"Cabinet members and the Earl of Xiangcheng, follow me to the side hall. Everyone else, stay right here! No one is to leave until Wu Mengming and Wang Zhixin return and I have confirmed there are no issues."
"Your Majesty, have mercy! This subject knows he was wrong."
"Your Majesty, I beg you, for the sake of my ancestors' contributions, please spare me!"
Amidst the cries for mercy, Emperor Chongzhen left Huangji Hall. Before the doors closed, he spoke pointedly to Li Ruolian.
"Li Ruolian."
"I am here, Your Majesty!"
"Post guards here. Provide them with food and drink as needed, but anyone who attempts to leave without authorization is to be beheaded!"
"By your command."
Once outside Huangji Hall, Emperor Chongzhen took a deep breath. In history, Emperor Chongzhen always complained that his officials had failed him; he had been skeptical before, but now he was certain of it.
In times of prosperity, he might have turned a blind eye to the corruption of these ministers. But now, with the country in chaos, plagued by disasters and man-made catastrophes, the Great Ming Dynasty had no blood left to be bled. To continue this way would mean the annihilation of the nation and its people.
Damned fools!
What you, the former Emperor Chongzhen, dared not do, I will do!
Whom you refused to kill, I will kill!
The infamy you refused to shoulder, I will bear!
The Great Ming you could not save, I will save!
Once the surge of emotion passed, he quickly regained his composure. Since ancient times, the sovereign has governed the officials, and the officials have governed the people. The people sustain the sovereign, and the sovereign sustains the officials.
Now, both the sovereign and the people are dirt poor—is it even necessary to ask where the money went? From this day forward, the imperial court is a battlefield.
Throughout history, every emperor has allowed a degree of corruption among officials; in the art of statecraft, this is known as the way of managing men.
At birth, man's nature is inherently evil. Some covet wealth, some crave pleasure, and others hunger for power. There is no living person without desires; only the dead have no wants. Do the greedy truly love wealth? Not exactly; they pursue the process of corruption itself. As for those who crave pleasure... that is not for public discourse, so I shall skip it. Those who hunger for power do not necessarily love authority itself, but rather relish the feeling of being revered.
Every emperor has different bottom lines, which in turn shape the character of their ministers. This is why, whenever a new emperor ascends the throne, the officials favored by the previous reign often meet a tragic end. The reason is simple: the new emperor’s bottom line is higher.
A wise sovereign knows how to satisfy the darker facets of his ministers while ensuring they understand his limits. Only through such management can a ruler prevail for long.
The current situation is different, and the state of the court is different. To secure the funding he needs, he must strike at the corrupt officials.
Upon reaching the side hall, Emperor Chongzhen first summoned Li Banghua alone. Before the doors had even closed, he went straight to the point: "The rebel bandits are approaching, and the Capital Garrison is depleted. The Ministry of War must begin recruitment immediately!"
"Your command shall be obeyed, Your Majesty. About that silver..."
"It is real."
Li Banghua exhaled in relief. He looked up at Emperor Chongzhen. Though his expression remained calm, his heart was filled with deep anxiety.
Money, money, money! The Great Ming Dynasty lacked for nothing except money. Now that they finally had some, the rebel bandits were about to arrive at the city gates.
"Your Majesty, since we have the funds, shouldn't we slow down the confiscations? Confiscating property can only quench a temporary thirst, and doing so is like drinking poison to satisfy it! To carry out confiscations now is detrimental to the defense of the city!"
"I have my own measures. Tell me about the recruitment plan."
Li Banghua thought for a moment before replying, "I plan to first pay out the outstanding wages for the Three Great Camps, and then provide a five-tael enlistment bonus for city defense. While these men are not elite troops, they are familiar with firearms and crossbows, making them far better than ordinary civilians."
"Following that, I intend to set up over a hundred recruitment stations throughout the Capital. We will offer four taels as a city defense bonus for the young and strong, and three taels for the older recruits."
"What does Your Majesty think of this?"
Emperor Chongzhen nodded at first, then shook his head. "The first part is fine, but the criteria for the latter are too strict. Relax the requirements for this recruitment—anyone capable of picking up a brick can be drafted."
Li Banghua’s graying beard twitched. He asked, bewildered, "Your Majesty, recruitment has always been limited to the young and strong. Your criteria seem far too lenient."
Emperor Chongzhen gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Do I not know that? But the plague is rampant in the Capital. Even among the young and strong, how many are left, let alone those capable of fighting?"
Li Banghua raised his head, a complex look emanating from his sunken eye sockets. Indeed, the enemies of the Great Ming were not just the rebel bandits; there was also the plague, the Jiannu, and the corrupt officials...
"By... by your command." Li Banghua knelt to receive the order and withdrew from the side hall.
The second person to be summoned was Qiu Yu.
"Your Majesty!" Having just been promoted to Minister of Personnel, Qiu Yu was brimming with excitement and zeal.
"Prepare yourself; I intend to restart the Jingcha."
The Jingcha? Hearing these words, most of Qiu Yu’s zeal dissipated in an instant. With the rebel bandits at the gates, the civil and military officials should be working in unison to defend the city. To restart the Jingcha at this time would be like severing one's own arms. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the Jingcha had long since drifted far from its original intent.
The Jingcha system itself was not inherently flawed; its purpose was to reward the virtuous and punish the inept, ensuring officials remained diligent in their duties. The error lay in officials using the Jingcha as a pretext to strike at their rivals. Many who did not participate in factional struggles were forced to join the corruption just to survive.
"Your Majesty... is it not somewhat ill-timed to start the Jingcha now?" Qiu Yu asked, cautiously.
"Are you teaching me how to do my job?"
Qiu Yu immediately knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I was merely discussing the matter on its merits."
Emperor Chongzhen smiled slightly. "Of course I know it is not the time to start the Jingcha, which is why I am telling you to prepare for it in advance."
Prepare? Qiu Yu was baffled. What was there to prepare for a Jingcha? It was nothing more than evaluating officials based on their political achievements and promotion-demotion criteria. Their records were all kept in the Ministry of Personnel; no preparation was needed.
"Please clarify, Your Majesty!"
"Look into those with outstanding records, and find out which officials they have recommended for external posts!"
"Once you have sorted through them, present the list to me. I have a use for it. Remember, this must be investigated in absolute secrecy. Do not let a whisper of this leak out."
"You may withdraw. The Ministry of Personnel is vital to the court; you must be extremely cautious."
"I obey your command, Your Majesty."
After Qiu Yu left, the next person summoned was Fang Yuegong. The position at the Ministry of Revenue was no easy task; if it were, there wouldn't be five vice-ministers appointed to the department, second only to the four in the Ministry of War.
"Fang Yuegong, do you know why I assigned you to the Ministry of Revenue?"
Fang Yuegong was a clever man. He adjusted his official cap and said earnestly, "Your Majesty’s eyes are as sharp as pearls; you are truly an enlightened sovereign."
Emperor Chongzhen paused. That flattery not only stroked the Emperor’s ego but also polished his own reputation. These scholars truly had a way with words.
"Are you not afraid that I will punish you for honeyed words and artful speech?"
Fang Yuegong bowed deeply. "A ruler possesses a great heart and will not quibble with his subjects."
Emperor Chongzhen pointed at Fang Yuegong’s head, amused. After his laughter subsided, he turned his back and asked, "You are from Huguang?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I am from Gucheng, Huguang."
"Huguang..." Emperor Chongzhen muttered to himself, "Most of the officials from Huguang are members of the Chu Faction, are they not?"
Fang Yuegong froze for a moment, a chill running down his spine and his legs turning to jelly. He swallowed silently and said, "Your Majesty, I... I am not entirely sure."