Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 115 The wealth of Jiangnan is comparable to that of a nation.
The Ming Dynasty's demise was not due to external factors.

Most of these cases were caused by corruption at the top and class stratification. A smaller part of the reason can also be attributed to the fact that, in the 150 years since the Hongzhi Emperor, there have been very few truly respectable emperors.

There are countless types of people who cultivate immortality, work as carpenters, haven't attended court for thirty years, or run zoos and party all day long.

It has a style reminiscent of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

In contrast, the Longqing Emperor, who reigned for five years and was known for his debauchery and neglect of state affairs, appeared to be a rare and wise ruler.

Even a combination like Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang, which would be a winning formula in other dynasties, couldn't make it work; they could only extend the Ming Dynasty's lifespan by a few decades.

It can be said that after Baozong, Zhu Yuanzhang ruined the foundation laid by four generations of his descendants.

From then on, the Ming Dynasty was never the same again.

However, the foundation left by Zhu Yuanzhang still existed. The Mongol tribes were completely subdued, the Duke of Qian's mansion was stationed in the south to keep watch, and there were no major tribes in the west.

If even Japanese pirates and the Oirat Mongols could pose a serious threat, one can imagine how easy it was for the Ming Dynasty to defend its borders.

This is no exaggeration.

It is important to understand that no matter what dynasty it was, there was always a sword hanging over the neck of the Central Plains from the north.

The Xiongnu during the Qin and Han dynasties, the Turks during the Sui and Tang dynasties, not to mention the Song dynasties, and the Liao, Jin, Mongol, Yuan and Xia dynasties took turns ruling.

Compared to these, the Oirat and Japanese pirates are not even worthy of carrying their shoes.

It was precisely because there were no powerful enemies around that so many eccentric emperors and rampant factional strife were created.

After all, domestic conflicts cannot be shifted outwards, and people with nothing to do always have to find something to do.

Finally, the garrison system established during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign created a breeding ground for military leaders and nobles.

The imperial examination system, the North-South ranking system, and the preferential treatment of exempting students from taxes fostered the monster of factional strife.

Under the premise of suppressing commerce, commercial taxes are naturally not taken seriously.

Merchants did not have to pay taxes and there were few economic laws, so their profits were naturally extremely high.

As a result, society in the Ming Dynasty became extremely distorted.

Ordinary farmers will remain farmers for generations, only able to cultivate the land. Even hunting wild animals during the off-season is illegal, because that is the job of hunters.

With no room for advancement, the only path left was the imperial examination.

To avoid exorbitant taxes, farmers gave away their land to local scholars, who paid little or no taxes. Even paying rent for their land was far less than paying taxes to the imperial court.

These students, having tasted the sweetness of power, learned corruption before even entering officialdom, and they didn't even realize it was corruption; in their hearts, it was doing good.

After all, we helped our fellow villagers.

If even the lowest-ranking officials are like this, one can only imagine the extent of corruption when they officially take office.

Only those students in the Imperial College who were not corrupted by the outside world, who devoted themselves to studying the classics, and who were full of enthusiasm, were the purest scholars of this era.

As for the merchants, there were no pure merchants at that time. They were all pushed out by the families of high-ranking officials and nobles, with the purpose of making money for them.

Who would complain about having too much money?

Including the famous Shanxi merchants, Anhui merchants, Liaoning merchants, and even maritime merchants, any one of them could have intricate connections with the imperial court.

Therefore, merchants were officials, and officials were merchants.

With money, they couldn't spend it all in the Ming Dynasty, where commercial activities were not well developed. Many officials who made their fortunes tasted the benefits of power and would be more dedicated to cultivating the next generation's education for the imperial examinations.

Adhering to the age-old tradition of passing down knowledge and farming, they simultaneously acquired and occupied fertile land on a large scale, while also monopolizing the imperial examination system.

Farmers were happy to donate, and scholars were happy to accept, thus solidifying class distinctions.

Ultimately, the peasants who had no land could only be exploited by the landlord class.

Any major disaster could bankrupt farmers, leaving them unable to pay rent, let alone food.

Or they could afford the rent, but had to use their food rations to repay the loan the landlord had given them in the spring for planting crops.

Then came the Little Ice Age at the end of the Ming Dynasty, with several consecutive years of severe droughts and floods. Even wealthy farmers couldn't withstand such torment.

When the Jurchens rose to power outside the Great Wall, the court was extremely corrupt. In order to raise funds for the army, they could only continue to increase taxes, leaving the peasants with no way to survive.

Thus, various rebel groups rose up in rebellion.

Zhu Youjian hanged himself on Coal Hill, and the last pillar of the Ming Dynasty was broken.

All of these factors ultimately led to the downfall of the Ming Dynasty.

Even if none of these events had occurred, the Ming Dynasty would not have been destroyed.

But the situation is different now than in my previous life.

Zhu Youjian first defeated the million-strong rebel army in the capital, which boosted the morale of the entire Ming Dynasty and restored imperial authority.

After the Fortress, the prestige of the court and the dignity of the emperor, which had been lost for nearly two hundred years, were restored.

This is a real breakthrough of over a million, a genuine effort to turn the tide on the brink of national collapse.

Its political significance far outweighs its practical significance.

This signifies that the Mandate of Heaven has been revealed, and the previously ambiguous, wavering, or ambitious military leaders and heroes instantly put aside their thoughts.

It was precisely because of this battle that Zhu Youjian was able to integrate numerous miscellaneous troops and refugees so quickly, and reclaim nine million mu of farmland in half a month.

The subsequent arguments about national traitors and the proclamation to the world and the public occupied the moral high ground and won over the hearts of the people.

The Martyrs' Shrine bound the military households.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was rebuilt and regained control of the government.

Every action amplified Zhu Youjian's imperial majesty.

This time, his decisive victory over Dorgon and the capture of Daishan brought his personal prestige and the court's authority to their peak.

Officials and nobles across the country once again felt a sense of awe and reverence for the central government.

Even minor officials and clerks who enjoyed comforts in the southern hinterland began to implement the decrees issued by the imperial court.

They even started to consider whether doing so would be feasible and whether it met the requirements from above.

In the past, they wouldn't have cared about so much; they would have just done whatever made money.

These changes may not even have been noticed by Zhu Youjian. After his arrival, he merely turned the Ming Dynasty from the brink of collapse to the brink of collapse, yet he had already brought about earth-shattering changes.

Of course, ministers like Ni Yuanlu would naturally sense this.

But it was merely a feeling, at most a private remark that His Majesty showed signs of a revival.

In their minds, isn't it just a matter of course for officials to do their jobs?

Just like Zhang Huangyan and Fan Jingwen's actions in Nanjing.

If Zhu Youjian hadn't won, who would care if you were an imperial envoy? They would have a hundred ways to get rid of you!

However, the terrifying power brought by Zhu Youjian indirectly increased the prestige of Grand Secretary Fan Jingwen and the high-ranking officials sent abroad.

This kept the officials in Nanjing in a constant state of fear. If Fan Jingwen wanted to take action against the people of Nanjing, they would not only not resist, but they would also try their best to distance themselves from him.

Of course, these hundred-odd henchmen also intended to give them to Zhu Youjian as a gift upon their first meeting.

In any case, Li Ruolian's initial plan to transport the first batch of silver to the capital within three months has now been brought forward by forty days.

If it weren't for the fact that the canal transport system hadn't been completely cleaned up, and there was a fear that officials passing through might take advantage of the situation.

Li Ruolian would never personally escort the shipment.

After all, there were over a thousand officials, three thousand wealthy families, five hundred nobles, and countless merchants in Nanjing, all waiting for him to investigate.

Conservative estimates suggest that the total wealth of the entire Southern Zhili region, plus the rich lands of Jiangnan, amounted to at least fifty million taels!
No one could sit still in that situation.

……

When Zhang Huangyan's urgent letter reached Zhu Youjian.

He has led his troops back to the Beizhili region from Xifengkou.

This battle truly wiped out all of his wealth.

Apart from Qi Jiguang's army, there were no other usable troops. Of the 3,000-strong battalion with a strength of 30,000, 11,000 were killed in battle, 4,000 were seriously wounded, and the remaining 15,000 included those with minor injuries.

Huang Degong's Five Armies Battalion in Xuanfu was in an even worse state. Of its 40,000-strong force, less than 7,000 were still operational. All the firearms of the Shenji Battalion were damaged, only 500 Xuanjia Cavalry remained, the entire Imperial Guard Tiger Warriors were wiped out, and only 100 Imperial Guards were left.

The Mongol light cavalry is temporarily unavailable.

If these veterans of bloody battles were used as the backbone, it would be possible to rebuild an elite force, but it would take at least a year.

Zhu Youjian didn't have time. Even if he traveled back to the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, he wouldn't have been so bold and reckless.

Slowly and steadily develop the market, focusing on creating relevant terms and categories – that would be much better.

Now, he can only hope that Fan Jingwen will give him a surprise.

Although Li Zicheng's renewed invasion is not a major event, it is still something we must be wary of.

When Li Guo learned that Li Zicheng had launched a sneak attack during their decisive battle with Dorgon, he was so angry that he cursed his mother for half the night.

He even staged a scene of "bearing thorns to apologize," hoping that Zhu Youjian would forgive Li Zicheng's crimes and that he would definitely persuade Li Zicheng when he returned.

Zhu Youjian had no objection.

Li Guo and his ilk belonged to Li Zicheng from the beginning, and besides, he no longer had any capable troops left, so he couldn't keep them even if he wanted to.

They then released Li Guo and sent him back to Li Zicheng's side.

After spending so much time with him, Zhu Youjian had come to a general sense that Li Guo was not the kind of petty person who only cared about short-term gains.

This valiant general has already been designated as the next commander of the Beijing Garrison, so there's nothing wrong with playing the "seven captures and seven releases" game.

On the other hand, although the Jurchens outside the Great Wall won a great victory and weakened them, we still cannot let our guard down.

This victory was entirely due to an unintentional attack; one wrong step would have led to utter ruin.

Dorgon has now withdrawn.

Of the Eight Banners, six still exist, and the number of elite troops capable of fighting remains above 150,000.

If Dorgon grits his teeth and enters the pass again before the autumn harvest, he will have no chance to resist.

According to his plan, at least 20 million would be needed to build an army of 200,000 with purple-level attributes.

That way he can remain invincible.

Unfortunately, he had already plundered half of the capital, and they were truly penniless.
Just as he was worrying about this, he received a secret letter from Li Ruolian.

He hurriedly removed the sealing wax, waved everyone away, and looked in the sunlight.

"Your subject Li Ruolian bows from afar to Your Majesty, inquiring about your well-being."

"Your Majesty has been on this journey for over a month. I regret that I have not been able to lead Your Majesty's horse or put it in the stirrup. However, the matter of procuring military provisions and thoroughly investigating corruption in Nanjing is particularly serious."

"minister……"

Amidst a lot of nonsense, Zhu Youjian finally managed to grasp the key point.

A bunch of low-level henchmen found eight million taels of silver.

The rest I don't even dare to think about.

Not to mention the subsequent silver, the eight million taels of silver alone are enough for Zhu Youjian to form a team of 20,000 elite troops!
Jiangnan is truly wealthy!

Last year, the total tax revenue of the entire Ming Dynasty was only seven million taels, but the tax revenue from just one hundred people investigated in Jiangnan was more than that of last year.

They are incredibly wealthy!
If we were to thoroughly search through Southern Zhili, wouldn't we be able to generate three or four more red-themed entries...?

Just then, the scout's voice rang out.

"Report!" Hooves pounded the Yongding River as the scout dismounted, half an arrow shaft still stuck in his shoulder. "Li's vanguard has breached Bao'an Prefecture! The garrison commander is dead!"

Zhu Youjian tightened his grip on the report and quickly turned around to have someone fetch a map.

After a moment of comparison, he asked, "Has Li Chuang passed through Zijing Pass?"

"Your Majesty, the bandit leader Hao Yaoqi has led 5,000 light cavalry to bypass Juyong Pass and advance directly into Fangshan County via the Juma River!" The scout coughed up blood and pointed southeast. "Li Yan's 20,000 infantrymen, escorting 30 Hongyi cannons, have crossed the Liuli River!"

As Zhu Youjian incorporated the place names mentioned by the scouts, he was surprised to find that Li Zicheng had acted swiftly, already creating the appearance of encirclement of the capital.

"How many soldiers from Xuanfu are still capable of fighting?" Zhu Youjian suddenly asked.

The midday sun shone on the dragon banner, reflecting golden light.

"Three thousand seven are injured, and eight hundred and ninety can run horses."

The military advisor's voice trailed off, his iron wrist guards leaving shallow marks on the saddle. "The Divine Machine Battalion still has six hundred catties of gunpowder left, but all the firearms are gone."

"Enough." Zhu Youjian suddenly grabbed three command arrows. "Huang Degong will lead two thousand troops from Xuanfu and five thousand elite cavalry ahead, with many banners along the way."

"When passing through the capital, gunpowder was buried on both sides of the official road."

"Zhang Shize led three thousand cavalrymen across Xishan Huangzhuang towards Datong."

"If you encounter thieves along the way, shout that the Nanjing silver cart has arrived in Baoding!"

"Let's see if we can slow down Li Zicheng and launch a counter-encirclement."

"We can't afford to lose the capital now, after it survived two crises."

After saying this, Zhu Youjian made no further arrangements and continued on his way on horseback.

Li Zicheng doesn't pose much of a threat to him now.

However, the military advisor remained somewhat worried, saying, "What if Li Zicheng knew that the capital was undefended?"

“He already knew.” Zhu Youjian was in a great mood after receiving eight million taels of silver and was willing to explain to the advisor, “He captured seven cities in three days. He was willing to risk a major loss of strength to gamble that I had no troops.”

At this point, Zhu Youjian suddenly paused.

After careful consideration, I still feel that I can't let my guard down. It's the final stage, and I can't relax no matter what.

"Alright then, issue an order to Ni Yuanlu to release all the prisoners from the Five Cities Garrison and send long spears to the city walls!"

"Then have Shuntian Prefecture conscript all males over the age of fifteen from within the city, saying that they will receive three catties of millet per day for guarding the city!"

"Doesn't the Beijing Garrison still have seven hundred captains?"

"Tell them that those who are executed one rank will be rewarded with five acres of land, and those who are executed three ranks will be registered in the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"Send another order to Wang Chengen: move the five thousand jars of strong liquor stored in the Guanglu Temple to the city wall!"

"It's just defending a city. I've done it several times in the past two months!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" the military advisor hurriedly bowed and exclaimed.

……

Meanwhile, on the official road outside Fangshan County, Hao Yaoqi was wading through the mud to count the prisoners.

Li Shuangxi's whip suddenly lashed at his feet, "The rebel king wants you to arrive at Lugou Bridge before dawn!"

"Are you trying to kill us?" Hao Yaoqi kicked over the bamboo basket containing the severed heads. "I've covered eighty li in half a day, and the brothers' saddles are all bleeding!"

"Zhu Youjian has hidden eight million taels of silver in Baoding!" Li Shuangxi lowered his voice. "Military Advisor Song said the fortunes of the southeast have changed, and it's imperative..."

"Pah!" Hao Yaoqi spat a mouthful of phlegm on the ground. "That old Taoist priest even said that Zhu Ming was going to die two months ago! You actually believe what he said?"

"You've never fought against Emperor Chongzhen, so you don't know how dangerous this trip is."

"Don't rush things."

At this point, Hao Yaoqi's memory returned to that devastating afternoon, and the figure of the golden-armored man on the white horse sent a chill down his spine once more.
Just as the steel knife in his hand was drawn half an inch from its sheath, a muffled thunder suddenly came from the northwest.

Hao Yaoqi squinted at the dark sky, "Is it going to hail?"

"It's a cannon!" Li Shuangxi tumbled off his horse. "Hongyi Da!"

A deafening explosion ripped through the night, and flames erupted from the grain truck thirty feet away.

Hao Yaoqi wiped the sparks from his face. "Didn't they say that the Beijing garrison's firearms were all rendered useless, and that there were no strong troops left in Beizhili?!"

"Scatter! Scatter quickly!" Before Li Shuangxi could finish shouting the rest of his words, the second shell exploded a hundred paces away.

(End of this chapter)