How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 280 Chongzhen: I'm gambling with the fate of the nation! Huang Taiji: You must hold them off for me!

In the summer of the fifth year of the Chongzhen reign, it rained incessantly.

As darkness fell, only a few oil lamps were lit in the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace. The flickering lamplight cast long shadows on the walls.

The Chongzhen Emperor was wearing a casual robe with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was lying on a huge map of the Ming Dynasty, writing and drawing with a vermilion brush.

On the map, he had circled several red dots on the lower reaches of the Yellow River, from Henan to Shandong.

Each red dot represents a place in his memory where the Yellow River once breached its banks. Some are strategic fortifications, others are ancient breaches.

Each one was a wound on the body of his Ming Dynasty.

With each circle he made, his brow furrowed more. The rain outside pounded against the roof, and it also pounded against his heart.

Finally, the vermilion pen stopped in mid-air.

Below the tip of the pen is Gaojia Weir, located west of Huai'an City and on the east bank of Hongze Lake.

The pen finally fell, heavily marking a red dot on the map. The red was glaringly bright.

He stared at that red dot, as if he could see through the map the great dike made of loess and glutinous rice paste that blocked the entire Hongyang Lake. In his memory, it was a fatal flaw!

Gao Guiying stayed by Chongzhen's side, her eyes filled with worry. As Chongzhen's closest bedmate, she could clearly sense the immense pressure he was under lately. Could it be that a great flood would truly sweep away the slightly improving Ming Dynasty?
Fang Huazheng stood by the door with his hands hanging down, even his breathing was soft.

The warm room was quiet, with only the incessant sound of rain outside the window.

"The summer wheat in Henan and Shandong... should be mostly harvested." Chongzhen suddenly spoke, his voice low and a little hoarse, as if talking to himself, "Although it was soaked in water and the quality is a bit worse... it's still edible, and the harvest should be more than in previous years."

Compared to the drought that lasted for several months and the locusts that swarmed the sky, more rain actually had a less significant impact on agriculture. Of course, flooding is another matter entirely.

At this time, the wheat in northern China was winter wheat, planted in winter and harvested in summer. The autumn harvest consisted of coarse grains such as sorghum and millet. Even with severe damage, people could still barely make ends meet.

"But Huai'an and Yangzhou... those are the key places." Chongzhen's voice lowered, filled with unconcealed worry. "The autumn rice in these two prefectures, once ripe, is like gold... enough to feed an entire northern province!"

Fragments of memories flashed before his eyes: the breach of the Gaojia Weir, the waters of Hongze Lake pouring down like a mountain, the flooding of Huai'an Prefecture, the turning of Yangzhou's rice paddies into a vast expanse of water... a dark mass of refugees... and the ever-increasing price of grain in the capital...

He took a deep breath.

"Gaojiayan..." he gritted his teeth, the voice squeezed out from between his teeth, "If we can't hold this place... then the Ming Dynasty... will really be in danger!"

He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm.

"Defend! We must defend it to the death!" he roared. "Sell everything we own! We must hold Gaojiayan for you!"

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Fang Huazheng quickly walked over, listened for a moment, then turned around and whispered, "Your Majesty, Hong Chengchou has arrived."

Emperor Chongzhen paused for a moment. He slowly straightened up, the fierce look on his face disappearing, replaced by a calm expression. He waved his hand.

"Let him in."

The door opened. Hong Chengchou walked in with his head down. He had just returned to Beijing from his post as governor of Shaanxi.

"Your subject, Hong Chengchou, pays his respects to Your Majesty." He lifted his robe and was about to kneel.

"No need for formalities," Emperor Chongzhen said calmly. "Get up and speak."

Hong Chengchou thanked the emperor and stood up, his hands at his sides. He was of medium height, with a slightly dark complexion, high cheekbones, and shifty eyes; one look at him and you could tell he was a troublesome fellow. He wasn't as straightforward as Sun Chuanting, nor as fierce as Lu Xiangshan; he lacked any integrity and instead possessed a ruthless determination to achieve his goals!
Emperor Chongzhen sized him up. This man was very skilled at governing the land in Shaanxi. He could stabilize the situation and was also ruthless.

In the past two years, Shaanxi has barely managed to stabilize the situation thanks to Zhou Wang's disaster relief, Gao Chuang's land reclamation efforts, and Hong Chengchou's iron-fisted rule.

This year, the drought in Shaanxi eased somewhat, and Gao Yingxiang received a reprieve, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Therefore, Hong Chengchou was recalled to Beijing by Emperor Chongzhen, nominally to be appointed Vice Minister of War, and there were even plans to bring him into the cabinet.

But in reality, he was to guard Gaojia Weir!

That is where the true destiny of the Ming Dynasty lies!
"Hengjiu," Chongzhen called him by his courtesy name, "You've worked hard in Shaanxi. You did a good job appeasing Gao Yingxiang and alleviating the drought."

“Your Majesty, I dare not take credit,” Hong Chengchou replied, bowing. “It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s virtue and power, the soldiers’ bravery, and the Prince of Zhou’s efforts in procuring provisions.”

His words were perfectly watertight.

Emperor Chongzhen snorted inwardly, but his face remained impassive: "I'm transferring you back to the capital because I feel that the pond in Shaanxi is too small. It can't hold a big fish like you."

Hong Chengchou lowered his head even further: "Your Majesty flatters me. I am humbled."

"I've reserved the position of Vice Minister of War for you; it's only a matter of time before you join the cabinet." Chongzhen changed the subject. "But right now, I have a more troublesome and urgent task for you to handle."

Hong Chengchou raised his head, glanced quickly at Chongzhen, and then lowered his gaze again: "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Chongzhen turned around and suddenly poked his finger at the red dot on the new spot on the map—Gaojiayan!

"right here!"

Hong Chengchou's gaze followed that finger.

"It's been raining for so many days, the Yellow River and Huai River are almost overflowing!" Emperor Chongzhen's voice rose, filled with anger. "Those officials in the court, all they know is to shout 'Flood! Flood!' But they know nothing about where the flood will breach or whose lives it will take!" He stared at Hong Chengchou, his eyes sharp: "I want you, as Imperial Envoy, to immediately go south! Investigate the Huai River works, especially the Gaojia Weir, inside and out, thoroughly!"

Hong Chengchou straightened his back slightly.

"Look carefully!" Chongzhen's finger almost pierced the map. "Behind Gaojia Weir lies Huai'an, Yangzhou! The lives and fortunes of millions of people! Half of our Ming Dynasty's salt tax and grain transport! And the hope for this year's autumn harvest in the southeast!"

"This is the lifeblood of the Ming Dynasty!" Emperor Chongzhen practically roared. "Go and see! Look closely! If the dike is solid, I can sleep soundly. If anywhere is loose or collapses, even if it's just a rat hole, report it to me immediately with the utmost urgency!"

He took a breath, his voice resolute: "Even if I have to sell everything I own and empty the imperial treasury, I will still allocate funds for your repairs! I have only one requirement—Gaojia Weir must be absolutely perfect! There can be no mistakes whatsoever!"

The warm pavilion fell silent. Only Chongzhen's heavy breathing could be heard.

Hong Chengchou raised his head. His face was expressionless, but his heart was filled with shock—wasn't it said that they were going to launch an eastern expedition to Liaodong? How did the battlefield become Gaojiayan? Could it be that the Emperor received a secret report that there was a serious problem with the river works at Gaojiayan? Alas, those corrupt officials in charge of the river works are outrageous! How dare they embezzle any kind of money?

He suddenly clasped his hands in a fist, bowed deeply, and spoke in a low voice, yet it sounded like a hammer slamming into the ground:

"Your subject, Hong Chengchou, obeys the decree!"

He paused, raised his head, and looked directly at Chongzhen:

"On this journey to the Huai River, I will do my utmost to thoroughly inspect the river works! As long as Gaojia Weir stands, I stand! If Gaojia Weir cannot be defended..."

He paused, then said, slowly and deliberately:
"Your subject will bring me his head!"

Seeing the light in his eyes, Chongzhen felt a sense of certainty. This was exactly the kind of person he needed—ruthless yet steady.

He patted Hong Chengchou heavily on the shoulder:

"Very well! I trust you! Go, pack your things, and leave the capital tonight! I await your news!"

"Sir, obey the order!"

Hong Chengchou said no more, gave a crisp salute, turned around, and strode out. The hem of his official robe stirred in the wind.

The door to the warm room closed again.

Emperor Chongzhen remained standing in the same spot, his gaze returning to that glaring red dot on the map.

The rain outside the window was still pouring down.

Gao Guiying took half a step forward and asked softly, "Your Majesty, is Vice Minister Hong... capable of doing it?"

Emperor Chongzhen did not turn around, but simply sighed softly.

"Whether he can do it or not... we have to let him go. River engineering is something that needs someone like Hong Hengjiu... who is both tough and cunning."

He was silent for a moment, as if speaking to Gao Guiying, but also as if speaking to himself:

"If we hold Gaojiayan, we will have food... If we have food, we can live... If we can live, then the Ming Dynasty... will still have a breath left... Defending Gaojiayan is the battle for the fate of the Ming Dynasty!"

His voice grew softer and softer until it was finally drowned out by the increasingly loud rain.

On the same rainy night, in Shenyang, outside the Great Wall.

The candlelight in the Qingning Palace of the Khan's Palace burned brighter than in the Qianqing Palace in Beijing. Raindrops pattered on the glazed tiles, carrying the chill unique to the area beyond the Great Wall.

Huang Taiji stood with his hands behind his back in front of a huge map of Liaodong. His gaze was like a knife, scraping across Jinzhou, passing over Songshan and Tashan, which were still in the hands of the Ming army, and finally staring intently at the hazy land within the Great Wall at the end of the Liaoxi Corridor.

A bondservant knelt on the ground, his head bowed low:

"My lord, a secret report has been sent from the 'shadow' in Beijing... The young emperor of the Ming Dynasty has been making great moves lately! The imperial treasury is flowing like water, and the imperial edicts have repeatedly stated that they are 'preparing for the Liaodong war' and preparing sufficient provisions and weapons for the eastern expedition next year... that is, in the spring of the sixth year of Chongzhen's reign!"

Huang Taiji's finger stopped on "Ningyuan" and tapped it.

"Eastern Expedition? The sixth year of Chongzhen's reign?" He snorted, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. "This young emperor, having only gained a little power, already dares to provoke me?"

Fan Wencheng stepped out of the shadows, bowing slightly: "My lord, although Chongzhen is overestimating himself, we must not let our guard down!"

Huang Taiji nodded slowly, his eyes sharp: "Mr. Fan is right. This kid is a bit troublesome! I have to make him understand whose world Liaodong is!"

He turned around abruptly, his voice resolute:

"Convey my decree!"

"Is Grand Prince Daishan in charge of the defense of western Liaoning, with a focus on reinforcing the defenses of Jinzhou! Aren't his sons always clamoring to make a name for themselves? Let them keep an eye on the defenses of Haizhou and Gaizhou! Send more scouts to keep a close watch on Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan! Report any movement by the Ming army on horseback!"

"Tell Prince Ajige to muster the troops and keep watch over Daning! Last time, it was the surprise attack on Daning that ruined my grand plan; otherwise, Fuzhou, Jinzhou, and Lushun would have been taken long ago!"

He glanced around at the princes and ministers present:

"Order all banners to prepare their horses and sharpen their weapons, and reinforce the city's defenses! Tell the men that the Ming emperor is coming! Keep your eyes peeled and your swords sharp!"

"If he wants war, then I will fight! I want to see whether Chongzhen's eastern expeditionary army is stronger or my Eight Banners cavalry is stronger!"

(End of this chapter)