Chapter 1175: The Mad Emperor Chongzhen

Jiading Bo Zhou Kui? Zhu Cilang was taken aback — wasn't that his maternal grandfather? What was he doing coming to Yingtian Prefecture instead of staying in Suzhou raising silkworms? Could it be he also wanted to invest in building a principality? That would be troublesome — right now a whole crowd of princes were scrambling for territory, so where was there any land left for him to found a state?

Besides, the man was so miserly, he wasn't suited for the big business of colonial state-building anyway, was he?

"Summon him to the hall!" Zhu Cilang couldn't figure it out, but he still decided to receive Zhou Kui. After all, the Chongzhen Retired Emperor was sitting right beside him, and he had to give him some face — the man was his father-in-law, after all!

The moment Zhou Kui entered the Hall of Imperial Supremacy he felt a bit dizzy. What was going on today? Why were a bunch of princes gathered around something like a great ball, arguing? Could the Imperial Clan Court be holding a grand assembly? And they were arguing fiercely.

His attention was entirely drawn to that crowd of clamoring princes, so much so that he actually failed to notice his good son-in-law, the Chongzhen Retired Emperor, sitting in a chair placed beside Zhu Cilang's throne.

After being led by a eunuch to stand before a prayer cushion, the old imperial in-law did not dare look at Zhu Cilang, and directly knelt and kowtowed in greeting. He was very afraid of this good grandson of his, and the reason he had come today to expose Chongzhen was also out of fear! And exposing his son-in-law the Retired Emperor was really rather improper, so the old man also felt guilty. When Zhu Cilang told him to rise, he did not get up, but lay on the ground and began to wail.

At his crying, Zhu Cilang, who had originally been smiling, also frowned — what was this? Could my maternal grandmother have died? She had been fine at New Year's; how could she be gone just like that? And she wasn't even old — only seventy-three!

Zhu Cilang hurriedly asked, "Old State Father-in-law, why are you weeping so bitterly? Has something happened at home?"

"Your Majesty, this old subject weeps because, because..." The State Father-in-law did not dare say outright that "the Retired Emperor is rebelling." Chongzhen was, after all, his son-in-law; even if he was going to expose him, he had to do it tactfully.

"Because this old subject's son-in-law has gone mad!"

What? Your son-in-law has gone mad? Zhu Cilang had not expected Zhou Kui to be talking about Chongzhen. Zhou Kui had three daughters: the eldest had married Chongzhen, the second was already widowed, so the one who had gone mad should be the State Father-in-law's third daughter's husband — that is, Zhu Cilang's youngest uncle-in-law.

"Our youngest uncle-in-law has gone mad?" Zhu Cilang frowned. "He was perfectly normal at New Year's; how did he go mad in the blink of an eye?"

"It is not this subject's youngest son-in-law, but this subject's eldest son-in-law who has gone mad..."

"Your eldest son-in-law..." Zhu Cilang turned and glanced at Chongzhen, his gaze carrying a trace of puzzlement: Imperial Father, have you gone mad or not?

Chongzhen was likewise utterly astonished. He had invited Zhou Kui to Yingtian Prefecture to help him sell things — Chongzhen had too many treasures to put up for sale, and the Yingtian Prefecture market could not quite absorb them all, so he had wanted the State Father-in-law to help sell them in Suzhou Prefecture.

But what was wrong with this old man? Chongzhen truly could not understand — why had this old man, the moment he arrived in Yingtian Prefecture, told the unfilial son that We had gone mad?

At this moment, the Hall of Imperial Supremacy, which had been somewhat noisy, fell utterly silent. The princes stopped scrambling for territory and all stared at Chongzhen.

Zhu Cilang frowned and asked, "What exactly is going on?"

The State Father-in-law said, "Your Majesty, this subject is not very clear on exactly what is going on either. This subject merely received an oral decree from the Retired Emperor ordering him to come quickly to Old Mountain Palace. This subject did not dare delay and came at once. Only upon arriving here did he learn that the Retired Emperor is selling palace treasures to raise funds for founding a state. But how could establishing a state be something the Retired Emperor could accomplish? He should not even think of such a thing! Let alone setting up a stall at the palace gate to sell treasures to raise money for such scheming. Therefore this old subject believes the Retired Emperor must have gone mad..."

"Zhou Kui, what nonsense are you spouting!?"

Before the State Father-in-law had even finished speaking, the Chongzhen Retired Emperor had already leapt to his feet. He had already been misunderstood as a fatuous ruler — grievance enough — and now he was a madman too? If word of this got out, it would be disastrous!

When the old State Father-in-law heard Chongzhen's roar, his heart trembled. He hurriedly looked up and saw the "Mad Emperor" standing there in a fury, his face ashen and terrifying — he really did look like a madman!

Zhu Cilang, meanwhile, shook his head repeatedly and said with a smile, "Imperial Father, calm your anger. Do not lower yourself to the old State Father-in-law's level. The old State Father-in-law is advanced in years and his wits are addled; how could he know how big the business we are now engaged in is?"

What business? The State Father-in-law was stunned again and again. Was this not the court? Was it a place for doing business?

Just as the old gentleman was bewildered, Prince of Lu Zhu Yihai spoke up. He was now the head of the Imperial Clan Court, and counted as an elder of the imperial clan. Although the State Father-in-law was not of the imperial clan, he was still an imperial in-law, and now that some misunderstanding had arisen, it was proper for him to step forward and explain.

"State Father-in-law, the great business His Majesty is now leading us princes in is called colonial state-building! That is, going beyond the borders of the Great Ming homeland to seize an unowned, rich land and establish a vassal state. The Retired Emperor is selling off some treasures he has no use for precisely to raise funds to invest in this great enterprise!"

Zhou Kui shook his head repeatedly. "I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?" Zhu Cilang asked patiently.

Zhou Kui said, "This old subject does not understand why an unowned land must still be seized. And how could an unowned land be rich?"

"Well..." Zhu Cilang thought for a moment. "Old State Father-in-law, just now you recklessly claimed the Retired Emperor had gone mad... Many people heard it. What should be done about that? Prince of Lu, you are the head of the Imperial Clan Court — tell Us, should the State Father-in-law be punished for babbling nonsense and slandering the Retired Emperor?"

Zhu Yihai said solemnly, "He should be punished!"

When Zhou Kui heard this, his heart nearly shattered!

Zhu Cilang said in a deep voice, "What punishment should he receive?"

Zhu Yihai replied, "Your Majesty, Zhou Kui is, after all, the Retired Emperor's father-in-law. What punishment he should receive, this subject requests that the Retired Emperor decide."

Zhu Cilang nodded and said to Zhou Kui with a smile, "As long as the Retired Emperor forgives you, We shall not pursue it. Hurry and plead with the Retired Emperor!"

"Retired Emperor, this old subject..." The moment Zhou Kui saw the expression on the Chongzhen Retired Emperor's face, he knew things were bad. "This old subject is muddled, this old subject is truly muddled!"

"Hmph!" Chongzhen merely gave a cold snort.

Zhou Kui had no choice but to plead with his eyes to Zhu Cilang. Zhu Cilang said to Chongzhen with a smile, "Imperial Father... your son has heard that your treasures are not selling well — many people come to gawk, but few take out their money!"

Chongzhen sighed. "Indeed, they are not selling very well!"

"Jiading Bo," Zhu Cilang then said to Zhou Kui, "how about you fork out a few hundred thousand taels of silver and buy some treasures to take home? That way the Retired Emperor might not hold it against you."

"A few hundred thousand..."

Zhou Kui was getting desperate. Most of Chongzhen's things were tribute goods, and specially made imperial-use articles at that. Once bought, these things could only be enshrined — they were utterly useless!

"Buy them, buy them!" Zhu Cilang laughed. "They're all fine things, quite good for passing down to your descendants... Even if they wanted to squander them, it would be hard!"

Indeed — they were all imperial-use articles. Even if you took them to gamble, no banker would dare accept them!

"This old, old subject doesn't have..." Zhou Kui was speaking while stealing a glance at the Chongzhen Emperor's expression, and hurriedly changed his words. "This old subject will buy them, all right? I'll buy them!"

"Good, good!" Zhu Cilang smiled. "Rise. Grant him a seat!"

He then waved to the group of princes. "You all sit too. Everyone sit down. We have something to say to you."

At his summons, the princes all sat down according to their ranks.

Zhu Cilang said, "We know what you were just arguing about... You all want to seize a good piece of land and build a large, wealthy state to pass down to your descendants.

The idea is good, but you have underestimated the difficulties and overestimated the benefits! If colonial state-building were really that easy, We would have taken all the territory Ourselves long ago — would We have left it to you? And do not envy the King of Jiaqing, thinking that he had neither ability nor capital, yet still managed to accomplish colonial state-building, and therefore believing you can do it too.

In truth, the Kingdom of Jiaqing cannot be considered to have been established by the King of Jiaqing. He was merely a banner! The real force that established the Kingdom of Jiaqing was two Japanese samurai groups led by Hoshina Masateru and Shimazu Mitsuhisa... These men can fight, kill, and also manage affairs. Staying in Japan offered them no future, so they were willing to take great risks. The King of Jiaqing is an honest man, easy to get along with, and he is Our younger brother, carrying the banner of the Great Ming Celestial Dynasty — that is why he won their support.

Even so, the Kingdom of Jiaqing they built will not find it easy to develop. The money raised by selling noble titles will at most allow that vassal state to survive."

(End of Chapter)