How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 140 Prince Fu, you need to understand the bigger picture! (Please subscribe)

Henan Prefecture, Luoyang City.

Outside the vermilion gates of the Prince Fu's mansion, the atmosphere was tense. A large contingent of Imperial Guards and agents of the Eastern Depot guarded several dilapidated carriages, blocking the entrance. The Ninth Prince, Wei Zhongxian, dressed in a python robe, sat under an umbrella, leisurely sipping chilled plum juice. His face looked ashen, but his eyes, like a viper's forked tongue, scanned the mansion's gleaming facade.

Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, was so fat he looked like a Maitreya Buddha. Surrounded by the chief eunuch and a group of officials and guards, he cautiously came out to greet them. His face was plastered with a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. Especially when his eyes caught sight of the few dilapidated carriages, the fat on his face jiggled a few times.

This isn't about sending the deposed Prince of Dai to "learn"; it's clearly a case of making an example of someone!

"I was unaware of Lord Wei's arrival and have failed to greet you properly. I deserve death!" Prince Fu said, his hands clasped in front of him, his voice trembling.

Wei Zhongxian put down his teacup and returned a half-bow with a forced smile: "Your Highness, what are you saying? I am here on imperial orders to escort the rebel Dai through this auspicious place. I apologize for disturbing Your Highness's peace and quiet. To be honest, it's also bad luck." As he spoke, he gestured towards the carriage. A guard stepped forward and swiftly lifted the curtain of the lead carriage.

The deposed Prince Zhu Naijun was slumped in the carriage, dressed in a robe so filthy it was unrecognizable. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were glazed, and black blood clung to the corner of his mouth. He was barely clinging to life. When he saw Prince Fu, he suddenly began to sob, whimpering in a muffled voice, "Prince Fu, Prince Fu, save me!"

Prince Fu was so frightened that he took a step back and almost fell, but luckily he was supported by those around him. His face turned pale instantly, and cold sweat poured down his back.

What does "Prince Fu, save me" mean? Prince Fu thought to himself: Do we know each other?

"Your Highness, please be careful." Wei Zhongxian smiled sinisterly. "The traitor Dai deserves his punishment, Your Highness need not be alarmed. The Emperor has decreed that the traitor Dai should come to your residence to learn the rules, so I have no choice but to come and bother you."

It was truly impossible to disobey the emperor's command! Prince Fu was extremely unwilling, but he had no choice but to invite Wei Zhongxian into his residence. He also arranged for the deposed Prince Dai, Zhu Naijun, and his entire family to be invited into the palace and properly settled in.
Those people from the Prince Dai's Mansion were probably also moved by the sight of the magnificent Prince Fu's Mansion. Seeing the mansion reminded them of their good old days, and they burst into tears, making the Prince Fu's Mansion quite unlucky.

What could Prince Kefu do? They were here on imperial orders to "learn," how could he possibly turn them away?
Not only could they not chase him away, they had to reluctantly entertain Wei Zhongxian.

The banquet was held in the most lavish flower hall of the Prince's mansion, with a table laden with delicacies from land and sea. But Wei Zhongxian only ate a few bites before putting the food down. The Prince of Fu, too, lost his appetite, feeling as if he had needles growing under his buttocks.

After several rounds of drinks, Wei Zhongxian dismissed the singers and dancers, approached Prince Fu, and lowered his voice: "Your Highness, you've seen it too, the Prince of Dai... Alas, one wrong step can lead to eternal regret. He didn't want to be a proper prince, he just went and sought his own death."

He sighed, then changed the subject: "The Emperor is in a difficult situation these days! To the east are the Jurchens, to the north are the Tartars, to the west are displaced people causing trouble, and to the southwest are the two rebels, An She and his sworn brother. The national treasury is in dire straits, and the military pay for the nine border regions is several months behind schedule. The Emperor often tells me that to maintain stability, we must spare no expense... and everyone must contribute!"

Wei Zhongxian's strategy was to use diplomacy first, then force. If Prince Fu was sensible and readily donated a few hundred thousand taels of silver, Wei Zhongxian would naturally submit a secret report to the Emperor to speak favorably of him. The Emperor wasn't unreasonable; if enough money was given, even a close cousin could be given a good place to settle down after being transferred to a fiefdom. But if he refused to do so with dignity… then he would be considered an accomplice to the rebellion!
How could Prince Fu not understand that this was "asking for money while standing up"? He understood the principle of paying to avoid disaster.

But... he's naturally stingy. Historically, even when Li Zicheng attacked right on their doorstep, he was reluctant to spend money, so why would he hesitate to do so now with just Wei Zhongxian?
Prince Fu forced a smile and pretended to be confused: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty works hard, managing countless affairs every day. We, your relatives, are also very worried, but we regret that we are too weak to share your burdens." As he spoke, he wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve and squeezed out two tears.

Wei Zhongxian cursed inwardly, "You're courting death," but his face was all smiles: "Your Highness is of noble birth, the Emperor's own uncle, and the wealth of the Fu Prince is known throughout the land. Now that the nation is in peril, it is Your Highness's turn to step forward and set an example for the imperial family. If the Emperor knew of Your Highness's loyalty, he would surely be overjoyed... Don't you think so?" His words conveyed the same message: pay up for your safety!
But Prince Fu was notoriously stingy. He began to complain with a mournful face: "Lord Wei! You have no idea of ​​my predicament! Luoyang looks glamorous, but in reality... it's all bark and no bite! The entire palace, including guards and servants, has over a thousand mouths to feed! My estates have been failing year after year, and the tenants are cunning... I... am truly powerless to do anything about it!"

He beat his chest and stamped his feet as if he had suffered a great injustice, and finally gritted his teeth as if cutting off his own flesh: "But to serve the country, I dare not lag behind others! I will sell my pots and pans to show my sincerity! So, I will tighten my belt and scrape together 10,000 taels of silver and 10,000 shi of wheat to help with the war against the slaves! I hope that Lord Wei will put in a good word for me before the Emperor!" After saying this, he tremblingly took out a gift list from his sleeve and stuffed it into Wei Zhongxian's hand.

Wei Zhongxian accepted the flimsy gift list, glanced at the meager sums, and his smile vanished instantly, replaced by a dark and gloomy expression. He had expected this fattest pig to at least offer two or three hundred thousand taels, but this stingy old man dared to try and fob him off with such paltry sums, let alone the Emperor!

What's there to talk about? You offer ten thousand, I want a million, the price difference is astronomical!
He slowly folded the gift list and stuffed it into his sleeve, gave a cold laugh, and said in a voice as cold as ice, "Your Highness's 'loyalty' will be reported to the Emperor verbatim, word for word! Your Highness, you... you'd better watch yourself!" After saying that, he suddenly stood up, skipping even his farewell, and left in a huff.

As Prince Fu watched Wei Zhongxian's furious retreating figure, he wiped away his cold sweat and felt a sense of relief: it seems that his feigned poverty... has gotten away with it.

……

That night, in the dead of night.

Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, was embracing his beloved concubine, Lady Liu, snoring loudly under the brocade quilt, dreaming of counting mountains of gold and silver. Suddenly, he was violently shaken awake.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Wake up! Something has happened!" Liu cried out to him.

Prince Fu's sweet dream was disturbed, and he was furious. Just as he was about to lash out, a piercing scream came from outside the window, tearing apart the silence of the palace:

"Assassin! Assassin! Catch the assassin!" This shout was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. Prince Fu's sleepiness and anger vanished in fright. His fat body trembled and he almost rolled off the bed.

"Guards! Guards! Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!" Prince Fu's voice was trembling with fear, like a duck being strangled.

He howled and frantically tried to crawl under the bed, but he was too fat and got stuck on the edge of the bed, unable to move.

Just as he cried for help, the entire Prince Fu's mansion erupted in chaos. Footsteps, the clanging of armor, the drawing of swords, and screams filled the air. The mansion's guards, accompanied by a large number of soldiers, disheveled but armed with weapons, rushed to his bedchamber and surrounded him in layers.

"Your Highness! Your humble servant is late in protecting you!" the guard shouted from outside the main gate, his voice urgent.

"Where is the assassin? Have you caught him?" Prince Fu asked, his voice trembling and his fat jiggling as he hid behind Liu.

"Your Highness, we are conducting a full-scale search! We will ensure Your Highness's safety!"

That night, the Prince's mansion was brightly lit, and the guards were on high alert, searching every corner, but apart from the initial shouts, there was no further movement. The Prince of Fu stayed up anxiously until the early hours of the morning, and only when he saw that everything was alright did he finally fall into a deep sleep, exhausted, still clutching a jewel-encrusted sword tightly in his arms.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Prince Fu was fast asleep when he was startled awake by hurried footsteps and a commotion. He sat up in alarm, and before he could understand what was happening, he saw Wei Zhongxian, leading a group of eunuchs from the Eastern Depot, their faces ashen, burst into his bedchamber like a whirlwind, without even announcing himself.

"Your Highness!" Wei Zhongxian spat out the words through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "Last night, there was an assassination attempt at your residence, quite a commotion! I'm asking you, where were all your guards last night?!"

Prince Fu was bewildered by this interrogation. He rubbed his swollen eyes, still feeling indignant: "This eunuch, barging in so early in the morning just for this?" He composed himself and, with a lingering hangover and a sense of grievance, replied, "Lord Wei... last night an assassin tried to kill me! I called for my guards, and they naturally came to protect me... If the assassin tried to kill me, who would the guards protect if not me?" He felt that the question was superfluous.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian was so enraged that the veins on his forehead bulged. He took a step forward, almost pointing his finger at Wei Zhongxian's nose, and his voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth: "Protect you? Ha! Your Highness, you're mistaken! That assassin wasn't after you at all!"

"Huh?" Prince Fu was completely stunned, his mouth agape, unable to process what he was seeing. Not killing me? He blurted out, "Could it be... that you, Lord Wei, are to be killed?" He couldn't understand. In Luoyang, besides killing a prince like him, who else would be worth an assassin's attention? Had Wei Zhongxian's enemies tracked him down here?

Wei Zhongxian roared and revealed his trump card: "Kill me? Nonsense! The assassins are after the deposed Prince Zhu Naijun, who is imprisoned in a side courtyard of your mansion!"

"Wh...what?!" Prince Fu was increasingly confused. "Kill him? Why?"

Wei Zhongxian didn't answer his question at all. Instead, his tone was icy, and every word struck Prince Fu's heart: "Last night, an assassin sneaked into the side courtyard, aiming at the deposed Prince Dai! What a pity, all your good guards rushed to protect you! No one paid any attention even when they shouted in the side courtyard! In the end... Prince Dai was stabbed to death in his bed!"

He pressed closer, staring intently at the dumbfounded Prince Fu: "That's not all! Our men were still there, and they found this!" With that, he suddenly pulled a short knife from his sleeve and threw it with a clatter onto the bed in front of Prince Fu. The mark of the Prince Fu's residence was clearly engraved on the blade!

"The murder weapon was from your residence! The person died in your residence! Your Highness, tell me, what crime should you be charged with?! You are guilty of condoning an assassination attempt, and the evidence is irrefutable! Do you have some ulterior motive with the traitor, and are you in a hurry to kill someone to cover it up?!"

Ah. Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, was no longer just "shocked," he was "dumbfounded," "petrified," his fat brain completely blocked. He was perfectly fine, hadn't done anything, so how could he have been involved in a treacherous conspiracy with Zhu Naijun, the traitor who had just died in his house—a complete stranger to him before yesterday, with whom he had never even been in contact? Why was he being killed to silence him? That old man was on his deathbed; did he really need to be silenced? He wouldn't live more than a few days.
"You...you...Wei Zhongxian!" Extreme fear suddenly turned into a raging fire. He stretched out a short, thick, carrot-like finger, trembling as he pointed it at Wei Zhongxian: "You're slandering me! You're framing me! You...you have such a vicious heart! That knife...that knife must have been brought by you, you eunuch dog, and deliberately left behind! You wanted to kill me! Yes! It must have been you!"

The more he spoke, the more convinced he became that he had guessed the truth—and indeed he had—a sense of pent-up frustration he had never felt before fueled his anger. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “I want to see the Emperor! I want to go to His Majesty to lodge a complaint! I want to accuse you, Wei Zhongxian, of framing princes and persecuting members of the imperial family! You…you will die a horrible death!”

Seeing Prince Fu's flustered and pale face, Wei Zhongxian was not angry; this was exactly the result he wanted.

"Sue us?" Wei Zhongxian repeated sarcastically, his voice low but slightly shrill, instantly drowning out the Prince of Fu's howls. "Your Highness wants to file a lawsuit against the Emperor? Excellent! I couldn't be happier!"

He suddenly raised his voice: "Someone come here!"

Several fierce-looking agents from the Eastern Depot rushed in at the sound of their voices.

"Keep a close watch on this murder weapon! Seal the body of the traitor exactly as it was, and don't let a single fly get inside! Immediately summon the prefect of Luoyang and order him to send the best coroner to examine the body! Every wound, every tiny mark, must be examined clearly and thoroughly!"

After saying this, Wei Zhongxian slowly turned to the Prince of Fu, whose face was flushed with anger, and said calmly, "Since Your Highness wishes to plead your case before the Emperor, I will gladly accompany you. Very well, then we shall each submit our own memorials, explaining the details of last night's events to His Majesty. I will also request His Majesty's permission to escort Your Highness's carriage to the capital. Then, before His Majesty and the entire court, we can clearly distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous!"

(End of this chapter)