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

Today, my father, Tian Hongyu, submitted a petition to request an audience, hoping to follow Zhou Kui's example and obtain a special permit to become a royal merchant. However, the emperor rejected his request on the grounds that "relatives of the empress should not engage in commerce."

"Is it forbidden for relatives of the emperor to engage in business?" Consort Tian sneered. "Then what is Zhou Kui?"

The palace maid, Xiao Cui, cautiously said, "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor Zhou is the Empress's father, this..."

"So what if I'm the Empress?" Consort Tian retorted angrily, "I'm a Consort, and my father is the Emperor's father-in-law!"

Even though she said that, she could still sense the difference between the two.

Empress Zhou was the empress and the eldest son born to her.

She was a concubine, and her son was still very young.

In the Ming Dynasty, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children was like an insurmountable chasm.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has chosen you tonight," another palace maid whispered.

Consort Tian took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She walked to her dressing table and looked at herself in the bronze mirror.

She was still very beautiful, but wrinkles were starting to appear at the corners of her eyes. The women in the imperial harem were like blooming flowers, their beauty fading after a season.

"Prepare to bathe. Use rose-scented water."

She needs to fight for it, but not forcefully; she needs to fight it subtly.

This is a woman's weapon!

This morning, in the warm pavilion of Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Tian Hongyu kneeling before him and quickly began to calculate in his mind. The emperor's father-in-law was about fifty years old this year, with a square face and three long strands of beard, and he had a very refined appearance.

Emperor Chongzhen knew his background very well. He was originally a salt merchant in Yangzhou who bought an official position and became the emperor's father-in-law because his daughter entered the palace.

This man is greedy, but not as shrewd as Zhou Kui; he is ambitious, but not as daring as Zhou Kui.

"Your Majesty, I...I am also utterly loyal," Tian Hongyu said with a mournful face. "Now that the nation is in peril, I also wish to share Your Majesty's burdens. If Grand Tutor Zhou can run a business, then I..."

"Zhou Kui is the Empress's father," Chongzhen interrupted him coldly. "You are the Consort's father. Don't you understand the difference, Minister Tian?"

Tian Hongyu was speechless.

He understood the principle, of course, but he didn't expect the emperor to put it so directly.

"Furthermore," Chongzhen continued, "the Four Seas Merchant Guild is a licensed enterprise, and a license implies an exception. If everyone comes to demand special privileges, how can the laws of the court be maintained? Once the precedent of relatives of the empress engaging in commerce is set, all the nobles and officials in the country will follow suit. What will I do then?"

This statement sounds perfectly plausible and is flawless.

Tian Hongyu could only kowtow and say, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty was confused."

"Go back now. Teach your children to read and write well, and don't let them always think about making money through business. The court has its own laws and regulations, and the imperial relatives should set an example."

"I... obey your order."

When Tian Hongyu left, his face had turned extremely ugly. He could sense that the emperor did not take him seriously.

Zhou Kui was the "father-in-law of the emperor," while he was the "father of the imperial concubine."

Zhou Kui could "grant special permission," while he could only "follow the rules."

He couldn't swallow this insult.

Emperor Chongzhen sat in the warm pavilion, rubbing his temples. Wang Chengen served him ginseng tea and whispered to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Tian looked unwell when he left. As for Consort Tian…"

"I understand." Chongzhen took a sip of tea and said calmly, "The Tian family will not let this go. They will find powerful backers, form factions, and try to create trouble for me."

"Then why, Your Majesty...?"

"Why not give them a little something in return?" Chongzhen sneered. "Tian Hongyu is different from Zhou Kui. Zhou Kui is greedy, but he has his bottom line. He doesn't dare to collude with the enemy, at least not now. Tian Hongyu... I've investigated. He was already colluding with the Donglin Party in Jiangnan when he was in Yangzhou. If we let him do business, half of his profits will be taken by the Donglin Party."

Wang Chengen suddenly understood.

After setting down his teacup, Chongzhen continued, "I need people who are dissatisfied and resentful. If the court is a monolith, with everyone outwardly supporting me but secretly acting against me, that would be terrible. With opponents like the Tian family, important ministers like Wen Tiren, and corrupt officials like Zhou Kui, the court will not be out of balance. With checks and balances on each other, I can maneuver in the middle."

This is the art of imperial rule. Wang Chengen felt a chill run down his spine.

"What about Consort Tian..."

"I will go to Yikun Palace tonight." Chongzhen stood up. "Those who need to be comforted should still be comforted. But we must be careful not to let her despair, nor let her take advantage of us."

Wang Chengen bowed: "This servant understands."

Inside Yikun Palace, Consort Tian had finished bathing and changed into a light purple nightgown, applying light makeup. She sat in front of the mirror, having her hair combed by a palace maid, while she pondered how to begin her speech.

If the emperor doesn't listen, you can't be too forceful.

However, one should not be too weak, lest one appear insignificant.

One must be both gentle and firm, yielding yet unyielding, reminding the emperor not to forget past affections...

It is best to make plans after the emperor has been intimate with you in bed.

To win over a man, a woman must learn to play dirty tricks.

Just then, the voice outside announced, "His Majesty has arrived."

Consort Tian quickly got up and ran to the door to greet her.

After Emperor Chongzhen entered, Consort Tian gracefully bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you."

Emperor Chongzhen carefully examined the woman before him.

Her eyebrows, like distant, dark green mountains, were lightly drawn with ink, their ends slightly upturned, exuding a touch of unintentional charm.

Her eyes were like autumn waters, with a natural touch of red at the corners.

Her skin wasn't the dignified ivory white of Empress Zhou, but rather as thin as Xuan paper after a fresh snowfall in Jiangnan, revealing pale blue veins underneath, and possessing a warm, jade-like luster.

She was bowing her head, the curve of her neck resembling a swan bowing its head, and a few strands of hair hanging down by her ears made the pearl earrings on her earlobes sway, making one's heart sway along with them.

She is indeed very beautiful, with slightly red eyes as if she had been crying, which adds to her pitiful appearance.

"Rise." Chongzhen bowed and helped her up. A faint fragrance wafted from her body, making Chongzhen's mind go blank.

The hand that was supporting her couldn't help but gently pinch Consort Tian's arm. Even through the thin veil, one could clearly feel the smoothness of her skin; in a word, it was "moisturized."

Consort Tian took the opportunity to stand up, deliberately slipped, and fell into Chongzhen's arms.

Roumei said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty has been away for a long time, and I have truly missed you dearly. It is getting late; perhaps I should serve Your Majesty to retire for the night as soon as possible!"

Her voice was as clear as a zither, so beautiful!

Holy crap, who could stand this!

Emperor Chongzhen, a young man in his early twenties, was captivated by such a beauty, and his heart fluttered with desire, wishing he could… (This is omitted here as it's forbidden to say more on Qidian!).

However, Chongzhen knew that his purpose in coming tonight was to appease the people!

If Consort Tian were to succeed and then bring up the matter of her father, the Emperor's, special permission, it would be difficult to refuse.

Although Chongzhen was the emperor, he had the power of life and death.

But neither Emperor Chongzhen nor modern-day Li Wei could deny the promise after the fact.

So, we have no choice but to put up with it!

Emperor Chongzhen bit his tongue, and the pain immediately cleared his mind.

"No rush!" Emperor Chongzhen reluctantly pushed Consort Tian away. "Consort, please talk to me for a while!"

Consort Tian looked at Emperor Chongzhen, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

But she concealed it very well, showing no dissatisfaction, and smiled as she extended her hand to pull Chongzhen down to sit.

The two sat on the warm couch, and after the palace maids served tea and snacks, they withdrew. Only the two of them remained in the hall.

"Your Majesty..." Consort Tian spoke first, her voice choked with emotion, "My father offended Your Majesty today, and it is my fault..."

"It's none of your business." Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "I know my father-in-law is loyal. The court has rules, and I cannot make an exception."

"Your Majesty understands," Consort Tian said, bowing her head. "It's just that Father is getting old and always thinking about securing some inheritance for his descendants. Seeing his disappointed look, I feel..."

She shed two tears at just the right moment.

Emperor Chongzhen sneered inwardly, but outwardly remained gentle: "I understand your thoughts. Since Minister Tian wants to do something, I will arrange a post for him. He will serve as the Director of Sacrificial Rites in the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing. Although it is a sinecure, it is respectable. Nanjing is very prosperous, and Minister Tian can live a stable life there."

Consort Tian was stunned. Going to Nanjing would be a demotion in name only, a promotion in reality. The Ministry of Rites' Sacrificial Office was responsible for sacrificial rites, a low-paying job with no real benefits.

"Your Majesty... Father..."

"What, are you not satisfied?" Chongzhen's tone turned cold and indifferent.

Consort Tian was startled and quickly said, "This concubine dares not, but my father is old, and the journey to Nanjing is long..."

"Nanjing is a good place," Chongzhen interrupted her. "It's warmer there than Beijing, perfect for retirement. Besides, Minister Tian has old friends in Yangzhou, so he can take care of them. Alright, it's settled then. I'll issue the decree tomorrow."

Having said all that, Consort Tian could no longer change Emperor Chongzhen's decision. She could only force a smile and say, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

But she felt very desolate.

This is a form of dismissal, an exile.

It seems the emperor's affection for her has truly faded.

When Emperor Chongzhen left Yikun Palace, it was already late at night.

As Emperor Chongzhen walked back to the Qianqing Palace, he looked up at the starry sky. The night sky was beautiful, with Orion hanging at the far right of the sky.

Wang Chengen followed behind and said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Consort Tian will likely hold a grudge..."

"Let her hold a grudge," Chongzhen said calmly. "Her father was too close to the Donglin Party; he was a menace in Beijing. Sending him to Nanjing will keep him out of sight and out of mind. Alas, it's just a pity for Consort Tian, ​​tsk tsk..."

Wang Chengen, unable to grasp the deeper meaning behind Chongzhen's tsk-tsk, continued, "And Consort Tian is in the harem..."

"She can't cause any trouble." Chongzhen paused. "Empress Zhou isn't a jealous person, but she won't allow the Consort's power to grow. Let them handle the affairs of the inner palace themselves. As long as they don't overstep their bounds, I don't want to interfere."

Wang Chengen nodded and then asked, "Your Majesty, the glass has been fired at Mr. Tang's place. What's next...?"

"Now it's time to do something more important." Chongzhen looked towards the West Garden. "With glass and a telescope, I can do one thing..."

"Re-survey".

"Surveying?"

"Yes." Chongzhen's voice was soft but clear in the night: "Many of the maps of the Ming Dynasty's territory are still old maps from the Yongle era. The locations of mountains and rivers are inaccurate, and the distances between cities and passes are wrong. I need to re-survey and create an accurate map. With an accurate map, the deployment of troops, the transportation of provisions, and the construction of fortifications will be much more efficient."

Wang Chengen seemed to understand, but not quite. However, he could sense that the emperor was setting up a grand scheme, with each step closely interconnected.

The two continued walking forward.

The palace lanterns swayed in the corridor, casting long shadows on them.

Consort Tian sat in the palace all night without sleeping.

In Xiyuanli, Johann Adam Schall von Bell was still studying the glass, pondering how to grind the lenses.

In the accounting office of the Sihai Trading Company, the secret agents of the Imperial City Guard are working on encrypting the accounts today.

Outside Beijing, Lu Wenzhao led his men to sneak into the night once again.

Many people stayed up that night.

The fate of the Ming Dynasty is quietly changing in this sleepless night.