How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 183 Lu Xiang-sheng Fights the Tiger (Seeking Subscriptions)

Inside the main hall of the Shuntian Governor's Office, the September sun shone through the high windows, casting a dim, yellowish glow, already carrying a hint of autumn chill. Two rows of officials stood below, some in blue robes, others in green, all with their hands at their sides and heads bowed, their demeanor restrained.

Lu Xiang-sheng sat upright in the grand chair at the head of the table. He wore the scarlet robe of a third-rank provincial governor, with a newly embroidered peacock badge on his chest. His face was a weathered, dark red, with high cheekbones and piercingly bright eyes.

"I have been ordered to reorganize the defenses of Shuntian and supervise the local militia training," Lu Xiang-sheng began, his voice low but clear, each word striking a chord in everyone's hearts. "However, militia training cannot be accomplished with mere words; it requires provisions, pay, and, most importantly, a substantial number of able-bodied men. Therefore, the first priority is to thoroughly survey the land, verify the household registration, and clarify the status of the able-bodied men and laborers!"

His gaze swept across the hall below, and seeing everyone holding their breath, he continued, “This cleanup is unlike any other. We must ensure a thorough investigation of land, households, and people! Land means investigating all fields, whether they are official fields, private fields, estates of meritorious officials, or military garrison fields. All fields within the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture must be remeasured. Those who conceal or surrender their land must surrender themselves within a specified period. Households means clarifying the Yellow Register and verifying the actual number of people and property in each household. People means clarifying the attribution of corvée labor, who is obligated to perform corvée labor, and who is exempt from it. All of this must be clearly recorded.”

A few muffled responses rang out from below, and many people were already sweating profusely. The clearing of fields was already deadly, and now they wanted to clear out households and laborers as well—they were turning Shuntian Prefecture upside down!

Ignoring their thoughts, Lu Xiang-sheng's tone turned stern: "The Jurchens occupy Daming and are eyeing the capital region. Without the real power of the Three Purities, the taxes and corvée labor for the local militias cannot be apportioned, inevitably leading to a policy that disturbs the people and wastes the national treasury! All prefectures and counties are to complete a full copy of their annual registers and records within three days and submit them to the yamen for verification. Those who are late or perfunctory will not be blamed for my ruthlessness!"

The reprimand lasted less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. As the officials withdrew, their footsteps were more disorderly than when they arrived. Whispers rose from the corridor:
"The land, households, and people are all thoroughly investigated... This is going to be a complete overhaul!"

"A new broom sweeps clean, and the fires are burning far too brightly..."

"Just wait and see. In the capital city, there are so many powerful figures. Who can he possibly harm?"

Lu Xiang-sheng ignored them and went straight back to his signing room. The room was spacious, but it was chilly with the autumn heat. He instructed his old servant Lu Fu: "Close the door. No matter who comes today, do not see them."

Several stacks of files were piled on the desk. Lu Xiang-sheng sat down, took a deep breath, and began to read. His goal was clear: to find a sufficiently significant and "suitable" target to establish the authority of the "Three Purities."

His hand finally stopped on the page recording the estate of Marquis Wuqing, Li Chengming. "Beiping Manor"... the number of acres was unclear. This is it.

He stared at the list, his thoughts drifting back to the audience with the Emperor before leaving the capital. In the West Warm Pavilion of Qianqing Palace, the Emperor held a teacup, his tone seemingly casual: "The Marquis of Wuqing has become more sensible lately. However, his estates in Shuntian have been there for a long time, and some accounts are inevitably a bit muddled. With Minister Lu gone, you will have to put in a lot of effort to supervise him."

At the time, I took it as just a casual instruction. But now, I realize there was more to it than met the eye.

Lu Xiang-sheng's mind raced: Marquis Wuqing, Li Chengming, was indeed a top-ranking nobleman in the capital, but recently, the Emperor, under the pretext of the Duke of Cheng's treason case and the reorganization of the Beijing garrison, had forced most of the nobles in the capital to "show loyalty" and "atone for their sins," resulting in a heavy financial loss. Only Li Chengming, because he was in charge of the Imperial Clan Court and was also a relative of the emperor, had never directly intervened in military affairs, and had weathered those two storms unscathed, without paying any "punishment silver" or having his "punishment land" reclaimed!
"Good, very good!" Lu Xiang-sheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "I was just worried about not having a 'role model' of sufficient weight. Since you have not 'dedicated your loyalty,' you must have accumulated a lot of debts over the years. Today, we will start by clearing up your 'fields, households, and people'! Let's see how many muddled accounts you, this tiger that has not yet had its fur shaved, can uncover!"

He drew a heavy line on the words "Beiping Villa" with his finger.

That's it. Strike the snake at its vital spot, but even more importantly, strike the spot it hasn't yet been hit for.

“Lu Fu!” he called out.

"master?"

"Gather the personal guards of the governor and prepare the horses. Head to Beiping Manor!"

As the sun began to set, the group arrived outside Beiping Manor. The autumn fields were a golden expanse, and the crops were ripe.

The village was impressive, with an endless wall of blue bricks and two large black doors studded with copper nails. Several men who looked like tenant farmers were resting on the edge of the field when they saw the group of soldiers and were stunned.

Lu Xiang-sheng reined in his horse and glanced at the estate. Behind him were fifty of his personal guards, their armor gleaming and their swords neatly strapped.

"Surround it," Lu Xiang-sheng ordered.

The captain of the personal guards waved his hand, and his men dispersed to guard the front and back exits of the manor.

A commotion broke out in the manor. Soon after, the side gate opened, and a middle-aged man in a silk jacket, with a bloated belly, strode out with several servants. His face was all smiles, but his eyes revealed a shrewdness.

"Oh, who is it that has arrived, sir? I am Li Lu, the head of the estate." He walked up to Lu Xiang-sheng's horse, bowed, and quickly scanned Lu Xiang-sheng's official robes. "Sir, what is this?"

"I am Lu Xiang-sheng, the Governor of Shuntian." Lu Xiang-sheng remained seated on his horse, showing no intention of dismounting. "By imperial decree, the land survey is to be conducted. All account books and land deeds within the estate are to be sealed and inspected immediately. No one within the estate is to move about at will."

Li Lu's smile froze for a moment, then blossomed again: "So it's Governor Lu! My apologies! Governor Lu, you wish to conduct a land survey, and I will naturally cooperate. However... this estate belongs to the Marquis of Wuqing's household, and the Marquis has been unwell recently, resting in seclusion. Would you mind informing the Marquis first?"

He wanted to use the title of Marquis of Wuqing to intimidate others.

Lu Xiang-sheng's face darkened: "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the emperor! The land survey is an imperial decree, and Marquis Wuqing is also a subject of the court. How can there be any exceptions? Guards!"

"Here!" the guards shouted in unison.

"Seal the account books and land deeds! Everyone in the manor, question them separately! Anyone who obstructs will be punished for disobeying an imperial decree!" Lu Xiang-sheng's voice suddenly became stern.

Li Lu panicked and wanted to say more. Two guards stepped forward and grabbed his arms on either side.

"Governor! Your Excellency! You can't do this! This is the Marquis's estate!" Li Lu cried out, struggling.

Lu Xiang-sheng didn't even glance at him, dismounted, and strode into the manor. His personal guards followed closely behind, quickly taking control of all the key locations.

Chaos erupted in the manor. The accounting office was guarded, and the account books were moved out and piled up in the courtyard. The servants and tenants were separated and taken to different rooms, where the clerk questioned them one by one. The investigation went more smoothly than expected. Or rather, the manor's problems were greater than anticipated. In less than half a day, the clerk returned with a report.

"Your Excellency, preliminary investigations have confirmed that Beiping Villa has no less than a thousand acres of hidden land, and the amount of land donated is several times that amount. The estate manager, Li Lu, has five hundred acres of land registered under his name, which is clearly donated by someone else."

Lu Xiang-sheng looked at the transcripts and copied false accounts presented by the clerk and sneered. The evidence was irrefutable.

"Arrest Li Lu and take him back to the yamen for a thorough interrogation. Take all the account books and land deeds from the estate with you."

The news that Lu Xiang-sheng had forcibly taken inventory of Beiping Villa and arrested the head of Wuqing Marquis's estate spread throughout the Shuntian officialdom and noble circles that very night.

The officials who had initially been observing the situation now truly felt a chill.

"They've really made their move! They're heading straight for Marquis Wuqing!"

"Lu Xiang-sheng is really going all out!"

"It seems the Emperor is determined to have the Three Purities... This Shuntian Prefecture is about to change."

The mansions were brightly lit, and messengers shuttled back and forth. The nobles and gentry who were usually at odds with each other were now all in cahoots, urgently discussing countermeasures.

At the Wuqing Marquis's residence, Li Chengming was holding a bowl of ginseng soup when he received the message that the steward had brought him, who had practically crawled over the edge.

With a loud crash, the soup bowl shattered into pieces.

"How dare he! He really came at me!" Li Chengming's face turned deathly pale, and his fingers trembled. He thought of Chongzhen's unfathomable eyes, and of the fate of the Duke of Cheng and the Prince of Dai's mansion some time ago, and suddenly felt that disaster was about to befall him.

His first instinct was to rush to the palace to see the Emperor. But he stopped at the door—it was highly likely that Lu Xiang-sheng's decision to target him was at the Emperor's behest!
Find other meritorious officials and relatives to jointly submit a memorial? Who would be willing to take the lead? Besides, they had all collectively "dedicated their loyalty"! The emperor accepted their punishment money and redemption land, and the past debts were settled.

Li Chengming paced back and forth in the study, like an ant on a hot pan. It's all over, it's all ruined now. That hothead Lu Xiang-sheng will definitely use him as an example, and won't rest until he gets to the bottom of things.

Just when he was almost in despair, his trusted steward rushed in, his voice trembling: "My lord! Eunuch Wei has arrived in person, and his carriage is at the side gate!"

Li Chengming felt a chill run down his spine. Wei Zhongxian had personally come to visit him late at night? Was this a blessing or a curse? Without thinking it through, he exclaimed, "Quickly open the main gate! I'll go greet him myself!"

As expected, it was Wei Zhongxian who arrived. He was accompanied by only two attendants, dressed in ordinary dark-patterned robes, looking like a wealthy old man, but his face was expressionless.

Li Chengming welcomed him into the flower hall, dismissed his attendants, and personally served him tea, his hands still trembling slightly.

Wei Zhongxian didn't touch the teacup. He looked up at him and said in a calm voice, "My lord, I won't beat around the bush. Lu Xiangshan's trip to Beiping Manor is the Emperor's order."

Li Chengming knelt down with a thud: "Eunuch Wei! My loyalty to the Emperor is as clear as day! Those fields..."

Wei Zhongxian waved his hand, interrupting him: "Get up and speak. The Emperor knows your loyalty. But loyalty can't be proven by words alone."

He paused, then slowly said, "The matter of Beiping Manor can be a big deal or a small deal. What Lu Xiang-sheng can clear is your land and recover your debts. But if His Majesty is displeased..." He gave Li Cheng-ming a meaningful look, "what he can touch is not just the land. Your title, your estate... think of Zhu Chun-chen, think of the Prince of Dai."

Li Chengming was drenched in cold sweat.

Wei Zhongxian softened his tone slightly: "There is a way to redeem yourself now, it just depends on whether you take it or not."

"Please enlighten me, Your Honor! I, Li, will gladly die for you!"

“There is a ‘local militia donation’ program, which is actually an additional commercial tax, mainly levied on goods and market transactions. It is a kind of ‘taxation’,” Wei Zhongxian said. “If you, my lord, can be so righteous and take the lead in advocating for this ‘donation’ and make it a success, so that the gentry of Shuntian will follow suit and relieve the court’s urgent needs… then the Emperor might turn a blind eye to the messy accounts of your land holdings.”

Li Chengming was shocked upon hearing this. Increase commercial taxes? Or transit taxes? How many people would this offend! How many powerful figures in the capital profited from business? If he took the lead, wouldn't he become the target of everyone's ire?

"Father-in-law, this...this donation for the militia is probably..."

"Afraid of offending people?" Wei Zhongxian sneered. "My lord, Lu Xiang-sheng can only investigate your land and your accounts. But is your backside really so clean? Can it really withstand a thorough investigation by the Imperial Guards, weighing every single matter on the ground? Is offending people more important, or is preserving your title and property as the Marquis of Wuqing more important?"

Li Chengming collapsed to the ground, his face ashen. He recalled the tragic scene when the Duke of Cheng's mansion was raided, the fate of the Prince of Dai, and then his own family's scandalous dealings that couldn't withstand scrutiny...

He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and kowtowed, saying, "I... understand! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Thank you, Eunuch, for your guidance! The Marquis of Wuqing's mansion will be the first to pledge to donate to this militia tax! Not only will we donate, but I will risk offending everyone in the capital to help Governor Lu get this tax donation done!"

Wei Zhongxian then revealed a faint smile: "Your Excellency is a wise man. But don't worry about offending anyone. You are the Marquis of Wuqing, a member of Empress Dowager Xiaoding's family. The only one who can touch you is the Emperor!"

After seeing Wei Zhongxian off, Li Chengming slumped in his armchair, his inner clothes soaked with sweat. The night outside the window was as dark as ink; he knew he had nowhere to retreat.

The next morning, Lu Xiang-sheng received a visiting card from the Marquis of Wuqing's residence in the signing room. The card was extremely humble, stating that the Marquis would visit in person shortly and would not only fully cooperate with the land survey but also do his utmost to support the initiative of the "local militia donation".

Lu Xiang-sheng put down the visiting card and walked to the window. Looking at the autumn scenery outside, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. This emperor really has some tricks up his sleeve! The nobles in the court have long been terrified of him. With just a little intimidation, someone like the Marquis of Wuqing knelt down. It seems that the militia donations from Shuntian and Yongping prefectures are definitely going to be collected!
(End of this chapter)