Chapter 36: The Court Assembly

Minister of Revenue Hou Xun was reporting on the affairs of his ministry. To call it a report would be generous—it was more like a torrent of complaints. Since he had taken over from Bi Zisu as Minister of Revenue in the seventh year of Chongzhen, he had been diligent and conscientious, exhausting his every thought. But even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice—Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Huguang and other provinces had suffered not only years of severe drought but also the ravages of the roving bandits. The court first had to dispatch official troops to suppress the bandits, and second had to allocate money and grain to relieve the disaster victims and restore production. Not only did these provinces fail to remit their tax revenues, but the Ministry of Revenue also had to allocate large sums of money and grain to them.

Not to mention Liaodong, that bottomless pit. The official troops stationed in Liaodong nominally numbered one hundred and eighty thousand, and with men eating and horses chewing, the annual cost reached several million taels. How much of those several million taels actually ended up in the pockets of the Liaodong warlords was hard to say. The court was like a mute swallowing bitter gourd—knowing full well the bitterness—but to guard against the Jianzhou barbarians, they had to grit their teeth and satisfy the appetites of these military strongmen.

Finally, Hou Xun reported with a bitter face: "At present, the treasury of the Ministry of Revenue holds only two hundred thousand taels of silver. The documents from governors and regional commanders across the realm demanding money are overwhelming. Your minister is utterly exhausted in mind and body—truly willing but unable! The only course now is to levy an additional suppression tax, but this matter is of great importance, and your minister dare not decide on his own. I can only respectfully await Your Majesty's judgment!"

Chongzhen spoke: "What method does my minister propose for this suppression tax? Let me hear it!"

Hou Xun hesitated for a moment, then spoke: "I report to Your Majesty, what I say today is wholly for the public good. If Your Majesty adopts my humble proposal, I fear public opinion will run fierce, and I will be pointed at by a thousand fingers!"

Chongzhen said in a gentle voice: "As long as you act for the public good, my minister need not worry overmuch. Present your proposal—as for whether I adopt it, I will weigh it myself!"

Hou Xun made a bow and spoke: "As for the so-called suppression tax, your minister proposes to levy it through four channels: The first is equal distribution—apportioning it evenly according to the cultivated land area of the Great Ming. For every mu of farmland, six he of rice is levied; for every dan of rice, converted to eight qian of silver. This single item alone can yield one million nine hundred thousand taels of silver annually. The second is surplus land—land newly added to the cultivated acreage of the Great Ming after the comprehensive survey from the sixth to the eleventh year of Wanli. When the Liaodong levy was previously imposed, this land was not included; this time it will be levied together, yielding approximately four hundred thousand taels. The third is the sale of Imperial Academy student status—at present, our Great Ming has a great many sons of officials and wealthy merchants who idle about at home, stirring up trouble. From what your minister knows, many of them are quite interested in the title of Imperial Academy student. Your minister suggests exchanging a certain amount of wealth for the title of Imperial Academy student—surely there will be no shortage of respondents. The fourth is the abolition of postal relay stations—your minister estimates that after reducing the postal stations throughout the Great Ming, two hundred thousand taels of expenditure can be saved. In summary, if my suggestions receive Your Majesty's adoption, together they can yield approximately three million taels annually, more than enough to greatly alleviate the current crisis."

No sooner had Hou Xun finished his report than Huang Daozhou, Junior Supervisor of the Household of the Heir Apparent, stepped forward and memorialized: "I report to Your Majesty, your minister opposes the words of the Ministry of Revenue. Since the wars began, the Liaodong levy and training levy have increased daily by the mu, and the common people suffer beyond words! Now the Ministry of Revenue advances this theory of equal distribution, which will surely aggravate the suffering of the people. The cause of the Shaanxi bandits is known to all under heaven—is the Ministry of Revenue afraid there are too few rebels?!" By the end, his voice and expression were severe.

Chongzhen's brows furrowed slightly as he spoke: "Minister Hou's plan proceeds from the affairs of his own ministry, and his intention is to relieve the court's worries. Minister Huang need not attach labels. Since Minister Huang does not approve of the Ministry of Revenue's policy, what excellent views does my minister have? Let me hear them!"

Huang Daozhou thought for a moment, then reported: "Your minister believes that the best course now is nothing other than restoring the military farmland system of the Grand Progenitor, the August Emperor. Soldiers farm in peacetime and fight in wartime, using the fields they till to support their families. In this way, without adding levies, the troops will be self-sufficient!"

Chang Ziyu, Supervising Secretary of the Bureau of Military Appointments, stepped forward and memorialized: "The words of the Junior Supervisor have their reason, but have you considered this? At present the roving bandits run rampant, war and chaos prevail, drought springs up on all sides, and the people's hearts are uneasy. The official troops are fighting on all fronts—where is the sufficient military strength to guarantee peace in any one place? How then can military farmland be cultivated? Moreover, farming requires large amounts of money, grain, and draft oxen. The treasury is empty now—how can the court produce them? Even if your proposed policy could be implemented, distant water cannot quench nearby thirst. By the time the military farmland project succeeds, the bandits will likely have already marched on the capital! Suppressing bandits requires troops; employing troops requires pay. What His Majesty needs is to resolve the crisis burning at his brows, not to discourse at length on things unseen in the future!"

Huang Daozhou was left speechless. He was a great literary scholar, a man of learning, but governing the state was not his forte. He had only stepped forward because he heard Hou Xun asking the Emperor to levy an additional suppression tax, which would surely make the people's suffering even greater. Now hearing Chang Ziyu's words, he naturally felt he had been too idealistic. His heart was thoroughly open and honest—he bowed to the Emperor, then clasped his hands in salute to Chang Ziyu. Chang Ziyu, respecting his learning, hurriedly returned the salute.

Chongzhen gestured for the two to return to their places in the ranks, then spoke slowly: "You ministers all act with the court in mind—I understand this in my heart. Now that the nation faces crisis, you should all speak freely, offering plans and strategies for the Great Ming, rather than occupying posts without doing their duties, scheming all day only for personal gain. Last year I issued an edict commanding the families of meritorious nobles and imperial relatives to contribute to the court. Nearly a year has passed, and regrettably, no one has responded. You have all received the grace of the Great Ming for two hundred years, yet at this moment of life and death, you show not a trace of public loyalty or devotion to the state—I am deeply disappointed! The governors-general and governors of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, and Huguang have also ordered local gentry to contribute—regrettably, not a single cent was obtained. When I think of this matter, I sometimes secretly laugh! Wherever the bandits pass, they are like a plague of locusts—not a blade of grass remains. After they breach prefectures and destroy counties, all your vast fortunes become theirs. Why are you so foolish? Only when the steel blade is pressed against your neck do you regret—you should have contributed to the state from the start, exterminated these bandits, and then you would not face today's disaster of annihilation. Some people truly will not shed tears until they see the coffin! I will say this here as well: you had better conduct yourselves well. I have confidence in exterminating the bandits. When that day comes, who exerted themselves for me and who stood by with cold eyes—I will give you all your due reckoning!"

The assembled ministers in the great hall heard the Emperor's piercing words and each lowered their heads. Some felt shame in their hearts; others secretly sneered with contempt.

Chongzhen took in the expressions of each person, and his heart was filled with extreme disappointment. He continued: "The bandits must be exterminated, and exterminating them requires the court to commit heavy troops. If military pay and provisions do not come from the people, then they must come from the state treasury and the privy purse. Now the treasury is empty, and you all naturally have your eyes on my privy purse. Heh heh, rest assured—the Great Ming is the Zhu family's realm. I will not play the miser, nor will I wait until I am dead and the state destroyed while still clutching a pile of useless things! I am different from you. I know clearly in my heart that some people care nothing at all for the survival of the Great Ming. To them, if the Great Ming falls, it is merely a change of master! But have they ever considered—if the master changes, will the new master treat them as well as the Great Ming did? Hmph hmph, whether the roving bandits or the Jianzhou barbarians, they are all beasts devouring men. If that day truly comes, their fate will be no better either!"

Having said this, Chongzhen rose and swept away with his sleeves. Wang Cheng'en hurriedly followed him out, leaving behind the stunned ministers in the hall. Though everyone knew the Emperor had a quick temper, never had they heard him speak such heavy words. Judging from His Majesty's attitude just now, he was furious beyond measure—his words struck straight at people's hearts, slapping faces directly.

Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren sighed, then spoke: "We have disappointed His Majesty. Let us all return to our offices and attend to our duties. When you have leisure, think on His Majesty's words. I advise you all—set aside your petty schemes and consider the rivers and mountains of the Great Ming!" The assembled ministers could only mumble without words, each dispersing with their own thoughts.

Returning to Wuying Hall, Chongzhen calmed down. He sat behind the imperial desk and began to contemplate his next plan.

In his grand design, Shaanxi was the most important piece. At present, Hong Chengchou was leading troops in battle against Li Zicheng, who was active in the northern Shaanxi region. Under Hong Chengchou's command were fierce generals such as Cao Wenzhao, Cao Bianjiao, and Zuo Liangyu, with the additional support of the Liaodong cavalry of Wu Sangui and Zu Dale. Though Li Zicheng could not be exterminated in a short time, at least he could be contained in the northern Shaanxi area, preventing him from scattering elsewhere.

All that was needed now was time. Sun Chuanting had already established a firm foothold in Xi'an, deep in the Shaanxi hinterland. Redistributing the land was equivalent to what later generations would call "overthrowing the local tyrants and dividing the land"—it was the most fundamental measure for winning the people's hearts.

The personnel of the Imperial Estate Management Bureau that Chongzhen had sent to assist Sun Chuanting would first set about digging wells, striving to rapidly expand the scale of the well-digging teams to cope with the drought. Then, once grain was produced, they would develop the new-style military rations, eliminating the enormous consumption caused by long-distance transport from the capital, and providing supplies for Hong Chengchou's main army.

The silver obtained from Sun Chuanting's confiscation of family properties could also be rapidly distributed to the official troops under the two men's command. With ample military pay and provisions, the morale of the official troops would surely be greatly boosted. If there were still those who paid lip service while opposing in deed, or refused to obey orders, with the methods of Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, they could surely be dealt with.

At present, Gao Yingxiang and Tuo Yangkun, active in the border region between Henan and Huguang, were the greatest threats to the Great Ming. Lu Xiangsheng, though exceptionally capable and utterly loyal, had too few troops under his command and too little cavalry. When facing the roving bandits, he could defeat them but could not annihilate them.

He simply could not outrun them. Gao Yingxiang's subordinates were mostly cavalry, and every battle he used cannon fodder composed of refugees as the front line. As soon as he saw that the official troops were too fierce to resist, he would decisively abandon that cannon fodder and flee. Before long, he would seize new refugees and besiege prefectures and counties again. Lu Xiangsheng could only lead his troops everywhere putting out fires, unable to wound their root.

Now with the assistance of the two companies of Guanning cavalry under Zu Kuan and Li Chongjin, the situation should improve somewhat. But the Liaodong troops had a long history of disobeying orders. Lu Xiangsheng was not as decisive and ruthless as Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting—he was too lenient with his subordinates. Whether he could control the two Liaodong generals remained a question mark.

Moreover, Gao Yingxiang and his ilk simply plundered prefectures and counties everywhere; when the official troops arrived, he would begin to scatter and flee. Lu Xiangsheng's Tianxiong Army, though battle-hardened, came from the Hebei region and was not skilled at mountain warfare. Coupled with the difficulty of timely grain supply, they could only sigh at the mountains.

It seemed necessary to dispatch an army accustomed to traversing mountains and ridges to assist. Thinking of this, Zhu Zhenqing suddenly recalled the six thousand Sichuan troops who had mutinied some time ago, been pacified by Hong Chengchou, and were now stationed in the Fancheng area.

He Renlong, who had been temporarily detained in the military camp by Hong Chengchou, had followed him to northern Shaanxi. Later, the Ministry of War appointed Qin Liangyu's nephew Qin Yiming as Sichuan Suppression Regional Commander, commanding these six thousand Sichuan troops.

Chongzhen decided to place this Sichuan army under Lu Xiangsheng's command. The Sichuan troops were hardy and endured hardship well. Though their military discipline was not the best, their combat effectiveness was still decent. Moreover, they excelled at mountain warfare and could display their strengths in terrain with high mountains, dense forests, and complex geography.

Thinking of the Sichuan troops, Chongzhen's mind surfaced the image of a famous heroine of later generations—Qin Liangyu! She was the only woman in Chinese history recorded in the official histories as a heroine. The only female general to be enfeoffed as a marquis through military merit, one of the few women accomplished in both letters and arms, and even rarer—her utter loyalty to the Ming court.

In the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, after Zhang Xianzhong invaded Sichuan, because the court's military pay and provisions were exhausted, Qin Liangyu actually ruined her family to relieve the nation's distress, using her own family's money to support the official troops in resisting the bandits.

When Chongzhen had read this passage in later generations, he could not help but be moved by the breadth of vision and bearing of this heroine among women. This was a true national hero—for the interests of the nation and the people, she did not hesitate to sacrifice everything she had. Her husband, two elder brothers, one younger brother, and one nephew had all successively died for the country—her entire family could be called martyrs of utmost loyalty.

Such a hero, because of her gender, was not valued by those mediocre officials who held great power in history. She fought across the realm for the country, yet was repeatedly obstructed and belittled, to the point that her burning ambition to serve the country had no room to be displayed. Only in the Longwu period of the Southern Ming was she enfeoffed as a marquis and given a general's rank—but by then it was too late; the heroine was already advanced in years.

After the fall of the Southern Ming, Qin Liangyu refused to surrender to the Qing and ultimately retired to the mountains and forests, meeting a good end.

The current Governor of Sichuan, Shao Jiechun, was mediocre in office, timid and cowardly, and ignorant of military affairs. He had always looked down on Qin Liangyu and ignored all her suggestions. Such a man should not occupy a high position.

Sichuan was currently relatively peaceful, because of its perilous terrain, the bandits had never attacked the Shu region. But later, Li the Dashing and Zhang Xianzhong successively entered Shu and wreaked havoc across the land of Chuanshu. This was all because Sichuan lacked a capable, militarily knowledgeable person to take command. Mediocrities like Shao Jiechun should be moved elsewhere.

As for who should succeed as Governor of Sichuan, Chongzhen thought of one person—an upright but somewhat headstrong minister.

Fu Zonglong, who had been forced into idle retirement in the fifth year of Chongzhen due to Sun Chengzong's compelled resignation, was a straightforward man who dared to take responsibility and act, who would not flatter or fawn. Righteous and outspoken, he had once spoken up for the poor common people before Chongzhen and incurred the Emperor's displeasure. Because his temperament was too blunt, he was not liked by the court ministers.

Chongzhen naturally knew that Fu Zonglong had been captured by Li the Dashing and ultimately died cursing the bandits—a man of utmost loyalty and courage. Such a man had not been appreciated in the history of his previous life. Now that he, as a time-traveler, had come to this world, he naturally could not bury such talent.

Then there was the approaching ninth year of Chongzhen. In Shandong, Henan and other places, the drought was severe—many prefectures and counties saw total crop failure, famine victims were everywhere, and countless families abandoned their homes to flee. These famine victims became the best source of recruits for the roving bandits. This was a matter that must be given the highest priority. Severe drought was a natural disaster that humans could not control, but man-made calamities could be prevented. The method was to use grain to stabilize the people—as long as they had a mouthful to eat, the people would not follow the bandits in rebelling against the court. Now it was necessary to prepare before the storm, doing everything possible to prevent the tragedy from occurring.

Then there was the production of firearms. Since the Arsenal Directorate had adopted his suggestions and implemented assembly-line production, along with various reward mechanisms, the output of all types of weapons had greatly increased. Under the strict supervision of Bi Maokang and others, quality was also fully guaranteed.

At present, the monthly production of fine firearms was about five hundred, with countless swords, spears, bows, and arrows besides. Zhu Zhenqing had already ordered Sun Yingyuan to expand the Yongwei Camp's firearm troops to one thousand men—seven hundred of the new firearms among them, while the remaining three hundred had also been carefully selected, every single one of fine quality. Chongzhen ordered that all firearms produced henceforth be received entirely by the Yongwei Camp, striving to expand the Firearm Battalion to a scale of two thousand men as soon as possible. Because in the ninth year of Chongzhen, the Jianzhou barbarians would breach the pass and threaten the security of the capital, Chongzhen planned to deal the barbarians a heavy blow along the Xuan–Da line, weakening their effective strength, reducing the pressure on the Liaodong defense line, and gradually lessening the heavy burden the Liaodong levy placed on the court.

After pondering for a long while, at Chongzhen's direction, one edict after another was drafted, sent to the Grand Secretariat for sealing, and then all delivered by fast riders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to various destinations.