How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 296 Gentry of Huguang, are you ready to face the challenge?
The side hall of Chengyun Hall in the Prince Xiang's Mansion had its doors and windows tightly closed.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, yet the light cast shifting shadows on the faces of those present. Emperor Chongzhen sat on the dragon-embroidered chair at the head of the table, leaning slightly forward, his hands resting on his knees. Prince Qin, Zhu Cunji, and Prince Tang, Zhu Yujian, sat to his left and right, both with somber expressions.

Below them, Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming, Prince Chu Zhu Huakui, along with Prince Rong, Prince Hui, Prince Jing, and Prince Gui—six princes from the Huguang region—all hung their heads, looking like wilted eggplants. On the rosewood tea table in front of them, each had a newly copied account book spread out.

Emperor Chongzhen didn't look at the princes; his gaze fell on the flickering candlelight, and then he spoke calmly.

"Did you see everything clearly?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the ledger in front of King Xiang.

"A mu of prime paddy field can yield a solid 1.2 shi of grain in rent. But how much is left after reporting to Prince Xiang?" Chongzhen paused, his voice turning cold. "One qian of silver. That's about one-tenth!"

Prince Xiang, Zhu Yiming, shuddered and lowered his head even further.

Chongzhen's gaze then slowly swept over the other five people. "And you? What are the figures reported by the servants of your estates and subordinates? Do you receive one qian of silver per mu of paddy field? Do you receive five fen per mu of dry land?"

Chu King Zhu Hua Kui's face flushed and paled in turns, his lips moved but he remained silent. The other princes also avoided his gaze. They knew perfectly well that their situation was no better than Xiang King's, and perhaps even worse.

"I know you're in a difficult situation." Chongzhen's tone suddenly softened, carrying a hint of mockery or helplessness that was hard to define. "You bear the title of a prince, which sounds like you're incredibly wealthy and powerful, and you occupy millions of acres of land, as if you've been siphoning off the people's hard-earned money. But what's the result? It's clearly land passed down from our ancestors, yet 90% of the rent goes to others! You only get 10%. And even that 10% is coveted by countless others!"

"You're lucky you inherited the title of prince! Those unlucky princes who don't have the chance to become princes, let alone this one percent, they might not even get a penny! There are quite a few poor princes without titles who can't even afford to eat. Yet they're still kept under the guise of being confined by the princely domain. You want to help them, but unfortunately, you're too poor to do so!"

His words were half true and half false. It was true that Wang Tian's rent was split 90/10, but the claim that the princes were short of money was nonsense.

The princes of the Ming Dynasty, especially the regional princes, were quite wealthy! Most of them had been in power for generations. For example, the Prince of Chu was the son of Zhu Yuanzhang, and the family had been in power for over two hundred years. If he could save five thousand taels a year, he would have accumulated over a million taels. If he lent some money and bought some shops, it wouldn't be difficult for him to save two million taels.

However, which of their families doesn't own hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land? If they can harvest five bushels of grain per acre in rent, the rent alone would amount to two or three hundred thousand bushels a year, or even more!

There are eight kings in the Huguang region (the Min King and the Ji King did not come to Xiangyang due to illness). If each king pays 25 shi of rent, these eight families alone would amount to 2 million shi a year. What a huge force that is!

Although the princes were not poor, after hearing Chongzhen's analysis, they all felt that they were "losing out" of their princely status.

"This is our money! It's what our ancestors left us!" Chongzhen's voice rose again, with a hint of inflammatory rhetoric. "And this is how these heartless and wicked servants, along with the corrupt officials and powerful figures who colluded with them, swindled it all away!"

He suddenly looked at the King of Qin and the King of Tang: "King of Qin, King of Tang, tell everyone, were you the same in Xi'an and Nanyang before?"

Prince Zhu Cunji of Qin straightened his back and cleared his throat. He had an honest face and a pleasant voice, which made him particularly persuasive.

"Your Majesty, that was indeed the case when I was in Xi'an," said the Prince of Qin. "It was supposed to be a life of luxury in my fiefdom, but the accounts of the Prince's residence were a complete mess. The estates and pastures looked numerous, but the rent collected at the end of the year was meager. I was like a blind man, completely fooled by my subordinates. I could only scrimp and save, and the members of the imperial clan couldn't even receive their stipends. I had no spare capacity to help them either. If it weren't for Your Majesty..."

Prince Zhu Yujian of Tang, being more impatient, took over the conversation, his voice also bright: "Your Majesty is wise and has given us a way to survive! You have not touched a single penny of our ancestral property, but instead have issued a decree allowing the Prince's Palace to subcontract the estates to those impoverished generals and lieutenants in the palace to manage and take care of them."

The King of Qin nodded and added, "This method is good. First, the annual income of me and the King of Tang will be guaranteed by the court and the Imperial Clan Court, and will be collected at a fixed rate, which will be more than before and less troublesome. Second, the distant relatives under us will have a proper way of making a living, be able to support themselves, and no longer be idle and cause trouble, which will also reduce the burden on the court."

When the Tang King got to the crucial point, his tone became excited: "Most importantly, using our own Zhu family members, who are connected by blood, is much safer than using those wicked servants from other families! Moreover, the Prince of Qin and I no longer need to guard the vassal states; we can come to the capital to enjoy our lives. We can go anywhere, inside or outside the city!"

These words were like a pebble thrown into the hearts of the six princes of Huguang, rippling outwards. The phrases "under the control of their own people," "fixed quotas," "stable income," "not bound by feudal restrictions," and "enjoying life in the capital" swirled in their minds.

Emperor Chongzhen observed the changes in their expressions and knew that the time was almost right.

He sat up straight. "The Qin and Tang princes have already achieved results. Only now can you two be relieved of your heavy responsibilities and come to the capital to help me manage the affairs of the state. And you?" He looked at them one by one, "Are you willing to spend your whole lives confined within the high walls of this princely mansion, as puppets and scapegoats for those parasites? Watching the Ming Dynasty's land be eaten away by these vermin and riddled with holes?"

"We are not reconciled!" Prince Xiang, Zhu Yiming, was the first to raise his head, his eyes red, and he knelt down with a thud. "We have been so cruelly deceived by those treacherous officials! We beg Your Majesty to do justice for us!"

With the leader taking the lead, the King of Chu, the King of Rong, and several others also rose from their seats and knelt down, their voices filled with sobs and indignation: "We beg Your Majesty to uphold justice! Purge the treacherous officials!"

Emperor Chongzhen looked at the princes kneeling on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. This step had been successful.

He stood up and walked over to them. "Get up, all of you."

Once the kings were seated again, their faces had lost their fear, leaving only anticipation and a hint of ruthlessness.

"Very well!" Chongzhen's voice was resolute. "Since you, my fellow imperial relatives, are so understanding of the greater good, I cannot let you down."

He raised his voice: "Issue the imperial decree! Immediately establish the 'Huguang Sub-Office of the Imperial Clan Court' in Xiangyang!"

"The Imperial Clan Court's Director of the Imperial Clan Court, Zhu Yujian, Prince of Tang, is hereby appointed to concurrently oversee the affairs of the imperial clan in Huguang, and to be fully responsible for surveying all the royal estates and fields in Huguang, determining the rent, and leading the implementation of the new 'Imperial Clan Contract' system!"

"This office has the authority to audit the accounts and documents of all princely residences, and to interrogate any illegal estate managers and their subordinates! The three provincial-level administrative divisions of Huguang and local officials must fully cooperate and must not make excuses to shirk or obstruct! Those who violate this rule will be punished for disobeying imperial orders!"

Prince Zhu Yujian of Tang immediately stood up, solemnly cupped his hands, and said: "Your subject, Zhu Yujian, obeys the decree! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

This decree completely confined the rectification of Wangzhuang within the scope of the Imperial Clan Court's family rules, making it legitimate and blocking any possible interference from officials of the outer court.

……

Meanwhile, in a secluded side room in the backyard of the Prince of Xiang's mansion, a completely different scene unfolded.

The room was dimly lit by only an oil lamp. Wei Zhongxian sat in a grand chair, hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyes half-closed. Before him knelt a dozen or so eunuchs from the Prince of Xiang's residence, their faces ashen and bodies trembling. The air reeked of urine; someone had apparently lost control of their bladder in fear. In a corner, Li Zhongxian, the Imperial Attendant, was bound like a dumpling, his mouth stuffed with rags, only able to utter muffled sounds, his eyes filled with despair.

Wei Zhongxian slowly opened his mouth, his voice high-pitched and thin, like a knife scraping bone.

“You know the Emperor’s temper. Li Chengfeng’s path is a dead end.”

He glanced at the group of eunuchs below, kowtowing repeatedly. "But His Majesty is merciful; he always leaves people a way out. Whether you follow Li Zhongxian to meet the King of Hell, or atone for your crimes by following His Majesty and the Prince on a new path, the choice is yours."

One of the quick-witted deputy stewards suddenly raised his head, his face covered in snot and tears: "Grandfather! Grandfather, spare our lives! We were forced by Li Zhongxian! We are willing to be loyal to the Emperor! To the Prince! We will tell you everything we know! Please, Grandfather, give us a chance!"

With one person taking the lead, others rushed to express their loyalty, and the sounds of kowtowing and crying filled the air.

Wei Zhongxian nodded slightly, thinking to himself: His Majesty used this trick against me back then, but fortunately His Majesty knew my loyalty and didn't mistake Wei Zhongxian for Li Zhongxian.
He shrieked, "Shut up! If you want to live, you'd better show some sincerity. Write down everything clearly: the account books of each room, the private rules, and which officials and wealthy families you have connections with outside the mansion! Anyone who dares to hide anything will be punished, with Li Zhongxian as an example!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy!" The eunuchs kowtowed even louder, as if they had been granted a pardon.

Wei Zhongxian waved his hand, ordering his men to take them away and separate them for questioning. He stood up, straightened his robes, and pondered that he could surely pick out a few useful men from this group. With them, he could get a pretty good grasp of the background of the Prince of Xiang's residence and even the other princely residences in Huguang. Later, he would select a group of sensible men from the estate managers below, and some capable ones from the imperial clan in Xiangyang, and send them all to the Prince of Tang. Then, the Huguang "branch" of the Imperial Clan Court would be set up.

……

In the side hall, Chongzhen looked at the group of princes who were temporarily united against the enemy and knew that the real battle was yet to come.

He said in a deep voice, "The parasites in the Prince's mansion are just a minor problem. Once we get rid of them, we can manage our own affairs and life will be better."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning grim: "But the shortage of funds and provisions in Huguang cannot be filled by the Prince's mansion alone! The soldiers in the north need pay, and the people in the disaster areas need food; they are all waiting!"

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze swept over the six princes seated below. The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on their faces.

"I understand your difficulties," he said. "Being deceived by your subordinates and starving while guarding a mountain of treasures, being a prince is truly frustrating."

He paused, then his tone suddenly rose, becoming resolute: "But from now on, it won't happen again!"

He held up two fingers: "Once the Prince of Tang leads the Imperial Clan Court to sort out the mess of your Wangzhuang estate, clean up the parasites, and then put our own Zhu family members in charge... I dare not say anything else, but I guarantee that the rent collected from your paddy fields and dry lands, when averaged out, will amount to one and a half qian of silver!"

One and a half qian!
King Xiang, King Chu, and the others felt a jolt in their hearts, forgetting to catch their breath. This was almost double what they already had! The unease they had felt earlier was immediately dispelled by this tangible benefit.

Seeing their eyes light up, Chongzhen knew the time was right and continued, "The extra income will be enough for you to enjoy yourselves, and also enough for you to help those poor members of the imperial clan who can't afford to eat. I will also issue an edict allowing you to send some capable generals and lieutenants to manage the estates, so that they can have a proper meal. As for the restrictions on the fiefdoms..." He deliberately paused, looking at the sudden brightness in their eyes, "You've seen how comfortable the Princes of Qin and Tang are in the capital now. With the matter in Huguang settled, you can still choose a day to come to the capital, or go elsewhere to see the world. I won't stop you!"

Freedom! Wealth! These are the two things that princes dream of, with freedom being even more precious than silver. Chongzhen effortlessly placed them before him.

But the next second, his voice suddenly turned somber: "Have you all considered this? The soldiers in the north are fighting on empty stomachs, and the famine victims in Shaanxi and Henan are resorting to cannibalism! The imperial treasury is empty. I, the emperor, am in a difficult position!"

He stared intently at the Sixth Prince: "I have granted you wealth and freedom, but... shouldn't you also share some of the burden for me and for this Ming Dynasty?"

The air that had just warmed up in the hall suddenly froze. The princes exchanged glances, knowing that the main event was about to begin.

Emperor Chongzhen stopped beating around the bush: "The taxes and provisions in Huguang must be greatly increased! But this burden cannot be placed on the common people. What I want to do is the fair and square method of 'integrating the poll tax into the land tax, with officials collecting and paying taxes'!"

"My mind is made up. Throughout the entire Huguang province, regardless of whether it is royal estate, official land, or private land, a tax will be levied on a per-mu basis, with each mu yielding five sheng of grain! This includes the additional Liaodong tax and poll tax; there will be absolutely no other levies!"

"This..." Chu King Zhu Hua Kui managed to squeeze out a sound, his face turning deathly pale. The other princes also gasped in shock. Five liters per mu might not sound like much, but each of them owned hundreds of thousands of mu of land. The total amount was staggering!

Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand to stop them from speaking, his tone hard as a knife: "These are my conditions."

He leaned forward, his voice lowered but even more imposing: "I want you, the six princes, along with the Prince of Min, the Prince of Ji, and all the princes of Huguang, to jointly submit a memorial, voluntarily requesting to pay taxes according to this procedure!"

"You are the descendants of the founding emperor! With you taking the lead, the people of the world will see the determination of the Zhu family to share the fate of the nation! What face or excuse will those gentry and powerful people have left to resist grain taxes?"

"You've paid five liters per mu, and I guarantee you'll actually receive one and a half qian! You've struck it rich! Not only have you gained more rent, but you've also secured the stability of the nation, my trust in you, and real wealth and honor for your descendants!"

The room was deathly silent.

After a while, Chu King Zhu Hua Kui's expression changed several times. Finally, he gritted his teeth, rose from his seat, and knelt down: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is willing to follow you! This grain of five liters per mu, I, Chu Fan... shall pay!"

Prince Xiang, Zhu Yiming, immediately knelt down as well: "Your subject is also willing! I am willing to be the first in the world!"

Prince Rong, Prince Hui, and the others exchanged glances, knowing there was no way out, and knelt down one after another: "Your subjects are willing to jointly submit a memorial, and by imperial decree, pay the grain!"

Seeing the princes kneeling on the ground, Chongzhen finally showed a genuine smile. He knew that the first lever to pry open the ironclad barrier of Huguang had been successfully used. However, to accomplish the two difficult tasks of requiring officials and gentry to pay taxes together and merging the poll tax into the land tax in the Ming Dynasty, it was essential that the Zhu family itself take the lead!
"Good! These are the fine sons of my Zhu family!" He personally helped the King of Chu and the King of Xiang to their feet. "Rest assured, I will never mistreat you."

He turned to Prince Zhu Yujian of Tang, who was standing solemnly to the side, and said, "Prince Tang, the rest is up to you. The first task of the Huguang branch of the Imperial Clan Court is to verify the grain due from each prefecture and ensure that every single grain of the 'one and a half qian' rent goes into the treasuries of each prince!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" The Tang King bowed and accepted the order, his eyes gleaming.

Chongzhen nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself: Gentry and gentry of Huguang, are you ready to take this challenge?
(End of this chapter)