Chapter 17: What a State Father!

"In your view, Minister Zhang, how should the Capital Camps be reformed?"

Zhang Shize was a direct descendant of Zhang Fu, a hero of the Jingnan Campaign during the Yongle era. Since the Yongle years, the Duke of Ying's line had ranked indisputably first among the meritorious nobility.

Even during the reigns of the powerful eunuchs Liu Jin and Wei Zhongxian, no one dared touch this family.

As the foremost of the meritorious nobles, Zhang Shize naturally understood the deep-rooted problem of nobles holding nominal posts in the Capital Camps. After a moment's thought, he spoke:

"Your Majesty, the Capital Camps have been plagued by accumulated ills for too long to be thoroughly changed overnight. Your Majesty just said that troops need not be elite, only willing to fight — your minister deeply concurs."

"Your minister once sent someone to inquire of Vice Regional Commander Dong. Though the nobles have been purged, the newly recruited soldiers are unwilling to drill — this has always been a common ailment of military affairs. Time waits for no one: the bandit Li is locked in a great battle with Regional Commander Zhou at Ningwu, and General Wu's methods are overly lenient — your minister finds this improper."

As he spoke, Zhang Shize showed a hesitant expression. The Chongzhen Emperor waved his hand to indicate there was no need for concern.

Zhang Shize continued: "If your minister were to oversee the Capital Camps, I would also need to borrow twenty Grand Commanders from Your Majesty. During drills, they would stand in the field in bright armor bearing weapons. Those who disobey would be whipped under harsh law; those who comply would be rewarded with silver. This could achieve remarkable results."

After finishing, Zhang Shize felt something was amiss and added:

"Your Majesty appoints me to oversee the Capital Camps, but as I am a member of the meritorious nobility, I expect the hundred officials will have complaints. Therefore, besides myself, Your Majesty should also designate a senior court minister to co-manage, so as to confuse the eyes and ears."

The Chongzhen Emperor weighed the matter for some time, found it feasible, and nodded as he asked:

"Do you have someone in mind, my minister?"

"Your Majesty, Censor-in-Chief Li Banghua is not of the Donglin Faction. He is most filial, yet speaks without restraint and has made many enemies at court — he is the most suitable choice."

This Li Banghua again — at the very first court assembly, it was he who had confidently proposed that the ministers and the Crown Prince should travel south to the old capital while he stayed in Beijing to await death. The Chongzhen Emperor still harbored some resentment over that.

But after pondering for a while, he felt that Zhang Shize's reasoning was quite sound.

First, Li Banghua was indeed not a member of the Donglin Faction — in fact, he had thoroughly offended nearly every minister at court. Nor could he properly be called a member of the eunuch faction, the Zhejiang Faction, or the Chu Faction.

What Li Banghua did could charitably be called speaking out for justice; uncharitably, it was self-righteousness and arrogance. As a rare non-partisan 'righteous' figure, he was clearly the best candidate to serve as a shield.

"Well said, my minister. I had precisely this in mind — approved!"

"Your Majesty is sagacious." Zhang Shize's mind was greatly settled, and he seized the moment to voice a thought he had long been considering:

"The bandit Li claims a million men — the number may not reach that, but neither will it be small. Regional Commander Zhou leads the Ningwu army stationed at Daizhou; whether he can hold out is still unknown. If it comes to a critical juncture, Your Majesty should swiftly move south to ensure complete safety, then make further plans!"

Even Wang Cheng'en drew in a cold breath at these words. For you see, 'moving south' and 'peace talks' were taboo subjects with the Chongzhen Emperor — anyone associated with them had come to no good end.

But this time the Chongzhen Emperor was perfectly composed, and said with an expressionless face:

"My minister need only focus on reforming the Capital Camps. I have my own considerations on this matter — no need to raise it again."

Zhang Shize knew in his heart that the likelihood was slim. His face showed no surprise; he merely sighed, made a bow, and withdrew.

Just as the Chongzhen Emperor was discussing next steps with several trusted confidants, Empress Zhou was also summoning her father, the State Father Zhou Kui, in the inner palace.

The cause was this: after leaving the warm pavilion, Zhou Kui had been nursing his displeasure at the Chongzhen Emperor's actions, feeling that this son-in-law of his was far too cold and unfeeling.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that losing ten thousand taels of silver for nothing with no one to pour out his grievance to — so he went to find his daughter, the current Empress Zhou, to talk it over, hoping she would whisper in the emperor's ear on his behalf.

But even though the two were father and daughter, the protocols for an audience with the Empress could not be omitted. Only after Zhou Kui had performed the full ceremonial obeisance of subject to sovereign did Empress Zhou gracefully return the greeting between father and daughter.

No sooner had the palace maids and eunuchs left than Zhou Kui, his backside not yet touching the chair, burst out impatiently:

"My dear daughter, it's no easy thing to see you! You have no idea what your father went through today!"

At the very mention of this, Empress Zhou felt even more ashamed, and her words carried a note of reproach:

"Father has come to see your daughter today — is it to speak of how His Majesty asked you to donate silver?"

"What else would it be? My dear daughter, what matter could be greater than silver!" Zhou Kui wailed with a mournful face, beating his chest and stamping his feet:

"Today I donated a full ten thousand taels of silver! Our family had little surplus wealth to begin with — this was saved by your father over many years of frugal living, copper coin by copper coin!"

Hearing these words from her father, the warmth on Empress Zhou's face visibly dimmed. Was silver truly more important than her own daughter?

"Father, our Zhou family's rise to glory and our present status as imperial relatives — none of this can be separated from His Majesty. Your daughter has heard from palace attendants that even the least generous of the Six Ministers donated ten thousand taels. You've barely edged out Wei Zaode by a hair — how can you behave this way?"

As Empress Zhou said this, a layer of frost had already formed on her pretty face, and her words carried a heavy note of sarcasm. Had Zhou Kui failed to catch it, he would have been truly stupid — he hurried to defend himself:

"My dear daughter, those ministers are all corrupt men! Your father is an honest, upright fellow — you know this well. How can you blame your father?"

As he spoke, Zhou Kui's mind turned rapidly, and he rolled his eyes as he said:

"My dear daughter, His Majesty is a sentimental man. Donating ten thousand taels was indeed a bit little, and I've long regretted it. But the household still has a large family to support — we're utterly impoverished and can produce no more silver. I've come this time to borrow money from you so I can donate again."

As he spoke, Zhou Kui seemed to feel something was off and quickly added:

"My dear daughter, you can't bear to see your father subjected to those people's gossip, can you?"

Empress Zhou's eyes went wide at these words. She would never have imagined that her own father could be so greedy for wealth — not a single sentence passed his lips without mention of silver, as if in his eyes she were merely a tool for extracting money.

Empress Zhou was utterly disappointed in Zhou Kui, with not a shred of hope remaining. Her earlier intention to counsel him faded away, and she turned and said coldly:

"I am weary. Attendants, escort the State Father out of the palace!"

The word 'I' spoken before her own father carried great significance. When Zhou Kui heard it, his expression froze. Looking at the palace maids who had entered to see him out, he stormed off in a fury, throwing caution to the wind.

"Sigh."

Hearing her father Zhou Kui's agitated footsteps, Empress Zhou's heart softened somewhat — after all, he was still her father. She frowned for a long moment, then took out an exquisite little box and sighed:

"Xiumei, take these ornaments out of the palace and sell them. Send the silver thus obtained to the State Father's residence. Remember — do not tell His Majesty."

The palace maid Xiumei furrowed her brow, greatly startled, and said indignantly:

"Empress, these were all gifts from His Majesty! How can you sell them!"

Empress Zhou gave the ornaments one last touch, then let out another long sigh and said:

"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If the bandit troops should breach the capital, what use would I have for these ornaments? Take them and sell them."