Chapter 112: Scheming

In the main hall of Qianqing Palace, Chongzhen sat on the dragon throne reviewing documents. The silver from this salt merchants' assembly had already been moved into the Inner Custodian Vault.

With Zhao Sihai and Li Youjin taking the lead, most salt merchants chose to show their stance with ready silver, while a small portion opted for credit sales. This time, over twenty thousand shi of salt—more than two million jin—was sold, yielding around two hundred thousand taels of silver. It was already a very respectable result.

Of course, relative to the millions of people in the capital region, this volume of sales counted for little. But once the people came to accept it, in the near future, sun-dried salt would come to dominate the market, until it completely took over the entire region north of the Yangtze.

Everything takes a process, and requires vast amounts of money, materials, and manpower. Gong Fanwu shipped the salt by boat to the docks at Tianjin, then hired carts and porters to move it to the warehouses built north of the capital—the expenses along the way were considerable.

The salt merchants likewise had to hire carts and porters to haul the salt back to their own territories for distribution—time-consuming and laborious. Of course, compared to shipping salt up from Jiangnan, it saved a large sum of money, and there were no checkpoints along the way, no petty clerks squeezing them.

Luo Yangxing sent men to follow each salt merchant separately, not returning until the goods had reached their destinations.

Every colonel escorting the shipments received generous travel allowances, and some salt merchants even added extra gifts of money to curry favor.

When the first batch of men returned and bragged openly, the escort duty became a hot commodity—all the Embroidered Uniform Guard officers and men in the capital's guard stations fought over the assignment. In the end, Luo Yangxing had to announce that each guard station would take turns sending men. But with tens of thousands of officers, even rotating, only a few were assigned each time—one might wait an eternity for his turn. Disappointed, their expectations for expanding the sun-dried salt market shot up all the more. Because the bigger the market, the shorter the interval between turns—and the more allowances and side income there would be.

Chongzhen set down the documents and said to Luo Yangxing, who stood below the dais: "Have the Northern Provost strengthen surveillance of the salt merchants in Shandong and Henan. Following the same approach used in the capital region, open up those two provinces' markets as quickly as possible. Zhao Sihai of Zhending and Li Youjin of Baoding may be given the status of peripheral personnel of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, as a mark of commendation."

Zhao Sihai and Li Youjin had gambled correctly this time. The Embroidered Uniform Guard not only had a great many officers, but also numerous peripheral operatives scattered through the streets and markets, engaged in every sort of trade. Teahouses and wine shops, carts, boats, and docks, the servants and maids of powerful households—all had eyes and ears planted by the Guard.

Though they were only peripheral personnel, with this layer of identity as protection, the Guard would naturally step forward to back them should anything happen—they counted as half-official. Compared to being a mere salt merchant, they had gained a talisman of protection, more confidence in their dealings, and greater boldness.

Luo Yangxing bowed and acknowledged the order.

Chongzhen continued: "Gong Fanwu has done very well! But it would not be appropriate to give him an official post just now—once he has one, his actions will be constrained. I will have the Imperial Son-in-law inform him, so that he understands my difficulties. The Shouguang salt field has gotten onto the right track; select reliable men from the Guard to take it over. Instruct them to follow the regulations in everything, expand the salt pans, and increase output. I intend to send Gong Fanwu to the Changlu salt field."

Luo Yangxing said in surprise: "Your Majesty, the Changlu salt field is under the Ministry of Revenue, and still has a Commissioner, a Director, and many other officials. Gong Fanwu is a commoner—in what capacity would he take over the salt field?"

Chongzhen said: "Of course I know that. The Changlu salt field has convenient transport—if it is put to good use, in the future all the salt for the capital region and the two provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi will come from there. At present the Changlu field is nearly abandoned; the officials there think only of their own profit and disregard the court's interests. Send men to investigate their embezzlement, then arrest them. I will issue an edict abolishing Changlu on the grounds that it cannot cover its expenses, after which Gong Fanwu can take over. This must be done quickly—handle it immediately when you return!"

The Duke of Cheng's mansion was located in the western quarter of the capital, near the Imperial City, occupying a full several hundred mu. Within, pavilions and towers with carved beams and painted rafters stood among rare flowers and exotic plants.

In a study in the fifth courtyard of the inner residence, Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen and Earl of Xiangcheng Li Guozhen were holding a secret discussion. By the master's order, no one was anywhere near the study—only a few guards stood watch at the courtyard gate.

Zhu Chunchen was tall and powerfully built, with a square face that naturally inspired awe. After all, as the man commanding the Capital Camps' hundred thousand troops, second among the nobility in rank, he had naturally developed an air of superiority over the years.

Frowning, he said to Li Guozhen across the low table: "You're saying the Emperor wants to take the Capital Camps from our hands? Is this reliable? Has someone been feeding the Emperor slander?"

Li Guozhen was thin, and his long face held a pair of triangular eyes that glittered with shrewdness. Setting down his teacup, he replied: "Does Your Grace recall how the Emperor recently summoned Xue Lian and Wei Shichun?"

Zhu Chunchen nodded: "I later sent men to inquire. The two went to court over donating funds for military pay—little to do with us. What of it? Is this connected to the matter of the Capital Camps?"

Li Guozhen replied: "A steward in my household is a fellow townsman with the inner-residence steward of the Marquis of Yangwu's mansion, and the two often find time to drink together. Yesterday that inner-residence steward happened to mention that the Earl of Xuancheng frequently goes to the Marquis of Yangwu's mansion for banquets, sometimes bringing several Capital Camps officers along. On one occasion, when everyone was deep in their cups, he vaguely heard the Earl of Xuancheng shout something about how, once he took command of the Capital Camps, he would surely drill a crack force of troops, and so forth. Knowing how serious this was, my steward hurried back and reported to me at once. I came today to inform Your Grace, so we might discuss what should be done!"

Zhu Chunchen stroked his beard in thought. After a long while he said: "Since the Duke of Ying grew old and frail and stopped attending to affairs, the Capital Camps have been in our hands for years. The Capital Camps today can be said to be our private army—for anyone else to try to get a hand in would be extremely difficult! The Emperor is already run ragged by the roving bandits and the Liaodong affair. I judge he won't stir up more trouble. Perhaps he merely made an empty promise in recognition of Xue and Wei's donation. You worry too much!"

Li Guozhen smiled bitterly: "I hope I'm overthinking it! But something in my heart keeps telling me it's not right! Where there's smoke, there's fire—there must be some cause! In any case, we cannot be caught off guard."

Zhu Chunchen nodded: "Since the Tumu Incident, the nobility has been in decline for over a century! The Regional Commanders and generals of the various military commands are no longer drawn from noble houses. The Capital Camps have become the last facade propping us up! The authority over the Capital Camps must never fall into another's hands!"

After a moment of silence, Li Guozhen suddenly asked: "Your Grace, there's something I don't know whether I should ask or not!"

Zhu Chunchen laughed: "You and I are old family friends, close as brothers in daily life—what is there that cannot be said?"

Li Guozhen hesitated a while, then finally said: "Your Grace, the situation of the Great Ming is worsening by the day. The imperial troops grow ever more lax and dispirited, the roving bandits seem poised to sweep everything before them, and on top of that the slave bandits in the east watch hungrily. I keep having a feeling that the great hall is about to collapse! If it truly comes to the point one dare not speak of, how should you and I conduct ourselves?!"

Zhu Chunchen was stunned into a long silence at these words, his expression a mix of bewilderment and sorrow. Only after a long time did he slowly speak: "The ducal and earl titles you and I hold were won by our ancestors through bloody battle alongside the Taizong Emperor! By rights, the Great Ming has supported us for over two hundred years—if it truly comes to what you say, we ought to perish together with the state! Only... alas!"

Li Guozhen sighed: "I understand Your Grace's heart completely! At this point, our households number several hundred mouths each. To face the national calamity together—how difficult that would be! Let me say something treasonous: if that day truly comes, we should prepare early. We cannot watch two hundred years of glory and wealth vanish in an instant! How then would we have the face to meet our ancestors?"

Zhu Chunchen gave Li Guozhen a long, deep look and said: "What does my worthy brother suggest we do?"

Li Guozhen abruptly rose, fixed his eyes on Zhu Chunchen's, and said in a low voice with firm conviction: "The Capital Camps must be kept in our hands—then when the time comes, we can act as circumstances dictate!"

Zhu Chunchen let out a long sigh: "The Zhu family has never treated us badly. To abandon them would truly weigh on my conscience! Let us wait and see! The situation may not deteriorate as my worthy brother predicts. Regardless, the Capital Camps are the foundation of our standing—no one will take them from us! My worthy brother, go back and have censors we know submit memorials impeaching us! Say that our two households are lax in discipline, allowing our people to compete with the common folk for profit!"

Li Guozhen thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up and he laughed: "Your Grace means to use this to test the Emperor's intentions! Excellent! If the Emperor truly means to move against us, he will naturally seize the opportunity to issue a reprimand, laying the groundwork for the future! If not, it shows the Emperor harbors no such designs! I'll return at once and notify the censors I know after dark. Farewell!"

Early the next morning, a personal memorial from Censor Zhao Rui appeared on the imperial desk in Qianqing Palace. Its contents were simply that the slaves and stewards of the Duke of Cheng's and Earl of Xiangcheng's mansions, relying on their masters' power, fought with merchants over resources, bullied the market, and sought to monopolize trade—and so forth—with no actual evidence attached.

After reading it, Chongzhen laughed it off, privately scornful of Zhu Chunchen and Li Guozhen's little game. He tossed the memorial aside and sent Li Erxi to the Censorate to personally reprimand Zhao Rui, rebuking him that as a Censor, he should not merely report rumors, but must provide concrete evidence—otherwise he risked being suspected of slander.

When Zhu and Li heard the news, they felt somewhat relieved at heart.