How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 300 Where are these Tusi (chieftains)? They're all Han Chinese vassals!

Although Yongning was ravaged by war, it was still a large area with an important strategic location, situated at the junction of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan provinces. The emperor's reward was undeniably generous; could Qin Liangyu and the Ma family of Shizhu truly accept it?

Almost everyone's eyes were on Qin Liangyu.

Qin Liangyu, however, showed no elation. After a moment of silence, she rose from her seat again, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed deeply to Emperor Chongzhen, her tone tinged with fear:

"Your Majesty's grace is heavier than Mount Tai! Your Majesty and the Ma family of Shizhu are deeply grateful and know not how to repay this kindness!"

She raised her head, her gaze sincere: "However, Yongning is a dangerous place, inhabited by Yi and Miao people, and the newly annexed people are not yet settled. I am but a woman, lacking in talent and virtue, and I fear I may fail Your Majesty's trust and ruin the affairs of the court. Moreover, the Ma family has been guarding this corner of Shizhu for generations and has already received great favor from the Emperor. We dare not covet more territory and risk causing controversy. Your Majesty's kindness... I am truly terrified and humbly beg Your Majesty to reconsider and withdraw your order."

After these words were spoken, the hall fell even quieter. Several officials exchanged furtive glances. This Qin Liangyu was indeed cautious; she was actually declining such a golden opportunity.

Chongzhen looked at her, his face expressionless, but he knew perfectly well what was going on. It wasn't that she truly didn't want it, but rather that she harbored doubts and wanted to test him to see if he would really give it to her.

He chuckled softly: "General Qin is too modest. I am not merely rewarding you for your merits, but entrusting you with an important responsibility. Only someone as loyal and brave as the Ma family, whose lineage is as distinguished as Shizhu, can pacify Yongning. My mind is made up on this matter, and you need not refuse any longer."

He no longer gave Qin Liangyu a chance to refuse, but instead changed the subject and began to offer her terms:
"General Qin, my granting you the fief of Yongning is both a sign of trust and a responsibility. Yongning is in a bad state right now. After ten years of war, it's probably become a wasteland. If I were to send an official to govern it, it would probably take ten or twenty years to get things sorted out. Only you vassal lords can get things sorted out in a short time. In addition, since your Ma family is a vassal, you have the obligations of a vassal. I have four things that I need your Ma family to do."

Qin Liangyu's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the real drama was about to begin, and she solemnly said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"First, the feudal responsibility." Chongzhen held up his first finger. "Having been granted the fief of Yongning, you are now my vassal. Vassal vassals have the responsibility to serve. I want you to select two thousand elite White-Armed Soldiers from Shizhu and Yongning, fully equipped, and hand them over to me for direct command to fight alongside the imperial army. This is your duty, and you must not make any mistakes."

Two thousand elite troops! Qin Liangyu's heart skipped a beat. But she remained calm and replied, "Your Majesty, I obey. I will select brave warriors to serve Your Majesty."

"The second matter is the responsibility to assist Jin." Chongzhen held up his second finger. "The Jin fiefdom will soon be enfeoffed in Shuixi. I want your Ma family to do your utmost to assist it, sending capable members of your clan to serve as officials under the Jin fiefdom, to help it gain a firm foothold. If the Jin fiefdom is secure, then your Yongning descendants will be secure as well."

Qin Liangyu pondered for a moment and understood the deeper meaning. She said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty's considerations are thorough. I will do my utmost to help Prince Jin stabilize Shuixi."

"Thirdly, the alliance through marriage." Chongzhen's tone softened slightly, but his gaze remained piercing. "To demonstrate the unity between the emperor and his subjects, I wish to establish a marriage alliance with the Ma family. You may select a virtuous woman from your clan and send her to the palace. From then on, the Ma family will not only be my vassal state but also my imperial relatives."

A marriage alliance! Qin Liangyu's breath caught in her throat. This meant something completely different. Suppressing her excitement, she bowed and said, "This is the greatest honor for the Ma family! Your Majesty, I will certainly obey your will and carefully select the best candidate."

"The fourth matter," Chongzhen's voice was resolute, "is to establish proper names and titles! From this day forward, the Ma family of Shizhu is no ordinary chieftain, but a vassal state of the Great Ming Emperor! They are on par with the Gao family of Hetao, the Zu family of Liaoxi, and the Zheng family of Jizhou! You will only be granted fiefdoms and expanded territories, and there will never be a day when your fiefdoms are abolished! This promise is witnessed by Heaven and Earth!"

"There will never be a day when the feudal domains are abolished!"

These six words are probably what all the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty loved to hear the most!
However, Emperor Chongzhen did leave room for maneuver. Expansion of territory and relocation of fiefdoms were still permitted.
But Qin Liangyu didn't think that much; she simply knelt down, her voice trembling slightly.

"Your Majesty is so sincere and trustworthy! If I were to harbor any doubts, it would be unbecoming of a subject! Your Majesty has commanded me to accomplish these four tasks, and I, Qin Liangyu, along with the entire Ma family of Shizhu, will do everything in our power, even if it means our lives! The Ma family is willing to serve as Your Majesty's bulwark for eternity, guarding the southwest forever, even unto death!"

After that, Yongzhen could only be moved to the southwest.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Qin Liangyu kneeling before him and revealed a genuine smile. He stood up, took two steps forward, and personally helped her up: "Good! With Commander Qin's words, I am greatly pleased! I have no worries about the affairs of the Southwest!"

Next, he helped Qin Liangyu up, his gaze sweeping intently across the entire room, especially at the officials from Huguang whose faces were beginning to turn pale.

"General Qin is a man of great integrity and a model for vassal statesmen!" Emperor Chongzhen exclaimed. "However, I know that in the lands of Huguang and the Southwest, there are many like the Ma family of Shizhu, renowned for their loyalty and courage, and devoted to the rule of the emperor."

"Today, I will take this as an example and issue an edict to all the departments in Huguang: All local officials within their jurisdictions, whether they are pacification officials, pacification officials, or pacification officials, as long as they are loyal to the court, uphold their duties as subjects, and are willing to follow the imperial rule, pay taxes and wages, and send soldiers to serve the country, may be, after verification by the governors and viceroys, be granted the title of 'vassal of the Great Ming', following the example of the Ma family of Shizhu!"

A collective gasp of surprise erupted within the hall. The governor of Huguang, Tang Hui, and his entourage were deeply shaken.

The emperor is setting an example for the Ma family by openly courting the chieftains of Huguang!

The eight princes of Huguang have already surrendered; if the chieftains surrender as well, the gentry of Huguang will become increasingly isolated!
Emperor Chongzhen ignored their shock and continued to speak loudly:
"Since they are vassals, they should share the fate of the nation! I am here, and I must set things right! I have seen in the annals of history that the Ma family of Shizhu, the general of Qin, were descendants of Ma Yuan, the general who subdued the waves of the Eastern Han Dynasty. They were truly descendants of the Han people and pillars of the Han dynasty! They only settled in the southwest because they had served the country on the border for generations!"

His gaze was like lightning, seemingly piercing through the palace walls and looking towards the mountains of western Hubei and western Hunan: "I know very well that the ancestors of the chieftains in various parts of Huguang were mostly Han Chinese men, either soldiers guarding the borders or virtuous men fleeing from chaos! Over the years, only due to geographical barriers have they gradually lost contact with the Central Plains. This is not their fault, but a loss for the country!"

"Today, I will restore your original appearance! All those who are truly of Han blood, who wear my clothes and follow my etiquette, and who wish to trace their origins, will be restored to Han status and recorded in the imperial register after verification by the relevant officials, and will be confirmed as children of the Great Ming!"

"From this day forward, you are no longer guests, but home! Your children may enter the Imperial Academy, take the imperial examinations, and stand alongside scholars from all over the land! My empire belongs to the Han people, and also to all my Han subjects!"

Now things are much better. The chieftains in the southwest are no longer considered "native"; they've all become Han Chinese vassals!

He suddenly looked at Tang Hui and the other officials, his tone chilling:
"The three provincial-level administrative divisions of Huguang and all prefectures, counties and districts must immediately issue documents to their respective regions to proclaim my will! Anyone who dares to outwardly comply but inwardly defy, delay or obstruct, or take the opportunity to exploit or bully others, or sow discord between the Han and the local people, will be punished for defying the imperial edict and undermining the new policies, without any leniency!"

After saying this, he stopped looking at the bewildered officials and said gently to Qin Liangyu, "Commander Qin, this matter concerns the long-term stability of the Southwest. We need role models like you to do more to reassure the people."

Qin Liangyu now fully understood the young emperor's thoughts. Overjoyed, she bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty is wise! This is a monumental achievement, a blessing for all the people of the southwest! I will certainly contact all the families, proclaim the Emperor's grace, and persuade them to wholeheartedly submit and jointly protect the Great Ming!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded in satisfaction before turning his gaze to Zhu Xieyuan, an old minister who was still in shock.

"Zhu Qing."

"Your subject is here," Zhu Xieyuan replied hastily.

"You know the difficulties the imperial court faces regarding the integration of Sichuan and Shaanxi."

Emperor Chongzhen knew that things in Sichuan would be difficult to handle, and that Zhu Xieyuan, the old fox who held both military and political power in Sichuan (he was both governor-general and governor), was not easy to deal with. So he had no choice but to settle for second best. He paused for a moment and then said, "Sichuan needs to do two important things for the court."

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty," Zhu Xieyuan said.

"First, the profits from Sichuan salt will be centrally managed by the imperial court. A 'Sichuan Salt Transport Commissioner' will be established. Starting next year, the annual salt tax of 800,000 taels will be fully remitted to the imperial granary!"

"Secondly, large official granaries will be built in places such as Baoning Prefecture in northern Sichuan. 1.5 million shi of grain will be stored there annually, and will not be transported, but will be used specifically to prepare for famine in Shaanxi!"

Emperor Chongzhen stared at him, enunciating each word clearly: "This matter concerns the lives of millions! If there is any mishap, or if anyone tampers with it, it will be considered treason! Do you understand?"

Zhu Xieyuan lifted his robe and knelt down: "Your subject understands! Your subject will do his utmost, and if anything goes wrong, I will offer my head!"

"Get up." Chongzhen's tone softened slightly. "I know that the 100 million mu of land in Sichuan has extremely high water content. We'll deal with this matter later. For the next ten years, Sichuan will pay 800,000 taels of silver in salt tax annually, and 1.5 million shi of grain will be stored in Baoning, northern Sichuan every year."

His gaze once again turned to the officials from Huguang present: "Sichuan is indeed the Land of Abundance. But after the major battles of Bozhou, Yongning, and Shuixi, and ten years of war, its vitality has been severely damaged. I know its difficulties." He paused, as if recalling the treacherous roads of Shu, "Moreover, those roads are as difficult as ascending to heaven. Transporting grain out of Sichuan requires more manpower than the grain itself. Forcing Sichuan grain to be transported north is of no benefit to the country or its people; it only adds to the burden."

"But Hubei and Hunan are different!"

"When Hubei and Hunan are prosperous, the whole country is well-fed! This saying is not without merit. The Jianghan Plain and the shores of Dongting Lake are fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles, crisscrossed by waterways. Although there have been floods in recent years, there has been no major war disaster, so it can be considered a peaceful and tranquil place! Every memorial you Hubei and Hunan officials submit reports on the abundance of the people and the prosperity of the land. Why is it that when it comes to serving the country, you make excuses and complain about difficulties?"

His tone suddenly became extremely heavy: "The north is suffering from a severe drought, with the land parched and people resorting to cannibalism. This is no exaggeration! In Shaanxi, Henan, Shanxi, Shandong, and Beizhili, how many people are desperately waiting for food to survive! The foundation of the court and the stability of the country largely depend on the money and grain from Huguang!"

"Sichuan's inability to cope is understandable. But Huguang, a land of plenty, living a peaceful life, if they don't shoulder more responsibility and provide substantial financial and material aid to the disaster victims in the north and appease the soldiers on the nine borders, will the world still be stable? Will the Ming Dynasty still be able to continue?!"

His gaze was fixed on Tang Hui, the pale-faced governor of Huguang, and his group of men. He spoke slowly and deliberately, almost through gritted teeth:

"Huguang must contribute more to the disaster victims in the north, to the peace of the nation, and to the stability of the Ming Dynasty! They must contribute more!"

"Because Hubei and Hunan have the capability and the responsibility to shoulder the burden of being the 'granary of the nation'! This matter concerns the very foundation of the country, and there is no room for discussion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Chengyun Hall fell into an eerie silence, broken only by suppressed breathing. Chongzhen's meaning was crystal clear: Sichuan could catch its breath, but Huguang (Hubei and Hunan) had to immediately and unreservedly provide funds and provisions! Now, all the pressure was firmly on the side of the Huguang officials and the Huguang gentry behind them.

(End of this chapter)