Chapter 492: Another Trump Card for the Rebels and Traitors

Of course Chongzhen had to go... In Huguang's Chengtian Prefecture there was a Xianling mausoleum — the tomb of the Jiajing Emperor's father, Xingxian Emperor Zhu Youyuan. The Chongzhen Emperor was a descendant of the Jiajing Emperor, so Xingxian Emperor Zhu Youyuan was his ancestor!

Now that his ancestor's imperial tomb was about to be burned a second time by Li Zicheng, could Chongzhen, as a descendant, not go?

If he did not go, he would be an unfilial descendant of the Ming. Zhu Cilang was a filial son — how could he bear to let his father Chongzhen become an unfilial descendant?

So Zhu Cilang's meaning was still that Chongzhen should personally lead the campaign!

But whether Chongzhen went or not still had to be his own decision. The great filial son Zhu could not exactly tie Chongzhen up with a rope and drag him to Wuchang...

So Zhu Cilang went with Wei Zaode, Wu Xiang, Li Yan, and the others to the Wuying Hall where the Chongzhen Emperor resided.

Before they even arrived, they heard the sound of string and bamboo music drifting out.

Needless to say, the fatuous ruler was again appreciating the art of the human body... Chongzhen was truly growing more and more muddle-headed! Last time he returned from personally leading the campaign, he issued an edict to the Ministry of Rites to select palace beauties!

Zhu Cilang of course would not agree — selecting palace beauties was far too disruptive to the people, and besides, Zhu Cilang already had rather too many younger brothers and sisters! In the end Chongzhen said in court that Crown Prince Zhu was unfilial... leaving Crown Prince Zhu no choice but to agree to let the parents of commoner beauties voluntarily register their daughters — with rewards, of course: one thousand taels of silver if selected, and ten taels even if not.

In the end this commotion cost Zhu Cilang over a hundred thousand taels, because Chongzhen selected a hundred beauties... It was truly outrageous — how could he be so debauched and unprincipled?

Still, Chongzhen, newly endowed with a hundred beauties, did settle down considerably. Every day he just frolicked with Crown Prince Zhu's "little mothers," appreciated the art of the human body, and incidentally produced some Princes and Princesses for the great Ming dynasty!

"Imperial Father, your son has matters of state and war to discuss. How about pausing the song and dance for a moment?"

When Crown Prince Zhu entered Wuying Hall, the song and dance full of Western-Region flavor was still going on. The one dancing for Chongzhen was a mixed-blood woman presented by that treacherous minister Luo Dagong — who knew if she was the bastard child of that Western missionary who loved beauties more than God?

This Luo Dagong had not even feared that this beauty of foreign blood might plot against Chongzhen before sending her to Nanjing. The filial son Zhu Cilang had wanted to seize her and take her to his own place for a thorough interrogation... He never expected that fatuous ruler Chongzhen to take a liking to her at first glance and even make her Consort Hu!

"My beloved consort," Chongzhen said with a smile, waving his hand and speaking gently to the mixed-blood beauty, "rest for now. We will speak with the Crown Prince for a while."

The beauty was probably tired from dancing as well. She treated Chongzhen with cool indifference, performed a perfunctory bow, then with light lotus steps withdrew from Wenhua Hall.

Chongzhen, however, pouted his old lips, looking displeased. "Dachun, you've come at just the right time. Our beloved Consort Hu is fond of eastern pearls, and there are none in the palace. Go find Us a few hundred of the larger ones and bring them."

A few hundred eastern pearls? Zhu Cilang almost turned and walked out! Only wild pearls produced in that northeastern corner were called eastern pearls! Now the territory producing eastern pearls was all occupied by the Great Qing, and the Qing had strict regulations on the harvesting of eastern pearls — ordinary merchants simply could not get them!

Where was Zhu Cilang supposed to get a few hundred, and larger ones at that? Was he supposed to go buy them from Dorgon? Wouldn't that cost several hundred thousand taels?

Although the great Ming now had silver, it could not be squandered like this!

"Imperial Father!" Zhu Cilang's face hardened, and he said sternly, "Your son has just received word that the Roving Bandit Li Zicheng is about to raise a great army to attack Chengtian Prefecture, intending to dig up the Xianling mausoleum of the old master of the Rui Temple!"

Now Li Zicheng had taken up tomb-robbing on the side — he must be the chief of the Xieling tomb-robbers!

"Oh." Chongzhen nodded, looking at Zhu Cilang. "Dachun, the tomb of the old ancestor of the Rui Temple is about to be dug up, so why haven't you sent troops? Send troops at once! If you're late it will be too late..."

"Imperial Father!" Zhu Cilang shook his head, his face full of disappointment. "You should personally lead the campaign! Just like last time when you fought Hooge!"

"Not going, not going," Chongzhen said with a laugh. "Here there is pleasure; I shall not campaign in person!"

What? Here there is pleasure; I shall not campaign in person... Zhu Cilang was shocked. In his heart he said: How can you be like this? You are a fatuous ruler!

Chongzhen seemed to see through Zhu Cilang's thoughts, and actually nodded with a smile, as if to say: We are indeed a fatuous ruler! We have now come around — being a fatuous ruler is so delightful. One can ignore state affairs, have so many beauties for company, and spend silver recklessly... The happiest thing in the world is nothing other than being a fatuous ruler.

"Dachun," Chongzhen said with a smile, "go on campaign at once... Once you have driven Li Zicheng out of Huguang, Our wish will be fulfilled! We will abdicate and become Retired Emperor, and henceforth live in leisure and pleasure, never again troubling Ourself with the mundane affairs of court!"

This, this, this... Was this real?

"Is what Your Majesty says true?" Chief Grand Secretary Wei Zaode quickly pressed.

"It is true!" Chongzhen said with a laugh. "We are now as happy as an immortal, content with all things — why would We still cling to troublesome power and position? We can publicly announce this matter at the grand court assembly... In short, We shall not leave Nanjing, nor campaign in person again. Matters of war shall be decided by the Army-Supervising Crown Prince."

He was even going to announce it at the grand court assembly?

Zhu Cilang's heart was stirred now... He had long been waiting for this day! Although he could usurp the throne at any time, a usurped throne was never fully legitimate. Besides, he was not a treacherous minister and rebel like Dorgon — he was the proper and legitimate Crown Prince. The throne was his by right of succession, so why should he stage a coup and usurp it?

Moreover, once that precedent was set, when Zhu Cilang grew old, wouldn't he have to worry every day about his sons rebelling?

Chongzhen watched Zhu Cilang sink into thought, looking somewhat pleased with himself, and said with a smile: "Dachun, don't decline... We have actually long wanted to abdicate to you, only fearing that you were too young to command the obedience of all. If you can first defeat the eastern barbarians and then break the roving bandits, who would dare not submit? What would We have left to worry about?"

Is that so? You've finally come around?

Zhu Cilang was somewhat doubtful, but still could not give up the chance to become emperor legitimately... So he sighed lightly: "Imperial Father, your son actually does not want to be emperor either..."

Chongzhen nodded, seeming to understand very well: Yes, being emperor is so bitter — it is all forced by circumstance, with no choice but to do it! You — you have suffering ahead of you!

"But previously the Great Ancestor, the Exalted Emperor, entrusted this to me in a dream, and now Imperial Father insists on yielding. If your son does not accept, that would be a great unfilial act!" Zhu Cilang said. "Your son has read the books of the sages since childhood and knows that of all virtues, filial piety comes first. How could I disobey the will of the Great Ancestor, the Exalted Emperor, and Imperial Father?"

Chongzhen nodded with satisfaction. "We knew you were filial... Tomorrow We shall convene the grand court assembly, and We shall publicly announce the matter of abdication.

By the way, when will the eastern pearls We want be delivered? Also, We have been spending without counting these days — five hundred thousand taels of gold-flower silver a year is not enough for Our expenses! Dachun, you are a filial son..."

Being an emperor is not easy, and being a filial son is even harder! The two together are probably harder still!

"The matter of the eastern pearls is on your son," Zhu Cilang said with a smile, gritting his back teeth. "As for the gold-flower silver to honor Imperial Father... double it — one million taels a year!"

Zhu Cilang, Wei Zaode, Li Yan, and Wu Xiang had already left, yet the song and dance in Wuying Hall had still not resumed. In the vast palace hall, apart from a few palace maids who were Chongzhen's trusted confidantes, only Pang Tianshou remained alone in attendance.

When Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen had been discussing the abdication just now, Pang Tianshou had been standing in the great hall, but he had not had the slightest presence — only now did he come forward to speak.

"Imperial Lord, do you truly mean to yield?"

Chongzhen's expression had already darkened. He merely gave a soft snort: "Only by retreating can one advance... If We do not take a step back, We are a bird in a cage, without the slightest freedom. Even with the ambition of a great swan, it is hard to reach the blue sky!"

"Your Majesty, you mean..."

Chongzhen smiled faintly: "If We abdicate immediately... the Crown Prince's throne will be secured, and others will have no chance. If We insist on not abdicating, then We will be kept by the Crown Prince's side, and others will still have no chance at all. Now that We are between abdicating and not abdicating, the Crown Prince has no way to force Us to campaign in person. And the treacherous ministers and rebels in the outer court should also know that this is their last chance!"