How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 176 Two Parties Cooperate, Set Aside Disputes, and Join Forces to Deceive the Emperor (Second Update)
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the second year of Chongzhen's reign, before dawn, the East Pavilion of the Forbidden City was already full of people.

Grand Secretary Huang Lijie sat at the head of the table, his eyelids drooping as if he hadn't slept. Below him, a dense crowd of officials from the Six Ministries, nobles and relatives from various government offices, and censors from the Censorate and the Imperial Censorate, filled the air. The scent of sandalwood wafted through the air, but it couldn't dispel the oppressive atmosphere.

The issue to be discussed in court today is truly rare; it's one that has both parties in the court united in their opposition!
That's right, it's opposition!
Although later history saw the emergence of figures like Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, and Zuo Zongtang through the organization of local militias, those scholar-officials who did not achieve such heights but instead paid a price for their efforts disapproved of it.

Besides, the Great Wall defenses still look solid, and the Jurchens haven't even arrived yet. Isn't it a bit too early to start organizing local militias?

Of course, whether it's held sooner or later isn't the issue; the issue is who will pay the price for organizing the training?
Xu Yingyuan huddled in a corner outside the East Pavilion, straining his ears to listen to the sounds inside. He was the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently the Director of the Eastern Depot; the Emperor had summoned him to attend today's court discussion.

Huang Lijie cleared his throat and spoke, his voice dry and strained. He conveyed the Emperor's intention: to establish local militias in the eight prefectures of Beizhili, encouraging gentry to contribute money and manpower to protect the borders and ensure the safety of the people. He explained that the Jurchens had now established themselves in Daning, putting the defenses of the capital region under strain, and that the government troops were insufficient; therefore, the people had to rely on themselves for protection.

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion broke out below.

Qian Qianyi was the first to step forward. He was the Vice Minister of Rites and a leader of the Qingliu faction within the Donglin Party. With a flick of his sleeve, he quoted extensively from classical texts, from the regional military governors of the Tang Dynasty to the ancestral system of the current dynasty, arguing that military power was the foundation of the court and how could it be delegated to the local level? He further claimed that this was "competing with the people for profit" and "driving the people into the life of thieves."

Shuntian Governor Li Banghua immediately chimed in. He was originally the Vice Minister of War, and had only recently been transferred to the post of Governor of Shuntian. Of the eight prefectures in Beizhili, Shuntian and Yongping were under his jurisdiction. So he was summoned to today's court meeting as well—after all, of the eight prefectures in Shuntian, only these two were adjacent to the Great Wall, and naturally, these two prefectures were the most crucial for organizing local militias.

He immediately declared that the harvests in Beizhili had been poor in recent years, and the people were starving. He argued that adding extra pay for local militias would only push them into a peasant uprising. His words were harsh, but his face wore an expression of unwavering loyalty and advocacy for the people.

The censors seemed to have received a signal, and they all chimed in, saying that this was absolutely unacceptable. The voices grew louder and louder, becoming a cacophony.

Huang Lijie looked down without saying a word. He glanced at Wang Zaijin, the Minister of War.

Wang Zaijin was considered a member of the Emperor's faction and had given his approval in Tsinghua University. But now, he frowned and said that organizing the militia was a complicated matter, with difficulties in terms of provisions, equipment, and training. It couldn't be accomplished in a day or two, and he was afraid it would delay the important defense work.

Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan went even further, directly lamenting his poverty. He claimed that the imperial granaries were so full of rats that they couldn't even cover the Liaodong and anti-suppression expenses, let alone have the funds to organize local militias.

Li Congxin of the Ministry of Works and Xue Zhen of the Ministry of Justice were not only members of the Emperor's faction but also promoted by Wei Zhongxian, making them eunuchs within the Emperor's faction. Logically, they should have opposed the Donglin gentlemen. However, today they unusually echoed the words of Qian Qianyi and Li Banghua.

In the original history, Sun Chengzong did organize the people of Gaoyang County to resist the Qing Dynasty at the last minute—but that was only when the Qing army was at their doorstep. Now, the Later Jin was still far away, and they needed to organize local militias in advance. This was something that made people hate him, and he became an enemy of the literati!

As for nobles like Marquis Li Chengming of Wuqing and Zhang Zhiji, the heir apparent of the Duke of Yingguo, they were even more indifferent, like clay or wooden puppets in a temple.

Huang Lijie sighed inwardly. He knew this was a difficult matter, and in truth, he didn't want to do it himself. But the Emperor had passed the buck to him, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet. Now that everyone was in agreement, all he could say was that their words made sense, that this was a matter of great importance, and that it required careful consideration.

The court meeting ended without any resolution.

Xu Yingyuan heard everything clearly outside, and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't dare to delay and ran towards Yonghe Palace.

Inside Yonghe Palace, however, the scene was quite different.

The window was open, letting in a slight breeze, making it cooler than outside. Emperor Chongzhen reclined on the soft couch, looking quite comfortable. Liu Yueying sat on a small stool beside him, holding a booklet and speaking softly.

Wei Zhongxian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Wang Chengen, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat, stood with their hands at their sides, one on the left and one on the right.

"...Your Majesty, the Zheng family in Fujian has replied, willing to contribute ten ships and take a 20% stake. The Portuguese representative from Macau has also sent an invitation, wanting to meet with Your Majesty for a detailed discussion, and even said they can guide us. A rough list of goods has also been drafted; tea, porcelain, silk, and sugar are the main commodities, while the main items to be brought back are flintlock muskets, both long and short..." Liu Yueying's voice was clear and articulate. She was referring to the preparations for the "Great Ming Europa Trade Company."

Emperor Chongzhen listened, nodding occasionally. He had asked Consort Liu to take the lead in handling this matter; her family were maritime merchants and she was knowledgeable in the trade.

"Things are going smoothly so far," Consort Liu said, closing the booklet and smiling. "The only thing we lack is someone to oversee everything. Your Majesty, this is a big business, and we need someone like Eunuch Zheng, who can keep things under control."

Emperor Chongzhen sat up straighter and glanced at Wang Chengen beside him. "Grand Eunuch," he called out, "you are meticulous and reliable. I will only feel at ease if you keep an eye on the duties of the chief eunuch."

Wang Chengen hurriedly bowed: "Your Majesty's trust is invaluable, and this servant would gladly die for it. However... palace affairs are numerous and complicated, and this servant fears that I will be unable to attend to them all and may delay Your Majesty's important matters." Wei Zhongxian then stepped forward half a step, his face beaming with smiles: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Wang is the pillar of the palace, and indeed, we cannot do without him. This servant has thought of someone else, but I wonder if he is suitable."

"Oh? Go ahead." Chongzhen looked at him.

“Zhu Qiuyue, the eldest son of the Jin prince,” Wei Zhongxian said in a soft voice. “Last time in Taiyuan, when Wang Jiayin’s band of bandits caused trouble, he led the imperial family’s retainers to help defend the city and did a great job. He is a clever and capable man. The key is that he is of noble birth, so it is legitimate for him to represent the emperor in managing this imperial merchant company, which will also show the grandeur of the imperial family.”

Emperor Chongzhen pondered. Using members of the imperial clan was indeed a solution. He also had some recollection of Zhu Qiuyue.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the couch a few times, and made a decision: "Hmm, Wei Ban is right. So let's do it this way, with Zhu Qiuyue as the head and in charge of the overall work. Da Ban," he then looked at Wang Chengen, "you can still hold the title of Prime Minister Eunuch, oversee the overall strategy for me, and go with Zhu Qiuyue to Europe to broaden your horizons."

The main reason Emperor Chongzhen wanted to send Wang Chengen, one of his own men, to Europe was that Wang Chengen, despite following Wei Zhongxian's example for so long, was still hard to change. And this job of "European trade" was quite suitable for this "honest Wang."

Intercontinental trade is extremely profitable these days, easily ten or twenty times the initial investment. As long as he keeps an eye on things and makes his subordinates wary, the palace should be able to make a lot of money.

Although Wang Chengen was reluctant to travel that far, he could only bow and reply "Yes" along with Wei Zhongxian.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the palace gate. The curtain was lifted, and Xu Yingyuan entered, panting, and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Chongzhen frowned: "What's the panic? Have you finished discussing things at the East Pavilion?"

Xu Yingyuan wiped his sweat, his face contorted with grief: "The meeting... the meeting was a disaster! Grand Secretary Huang couldn't hold the fort at all! Qian Qianyi and Li Banghua cited classical texts, saying that we were violating ancestral rules and extorting money from the people! Wang Benbing and Bi Situ also refused to put in any effort, only talking about the difficulties... In the end... in the end they said they needed to 'consider the matter further,' and... it was shelved!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yonghe Palace fell silent.

Consort Liu nervously clenched the handkerchief in her hand. Wang Chengen and Wei Zhongxian both held their breath, secretly glancing at the Emperor's expression.

Emperor Chongzhen's face remained expressionless, but his hand, holding the huanghuali wood thermos, paused in mid-air. He slowly placed the huanghuali wood thermos on the low table beside him, making a soft "thud".

This is truly rare! Chongzhen thought to himself: The eunuch faction and the Donglin faction are actually not fighting each other this time! Those are two groups of people who would rather die than fight each other! This time, they have actually united these guys because of the matter of the militia in the eight prefectures of Beizhili, and they will be made to be "Guofan", "Hongzhang" and "Zongtang". Why is it so difficult?
After several breaths, he raised his eyes and calmly looked at Wei Zhongxian.

"Wei Daban," Chongzhen began, his voice low but cold, "it seems that the gentlemen of the outer court still don't quite understand my good intentions."

Wei Zhongxian immediately bent down, his voice shrill: "Your Majesty, what are they...?"

Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand, interrupting him. "Go there," he said, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air. "First, go see Mr. Huang, Mr. Wang, Mr. Bi, Minister Xue, and Minister Li. Have a good talk with them. Tell them that Beizhili is the foundation of the country, and that the matter of the militia is a matter I have already decided on and is imperative. Tell them... to all understand the bigger picture and consider the overall situation."

He gave Wei Zhongxian a special look and emphasized, "Remember, speak kindly and win people over with virtue."

Wei Zhongxian heard the words "winning people over with virtue" very clearly, and immediately understood them perfectly.

"This old servant understands!" A ruthless glint flashed in Wei Zhongxian's eyes as he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old servant will definitely explain the 'reason' clearly and thoroughly to all of you gentlemen! So that you may deeply understand Your Majesty's 'virtuous governance'!"

"Go then," Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand.

Wei Zhongxian said no more, knelt down and kowtowed swiftly, then backed out of Yonghe Palace.

After watching him leave, Chongzhen said to Wang Chengen, "Grand Eunuch, go and summon Zhang Zhiji, the heir apparent of the Duke of Yingguo, and Li Chengming, the Marquis of Wuqing, and have them bring in their name tags. I will meet them in the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace."

(End of this chapter)