Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 481 Shaanxi and Gansu in Crisis

Zhang Fengyi was not a quick-witted person to begin with. When Chongzhen suddenly asked about this matter, he thought the emperor knew everything and was going to punish him. He immediately broke out in a cold sweat, not knowing how to answer. Trembling, he kowtowed and said in a trembling voice, "Your subject deserves to die a thousand deaths..."

Emperor Chongzhen had only inquired casually, never imagining that the embezzlement of provisions and pay across the entire Ming army had become rampant, forming a massive network of vested interests. From the Grand Secretaries, Ministers of Revenue and War, down to the governors and military commanders in various regions, everyone was exploiting the system for personal gain, with the suffering ultimately directed at the lowest-ranking soldiers, and the entire nation's military combat effectiveness being undermined. Seeing Zhang Fengyi's demeanor, he sensed something was amiss and was about to question him further when a eunuch announced, "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Wen requests an audience."

Generally, Wen Tiren would choose to meet with Emperor Chongzhen in the Qianqing Palace or the Imperial Study, not in the Imperial Garden. He was a man who knew how to conduct himself appropriately. Emperor Chongzhen was extremely diligent; aside from reviewing memorials and handling state affairs, he rarely went to the Imperial Garden to relax, even a few times a year. Once he learned that the emperor was in the Imperial Garden, he wouldn't disturb the emperor's rare moment of leisure unless he had an urgent report to report. Choosing to meet with him in this situation meant that he definitely had a rather thorny or urgent matter to consult.

Emperor Chongzhen sighed. There was no peace for a moment. He waved his hand and said, "The matter of provisions and pay will be put on hold for now. Summon Wen Changqing to an audience."

Zhang Fengyi breathed a sigh of relief, his tense body relaxed, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Wen Tiren arrived at the pavilion, holding two memorials in his hands.

"Your Majesty, it is not proper to disturb Your Majesty's enjoyment at this time, but there are urgent reports from Nanjing and Shaanxi, which are of great importance and must be reported as soon as possible."

Upon hearing the name Nanjing, Chongzhen's heart skipped a beat. Shaanxi and Gansu were one thing, but Nanjing was the secondary capital of the Ming Dynasty, the heart of the entire Southern Zhili region. He hoped nothing bad would happen here. He pressed his hand to his chest, composed himself, and said, "Tell me the urgent report from Nanjing first."

Wen Tiren, with his extensive knowledge and excellent memory, had already read the memorial and memorized its contents. Without opening it to read aloud, he reported directly: "Wang Lin, Minister of War in Nanjing, reports that the Nanjing Garrison Commander, Duke Wei, signed: The garrison eunuch Chang Kun, due to an old grudge with the General of Qionghai Garrison, attempted to enter Nanjing after the Qionghai Army's triumphant return, but was prevented from doing so. A dispute ensued, and Chang Kun lured the Qionghai Army to trespass into the Forbidden City. Then, using this as a pretext, he led the Shenji Battalion to fight the Qionghai Army outside the Forbidden City. Wang Lin and Duke Wei were unable to dissuade him..."

Emperor Chongzhen was startled and stood up, asking, "Has the palace been damaged?"

"Fortunately, the Qionghai Army was sensible and forbeared, preventing the matter from escalating. The palace was intact, but the Shenji Battalion suffered heavy losses..."

Emperor Chongzhen breathed a sigh of relief; the fact that the Forbidden City in Nanjing had escaped the ravages of war was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. Regaining his composure, however, his anger flared, and he demanded, "What exactly happened? How could that lackey Chang Kun have made a grudge against Qionghai Town, a thousand miles away?"

Wen Tiren hesitated, unsure whether to report the truth or try to embellish Chang Kun's story. Chang Kun was a protégé of Cao Huachun, no ordinary man. Cao Huachun had served Emperor Chongzhen in the Prince of Xin's residence during the Chongzhen Emperor's time as a prince, later gaining his deep trust and currently serving as the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Director of the Eastern Depot, and the Chief Commander of the Beijing Garrison. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its master. Taking down Chang Kun was a minor matter; offending Cao Huachun was a much bigger one. The Directorate of Ceremonial and the Grand Secretariat, one inside and one outside, checked and balanced each other. Even as the Grand Secretary, Wen Tiren was unwilling to easily offend this powerful eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Seeing that he did not answer immediately, Chongzhen frowned and said, "Is there some secret you want to hide from me?"

Wen Tiren gritted his teeth. Anyway, he hadn't written the memorial, so he wouldn't be the one to offend anyone. Besides, Chang Kun's actions were suicidal, so he couldn't blame anyone else. He replied, "Your Majesty: Chang Kun's feud with Qionghai Town was due to the raw silk trade in Suzhou..." He recounted the detailed account in the memorial of Chang Kun's intention to extort money under the guise of the raw silk trade.

As Chang Kun had predicted, Emperor Chongzhen exploded upon hearing the amount of several million taels of silver. He furiously swept all the dishes off the table, smashing them to pieces, and roared, "I sent this dog of a lackey to guard Nanjing so he could keep an eye on Southern Zhili and prevent trouble, but he's used the power I gave him to plunder money… several million taels of silver… how much silver did I painstakingly raise for the Liaodong campaign in a year? He's a vermin of the nation!" He didn't doubt the truth of the matter; the Minister of War had personally submitted a memorial, and the Duke of Wei had signed it—two powerful figures had testified to it, so what was there to question?

The emperor was furious. Wen Tiren, Wang Chengen, Zhang Fengyi, and the others knelt down, not daring to utter a sound. Lin San, still bewildered, didn't know how to deal with the awkward situation. Seeing everyone kneeling, he knelt down as well. He thought to himself with a touch of smugness: "A mere eunuch dares to challenge the general? He's courting death! When the general was just a commoner, he managed to bring down the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. Now, as a general, dealing with a spineless coward is a piece of cake."

After venting his anger, Chongzhen said bitterly, "If I remember correctly, this dog servant is Cao Huachun's man, and he recommended him for the position of garrison eunuch. Send this dog servant to the capital and hand him over to Cao Huachun for personal disposal."

Wen Tiren nodded inwardly. His seven years as emperor hadn't been in vain. This move was a perfect example of both offense and defense; punishing Chang Kun also subtly reprimanded Cao Huachun, preserving Cao Huachun's reputation by avoiding a direct reprimand for his poor judgment. However, Chang Kun's fate wouldn't be any better than being dealt with personally by the emperor. Cao Huachun, determined to prove his innocence in the embezzlement, would undoubtedly try his best to clear himself, leaving Chang Kun with only one path: death.

Chongzhen continued, "As for the Qionghai Army... although the fault mainly lies with Chang Kun, he also made a mistake by fighting with the Shenji Battalion in the Forbidden City... Considering his merit in defeating the bandits and capturing Gao Yingxiang alive, we will temporarily set aside the matter and not pursue it further."

Wen Tiren handed over Wang Lin's memorial and said in a low voice, "There is also a secret report from Wang Lin at the end. Please read it yourself, Your Majesty."

Emperor Chongzhen took the memorial with a puzzled look. When he saw Wang Lin's views and suggestions on Qionghai Army and Liu Ye, his expression became serious. After reading it all, his forehead was furrowed into a deep frown.

He glanced at Lin San, then stopped discussing the matter and asked, "I understand. What about Shaanxi and Gansu?"

Wen Tiren took a deep breath and replied, "Governor-General Hong Chengchou of the Five Provinces reported that the bandits have gathered nearly 200,000 troops in Shaanxi and have successively captured Jingning, Tai'an, Qingshui, and Qinzhou. General Cao Wenzhao of Lintao launched a surprise attack with a light army but suffered a major defeat and retreated to Henan. The bandits in Shaanxi and Gansu are becoming increasingly arrogant, and smoke signals are rising everywhere. Hong Chengchou is unable to hold them off alone and has sent an urgent report to the court for help, requesting reinforcements."