How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 163 Your Highness, according to ancestral rules, you must defend Taiyuan! (Four chapters today, please vote!)
By the fifteenth day of the first month of the second year of the Chongzhen reign, the Yellow River had long since frozen over.

The ice on the river was so thick that horses could run across it. From Fugu County in Shaanxi to Baode Prefecture in Shanxi, the once turbulent chasm had been transformed into a smooth, gray-white road.

That very night, the light of the torches gathered into a sea on the west bank of the river.

The shouts of men and the neighing of horses broke the silence of the frozen river. Thousands upon thousands of figures, wrapped in tattered cotton-padded coats and carrying all sorts of weapons—from rusty knives to sharpened wooden sticks—marched haphazardly onto the ice. Their footsteps, heavy and rhythmic, rolled across the Yellow River like muffled thunder.

Leading the group were several strong men from northern Shaanxi, protecting a burly leader. It was Wang Jiayin.

He glanced back at the dark west bank, where the government troops' campfires still burned, but were now far away. Sun Chuanting, that killing god, hadn't pressed too hard, or rather, he had deliberately left this path eastward open.

"Hurry! Cross the river! Once we get to Shanxi, we'll have food to eat!" Wang Jiayin shouted, his voice carrying through the cold air.

The army of refugees surged across the Yellow River like a flood bursting its banks.

How could the few battalions of old and weak in Baode Prefecture stop tens of thousands of starving people? They could only keep the city gates tightly shut and watch as the massive army of refugees from Shaanxi marched through the city.

The news of the bandits entering Shanxi spread like wildfire, reaching Taiyuan City in the blink of an eye.

The first person to receive the urgent military report, delivered over 600 li, was Governor Song Tongyin.

He had just gotten up and was holding a bowl of ginseng soup, not even having taken a sip, when the messenger horse crashed into the main hall of the governor's office, tumbling off its back and shouting hoarsely, "Governor! Your Excellency! Something terrible has happened! The bandit... the bandit Wang Jiayin, has crossed the frozen river, passed under the walls of Baode Prefecture, and is heading towards Kelan!"

The official kiln porcelain bowl in Song Tongyin's hand fell to the ground with a "crash," spilling ginseng soup all over him.

His face was deathly pale. He pointed outside, his lips trembling, and after a long pause, he finally shouted, "Quickly! Close all four gates! Imprison the entire city! And... prepare a sedan chair! I must go to the Prince of Jin's residence immediately!"

Almost simultaneously, Sun Chaojin, the prefect of Taiyuan, also received the news.

He was having breakfast in the back office when, upon hearing what his trusted family member had said, his chopsticks fell onto the table. He jumped up abruptly, then slumped back down.

"How many people? How many exactly?"

"Reporting to...Master, the scouts say that there are countless...uncountable numbers, probably tens of thousands, covering the entire mountainside!"

Sun Chaojin slammed his hand on the table, sending dishes flying. "Song Tongyin! Incompetent! He's ruined the country! He's allowed the bandits to run rampant!" He gasped for breath. "Change clothes! I'm going to see the Prince! And I need to find out where the bandits are!"

The most chaotic place, of course, was the Prince Jin's Mansion in the center of Taiyuan.

When the chief secretary of the Prince's Palace scrambled into the Yin'an Hall, Prince Zhu Qiugui of Jin was being served by several maids as he tried on a newly made sable coat. Although he was fat, he was afraid of the cold, and in the twelfth lunar month, the four charcoal braziers in the hall were burning red-hot.

"Your Highness... Your Highness! Disaster has struck!" The chief secretary collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling with sobs. "The bandit... the bandit Wang Jiayin has crossed the Yellow River! Tens of thousands of men are heading towards Taiyuan!"

Zhu Qiugui's fat face twitched violently, and the sable coat he had just put on slipped to the ground. He grabbed the chief clerk's collar: "What did you say? Crossed the Yellow River? What about Pianguan? What about Ningwuguan? What about General Zhang's troops?"

"Your Highness! The bandits came from Baode, bypassing the passes and advancing with unstoppable momentum. They're almost right under our noses!"

Zhu Qiugui's legs went weak, and he slumped into a chair covered with brocade cushions, his face ashen. How could such a glorious Ming Dynasty suddenly have a bandit army of tens of thousands? And why are you bandits from Shaanxi coming to Shanxi to cause trouble for me, the Prince of Jin, instead of going to Xi'an to cause trouble for the Prince of Qin? I haven't offended you at all!
"Quickly...quickly report to Beijing! Use the fastest horses! Tell the Emperor, tell the Emperor that something terrible has happened, Taiyuan is going to fall! Tell him to send troops! Send troops to save it!" He roared with a sob in his voice, his whole body trembling with fat.

Panic spread like water poured into a hot oil pan, instantly engulfing the entire city.

Those generals and lieutenants of the State who lived in Taiyuan, as well as the sons of various princes, were all in a panic. Although these people all held the military titles of "general" and "lieutenant," they had little martial prowess and no military organization whatsoever. When they heard that bandits were coming to Taiyuan, some of the particularly spineless ones ran to the Prince of Jin's mansion to mourn.

Taiyuan, the center of Shanxi and a major city of the Ming Dynasty, suddenly seemed to have lost its backbone.

It looks like the sky is really about to collapse.

The lights were on in the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.

The windows were tightly shut, and the heavy curtains were drawn, keeping the cold air out. Several gilded charcoal braziers burned brightly, making the room so warm it felt somewhat stuffy.

Emperor Chongzhen was not wearing a dragon robe, but only a blue straight-cut cotton robe, and sat on the throne. Several examination papers were spread out on the table, and he held one in his hand, but did not look at it. His eyes were fixed on the dark night outside the window.

Wang Chengen, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, stood to one side with his hands hanging down. Below him, seven or eight high-ranking officials, including Grand Secretaries, ministers, and nobles, sat on embroidered stools according to their rank.

No one spoke.

Emperor Chongzhen turned his gaze back, glanced at everyone, and finally fixed it on Wang Chengen.

“Daban,” he said in a low voice, sounding very calm, “tell the gentlemen about those manuscripts from Shanxi.”

"This servant obeys the decree." Wang Chengen bowed and stepped forward, pulling out three examination papers from his sleeve and opening them one by one.

"Your Majesty, esteemed gentlemen, this is a newly arrived urgent dispatch from 600 li away."

"The first one is from Song Tongyin, the governor of Shanxi."

Wang Chengen's voice sounded somewhat anxious: "Governor Song reported that the bandit Wang Jiayin's forces numbered in the tens of thousands, entering Shanxi from Shaanxi and capturing prefectures and counties one after another, with their advance pointing directly at Taiyuan. Although I have led the troops to do my best to block them, the bandits are too powerful, and Taiyuan is in grave danger. I beg Your Majesty to quickly send imperial troops to relieve this predicament."

The warm pavilion grew even quieter. Minister of War Wang Zaijin's brows furrowed deeply.

"The second document is a secret report from Sun Chaojin, the prefect of Taiyuan."

Wang Chengen paused, then continued reading. "Prefect Sun said that General Zhang Honggong's incompetence in defending against the enemy led to today's disaster. Furthermore, there are suspicions that government troops drove the rebels into Shanxi, causing turmoil throughout the province. He begs the court to quickly dispatch strong and capable troops and thoroughly investigate the matter of driving the rebels."

That was a rather harsh remark. Several ministers exchanged glances. Sun Chengzong's eyelids drooped, as if he were asleep. Qian Qianyi gave a soft hum.

"The third document was presented by the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Jin's residence."

As Wang Chengen read the last document, his tone seemed to soften slightly. "His Highness Prince Jin reports that the banditry is rampant, Taiyuan's defenses are weak, and the lives of hundreds of people in the Prince's household are in imminent danger. We humbly beg Your Majesty to consider the plight of your family and quickly dispatch elite troops to protect your princely lord!" Having finished reading, Wang Chengen closed the document, bowed slightly, took a step back, and reverted to his former self.

In the warm room, only the sound of breathing could be heard.

Chongzhen didn't speak, but picked up the rosewood cup on the table and took a sip of warm tea.

He looked at Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Revenue. "Minister Bi, you're in charge of the purse strings. Tell me, if we mobilize troops into Shanxi, where will the funds for their pay come from?"

Bi Ziyan seemed to have been pricked by a needle, and quickly stepped forward, his face contorted with misery as he began to lament his poverty. "Your Majesty! The salaries for Liaodong, Jizhou, Xuanda, and other places are still in arrears... The national treasury is so full that mice can run across it! The troop deployment funds, the provisions, the rewards... I... I am truly like a skilled cook without rice to cook!"

The imperial granary, which was under the control of the "always complaining of poverty," was definitely empty—this was actually Chongzhen's "institutional arrangement"! With the additional exemption of the Liaodong levy from the five northern provinces and the conversion of it into grain, the deficit in the imperial granary was three million taels a year! To balance this out, Chongzhen had to use silver from the transport treasury to make up for it.

Chongzhen passed the buck to him first, which actually meant he didn't really want to send troops to protect the vassal states.

Qian Qianyi, the Vice Minister of Rites, could not hold back any longer and stepped forward to speak: "Your Majesty! Taiyuan is an important town in the north, and the Prince of Jin is Your Majesty's cousin. How can it be lost? Even if it is difficult, troops from Datong and Xuanfu should be urgently dispatched south to provide assistance! If we sit idly by and watch our princes fall into danger, what will the people of the world think of Your Majesty? What will they think of the court's public opinion?"

His words, though spoken while standing, sounded rather flippant.

Minister of War Wang Zaijin then slowly spoke: “Vice Minister Qian is right, and Taiyuan cannot be left unrestrained. However, the primary task of the Xuanda troops is to defend against the Jurchens. The Jurchens’ movements are unclear. If we lightly deploy heavy troops, the nine border regions will be vulnerable, and the consequences will be unimaginable. Moreover, Wang Jiayin’s troops are constantly on the move. Our army will be exhausted from a long expedition and may be taken advantage of by them.”

Wang Zaijin certainly understood Chongzhen's thoughts. Sun Chuanting, Cao Wenzhao, and Zhou Yuji were leading more than 10,000 imperial guards following behind this group of refugees!

The story of driving out the thieves into Shanxi is not just a rumor!
Sun Chengzong replied with a calm face, "What I say is true! Furthermore, judging from the reports submitted by Song Tongyin and Sun Chao, the military and political situation in Shanxi has been in a state of disarray for quite some time. The fact that the bandits entered Shanxi so smoothly is no small matter."

At this point, it seemed like we'd hit a dead end. We had no money, so it was difficult to mobilize troops; and we couldn't rely on the local officials in Shanxi.

The warm room became stuffy again.

Emperor Chongzhen put down the rosewood thermos cup filled with goji berry tea and his gaze fell on Yang Sichang, who had been promoted to Vice Minister of War after returning from Korea. Yang Sichang was his accomplice!

"Minister Yang," Chongzhen addressed him, "you are also knowledgeable in military affairs, what are your insights?"

Yang Sichang took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed. "Your Majesty, esteemed elders," he said, first glancing around before straightening up, his voice becoming clear and resonant.

"Gentlemen, you are all concerned about the affairs of the country, and your words are all prudent. However, I, Sichang, dare to ask: Why is it that our Great Ming Dynasty, with a million soldiers, is often led by the nose by tens of thousands of bandits? Why is it that when there is an alarm in one place, we have to take reinforcements from elsewhere, causing the country to be exhausted and the bandits to become more powerful?"

Without waiting for a reply, he walked to the huge "Map of the Ming Dynasty" on the wall and pointed heavily at the location of Taiyuan.

"The root of the problem lies in the fact that we, the descendants, have not strictly followed the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty'!"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Emperor Taizu Gao enfeoffed the princes with the intention of 'protecting the imperial family'! Princes in their fiefdoms have the responsibility to defend their lands and ensure the safety of their people! Now that bandits are at the gates of the city, it is precisely the time for His Highness Prince Jin to lead the imperial family, inspire the people, and protect the borders and ensure their safety! How can we rely on troops from afar for everything? How can we sit and wait for the court's already meager funds?"

These words were like a stone thrown into water. Qian Qianyi's expression changed, and he was about to retort.

Yang Sichang didn't give him a chance, and quickened his pace. "The Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty state: 'Princes of the vassal states must be equipped with guards... Whenever there is an emergency in the kingdom, they must first lead the guards to suppress it! Now that there is an emergency in Taiyuan, it is precisely the time for Prince Jin to follow the ancestral instructions and defend the land and protect the people!'"

He turned to Emperor Chongzhen and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty! In this extraordinary time, extraordinary measures must be taken! I humbly request Your Majesty to issue a decree, reiterating the ancestral system, and ordering the Prince of Jin to act expediently, to recruit able-bodied men and repair armor and weapons within his fiefdom to defend the nation! At the same time, the court should send a capable general with an elite force to Jin, not to take over the duties, but to supervise and assist in the defense! In this way, the order will be legitimate, the authority and responsibility will be aligned, and this is the way to resolve the predicament and the foundation for long-term stability!"

He finished speaking. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone understood. This was Emperor Chongzhen's way of further promoting the "relocation of princes to Sichuan" policy—the princes needed guards to garrison places like southern Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan!

Previously, when Emperor Chongzhen promoted the "relocation of feudal lords to Sichuan," Wei Zhaocheng of the Donglin Party even raised the issue of restoring the imperial guards, almost "blowing up" the court discussion.

Now, Emperor Chongzhen has sent his trusted confidant Yang Sichang to continue pushing this matter. What should be done? At that time, the Donglin gentlemen in the court, in order to disrupt the "Prince's Trip to the South" plan, all supported the restoration of the guards.

Would it be inappropriate to oppose the restoration of the Prince of Jin's guards now?

It looked like the conversation was about to fall flat.

Emperor Chongzhen finally stood up slowly, walked to the map, looked at Taiyuan, then at Xi'an, and finally his gaze swept across the entire north.

“Minister Yang’s words,” Chongzhen said slowly, “are in line with my thoughts, in line with the original intention of the Taizu Emperor’s feudal system, and are also similar to the proposal made by Wei Zhaocheng recently to rebuild the guards.”

"At that time, most of the gentlemen agreed to rebuild the guard, but with certain restrictions. First, the prince had to volunteer; second, the prince had to be loyal and law-abiding with no history of misconduct; and third, the establishment of the guard had to be strictly regulated, with the number of soldiers, provisions, and garrison locations all subject to the approval and control of the court. However, for several months, not a single prince volunteered."

"But now, the bandits are about to reach Taiyuan. If Uncle Jin does not volunteer, he will be violating the Imperial Ancestral Instructions! Marquis Wuqing, what crime should a prince be punished for violating the ancestral instructions?"

Emperor Chongzhen gave Li Chengming, the Marquis of Wuqing, who was serving as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, an opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty!

"His title should be stripped and he should be reduced to a commoner!" Li Chengming immediately stepped forward to "offer his loyalty."

The high-ranking officials below suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Prince Jin! If he were to be appointed as a guard, he would inevitably be sent to the mountains of Sichuan and Guizhou. If he were not appointed, according to Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestral instruction from over two hundred years ago, he would have to go to the high walls of Fengyang.

"Very well!" Emperor Chongzhen nodded. "Then draft an edict. The military situation is urgent, so I will issue a special decree!"

The cabinet ministers immediately bowed.

"The first order is to reprimand the Shanxi Governor Song Tongyin and General Zhang Honggong for their ineffective suppression and pacification efforts, and to order them to atone for their crimes by performing meritorious service. If Taiyuan is lost, they will be severely punished!"

"The second measure is to issue a public proclamation throughout the land, reiterating the responsibility of princes to defend their territories as stated in the Imperial Ancestral Instructions! Let the world know that the princes of the Ming Dynasty are not just there to eat!"

"The third decree appoints Yang Sichang, the Vice Minister of War, as Imperial Commissioner. He shall carry this imperial edict to Taiyuan tomorrow to convey the message to the Prince of Jin and oversee the defense!"

"Fourthly, Wei Zhongxian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, need not accompany the Prince of Qin to the capital. He should immediately go to Taiyuan to assist the Prince of Jin together with Yang Sichang!"

(End of this chapter)