Chongzhen: Why is the emperor's head square?

Chapter 18 Zhang Xianzhong: Yang Sichang, damn it!

Yang Sichang looked solemn.

He hadn't expected that his plan would face such significant obstacles.

"With the national treasury empty and the court unable to increase taxes, are we left with no choice but to allow the peasant army to grow stronger?"

If the imperial court has no money, any plan will die before it even begins.

We're now stuck in a vicious cycle.

Taxes cannot be collected.

With peasant uprisings breaking out everywhere, the only way to quell the rebellions was to collect taxes, and the only taxes that could be collected were those from the peasants.

The taxes collected from the farmers' land were used to quell peasant uprisings.

Farmers burdened with enormous taxes may also turn into rebels.

Even if one wave is wiped out, there will be a continuous stream of people who cannot survive and will become members of the rebel army.

As taxes were collected, the peasant army grew larger and larger.

Without taxes, it is impossible to quell the internal unrest.

Just as Yang Sichang was beginning to realize his mistake, Zhu Youjian calmly said, "However, I can provide the 2.88 million needed by Minister Yang to suppress the bandits."

When I heard that sentence.

Yang Sichang initially doubted whether he had misheard.

Yang Sichang was somewhat confused: "Your Majesty, did I hear that right?"

"This is two million eight hundred and eighty thousand taels, not two hundred and eighty-eight taels."

Although they differ by only one character, the numbers are worlds apart.

Zhu Youjian said calmly, "Minister Yang, rest assured, even if I have to sell everything I own, I will raise this money."

Seeing Zhu Youjian's trust in him, Yang Sichang remained silent for a while.

He gazed firmly at Zhu Youjian.

"Your Majesty, if I fail to annihilate the bandits within three months, I will atone with my death!"

Peasant uprisings cannot be quelled overnight.

As long as it can be suppressed temporarily, that's sufficient.

To completely quell the internal strife, we must start by targeting the landlords and powerful families.

"Please go ahead and do it, Yang Aiqing. I can be your strongest support."

……

The next day.

The cabinet and the six ministries all received the emperor's decree.

Yang Sichang's plan was approved.

He reinforced the army with 120,000 troops, appointed Hong Chengchou as governor-general, and Lu Xiangshan, Xiong Wenjie and others as his assistants. He set up Shaanxi and Henan as the main battle bases to completely annihilate the rebel leaders Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.

Whether it's the cabinet or the six ministries.

Upon receiving the order.

They were completely baffled.

Reinforcements? Where will the money come from?

Not only was there no news from the cabinet, but there was also no news from the Ministry of Revenue, which managed the national finances.

In other words, this money did not come from the Ministry of Revenue.

The Emperor's Imperial Treasury? Was the Emperor really that rich?

Two million eight hundred thousand, just handed over like that?

While everyone in the capital was discussing where the emperor's money came from.

At the home of Grand Secretary Wen Ti-ren.

Tang Shiji stared intently at Wen Tiren: "Grand Secretary Wen, do you really not know where His Majesty got this money from?"

Wen Tiren glanced at Tang Shiji.

"I really don't know."

I don't believe it.

"As the Grand Secretary, His Majesty consults with you on everything. How could you not know where this money came from? I'm telling you, Wen Tiren, we are, after all, fellow townsmen and friends."

"Tell me secretly, and I promise I won't tell anyone."

Looking at Tang Shiji, who was so curious, Wen Tiren didn't know what to say for a moment.

Of course, it's no wonder that Tang Shiji was so curious.

To be honest, he himself also wanted to know where the emperor's money came from.

"I know you're a tight-lipped person, but I really don't know anything about this, so you don't need to keep bothering me."

Just as Tang Shiji was about to say something...

There was a noise coming from the doorway.

Looking towards the doorway, Wen Tiren saw his younger brother had returned.

Wen Yangren bowed and said, "Brother, I'm back."

Wen Tiren nodded: "So? What did you find out in Liangxiang?"

Before Wen Yangren could even catch his breath, he spoke frankly.

"Brother guessed correctly. His Majesty's fainting was indeed faked. After pretending to faint, His Majesty secretly led his men away from the capital and headed to Liangxiang."

Tang Shiji was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

"Is His Majesty faking it? Did His Majesty bribe the imperial physician?"

Hmm...it seems like we don't need to bribe them.

The imperial physicians in the palace all held hereditary positions.

Medical skills require talent.

Clearly, the imperial physicians in the palace did not possess this talent.

It seems normal that the emperor could feign illness and no diagnosis could be made.

"What did His Majesty do in Liangxiang? Has anything been found out?"

Wen Yangren shook his head.

"All I found out was that His Majesty went to Liangxiang and met with Zhou Wei, the head of the Zhou family in Liangxiang."

"With Zhou Wei's help, His Majesty recruited eight hundred refugees, regardless of gender or age; anyone who was a refugee was accepted."

Wen Tiren fell into deep thought.

They are refugees.

What exactly did the emperor want to express?

As the Grand Secretary, he had to understand the Emperor's thoughts at all times.

"But when His Majesty returned to the capital, he did not see these eight hundred refugees."

"That's the strangest part."

The emperor went to Liangxiang and recruited eight hundred refugees.

But when the emperor returned to the capital, the eight hundred refugees had vanished.

Liangxiang is not far from the capital.

If you're quick, it can arrive in half a day.

Hiding it is unlikely, and there's no need to.

After a moment of silence, Tang Shiji offered a guess: "Do you think His Majesty might be extremely angry? Zhang Xianzhong destroyed the ancestral tombs in Fengyang, so His Majesty might vent his anger on the eight hundred refugees?"

It's absurd, but it's not impossible.

……

Shaanxi.

Dingbian County.

County Magistrate Zhu Qi led a group of people to Zhang Xianzhong's hometown.

Although Zhang Xianzhong's family members have all left.

However, people can move.

Graves are not allowed.

Led by a wealthy local resident, Magistrate Zhu Qi located Zhang Xianzhong's ancestral tomb.

He gave the immediate order: "Dig!"

All of Zhang Xianzhong's ancestral tombs were excavated.

Follow the instructions above.

Digging wasn't enough; they also had to send someone to notify Zhang Xianzhong.

……

"Yang Sichang!!"

A furious shout erupted from a military camp.

Zhang Xianzhong stared angrily at the letter in his hand.

The skin on the back of my hand is about to crack.

But he kept his fists clenched.

He had considered what he would face after conquering Fengyang, but he never expected it.

Zhu Youjian actually dug up his own family's ancestral graves, disregarding all shame.

Digging up graves is one thing.

They even had to write a letter to tell themselves that their ancestral graves had been dug up.

To kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit.

The culprit behind all this was Yang Sichang, the Minister of War.

Watching this scene, Li Zicheng remained calm and said, "Don't be impatient. Doesn't the court's act of digging up graves prove that they are powerless to avenge this?"

Zhang Xianzhong was angry, but also very rational.

Li Zicheng was right. The ancestral graves in Fengyang were destroyed, so the court could only retaliate in kind, not annihilate them.

but.

"That sounds nice, but if your ancestral graves, Li Zicheng's, were dug up, I don't believe you'd still be spouting nonsense."

"I will avenge the grave robbing!"

Just then.

Gao Yingxiang, the rebel leader, walked in.

With a solemn expression, he sat down directly in the main seat.

"Take a look, everyone."