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

The sound only occurred once on the tile, and then it never happened again.

Emperor Chongzhen sat by the bed for a long time, holding a short sword, until the candle burned out and he lit another one. There was no sound from the roof; the soft sound seemed like just snow sliding down. But he knew it wasn't.

The feeling of being spied on is like a tiny thorn stuck in your skin; you can't see it, but it hurts all the time.

Just as dawn was breaking, Wang Chengen returned. The old eunuch looked tired, but his eyes were bright.

"Your Majesty, the matter has been settled." He lowered his voice: "The Imperial Father-in-law... indeed has connections."

After putting away the short sword, Chongzhen said, "Now you can talk."

"The Emperor's father-in-law said he has a familiar bank in Tongzhou, belonging to the Fan family, a Shanxi merchant family. For large sums of money, we can go through their channels, and they'll take a cut... just 10%." Wang Chengen paused, "This servant thinks that the Fan family is quite extraordinary."

The Fan family. The leading merchant family among the eight major Shanxi merchants. Historically, this group of Shanxi merchants navigated the chaos of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, smuggling military supplies for the Ming dynasty, providing intelligence to the Qing dynasty, and ultimately acting as guides when the Qing army entered the pass.

"The more complicated, the better," Chongzhen sneered. "The more complex, the more effective. Has the money been sent yet?"

"It's been delivered." Wang Chengen's voice was even lower. "Forty thousand taels, in four batches, using different routes. It finally arrived at a secret room in the 'Huitong Bank' in Tongzhou. There were two keys; one was given to the bank manager, and the other is with me."

He took out a brass key, ordinary in style, but exquisitely polished.

Chongzhen took the key, examined it carefully, and asked, "How is Lu Wenzhao doing?"

"Commander Lu has already made his move." Wang Chengen's tone was somewhat complicated when he spoke of this matter: "Yesterday alone, he dismissed 127 members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, including three centurions and eight captains, all of whom... had some background."

"Is someone causing trouble?"

"It's gotten out of hand, a conflict has broken out. One of the centurions' uncles, who was then a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, went to the gate of the Northern Garrison Command and berated Lu Wenzhao for abusing his power for personal revenge." Wang Chengen said, "Commander Lu presented evidence of this man's crimes in front of everyone, including forcibly seizing farmland, extorting merchants, and even colluding with the Jurchens to smuggle goods. Now that man is imprisoned in the Imperial Prison."

Ruthless! Fast!

Emperor Chongzhen nodded. This was the effect he wanted. Lu Wenzhao's blade would only be sharpened upon seeing blood.

"How are the candidates for the Imperial City Guard coming along?"

"Commander Lu selected more than eighty people, all of whom were... without background, highly capable, but had not had a smooth career in government."

Wang Chengen thought for a moment: "However, he said that these people need to be tested again. Three checkpoints have been set up for this purpose. The first is to investigate their background, the second is to test their loyalty, and the third is... to test their courage."

"How do I test my courage?"

Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment: "Commander Lu said that it must be bloodshed, real bloodshed."

Emperor Chongzhen was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Let him try, but do it discreetly."

"Yes."

The sky outside the window slowly brightened. On the morning of the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, the Forbidden City was covered in a blanket of white after the snowfall, but its beauty was cold and tinged with an air of death.

Wang Chengen served Chongzhen a simple breakfast of congee and side dishes. Chongzhen ate a little, then heard footsteps outside.

It wasn't the light footsteps of palace maids, but the sound of officials' thick-soled boots stomping on the ground.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Wen requests an audience," a young eunuch announced from outside.

coming.

Emperor Chongzhen put down his chopsticks and gave Wang Chengen a meaningful look. Wang Chengen understood and quickly cleared away the tableware, adding some calming sandalwood incense to the incense burner. The palace was filled with smoke, adding to the sickly atmosphere.

"Announce."

The door was pushed open. Wen Tiren entered, still wearing the crimson robe with the crane motif, but he looked somewhat different today.

After performing the salute, he stood up and his gaze lingered on Chongzhen's face for a moment, as if he were carefully examining him.

"Mr. Wen, you've arrived so early. Is there something urgent?" Chongzhen asked weakly, leaning against the headboard.

"I heard that Your Majesty summoned the imperial physician again yesterday, and I was quite uneasy, so I came to pay my respects," Wen Tiren said humbly. "How is Your Majesty feeling today?"

"Still the same as before." Chongzhen coughed twice: "Headache, weakness, the imperial physician says I need to rest."

"Then... what about the matters concerning the first and fifteenth of the lunar month?" Wen Tiren asked tentatively. "There has been discussion in the court. Some officials have submitted memorials saying that His Majesty neglects state affairs, which is not the behavior of a wise ruler."

As expected, dissenting voices arose.

Emperor Chongzhen closed his eyes, seemingly enduring pain: "I... I also wish to attend court every day, but this body... cough cough... Mr. Wen, do you think my imperial health is more important or those formalities and rituals?"

"Of course, the emperor's health is more important," Wen Tiren immediately replied, "but..."

"But what?" Chongzhen suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on Wen Tiren: "Does Mr. Wen also think that I've become senile after this illness? That repairing the three main halls is absurd, and changing the calendar from the first day of the month to the fifteenth is negligence of governance, is that right?"

These words were so sharp that Wen Tiren immediately knelt down, stammering, "Your Majesty, I dare not! I merely..."

"You're just worried." Chongzhen interrupted him, his tone suddenly softening, with a hint of post-illness daze: "Mr. Wen, do you know, I had a dream last night."

Wen Tiren raised his head and looked at Chongzhen.

"I dreamt of Emperor Taizu." Chongzhen's voice became ethereal, as if he were talking in his sleep: "Emperor Taizu, dressed in a dragon robe, sat in the Fengtian Hall and said to me: 'Youjian, border affairs are determined by Heaven. There's no use in being anxious. What's meant to come will come, and what's meant to leave cannot be kept.'"

The palace was quiet. The only sound was the soft crackling of burning sandalwood.

Wen Tiren's brows furrowed slightly.

"I asked the founding emperor, 'So what should I do?'" Chongzhen continued, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The founding emperor said, "Repair your palace and properly worship your ancestors. Leave the rest to Heaven."

After speaking, he coughed violently again, his face turning red from the coughing. Wang Chengen quickly stepped forward to pat Chongzhen's back and hand him water.

Wen Tiren knelt on the ground, watching the emperor cough and gasp for breath, his suspicions deepening. Was he truly delirious from illness? Or was he feigning it? If feigning, what was his purpose? If not feigning…

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health." He finally spoke, "The Emperor Taizu's dream must have a profound meaning. Your subject... understands."

"It's good that you understand." Chongzhen finally stopped coughing and waved his hand wearily. "I'll leave the affairs of the court to Mr. Wen. I'll also entrust the construction of the three main halls to Mr. Wen. I... I want to see the palaces repaired as soon as possible so I can go to the ancestral temple to offer sacrifices, so that my ancestor knows that I have not failed him..."

Chongzhen's voice grew softer and softer, until the last few words were almost inaudible. Then he closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep again.

Wen Tiren knelt for a while before slowly standing up. He glanced at the "unconscious" emperor on the bed, then at Wang Chengen standing beside him with his hands at his sides. In the end, he said nothing, only bowed deeply, and then left.

As soon as the door closed, Chongzhen opened his eyes.

His eyes were bright, showing no signs of fatigue.

"Your Majesty acted so well," Wang Chengen said softly.

"It's not that he acted well, it's that he was willing to believe it." Chongzhen sat up, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "People are always willing to believe what they want to believe. What Wen Tiren hoped for most was that the emperor was really sick and confused, so that he could seize power."

"Then...about the three main halls?"

"Let him handle it," Chongzhen sneered. "The more ostentatious the better. Once everyone's attention is focused on the three main halls, we can do other things."

Wang Chengen nodded, and just as he was about to speak, he heard hurried footsteps outside.

This time the footsteps were chaotic, indicating it wasn't just one person.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" A eunuch scrambled in, his face deathly pale. "Liaodong... Liaodong, urgent dispatch!"

Emperor Chongzhen's heart sank.

coming.

What's meant to come will come.