Chapter Twenty-Three: A New Objective: The Eight Great Imperial Merchants!

Wang Qinian was visibly stirred by these words. He had just started to rise to his feet, but immediately sank back to his knees.

"This servant thanks Your Highness the Crown Prince for this cultivation! I shall never fail Your Highness!"

Zhu Cilang nodded in satisfaction and continued, "I have a matter of great importance that I must entrust to you. If you succeed, you shall return as a Commander of the Imperial Guard."

Wang Qinian’s breath hitched. To be a Commander was to be only a single step away from the position of Chief Commander of the Jinyiwei! He had thought a promotion of two ranks was already a generous reward, but this was an even greater surprise.

"Please, Your Highness, grant your orders. This servant will surely live up to your trust!"

Seeing that the moment was ripe, Zhu Cilang came to the point.

"I have received secret reports that certain merchants in Shanxi have been colluding with the enemy and betraying the nation for years. They have been secretly funneling grain, iron ore, tea, weapons, cannons, and even military defense maps to the Jianzhou Jurchens. This has caused the strength of the Jurchens to grow daily, to the point where they now threaten the very existence of the Great Ming! These men are Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Jiabin, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, and Huang Yunfa."

"I want you to lead the Jinyiwei to find evidence of their treason. While you are at it, raid their homes. Seal all the assets you seize and transport them back to the capital immediately. Do you understand?"

Wang Qinian was stunned. He had never imagined that anyone would dare to collude with the enemy. However, he quickly regained his composure.

"This servant understands. Please rest assured, Your Highness; I will complete the mission!"

Wang Qinian was no fool. Since Zhu Cilang had spoken so definitively, it meant this matter was undoubtedly true. Even if it weren't, he would make it true. As a member of the Jinyiwei, he had done his share of dirty work; such tasks were second nature to him.

As he thought this, Zhu Cilang’s voice rose again.

"Once you arrive, do not alert the enemy, and do not contact the local Jinyiwei or the local government. Most of them have likely been bought off. Furthermore, these merchants surely hide private armies and firearms in their estates; do not underestimate them. To prevent any accidents, I will assign five hundred of my personal guards to accompany you. Aside from the eight men mentioned, who must be kept alive, kill anyone else who dares to resist on the spot!"

"Additionally, go to the Inner Treasury and take one hundred thousand taels of silver to reward your men. Once this is done, I will have further rewards for you! It is too late tonight; get some rest and set out at first light tomorrow!"

In just a few short sentences, Zhu Cilang had laid out the entire action plan for Wang Qinian.

Of course, the reason for sending five hundred personal guards was twofold: to provide actual support, and to ensure no one tampered with the confiscated assets during the raids. Wang Qinian understood the underlying meaning perfectly, but he did not care.

"This servant understands. I will not fail Your Highness's great trust!"

Wang Qinian spoke respectfully once more before following a young eunuch to collect the silver. Watching him leave, Zhu Cilang stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Actually, this could have been much simpler. Once the Jinyiwei reached Shanxi and secured evidence of the Eight Great Imperial Merchants' treason, he could have simply wiped out their families and brought their wealth back to the capital. But if that were all he did, how could he achieve his ultimate goal?

He had already used the issue of "ghost soldiers" (falsifying payrolls) to purge a number of the nobility and intimidate the rest; that matter was largely resolved. Now, it was time to move against the civil officials. These Eight Great Imperial Merchants were the perfect catalyst.

Since they dared to smuggle goods to the Jurchens so brazenly, they must have had connections within the imperial court. They certainly had their eyes and ears in Liaodong as well. In this way, these eight merchants would become the sharpest blade in Zhu Cilang’s hand. With this blade, he could cut down a large group of treacherous ministers. Whether they belonged to the Donglin, Zhe, or Chu factions, if they refused to obey, he would kill them all. Only by eliminating these people who harmed the country and did no real work could the Ming court be cleared of its rot. Then, he would be free to do as he pleased.

Just as Zhu Cilang was daydreaming about the bright future, Ma Bao rushed in.

"Your Highness, it is bad! The Emperor has been clamoring to see you!"

"What?" Zhu Cilang looked at Ma Bao in surprise. "His Majesty wants to see me?"

"Yes!" Ma Bao nodded. "The eunuchs guarding that side say the Emperor has been demanding to see you since noon. But you were taking an afternoon nap, so they dared not disturb you. I just happened to run into one of them outside and learned of this. They say the Emperor is incredibly agitated and has even struck people, insisting that he will not eat until he sees you!"

Zhu Cilang felt somewhat speechless. What was the Chongzhen Emperor playing at now? Was he resorting to a hunger strike? Could he not just stay in the inner palace? With plenty of food, drink, and his wife for company, the man was truly never satisfied.

"Very well," he sighed. "I suppose I should go see him. After all, he is my father."

With that, Zhu Cilang stood up from the dragon throne. Before leaving, he remembered something and tucked several lists from his desk into his robes.

At the Kunning Palace:

"You bastards! You treacherous ministers! How dare you stop me?"

"Open your dog eyes and look clearly! I am the Emperor! Are you not afraid that I will execute your entire clans for treating me this way?"

Chongzhen stood at the entrance of the Kunning Palace, furiously cursing the eunuchs and soldiers blocking his path. But the guards acted as if they heard nothing. Regardless of his threats and blows, they neither spoke back nor resisted. These men were all Zhu Cilang’s absolute loyalists, and they had been ordered that under no circumstances was the Emperor to leave the Kunning Palace. As long as he remained within its walls, they were to ignore whatever he did. Hence the scene before them.

Inside the palace, Empress Zhou looked at Chongzhen, her tone weary. "Your Majesty, you have been at this all day. Should you not rest?"

Chongzhen felt his fury reignite. He turned to the Empress and said indignantly, "And this is all because of that rebellious son you gave birth to! How dare he commit such an unfilial, unrighteous act of treason!"

The Empress rolled her eyes at him. "Did I give birth to him alone? Was he not born of you as well?"

"You..."

Chongzhen was instantly silenced. Because, as it seemed, the Empress was not wrong.