Di Ming

Chapter 428 "What? The Pseudo-Dynasty Already Has One Capital and Five Provinces!" (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader)
It's quite poignant that the teacher and student, who hadn't seen each other for three years, met again in such a state.

Shen Yiguan felt quite indignant.

Zhu Yin cupped his hands and said, "Master, we have been separated for several years. Fortunately, we meet again in Nanjing today. I am overjoyed."

"Don't worry, sir. Your family has been given protection and is safe and sound in your hometown of Ningbo."

Looking at the handsome and dashing nineteen-year-old Zhu Yin, Shen Yiguan couldn't help but sigh deeply and said with a melancholy air:
“Child Tiger, I know you have lofty ambitions, but I never expected you to actually come this far.”

He stood by the riverbank, his white beard fluttering in the river breeze, his tone as desolate as the river itself:
"Jingnan, Jingnan, what a Jingnan! You've done such a thing, how will future generations write about you, and how will they write about me?"

"Young Tiger, do you think sending someone to kidnap me out of the capital is saving me? I've ruined my reputation in my later years, and now I'm just a crippled body barely surviving. How can I face the elders of Jiangdong? I've actually raised a traitorous son!"

Zhu Yin stepped forward, looked at his teacher with a calm gaze, and said gently:
"Sir, your intentions are pure and loyal, and I respect you from the bottom of my heart. However, I believe that loyalty can be divided into great loyalty and small loyalty. I can only be loyal to the Ming Dynasty and to China first, and only then can I be loyal to the emperor and father."

"If the Emperor Emeritus is truly a wise ruler, and if the Ming Dynasty is truly a peaceful and prosperous era, how could I, your disciple, have taken such a risk, committed such a rebellious act, and abandoned the proper relationship between ruler and subject?"

Shen Yiguan narrowed his eyes, which bore the marks of time, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

“Child Tiger, if I’m not mistaken, you are a descendant of Jianwen, aren’t you? Well, you’ve kept this from me for so long, and only now do I realize it. You’ve been planning a rebellion from the very beginning.”

Looking at the rolling Yangtze River, Zhu Yin said without any shame, "I know that you will think of this sooner or later. I will not deny that I am a descendant of Jianwen, from the Wu family of Nanyang."

Shen Yiguan shook his head sadly and gave a bitter smile.

Zhu Yin continued, "Whether you believe me or not, I want to express my true feelings. I am doing this for Chinese civilization and for the Han dynasty. Sir, I have lived abroad and know what changes have taken place in the world outside."

"Given the way the Beiping court behaves and the character of the retired emperor, they will only lead the country into unpredictable territory. Their methods won't work. Even if they can keep out the northern barbarians, they can't stop the foreigners crossing the sea..."

Shen Yiguan gave a wry smile. "Chinese civilization? What a grand concept! But it makes a lot of sense."

Zhu Yin's gaze was somewhat desolate. "Yes, it is the Chinese civilization. I believe that the next few hundred years will be the true era of great contention! If we are defeated, it will not only be a matter of national subjugation, but the true annihilation of the world. It is still not too late to change things now. I have no other choice."

After a long silence, Shen Yiguan finally said, “Child Tiger, perhaps this is truly your good intention. I also believe that you have a heart for the public good. But will the people of the world understand you? Will the many pages of history understand you? Although Emperor Jianwen is sympathetic, the line of Emperor Chengzu has been in power for nearly two hundred years and is already the legitimate successor. Even if you reclaim the throne, the word ‘usurper’ cannot be completely washed away.”

Zhu Yin also sighed, "Sir, wherever the truth lies, I will go, even if it means facing thousands of people. Whether you know me or condemn me, only history will tell!"

Shen Yiguan turned around, his back view looking quite desolate.

"Young Tiger, I have no desire to enter Nanjing, nor will I pay my respects to Emperor Taichang. May I return to Ningbo to retire?"

This is a tone of discussion.

Zhu Yin felt a pang of sadness and said, "Sir, you are free to come and go as you please. If you wish to return to Ningbo, I will send someone to escort you."

Shen Yiguan turned his head and looked at the Nanjing city gates, his gaze somewhat blank.

"Then, we, master and disciple... shall part ways here."

Zhu Yin felt a pang of reluctance, but could only cup his hands and say, "This disciple respectfully sees you off as you return home, sir! Once the situation has stabilized, this disciple will visit you again."

Shen Yiguan waved his hand, "Zhihu, I hope you are right. I have a few more years to live, and I'll be back in my hometown of Ningbo... watching what you do."

Zhu Yin said with deep emotion, "I hope my master lives to be a hundred years old and sees the era I have created. I believe that by then, my master will forgive me."

He hoped that Master Shen would stay in Nanjing, but Shen Yiguan was adamant, and he could not force him to stay. He could only send someone to escort Shen Yiguan back to his hometown.

Shen Yiguan didn't even enter the city; he took a boat back to his hometown in Zhejiang. Zhu Yin watched his boat leave before returning to the city, feeling lost and dejected.

...

When the Empress Dowager arrived in Nanjing, all the officials greeted her at the city gate and then escorted her into the palace. Wang Shi never dreamed that she, who had previously been confined to Jingyang Palace like a prisoner, would one day become the Empress Dowager.

There is no greater wonder than this in life.

When the mother and son entered the palace, Zhu Changluo recounted his experiences during this period, and the Empress Dowager couldn't help but sigh deeply.

She was someone who had suffered for many years, and such great wealth and honor suddenly fell from the sky, not surprising her, but worrying her.

“Luo’er, the Grand Tutor is our benefactor, you must be content. The throne is too ominous, it may not be a good thing for you to become emperor. The Grand Tutor is your teacher, he treats you like a son, and we have been able to stay safe in the Cold Palace all these years thanks to his secret care.”

"Mother also hates that palace. This time, you were rescued from that dark place, and we, mother and son, were able to reunite. It is also thanks to your husband's kindness. We must cherish our blessings in order to enjoy them."

Although she was a woman, she had been in the palace for more than ten years. Back then, she was Empress Dowager Li's personal maid. How could she have the knowledge of an ordinary woman?

She knew very well that this Nanjing court was set up by Zhu Yin himself, and had little to do with her son; her son was merely a figurehead. He was called the emperor, but he wasn't truly in charge.

But she could also see that Zhu Yin was genuinely good to his son.

She worried that her son would be blinded by the throne, turn against his husband, and that things would become unmanageable, preventing the master and disciple from having a good ending.

Zhu Changluo smiled and said, "Mother, don't worry. You know I don't like being an emperor. What's so good about being an emperor? The palace is like a big prison, and all those formalities are like ropes. My teacher promised me that in a few years I would be allowed to leave the palace and do whatever I want. He said that freedom, dignity, wisdom, health, and happiness are the things that people should have the most, and he hopes that I will have them all."

“In my opinion, you are the most suitable person to be emperor. If you become emperor, I will not only no longer have to be emperor, but the people of the world will also live better lives. But I am also worried that you will not be free or happy even if you become emperor.”

The Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief. "Luo'er, you've grown up. This is the smartest thing. Your husband is a man who wants to do great things. He's different from others. The fact that he can do this is truly a divine being descended to earth. As long as you continue to respect and love him as your husband and know how to be grateful, our mother and I can truly live like human beings. You must never let the throne and power blind you."

“In the future, there will definitely be people with ulterior motives who, for their own selfish reasons, will speak ill of you and your teacher in front of you, saying that the Grand Tutor is a powerful minister, and even instigating you to eliminate the Grand Tutor and seize power yourself. Such people... will definitely appear!”

Zhu Changluo's pupils turned cold. "If Mother hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have thought of this. Now that I understand, I will definitely report to my teacher if I encounter such a person in the future."

The Empress Dowager said, "Not only should you report to the Master, but you should also report secretly. You must do so discreetly, luring the snakes out of their holes, and actively helping the Master to expose those people. Make the Master believe that you have always stood with him. When you are no longer the Emperor, you will be a noble white-robed emperor with a transcendent status, enjoying wealth and freedom as you wish. You will be far more noble and free than any prince or chief minister."

She knew the cruelty and darkness of the palace all too well. She didn't want to stay in the palace, but rather wanted to live outside, freely enjoying family life with her children and grandchildren, just like she did before she entered the palace, when she was with her parents.

Thinking of her parents, the Empress Dowager felt sorrow in her heart. Over the years, in order to harm her, Zheng had deliberately instructed her henchmen to persecute her parents, causing them to pass away at an early age, and now she could not even show them filial piety.

The struggle for power is truly terrifying.

She did not want to be involved in the power struggle with her son again, and only wanted to stay away from the ruthless infighting of the royal family.

"Luo'er, you are now the emperor, and your father can no longer do anything to you," the Empress Dowager said with great satisfaction. "He can no longer do anything to his mother. From now on, at least we can live like human beings."

Zhu Changluo smiled and said, "Mother is right. This Nanjing Palace has everything I could want, and my teacher is very generous to me. I can leave the palace if I want, but I can't just leave the city whenever I want. However, my teacher said that if I really want to leave the city, it's not impossible. For example, I can go out for spring outings and purification rites on festivals like Qingming and Shangsi. Although being the emperor now doesn't give me much freedom, it's a world of difference compared to when I was in Jingyang Palace."

The Empress Dowager smiled gently, then suddenly asked, "Luo'er is already fifteen, and will be sixteen next year. According to the rules, she should be getting married soon, right?"

Zhu Changluo said, "The teacher mentioned this matter today. He said that I should get married next year, and I should choose a spouse by the end of this year. The teacher said that this matter should be decided by Mother when she arrives in Nanjing. However, I only want to read books and study astronomy and geography now, and I don't want to get married so early."

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, "That won't do. The emperor's wedding is witnessed by the whole country; it's a matter of etiquette, and etiquette cannot be disregarded. Otherwise, the officials and the people will have objections, which would be detrimental to the stability of the new dynasty. The reason why you are asking me to get married next year is also for this reason; marrying the empress is a major event."

Just as the Empress Dowager was speaking, a female official selected by Ning Caiwei came to report: "Your Majesty, the Duchess of Ningguo has just submitted a petition requesting to enter the palace in three days to pay her respects to Your Majesty. Please give your instructions."

"The Duchess of Ningguo?" The Empress Dowager was taken aback, then understood. "She is the wife of the Regent Grand Tutor. Tell her that she may come to the palace to see you in the morning or afternoon three days from now."

"Yes!" The female official acknowledged the order and withdrew.

The Empress Dowager smiled at her son and said, "Your teacher's wife came to the palace to see me, most likely for the sake of your wedding."

……

Leaving aside the Empress Dowager and her son's conversation in the palace, the regent of the Duke's mansion was quite annoyed at the moment.

Just now, Huya secretly reported that the back pay owed to the officers and soldiers in Zhejiang and Jiangxi, totaling more than 800,000 taels of silver, has been paid out before it even reached the soldiers. However, only 400,000 taels have been paid out!
Well, over 400,000 taels of silver, all of which was money Ning Caiwei lent to the national treasury, was embezzled in just half a month!
How much money could fill this black hole? No matter how much money my wife has, it can't withstand such waste!
What's even more absurd is that this sum of over 400,000 taels of silver wasn't embezzled by just a few individuals, but rather by officials from both provinces, including the governor, the imperial inspector, the three provincial offices, the military commissioner, generals at all levels, prefectural officials, and even clerks, secretaries, and other staff.

At least two hundred people were involved in the profit-sharing, with each level skimming off a cut. Some embezzled tens of thousands of taels, while others pocketed only a few dozen; everyone got a share!
Moreover, these people were all those who had rendered meritorious service by submitting to Nanjing. It was also these people who made the two provinces support Emperor Taichang.

"This is outrageous!" Zhu Yin's mood instantly soured upon seeing the intelligence. "I really want to arrest them all, kill those who deserve to be killed, and exile those who deserve to be exiled!"

Xu Wei smiled wryly and said, "My lord, the Ming Dynasty has the 'Regulations on Criminal Punishment,' so it's difficult for you to punish them according to the law. Unless, the law is revised."

Xu Wei was a senior scholar, and Zhu Yin had served as a county magistrate for three years, so they were naturally very clear about the principles involved.

From a legal perspective, it's really not a good idea to kill him!

"What a fine 'Regulations on Criminal Procedure'!" Zhu Yin slammed his folding fan down. "It's a pity that the world is not yet at peace, so this evil law cannot be abolished!"

Zhu Yin was furious whenever the "Criminal Procedure Regulations" were mentioned.

The time traveler knew that in the thirteenth year of the Hongzhi reign, which was 1500 AD, a little-known but far-reaching event occurred in the history of Chinese legal system: Emperor Xiaozong issued an edict to promulgate the "Regulations on Criminal Interrogation".

The Criminal Procedure Law was a major revision of the Ming Dynasty Code, overturning and subverting many laws and regulations established by Emperor Taizu. In terms of etiquette and law, it also violated ancestral rules, and seriously so.

This time, however, the officials did not object; on the contrary, they were very pleased. There was absolutely no criticism of Emperor Xiaozong for violating ancestral rules.

Once the "Criminal Procedure Regulations" were promulgated, corrupt officials would no longer have to die.

No matter how much was embezzled, one could "pay grain to atone for one's sins." In other words, by paying grain as atonement, one could save one's life.

From then on, the death penalty was rarely imposed for embezzlement. This was a landmark "evil law" with far-reaching consequences.

While the "Regulations on Criminal Procedure" had progressive value, improving upon the "Great Ming Code" and abolishing many death sentences that should have been abolished, all its positive aspects combined could not outweigh the negative impact of the provision allowing individuals to redeem themselves through bribery!

The promulgation of the Criminal Procedure Law was a major victory for the interest groups of officials and businessmen.

Xu Wei, well-versed in the laws, said: "In the early days of the dynasty, embezzling eighty strings of cash was punishable by death according to the law. But after the promulgation of the 'Regulations on Criminal Punishment,' let alone embezzling eighty strings of cash, even embezzling eighty thousand could be redeemed by paying a ransom of grain, allowing one to live and continue to enjoy wealth and honor with their family. As a result, no official was immune to corruption. No matter how much one embezzled, one could redeem death by paying only grain. Someone like Hai Gangfeng was one in ten thousand."

Ning Caiwei couldn't help but ask, "Even if it can redeem a death sentence, why is it redemption grain and not redemption silver? Was it all tax in kind during Emperor Xiaozong's reign?"

Xu Wei laughed and said, "It's not because of that. I understand these matters quite well, so let me explain to you. It's because the corrupt officials have to be responsible for transporting the grain to the Nine Border Fortresses themselves to serve as military rations."

"As long as grain is transported to the border to replenish the army's food supplies, corrupt officials can survive by obtaining grain transport vouchers. However, the transportation costs will increase several times. Moreover, transporting grain is not only costly, but also risky along the way."

"Logically, this method, while allowing corrupt officials to live, could at least supplement the army's food supplies in the nine border regions. However, even this system of atonement grain was abolished. Later, it was replaced by silver!"

"You don't have to transport grain to the border. You can pay a sum of silver to get grain coupons and still survive! What's worse is that even though the grain wasn't transported to the Nine Borders, it was still recorded in the books, and the grain coupons were issued. So, on the books, the Nine Borders 'did not lack grain,' but in reality, they lacked military rations."

Ning Caiwei shook her head and said, "I see. If we do it this way, something terrible will happen sooner or later."

Xu Wei nodded and said, "Madam, you are wise. Isn't that exactly right? During the Jiajing era, the military was in great disarray, and a large number of soldiers from the Nine Garrisons deserted, some even fleeing to Mongolia. This led to Altan Khan's rapid rise to power, his southward siege of Beijing, and the rampant Japanese pirates, which were impossible to eradicate. A major reason for this was the lack of food in the Nine Garrisons."

“Back then, Xin Zixiu, the Left Censor-in-Chief, reported: ‘Nowadays, corrupt officials embezzle tens of thousands of yuan, but only two or three out of ten are redeemed. This is blatantly encouraging the plundering of the people’s wealth! Moreover, those who are hanged are all minor officials, and not a single person above the rank of provincial governor has been brought to justice. Where is the law?’”

"But the imperial court has no intention of changing anything. Once corrupt officials are investigated, they are simply asked to hand over money; they are rarely killed."

"It was from the reign of Emperor Xiaozong that the Ming Dynasty’s officialdom suddenly collapsed, and just a few decades later, during the Jiajing reign, the country was in its final days. Fortunately, the Longqing New Deal and the Jiangling Reform brought the dynasty back to life and gave it a chance to revive."

Ning Caiwei said, "Thank you for your explanation, Mr. Zhu." Zhu Yin deeply agreed with Xu Wei's words. Moreover, as a time traveler, he knew even more.

Corruption in officialdom harms far more than just finances; it damages a range of areas including people's livelihoods, public security, national defense, culture, productivity, the rule of law, and social order, resulting in the destruction of the entire ecosystem.

The extent of the harm is difficult to assess.

Emperor Xiaozong of Ming also abolished the salt administration and reduced commercial taxes in Jiangnan. However, the nine border regions faced food shortages, desertion, and a strained national treasury.

Then, he was praised by the officials as a "benevolent ruler," and with all the praise and flattery, he was hailed as the "Hongzhi Restoration."

Thinking of this, Zhu Yin really wanted to immediately implement reforms and boldly carry out new policies. But he could only think about it.

Xu Wei, a shrewd and experienced man, could read Zhu Yin's thoughts from his words and expressions, and smiled:

"My lord knows what he's doing. As the saying goes, haste makes waste. We can't restore the harsh laws of the Taizu era, where someone who embezzled eighty strings of cash would be executed. If that were the case, there wouldn't be many officials to do their jobs in this capital and these five provinces, and the whole system would be paralyzed."

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "Without the unification of the North and South, and without hundreds of thousands of troops guarding the country, we cannot be too hasty in purging corruption."

"Otherwise, not only will the reforms fail, but we ourselves will also be ruined."

Feng Menglong also said, "The 'Regulations on Criminal Punishment' do indeed need to be revised, although now is not the right time. However, we cannot stand idly by and watch the Southern Dynasty's officialdom become corrupt. For now, there is a compromise: Your Majesty can use the excuse of insufficient national treasury funds to increase the amount of money and grain for redemption!"

"The redemption amount for other crimes remains unchanged, but for corrupt officials, the previous customary redemption amount of 500 taels has been increased to 2,000 taels. The customary redemption amount of 3,000 taels has been increased to 10,000 taels. Even if they really cannot afford to pay, they can sell their property to make up the difference."

"In this way, although it is still possible to redeem oneself from death, the cost is much higher."

"For those corrupt county and prefectural officials, paying five hundred taels is not difficult, but paying two thousand taels is a different story."

Zhu Yin nodded slightly. Feng Menglong's method did not fundamentally overturn the idea of ​​"corrupt officials redeeming their lives"; corrupt officials could still use money to save their lives. However, there was relatively little resistance, so it could be implemented at this stage.

Although the effect is mediocre, it is certainly better than doing nothing, and the administration will at least show some improvement.

The corruption of officials is the foundation of a dynasty, and of course, great efforts must be made to eradicate it, but not now. For now, we can only make minor repairs to the existing system.

“If Youlong’s plan is feasible, then let’s do it for now,” Zhu Yin said. “Issue an edict to the Three Judicial Offices, and proceed accordingly. All the money for redemption will be used for military expenses. As for the official positions, leave them for now.”

"Wait a minute!" Xu Wei suddenly said, "My lord, I think that although the embezzlement by officials in the two provinces involves more than 400,000 taels of silver, let's just let it go. It's not about letting them off this time, but about settling the score later."

“It’s really not appropriate to handle this case right now. There are many things that need to be done by them, and other provinces are watching.”

Zhu Yin frowned and said, "I know that too. But that's over 400,000 taels of military pay. If we pretend we don't know, there will be so many expenses later on—recruiting new soldiers, providing relief to the people, building water conservancy projects—won't it all be embezzled? How will we manage these important matters then?"

"This new dynasty is nothing but old wine in new bottles. The North and South are truly birds of a feather."

Xu Wei said with a pained expression, "Then we can only bear with it. Let's just consider the money temporarily deposited in their house, and settle the old and new scores together later. Let's play the long game and catch the big fish. Otherwise, if we mess with them, the new dynasty will be unstable."

Ning Caiwei said, "Mr. Wenchang is right. Husband, it's best to pretend to be confused for now and act as if nothing happened. Although more than 400,000 taels is a lot, we still can't afford to lose it."

Zhu Yin could only nod, gritting his teeth as he said, "We'll have to teach them a lesson sooner or later! Kangxi, send an order to the Tiger Fang, instructing them to closely monitor the local officials escorting the tax supervisors. The tax supervisors' silver must not fall into the hands of local officials again! I want to arrest the tax supervisors, and I want to see the silver they've embezzled!"

The Grand Tutor is furious, and the consequences will be severe!
……

Beijing, the Forbidden City, the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Wanli was also angry.

"The high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War are all going to resign?" Wanli's face was as cold as ice. "Is it because of money?"

Zhang Jing prostrated himself on the ground, "Reporting to Grandfather, the national treasury is facing a severe shortage of silver. There are wars both in the south and west, and whenever the imperial army moves, the silver is spent like water. The cabinet report states that there will be a shortfall of at least three million taels this year. If the Ministry of Revenue can't provide the funds, the Ministry of War can't function, and the two Grand Secretaries are extremely anxious..."

After waiting a while, seeing that the emperor showed no intention of taking out funds from the imperial treasury, Zhang Jing could only cautiously say:
"Grandpa, in my humble opinion, we should increase the levy for suppressing the rebellion. But, but..."

If the emperor is unwilling to spend money, then the only option left is the old method: increase the levy for suppressing the rebellion.

Emperor Wanli tapped his pipe, looking somewhat impatient. "Just what? Stop beating around the bush and answer clearly!"

Zhang Jing said, "In these three years, an additional ten million taels of silver was levied for suppressing the rebellion. This is only the silver that was sent to the national treasury. How much the officials below collected in total is unknown, but it is probably at least twenty million taels or more. So, the silver that the people actually paid was far more than ten million taels, most of which was embezzled."

"In recent years, the imperial commissioners and tax supervisors from all over the country have paid a total of six million taels of silver to the imperial treasury, but it is hard to say how much they actually collected. But it is certainly more than six million. Of course, the servants are much more reliable than the officials, so even if they collected more, it wouldn't be by much."

Zhang Jing's statement was quite conservative. He knew very well that in recent years, the eunuchs in various regions had amassed at least thirty to forty million taels of silver. After being divided among the various levels of officials, only six million taels were ultimately deposited into the imperial treasury—definitely less than twenty percent!

Eunuchs were actually more greedy than officials, and the proportion they handed over was even lower.

Which of the powerful eunuchs isn't a millionaire these days?

But he certainly couldn't go into details about this. After all, he was the head of the eunuch faction, and over the years he had received more than two million taels of silver in tribute from his subordinates.

However, out of loyalty to the emperor, he still had to remind him that the people were suffering more and more, which was already shaking the state.

The emperor's face was grim, but he remained silent. He was well aware of the shady dealings involved, but how could he not give bribes to those he relied on? He simply didn't know exactly how much his subordinates had received, or what the percentages were.

This number is also very difficult to investigate.

He didn't deeply abhor corruption; on the contrary, he considered it reasonable, because he himself was corrupt. At least he didn't think he was like Emperor Wuzong, who executed honest eunuchs on the grounds that "those who couldn't embezzle money from lucrative positions were utterly useless."

Zhang Jing continued, "If you calculate it this way, officials and tax supervisors in various regions have collected at least 30 million taels of silver in the past few years (in fact, it is far more than that), and the burden on the people must be very heavy. Therefore, this time, it would be best to levy additional taxes on wealthy gentry and large households."

"As long as the factory guards come out to collect the taxes, even the big households won't dare not pay. For ordinary people and small households, the taxes will be temporarily waived this time."

"Improve taxes on wealthy and powerful families?" Wanli frowned and said, "Do you want me to be condemned by the world? Treating the gentry well is a national policy of the Ming Dynasty. How can it be changed so easily? If taxes are deliberately increased, officials and gentry across the country will become disloyal to the court. Who will do the work then? Wouldn't that lead to chaos?"

"The only solution is to make the people suffer even more and continue to increase taxes as usual. I refuse to believe that with such a vast and resource-rich land as our Ming Dynasty, and with countless people, we still can't collect enough silver!"

The emperor knew that wealthy and powerful families owned money and land, and he had considered increasing taxes on them. However, he was hesitant and focused on maintaining stability, unwilling to escalate the conflict with the wealthy and powerful families of the country.

Zhang Jing opened his mouth, but swallowed the rest of his words.

Actually, he had another method: to force eunuchs, relatives of the emperor, and nobles to donate. As long as they donated, ten million taels of silver could be easily raised.

But he didn't want to offend anyone. After all, he was a eunuch himself.

So even with such a good idea, he could only think about it in his mind and wouldn't say it aloud. Even if he did say it, it was unlikely that the emperor would have the courage to force a donation drive.

Zhang Jing saw it all clearly. Although the Emperor liked money, he didn't want to offend the powerful and wealthy families. Trying to extract money only from the common people was going to be difficult.

If the taxes for suppressing the rebellion continue to be increased, the wealthy and powerful will remain unaffected, while the common people will become increasingly impoverished, and they may very well rebel in the future.

Emperor Wanli thought for a moment and said, "Although we need to increase the tax, it won't solve the immediate problem. Nanjing has already been occupied by treacherous officials. How about this: aren't there hundreds of criminals imprisoned in the imperial prison? Let them pay silver to redeem themselves!"

"Then let the merchants donate silver: two thousand taels for a student of the Imperial Academy; five thousand taels for a centurion's rank in the Embroidered Uniform Guard; ten thousand taels for a chiliarch's rank in the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

Zhang Jing immediately fawned, "Grandpa is wise! You've truly turned the impossible into reality. In this way, getting millions of taels of silver won't be difficult at all. This servant will take care of it right away."

Wanli said, “There’s a way. The capital region is so wealthy, where can’t we get silver? Doesn’t the Imperial Stud still have more than 10,000 camels in Shanxi and Shaanxi? Selling them all would yield hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. The horses in the Imperial Stud that can’t be used as warhorses can also be sold for hundreds of thousands of taels. There are also surplus materials stored by the Ministry of Works, which can also be sold for hundreds of thousands of taels… You can figure it out yourselves. Don’t bother me with silver matters anymore.”

His private treasury currently holds fifteen million taels of silver, but he is reluctant to spend it on the imperial court. He will not allocate funds from his private treasury to the national treasury unless absolutely necessary.

"Yes!" Zhang Jing said, "This servant will go to the Grand Secretariat immediately and tell the outer court what to do."

The emperor seemed to remember something. "Where is Shen Li? Issue an edict to reinstate Shen Li, fill the position of Shen Yiguan, restore him to the position of Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion, and appoint him to the Wenyuan Pavilion."

At this point, the emperor couldn't help but yawn, took another puff of his pipe, and said, "I'm tired, Gao Cai!"

“This servant is here!” Gao Cai immediately stepped forward.

The emperor said, "Where is the Yiyang opera troupe that recently arrived in the capital? We've been calling them in to perform for half a day. We're tired of Kunqu opera."

His greatest pastimes in the Qianqing Palace were nothing more than smoking longevity pills, playing mahjong, watching plays, listening to music, and attending banquets.

"Yes!" Gao Cai replied and was about to leave the palace to carry out the order when Gao Huai suddenly stood at the palace gate with a solemn expression and a look of unease. He was holding a stack of memorials in his hands.

Gao Cai's heart skipped a beat.

Something happened again?

"Something happened?" Gao Cai asked in a low voice.

Gao Huai nodded and said in a trembling voice, "The Ministry of War and the Embroidered Uniform Guard just received news from the south. The five provinces of Huguang, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong have all declared their allegiance to the rebels and supported the Nanjing puppet dynasty. On the second day of the month, the rebels will hold their coronation ceremony in Nanjing and change this year to the first year of Taichang."

"The Yin bandits and the Xin bandits have more than just Nanjing. They've already conquered five provinces, including the capital! And what about Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou next? It's hard to say."

"Furthermore, all the eunuchs and tax supervisors stationed in these five provinces have been arrested by the local governors and sent to Nanjing in prison."

"What?!" Gao Cai exclaimed in surprise, "One capital and five provinces? This... if Grandpa knew..."

Gao Huai looked bitter. "So, I don't dare to go and report to the emperor. I'm afraid that my grandfather will get angry and... Sigh, I'll wait here. You go and call the Empress and the young master. Also, call the imperial physician in advance. I'll go to the palace to report after the Empress and the young master have arrived."

Gao Cai nodded solemnly and immediately went to invite Consort Zheng and the Crown Prince.

Soon after, the imperial concubine and the crown prince's carriages arrived at Qianqing Palace. Consort Zheng's face was very pale, and Crown Prince Zhu Changxun's face was also tense.

Gao Huai, who was waiting at the palace gate, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Imperial Concubine and the Crown Prince arrive, and then stepped forward to pay his respects.

"Is everything true?" Consort Zheng asked in a trembling voice, her eyes filled with a hint of panic.

"This servant dares not lie a single word." Gao Huai handed the memorial to Consort Zheng.

When Consort Zheng opened it, her expression immediately turned pale, and her body trembled slightly.

Half of Southern Zhili, five provinces, have all submitted to the Nanjing puppet regime? Does that brat Zhu Changluo's puppet regime have so many supporters?

Consort Zheng was so angry that she trembled violently, and her whole body felt ice-cold.

If this were told to the Emperor, wouldn't he immediately...?

Even Consort Zheng wouldn't dare to imagine it!
What should we do? Tell the Emperor, or keep it a secret?

...

P.S.: An extra chapter of 8,000 words for Judge Red! Thank you, goodnight. I feel chest tightness, dizziness, and shortness of breath! Please vote with monthly tickets…

(End of this chapter)