How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 21 With military power, I can better combat your corruption! (Please add to your favorites and read on!)

Jishuitan Military Camp Training Ground.

A cold wind whipped up sand and dust, lashing the faces of thousands of armored soldiers. As Chongzhen's dust-covered carriage rolled past the gate, all eyes were fixed on the back of the carriage.

More than two thousand spears, each carrying a dried-out Tartar head, followed them in. Hollow eye sockets stared at the arrayed Tengxiang Four Guards soldiers. A strong stench of blood mixed with decay assaulted their nostrils.

“The Doyan Guard…” Veteran Wang Laohu narrowed his eyes, his wrinkles deepening, “Look at those braids, elite cavalry from the Kharachin main force!”

"It looks like... there's also the head of a half-grown boy?" Zhang Mazi gasped. "A wheel-like slash?"

"What? His Majesty's personal guards... slaughtered the entire Ning Kingdom?"

Wei Zhongxian's heart sank. He hunched over and followed beside the imperial carriage, his eyes glancing at the west side of the drill ground—where his confidant Tu Wenfu was leading several senior eunuchs from the Imperial Horse Administration to greet the emperor.

Tu Wenfu also understood that the emperor did not even return to the Qianqing Palace, but went straight to the military camp, because he wanted to seize military power.

"Your Majesty has arrived at the camp... Kneel!" Wang Chengen, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, shouted in a shrill voice.

Thousands of armored soldiers knelt with a thunderous roar, their shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" shaking the camp flags. Before the clamor subsided, Chongzhen lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down. The young emperor was not wearing his imperial robes, but rather a worn-out chainmail with frayed edges, a sword hanging at his waist.

"Rise!" Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand, his gaze sweeping across the entire room. "Do you know why I came here first?"

The drill ground was deathly silent. Tu Wenfu was about to force a smile when the emperor's words froze him in place:

"Because there are pillars here!" Chongzhen suddenly pointed to those heads, "A month ago, the Kharachin's lackey, the Doyan Guard, with six thousand cavalrymen broke through Qiangzi Ridge! It was these two thousand six hundred men..."

He slapped Xu Qinian's shoulder armor with his backhand, "It was my personal guards, together with the troops from Jizhou and Liaodong, who utterly defeated Shubude and beheaded him! They pursued the enemy for three hundred li, flattened Daning City, and beheaded seven thousand three thousand! Tell me, do you want to join us?!"

"Yes!" The roar of the soldiers in the front ranks rang out like thunder. Daning City! A place where Han troops hadn't set foot for a century!

Tu Wenfu felt dizzy, and Wei Zhongxian felt a chill run through his body—he had lost his military power!
"Issue the imperial decree!" Emperor Chongzhen commanded. "From this day forward, the Tengxiang Four Guards and the Loyal and Brave Battalion shall be incorporated into the Imperial Guard! Anyone who beheads a first-rank enemy shall be granted 100 mu of land and awarded an iron plaque for Imperial Guard!" He paused, listening to the heavy breathing on the drill ground. "After receiving the iron plaque, you will receive double pay! The compensation for those who die in battle will be doubled!"

"The emperor's favor is as high as a mountain; I will die to repay the nation's honor!"

The frenzied shouts nearly overturned the camp. The soldiers stared at those heads as if they could see fields and houses. Several centurions stole glances at Tu Wenfu—his avenue for embezzlement was gone.

Emperor Chongzhen took in everyone's expressions: "Xu Qinian is promoted to the position of Superintendent Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, in charge of the Imperial Guard's drills!" He then pointed to his side: "Cao Huachun is appointed as the Supervisory Eunuch, in charge of the issuance of provisions and military discipline!"

The powers of the supervisor and the admiral were separated. The original admiral Tu Wenfu and supervisor Li Yongzhen were both replaced.

What truly broke Wei Zhongxian and Tu Wenfu's hearts was the next sentence:
"The two major eunuch camps at Jishuitan and Nanhaizi are hereby placed under the command of the Imperial Guard!" Chongzhen said in a low voice. "Wei Banban, Tu Banban... you have worked hard all these years." He looked at the two eunuchs, who were pale as death. "From now on, may you enjoy your old age in peace."

With a single, casual remark, Wei Zhongxian felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. The Qing army! His loyal military force, built up over many years, was gone.

The old eunuch hunched over, expressing his gratitude, but his heart was cold—could that pardon really save him from death?
……

At the same time, in the warm pavilion of the British Duke's mansion.

Duke Zhang Weixian of England felt a chill run down his spine. He stared at his son, Zhang Zhiji: "I'll ask you one more time, how much military land does the family actually occupy?"

"Father, rest assured!" Zhang Zhiji said confidently. "The 30,000 mu of land in Yongping Prefecture has long been officially approved. The military farmland in Xuanfu is clean and was purchased at market price. As for the land in Shuntian Prefecture... it also has approvals from officials of the Ministry of War and eunuchs in the palace."

The old duke grabbed a teacup and smashed it hard on the ground!

"Fool!" Zhang Weixian's hair stood on end. "You think that young emperor really wants to check the land registers?!"

He gasped for breath, his finger trembling as he pointed northwest. “They’re at the Jishuitan camp, publicly announcing that they’ll reward a hundred acres of land for every Tartar head they cut off! They’re using real gold and silver to win over the army’s morale! But when the day comes when…” The old Duke’s voice was hoarse, “the Imperial Guards come with swords to ‘land surveys,’ what use are your few scraps of paper? What use are your ancestral tablets?!” Zhang Zhiji’s face turned ashen, and he staggered back half a step.

"Go!" Zhang Weixian grabbed his bronze staff and slammed it on the ground. "Invite the Duke of Cheng, the Duke of Ding, the Marquis of Wuqing, and the Earl of Xiangcheng! Tell them... I caught a cold in Jizhou and they should come to visit me!"

After the third watch gong sounded, the back gate of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion opened and closed. Duke Dingguo, Xu Xigao, wrapped in a cloak, slipped in.

The warm pavilion was crowded with people. Duke Zhu Chunchen of Chengguo sat in a chair gnawing on a goose foot; Marquis Li Chengming of Wuqing smoked a pipe; and Earl Li Shouqi of Xiangcheng twirled his prayer beads.

"What time is it and you're still eating!" Xu Xigao knocked the goose bone out of Zhu Chunchen's hand and said agitatedly, "The Imperial Horse Stables have been taken over by the young emperor! Those guys from the Four Guards Camp are all red-eyed and clamoring to exchange our land for the Tartar heads!"

An uproar erupted in the warm chamber. Li Shouqi's pipe fell to the ground: "The little emperor dares? Our ancestors..."

"Emperor Chengzu?" Zhang Weixian sneered. "When has Emperor Chengzu ever been lenient in killing? Back at the Three Camps, he truly dared to personally lead the charge! When the Tartar arrows were dozens of paces away from him, he didn't even blink!"

"My God, he's practically the reincarnation of Emperor Chengzu!"

Zhu Chunchen picked up the goose's foot again and mumbled, "Sending Zu Dashou to slaughter Daning would be ruthless! While Shu Bu's elite troops have entered the Great Wall, let Zu Dashou lead three thousand Guan Ning cavalry straight to Daning... All men taller than a cartwheel should be killed! Women and children should be taken to Zu Dashou, and all the grain that can't be taken should be burned!"

"Amitabha... I'm sorry!" Li Shouqi clasped his hands together.

Zhu Pangzi glanced sideways: "And there's more! The young emperor also sent troops to chase them out of the Great Wall, slaughtering them all the way to Daningwei along the Kuanhe River! The villages were all leveled, and the wells were blocked with stones! In addition, he sent Sun Zushou with 5,000 troops out of Xifengkou, to attack north along the Luanhe River, and to occupy all the territory on both sides of the Luanhe River!"

"They even expanded the land?"

"The land beyond the Great Wall!"

Zhang Weixian sighed, "Now they all belong to Jizhou." His cloudy old eyes swept over the crowd, "We'll have to pay a price for this."

Xu Xigao chimed in, "What you say is true, sir. The young emperor's blade is sharp; we can't fight it head-on. Each family... will have to give up some land to show their loyalty."

He paused, then continued, "We also need to send a message to Nanjing. They need to cough up some of the profits from maritime trade and salt permits. The fire has started in the north; the south can't expect to remain unscathed! Those upright officials from the Donglin faction, even if they aren't corrupt themselves, have made a fortune through smuggling over the years! They deserve to bleed a little!"

"Spit out the land? Fine!" Zhu Chunchen tossed the bone aside, a friendly smile spreading across his chubby face. "But our nobles in Beizhili only take 70% of the military land, leaving 30% for the court! Isn't that generous enough?"

He slammed his fist on the table: "Those scoundrels in Southern Zhili are the ones who really bleed clean! Military farms? Not even a dreg! Silk, tea, porcelain, sugar, what kind of business don't they do? Colluding with pirates to smuggle, not paying a single penny of tax!"

"The Zheng family of Fujian is in cahoots with the military leaders and Donglin Party members in Southern Zhili, and they receive dividends of no less than a million every year! We're just tending to a few acres of meager land, yet we've become the ones sticking our necks out?"

Li Chengming took two deep drags on his cigarette and said in a muffled voice, "Master Zhu is right! Handing over land is fine, but just a token gesture will suffice. The lion's share should come from the south! They're generous!"

Li Shouqi echoed in a low voice, "Amitabha...that makes sense. Let's exchange some money to shut the little emperor up. The south...we need to let them know that if the north collapses, they won't be able to hide it!"

Zhang Weixian frowned. He knew these two were unwilling to make any sacrifices and wanted to divert the trouble south. He said in a deep voice, "We must move in the south, but distant water cannot quench immediate thirst! Right now, the young emperor's knife is at our throat! Have you heard about what happened at Jishuitan? That guy really can chop off the heads of the Tartars! We need to show our stance first!"

He surveyed the crowd: "Go back and consider yourselves. The land must be handed over! No matter how much! But how much, and how to hand it over... we need to figure that out. We need to show the Emperor our 'loyalty' without breaking our own defenses." His gaze swept over Zhu Chunchen and Li Chengming. "As for the south... I will send someone to deliver the message. But remember, you must first establish yourselves firmly!"

Zhu Chunchen and Li Chengming exchanged a glance and replied in a muffled voice, "What you say is true, sir."

Zhang Weixian nodded: "Everyone, disperse. Remember, the most important thing right now is not to be the first to stick your neck out! Let others... test the sharpness of the little emperor's blade!"

Inside the warm pavilion, everyone rose to take their leave, each with their own thoughts. Before leaving, Zhu Chunchen popped a goose foot into his mouth and chewed it vigorously. Xu Xigao wrapped his cloak tighter, his figure blending into the night, pondering how to "show some courtesy."

(End of this chapter)