Chapter 26: Gathering Silver

Zhu Cilang first raised his cup and drank with the assembled wealthy patrons, then, with no idle talk, went straight to the point. He said: "You are all men of wealth and honor. Now that refugees are flooding into the capital, there are inevitably lawless elements among them who threaten the city's safety. However, I will have the authorities pay close attention to this, and I can guarantee the safety of your households."

"His Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent and virtuous!" These moneyed patrons lost no time in leading the chorus of praise, and immediately countless voices echoed in response.

Zhu Cilang gently pressed down with his hand and continued: "But to achieve true safety, we must settle the refugees. To do these things, it all comes down to silver. The court is in difficulty now, and I, by imperial decree, am tasked with relieving the people—I must rely on you all."

"Your Highness! This commoner is willing to exert himself for the nation!" Immediately someone jumped out and answered in a loud voice.

Zhu Cilang looked at him, his eyes showing undisguised appreciation.

Seeing Zhu Cilang's expression, this wealthy merchant who had spoken first was immediately elated. He bowed and said: "For Your Highness to personally conduct disaster relief despite your exalted station, not disdaining the status of merchants, and allowing us into the princely residence—this is already boundless favor. This commoner, Zhang Dabiao, is willing to donate five thousand taels of silver to exert himself for the nation!"

Listening to this wealthy merchant's words, Zhu Cilang was delighted and took a light sip of wine. Suddenly hearing his name, he nearly spat it out. Zhang Dabiao? An Italian cannon?

Zhu Cilang took the white silk handkerchief from the tray of the palace maid beside him, gently wiped his mouth, and only then nodded, saying: "Excellent! Bestow a calligraphy!"

Hearing that someone had begun to donate, two young eunuchs immediately stepped forward to record the name and donation amount. Wu Zhong personally carried a sheet of rice paper inscribed with the character 'shang' (merchant) and presented it to this Zhang Dabiao.

Zhu Cilang smiled and said: "This was written by my own hand. If you don't find it embarrassing, have it mounted and hung in your home."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao immediately knelt to give thanks. Holding the sheet of rice paper in both hands, his heart was stirred with emotion. Though this was not bestowed by the Emperor himself, once the Crown Prince ascended the throne in the future, this calligraphy would become a priceless treasure.

Hearing the Crown Prince personally praise and bestow calligraphy, many wealthy merchants spoke up one after another to donate—four thousand taels, eight thousand taels, ten thousand taels, and even one who was half drunk directly shouted out one hundred thousand taels.

For every donation amount announced, Zhu Cilang unsparingly bestowed calligraphy and added a word of praise, which immediately stirred the hearts of these already somewhat tipsy patrons, prompting them to add even more to their donations.

That evening, Zhu Cilang held the donation list with a grin stretched wide across his face. After a full day of effort, Zhu Cilang had collected a total of one million two hundred thousand taels of silver from these wealthy merchants.

Zhu Cilang was not at all worried that these merchants would renege on their pledged donations after announcing the amounts, because when the banquet dispersed, he had already dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard, under the pretext of protecting the patrons' safety, to follow the wealthy merchants to their residences and collect the money.

Escorted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard—though only by one man—this was still an immense honor. Some patrons only realized after returning home that they had drunk too much and that their donations had been somewhat impulsive and ostentatious, but there was no way to back out now.

Reneging on an amount pledged before His Highness the Crown Prince? Seeking death? The moment the words left their mouths, the Embroidered Uniform Guard behind them would likely turn hostile and draw their blades.

Zhu Cilang felt he was a genius. He had deliberately arranged for merchants and officials to wait together. He had anticipated that some officials would refuse to sit with merchants, thereby creating friction between the two classes. Then, by having Wu Zhong treat the merchants with courtesy, he made the merchants feel gratitude toward the Crown Prince from the bottom of their hearts, using this to spur them into donating.

Throughout the banquet, wine was served without pause, and the wealthy merchants were allowed to eat and drink freely without restraint—all for the purpose of getting these patrons slightly drunk, the better to get things done.

When encountering wealthy merchants who were reserved and refused to drink, guards of the Eastern Palace would immediately come to toast them, until they were coaxed into a slight intoxication. The Crown Prince's personal guards represented the Crown Prince himself—who would dare refuse them face?

Of course, Zhu Cilang would not let anyone drink themselves into a stupor and fall asleep. If they were drunk senseless, how could he collect the silver? Wouldn't that be a losing venture?

Half drunk, people tend to speak without thinking. And with someone announcing a donation, others would begin to compete. What did wealthy merchants most love to compete over? Wealth, of course—the capital was full of moneyed patrons who didn't lack for silver.

Of course, there were also plenty of wealthy merchants who fully demonstrated what it meant to be stingy, donating just a few hundred taels and calling it done. Zhu Cilang didn't mind these people.

Still, he made sure to draw a small circle around their names as a mark. If any 'good opportunities' came up in the future, Zhu Cilang would certainly think of them first.

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The next day, still in the Chengyun Hall, with the same dishes—including hotpot and fine wine—the guests were the top fifty officials on the capital's 'wealth ranking.'

However, no matter how much Zhu Cilang tried to stir up enthusiasm, most of these corrupt officials donated only a few hundred taels. The highest single donation was just three thousand taels, and the Duke of Cheng, Zhu Chunchen, donated a mere fifty taels!

Zhu Cilang's face darkened. He had known they would refuse to show him face, but he hadn't expected them to refuse so thoroughly!

The Left Chief Censor, Tang Shiji, stepped forward and said: "Your Highness, your subject's household has always been poor. I am willing to donate the two hundred taels I have accumulated over many years, to ease Your Majesty's worries."

"Your Highness, your old subject has a large family to support and can barely afford a meal. But today I shall return home and pawn my household belongings—I pledge a donation of three hundred taels."

""

For a moment, the wealthy officials present collectively began their performance. Some pretended to sell their houses on the spot, others shouted about going to set up street stalls—all sorts of added theatrics, each one acting like an award-winning performer in a dramatic showcase.

After all that fuss, the fifty officials donated a total of only seventeen thousand taels.

Zhu Cilang knew well that many officials at court were considerable landowners. When they passed the imperial examinations and became juren, their fellow townsmen, seeking to avoid the court's tax levies, would bring their entire families to place themselves under the officials' protection. If anyone was so upright as to refuse such dependents, they would be stabbed in the back by their own clan and relatives.

Moreover, the fifty officials he had invited were all confirmed to have family assets of over one hundred thousand taels—how could they possibly have no money?

Zhu Cilang remembered that historical records stated that when Li Zicheng was about to breach Beijing in history, the Chongzhen Emperor, at the final moment of crisis and survival, set aside his dignity and desperately begged his ministers to donate money in order to pay the soldiers defending the capital.

In the end, the civil and military officials, the imperial relatives and nobles—not one of them parted with a single coin. They all collectively cried poverty, and the entire capital donated a mere two hundred thousand taels in total.

In the end, Chongzhen was so impoverished that he sold off the palace's gold and silver vessels and other valuables, even pawning the bronze kettles from the great halls, to use as military pay.

Those same ministers who had cried poverty—after Li Zicheng stormed into Beijing, they were tortured by the Chuang rebels with branding irons, had their tendons pulled out, their eyes gouged, and their guts cut open. The screams of these officials in the capital were unending, and under severe torture, they all surrendered astonishing fortunes.

Historical records state: after brutal interrogation and torture, Li Zicheng obtained over seventy million taels of silver in total.

"Heh heh, playing poor with me, are you? In this city, I have a hundred ways to destroy you all!" Zhu Cilang sneered coldly, a plan forming in his mind.

That same afternoon, Zhu Cilang issued an order for the Southern City Military Command to relocate the ten porridge distribution points. As for the new locations, Zhu Cilang personally selected and marked them—they were directly in front of the residences of the several ministers who had given the most impressive performances at the banquet.

The next day, many refugees were shocked to discover that the porridge stations had disappeared! This was a matter of life and death! After asking around everywhere, they finally learned the stations had been relocated, and so a great crowd of refugees scampered eagerly toward the new distribution points.