lcionline Chapter 486 Donation of Military Funds
Chapter 486 Donation of Military Funds
Emperor Chongzhen frowned upon hearing this. Due to the need to guard against the Tartars, the allocation of grain and salary had always been "more important to the north than the south." Grain and salary in Liaodong were paid in full, but the grain and salary in several border towns in the northwest were being paid in advance and were not guaranteed. There had been many instances of riots and mutinies in the army where the commander-in-chief was killed.
Wen Tiren's eyes darted around, and he said to Chongzhen, "Your Majesty, why not send someone to talk to Liu Ye under the pretext of bestowing titles and conveying imperial edicts? Regardless of whether he sends troops or not, we might still gain something."
Emperor Chongzhen looked at him with a puzzled expression, not understanding the meaning of his words.
Wen Tiren explained, "I have long heard that Liu Ye is not only good at fighting, but also good at making money and has a lot of wealth..." But he dipped his cup in water and wrote the words "borrowing funds" on the stone table.
Emperor Chongzhen suddenly realized that Wen Tiren was plotting to extort money from wealthy households. However, it was simply unacceptable for the imperial court to ask a local military officer for money; there was no precedent for this in history, especially since it happened after a title had been bestowed upon him. It sounded like selling official positions, which was utterly disgraceful. The court was indeed short of money; even with the additional Liaodong tax, the deficit remained significant. Several changes in the Minister of Revenue had not helped. But for Chongzhen to bow down to his minister for a pittance was something the prideful emperor simply could not bring himself to do.
He shook his head: "Let alone whether Liu Ye's wealth can support hundreds of thousands or millions of taels of border army provisions, if I really did that, how would I face my ancestors in the future?"
Wen Tiren came up with this terrible idea on a whim, not out of the blue. However, after careful consideration, he felt that this matter was worthwhile, and that the emperor's concerns could be resolved through a compromise.
"Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, and there are indeed some things that are not suitable for Your Majesty to do personally. How about we persuade Liu Ye to donate funds in the name of the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Revenue? Moreover, the court can promise him some benefits so that he will not donate for nothing—as long as it is not a matter of spending money, we can discuss it."
"Donate funds?" Chongzhen pondered the term. It sounded more respectable than borrowing funds, and having the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue handle it would save face. After careful consideration, he decided it was feasible and nodded, saying to Zhang Fengyi, "This matter is worth a try. Let the Ministry of War handle it, or we can discuss it with the Ministry of Revenue and send people together. Remember, whether this succeeds or fails, it must be kept secret. If it gets out, I will not let it go lightly."
Zhang Fengyi never expected that he would end up taking the blame for the Grand Secretary's terrible idea. He cursed his bad luck in his heart, but he couldn't afford to offend the Grand Secretary, and he dared not disobey the Emperor's orders. So he had no choice but to obediently agree: "Your subject obeys the decree."
After resolving the issues stemming from the secret report, Wen Tiren and Zhang Fengyi took their leave. Chongzhen remained alone in the pavilion, increasingly convinced that the plan to donate funds was feasible. If successful, it would provide another avenue for raising funds besides distributing them to the people. Once the money was in hand, and the proclamation announcing the granting of titles and the capture and execution of Gao Yingxiang was issued, the Ming soldiers would be united, and the defeat of the Tartars and bandits, and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, would be just around the corner. Just as he was in high spirits, Wang Chengen returned, accompanied by a mournful-looking Cao Huachun.
Chongzhen looked at Cao Huachun and asked in confusion, "Master, what's wrong with you?" Although he was very angry about Chang Kun's matter, Cao Huachun, like Wang Chengen, was also an old servant of the Prince Xin's mansion and one of the eunuchs he trusted most. Seeing his disheveled appearance, he didn't have time to blame him and first asked what had happened.
While hiding from Lin San, Cao Huachun's hat was askew, his hair was disheveled, and his collar was open. When he came to see Chongzhen, he deliberately didn't tidy himself up, hoping to play the victim in front of his master. Seeing the concern in Chongzhen's eyes, he was overjoyed. The emperor still favored him, and he was not afraid of a little trouble.
He quickly composed himself, then rushed forward, grabbed Chongzhen's leg, and wailed, "Your Majesty, you must do justice for me! I am a person of some status both inside and outside the palace, and to suffer such a humiliating disgrace today, I truly do not want to live anymore!"
Emperor Chongzhen was in a good mood at the moment. Seeing this, he was not angry at all, but laughed. He pretended to kick him and shouted, "What's wrong with you, you old dog? Who would dare to mess with me, the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Director of the Eastern Depot?"
Cao Huachun wasn't sure if these words were true or false, or if Chongzhen was using this as an opportunity to reprimand him for his usual arrogance. However, it was better to be cautious than to err. He quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, this servant would never dare to use your name to bully others. Even if those officials give me some face, it's only because of Your Majesty. This servant always remembers that I am just a servant of the royal family and would never dare to be arrogant. Please, Your Majesty, see the truth!"
Chongzhen was quite satisfied with this statement and nodded: "You're a sensible person, knowing your own limitations. Tell me, what grievance have you suffered that makes you so dramatic?"
With tears streaming down his face, Cao Huachun recounted the whole story, then said, "The Eastern Depot's commander was chased and beaten by a mere battalion commander in the palace. I have utterly disgraced the Eastern Depot and its guards! Your Majesty, please do me justice!"
Emperor Chongzhen then remembered that he appreciated Lin San and wanted to keep him in the capital. He had sent Wang Chengen to handle this matter, but he had forgotten about it while discussing matters with Wen Tiren and others. He asked Wang Chengen in confusion, "I sent you to keep him, but it turned out to be Cao Daban?"
Wang Chengen quickly explained how he had encountered Cao Huachun along the way, and how Cao Huachun had volunteered to go in his place.
Emperor Chongzhen then understood the whole story. Turning to look at Cao Huachun's disheveled appearance, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. He pointed at him with his finger and said, "What can I say about you? A dignified director of the Eastern Depot, arguing with a mere military officer who knows nothing. It's not honorable to win, and you'll lose face if you lose. Why bother?"
Cao Huachun's heart sank. Judging from the emperor's expression, it didn't seem like he was going to stand up for him. He tentatively said, "Your Majesty, this servant is your man. Offending me is offending Your Majesty. This person cannot be let off lightly..."
Wang Chengen said softly, "Your Excellency, you are unaware of the truth. This brute comes from a humble family and knows nothing. He didn't even recognize His Majesty just now, yet he sat on equal footing with him, eating snacks and chatting casually, as if he were at home. If we were to investigate this seriously, this alone would be a capital offense..."
"There's more to this than meets the eye?" Cao Huachun was both surprised and delighted, and quickly seized the opportunity to press his advantage, "Then we can't let them off so easily, beheading would be too lenient..."
Emperor Chongzhen coughed twice, his expression turning serious: "What I should do is none of your concern. You should tell me about Chang Kun first. You recommended him, and you suggested the post of garrisoning Nanjing. Do you know what's happened?"