How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 81 Now that I have won, I have so much to do! (First update, please subscribe)
On the second day of the second month of the first year of the Chongzhen reign, the dragon raised its head.

Spring had not yet arrived in Beijing; instead, a chilly, late-spring cold snap lingered. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, few smiling. Inside the Zhengxintang teahouse beside Zhengyangmen Outer Street, however, the place was bustling with activity.

This "Zhengxin Hall" has always been a favorite haunt of scholars and candidates for the imperial examinations. Now that the spring examinations have been postponed due to the emperor's relocation to Tsinghua Garden to oversee the preparations, many candidates from Jiangnan and Southeast China who are stranded in the capital often gather here to discuss current affairs and criticize current malpractices.

At a table by the window, several young scholars sat. Leading them was Shi Kefa, his face resolute. Beside him were Guan Shaoning and Zhuang Yinghui, both with furrowed brows. The youngest, Huang Zongxi, was the most agitated, his fingers dipping in tea and tracing lines on the table.

"Guo Yunhou is greedy, despicable, and incompetent. Just because he curried favor with the eunuch faction, he actually got the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing! That's the money bag of the capital! Cui Chengxiu, a vicious dog under Wei Zhongxian, has transformed into the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai! That's the most lucrative position in the land!" Huang Zongxi's voice was low, but he couldn't suppress his indignation. "What kind of people is the Emperor using? What kind of policies is he implementing? It's clearly still the same old system from the Tianqi era, using both good and evil, the imperial balancing act! If this continues, how can the country ever have peace?"

At the next table, a local Beijing tea drinker, dressed in a slightly worn silk shirt, couldn't help but interject over the conversation: "Gentlemen, if I may not like to hear it, what you're saying... we common folk don't understand. But with the Emperor confiscating property and arresting people like this, how many of our old brothers in the Beijing garrison have been implicated? Just look at the Chengguo Duke's mansion alone—how many shops have closed down? How many businesses that depend on the nobles for their livelihood have been wiped out? How many mouths in the capital depend on these people for their food! The holidays are even quieter than usual! This is going to destroy so many people's livelihoods!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa turned to the old tea drinker, cupped his hands, and said, “What you say is true. It is only right to rectify the long-standing problems of the Beijing Garrison. However… if we act too hastily, we may cause trouble. We should first rectify the court and remove the corrupt officials from the emperor’s side, and then use upright gentlemen to gradually address the issue. This is the right approach.”

Zhuang Yinghui nodded in agreement: "What's even more worrying is Liaodong! I've heard that the Ministry of Revenue has been slow to allocate this year's Liaodong military pay. Has His Majesty been using all the money to fight the Chahan tribe? Although the Chahan tribe occasionally raids the border, at their core, they are Mongolians from the northern steppes, and are not of one mind with the Jurchens; in fact, they have many grudges against them. While an alliance with the Jurchens to pacify the Jurchens may not be feasible, forcing them to side with the Jurchens would endanger the northern border of the Ming Dynasty! If we lose Liaodong for a small gain, and the Jurchens break through the pass, the whole country will be shaken, and the disaster will be far greater than the disturbance at Xuanfu!"

Guan Shaoning also sighed, "That's exactly right. The focus of the court is now on Xuanda, and the Liaodong side has repeatedly submitted memorials requesting funds, but they have all been ignored. If the Liaodong garrison were to cause trouble due to a lack of funds, the consequences would be unimaginable."

The crowd chimed in, all feeling that the political situation was chaotic and the future bleak. Although the emperor seemed to be invigorating, he had appointed the wrong people and taken inappropriate actions, which was worrying.

Huang Zongxi slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup jump: "Gentlemen! What's the use of empty talk? Why don't we jointly submit a memorial, directly pointing out the evils of the resurgence of the eunuch faction and the arrears in the Liaodong military pay! Let's follow the example of the ancient sages and directly remonstrate with the emperor!"

Shi Kefa pressed his hand down and slowly shook his head: "Taichong (Huang Zongxi's courtesy name), calm down. The matter of petitioning the emperor is of great importance and requires careful consideration. Let's see what the emperor does next..."

Before the words were even finished, a thunderous cheer erupted from the street outside the teahouse without warning!

"Wan Sheng!"

"May the Great Ming Dynasty be victorious!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The shouts grew louder and louder, instantly drowning out the discussions inside the teahouse.

The tea drinkers were stunned. They all stood up and rushed to the windows and doorways to look.

The main street outside Zhengyang Gate was now packed with people, all craning their necks in anticipation, their faces beaming with excitement. In the center of the street, several knights were slowly approaching.

The lead rider was particularly eye-catching. A soldier with dust-covered armor held aloft a long pole, from which hung a huge silk scroll covered in ink, bearing a report of victory!

Following them were several mounted guards, each with their chests out and heads held high. Though their faces showed signs of fatigue, they could not hide their excitement and pride. They shouted in unison, their voices booming and piercing through the clamor of the crowd:
"A great victory at Xuanfu!"

"The royal army has recaptured Dushikou!"

"Three thousand enemy leaders were slain in battle!"

"Tiger Mound Rabbit Sweat fled in panic at the mere sight of the enemy!"

"May the Great Ming Dynasty be victorious!"

This is Lubfeijie!

The scholars in the teahouse all crowded to the doorway, looking at the banner announcing the victory, listening to the deafening cheers and the soldiers' loud reports of victory, and feeling the heartfelt joy of the people around them.

Guan Shaoning, Zhuang Yinghui, and others, who were just worried, unconsciously showed smiles on their faces.

"A great victory indeed! We've recaptured Dushikou! Three thousand heads have been beheaded!" Guan Shaoning murmured. "Truly a rare and magnificent triumph!"

Zhuang Yinghui clapped his hands and said, "In that case, the northern front can be secured for the time being. His Majesty... truly has a decisive mind!"

Shi Kefa remained silent, but his tightly furrowed brows relaxed considerably, and his gaze followed the banner, a glint of light flickering within. Only Huang Zongxi's brows furrowed even more deeply. Looking at the cheering crowd and listening to the sudden shift in his colleagues' tone, a complex, bitter smile appeared on his lips as he muttered to himself:

"Just moments ago they were criticizing the corrupt government, but now that news of victory has arrived, everyone is praising the emperor's wisdom... If reforming the capital garrison touches on vested interests, it's considered rash and foolish; but if generals are killed and flags are captured on the border, it's seen as the emperor's sole intention. Is this... the way of the world and the hearts of the people?"

……

Xiyuan, Yihaitang Hall in Tsinghua Garden.

The atmosphere here is completely different from the bustling atmosphere in Beijing; it's a kind of ecstatic release after being suppressed to the extreme.

Emperor Chongzhen clutched the detailed victory report jointly sent by Wei Zhongxian, You Shiwei, Zhu Zhifeng, and Hou Shilu in his hand, his fingers turning slightly white from the pressure.

He has watched it three times already.

Every word was like a heavy hammer, shattering the boulder that had been weighing on his heart for months!
"Good! Good! Good!"

He suddenly raised his head and said "good" three times in a row, his voice rising higher and higher until it was almost a shout. The anxiety, restraint, and anger of the past few days all turned into uncontrollable joy at this moment. He laughed loudly, and his laughter echoed in the hall.

"Hahahaha! What a You Shiwei! What a Hou Shilu! What a Cao Wenzhao! What a... what a Wei Zhongxian!"

The eunuchs Xu Yingyuan, Wang Chengen, and others who were standing by immediately knelt down: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! May Heaven bless the Ming Dynasty!"

The four cabinet ministers Huang Lijie and Sun Chengzong, Vice Minister of War Li Banghua, and Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan, who were in the audience, also showed surprise and bowed in unison: "Your Majesty, we congratulate you! This is the result of Your Majesty's strategic planning and the soldiers' bravery!"

Emperor Chongzhen smiled and waved his hand, signaling them to rise. He strolled into the hall, raised the victory report in his hand, and his face radiated an unprecedented confidence and vigor.

"Strategic planning? I merely trusted the right people and gave them the necessary provisions!" His gaze swept over the four high-ranking officials, his voice booming. "This victory is of extraordinary significance! It not only recaptured a formidable pass and killed thousands of Tartars, but also demonstrated the might of our Great Ming army! It crushed the arrogance of the Chahan tribe! More importantly..."

He paused, then his tone suddenly shifted, becoming deep and extremely authoritative:

"It gave me, and the court, the confidence! It gave us... the confidence to thoroughly investigate and rectify the situation!"

The smiles on the faces of Huang Lijie, Sun Chengzong, Li Banghua, and Bi Ziyan froze slightly, and a chill ran through them at the same time.

Chongzhen's gaze became sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through the palace and point directly at Shanxi and the Beijing garrison.

"With this great victory as our foundation, let's see who dares to make a fuss now! Let's see who dares to use border troubles as an excuse to obstruct the court's internal purges!"

He swung his arm sharply, his voice resolute and unwavering:
"I have so much to do next!"

"First, thoroughly investigate the Beijing Garrison! Li Banghua, I order you, Lu Jiude, and Zhang Zhiji to investigate thoroughly for me based on the crimes confessed by those treacherous officials in Tsinghua University! All those who embezzled military pay, seized farmland, or privately employed soldiers, no matter who is involved, shall be severely punished without exception! The vacant troop quotas shall be thoroughly investigated for me!"

"Second, seal up the Prince Dai's residence! Wang Zaijin and Tian Ergeng must have already surrounded the Prince Dai's residence. Issue the decree immediately, telling them to stop worrying and seal it up for me! The Prince Dai's residence has accumulated more than two hundred years of wealth, which can be used as the source of funds for me to train the new army and strengthen the border towns! Seal it up now, and I will send people to confiscate it later!"

"Third," Chongzhen's voice grew even colder, "a thorough investigation of the Shanxi merchants! Zhu Chunchen colluded with the barbarians; how did he sell his weapons and gunpowder? There must be a channel! Order the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot to thoroughly investigate Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, and other wealthy Shanxi merchants! Anyone suspected of colluding with the barbarians shall have their property confiscated and their entire family exterminated! All their assets shall be confiscated! I intend to use this opportunity to thoroughly rectify border trade and firmly grasp this trade route to the frontier in the hands of the court!"

The four decrees were all more ruthless and astonishing than the last!
Huang Lijie, Sun Chengzong, and the other two were stunned.

They had thought that after such a great victory, the Emperor would ease up and prioritize stability. Little did they expect that the Emperor would use the momentum of this victory to unleash a massive wave of unrest across the capital's military, the imperial clans, and border merchants—a wave that would sweep across the entire realm!

This young emperor clearly intends to take advantage of the great victory to launch a vigorous new policy under the Chongzhen Emperor!
Seeing their astonished expressions, Chongzhen smiled smugly.

"What? Do you, my esteemed ministers, think... I've been too hasty?"

(End of this chapter)