Chapter 10: Paying the Shanxi Officers and Troops

When Li Fengxiang received the oral decree, he had no idea what the Emperor wanted with him, so naturally he questioned Li Chun, who had delivered the message, in detail — but the man's face was urgent, and he would only say that His Majesty had read a memorial and his countenance had turned displeased.

At that, Li Fengxiang immediately understood what matter the Emperor was summoning him over, and dared not delay a moment longer, hurrying without pause to the Winter Warm Pavilion.

After performing the great ritual and hailing long life to the Emperor, Li Fengxiang was already panting for breath, yet Chongzhen only gave a faint "mm" and nothing more.

Li Fengxiang could only turn a questioning gaze toward Fang Zhenghua, the newly appointed seal-holder of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses, who stood at the other side.

As time wore on, even Fang Zhenghua could not fathom what the Chongzhen Emperor was thinking; it was only when Li Fengxiang's legs had begun to go weak that the Chongzhen Emperor finally spoke:

"Zhou Yuji of Shanxi sent an urgent report yesterday, saying Chen Shangzhi had surrendered to the bandits and made Xiong Tong his go-between. Xiong Tong's head has now been delivered to the capital. Li Fengxiang, what do you make of it? Speak your mind."

Li Fengxiang did not know the ins and outs of the matter, only that this Xiong Tong was a military officer the Chongzhen Emperor had sent to reinforce Shanxi not long ago, leading two thousand troops of the Zhili command.

Chen Shangzhi was the Assistant Regional Commander of Pingyang; his surrender meant the Pingyang area had likely already fallen, and Daizhou was in dire peril.

Now this Zhou Yuji had executed a court official without a word — surely the Chongzhen Emperor was enraged by this, and the reason he had summoned him was to have him come forward and deal with Zhou Yuji.

"Your Majesty, that Zhou Yuji truly has audacity beyond measure, daring to lay hands on a court official! If this servant were in Shanxi, I would seize him by the throat and drag him back to face Your Majesty!"

Hearing Li Fengxiang's answer, Fang Zhenghua finally relaxed — it matched what he had thought, and there should be no problem. The two were full of confidence, both feeling they had guessed the Emperor's intent correctly.

But Chongzhen gave a cold snort and slapped the imperial desk, saying:

"Xiong Tong deserved death, and Zhou Yuji killed him rightly. I will even have Xiong Tong's head hung in the Western Market for public display, so those civil officials can see the fate of traitors and rebels!"

As he spoke, the Chongzhen Emperor rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth within the warm pavilion, then looked at Li Fengxiang and said:

"Since you are so eager to go to Shanxi, I will give you this opportunity."

The turn of topic came far too abruptly. Li Fengxiang thought Chongzhen was sending him to Shanxi as army supervisor, and his face turned extremely terrified — for that place was a death ground, and what use could a eunuch like himself be there? He hastily tried to decline.

"Your Majesty, this servant cannot go. I know my own limits — going would only add to Regional Commander Zhou's troubles..."

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor gave a smile that did not reach his eyes, a "heh heh," and said again:

"You need not accomplish any great deed, and I am not sending you as army supervisor. Did Zhou Yuji not say in his memorial that the Shanxi troops had not been paid for years? Then you will take a few mounted riders and go 'pay' him."

Li Fengxiang's heart was crying out in misery, but hearing these words from Chongzhen, his eyes suddenly lit up. He knew the court had no silver — though Wang Aoyong's house had been confiscated yesterday, that silver could only go to the Capital Camps.

With no silver, how could one pay the Shanxi officers and troops? At this thought, Li Fengxiang seemed to suddenly understand something. He dared not say more, but neither did he decline further — he simply waited quietly for what came next.

Seeing his manner, Chongzhen thought to himself that the lad was teachable, and said:

"Once you go down there, you are my household servant. The court has no silver, but those Shanxi merchants have no shortage of it. Every one of them is dripping with fat — take the Fan family, for instance, which has long been trading back and forth with the Jianzhou barbarians beyond the pass. This time it's time to clean them up."

"Li Fengxiang, you take the mounted riders down. Whoever dares to obstruct, have Zhou Yuji bring troops to confiscate their households. If there is resistance, deal with them cleanly just as Wang Aoyong was dealt with — after all, you stand on the side of right!"

"Go first to Wang Cheng'en and look up the evidence of the Fan family's smuggling. Leave the capital tonight. Can you manage this much?"

This sudden commission was to Li Fengxiang both a surprise and a terror.

The surprise was that this trip out meant going about confiscating households and seizing silver with the Emperor's authority behind him — Zhou Yuji would surely be more than eager to cooperate with him upon hearing of this. It was a venture with a single investment and endless returns.

The terror was that, though this trip carried the might of the Son of Heaven's close attendant and held him high above the crowd, the flames of war raged ceaselessly in Shanxi — one misstep and he might die there and never return.

Still, Li Fengxiang could also see that the Chongzhen Emperor placing such an important matter in his hands meant he was deeply trusted — how could he not repay that with his very life?

With this in mind, Li Fengxiang hastily knelt and hailed:

"Your Majesty is sagacious! This servant can only swear to serve unto death and not fail Your Majesty's grace!"

Watching Li Fengxiang's reaction, Chongzhen was not at all surprised — in history, this brush-holding eunuch had died fighting for the court alongside Fang Zhenghua, so his loyalty was certainly beyond question.

The Chongzhen Emperor gave a faint "mm" and said:

"I am going to Kunning Palace. You may withdraw."

At the "well"-shaped intersection beside the Donghua Gate of the Forbidden City, secret agents in pointed caps, white leather boots, and brown official robes with small sashes stood in a row; behind them, a plaque bore four hair-raising characters — "Eastern Affairs Bureau."

People constantly passed in and out, but nearly all were the Eastern Depot's own agents and runners.

This street had once been fairly lively, but since the Eastern Depot had been re-established, the number of passersby had dwindled every day — in just a few days' time, not a single person could be seen walking by even in broad daylight.

Li Fengxiang and several sturdy Embroidered Uniform Guard officers in flying-fish robes arrived before the gate, looked up at those four large characters, and instead felt a deep familiarity. He let out a long breath, presented his token, and was led by a squad leader to see Wang Cheng'en.

Wang Cheng'en, chief brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, had received the imperial command to direct the Eastern Depot — it was like being thrust directly onto the crest of the wave, with all manner of matters, trivial and grave, rushing at him.

But the present Chongzhen Emperor trusted Wang Cheng'en just as the Tianqi Emperor had trusted Wei Zhongxian — even if memorials piled up across the imperial desk, he paid them no heed, and the long-abandoned Eastern Depot was swiftly rebuilt.

When Wang Cheng'en learned the purpose of Li Fengxiang's visit, he was quite astonished — and of course understood what the Chongzhen Emperor wanted him to find out.

Wang Cheng'en was now very busy trying to scatter Eastern Depot agents into the households of various officials and great families, so without waiting for Li Fengxiang's pleasantries he cut straight to the point, saying in a neither warm nor cold tone:

"Eunuch Li has received a fine commission today, but do not forget for whom you truly serve."

Li Fengxiang had meant to flatter the new Director a few words, but before the words left his mouth he was cut off, so he hastily said with fawning obsequiousness:

"This humble one serves the Director — this trip—"

"You talk nonsense!" Before he could finish, Wang Cheng'en cursed in fury and strode over, bristling with anger:

"You serve the Great Ming, you serve the present sage Son of Heaven! Say such words again in the future, and mind your head!"

Li Fengxiang was struck with terror and hastily shut his mouth.

"Remember, this trip to Shanxi is no simple matter. Use your head more in all things. Your own death would be no great loss, but you must by all means help Regional Commander Zhou pry the pay silver out of those Shanxi merchants' mouths — that is the most crucial matter."

As he spoke, Wang Cheng'en's face darkened, and he said coldly:

"If I learn that you have embezzled a single coin of the Shanxi troops' pay, you need not come back. Understood?"

"Yes, yes — every word the Director speaks, this humble one will keep engraved in his heart!"

"Enough. This matter cannot be delayed. Take this and be on your way at once."

When he came out, Wang Cheng'en had already resumed discussing matters with several punishment-executing chiliarchs as if nothing had happened, while Li Fengxiang, standing outside the door clutching several documents, was covered in cold sweat and dared not be careless again.