How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 175 It's time for the landlords and gentry of Beizhili to properly pledge their loyalty (First Update)
In early July of the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the weather in Beijing was still scorching hot, with the sun shining fiercely. Fortunately, Tsinghua Garden had many trees, providing dense shade and moisture, making it much cooler than the dry heat of the Forbidden City.

The doors and windows of the military academy were open, providing good ventilation, but the few people sitting inside were all preoccupied with their own worries, heavier than the weather outside.

Emperor Chongzhen, now dressed in light, casual robes, sat at the head of the table, his face revealing no joy. Below him sat Wang Zaijin, Minister of War; Yang Sichang, Vice Minister of War; Sun Chuanting, Vice Minister of War and Assistant Commander of the Beijing Garrison; and Niu Jinxing, Compiler of the Hanlin Academy and Advisor on Military Affairs of the Beijing Garrison. Cao Wenzhao and Li Hongji, in full military attire, stood below, having just returned from the front lines of Daning, their bodies covered in dust and the stench of blood.

Xu Guangqi and Sun Yuanhua were also present. This master and apprentice pair were experts in building cannons and fortifications, and they were indispensable in such military discussions.

Cao Wenzhao spoke first. He was a steady man, and he recounted the entire raid on Daming in a methodical manner. He described how they laid an ambush, how they lured the enemy, how they used cannons, and how they intercepted and killed them. When he got to the part about killing the Jurchen general in battle, he stepped aside and pointed to Li Hongji beside him.

"Your Majesty, the one who killed that fierce general was none other than Li Hongji, the vanguard commander. Let him report the details."

Li Hongji quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Student Li Hongji pays his respects to the principal!"

"Hongji, rise and answer." Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand, his gaze falling on Li Hongji. "Tell me, what is the situation with that fierce general?"

That fierce general was none other than Ao Bai, but he wasn't very famous at the moment. No one in the Ming army knew him; they just thought he was quite fierce and was a leader, so they called him "fierce general."

Li Hongji stood up, his back ramrod straight. When he talked about fighting, his fierce and courageous spirit as a courier came through.

"Your Majesty! That Tartar was incredibly brave. He charged in close and tried to shoot me in the face with a heavy arrow! I saw it clearly. He was only a dozen paces away when, just as he drew his bow, this short gun in my arms fired first!" He spoke with great enthusiasm, gesturing as he spoke, "With a bang! The Tartar's chest was ripped open, and he fell headfirst off his horse!"

He swallowed hard, his face beaming: "This self-propelled musket is truly amazing! No need for a match cord, just raise your hand and fire! If all our elite cavalry were equipped with them, within three to five steps, we could easily slap the Tartars in the face, no matter how thick their armor, we'd break their bones and tendons!"

Emperor Chongzhen listened and nodded slightly, but said nothing. He looked at Sun Yuanhua.

Sun Yuanhua understood and stepped forward to report: "Your Majesty, what Commander Li said is true. This flintlock pistol is indeed a powerful weapon in close combat. However... it is very expensive. Currently, imitations made in Guangzhou and Foshan cost around twenty taels of silver per pistol. If purchased from Macau or Southeast Asia, it would cost more than thirty taels. If we were to equip the Beijing cavalry with several thousand pistols, the cost... would probably be several hundred thousand taels."

The hall fell silent for a moment. Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, just to equip a few thousand short guns? Anyone could do the math.

Emperor Chongzhen's face remained expressionless, only giving a soft "hmm." He muttered to himself: Twenty taels per gun, five thousand guns would be a hundred thousand taels! And that's just for the guns; the ammunition training hasn't even been calculated. It seems the Zheng and Liu families' "dowries" won't last this long. He needs to hurry up with the Yang family of Zhejiang… this matter of taking in "financing-type concubines" cannot be stopped.

In addition, the matter of the Daming Europa Trade Company must be dealt with as soon as possible!

If we could import them directly from Europe, the price should be much cheaper. If we could hire European gunsmiths and cannon makers to manufacture flintlock muskets at the Beijing Garrison Artillery Factory, the cost should be even lower.

No one knew what he was thinking, but Sun Yuanhua changed the subject: "However, the lightweight tiger-squatting cannon that accompanied the army this time is even more effective!"

He perked up and explained in detail: “We have made some minor improvements to the Western method, mounting it on a two-wheeled gun carriage, which can be pulled by a mule, making it easy to move. When facing the enemy, we can fire shrapnel, which, within a hundred paces, is like a torrential downpour, causing the Jurchen and Mongol cavalry to fall and be thrown about. It is extremely effective!”

Xu Guangqi added, “Your Majesty, the greatest advantage of this cannon is its low price and high quality. If it were made of cast iron, the cost would be less than one-tenth that of bronze. It can be deployed in every camp and outpost, and is truly a powerful weapon to suppress enemy cavalry charges! I believe that it should be vigorously promoted throughout the army.”

Emperor Chongzhen then smiled slightly: "Good! Minister Sun and Minister Xu have handled this matter well. This Tiger Crouching Cannon is a common weapon in the army. Now, with the addition of a Western-style gun carriage, it can be moved more easily. We can send some craftsmen from various garrisons to the Beijing Garrison Artillery Factory to learn how to manufacture the new gun carriage. Once they have learned it, they can build it themselves when they return."

Having discussed the weapons, it's time to get down to business. Chongzhen's face darkened again as he looked at Cao Wenzhao: "Minister Cao, you just said that although this raid resulted in a minor victory, it was not a complete success?"

Cao Wenzhao hurriedly bowed: "Your Majesty is wise. We originally intended to burn more of their grain and fortifications, but Dorgon reacted extremely quickly, and a large force of elite cavalry appeared in an instant. We decided to withdraw while we were ahead and did not dare to linger in battle. However... what Commander Li saw was that outside Daning City, the fields cultivated by the Jurchens stretched as far as the eye could see, numbering at least 100,000 mu! Cattle and sheep were everywhere."

He paused, his voice grave: "Your Majesty, the barbarian chieftain Huang Taiji is no ordinary raider. His management of Daming, his military colonies and livestock breeding, are all part of his long-term strategy, using this place as a base. His ambitions are considerable!"

Wang Zaijin stroked his beard, speaking with deep concern: "General Cao's view is the same as my concern. If Daming becomes the nest of the Jiannu, it can unite with the tribes in the south of the Gobi Desert to the west, threatening Xuan and Da; and to the south, it can spy on the border walls of Jizhou. The Han tribes outside the Xuan and Da Pass will surely be their first target!"

Yang Sichang pondered, "The Chahan tribe's Hudun Tuhan is arrogant and unambitious, and his followers are disloyal. Given the Jurchens' cunning and fierce nature, whether we attack or appease them, the Chahan tribe may not survive. At that time, the pressure on Jizhou will increase significantly, and the capital will be in danger!" Sun Chuanting walked to the huge map hanging in the sky and traced the long defense line from Shanhaiguan to Xuanfu and Datong with his finger.

"Your Majesty, gentlemen, please take a look." His voice was calm, yet every word carried immense weight. "The Jizhou garrison has 80,000 troops, Xuanfu and Datong combined have 120,000, Changping has 15,000, plus the newly trained Beijing garrison of 50,000. In total, there are 265,000 men."

He slapped his hand on the long border wall: "But this defensive line stretches for more than a thousand miles. There are many passes, making it impossible to defend against them all. If the Jurchens concentrate their elite forces to attack one point, our army will be vulnerable everywhere if we divide our troops to guard it; if they concentrate their forces and move around, the gates will be wide open!"

His words silenced everyone in the hall. Yes, there were many soldiers, but scattered along the chieftain's defensive line, they were like pepper sprinkled on the ground.

Niu Jinxing, who hadn't said much until now, coughed lightly. He was a scholar of the Hanlin Academy and had only recently become a military advisor, but his insight was sharp.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him and asked, "What are your thoughts, Minister Niu?"

Niu Jinxing bowed deeply and said, “Your Majesty, what Wang, Yang, and Sun have said is all true. In my view, what troubles our Great Ming is not only the ferocity of the Jurchens, but also their ability to mobilize the entire nation into a single force, which can be gathered or dispersed at will, making them exceptionally agile. Our Celestial Empire, on the other hand, has a vast territory and too many places to defend, inevitably requiring us to divide our forces and expend our strength. This is a predicament of our national strength, which cannot be easily resolved by relying solely on good generals and elite troops.”

His words hit the nail on the head. The Jurchens were like a fist, clenched tight to strike; the Ming Dynasty was like a palm, spread out to defend.

Everyone looked at Emperor Chongzhen. The problem was now before them; how to solve it?
Emperor Chongzhen certainly had a solution!
After a long while, he slowly stood up and walked to the huge map of Beizhili. His gaze lingered for a long time on the important areas of Shuntian, Yongping, Baoding, and Hejian, which were located in the capital region. The map was densely marked with prefectures, states, counties, guard posts, and garrisons, as well as countless village and town names.

He suddenly turned around, his face showing no excitement, and slowly swept his gaze over each minister in the hall.

"I understand your concerns, my lords," he said, his voice steady and confident. "We cannot rely solely on the 265,000 imperial troops to defend this vast border. These troops are the sharpest blade, the strongest fist; they must be used at the most crucial moments, to fight the Jurchens to the death! They cannot be used as guard dogs, scattered everywhere!"

He stretched out his finger and tapped it heavily on the map, tracing the vast territory of Beizhili.

"After much deliberation, I believe the only solution is to mobilize the gentry and consolidate our foundation!" His voice rose slightly. "We must transform all eight prefectures of Beizhili, especially the neighboring counties, towns, and villages of Shuntian, Yongping, and Baoding, into an impregnable fortress for our Great Ming!"

He paused, looking at the somewhat astonished expressions on everyone's faces, and his tone became serious:

"In the past, when there was news of enemy activity, the court would increase pay and troop deployment. In the end, the burden fell on the common people. But what about those gentry who enjoyed preferential treatment and exemptions? They owned vast tracts of land and enormous wealth, yet they enjoyed peace and tranquility, never taking any responsibility for the affairs of the country?"

The implication in his words was clear: he was going to fleece the gentry!

Apart from Cao Wenzhao and Li Hongji, everyone present was a landlord-class scholar-official, and they all felt a chill run down their spines.

Emperor Chongzhen's voice suddenly rose: "If the country is not preserved, where will the soldiers attach themselves?"

"The time has come!" he said, almost emphasizing each word. "It's time for the scholar-officials of Beizhili to step forward, raise their voices, and dedicate themselves to the country!"

Emperor Chongzhen didn't give everyone time to process his ideas and went straight to his strategy:
"My mind is made up. In Beizhili, especially in the border prefectures and counties, we shall widely organize local militias! The court shall select capable ministers to manage the affairs of the militias. Each prefecture and county shall be responsible for leading the local gentry and organizing the militias themselves! We shall integrate soldiers into farmers, and train them during the off-season to protect the borders and keep the people safe."

He listed the advantages one by one: "In this way, firstly, it will not consume too much national funds, which can alleviate the financial burden of increasing the military pay; secondly, it will make it difficult for the enemy to invade and plunder, as there are fortifications everywhere and thorns at every step; thirdly, the court's elite troops can be concentrated to wait for an opportunity to fight the enemy!"

Finally, his gaze swept over everyone, and with a meaningful tone, he revealed the core message:

"To organize local militias, we need provisions, weapons, and unified command. This requires the local gentry to contribute money, provisions, and labor! And even... to obey the orders of the militia ministers appointed by the court. This is also their time to serve their sovereign, protect their hometown, and show their loyalty to the court! I want to see their commitment!"

(End of this chapter)