Chapter 123: Holding Heaven Hostage

"Your Majesty received your secret memorial the other day, saying that there were some discrepancies in the accounts of the Kong Mansion in Qufu, Shandong. After verification by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it has been confirmed true. And last year, Liu Zeqing, the Regional Commander of Shandong, reported that the Regional Inspector of Shandong had been slaughtered by bandits."

At this point, the Chongzhen Emperor smiled, looked at Dang Chongya, and continued:

"I can see that you are utterly loyal to the Great Ming. As such, I hereby appoint you the new Regional Inspector, to oversee Shandong on my behalf and keep watch over Liu Zeqing. Does anyone have any objections?"

This move by the Chongzhen Emperor not only shocked Feng Quan, who thought he had figured out the Emperor's patterns, but also filled the Donglin Faction with both alarm and fear. Some, upon hearing the opening words, felt particular disgust at Dang Chongya's two-faced attitude.

What alarmed them was that the Chongzhen Emperor had not directly confiscated Dang Chongya's property and exterminated his family, but instead had cast him out of the court and thrown him into a place as perilous as Shandong. What frightened them was that the Chongzhen Emperor actually cared so much about the mansion of Confucius in Qufu.

Dang Chongya's mouth hung open, and for a moment he could not speak. He said:

"Your servant... this... this is not a memorial your servant submitted! Your servant..."

Before Dang Chongya could finish, Feng Quan jumped out to interrupt, saying with a smile:

"Ah, congratulations to Censor Dang, felicitations to Lord Dang! I never imagined Lord Dang was so patriotic — it truly puts this humble official to shame!"

Wei Zaode smiled as well, and with affected solemnity clasped his hands and said:

"Lord Dang goes to oversee Shandong on behalf of the Son of Heaven. Should you rise to great heights, do not forget this old fool when you return."

The Donglin Faction had already been cowed into fear by executions. No matter how terrified they were at heart, they dared not say a single extra word, only speculating silently among themselves.

This Chongzhen, this tyrant, kills loyal ministers wantonly. This time Dang Chongya had spoken to such a degree, yet nothing happened to him — instead he got to become a Regional Inspector and leave the capital to enjoy himself. It must surely be because of that memorial the tyrant mentioned earlier.

Dang Chongya has betrayed the reputation of Donglin, colluding with that tyrant in advance — truly detestable!

Watching his ministers' reactions, the Chongzhen Emperor smiled silently, looking very satisfied.

For the Chongzhen Emperor, the power of the Donglin Faction in court needed to be suppressed, while the eunuch faction, the meritorious nobles, and the loyalist faction needed to be cultivated — but he could not let them figure out his methods too clearly.

Otherwise, men like Feng Quan who thought they knew the Son of Heaven well would easily get above themselves. This time also served as a warning to everyone.

The Chongzhen Emperor used the pretext of preparing to leave to send Dang Chongya out of the hall, then continued as if nothing had happened:

"As for the next matter — I have read the book *Tiangong Kaiwu*, and after much deliberation, I have decided to abolish the useless officials of the Armory Bureau and the Directorate of Military Implements."

"After the officials are abolished, the Directorate of Military Implements will be renamed the Bureau of Military Implements. Outside the Dongzhi Gate, a new Bureau of Works and Implements will be established. This Bureau of Works and Implements will temporarily fall under the Ministry of Works, and together with the Armory Bureau and the Bureau of Military Implements, will be responsible for the weapons, armor, winter clothing, and imperial ceremonial equipment for the soldiers."

Judging by the Chongzhen Emperor's meaning, this new Bureau of Works and Implements established outside Dongzhi Gate seemed to be specifically responsible for the construction of various civilian implements, farm tools, and civilian housing — clearly there was plenty of profit to be had.

The Bureau of Works and Implements would fall under the Ministry of Works, the Armory Bureau under the inner court eunuchs, while the Bureau of Military Implements after its reorganization would stand on its own. After today's discussion, within the capital there would be a system of three bureaus each managing various construction matters separately.

"By the way, Li Ruolian, quickly dispatch riders from the Embroidered Uniform Guard out of the capital to Fengxin, summon Song Yingxing to the capital. Tell him I appoint him Director of the Bureau of Works and Implements." At this point, the Chongzhen Emperor did not wait for Li Ruolian to acknowledge, but suddenly waved his hand and added with considerable gravity:

"No — send a capable Chiliarch out personally. Instruct the accompanying riders that they must respectfully invite Old Master Song to the capital, treating him as they would a prince or noble relative. Not the slightest discourtesy is permitted."

"If Old Master Song arrives in the capital missing so much as a single hair, I will exterminate their nine clans!"

Li Ruolian hastily bowed and acknowledged the decree. Neither the Emperor's appointment of Feng Quan to the Grand Secretariat, nor his appointment of Wang Shaowei as Minister of Personnel, had ever received such an extraordinary degree of attention.

"Could this Song Yingxing be some kind of divine being, that the Emperor values him to such a degree?" Carrying this question, Li Ruolian dared not be negligent. After returning to his place, he began carefully pondering suitable candidates to send out of the capital.

Just at this moment, Jiang Dejing, the newly appointed Second Grand Secretary, suddenly stepped forward from the ranks and bowed:

"I report to Your Majesty: Your Majesty has not held court for over half a month. The memorials from civil and military officials in the Office of Transmission have piled up like a small mountain. I beg to convey the matters to Your Majesty."

The Chongzhen Emperor glanced at this man, feeling that the Donglin Faction was no longer as arrogant as when he had first transmigrated here. He decided to resume court another day, and nodded for him to continue.

"After the Beginning of Autumn, the weather turns cold. Now Your Majesty has broadly implemented benevolent governance, abolishing the Liaodong levy and exempting the realm's taxes for one year. Indeed, the military pay for Xuanfu and Datong has been fully made up, and the three armies celebrate in Your Majesty's honor. Yet the situation remains critical — we must not be careless."

"The memorial submitted by Wu Sangui of the Liaodong left arrived at the Office of Transmission yesterday. He states that the soldiers and civilians of Liaodong urgently need supplies for winter, and begs Your Majesty to allocate eight hundred thousand taels of silver to address the immediate crisis. Moreover, Wu Sangui states in his memorial that the soldiers and civilians of the Liaodong left have diligently defended the border for the court for decades — to make up the full military pay... at least three million taels are needed!"

"What? This Wu Sangui dares to open his mouth so wide, demanding over three million eight hundred thousand taels of military pay — truly a traitor!"

"Your Majesty, Wu Sangui is blackmailing the court — this is outright treason!"

After Jiang Dejing finished speaking, the Warm Pavilion immediately erupted into an uproar. The Chongzhen Emperor's face darkened as well, and he muttered coldly to himself:

"As expected — whether I live or die, whether the Great Ming falls or stands, Wu Sangui remains in the end nothing but a warlord who thinks only of his own interests!"

"Your Majesty?" Li Chun, the seal-holder of the Palace Maintenance Directorate standing nearby, clearly had not understood, and asked in surprise.

Three million eight hundred thousand taels — the current national treasury could indeed produce it with ease. But to hand over such a massive amount of silver simply because of a single memorial from Wu Sangui?

And this traitor had written it plainly in his memorial: eight hundred thousand taels would only address the immediate crisis, and three million taels of military pay was merely the beginning.

Thinking of this, the Chongzhen Emperor could almost see Wu Sangui's vile, treacherous face there at Shanhai Pass at this very moment, and could not help clenching his fists.

"What a scoundrel — does he truly think the Great Ming has no one, that he has me cornered!"

The newly appointed Second Grand Secretary Jiang Dejing, in both learning and ability, far surpassed the current Chief Grand Secretary Wei Zaode. Of this, the Chongzhen Emperor was well aware.

The Chongzhen Emperor had half a mind to deal with Wu Sangui directly, but circumstances did not permit it. Like Wu Sangui's Liaodong army, the various regions of the Central Plains were in fact all ruled by such warlords now.

Those who truly obeyed his commands were only a few garrisons — Gao Jie, Bai Guangen, Zhou Yuji, Huang Degong, and the like. Moreover, the new army had just been trained, and some camps were still recruiting soldiers, not yet drilled.

As things stood, he absolutely could not break with Wu Sangui. While stabilizing the interior, he had to keep this traitor Wu Sangui in check.

As the saying goes, when a scholar meets a soldier, reason cannot prevail. In the past, the Eight Great Locust Merchants had money and power, and the Donglin Faction had reputation and authority — but neither could match the Chongzhen Emperor, who held the sword that cuts men down. Now the situation was reversed.

The power in the Chongzhen Emperor's hands was far inferior to Wu Sangui's, and the Liaodong army held Shanhai Pass — that vital artery — in their grip. To rush into battle would only repeat Li Zicheng's mistake.