How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 189 Emperor Chongzhen's Empty-Handed Gain of Money (Another chapter will be added tonight at 8 PM, please subscribe!)

In the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City, the charcoal fire burned not too brightly, but gently dispelled the chill of late autumn.

Emperor Chongzhen was not wearing his dragon robe, but only a dark purple casual robe, sitting on the imperial couch. Having just enjoyed Yang Yujiao's company the night before, Emperor Chongzhen seemed to be in a good mood, with a satisfied smile on his face.

Below, Consort Liu Yueying sat on an embroidered stool, several account books spread out on a small table in front of her. Wei Zhongxian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Wang Chengen, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat, stood to the side with their hands at their sides.

Seated in the guest seat was a middle-aged man in a new silk robe, his face slightly dark, bearing the marks of years spent sailing at sea. He was Yang Qi, the elder brother of the newly arrived Consort Yang. He had come to deliver his sister's dowry: 500,000 taels of silver plus jewelry worth 100,000 taels.
He was sitting upright now, with his hands on his knees, looking a little stiff.

"Minister Yang, there's no need to be so formal," Emperor Chongzhen said in a low, approachable voice. "I've called you here today not to discuss court rules, but to discuss a business deal."

Yang Qi hurriedly bowed: "Your Majesty's grace is beyond measure... I am filled with trepidation."

Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand: "Why are you still a 'lowly person'? You are already a member of the imperial family and have become the commander-in-chief of the Ryukyu navy. Are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied, satisfied," Yang Qi was truly speechless about his newly acquired "General".

"Commander-in-Chief of the Ryukyu Navy". Ryukyu was nominally a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but in reality, it had long been controlled by the Satsuma Domain of Japan. There was no way he could take up the post of commander-in-chief!
Emperor Chongzhen picked up his huanghuali thermos, took a sip of Ningxia wolfberry tea, and said, “You all know to some extent about the situation in the north. The Jurchens are rampant, and the Hudun and Tuhan are not quiet either (Chongzhen was unaware that the Tuhan had completely calmed down). The national treasury is not abundant, and my private treasury is not a mountain of gold and silver either. Lu Xiangshan is reorganizing the military in Shuntian and Yongping, and he needs money everywhere. After much thought, I have come up with a long-term way to generate revenue so that we can continue.”

He paused for a moment before slowly getting to the point: "I have decided to establish a 'Great Ming Europa Trade Corporation'."

Wei Zhongxian immediately chimed in, flattering Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty is wise! This method is excellent; it is the foundation for enriching the country and strengthening the military!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and looked at Yang Qi: "Your Yang family has been making a living at sea for generations and is familiar with trade routes. I think it's best to run this company as a joint venture. I'll start by taking 300,000 taels of silver from the imperial treasury... well, from your sister Consort Yang's dowry, to invest in the company, taking a 20% stake, which will be considered 'imperial shares'."

Yang Qi was taken aback at first, then quickly realized that Yang Qi was trying to "get something for nothing" after "eating a woman's rice".

Before he could think it over, Chongzhen continued, "The remaining 80% will be raised through 'civilian shares.' Your family, the Zheng family of Fujian, and Consort Liu's family will each contribute 150,000 taels, each taking a 10% share. Wei Zhongxian," he turned to Wei Zhongxian, "you will also contribute 150,000 taels, taking a 10% share. What do you say?"

Wei Zhongxian's face broke into a smile, his wrinkles bunching up: "It is a blessing for this old servant to be able to share the Emperor's burdens! This 150,000 taels, this old servant will definitely raise it even if I have to sell everything I own!" He knew very well that this was not only a business deal, but also an opportunity to show his loyalty to the Emperor.

When Yang Qi heard that not only did the Emperor own 20% of the shares in this deal, but even Eunuch Wei Zhongxian owned 10%, he knew he had to invest!
He invested, meaning he was doing business with the Emperor and Eunuch Wei!
Moreover, his sister was the emperor's favorite concubine!
How could this deal possibly result in a loss? Even if a deal involves initial losses followed by profits, the Yang family's backing is still quite strong.

"Your Majesty, I will sell everything I own when I get back to invest this 150,000 taels!" Although Yang Qi was a roughneck, he was also a big businessman, and his ability to seize business opportunities was top-notch.

Emperor Chongzhen did a quick mental calculation: "So, the imperial share is 20%, and the shares held by the Yang, Zheng, Liu, and Wei families are 10% each, which makes 60%. That leaves 40%..." He then glanced at Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian understood immediately and replied, "Your Majesty, Prince Qin, who is currently 'studying behind closed doors' in the capital, is quite wealthy and loyal to Your Majesty. Perhaps we can persuade him to contribute 150,000 taels of silver for a 10% stake. The remaining princes, such as Prince Fu and Prince Zhou, along with other noble families in the capital like the Marquis of Wuqing, can raise the final 30% stake, totaling 1.5 million taels of capital. This should not be difficult!"

Wang Chengen listened silently, inwardly sighing: The Emperor's "getting something for nothing" tactic was truly masterful. Using the concubines' dowries and the money of these nobles and officials, he handled important matters of the court, gave them the title of "shareholders," and tied everyone to the same boat.

Liu Yueying spoke softly, but her words hit the nail on the head: "Your Majesty, with this arrangement, the company will have capital to recruit Western craftsmen, purchase advanced firearms, and organize a large fleet. The profits from the sea can then be used to support the army on land. It is indeed a long-term plan."

Emperor Chongzhen glanced at Liu Yueying, satisfied. He then said to Yang Qi, "Minister Yang, you often deal with the Portuguese in Macau. I intend for you to take on the role of company president first, with Ding, the clerk from the Liu family, as your deputy. The most important thing is to pull strings and bring back as many skilled Western shipbuilders and cannon casters and their blueprints as possible for me."

Yang Qi was so excited that his body trembled slightly. This was the transfer of the royal family's exclusive right to overseas trade to the Yang and Liu families!
He quickly rose from his seat and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty trusts me so much, I... I will certainly do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's favor!"

"Good!" Chongzhen clapped his hands lightly and said with a smile, "Wei Daban and Wang Chengen, you should go together with Yang Qi, the person in charge of the Zheng family, and Ding Shiye from the Liu family to discuss the specific rules and regulations in detail and draft a proposal as soon as possible."

Zhenhai Fortress is located on the shore of Angganuoer (Daihai) in the northern frontier.

The atmosphere inside the fort was completely different from the "harmony brings wealth" atmosphere of the Qianqing Palace; it was extremely somber. The walls of the fort were short and thick, with large sloping angles, and there were also strangely shaped "triangular truncated pyramids" on the outside, making it look menacing.

Yuan Chonghuan stood on the inner fortress wall, his brows furrowed in worry. Before him stood the still-shaken Su Tai's wife and the grief-stricken Beng Hua Taiji.

“Governor Yuan,” Su Taifu’s wife spoke in a thick northern accent, her voice urgent, “The Great Khan… Hudun Tu Khan… Khan’s court ordered Huang Taiji to launch a sneak attack, and he… he has already ascended to heaven!” As she spoke, her voice trembled with tears, and her hand unconsciously protected her slightly protruding belly.

The Flowery Taiji gritted his teeth and said bitterly, "That wolf, Huang Taiji! He pounced on us in the night when we weren't paying attention! The Kheshig guards fought desperately to hold them off, but they couldn't stop their cannon fire! We protected the Fujin and barely managed to break through..."

Yuan Chonghuan's heart sank. Although he had a premonition, hearing with his own ears that Hudun Tuhan had died meant that the sky in southern Mongolia had fallen!
His attempt to make empty promises also failed completely!

He took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and said as calmly as possible, "Please accept my condolences, Your Excellency. You have worked hard. We are safe at Zhenhai Fort for now. I have already sent people to urgently request aid from the court and Datong."

He immediately turned to the garrison commander, Ma Degong: "Ma Degong!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Ma Degong stepped forward and replied.

"Immediately inventory all food, ammunition, and water supplies in the fortress! Assign defensive duties, with a designated person responsible for each gun emplacement and each battlement! Add double sentries to each corner of the fortress!"

"Order!"

Ma Degong, a member of the Ma family of Datong, was a veteran of countless battles. Upon receiving the order, he immediately went to make arrangements. The fortress was soon filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps and officers' shouts. The Tiger Crouching Cannons (not bronze, but old iron cannons cast in Datong Town) that had just been modified and fitted with new gun carriages were pushed into their positions. The musketeers checked the powder canisters, and the soldiers silently cleaned their swords and spears.

Yuan Chonghuan then said to Su Tai, "Princess Consort, please come with me. A place to rest has been prepared in the fort." He needed to place her in the safest place in the fort—if the child in her belly was a boy, then she would be the Empress Dowager of the Chahan tribe.

The situation in southern Inner Mongolia can be maintained.

After settling Su Tai in, Yuan Chonghuan climbed the watchtower again. By then, the situation outside the fortress had changed drastically.

On the horizon, dust rose as a cavalry force bearing the banners of the Later Jin dynasty pressed in like a dark cloud, quickly dispersing and completely surrounding Zhenhai Fortress. Judging by their numbers, there were at least 1,500 or 1,600 men, their armor gleaming, their aura menacing.

The leading general was none other than the imperial son-in-law, Yangguli. He reined in his horse and squinted as he examined the strangely structured fortress. This fortress looked difficult to attack; a direct assault would surely result in heavy losses—in reality, no fortress was easy for the Eight Banners soldiers to conquer; they were simply not good at siege warfare.

"Hmph, hiding inside like a tortoise?" Yanguli sneered. "Perfect! Send the order down to surround them! Light more torches, so the Ming dogs and Mongolian stray dogs in the fortress can see clearly!"

Darkness soon descended. Outside the fortress, torches from the Later Jin army camp lit up in rows, like a river of stars spread across the ground, trapping Zhenhai Fortress alone in darkness. The sounds of shouts and neighing horses could be faintly heard, carrying a murderous aura.

Inside the fortress, however, there was a deathly silence, a quiet that was unsettling. Only the heavy footsteps of the patrolling soldiers and the occasional clanging of weapons could be heard. The torchlight illuminated the soldiers' tense faces; none of them could sleep.

Yuan Chonghuan stood on the watchtower, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his shadow stretched long by the torchlight. He knew that Huang Taiji's main force was most likely on its way here, or already sweeping away the remnants of southern Mongolia. This isolated fortress had become the very center of the storm.

He whispered an order to his personal guards: "Pass down the word that arrows and gunpowder should be used sparingly. No one is allowed to attack without my order. What we need to do is stall until reinforcements arrive."

As the night deepened, the wind on the grassland carried a biting chill.

Inside and outside Zhenhai Fort, the most crucial decisive battle between the Ming and Jin dynasties quietly began amidst this death-defying standoff.

(End of this chapter)