How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 181 Huang Taiji, Swallowing Poison Pills, Using a Noose (Seeking monthly votes and subscriptions)
Autumn has arrived in the capital, and the nights are finally getting a bit chilly.

In a secluded courtyard in the southern part of the city, only one side room still had its light on.

Hou Xingguo and Fan Yongdou huddled in the lamplight, still shaken.

Fan Yongdou looked haggard and was still somewhat shaken: "Young Master Hou, in the capital... is there really still a way? The Eastern Depot has so many spies and informants!"

Hou Xingguo's face, however, was filled with a morbid excitement. He lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry! Even a broken ship has three pounds of nails! My mother has been running around in the palace for so many years, she must have a few old connections who are willing to risk their lives for money."

He licked his cracked lips: "We spent a lot of money at the Beijing Garrison Artillery Factory and finally made contact!"

Fan Yongdou's eyes lit up: "You succeeded?"

Hou Xingguo carefully took out an oilcloth package from his pocket, peeled back the layers one by one, revealing a thick stack of blueprints. He pulled one out and pointed it out to Fan Yongdou: "Look closely! This is the 'Tiger Crouching Cannon' that was meticulously crafted in the south!"

Fan Yongdou leaned closer for a closer look and saw that the drawing was covered with dense lines and extremely detailed markings. Although he didn't understand craftsmanship, he could tell that the cannon's structure was ingenious and far superior to the heavy iron contraptions of the Later Jin.

"A treasure! A treasure!" Fan Yongdou exclaimed, his hands trembling with excitement. "With this treasure, the Khan will surely reward us handsomely!"

Hou Xingguo lowered his voice even further: "It's good, but the price is high. Look here, the materials used have to be top-grade Yunnan copper, combined with Japanese lead and precious tin. If the firing temperature is slightly off, it's all ruined. The cannon barrel has to be slowly polished with diamond grit until it's so slippery you can't hold it. The cannonballs also have to be made of lead, supposedly to make them shoot farther and not damage the cannon barrel..."

Fan Yongdou's enthusiasm cooled somewhat, and his businessman's nature made him start doing the math. "How much...will this cost?"

"You merchants are all short-sighted!" Hou Xingguo scoffed. "What the Khan wants is a powerful weapon that can breach Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan! Why would he care about a few coins? The more valuable it is, the more it highlights our contribution!"

He carefully wrapped the blueprints and tucked them back into his pocket. "There's no time to lose, let's set off tonight and get them out of the country!"

Fan Yongdou nodded repeatedly: "That's exactly right, the sooner the better!"

The two thought they had gotten away with it.

Little did they know that two agents from the Eastern Depot were crouching in the shadows on the opposite rooftop, watching everything clearly like night owls.

A person silently slid down from the eaves and disappeared into the night, heading straight for the private residence of Xu Yingyuan, the eunuch in charge of the Eastern Depot.

In less than an hour, the news reached Wei Zhongxian's ears.

Wei Zhongxian had just finished reciting Buddhist scriptures and was about to rest when he heard Xu Yingyuan's secret report. His bodhisattva-like expression immediately vanished, replaced by a cold, cat-and-mouse smirk.

"Oh? They're quick to accept our 'generous gift'."

"Grandpa, should we..." Xu Yingyuan gestured with his hand as if making a chopping motion.

"Fool!" Wei Zhongxian slowly took a sip of ginseng tea. "The Emperor wants to play the long game, to catch a big fish. No, he wants to lure Huang Taiji! Let them deliver it, the smoother the delivery, the better."

He put down his teacup, his eyes turning sinister: "Keep a close eye on them and see who else is willing to risk their lives to fall into this trap. It's time to clean up this city, inside and out."

"I will obey your orders, Grandfather!" Xu Yingyuan bowed and withdrew.

Wei Zhongxian sat alone under the dim light, his fingers twirling Buddhist prayer beads, his face expressionless.

The long line, with the "bait" attached, was quietly cast out.

……

A few days later, in the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chongzhen stood with his hands behind his back in front of the map of Jiliao that occupied most of the wall.

His gaze slowly moved along the winding Great Wall.

Several new small notes written in cinnabar were pasted on the map.

In Xuanfu, the inscription read "Li Banghua." In Shanxi, it read "Chen Qiyu." In Shuntian and Yongping prefectures, the ink was still wet, and it read "Lu Xiangshan"—his appointment as governor of Shuntian and Li Banghua's transfer to Xuanfu had already been approved by the imperial court. Additionally, Shaanxi had "Hong Chengchou," and Datong had "Yuan Chonghuan."

The Liaodong and Liaonan regions were guarded by the families of Zu Dashou, He Kegang, and Mao Wenlong. In Korea, a Ming Dynasty army was stationed to aid Korea, with the Ming Dynasty's Grand Coordinator Yuan Keli in command. On the Bohai Sea, the ships of the Beiyang Fleet appeared and disappeared, while Zheng Yiguan's flag fluttered merrily on Jeju Island.

Outside Beijing, newly trained Beijing garrison troops are drilling on the drill ground. The border troops in Jizhou, Xuanfu, and Datong have also undergone rigorous training over the past six months and are finally starting to take shape.

In Tsinghua University, Li Hongji and his classmates from the first class of the Military Academy were learning military strategy, city construction, and firearms from Chinese and foreign instructors...

Inside the Beijing Garrison's cannon factory, Sun Yuanhua and Johann Adam Schall von Bell watched as the craftsmen worked on bronze cannons by hand until they were almost smoking!
Of course, Emperor Chongzhen wasn't having an easy time either! Yang Yujiao, the youngest daughter of the Yang family, had already arrived in the capital and was just waiting to enter the palace. While others were "ladies of noble birth," she was a pirate's daughter worth "tens of thousands of taels of gold"... It was said that she possessed excellent martial arts skills, and ordinary men couldn't handle her.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at the map, thinking of the young lady who cost tens of thousands of taels of gold, and remained silent for a moment.

Today, Wei Zhongxian was sitting next to him. He quietly held Chongzhen's huanghuali thermos cup and muttered to himself, "This thing looks like a pen holder. Why is it being used to brew goji berry tea?"
The room was very quiet, with only the sound of the water clock dripping.

After a long while, Chongzhen finally let out a soft breath.

“Wei Daban,” he began, his tone calm, “look at this picture.”

Wei Zhongxian quickly stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, this old servant observes that the situation in the north is much more relaxed than it was at this time last year." "Indeed," Chongzhen raised his hand, his finger tracing the Great Wall line in a blur, "There are the Three Feudatories in Liaodong, the Korean Army aiding Korea, and the Beiyang Fleet. These important places near the border now all have capable ministers in charge... After all this turmoil, things are finally taking shape."

His words didn't sound happy; instead, they sounded heavy.

Wei Zhongxian smiled ingratiatingly: "It's all thanks to Your Majesty's wise and decisive judgment, and your ability to use people."

Emperor Chongzhen shook his head and pressed his finger heavily on the two slips of paper that read "Shuntian" and "Yongping".

"The form is there, but where is the substance?" He turned to look at Wei Zhongxian. "Lu Xiangshan is a capable minister, but even a skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice. Without money and grain, the local militia cannot be trained... Without the help of those gentry and wealthy families, Shuntian and Yongping will not be able to build fortresses everywhere."

He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "Taxing the land, equalizing taxes, and collecting transit taxes... these are the fundamental issues. Lu Xiang-sheng's trip to Shuntian to take up his post will inevitably involve open and covert attacks... You secret police and imperial guards need to keep a close eye on him for me!"

Just then, soft footsteps sounded outside the door. A young eunuch entered with his head bowed, knelt on the ground, and held up a secret letter with both hands.

Wei Zhongxian took it, checked the sealing wax and found no problems before passing it on to Chongzhen.

Emperor Chongzhen opened the letter and quickly glanced at it. The letter was sent by Xu Yingyuan, the director of the Eastern Depot, and only said that "the goods have been sent out of the pass by Hou and Fan, and the journey was smooth."

His face was expressionless as he held the letter to the candle, watching it curl, turn black, and burn to a small clump of ash.

"The bait has been cast," Chongzhen said, watching the last spark die out, as if talking to himself. "Let's see if that big fish will take the bait."

……

A few days later, in a side hall of the Khan's Palace in Shenyang, outside the Great Wall.

Before dawn, the hall was already filled with people. Princes and ministers stood on both sides, their faces grave, and no one uttered a sound. The air seemed frozen.

Huang Taiji sat on the tiger-skin chair at the head of the table, wrapped in a mink robe, his face solemn.

Hou Xingguo and Fan Yongdou knelt in the center of the hall, their heads almost buried in the ground, their spines trembling. They had been living in fear and trembling all the way, braving wind and rain. Both of them were emaciated, their clothes were tattered, and they looked almost like beggars.

Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo, two Han officials, quietly stepped forward from behind Huang Taiji. Fan Wencheng took an oilcloth package from Hou Xingguo's trembling hands.

It was wrapped in layers upon layers, very securely. Fan Wencheng carefully opened it, revealing a thick stack of drawings. The paper was slightly yellowed, but the ink lines on it were drawn with exquisite detail.

Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo huddled together in the light streaming through the window, examining each drawing carefully. At first, they remained silent, but as they looked, their breathing became heavy. Occasionally, they would exchange a few words in hushed tones, gesturing with their fingers on the drawings, their faces filled with astonishment and doubt.

"How is it?" Huang Taiji's voice floated down from above, devoid of emotion.

Fan Wencheng suddenly snapped out of his daze, turned around and knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling as he cried out, "Great Khan! God bless the Great Jin! God bless the Great Jin!"

He held up a picture, his fingers trembling with excitement: "This cannon... the ingenuity of its construction and the sophistication of its materials surpass any Ming firearm I have ever seen! If... if we could make many of them, would we still worry about Ningyuan not being breached? Or Shanhaiguan not being entered?"

Ning Wan also quickly knelt down to chime in: "Your Majesty, Mr. Fan is right! Look at this cannon design, and this bullet gun structure... it's definitely drawn by a master! It's not a fake!"

"Wait." Huang Taiji's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly chilled the atmosphere that had just warmed up in the hall. He leaned forward, his gaze sweeping across Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo's faces like a knife. "How can you two be so sure this isn't a trap set by the southern barbarians? If we spend a fortune following the fake map and end up with a pile of scrap metal, who will bear the loss?"

The hall fell silent again, and everyone stared at the two Han officials.

Ning Wanwo, being rather cunning, glanced at Fan Wencheng but didn't speak first. Fan Wencheng took a breath, kowtowed again, and said in a more steady voice than before: "Your Majesty, please judge! Whether it's true or false, only by trying it can we know! The craftsmanship and materials described in this drawing are extremely detailed; only a top-notch craftsman could draw it. If it were a forgery, why would they bother with such detail?"

He raised his head, his eyes gleaming: "In my humble opinion, we should immediately find a secluded place in Shenyang and secretly open a workshop. Just like the diagram shows, using top-quality Yunnan copper, Japanese lead, and precious tin, we should find... or send reliable craftsmen, to try casting one just like this!"

He paused, then emphasized, "Let's put it to the test! Once the cannons are cast, we'll fire a few real shots and we'll know! If they can really hit far and accurately, then our Great Jin will truly have wings! If... if they don't work well, we'll only lose some money on materials and labor. We'll just call it quits early and avoid suffering losses in future battles!"

Huang Taiji squinted, his fingers still tapping the armrest, remaining silent. This method sounded reliable, but how many craftsmen in Shenyang truly understood such top-tier firearms? What if the craftsmen's skills were lacking and they ruined it? How could they tell if it was the design that was flawed or the craftsman's?
Fan Wencheng seemed to read his mind and followed up, "Your Majesty, the selection of the person to conduct the trial casting is of utmost importance. They must be someone who not only understands the craft but also knows the origin of this design and even the intricacies of Ming Dynasty firearms..."

He changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over Hou Xingguo and Fan Yongdou, who were kneeling and trembling in the hall: "This servant thinks that although presenting the map is a great merit, it's just empty talk. Why not let the two of them take the lead? Young Master Hou has been in the capital for a long time and has heard a lot, so he might know some tricks of the trade; Boss Fan has traveled all over the country and is very knowledgeable, so he should have connections in buying materials and finding people. Let them atone for their mistakes by personally overseeing the construction. If it succeeds, they will be richly rewarded; if it fails... at least they'll die knowing why!"

Huang Taiji's gaze immediately fell upon Hou Xingguo and Fan Yongdou.

Hou Xingguo felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, almost collapsing to the ground. Fan Yongdou's face was as white as paper, and he was sweating profusely. They thought that presenting the map would be a great success, and they could wait to receive their reward and enjoy the good life, but they never expected to be pushed onto the fire to be roasted!
A cold smile slowly crept onto Huang Taiji's lips.

"What Mr. Fan said is exactly what I wanted to say." He spoke slowly, each word like a hammer blow to Hou and Fan's hearts. "Hou Xingguo, Fan Yongdou, do you understand?"

"I...I understand..." The two men's teeth chattered, and they could barely speak.

“Very well,” Huang Taiji’s voice was firm, “I will give you two a chance. Fan Wencheng will be in charge, and you will provide all the necessary funds and materials. Hou Xingguo and Fan Yongdou, you two will help out and make sure to build me a usable ‘Tiger Crouching Cannon’.”

He paused, his tone sinister: "If it's successfully forged, you'll be showered with wealth and honor. If it can't be forged, or if it's forged but useless... Hmph, my Great Jin Kingdom hates useless swindlers the most!"

Hou Xingguo and Fan Yongdou were terrified, only able to kowtow frantically, their words slurred: "Your servants... will certainly serve you to the death... daring not to fail the Great Khan's grace..."

Huang Taiji stopped looking at them and waved his hand. Guards came up and dragged the two, who were almost limp as mud, out.

(End of this chapter)