Chapter 42: The Plan

In Chongzhen's conception of the Shaanxi campaign, Hong Chengchou would focus primarily on military strikes, firmly hemming the Dashing General Li Zicheng in the northern Shaanxi area, denying him any chance to once again march south and ravage the Central Plains, so as to give Sun Chuanting more time for military farmland.

Once Sun Chuanting's military farmland and troop training succeeded, he would accumulate large stores of money and grain, pacify the localities, and gather in the displaced refugees. After that, the work of farming and settling the people could be extended westward to Fengxiang Prefecture. If things went smoothly, the southern Shaanxi region would be stabilized within two or three years, while the harvests from Sun Chuanting's farmland would also provide powerful support to Hong Chengchou.

On the Henan front, Lu Xiangsheng would make Ruzhou his base, fully drawing on Sun Chuanting's Shaanxi experience, focusing on pacifying the localities and gathering in the displaced. At the same time he would recruit and train soldiers, using points to drive the whole, striving to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible.

The military farmland and pacification work in Shaanxi and Henan would be comparatively easier. Because both places were where the roving bandits had wrought the worst devastation, many gentry and great households had vanished into smoke in the upheavals of all these years, leaving behind much ownerless land. What the two provinces lacked was not land, but a safe environment for production and daily life.

Now the Dashing King Gao Yingxiang's forces had already moved from Henan into the Southern Zhili region. Judging by the course of history, which had not yet deviated, in the ninth year of Chongzhen Gao Yingxiang would be wiped out and captured by Sun Chuanting.

Zhang Xianzhong would flee to the Huguang region, and Henan would welcome a rare opportunity to recuperate and recover.

If it were not for the Jianzhou barbarians suddenly breaking through the Great Wall passes to raid the capital next year, forcing Lu Xiangsheng to lead troops to the capital to defend the throne, the roving bandits in the interior would soon have been thoroughly exterminated and purged.

What Chongzhen needed most now was time. As long as there was enough time, whether it was the roving bandits or the Jianzhou barbarians, Chongzhen had confidence he could wipe them out.

In his previous life, Chongzhen had often pondered a question: whenever the Ming official armies were on the verge of utterly exterminating the roving bandits, the Jianzhou barbarians would always break through the Great Wall passes at the critical moment to raid the capital.

In the ninth and eleventh years of Chongzhen, the Jianzhou barbarians' unreasonable invasions disrupted the official armies' deployments for suppressing the bandits.

To defend the vital capital region, under the court's stern orders, the official armies of various regions had no choice but to abandon their encirclement and slaughter of the roving bandits, hurrying to the capital to defend the throne, thereby giving the roving bandits a precious chance to catch their breath.

By the time the Jianzhou barbarians departed after plundering their fill, the official armies were already utterly exhausted, and the roving bandits seized the opportunity to rapidly grow strong, ultimately leading to a situation so rotten it could not be salvaged.

Later generations held two views: one, that the roving bandits and the Jianzhou barbarians were in secret communication with each other; two, that the Jianzhou barbarians' spies spread throughout the realm passed them intelligence. Added to Hong Taiji's brilliance and decisiveness, this was why they invaded at the critical moment, supporting the roving bandits with practical action, so as to let the Great Ming slowly bleed to death.

As for the former, Chongzhen held a negative view. Take Li Zicheng, who ultimately overthrew the Great Ming — if he had been in contact with the Jianzhou barbarians, then it would have been impossible for him to be completely ignorant of their strength, to the point of being swiftly routed by them at the Battle of One Stone, which led to the subsequent destruction of the Dashun regime.

And if it were the Jianzhou barbarians' spies transmitting intelligence, then how could those spies possess such far-sighted strategic vision? Would a spy be able to judge that once the official armies exterminated the roving bandits, the Jianzhou barbarians would have no chance to seize the Great Ming's realm? The truth of history was like something hidden in mist, hard for people to see clearly.

As for the Jianzhou barbarians' invasion in the ninth year of Chongzhen, preparations to deal with it must begin now. Once everything was properly prepared, a heavy blow must be dealt to the Jianzhou barbarians at a suitable location.

The entire Manchu Eight Banners' fighting strength was only around a hundred thousand men, and the Eight Banner troops invading next year would not be many. What truly allowed the Jianzhou barbarians to grow and strengthen was that invasion in the eleventh year of Chongzhen, when tens of thousands of Eight Banner troops ravaged the Great Ming's territory for a full half year.

That time the Qing army's gains were enormous: altogether they defeated Ming forces in 57 engagements, captured Jinan Prefecture, 3 prefectures, 55 counties, and 2 passes, killed two Governors-General and over a hundred officers of Garrison Commander rank and above, and took alive the Prince of De, Zhu Youshu (escorted to Shenyang), the Commandery Prince Zhu Ciying, the Imperial Clan Marshal Zhu Cishang, the army supervisor eunuch Feng Yunxu, and others, seizing 462,300 people and livestock, 4,039 taels of gold, and 977,460 taels of silver.

Lu Xiangsheng, hailed by later generations as the Yue Fei of the Great Ming, died in this very Qing army invasion at Julu in Hebei, a truly lamentable loss.

Among the several hundred thousand people carried off by the Eight Banner troops this time were large numbers of artisans. These artisans later forged countless fine weapons and sharp implements for the Qing soldiers, becoming a powerful pillar of support for the Manchu Eight Banners.

Chongzhen leaned over the map on the table, pondering for a long while, until his gaze finally settled on Changping County.

As he recalled, after the Eight Banner troops burst through Juyong Pass, they first struck Yanqing, then broke Shunyi and Changping. Wheeling around the capital to the south, they raided Fangshan, military pay and provisions, and Zhuozhou, then turned east to break Xianghe and Baodi, and finally, laden with seized people, livestock, gold, and silver, unhurriedly exited the pass through the very breach they had made.

If he were acting purely as a military commander, the best course would be to wait in the Xianghe and Baodi area until the Eight Banner troops were sated with plunder and weary from fighting, then strike them head-on — that would maximize the casualties inflicted on the Eight Banner troops.

But as a transmigrator, watching great numbers of innocent commoners killed and robbed, countless families ruined and destroyed, Chongzhen asked himself whether he could do such a thing. He could not.

Since you dare to come, then come — let me see just how formidable the Eight Banner troops truly are!

With this thought, Chongzhen gave the order: "Summon the Regional Commander of the Yongwei Camp!"

Wang Cheng'en hurried out of the hall and called over a young eunuch. After giving a few instructions, the young eunuch rushed off to deliver the decree.

Chongzhen sat down and took a sip of tea, when a question suddenly occurred to him: in his memory, during next year's plundering by the Eight Banner troops, the Xuanfu and Datong official armies, which were right nearby, seemed to make no move at all. That should not be. After much thought, only a fear of the enemy like tigers could explain it.

One cowardly soldier makes one coward; one cowardly general makes a whole nest of cowards. Xuanfu Regional Commander Yang Guozhu and Datong Regional Commander Hu Dawei both had troops under them capable of fighting. Even if they feared the enemy, if their superiors gave orders, they would not dare disobey. The problem lay with the Xuan-Da Governor-General. Liang Tingdong — heh — thinking of this man's deplorable performance in that affair, Chongzhen smiled.

Although this man later, fearing the court would hold him accountable, took rhubarb to end his own life just like Minister of War Zhang Fengyi, for now he could not be dismissed from office for something that had not yet happened — that would not accord with proper procedure. A replacement for Liang Tingdong was right before his eyes, but under what pretext could he be replaced?

Chongzhen spoke: "Companion, make a personal trip to Gaoyang and visit Sun Chengzong. Ask him a question for me: Is the old general Lian Po still hale enough to eat his fill? If so, have him come to the capital for an audience; if not, let it be. In truth, if my expectations hold, Old Sun will surely agree. I truly cannot bear to have Old Sun, already past seventy, toil and rush about for affairs of state again. But under the present circumstances, the one I trust is still this old minister's ability. Go, and observe strict propriety toward Old Sun — there must not be the slightest neglect."

Wang Cheng'en promptly assented and turned to leave.

Sun Chengzong's loyalty went without saying. In the eleventh year of Chongzhen, when the Qing soldiers invaded and fought their way to Gaoyang county town, Sun Chengzong, who was at home out of office, led the entire city's soldiers and civilians in defending the walls. When the city fell he was captured and hanged himself. His five sons, six grandsons, two nephews, and eight grand-nephews died in battle — over a hundred members of the Sun family perished. His household could truly be called one of utter loyalty.

As for ability, although he lacked the strategic vision to command the whole situation, guarding a single region posed no problem at all. If it had not been for the muddle-headed emperor this transmigrator had replaced, who listened only to one-sided views and had kept appointing Sun Chengzong as Supreme Commander of Liaodong, the Manchu Eight Banners would not now be able to employ their troops so unhurriedly.

The purpose of intending to employ Sun Chengzong this time was to use his seniority and prestige, his courage and boldness, to overawe the Xuan-Da troops.

Just as Chongzhen was lost in thought, a young eunuch slipped in, knelt, and reported: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Son-in-law Gong Yonggu requests an audience!"

Chongzhen was startled for a moment, then promptly ordered: "Quickly, invite him in!"

With so many matters today, he had forgotten that he had summoned Gong Yonggu.

Before long, Gong Yonggu, dressed in white and exuding elegance, arrived in the hall and performed the full kneeling ritual: "Your servant Gong Yonggu pays respects to His Majesty!"

"Rise, Imperial Son-in-law, please stand. Be seated!" Chongzhen said with a smile.

In his previous life, Chongzhen and Gong Yonggu had been on good terms, so upon seeing him he felt a natural warmth.

Toward this convenient brother-in-law of his, Chongzhen, who knew history well, felt nothing but admiration.

In the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, when Li Zicheng broke into the capital, the Princess of Le'an died of illness. Before her funeral could be held, her coffin still lay in the house. Yonggu bound his five children with yellow rope to the side of the coffin, saying, "These are the emperor's nephews — they must not be defiled by bandit hands!" Then he raised his sword and cut his own throat, and the whole household burned itself to death. The family's servants had all fled and scattered, leaving only one loyal servant behind to collect their bodies for burial.

"Is Le'an well?" Chongzhen asked with a smile.

"To answer Your Majesty, Le'an has always been frail of constitution. I have invited famous physicians and eminent masters far and wide to tend her, and it has shown considerable effect." Gong Yonggu replied with a smile, then sat down on the brocade stool the young eunuch had brought over.

Chongzhen pondered a moment, then spoke: "Imperial Son-in-law, I summoned you here this time because there is a matter I wish to discuss with you."

Gong Yonggu hastily rose, bowed with clasped hands, and said: "If Your Majesty has matters to command, your servant will obey in all things — 'discuss' is too strong a word. On this visit, I have brought twenty thousand taels of silver from my household, to be placed at Your Majesty's disposal."

Chongzhen felt warmth in his heart and said: "I know you delight in making friends and collecting paintings and calligraphy — both are no small expenses, and there is not much surplus wealth in your house. Those twenty thousand taels must be nearly your entire fortune, am I right?"

"At a time when the state's affairs are so difficult, my paltry wealth counts for nothing! Le'an comes from the imperial house, and I am one body with the imperial house. It is only that my savings are so meager that I have nothing with which to repay Your Majesty." Gong Yonggu said with a smile.

Chongzhen raised a hand to bid him sit, and said: "If even half the courtiers at court were like you, the affairs of state would hold great promise. A pity — heh! Recently the Empress summoned the Earl of household retainers and spoke of the court's difficulties. The Earl of household retainers looked left and right, hemmed and hawed, and made excuses. In the end the Empress, angered, rebuked him, and in utter desperation the Earl of household retainers offered five thousand taels. Heh — I know his family is worth a million, but after all he is my father-in-law, so I had to let it go!"

Hearing His Majesty speak of such private family matters, Gong Yonggu was deeply embarrassed.

Chongzhen shifted the topic and said: "Imperial Son-in-law, do you have among your retainers anyone loyal and dependable who is skilled at managing affairs?"

Gong Yonggu pondered a moment, then replied: "To answer Your Majesty, I have a household servant who is utterly loyal, widely connected, and skilled in the ways of commerce. May I ask what Your Majesty has in mind?"

Chongzhen said: "You know as well that what the court lacks most now is money and grain. At present the roving bandits run rampant in Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong — not only do these provinces contribute no tax revenue, the court must also subsidize them heavily. Add to that the large armies deployed to suppress the bandits, which require enormous sums of money and grain each year. The court now relies only on the tax revenues of Jiangnan and the two Guangs — it simply cannot sustain itself. The Grand Secretaries and senior ministers at court are helpless against this. If this situation continues for a few more years, the Great Ming's realm will be in peril!" Gong Yonggu nodded in agreement.

Chongzhen picked up his tea and took a sip, then continued: "I intend to open another source of revenue — not through the court, but using the imperial house's own strength to earn silver. After all, this realm belongs to the Zhu family. Courtiers may go through the motions, but you and I of the imperial house absolutely cannot lack a sense of responsibility — otherwise we will die without a place to be buried!"

Gong Yonggu spoke: "Your Majesty speaks truly! I have watched the court from the sidelines, and all those in purple and scarlet robes care only for private gain, occupying their posts without doing their duty. I am furious about it in my heart as well! But my station is fixed, and I only hate that I have the will but not the power, unable to lend Your Majesty a hand!"

Chongzhen smiled: "It is enough that the Imperial Son-in-law has the will — I am grateful for the sentiment! You know as well that salt-making and salt-selling is where the enormous profits lie nowadays. But the salt profits are all controlled by the Shanxi merchants and Huizhou merchants. Their interests with the court officials of Southern Zhili are tangled like roots and vines, mutually connected, and the salt fields are firmly gripped in their hands. The salt fields of the Huaiyang region are the largest producers in the Great Ming — how difficult it is to wrest profit from their grasp! From intelligence the Embroidered Uniform Guard has brought me, the salt produced at the Huaiyang salt fields is poor in quality yet high in price. The distributing salt merchants, after taking goods from the great salt merchants, mix in sand, gravel, and clods of earth, then sell it to the common people at a markup. The salt the common people buy is all coarse-grained and rough — inferior in both taste and color. But with no other channel, the people can only buy this poor-quality crude salt. Imperial Son-in-law, if a table salt as white as snow and as fine as flour were sold to you at the same price, would you still buy that coarse salt?"

Gong Yonggu stood up excitedly and asked: "Could Your Majesty have such fine salt in hand? If so, then selling it across the realm would be no problem at all! With such enormous profit, once it was marketed throughout the empire, the worries Your Majesty spoke of would dissolve at a stroke!"

"I do not have such fine salt in hand!" Chongzhen replied.

Gong Yonggu was taken aback, hung his head, and sat down, dejected: "Your Majesty is surely teasing me!"

"Hahaha, I may not have it, but I do possess a marvelous method for producing fine salt!" Chongzhen laughed heartily.

Gong Yonggu said with a mixture of belief and doubt: "Your Majesty, please do not jest. Just now Your Majesty spoke of the affairs of the realm, and your minister's heart is filled with worry—I am truly in no mood for jokes."

Chongzhen's smile faded, and he said gently: "I am not jesting. As I understand it, the salt produced at the Lianghuai and Liangzhe salt fields is all made by boiling, called cooked salt, and the vast majority of the Great Ming's common folk eat salt from there. The method I intend to use is called the sun-drying salt method. If it succeeds, not only will the output be enormous, but the quality will far surpass cooked salt. As for the specifics of how to produce it, I have already personally transcribed it into a document. I have considered the people in the palace—apart from Wang Cheng'en and a few others, there is no one else I can rely on. I trust your judgment. Since you say your household servant is reliable, then use him to oversee this matter. I will dispatch a squad of Embroidered Uniform Guard personal guards to assist him, sparing you much unnecessary trouble. What is this man's name?"

Gong Yonggu clasped his hands and replied: "His name is Gong Fanwu, thirty-one years of age. He is a bondservant born into my household, and his family has served the Gong family for generations—his loyalty is beyond question. All of my household affairs are managed by him, and whether great or small, everything is handled in perfect order. The considerable expenses of my social engagements are all met through his business dealings. In my daily life I do not treat him as a servant but honor him with the rites due an elder brother!"

Chongzhen mused briefly—could this be the very man who, in history, had collected the bodies of Gong Yonggu's entire family for burial? It was quite possible. He then turned, picked up a document from the writing desk, and handed it to Gong Yonggu, saying: "There is no time to lose. Go back now and make the arrangements. Once everything is prepared, the Embroidered Uniform Guard personal guards will set out with you."

Gong Yonggu took the booklet and carefully tucked it into his robes, then asked: "Your Majesty, where is the place for salt production?"

Chongzhen slapped his forehead and laughed: "I've been muddle-headed—I actually forgot that! Haha, come, take a look!"

Gong Yonggu followed Chongzhen to the map on the writing desk. Chongzhen pointed to a corner that in later ages would be Shouguang, Shandong, and said: "This place is under the jurisdiction of Shouguang County, Qingzhou Prefecture, and is called Dajiawa. As I understand it, this area is sparsely populated and quite desolate—an excellent location for sun-drying salt (in later ages, the Haihua Group was located at Dajiawa; this author has been there—salt fields stretching beyond the eye's reach, countless mountains of salt). After Gong Fanwu arrives, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will inform the county government, which will assist in recruiting the labor needed for salt production, constructing the salt fields, and then the workers' entire families will move into the compound to reside there, with no contact with the outside world. The Embroidered Uniform Guard personal guards will be responsible for patrolling the perimeter daily and clearing away unrelated persons. All matters, great and small, will be overseen by Gong Fanwu, and should any problem arise, the Embroidered Uniform Guard personal guards will handle it. Once salt production succeeds, Gong Fanwu need not remain managing the salt fields but will begin marketing the salt produced—starting primarily with the capital, and once the market is opened, gradually expanding to all regions. But that is a matter for later. The most pressing task is ensuring the salt production succeeds. The method I have given you is only a general outline; the specifics will require repeated practice."

Gong Yonggu clasped his hands and said: "Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your minister will instruct Gong Fanwu to use every possible means to accomplish the task Your Majesty has assigned!"

Chongzhen smiled and said: "I shall await the good news here. Consider your twenty thousand taels an investment—I will not take your silver for nothing. Once we earn money, treat my little sister well, hahaha!"

Gong Yonggu did not decline, but smiled, bowed in salute, and withdrew—he had his own plans in mind.