How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 159 Hong Xianzhong, the Plot Against the King of Qin, and the Edict of Grace (Four chapters today, please vote with monthly tickets)

The back hall of the governor's office in Xi'an.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, and only two oil lamps were lit. Wei Zhongxian sat at the head of the table, his old face shifting between light and shadow in the lamplight.

The Shaanxi governor Hu Tingyan and the grain supervisor Hong Chengchou sat on either side.

No one spoke for a long time inside the room.

Finally, Hu Tingyan couldn't hold back any longer. He picked up his teacup, his hand trembling slightly, then put it down and timidly spoke, "Eunuch Wei... His Highness Prince Qin... didn't he just donate 20,000 shi of wheat? This... if we keep pressuring him, isn't this... a bit too much?"

He was genuinely afraid. The Prince of Qin had been operating in Shaanxi for over two hundred years, his influence deeply entrenched. In the Prince of Qin's eyes, Hu Tingyan, the governor, was probably less important than a powerful steward in his household. If he offended the Prince of Qin, how could he possibly remain in Shaanxi afterward?

Wei Zhongxian didn't even lift his eyelids, and snorted coldly: "Twenty thousand shi? Is the Prince of Qin sending beggars?"

His voice was high-pitched and chilling: "In Anse County, they're still waiting for grain to provide disaster relief, grain to recruit soldiers, and grain to quell rebellions! Twenty thousand shi? What can that do? It's not even enough to fill a tooth gap!"

He suddenly looked up and stared at Hu Tingyan: "Governor Hu, I think you've been too comfortable as governor! You've forgotten whose territory Shaanxi is!"

Hu Tingyan trembled in fright, almost slipping off his chair, and repeatedly cupped his hands in apology: "This humble official dares not, this humble official dares not! It's just... but His Highness Prince Qin said that Wangzhuang also suffered from drought this year, and there is really... no surplus grain..."

"Bullshit!" Wei Zhongxian rarely swore. "The grain stored in his Prince Qin's mansion could fill this entire governor's office! Playing the poor card? Humph, I bet he won't shed a tear until he's face death!"

Hong Chengchou, who had been silent until now, coughed lightly.

Wei Zhongxian turned his gaze to him: "Counselor Hong, what do you have to say? You know best about the grain in Shaanxi."

Hong Chengchou bowed slightly, his face expressionless, but his mind was racing.

He had been scheming the whole time. Not about how to trick the King of Qin, but about his own future. He could come up with a hundred wicked schemes to trick the King of Qin! But whether or not to actually do it required careful consideration.

How long has it been since His Majesty ascended the throne? He has already eliminated the Prince of Dai and confiscated his property. He has also kicked the Prince of Fu from the fertile land of Luoyang to Fuzhou, making him a "fellow townsman" of Hong Chengchou. More than two million mu of Wangzhuang have been reduced to only fifty thousand mu!

These methods are ruthless and vicious; how could a young emperor act like this? He's clearly a reincarnation of the founding emperor or the founding emperor!
And look at this Eunuch Wei before us; he is the sharpest knife in His Majesty's hand. The Prince of Dai and the Prince of Fu were both dealt with by this knife. Now, it's the Prince of Qin's turn.

Could the King of Qin defeat the Emperor?
Hong Chengchou shook his head inwardly. He couldn't win. He definitely couldn't win. The Emperor held the moral high ground, had a new army, and was now openly proclaiming his intention to use the vassal kings as a tool to establish his authority. What use was the Prince of Qin, with his meager grain reserves and a two-hundred-year-old reputation?

This prince isn't very bright either. At this time, he should quickly offer grain and show his loyalty, so that His Majesty will be too embarrassed to punish him.

But what about him? The situation in Ansai has completely turned upside down. The emperor said that if he could produce 500,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), the title could be postponed, but he's still being stingy. How ruthless is the young emperor? Will he let him off? He's finished!
Having figured this out, Hong Chengchou knew which side he should stand on.

He must pledge his loyalty to the Emperor! Only by becoming this "Hong Xianzhong" can he have a bright future.

Thinking of this, the respect on Hong Chengchou's face faded, replaced by a capable and even somewhat ruthless expression. He raised his head and looked at Wei Zhongxian: "Lord Wei, in my opinion, His Highness the Prince of Qin... is indeed 'difficult'."

Hu Tingyan was taken aback, wondering why Hong Chengchou was speaking up for the King of Qin.

Wei Zhongxian frowned as well. But then Hong Chengchou changed the subject: "Your Highness's 'difficulty' is not that there is no grain, but that... there is too much land to manage, and the people under you are lining their own pockets, so the rent collected is a loss every year. That's why you seem... short of money."

Wei Zhongxian and Hu Tingyan both understood what was going on. This kid's got some wicked scheme in mind!
"Oh?" Wei Zhongxian leaned forward. "What do you mean you can't manage it? Explain in detail."

Hong Chengchou remained unhurried, counting on his fingers: "As far as I know, the royal estate bestowed upon Prince Qin Min by Emperor Hongwu is nearly nine thousand hectares, all of which is excellent fertile land. In addition, the pastures in Guyuan, which were originally for the court to raise horses, number in the tens of thousands of hectares, have mostly become the property of Prince Qin's mansion in recent years... hehe. And this doesn't even include those... unclear and ambiguous cases of encroaching on farmland and military settlements, as well as those 'sinisterly transferred' by subordinates."

With each word he spoke, Wei Zhongxian's eyes lit up a little more.

“With more land comes more trouble,” Hong Chengchou continued. “The Prince of Qin’s estates are scattered throughout Shaanxi. His Highness Prince Qin lives a secluded life, so how can he manage them all? Isn’t it up to the estate managers and stewards below him? These people exploit him at every level, deceiving their superiors and subordinates. If His Highness Prince Qin doesn’t receive the full rent, he will naturally feel ‘poor’.”

Wei Zhongxian laughed, a sinister laugh: "According to you, we have to be understanding of His Highness Prince Qin's 'difficulties'?"

“Not so.” Hong Chengchou shook his head, finally revealing his true intentions. “What I mean is, since Your Highness the Prince of Qin feels overwhelmed by managing these estates, why not learn from the ancient sage kings and implement a policy of ‘extending grace’?”

"A grant of favor?" Wei Zhongxian and Hu Tingyan were both taken aback. Hu Tingyan blurted out, "Councilor Hong, the princes of our Great Ming Dynasty don't have fiefdoms, what kind of favor is this?"

Hong Chengchou looked at Wei Zhongxian and said, word by word, "The King of Qin may not have a fiefdom, but he has land! The lands left by King Min of Qin are the ancestral property of all the Qin royal family members! Why should they all be monopolized by the Qin royal family now? In Xi'an, there are so many generals, assistant generals, and lieutenants, as well as countless royal family members who have lost their titles. Aren't they all descendants of King Min of Qin? Why should they have to live a miserable life clinging to those increasingly unredeemable royal stipends?"

He paused, then raised his voice slightly: "Lord Wei, why don't we jointly petition His Majesty to grant him the gracious permission to allow members of the Qin royal family below the rank of Prince to move freely and make a living within Shaanxi Province? Furthermore, let the estates and pastures left by King Min of Qin be distributed among the various branches of the royal family for their management! Let them earn their own living, and also share some of the burdens and difficulties of His Highness the King of Qin!"

The room was deathly silent.

Hu Tingyan's mouth dropped open, his face turning pale. This...this Hong Chengchou is trying to uproot the King of Qin! This plan is too vicious! If he really does this, the Qin vassal state will immediately descend into internal strife! Won't those desperate, impoverished lower-ranking members of the royal family pounce on him like hungry wolves?

Wei Zhongxian was stunned at first, and then a terrifying glint suddenly shot out from his old eyes!
"Excellent! What a brilliant 'Decree of Grace'! What a brilliant Hong Hengjiu!"

He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump around!

"Hong Hengjiu! You're a real talent! Let's do it this way!"

Wei Zhongxian stood up excitedly and paced around the room a couple of times: "I'll write a secret memorial right away! You, Councilor Hong, should also sign it! We'll present this brilliant plan to His Majesty in its entirety!"

He could almost see the Qin princes in Xi'an breaking down the gates of the Qin Prince's mansion in their struggle for those estates. He could also see Prince Zhu Cunshu, in despair over the division of his ancestral property, obediently sending all the grain from his granaries to Wei Zhongxian, begging for mercy.

I also saw the scene where the remaining princes in Shaanxi were vying to be granted more titles—to become a real prince in Sichuan, Guizhou, or Yunnan would be better than being rejected outright!

"Hehe... Your Highness, the King of Qin, Your Majesty and I will solve your 'difficulties' right away!"

Hong Chengchou lowered his head deeply, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

He's now truly known as "Hong Xianzhong." And on the road to the pinnacle of power, he seems to have... already taken the first step.

As for Hu Tingyan? He slumped in his chair, only one thought in his mind: How could Hong Chengchou be so wicked? Alas, in this day and age, evil people are in power! It seems his position as Governor of Shaanxi will soon be handed over to Hong Chengchou.
(End of this chapter)