You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 270 The Consequences of Failing to Pay Banner Fees
Forbidden City.

"Summon Prince An to the palace."

Yue Le quickly entered the hall, intending to kowtow three times and bow nine times, but was immediately stopped by Shunzhi.

“Cousin, no need for formalities, we are family, please sit down.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

“Cousin, I know that you endured humiliation and hardship to infiltrate the cabinet and deal with that traitor Chiang Kai-shek for the sake of the Qing Dynasty.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Despite this, Yue Le nervously looked around.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Shunzhi couldn't help but sigh, "The accumulated power of Chiang Kai-shek is truly terrifying."

"There is no one else here. Today's conversation is between you and me. I have summoned you here to put you in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. Quickly take stock of the silver reserves and military equipment."

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree. However, Chief Minister Jiang has repeatedly complained in cabinet meetings that the Ministry of Revenue is running a deficit."

"Really?" Shunzhi was taken aback, then laughed after a few seconds. "He was just lying to you. Come on, let's go to the Ministry of Revenue together."

"According to the order."

……

During a break on the way, Yue Le couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, seizing power first requires a sufficient number of loyal men."

"I have met with at least several hundred people recently."

"How about it?"

"I appealed to their emotions and reasoned with them, offering them official titles, gold, and silver. Some pledged their loyalty on the spot, some hesitated, and some stammered. It is clear that although the traitor Jiang is gone, his lingering influence remains. I am heartbroken."

Shunzhi's expression was extremely painful. He didn't even dare to think about how many Eight Banners dissidents he would have to kill to purge Chiang Kai-shek's poison after he resumed personal rule.
Yue Le suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, is there any news about the Empress Dowager?"

"This is precisely what I cannot understand. About eight months ago, the Empress Dowager asked Kong Sizhen to enter the palace and make contact with me. On the day of my wedding, an attempted coup occurred in the capital, and since then, there has been no news of the Empress Dowager."

Is the Empress Dowager hiding from the search and arrest?

"But Jiang Qingyun has already left the capital. Logically speaking, the Empress Dowager should have entered the palace to meet with me."

"Could he have been arrested?"

Emperor Shunzhi shook his head as if it were a rattle.

"Logically speaking, if the Empress Dowager were arrested, surely there would have been some word of it?"

The emperor and his ministers fell silent. Indeed, where had the Empress Dowager gone? They were utterly baffled.

……

Those who remained in the Ministry of Revenue were all insignificant people.

The emperor arrived in person and issued a decree.

The vault doors slowly opened.

The empty silver shelves piled high, the completely empty silver chests—Shunzhi was sweating profusely as he looked at them.

"Where is the silver? Where is my silver?"

No one could answer.

"I want to audit the accounts!"

“Your Majesty, at this point, checking the accounts is of no use. If the Ministry of Revenue has no silver, it will cause a major disaster. It will affect the livelihoods of the Manchu bannermen in the capital, the salaries of the officials in the capital, the daily expenses of the government offices in the capital, as well as the military pay for Wu, Guangdong, and the Green Standard Army in Zhili.”

Emperor Shunzhi felt dizzy and leaned against the wall for a long time.

"Summon a few people from the Ministry of Revenue; I have questions for them."

It would have been better if he hadn't asked, because Shunzhi was devastated when he discovered that the Ministry of Revenue had long been out of money.

"Yue Le, what about this year's taxes and grain payments in each province? Hurry up and urge them."

"Yes."

Yue Le opened his mouth, but still didn't dare to tell the truth.

Since last year, the arrears in payments in various provinces have become increasingly serious, and the imperial court's urging is futile.

He dared not speak out because he feared that Shunzhi would think he was playing a double agent and, in a fit of anger, kill him first to vent his frustration.

……

After struggling all the way back to the palace, Shunzhi's once straightened back became hunched over again.

"Your Majesty~"

Empress Hesheri stepped forward to support her, feeling sorry for her.

"That traitor Chiang Kai-shek left me with an empty treasury. I have no money left, I have no money left."

"Your Majesty, I have an idea." "Speak quickly!"

"Lend me some money!"

"Who should I borrow from?"

"The Shanxi merchants are so wealthy that they could rival the wealth of a nation, and they have been favored by the emperor for generations. If they heard that it was the emperor who wanted to borrow money, they would probably be overjoyed."

"I will do it immediately!"

Waiting for the provinces to send their taxes is too late; distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. Borrow money! Shanxi is not far from the capital!
Since Jiang Qingyun left Beijing in March, everything in the capital seemed to be normal, orderly, and everyone was doing their job. But anyone with eyes could smell the blood in the air!

Some people voluntarily left the capital to avoid the unexpected disaster that might befall them at any moment.

Some people couldn't walk, so they started to get sick, starting with tuberculosis, ending with smallpox, and the doors were tightly closed, refusing all visitors.

……

Qianliang Hutong, in front of the Eight Banners Salary Office.

Today is payday.

The flag bearers, long accustomed to Pavlov's classical conditioning theory, lined up in a long queue to collect their share of money and rations.

A golden sesame tree is painted on the wall, symbolizing that sesame flowers bloom higher and higher, sending a signal that the steadfast crops will continue to grow.

The flag bearers in line felt hopeful when they saw this tree.

Today, however, is different from the past.

The silver box was delayed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is an imperial decree from the Forbidden City that there was a minor oversight in the management of the Ministry of Revenue's treasury, and the account books were burned. Therefore, this month's pay will be postponed by one month, but the grain will be paid as usual, so you will not go hungry."

The scene immediately erupted in cheers.

"How can we postpone the harvest of our staple crops?"

"We don't have any silver saved at home."

"Does anyone have any savings? Nobody does."

"Did you embezzle the silver that the Grand Secretary left for us before he left?"

The soldiers were furious. They were used to never being late with their payments and to living paycheck to paycheck. And now you're suddenly doing this to them? Isn't this going to kill them?

Pavlov's theory of classical conditioning is no joke.

A flag officer inquired:
"Is there any official cabinet document regarding this matter?"

"Yes. There must be a set of rules."

The delay in issuing the bannermen's pay caused a great commotion for two days. In the end, Emperor Shunzhi was forced to issue an edict to appease the people, stating that it was just an accident and that the pay would definitely be made up next month.

……

Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Shunzhi angrily smashed a porcelain vase on the ground.

"That traitor Chiang Kai-shek!!! He's dumped a huge mess on me! This isn't a southern tour!! He's clearly gone off to escape his debts!!!"

The Empress and Consort Tong looked at each other, knowing that daily life was inseparable from the necessities of firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

Without money, the family will fall apart.

Without money, the imperial court couldn't hold on any longer.

"Your Majesty, do not worry. Once the donation from the Shanxi merchants arrives, the immediate crisis will be resolved."

"Quickly, send people to borrow from wealthy families in the capital, as well as salt merchants in Changlu and the Confucius family in Shandong!"

"Wait a minute~"

Consort Tong suddenly spoke up.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my rudeness. Lending money in this way will cause unrest throughout the land."

"Without money, the capital will still be in turmoil."

"Your Majesty, there are few who offer help in times of need, but many who kick you when you're down. This has been the case since ancient times. When my father was seriously injured at home, his daily expenses for medicine and medical treatment were like water flowing away. My brother suffered so many cold looks from relatives in order to borrow money."

Shunzhi became much quieter.

"Your Majesty, the Confucius family in Shandong is the most sycophantic family in the world. The consequences of borrowing money are unpredictable. It would be better to open the imperial treasury to tide us over for a while. I will also offer some of my dowry."

Empress Hesheli: "Sister, your insight is brilliant. I will go back to my parents' home today to borrow money."

Shunzhi embraced the two women who truly cared for him on either side, silently thinking, "Mother, where are you hiding and having fun? Why don't you come out and help me?"

(End of this chapter)