Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 354 Zhu Jinzhen was furious and self-righteous.
The next day, early morning.

The glazed tiles of Fengtian Hall gleamed coldly in the dim sunlight, and the beasts on the eaves seemed to be holding their breath and staring at this imperial city that had just experienced a change of power.

Zhu Jinzhen sat on the dragon throne in the Qianqing Palace, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the paperweight.

On the desk lay a secret report presented by the Eastern Depot. The ink was still wet, recording that Minister of Revenue Yang Tan had secretly met with three court officials in his residence yesterday. The accounts of the Jiangnan salt permits on the table showed signs of tampering by the secret guards using a special potion.

"Your Majesty, Yu Huatian, the Director of the Western Depot, requests an audience."

The sound of the Cangyun Army coming to pay their respects came from outside the door.

Zhu Jinzhen rolled the secret report into a tube and casually tapped his palm: "Let him in."

Yu Huatian, dressed in a scarlet python robe with an embroidered spring knife at his waist, stepped silently into the hall. Behind him followed a captain from the Western Depot carrying a black wooden tray, the outline of a human figure vaguely visible beneath a red cloth covering it.

"Your Majesty, I have intercepted the wax-sleeved letters that Yang Tan was secretly communicating with several ministers in the court." Yu Huatian knelt on one knee, his voice soft yet carrying a chilling edge. "In addition, Zhou Xian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, sent three thousand taels of gold to the Yongning Marquis's residence last night, hoping to use the residence's secret passage to send his family out of the city."

Zhu Jinzhen didn't look at the tray, but instead gazed at the still-dark sky outside the hall: "How's the investigation on Cao Zhengchun's side going?"

Before the words were finished, a shrill voice came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, this old servant has discovered that some people in the Censorate are colluding with Yang Yuxuan, the former Minister of War. This old servant suspects that they are also involved in treason, or... treasonous acts with foreign powers!"

Cao Zhengchun's words were more terrifying than a bolt from the blue.

This statement is no longer intended to attack their moral character, but rather to target the entire families of those officials.

Cao Zhengchun entered with small, quick steps, followed by agents from the Eastern Depot carrying more than a dozen heavy wooden boxes. "These are account books copied from the residences of officials in various departments. Every entry can lead to a whole string of problems."

Yu Huatian glanced at Cao Zhengchun sideways, a cold smile playing on his lips, but remained silent.

He was indeed inexperienced in framing others and fabricating stories out of thin air, unlike Cao Zhengchun who was more experienced.

In just a few hours, Cao Zhengchun, who had just regained control of the Eastern Depot, was able to compile so much evidence of crimes and dare to blatantly present it to the Emperor. This was quite remarkable.

Yu Huatian did not believe that Cao Zhengchun was simply fabricating stories and maliciously slandering him.

There must be some connection involved, or something that's a mix of truth and falsehood.

Otherwise, Cao Zhengchun would not be flattering the emperor, but courting death.

"Minister of Revenue, Vice Minister of Justice, Censorate, and Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies."

"Okay, very good."

"Do they really think that by controlling the Ministry of Revenue, I can't touch them?"

Zhu Jinzhen suddenly threw the secret report in his hand to the ground, the brocade scroll rolling a long way across the ground. The two men fell silent instantly, staring down at the tips of their shoes.

"The Ministry of Revenue's funds, border defense expenses?" Zhu Jinzhen's eyes flashed with murderous intent, causing the temperature in the hall to plummet. "Have they forgotten that I am not Emperor Zhengde? If I were to touch the Ministry of Revenue's funds, they wouldn't even be able to come up with enough money for my enthronement ceremony!"

"Cao Zhengchun!"

"The servant is here."

"I ask you, if I were to kill a bunch of officials in the capital, confiscate their property and exterminate their families, could I possibly get a hundred million taels of silver?" Zhu Jinzhen's voice was chilling. Before yesterday, he thought that even the boldest of these people were just testing the waters to protect their own interests or to further seize power.

Unexpectedly, these people were so audacious.

It seems he was ultimately too kind!
Cao Zhengchun's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "Your Majesty, as long as Your Majesty issues the decree, this servant will dig three feet into the ground to find a hundred million taels of silver for Your Majesty. I will never disappoint Your Majesty, nor will I allow Your Majesty's enthronement ceremony to be in the slightest bit shabby."

The imperial court was wealthy, but not as wealthy as the families of its officials. Zhu Jinzhen understood this, Cao Zhengchun understood it, and even the former emperor Zhu Houzhao understood it.

However, Zhu Houzhao was greatly constrained; otherwise, he would not have needed to support Liu Jin to the throne in his early years, create the Eight Tigers, and later attempt to consolidate the military power of the Ming Dynasty's border defenses, and support Cao Zhengchun to counter the civil official group.

But they never dared to actually kill him.

But Zhu Jinzhen didn't care at all; he didn't believe that the death of a group of court officials meant that the Ming Dynasty had no one left to use.

The world is never short of scholars.

What we have no shortage of are people who want to advance their careers and become officials.

Besides, even if Zhu Jinzhen wiped out all the scholars in the Ming Dynasty, could it be that the neighboring Song Dynasty, with its flourishing literary culture, couldn't find any talent, or that there were fewer talented but unappreciated people in the Sui Dynasty?
"Arrogant and self-righteous."

"Then... let's kill them!"

Zhu Jinzhen lost patience. With a flick of his finger, the Longquan sword hanging on the wall of the Qianqing Palace flashed with cold light and flew out on its own, landing in front of Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian.

Yu Huatian and Cao Zhengchun exchanged a glance, then kowtowed simultaneously: "Your Majesty, this humble servant is willing to rid Your Majesty of treacherous officials!"

"The imperial sword is yours."

Zhu Jinzhen's gaze fell out the window: "The sun is shining brightly today, perfect for murder."

"Yes!"

"We will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty."

Yu Huatian and Cao Zhengchun bowed deeply at the same time.

……

Early morning, Beijing.

In the study of the Yang family mansion, Yang Tan was sighing in front of a painting of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival." The General of Juyong Pass beside him lowered his voice and said, "Sir, we have the salt tax from Jiangnan and the border army's provisions. The new emperor has not yet ascended the throne. We can't just wipe out all the pillars of the court, can we? He must understand the principle that the law does not punish the masses."

"If we don't fight for a cabinet position now, when will we ever get another chance?"

Yang Tan stroked his beard, the tea stains on his fingertips spreading across the account book: "Of course we must fight for it, but our new emperor is different from the late one! The six ministries have taken turns submitting memorials, trying to probe further, but there has been no news."

"Sir, you are mistaken."

The general of Juyong Pass shook his head and sneered, "Now that the new emperor has succeeded in quelling the rebellion, the old policies are suspended, and he is waiting to ascend the throne."

"Although he was invincible in battle, no matter how capable he was, he couldn't do without money. Without financial support, without the support of the Ministry of Revenue, the budget for this new emperor's coronation ceremony would be..."

This reminder was exactly what Yang Tan wanted to hear.

Upon hearing this, Yang Tan smiled meaningfully and said, "The Ministry of Revenue's treasury is empty. The late emperor was extravagant, and the court's finances have long been in deficit. Even for the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, we can't afford to waste money and burden the people, can we?"

If he cannot advance further and enter the cabinet.

Even if he couldn't and wouldn't dare to cut off the numerous expenses for the new emperor's coronation ceremony, he could still feign poverty.

After all, Yang Tan had controlled the Ministry of Revenue for many years and thought he still had the final say!
He refused to believe that Zhu Jinzhen, a prince who had been involved in the Jingnan Rebellion, would dare to go against the Ministry of Revenue and make his coronation ceremony sloppy and embarrassing. That would not only damage Yang Tan's reputation, but also the reputation of Zhu Jinzhen, the new emperor.

(End of this chapter)