How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 152 Ming Dynasty Europa Trade Company (Third update, please subscribe!)

Several small blue sedan chairs were silently carried in through a side gate of the Forbidden City. Liu Yueying had arrived. The procession wasn't grand, but the old eunuchs in the palace immediately recognized her – the trunks were all made of sandalwood, so heavy that the young eunuchs grimaced, and the gilded bronze fittings on the corners gleamed brightly. She wore a moon-white satin jacket and skirt, over which she wore a lake-blue vest. It looked simple, but connoisseurs would recognize it as the finest Suzhou and Hangzhou silk, with subtle patterns like flowing water. A single plain gold hairpin adorned her hair, the pearl on its tip large, round, and radiant.

According to custom, one must first meet the Empress and several concubines. Empress Zhou sat in the main seat of Kunning Palace, exuding an air of elegance, though her plain robe appeared somewhat worn. Consort Tian was dressed brightly, her kingfisher feather headdress exquisite, appearing to be a style from a few years ago. Consort Yuan was even more plain, wearing few bright ornaments.

Liu Yueying performed the full ceremony with perfect decorum. Empress Zhou gently instructed her with the usual words, "Settle in peacefully and abide by the palace rules." Consort Tian smiled and sized her up, her gaze lingering on the pearl hairpin for a moment. Consort Yuan spoke little, only nodding slightly.

Liu Yueying had her maid bring out three brocade boxes: "I'm new here, so these are some local products from Southeast Asia. Please accept them as a token of my appreciation."

Empress Zhou received a box of the finest bird's nest—a local product of Siam, meant to nourish her body. Consort Tian received a pair of translucent jade bracelets—a local product of Myanmar; Sister Yueying had a whole drawer of them at her home in Guangzhou! Consort Yuan received a large, round, and pure white pearl from India.

The moment the item was brought out, the atmosphere in the hall subtly changed.

Empress Zhou remained calm, Consort Tian couldn't hide her joy, and Consort Yuan couldn't take her eyes off the pearl.

Life in the deep palace was tight, and such valuable "local products" hadn't been seen for many years. In just a few words, without Liu Yueying saying much, her reputation as the "Goddess of Wealth in the Harem" was established. There was no way around it; she was a "female tycoon" who brought a million taels of silver into the palace as dowry, and even the emperor relied on her money for his livelihood.

Later, Liu Yueying was placed in Yonghe Palace. This place was in the east of the inner court, not the best, but it was quiet. The emperor had his reasons for this arrangement—it was close to Qianqing Palace, not conspicuous, convenient for reviewing accounts and discussing matters in the future, and also convenient for the emperor to "discuss business".

She had just finished directing the servants to pack the trunks when she heard a eunuch outside the door shout, "The Emperor has arrived!" Chongzhen walked in, dressed in an indigo straight-cut casual robe. Liu Yueying hurriedly tried to curtsy, but the Emperor gestured to stop her, saying, "No need for formalities here."

He sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) by the window and glanced around the room: "Are you getting used to living here?"

"Your Majesty, everything is fine," Liu Yueying replied, her head bowed.

"Hmm," Chongzhen took the tea and took a sip, asking casually, "You come from the south, do you have any insights into the situation at sea? Tell me about the seven new trading ports I have opened."

Liu Yueying glanced at the Emperor's expression and, seeing that it was not just polite talk, composed herself and said, "Your Majesty is wise. In my humble opinion, of the seven ports, Tianjin is the most important, being adjacent to the capital and controlling Liaodong and Jizhou to the north; Songjiang and Ningbo are distribution centers for silk, tea, salt, and cotton, with a solid foundation; Fuzhou and Xiamen control the Fujian coast; and Guangzhou and Xiangshan'ao face the Western Ocean directly, handling the most affairs. If we are talking about the quickest results, we should focus on Tianjin, Songjiang, and Guangzhou."

A hint of approval flashed across Chongzhen's eyes, and he nodded: "What my beloved consort has seen is exactly what I was thinking. I want to do some business under the name of the 'Guard Office' at the port, such as building warehouses and repairing wharves, so as to supplement the domestic expenses. The money invested by the imperial treasury needs a thoughtful and knowledgeable person to help with the accounts and discussions."

He looked at Liu Yueying and said frankly, "Your family has been in the maritime business for generations and you have exceptional knowledge. Would you be willing to take a look at the proposals for Tianjin and Songjiang for me? It would be a way to share my burdens."

Liu Yueying understood in her heart that the Emperor not only wanted her dowry, but also wanted to use her as a person, and the Liu family's connections and business acumen in Southeast Asia. She rose and gave a solemn curtsy: "Your Majesty, I obey your decree. I will do my utmost to manage this 'capital' for Your Majesty."

That night, Emperor Chongzhen stayed at Yonghe Palace. The candlelight flickered in the tent, and the palace servants had all withdrawn. His earlier restraint had vanished, and Chongzhen, reclining on the soft pillows, suddenly brought up the subject again: "My beloved consort said during the day that we should prioritize managing the three households, which suits my taste perfectly. However, the warehouses and docks are ultimately places where you can collect money steadily, which is stable, but the country is currently facing many troubles, and money is needed everywhere. My beloved consort, think again, is there any way to make quick money?"

Emperor Chongzhen was quite adept at making money in his lifetime, but his "making money" came from the anti-corruption route. As for doing business, he had only seen operations like "opening a food court" and "land grabbing," after all, Handong was an inland province, and he had spent his whole life in the political and legal system.

Liu Yueying sat up slightly, her hair spreading out on the bright yellow pillow. By the candlelight, she stole a glance at the young emperor beside her—only eighteen years old, yet his brows always held a melancholy air.

At this moment, as she spoke of making quick money, her eyes gleamed with a thirst for it. She was familiar with this kind of money; it was something those desperate sea thugs in the South Seas knew, but to see it in the Emperor's eyes was truly unbelievable. If she hadn't actually been carried into the Forbidden City and was now lying in the palace, she would have suspected she'd encountered a fake Emperor who was only after her money and her virtue. "If Your Majesty wishes to make quick money," she said softly, each word clear, "I've heard that the East India Company of the Dutch has become incredibly wealthy in just a few decades, simply by trading goods from India and Southeast Asia to Europe."

Emperor Chongzhen knew the East India Company inside and out, and at this moment he only grunted an "hmm" in response. His expression didn't seem like he was listening to something new; rather, it was like an examiner waiting to see the answer sheet. This composure made Liu Yueying uneasy, so she decided to take out some more goods.

“They can come from thousands of miles away to the East to make a profit, why can’t our Great Ming do the opposite?” She said, glancing at his expression. “Our porcelain, tea, and silk are more valuable than gold in Europe. Instead of letting those red-haired people make ten times the profit, why don’t we go ourselves?”

"Shall we go?" Emperor Chongzhen was stunned!
He had initially thought Liu Yueying was suggesting something like opening a "Malacca Trading Company" or a "Java Trading Company" to compete with the foreigners for territory. He never expected her to go straight to Europe! Was she planning to send some gunboats to Europe for free trade?

Interesting. Chongzhen's gaze towards Liu Yueying became intense again.

Meeting his piercing gaze, Liu Yueying said, word by word, "Why doesn't Your Majesty establish the 'Great Ming Europa Trading Company'? Using funds from the imperial treasury, we can attract merchants from Fujian and Zhejiang to invest. We can build large ships, hire skilled workers, and directly trade goods to the West. If this business succeeds, the profits from one trip will be more than a million."

"Isn't the risk too great?" He took a deep breath, as if speaking to her but also to himself, "With such vast oceans, how could the Western countries sit idly by?"

"Your Majesty!" Liu Yueying said resolutely, "The greater the risk, the greater the reward! Those red-haired devils dare to venture across the five continents and four oceans with just a few dilapidated ships. Do we, the merchants of the Great Ming Dynasty, lack those few dilapidated ships? What we lack is the support of the Imperial Court! We lack the legitimacy of the Imperial Court! If the Imperial Court can grant us the title of special envoy, and grant our Liu family the privilege of leading a franchised trading company, our people will dare to venture into Europe under the name of the Great Ming Dynasty envoys. The first few years may be difficult, but once the sea routes are opened..."

The rest is self-evident; Emperor Chongzhen understood it all. This was a grand strategic move to propel the Ming Dynasty onto the world stage.

And it's highly feasible!
If the Ming Dynasty were to send an envoy to Europe, maritime powers such as the Netherlands, England, Spain, and Portugal would not possibly intercept the envoy's ships. Moreover, once the envoy arrived in Europe, they could approach European land powers such as the Holy Roman Empire and France.

If you pull the two sides together, the deal will be done.
Emperor Chongzhen considered himself far ahead of his time, yet his thinking was still less enlightened than that of a female pirate from the Ming Dynasty. Hmm, this female pirate was from Guangdong; people from that region really know how to make money!
Emperor Chongzhen stared at the woman before him, his mind churning... After pondering for a long time, he finally revealed a rather satisfied smile: "Alright! Let's set up the Great Ming Europa Trade Company! My beloved concubine is truly my lucky star!"

"Your concubine obeys the decree," Liu Yueying replied, bowing her head, but her heart was in turmoil. She had only spoken casually, never expecting that this young emperor was actually planning something big!

With the business concluded, the tent fell silent, save for the soft crackling of the candle wick. Chongzhen turned his head, his gaze shifting from the nautical chart to Liu Yueying. Her pale white nightgown hung loosely, barely concealing her curves. He suddenly grinned, the smile dispelling the previous somber mood.

“My beloved concubine,” he said in a low voice, with a hint of smug satisfaction, “now that we’ve finished talking business… take off your clothes and let me have a good look at my ‘Goddess of Wealth’.”

Liu Yueying's heart skipped a beat; she knew she had to get through this. She focused her mind and slowly loosened her sash. The rustling sound of the silk slipping down revealed a healthy, wheat-colored body in the candlelight—well-defined in the right places, slender in the right places, strikingly beautiful in the dim light.

Chongzhen's eyes darted up and down without any attempt to hide his excitement, clearly showing his experience! Finally, he nodded and blurted out a shameless remark: "Hmm, he looks like he's in good health. Your Liu family certainly knows how to take care of people; your business is thriving, and you've raised your people well too."

As he spoke, a pair of large hands reached out, their fingers calloused from reviewing official documents, slowly gliding over her bare shoulders.
"Mmm..." Liu Yueying couldn't help but groan, her face burning and her body trembling slightly.

Chongzhen leaned down, his breath hot against her ear, and chuckled as he said, "My beloved concubine's figure is more real than those memorials."

He wasn't in a hurry to get down to business; instead, he was savoring the wheat-colored body beneath him, a body that exuded a healthy beauty, completely different from the fair-skinned women in the palace.
(End of this chapter)