subject. "Cheng'en, do you know why We do not wish to read Liu Zongzhou's memorials?"

"This slave believes it is because they are full of empty words."

The Emperor neither agreed nor disagreed. "If one truly set out to read memorials, it would not necessarily be so many. The memorials and reports on the desk may run to thousands of words in a torrent, but the truly useful words number only a few dozen. Cheng'en, sooner or later you will enter the Directorate of Ceremonial to handle affairs. When you read memorials and Cabinet Drafting and Redacting in the future, you must also have a method. Do not let their quoting of classics and precedents dazzle your eyes. In reality, what they want to say always comes down to three things."

"Please, Your Majesty, instruct this slave."

"Nothing more than Authority, Copper Coins, and Identity." The Chongzhen Emperor rubbed his forehead. "For those who seek Authority and Copper Coins, if they have talent, they can be used. Only those who seek Identity cannot be used."

Wang Cheng'en said in a low voice, "This slave understands. Such people speak empty words of grand righteousness but have no grasp of any practical affairs, and may even fabricate grand righteousness to perfect their own Identity."

"What Chen Qixin schemes for, the thoughts in the hearts of every minister in Jianji Hall today — whether they are a Lone Minister, whether they are Forming Cliques — how could We not know? Yet aside from these, whom else can We use?" The Chongzhen Emperor let out a long sigh. "Inside and outside the memorials, it is nothing but the word 'calculation.' Perhaps inside and outside these palace walls, it is also nothing but the word 'calculation.'"

Wang Cheng'en's eyes shifted. Empress Zhou's words had not said a single thing directly against Tian Fei, but they had steered Imperial Consort Tian's charm and qin skill in a suspicious Direction. So at this moment, he did not know whether the Emperor's talk of calculation was aimed at Empress Zhou or at Imperial Consort Tian.

"This slave does not understand calculation. This slave understands only one thing: whatever Your Majesty wants this slave to do, this slave must do it well."

The Chongzhen Emperor turned his head to look at him, then slowly stood up.

"Tomorrow, go and tell Tian Fei that the Roving Thieves have been running rampant in Jiangbei of late. We are worried that her mother may be anxious, and it has been a long time since We last saw her. Invite her mother to the palace for a visit." The Chongzhen Emperor's face held not the slightest trace of a smile. "Issue an Imperial Decree: Chen Qixin is appointed Supervising Secretary of the Personnel Section. He may directly report matters without concealment."

Wang Cheng'en's heart trembled. The Emperor had never let go of his suspicion. By inviting Tian Fei's mother to the palace, he naturally intended to personally assess her qin skill and see whether Tian Fei's claim that her skill was taught by her mother was true.

And the matter of Chen Qixin was even more astonishing. Supervising Secretary of the Personnel Section was one of the most weighty positions among the remonstrance offices. Even a dual-list Presented Scholar would need years of tempering and a certain amount of Luck to obtain this post. Who would have thought that Chen Qixin, a mere Military Examination Candidate without any scholarly rank, would obtain it just by submitting a memorial? But by doing so, he had also become the enemy of the entire civil official corps. Wang Cheng'en wondered if the Emperor had done this deliberately.

After committing it to memory, Wang Cheng'en probed cautiously, "Will Your Majesty still be going to the Palace of Heavenly Favor today?"

"We still have memorials to read. Return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

With that, the Chongzhen Emperor walked toward the sedan chair.

Wang Cheng'en quickly found a subordinate inner official. "Go to each palace and inform the Imperial Consorts, Senior Attendants, and Junior Attendants: His Majesty has returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

The sedan chair turned around and slowly proceeded southward. Behind it, the lanterns before each palace along the long street were extinguished one by one, and the lights of the Forbidden City gradually dimmed.