How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 275 A Shocking Marriage in the Hetao Region
In the spring of the fifth year of the Chongzhen reign, the Hetao Plain was still chilly. The snow had melted, revealing the moist and fertile land beneath.

In the endless wilderness, countless shacks were built. Thousands upon thousands of refugees, like ants, busied themselves on the newly turned earth. Some dug ditches, some made bricks, some built walls; the sounds of people mingled with the cries of livestock, creating a noisy and chaotic scene.

Last year, Shaanxi was ravaged by locusts, which not only destroyed the wheat harvest in northern Shaanxi but also devastated more than half of the fields in Guanzhong Plain. Fortunately, some sweet potatoes were replanted in time, resulting in a small harvest, but it was still not enough to feed the entire population of Shaanxi. Famine continued to rage, and eventually, more than 100,000 people fled to the Hetao region.

Now, Gao Yingxiang's gang has really grown stronger!
In the Hetao region alone, the Han Chinese population has exceeded 300,000, and with the Mongols added, the total is 370,000 to 380,000! And Gao Yingxiang's Hetao "Iron Cavalry" now numbers over 10,000!
Amidst this thriving scene stood a city. Calling it a city was a stretch; it was really just a fence made of thick logs, enclosing a large area. The wooden walls were low, and the gatehouse was simple, with a few flags fluttering in the wind. Inside, most of the houses were low, mud-brick structures, except for the central courtyard, which was somewhat decent—a newly built tiled house with several soldiers standing guard at the entrance, armed with swords.

This is the newly established "Hetao Royal City".

In the main hall of the courtyard, Gao Yingxiang paced back and forth, his hands behind his back. He wore a newly made silk robe, but the roughness etched on his face by the hardships of life remained unchanged. A felt carpet, freshly brought from Ningxia, lay on the floor, soft to the touch. Looking at the large chair draped with a tiger skin in the hall, a warm feeling welled up inside him. This Hetao region, Gao Yingxiang, had finally gained a foothold!

His son, Gao Yong, also known as Batel, was now enjoying the imperial rewards. He rode his horse around the city and felt that the whole world belonged to the Gao family.

Dressed in a neat short outfit, Gao Guiying and her cousin Gao Jie were training newly recruited soldiers on the drill ground outside the Prince's Mansion. Swords clashed and shouts rang out.

Gao Jie wiped his sweat and spat in the direction of the capital: "The imperial court? Hmph, without us braving the wind and sand to eat dirt, opening up this vast land and feeding so many starving people, would they be able to enjoy a life of luxury in the Forbidden City? If they dare not grant my family a title of king, we will never let them off the hook!"

Gao Guiying's laughter was like the tinkling of silver bells: "Once Yongdi is made a king, what title should I, the queen, be given? A princess?"

Just then, the sound of galloping hooves echoed outside the door. A bodyguard rushed in to report, "King Chuang! Someone from the capital has arrived! It's General Zhang Xianzhong, the Eighth King, carrying an imperial edict!"

Gao Yingxiang was overjoyed. He had sent Zhang Xianzhong to Beijing to petition for his son Gao Yong to be granted the title of King of Hetao. Now that Zhang Xianzhong had returned with an imperial edict, it must have been successful.

Thinking of this, Gao Yingxiang quickly straightened his clothes and said in a deep voice, "Open the main gate! Set up the incense table!"

At the gate of Mucheng, Zhang Xianzhong, dressed in a brand-new qilin robe and with an embroidered spring knife at his waist, rode a tall horse, followed by dozens of imperial cavalrymen in gleaming armor. Gao Yingxiang led his men to kneel and receive the imperial edict.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..." Zhang Xianzhong unfurled a yellow silk scroll, his voice booming. He first praised Gao Yingxiang for "pacifying the displaced people and stabilizing the border," appointing him as the Pacification Commissioner of the Hetao Region; then he appointed Gao Yong as the King of Hetao, to govern the region hereditarily.

Gao Yingxiang knelt down, the last weight lifted from his heart, and a sense of pride rose within him. A Pacification Commissioner? This was a proper official appointed by the imperial court! His voice, filled with gratitude, rang louder as he kowtowed.

After the ceremony, Gao Yingxiang took Zhang Xianzhong's hand, addressing him as "Brother Zhang" repeatedly, and ordered a feast to be prepared to welcome him back.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Xianzhong leaned close to Gao Yingxiang's ear and whispered, "Brother Gao, there is another very important private matter. His Majesty has given an imperial edict that we need to find a quiet place to discuss it."

Gao Yingxiang's heart stirred, but he remained outwardly calm. He dismissed his attendants, leaving only his trusted confidantes, including his wife, Gao Guiying, and Gao Jie, and led Zhang Xianzhong into the secret chamber in the back.

Once the door closed, the noise outside was shut out. Zhang Xianzhong's smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

“Brother Gao,” he cleared his throat, “His Majesty has another imperial decree concerning the fate of my niece Guiying.”

Gao Yingxiang was taken aback: "Guiying?"

Gao Guiying, who was standing next to her, also perked up her ears, her brows furrowed slightly, and she had a bad feeling.

Zhang Xianzhong continued, "His Majesty has heard that my niece Guiying is both scholarly and martial, and possesses a valiant and spirited appearance. He is very pleased with her and intends to take her as a concubine, and has specially ordered me to come and propose marriage." These words stirred up a hornet's nest. Gao Yingxiang abruptly stood up, swaying slightly, knocking over the teacup beside him, which shattered with a crash, spilling tea all over him without him noticing. He stared at Zhang Xianzhong, mouth agape, as if he didn't recognize him.

The Grand Princess Consort was also so shocked that she gasped.

The color drained from Gao Guiying's face instantly, leaving her deathly pale. It wasn't shame; she felt humiliated by the incompetent Emperor Chongzhen. She abruptly stood up, so agitated that she knocked over the chair behind her with a loud crash.

"Bullshit!" Her voice shrill and trembling with extreme anger, she pointed at Zhang Xianzhong's nose and cursed, "What kind of thing is Zhu Youjian! He wants me to be his concubine? And he wants my Gao family to give him a thousand elite brothers? Is this tyrant in Beijing so poor or so obsessed with soldiers? This isn't a marriage proposal, this is extortion! Yes, yes!"

As she spoke, with a "clang," she drew the half-unsheathed dagger from Gao Jie's waist beside her, pointing the tip directly at Zhang Xianzhong: "Zhang Xianzhong! If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I'll make sure you don't leave this room!"

Gao Jie, equally enraged, roared, "Zhang Xianzhong! Say that again, you son of a bitch? Is this a marriage proposal or a kidnapping? Do you think our Gao family is made of clay?!"

Grand Princess Consort Nang Nang shook her head repeatedly, muttering, "This...this is truly unprecedented...unheard of..."

Gao Yingxiang finally recovered from his initial shock. His chest heaved violently, his face ashen, and he forced out a voice through clenched teeth: "Eighth Prince! This... this is the 'good news' you brought back for my elder brother? How could His Majesty... how could His Majesty do this? Isn't this going to chill the hearts of loyal ministers and generals!"

These words almost stunned Zhang Xianzhong. A loyal minister and capable general, are you really?
Facing the blade pointed at him, Zhang Xianzhong remained calm. He stepped forward, bowed deeply to Gao Yingxiang, and said respectfully, "Brother, please calm down! Niece Guiying, please calm down! Everyone, please be patient and let me finish. Before I left, His Majesty specifically instructed me that this is truly a great thing, concerning the Gao family's century-old foundation!"

His gaze swept over the Gao family members, finally settling on Gao Yingxiang's face. He lowered his voice, but his words were like a heavy hammer: "Brother! Think carefully! Are you truly a loyal minister and general of the Ming Dynasty? What was our plan when we occupied the Hetao region? We were waiting for a change in the world before marching our army into Shaanxi to accomplish something great. But now, the fate of the Ming Dynasty is indeed not yet over!"

Seeing Gao Yingxiang's shifty eyes, he continued to raise the stakes: "Do you really think His Majesty doesn't know what we're thinking? Do you really think this current His Majesty is a tyrant? Could a tyrant have managed to bring this crumbling Ming Dynasty, beset by internal disasters and powerful enemies, into this state? His Majesty's desire to take Guiying as a concubine is a test of your sincerity, Brother Gao, and the sincerity of those in the Hetao region. Only when your niece enters the palace, and the Gao family becomes imperial relatives, will your 'King of Hetao' title be truly secure, and can be inherited indefinitely! At that time, the Gao family will be the true bulwark of the Northwest, sharing the fate of the nation!"

Then, he turned to Gao Guiying, who was still standing with her knife in hand and her body tense. His tone softened, but carried a deep seduction: "Guiying, my niece! With all your skills and ambitions, are you really content to remain forever in this Hetao region as... the niece of a local king? Once you enter the palace, you will be an imperial concubine! A member of the royal family! If the opportunity arises in the future, it is not impossible for you to become the empress! Your son may well be the future crown prince, the emperor! Isn't this vast land a thousand times, ten thousand times, more expansive than this yellow sand before your eyes?"

He observed the subtle changes in Gao Guiying's expression and added fuel to the fire: "His Majesty ascended the throne at a young age, and his bravery and decisiveness are comparable to those of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong! If you assist such a monarch, in the future, when history is written, you will be the Empress Zhangsun or Empress Ma of the Ming Dynasty! Isn't this more glorious and memorable than you wielding swords and spears here?"

Finally, he offered a condition that seemed like a concession but actually tightened the bond even further: "As for these thousand cavalrymen, ostensibly part of the dowry, they are in reality the Empress's reliance in the palace, and more importantly, the vital link between the Gao family and the court! His Majesty has promised that they will still be led by trusted former members of the Gao family, forming a separate battalion and stationed in the outskirts of the capital. This is not only to protect the Empress's safety, but also to demonstrate to the world that the Gao family and the court are of one heart and one mind! With these thousand iron cavalrymen in the capital, who inside or outside the palace would dare to underestimate you? How could His Majesty not place great trust and reliance on the Gao family?"

Gao Guiying's knife tip had unconsciously dropped. Zhang Xianzhong's words were like needles, piercing the deepest part of her heart. Empress... Crown Prince... Emperor... To be remembered in history... To assist a wise ruler... These words, which she had never dared to imagine, now carried a tremendous allure, impacting her mind.

Moreover, she understood in her heart that compared to the generations of glory of the Gao family, what did her marriage matter? She just didn't understand that when the Gao family had just led several thousand starving people to the Hetao Grassland, they still had the ambition to accumulate strength, wait for the change of the times, and then invade Shaanxi and change the world.

But now, how did a mere King of Hetao manage to make her once ambitious uncle happily become a member of the royal family?

She gave a bitter smile, her arm loosened, and the dagger clattered to the ground. She didn't look at anyone else, but turned away and softly uttered two words: "...I'll marry you."

Gao Yingxiang let out a long sigh, turned to Zhang Xianzhong, and forced a bitter smile: "So be it... Brother Xianzhong, His Majesty... His Majesty is truly far-sighted and has put in a lot of effort. In reply to His Majesty, I, Gao Yingxiang... thank Your Majesty for your great favor! Guiying... being able to serve Your Majesty is a blessing from the Gao family's ancestral graves! Of the one thousand elite cavalry, I will certainly select the bravest and most loyal young men, train them well, and send them to the capital with Guiying in a grand and glorious manner!"

Gao Jie snorted heavily, turned his head away, and seemed somewhat unconvinced.

The weight on Zhang Xianzhong's heart finally lifted, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. He bowed deeply and said, "Brother Gao is truly wise and righteous! My niece Guiying has considered the bigger picture! I am deeply grateful! I will immediately have someone draft a memorial and send it by express courier to inform His Majesty of this momentous news!"

(End of this chapter)