How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 237 Shaving Hair and Changing Clothes
Chongzhen returned to his desk and spread out a specially made apricot-yellow dragon-patterned paper. He picked up his vermilion brush and dipped it in ink.

This was not an official edict to the cabinet, but a secret edict written by him to his uncle, Prince Fu Zhu Changxun, who was enfeoffed in Fuzhou.

The pen tip landed on the paper, and the handwriting was steady:
"Your Majesty has read this. I have heard that the East India Company of the Red Barbarians has sent envoys to Fujian, seeking trade. This matter concerns the long-term interests of our maritime borders. After much deliberation, I hereby issue the following decree..."

He wrote slowly, carefully choosing each word.

"The East India Company of the Red Barbarians is, in essence, a merchant partnership, not dispatched by its own ruler. Their so-called governor is similar to the manager of our imperial merchants; how can he possibly discuss matters on equal footing with a prince of the Celestial Empire?"

He paused here, his gaze sharp. He had to set the tone; he couldn't lower himself.

"I have heard that the government's affairs are governed by the Grand Council of the United Provinces Republic. Uncle, you may casually mention this name during the meeting and observe his expression."

This was a crucial step – the Ming Dynasty could not negotiate with the East India Company; it had to negotiate with the Netherlands and even other European countries.

Then, he wrote down his core intention:
"Therefore, engaging in trivial negotiations about tariffs with them is a waste of breath and would be beneath the dignity of the Celestial Empire. My mind is made up. I will send a formal mission, carrying a letter of credence, across the ocean to their capital to negotiate a trade treaty with the plenipotentiary minister appointed by their Grand Council. This is the only fundamental solution."

The Great Ming Europa Trading Company is almost ready; everything is in place, and all that's left is to find a guide! And having the Dutch East India Company lead the way is undoubtedly the best option. If they simply use the name of a "trading company," they certainly won't agree, so they'll have to use the name of an embassy or mission.

Once we get to Europe, we can do business and negotiate with the monarchs of various European countries at the same time. However, we can't tell Prince Fu these things now, lest that fat man let it slip.

After finishing writing, he blew the ink dry, carefully sealed it, and handed it to Wang Chengen, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who had been standing by with his hands hanging down.

"Send this urgent message over 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers) directly to the Prince of Fu's residence in Fuzhou."

"This servant obeys the decree." Wang Chengen bowed and accepted the gift, then quickly and lightly withdrew.

More than ten days later, in Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province.

The Yin'an Hall of the Prince Fu's Mansion was unusually solemn. Banners and ceremonial guards were displayed, and the officials and guards of the Prince's Mansion stood ramrod straight. The Fujian Governor, Xiong Wencan, was also dressed in official robes and sat at the lower end of the table.

Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, dressed in a crimson robe with a python pattern, sat on the dragon throne in the center of the main hall. His plump face was expressionless, but his eyes revealed an unusual solemnity.

He held the secret edict from the emperor's nephew, which he had just received, in his hand, repeatedly weighing each word in his mind.

"The Emperor is about to put on a grand show," he thought to himself. "I can't afford to mess up my role on this stage."

"Your Highness, the envoy from the Red-haired Barbarians has arrived," the Prince's Attendant announced cautiously.

"Summon them." Prince Fu cleared his throat and sat up straighter.

A short while later, Peter Nuyez, the Dutch East India Company's resident official in Taiwan, entered, accompanied by a Westerner dressed in a black priest's robe with a cross hanging around his neck. The Westerner was about forty years old, with a high nose and deep-set eyes, but his hair was styled in a scholar's bun, and he had a composed demeanor.

Fujian Governor Xiong Wencan leaned slightly forward and whispered to Prince Fu, “Your Highness, this is Jesuit missionary Lu Ruohan, who has lived in Macau for a long time and is fluent in both Chinese and Mandarin. The Governor’s Office has specially invited him to serve as an interpreter.”

Prince Fu nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Lu Ruohan for a moment, thinking to himself that the Emperor's mention of these Western priests in the letter was indeed of some use.

Nuyiz followed the instructions and gave an awkward bow.

Prince Fu didn't rush to offer him a seat. His gaze swept over the two men, and he asked, his voice echoing in the hall:

“Mr. Lu, ask him if the documents you, the East India Company, presented this time are the official documents of the Grand Parliament of the Red Barbarian United Provinces Republic?”

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Lu Ruohan's eyes. He hadn't expected that this Ming Dynasty prince could so accurately identify the highest authority in the Netherlands. He turned to Nuyez and clearly relayed the information in Dutch.

Upon hearing this, Nuyiz's expression changed instantly. He abruptly raised his head and looked at Prince Fu on the throne, his eyes filled with horror.

The Grand Parliament of the United Provinces Republic!

How could this name come from the mouth of a prince residing in a secluded palace in southeastern China? Which missionary told him? Or... has the Ming Dynasty already established diplomatic relations with a European country?

“Your Highness,” Nuyez steadied himself and answered through Lu Ruohan, “I represent the Dutch East India Company, and… the Governor-General of Batavia…”

"The Governor-General of Batavia?" Prince Fu frowned, his voice suddenly rising in anger. "Merely a trading post chief! I am a prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, the Emperor's uncle, representing the Celestial Empire! How dare you, a mere merchant, sit on equal footing with me and presumptuously discuss state affairs?"

Lu Ruohan translated faithfully and elegantly, but the word "commercial station chief" still made Nuyiz blush and turn pale in turns.

Prince Fu pressed on, pressing further: "Mr. Lu, ask him again. Have you not heard that in Europe, is there any merchant manager who can negotiate and sign a contract with King Louis XIII of France?"

When Lu Ruohan uttered the words "King Louis XIII of France" again, Nuyez's astonishment deepened. He knew about Louis XIII? Could it be that the Ming Dynasty had established diplomatic relations with France?

Seeing this, Xiong Wencan, the governor of Fujian, quickly stood up to smooth things over: "Your Highness, please calm down. The people of the Red Hair Kingdom live in a remote and desolate place and do not understand Chinese etiquette. It is understandable." He said this also for Lu Ruohan and Nuyiz to hear.

Prince Fu snorted and sat down, his face still somber: "The Ming Dynasty's policy of appeasement towards distant peoples is not due to a lack of willingness to trade. But the rules cannot be broken!"

He stared at Nuyiz, and through Lu Ruohan's relay, slowed his speech but carried an undeniable air: "How about this? Your return journey to report back home will take too long. My Great Ming will send an official delegation to Europe to negotiate directly with your country's Great Council. What do you say? Does your country welcome envoys from the Celestial Empire?"

Nuyez's mind raced. Refuse? He didn't have that power; not only did he, but even the East India Company's board of directors didn't have it. Only the Grand Council and William's government could decide.

However, they couldn't refuse the Ming delegation. The Netherlands wasn't closed off from the world, and the Netherlands and the Ming weren't at war. Moreover, the Ming's image in Europe was still quite glamorous. Even if the Grand Council knew that a Ming delegation was coming, they would only feel honored and might even treat it as a grand ceremony.

Thinking of this, Nuyez took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "The Dutch Republic... will certainly welcome you with open arms, and the East India Company is willing to provide all necessary assistance to the mission to Europe!"

That's exactly what we wanted to hear! Without the East India Company to guide them, who knows when the Ming Dynasty's delegation would reach their destination?

A faint smile finally appeared on Prince Fu's face: "Very well. It's settled then. I will send someone to discuss the specifics with you."

Almost simultaneously, Jeonju Prefecture in North Korea.

The former prefectural government office has now become the headquarters of Huang Taiji, the Khan of the Great Jin Dynasty. The charcoal brazier inside burns brightly, but it cannot suppress the murderous atmosphere.

Huang Taiji sat in the main seat, wearing a sable robe. His face was somewhat pale, but his eyes were sharp. Below him sat several princes, including Mangultai, Amin, Dorgon, and Ajige, as well as several Han officials, such as Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo.

The issue is simple: what should we do with the territory in southern North Korea that we have conquered?
"If you ask me, we should just loot and leave! We should retreat back to Seoul and Pyongyang," Mangultai said first, his voice booming. "This wretched place has little grain and its people are all spineless cowards. What's the point of keeping it here? It's a waste of the strength of our Eight Banners soldiers!"

Amin nodded in agreement: "Yes, Your Majesty. North Korea is mountainous and its people are unruly. We are unfamiliar with the place, and if we station too many troops, we will waste food supplies; if we station too few, we will not be able to control the situation."

Dorgon, being young, thought more deeply: "Acquiring Japanese firearms through Korea is one way. But getting bogged down in Korea for it would be a losing proposition. It would be better to let the puppet king we've installed manage things."

Huang Taiji listened quietly, and only sneered when they had all finished speaking.

"Rob and run? You make it sound so easy!" He glanced at the crowd. "Is Liaodong easy to govern? We subdued it, didn't we? Korea is poor, but the Ming Dynasty's interior is rich. It's not easy to take on them!"

He stood up, walked to the map of North Korea hanging on the wall, pointed to Jeonju, and then drew south.

"You only see that there's not much profit in Korea, but you don't see that it's a gateway! Without Korea, we'll be locked up in Liaodong by Mao Wenlong and Zheng Zhilong! With Korea, we can build a large navy to attack the Ming Dynasty's southeastern coast, or we can retreat and obtain firearms from Japan! This is the lifeline for the Great Jin!"

He turned around and stared at the princes: "Why are the Japanese willing to sell us firearms? It's because we've occupied Korea, which gives us leverage! If we give up Korea, we won't be able to contact the Japanese at all!"

The princes fell silent. The reasoning was sound, and the difficulties of governing the mountainous region of North Korea were indeed real.

Seeing that the time was right, Huang Taiji turned his gaze to Fan Wencheng, who had been silent all along.

"Mr. Fan, what do you think?"

Fan Wencheng stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Great Khan, esteemed princes. The difficulty in governing Korea lies in the fact that the people are not convinced and that they outwardly comply but inwardly defy you."

"What should we do?" Huang Taiji asked.

Fan Wencheng paused, then uttered four words:

"Shave your head and change your clothes."

The room fell silent for a moment. Several princes looked at him.

Fan Wencheng continued, “This action, though seemingly trivial, is actually a touchstone to test their will. Those who submit are truly loyal and can be given a way out, even promoted to bondservants or bannermen. Those who resist are stubborn enemies and can be rightfully eliminated, their land and people distributed among the soldiers. Only in this way can we weed out the dross and retain the essence, creating a truly obedient Joseon within the Great Jin territory.”

Huang Taiji's eyes lit up. What a "litmus test"! What a "legitimate" solution!
This method, though ruthless, is the quickest way to distinguish friend from foe and completely bind North Korea to the Kim dynasty's war chariot.

"Good!" Huang Taiji slammed his hand on the table. "What a brilliant idea to 'shave heads and change clothes'! Let's do it that way!"

He looked at the princes and said, “Issue an order to all eight provinces of Korea, starting with Jeonju, to implement this policy! Anyone who disobeys will be executed without exception! I want to see how many ‘loyal subjects’ will be left on this land of Korea in the end!”

"Yes, sir!" everyone responded in unison.

(End of this chapter)