At the end of the Ming Dynasty, factions were rampant.
The Chu faction consisted mostly of people from Huguang; the Hui faction was dominated by those from the two Huai regions; the Zhejiang faction was primarily comprised of people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang; the Qi faction was mainly Shandong people; and the Jin faction was composed of men from Shaanxi and Shanxi.
Without exception, every one of these factions had the backing of merchants.
The Chu merchants were largely grain traders; the Hui and Zhejiang merchants made their fortunes in salt and tea; the Qi merchants traded in salt and grain; the Jin merchants had the most extensive operations, dealing in salt, grain, and mining—wherever there was border trade, they were present.
Officials and merchants colluded; the merchants paved the way for the officials, and the officials built bridges for the merchants.
They feasted on the flesh of Great Ming and drank its blood, all while cursing the Emperor of Great Ming behind his back.
It was utterly damnable.
Emperor Chongzhen stared at Fang Yuegong and asked, "I have heard that you are on very close terms with the Chu faction."
Fang Yuegong immediately kowtowed. "Your Majesty, I am a native of Huguang, so naturally, I have ties to my fellow countrymen. While I do have dealings with the Chu faction, I have never participated in party strife. I hope Your Majesty will investigate the truth."
Chongzhen stepped forward and patted Fang Yuegong on the shoulder. "I know that, of course. Otherwise, I would not have promoted you to head the Ministry of Revenue."
"The Gang Salt Law proposed by the Chu faction has filled the pockets of the salt merchants in the two Huai and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang regions. Looking at the Imperial Court, however, we lose over a million taels of silver annually in salt tax alone. The Chu faction has achieved everything the Hui faction wanted to do but failed to accomplish!"
"I have seen those who harm others for their own benefit, but I have never seen those who harm others only to gain nothing themselves. But enough, I digress. Let us discuss the matter at hand."
Fang Yuegong blinked, grasping Chongzhen’s intent.
"I am going to allocate 1.5 million taels of silver to your Ministry of Revenue. Have you thought about how to spend it?"
Coming to the point, Fang Yuegong cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, the Capital is in urgent need. I intend to allocate all of these funds to the Ministry of War to stabilize the morale of the troops."
Chongzhen shook his head. "Allocate 1.2 million taels to the Ministry of War, and give the remaining 300,000 to the Ministry of Works."
"Your Majesty, this is…?"
"Do not ask what you should not ask."
"As you command."
"Fang Yuegong, I did not put you in the Ministry of Revenue just to watch you spend money; you must find a way to make money. When you return, think of a way to generate revenue, write it in a memorial, and submit it to me."
"I obey, Your Majesty."
Watching Fang Yuegong’s retreating figure, Chongzhen gave a cold, grim smile.
Whether Fang Yuegong was truly of the Chu faction did not matter. What mattered was that as long as he associated closely with them, he would be perceived as a Chu faction member by everyone else.
Once his policies infringed upon the interests of other factions, those factions would conclude that the Chu faction had declared war on them.
Then, they would tear each other to pieces like dogs, and the Emperor would reap the rewards.
Fang Yuegong was a smart man; he would certainly act according to his wishes.
After Fang Yuegong left, Fan Jingwen came to the side hall.
Although nearly sixty, Fan Jingwen walked with agility, his eyes clear and his back straight.
He approached the dragon throne with deep worry and bowed low. "Your humble servant, Fan Jingwen, pays respects to Your Majesty!"
"Minister Fan, do not take what I said in the court session to heart."
"Participating in the execution of the traitor Wei was a great joy in my life!" Fan Jingwen’s voice was filled with excitement.
He had long despised Wei Zaode’s conduct, and being able to watch him meet his end today had given him immense satisfaction.
"I have two tasks for you. I wonder, Minister Fan, are you still up to the challenge?"
Fan Jingwen bowed with cupped hands. "Your Majesty, not to mention two tasks, I could handle twenty or two hundred to ease your burdens."
"Good!" Chongzhen raised his voice. "I intend to entrust the post of Viceroy of the Capital Garrison to you."
Upon hearing this, Fan Jingwen looked at Chongzhen in astonishment.
The Viceroy of the Capital Garrison commanded the Three Great Camps: the Five-Army Division, the Divine Pivot Camp, and the Divine Machine Camp.
They were the primary force for guarding the Capital.
Since the Jiajing era, this position had always been held by hereditary nobles, requiring at the very least the rank of an Earl.
Entrusting this position to him today carried significant meaning.
"Your Majesty, with the rebel bandits approaching, I shall not decline."
"Good. If you suspect a man, do not use him; if you use him, do not suspect him. Minister Fan, act with a free hand; I will support you with everything I have."
"I thank Your Majesty for your divine grace!"
Tears streaming down his face, Fan Jingwen knelt and kowtowed earnestly.
Such trust was incredibly rare.
"Enough, Minister Fan, you are of advanced age; do not be constrained by ceremony." Chongzhen walked over to Fan Jingwen himself and reached out to help him up.
"Before I speak of the second matter, I wish to ask about two men: Jiao Xu and Johann Adam Schall von Bell."
Although aged, Fan Jingwen’s memory was excellent. After a moment of thought, he said, "Jiao Xu is a native of Ningguo in Southern Zhili, currently serving as a Vice Director in the Ministry of Works. Johann Adam Schall von Bell is a Westerner, currently serving as a Director in the Ministry of Works; he and Jiao Xu are working together to develop firearms."
"Good. One hour from now, you and both of them go to the Wu Repository and wait for me. I have important matters to discuss!"
Fan Jingwen began to mutter to himself.
The rebel bandits were about to descend upon them, and even with the greatest of talents, it was impossible to develop new types of firearms.
Even if they could, mass production would not keep up.
As a subject, he could not say more, so he bowed and departed.
At this moment, only two people remained outside the palace doors.
"Wang Chengen, let the Earl of Xiangcheng enter."
"As you command."
Having received the summons, Li Guozhen walked into the main hall with vigorous, martial strides.
The title of Earl of Xiangcheng had been established in the fourth year of Jianwen, and it had been passed down to Li Guozhen, the eleventh generation to hold it.
This twenty-six-year-old Earl of Xiangcheng stood five and a half feet tall, his robust muscles straining against his court robes. He was full of vitality, giving off an inexplicable sense of security.
Chongzhen was not deceived by his appearance.
In history, Li Guozhen was articulate and eloquent, but as a military commander, he lacked both the talent for leading troops in battle and for strategic planning.
He was the type of person who had plenty of loyalty but insufficient capability.
Upon entering the side hall, Li Guozhen knelt and bowed. "Long live, long live, long live my Emperor."
"Rise, dispense with the formalities."
Li Guozhen stood up, his dark face filled with anxiety.
As the Viceroy of the Capital Garrison in charge of the Three Great Camps, he knew the state of his troops all too well.
Out of forty thousand men, half had never even touched a firearm.
Although the musket was standard equipment for the Divine Machine Camp, according to regulations, proficiency with firearms was a required training subject for all Capital Garrison soldiers.
With such troops and such weak combat power, how could he hold the city?
With a downcast face, he said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. The forces of the Three Great Camps in the Capital are depleted, and their combat strength is weak. As the Viceroy of the Capital Garrison, I bear inescapable responsibility."
"Do not blame yourself, Earl of Xiangcheng. The ills of the Capital Garrison are not your fault; I will not punish you."
Chongzhen spoke the truth, and he meant it.
Li Guozhen had become the Viceroy of the Capital Garrison on the tenth day of the eighth month of the sixteenth year of Chongzhen; his predecessor was the Duke of Cheng, Zhu Chunchen.
The blame for the state of the Garrison lay with Zhu Chunchen, not Li Guozhen.
Seeing that Chongzhen did not intend to punish him, Li Guozhen breathed a sigh of relief. "I do not know why Your Majesty has summoned me."
"The Earl of Xiangcheng is a pillar of Great Ming. I intend to send you to Nanjing to assist the Crown Prince. What do you think of this?" Chongzhen voiced the thoughts in his heart.
Li Guozhen swallowed hard. His first reaction was not joy, but caution.
Chongzhen was notoriously fickle and suspicious. Sending him to Nanjing to assist the Crown Prince at such a time might seem like a show of trust, but it could actually be a test.
If he answered incorrectly, the title of Earl of Xiangcheng would end with him.