Chapter 36: Loving Not Silver, Only the Great Ming (Seeking Recommendations)

"Giving that much money? Where would the court get the money? Aren't the state treasury and the palace treasury both empty?"

Li Guozhen's eyes went wide and round once again, his sun-darkened, red-flushed, trowel-shaped face full of astonishment.

Zhu Chunchen pointed upward and said, panting, "Go up. Once you're on the gate tower, you'll understand..."

"The Crown Prince is on the gate tower?" Only then did Li Guozhen remember that he had come to Fucheng Gate to pay his respects to the Crown Prince, who was overseeing the army.

"He is!" Zhu Chunchen nodded. "If he weren't, would I be running up and down in these several dozen catties of iron? Am I stuffed full and bored?"

"Perfect timing, then. I must go pay my respects to the Crown Prince, Thousand Years."

"You won't get to see him..." Zhu Chunchen shook his head. "Right now, seeing the Crown Prince requires queuing. You'd better have your attendants go queue first, and you can take over patrolling the wall for me for a while."

"Queuing? Are that many people trying to see the Crown Prince?"

"Many! Several hundred!" Zhu Chunchen looked up at the sky and gave a bitter laugh. "I'd guess not many even went to morning court today. They've all come to queue to see the Crown Prince."

"Morning court?" Li Guozhen was taken aback. "His Majesty is still in the capital?"

"Of course he is."

"Then how is it that the Crown Prince has taken command of the army?"

Zhu Chunchen sighed. "Isn't it because the Crown Prince has a way of doing things?"

What way? Li Guozhen wondered. Could the Crown Prince have sidelined the Emperor and be seizing power?

At that thought, he had no more time to waste chatting with Zhu Chunchen. He turned and headed for the horse ramp up the wall. He had only gotten halfway up the ramp when he saw officials and nobles in python robes of every color queuing up, with several "big-bearded Pure Soldiers" on hand keeping order. The moment they saw Li Guozhen coming up, a gray-bearded "Pure Soldier" immediately stepped forward to block him.

"By order of His Highness Thousand Years, all officials coming to contribute military funds must queue in order. No one may cut the line!"

Li Guozhen could hardly believe his ears. He asked the "Pure Soldier elder" in front of him, "What did you say? These officials queuing here are all here to... donate money?"

"That's right!"

How was that possible?! Just as Li Guozhen stood there stunned, he suddenly heard someone calling his name. He looked up and saw Wuqing Marquis Li Guorui, beaming with joy, trotting down from the gate tower, accompanied by a eunuch and an Eastern Palace guard.

Seeing Li Guozhen, Li Guorui gave a cheerful salute. "Earl of Xiangcheng, what took you so long! You're late..."

"How am I late?" Li Guozhen was completely baffled.

"If you're late, you miss the chance to contribute military funds and serve the country with loyalty!" Li Guorui smilingly produced a princely decree. "I've already received His Highness Thousand Years' decree... I'm off to Dagukou to inspect the defenses. Until we meet again!"

With that, he cupped his hands toward Li Guozhen and dashed down from the wall as if flying.

What was going on? Li Guozhen was utterly confused. What did contributing military funds have to do with going to Dagukou to inspect defenses?

And wasn't contributing military funds the sort of thing people went out of their way to avoid? Why was there a queue now? He had only been away from Beijing for a few days! How had all these officials in the city stopped loving silver and started loving only the Great Ming?

And besides... what defenses were there to inspect at Dagukou? The roving bandits weren't sea raiders. They were attacking from the northwest and southwest. There were no roving bandits on the sea off Tianjin Garrison.

Unable to figure out the key to it, Li Guozhen stopped trying. He said to the long-bearded Pure Soldier elder blocking him, "This official is Li Guozhen, Commander of the Capital Camps. I have just returned from outside the city and have urgent military matters to report to His Highness the Crown Prince."

At the mention of urgent military matters, the Pure Soldier elder dared not block Li Guozhen further, but the officials queuing nearby were not happy.

"Don't let him through!"

"Stop him..."

"Don't let him waste His Highness Thousand Years' time..."

"Right! We still need to contribute and serve the country!"

Li Guozhen felt his brain was no longer sufficient. What in the world was going on? Why was everyone so eager to contribute military funds? Were all these people queuing here loyal subjects of the Great Ming? No, that couldn't be right. Not long ago, when His Majesty asked everyone to donate, hadn't they all claimed to have no money?

At that thought, Li Guozhen searched among the officials waiting to donate and found a Bureau Director of the Bureau of Operations in the Ministry of War he knew quite well — a civil official in his thirties named Zhou Zerui.

"Jingfu, what are you doing here? Are you also here to contribute military funds?"

This Bureau Director Zhou was fair-skinned and plump; judging by his complexion, he had not been an official in the capital for very long. Whether it was because fat men fear heat, or because he was anxious waiting and waiting without his turn to donate, he was mopping sweat at that moment.

Hearing Li Guozhen's words, he opened his mouth and said, "Commander, this humble official is a successor of the Donglin, and has always taken the rise and fall of the realm as his own responsibility. Now that the bandits are at the gates of the capital, this humble official naturally must contribute and serve."

Li Guozhen said blankly, "But Jingfu, aren't you an incorruptible official? Just days ago, when His Majesty had all officials and nobles contribute, you were about to pawn your treasured ancient books to me. How do you have money today?"

"Yes, Zhou Jingfu, how is it that you have money now?" A eunuch-faction official nearby, who evidently did not get along with the Donglin Faction, immediately interjected in a sour tone.

"Why shouldn't I have money?" Zhou Zerui glared. "This official sold his treasured ancient books for five thousand taels of silver, and today I am donating it all to the state for military funds!"

"Ancient books? In these chaotic times, who would buy ancient books?"

Zhou Zerui said, "This official sold the ancient books to Gong Xiaosheng."

"Surely not?" At that moment, a eunuch queuing ahead suddenly interjected in a strange tone. "This servant was just queuing right next to Gong Xiaosheng. He said he too is an incorruptible official with no money to contribute, but for loyalty to the sovereign and love of country, he had no choice but to sell Lady Hengbo for money..."

What? Gong Dingzi sold Gu Hengbo?!

Li Guozhen was so shocked his mouth gaped wide enough to fit his own fist!

Gu Hengbo! One of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai! She and Gong Dingzi, Gong Xiaosheng, one of the Three Talents of Jiangzuo, were a celebrated match. How could he suddenly turn hard-hearted and sell her? And Gong Dingzi selling Gu Hengbo for money out of loyalty to the sovereign and love of country... this, this didn't sound real no matter how he heard it!

What in the world had happened in the capital? What was wrong with these officials? How had they become so patriotic and loyal?

He hadn't seen them for a few days, and now they all wanted neither money nor beautiful women, but only to be loyal subjects...

Of course Gong Dingzi would not sell Gu Hengbo. How could he bear to? There was true love between him and Gu Hengbo. And he was not so poor that he couldn't produce two thousand taels of gold. That amount was nothing to him — even Gu Hengbo's own private savings exceeded it.

But if he didn't say that, how could he explain how he, a Donglin gentleman of spotless integrity and lofty character, could be so wealthy as to produce two thousand taels of gold all at once to contribute in loyal service? So while queuing on the horse ramp, Gong Dingzi casually made up a story. As it happened, Zhu Cilang's head guard Zhu Chunjie overheard it and went to report to Zhu Cilang.

And when Zhu Cilang learned of this, he immediately sent his teacher Lin Zengzhi to invite Gong Dingzi into the gate tower.

"Talent Gong is truly a rare loyal subject of our Great Ming!" Zhu Cilang said with a moved expression. "We have also heard of the celebrated match between you and Lady Hengbo. We cannot allow lovers to be parted... How about this: We shall give you a decree. Take it and go reclaim Lady Hengbo, then proceed to Tianjin Garrison to deliver Our decree. After delivering the decree, wait for Us and His Majesty at Dagukou."

"We greatly admire your learning, sir, and hope you will serve as Our lecturer... From now on, sir, you shall be Our teacher!"

This was truly hitting the jackpot. Two thousand taels of gold had not only bought a decree to leave Beijing — allowing him to depart openly through Chaoyang Gate — but also allowed him to bring his family and valuables. And on top of that, he had become the teacher of the Crown Prince, who held great power... This was a real bargain!

He accepted the decree Zhu Cilang handed him, then wrote in a register: "Subject Gong Dingzi respectfully receives His Highness the Crown Prince's decree." Only then did he depart together with a palace attendant and a guard — the palace attendant and guard were going along to collect the money. Only after receiving the contributed gold would they escort Gong Dingzi out of the city through Chaoyang Gate.

Watching Gong Dingzi sign the register, Zhu Cilang was overjoyed. Excellent, another loyal subject discovered!

Who said there were no loyal subjects in Beijing at the end of the Ming? Clearly it was just that the Chongzhen Emperor didn't know how to discover loyal subjects! Now that it was his turn — look, so many loyal subjects queuing to donate money... Just a moment ago, loyal subjects had even fought to cut in line so they could donate their money to the state faster!

If Li Zicheng knew the current state of Beijing, he would probably turn around and go home at once, wouldn't he?

For the rankings, an extra chapter will be added early tomorrow morning. Please recommend, please bookmark. I beg everyone.

(End of Chapter)