How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 62: Follow Li Zicheng's Path, Leaving Li Zicheng with No Way Out (Please Read Further)
When Emperor Chongzhen angrily questioned Duke Dingguo Xu Xigao, he knew that his efforts to prolong the life of the Ming Dynasty at all costs had once again achieved considerable success—the good nobles of the Ming Dynasty, you are about to be put on the table as the "price" for prolonging the already terminally ill Ming Dynasty!

As a feudal dynasty, the demise of the Ming Dynasty was inevitable! Emperor Chongzhen, who had been educated in the "new Celestial Empire" for many years, did not doubt this point.

But the inevitable demise of the Ming Dynasty doesn't mean it can't be saved now. And the way to save the Ming Dynasty, of course, is through reform and opening up! He's very familiar with this approach! He's personally experienced major reforms, so he knows very well that reforms inevitably bring benefits to some and costs to others!
For the Ming Dynasty, a feudal dynasty that had already declined, reforms were necessary when the "cake" could not be expanded in the short term. This meant changing the existing stock, allowing some people to eat more and others to eat less or even be eaten up!

If Emperor Chongzhen, who was well-versed in the History of Ming and had taken office twice, had any magic touch, it was that he figured out who could sit at the table and eat, who should sit at the table and become "food," and who had to spit out what they shouldn't have eaten in the reforms that were meant to save the Ming Dynasty.

First of all, the military households of the Nine Garrisons and Thirteen Towns absolutely deserve to eat at the table! If they are not given food, they will overturn the table, they will make the Ming Dynasty "eat at the table," and they will make Emperor Chongzhen "climb a tree"!
Therefore, ever since his rebirth, Emperor Chongzhen has gone to great lengths to benefit the military households of the Nine Border Garrisons and Thirteen Towns, portraying himself as their chief representative. This is essentially following in Li Zicheng's footsteps, leaving Li Zicheng with nowhere to go.

Secondly, the eunuch faction, or the emperor's faction, also had a say in the emperor's affairs. If they weren't allowed to "eat," Chongzhen would have no one to command. However, they had previously indulged in too much and were far too uncouth in their eating habits. Moreover, they only cared about their own gain, ignoring both the emperor and the military households in the nine border garrisons and thirteen towns—the riots in Jizhou, Xuanfu, Datong, and other towns, which had been owed wages for over a decade, were all the fault of the eunuch faction. Those guys were nothing but a bunch of corrupt officials!
Therefore, immediately after ascending the throne, Emperor Chongzhen cracked down on the corruption of the eunuch faction and seized their wealth. However, he didn't completely destroy the eunuch faction; instead, he made them pay to atone for their sins—essentially, this was a "redistribution of interests within the imperial faction." If Chongzhen wanted to eat more, his lackeys had to "lose weight."

However, the gold coins that Chongzhen obtained from the eunuch faction were not for his own extravagance, but were used to fill the gaps in the nine border regions and thirteen towns.

In reality, this is making the eunuch faction pay the price for restoring the vitality of the Nine Border Towns and Thirteen Garrisons.

The ultimate reason why Jizhou defeated Duoyan and Xuanfu defeated Chahan was that the eunuch faction paid the price.

However, the price the eunuch faction can pay is this much. For the Ming Dynasty to survive the Jisi Incident, squeezing the eunuch faction dry wouldn't be enough; it would have to make nobles, princes, Donglin members, Shanxi merchants, and others serve as either a price or a means to pay. Whether they would be eaten or continue eating after paying a price would depend on their strength and cooperation.

The eunuch faction is quite powerful and very cooperative, so by paying the price and continuing to act as their lackey, they can get a share of the benefits in the future.

The Donglin faction, or more precisely, the powerful gentry of the southeast, possessed immense economic strength. They not only had vast existing wealth but could also profit from international trade following the Age of Exploration, thus providing potential for increased wealth. If Emperor Chongzhen could secure a share of this increased wealth from international trade, then the military households holding the reins of power in the nine border regions would have something to eat, as would the eunuch faction loyal to him. The Ming Dynasty would likely have been successfully extended!
However, the Donglin faction (actually the powerful gentry of the southeast) was difficult to control. Several previous Ming emperors had tried to seize the wealth of these capitalists, but without much success. Chongzhen certainly had his methods, but it wasn't Chongzhen's turn to deliver the blow. This was partly because the powerful gentry of the southeast were too far from Chongzhen, and partly because Zhu Chunchen, that fool, had self-destructed, inadvertently implicated his own noble comrades!
This item is really valuable!

But that's not enough; this matter needs to be expanded! Expanded significantly! First, drag those unfortunate nobles in the capital into it, let them sit at the table and see how they perform. Then, that useless, piecemeal-like Beijing garrison should also be put on the table at a higher cost, so that the military households of the nine border garrisons and thirteen towns can have a better meal.

Only by ensuring they are well-fed can the Jisi Incident be successfully overcome.

If he could successfully weather the Jisi Incident, Emperor Chongzhen would be able to stay away from the fate of "climbing a tree".

Thinking of this, Chongzhen's face darkened, and he glared fiercely at Duke Dingguo, Xu Xigao.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty!" Xu Xigao's voice trembled violently, choked with sobs, almost wailing, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, I am innocent! I knew nothing! I swear to Heaven, I had no idea that Zhu Chunchen...that scoundrel dared to be so audacious! He dared...he dared to steal my carriage and flee!"

"Is that so?" Chongzhen's voice was so cold that it sent chills down Xu Xigao's spine. He suddenly raised his head, tears streaming down his face, no longer caring about the dignity of a duke, and shouted hoarsely, "Your Majesty! I...I must expose! I must expose Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunchen! He...he is guilty of heinous crimes!"

Chongzhen raised an eyebrow slightly and leaned forward slightly: "Oh? Expose? What does the Duke of Dingguo want to expose about the Duke of Chengguo?"

Xu Xigao, as if grasping at the last straw, spoke rapidly, like a machine gun, afraid of being convicted if he hesitated even for a second: "Your Majesty! Zhu Chunchen... he, as the commander of the Beijing Garrison, has been embezzling troops on a massive scale! The garrison's official roster lists 150,000 soldiers, but the actual number is probably less than 60,000! He has been embezzling military rations! He has also allowed his household servants to take on labor duties! He has forcibly conscripted soldiers to build gardens and cultivate fields for his residence! He has also... he has also seized military farms! He has plundered no less than 100,000 mu of fertile land in the Left and Right Guards of the capital region!"

He was panting heavily, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. To clear himself of any wrongdoing, he had to utterly destroy Zhu Chunchen: "Your Majesty! I...I also suspect that the mutiny in Xuanfu Town the other day...was instigated by him! He...he colluded with Shanxi merchants, embezzled military rations, and provoked the soldiers, all to use someone else to kill him, to get rid of Eunuch Wei! So that he himself...so that he himself..."

Xu Xigao's voice abruptly stopped, seemingly startled by what he was about to say. But seeing Chongzhen's icy gaze, he steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and went all out: "I suspect... he... he might have colluded with Hudun Tu Khan! Otherwise... otherwise how could the Tartars have arrived so conveniently?! Right when the Xuanfu mutiny happened! Hudun Tu Khan's invasion was instigated by him! Collusion with the barbarians! This is collusion with the barbarians, Your Majesty!"

"Colluding with the Tiger King and the Rabbit Khan?" Chongzhen's smile deepened, but his eyes grew even colder. He slowly repeated the question, drawing out the words, "The Duke of Dingguo... is there anything else?"

"And...and..." Xu Xigao's mind went blank. He racked his brains, wanting to spill everything he knew, heard, and even guessed. "He...he is usually extravagant and dissolute, overstepping the bounds in his household! His expenses are comparable to those of a prince! He...he also secretly befriends border generals, plotting treason! I...I also heard that he is in Datong...in Datong..."

Xu Xigao was incoherent, his official robe soaked with cold sweat, and he collapsed to the ground, only able to gasp for breath.

Emperor Chongzhen looked quietly at the Duke of Dingguo, who was lying on the ground like mud, and then glanced at the other nobles and ministers below the hall who were silent and pale. The cold smile on his lips slowly disappeared.

He picked up the rosewood thermos again, took a sip of the warm tea, and his voice returned to its usual calm:

"Li Banghua".

“Your subject is here!” Li Banghua, the Vice Minister of War, quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Record every word that the Duke of Dingguo just said, without missing a single detail." Chongzhen's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "Order the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate immediately! Arrest all those involved, regardless of whether they are nobles, border generals, or Shanxi merchants! I... want the truth to come to light!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Li Banghua's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied.

(End of this chapter)