Transmigrating to the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty: Becoming a Great Emperor Through Idlene

After the door closed, Chongzhen looked at Wang Chengen and said, "Wang Daban, what do you think of this man?"

Wang Chengen pondered for a moment: "This servant thinks it can be used. But we must be careful."

"Beware of what?"

"Be wary of him... He's too eager to prove himself." Wang Chengen said very carefully, "Such a person is either a true loyal minister or... a very dangerous ambitious man."

Emperor Chongzhen laughed and said, "You're right. That's why I have to be wary of people when I use them. Keep an eye on this matter for me."

"This servant understands."

Emperor Chongzhen lay down again. He felt very tired, but a little more at ease.

Lu Wenzhao's move was just the first step; if he made the right move, he would be qualified to play the next move.

"By the way, regarding the Three Great Halls, has Wen Tiren made any moves?"

"Yes," Wang Chengen said in a low voice. "This morning, Grand Secretary Wen summoned the Minister of Works, the Minister of Revenue, and several vice ministers. My people in the Wenyuan Pavilion said they were arguing fiercely. The Ministry of Works said 800,000 taels wasn't enough, at least 1 million was needed. The Ministry of Revenue said they couldn't come up with even a single tael. In the end, Grand Secretary Wen slammed his fist on the table and said that this was His Majesty's decree, and that they would do whatever it took to get it done."

Emperor Chongzhen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is Wen Tiren so eager?"

"This servant finds this matter very strange," Wang Chengen said. "Governor Wen's usual style is such that he should delegate the task of offending people to his subordinates."

"There are two possibilities," Chongzhen said, closing his eyes. "First, he genuinely believes I'm delirious and wants to seize power. Second, he's testing me—testing whether I'm truly incompetent and whether there are other motives behind this."

"Then Your Majesty..."

"Let him try," Chongzhen said. "Not only let him try, but also help him. Wang Banban, go and spread the word: I have entrusted the entire project of the three main halls to Mr. Wen. He will decide everything, from personnel to funding to materials. I only need to know the results."

Wang Chengen was stunned: "Your Majesty, isn't this... a bit too much power? What if Grand Secretary Wen interferes...?"

"Greedy?" Chongzhen laughed: "Then let him be greedy. I'm just afraid he won't be greedy."

Wang Chengen was completely confused.

Chongzhen offered no explanation. Some things couldn't be said outright yet. Wen Tiren's greed for money allowed him to seize leverage over Wen Tiren. Wen Tiren's ambition for power allowed him to instigate infighting among court officials. The more proactive Wen Tiren was, the more it proved that the "foolish move" of building the three main halls had been effective.

Everyone was drawn to the open, making it easier to do things in the shadows.

"There's one more thing," Chongzhen said, opening his eyes. "From today onwards, Wang Banban, you need to change your image in public."

"This servant...doesn't understand."

"You were once the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a loyal servant of mine, a diligent and cautious eunuch." Chongzhen looked at him: "I want you to become... a court jester."

Wang Chengen's expression changed instantly.

"I want you to be like Wei Zhongxian," Chongzhen said calmly. "But not the Wei Zhongxian of the Tianqi era, but the Wei Zhongxian who only listens to me. Do those absurd things for me, such as building palaces, selecting beauties, and collecting strange and unusual things. You must appear greedy, domineering, and arrogant. Make everyone hate you and despise you, but dare not offend you."

Wang Chengen knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, this servant... this servant cannot be Wei Zhongxian. This servant would rather die than..."

"I know you can't do it," Chongzhen interrupted him. "That's why I'm making you do it. Wang Banban, this is an act. An act for everyone to see. I need a target, a focal point. Are you willing... to be my target?"

Wang Chengen raised his head and looked at the emperor. The young face was pale and thin, but there was a fire burning in his eyes. It was a light he had never seen before.

It wasn't despair, nor madness, but a kind of madness that was calm to the extreme.

At that moment, he suddenly understood a few things.

His Majesty has not gone mad. His Majesty is making a very, very big move. And Wang Chengen is an important piece on that chessboard.

Only by placing this piece in the most conspicuous and hateful place, attracting others' attention, can the real killing move be unleashed.

"This servant..." His voice trembled, "This servant is willing. This servant is willing to do anything that can help Your Majesty."

"Alright." Chongzhen reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "Then let's begin. This afternoon, go to the Imperial Treasury and get 50,000 taels of silver, supposedly to buy medicine to improve my health. In reality, 10,000 taels will be used for official business, and the remaining 40,000 taels... will be placed in the place I mentioned earlier."

"This servant obeys the decree."

"And another thing," Chongzhen thought for a moment, "find an opportunity to 'accidentally' run into my father-in-law, Zhou Kui. Let him breathe a sigh of relief; I haven't been in a good mood lately and want to find some amusement. If he has any 'connections'... I don't mind."

Wang Chengen replied, "This servant understands."

"Go. I'm tired and need to sleep for a while."

After Wang Chengen left, only Chongzhen remained in the palace. Lying in bed, listening to the sound of fine snow falling outside the window, he suddenly felt a sense of absurdity.

Within a day of arriving in this world, he had already set up three pieces: Zhou Kui's wealth, Lu Wenzhao's knife, and Wang Chengen's shield.

At the same time, a huge pit was dug: a trap for the construction of the three main halls.

What's next?

Technology. Talent. Military. Overseas escape routes.

These all take time.

But what he lacks most right now is time.

January of the seventh year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign. Many things happened in history that year: in January, the effects of Huang Taiji's third invasion of the Central Plains had not yet subsided; in February, peasant armies in Shaanxi broke through the encirclement; in March, a great famine struck Henan; in April, Zhang Xianzhong entered Sichuan…

Each one felt like a command issued by the Grim Reaper.

When the death warrant is placed on his neck, he must complete all the necessary arrangements.

Thinking about this made him very sleepy. Chongzhen closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

This time, I didn't dream.

Or perhaps his dreams were so vague that he couldn't remember them when he woke up.

All I remember is a blood-red expanse, with a faint glimmer of light within it.

He woke up in the afternoon. The snow had stopped, but the sky was still overcast.

When Wang Chengen was not present, two young palace maids washed and ate for him.

The medicine was brought up again, and Chongzhen took a sip in front of the palace maids, then "accidentally" knocked over the medicine bowl.

"Go and fry another bowl," he said casually.

The palace maid cleaned up the broken pieces and left. Chongzhen spat a small mouthful of medicine under his tongue, but didn't swallow it. Although he didn't know if there was anything wrong with the medicine, it was always better to be cautious.

He walked to the window and opened it. Cold air rushed in, carrying the fresh scent unique to snow. Workers had already appeared at the construction site of the three main halls in the distance, and Wen Tiren was moving quickly.

Yeah.

Let you keep busy doing nothing in the open.

I will remain in the shadows and proceed slowly.

He went back to bed, took out his phone, paper, and pen from under his pillow. This time, he drew a gear transmission structure instead of a blast furnace. The drawing wasn't very good, but the basic principle was correct.

He stopped drawing after a while.

Because he heard a voice.

The sound was very soft, but there was the sound of tiles being stepped on, coming from the roof.

Chongzhen placed his hand on a short sword at his waist, a sword the original owner had kept by his bedside for self-defense. He slowly raised his head, gazing at the coffered ceiling above him.

The sound stopped.

But the feeling of being spied on is even stronger.

Inside the palace, candlelight burned quietly. The sky outside the window slowly darkened.

Night fell.

The duel in the darkness has only just begun.