Chapter 3: All the Gentry and Great Clans Must Be Put to Death

Zhu Youjian glanced at the gray-haired old eunuch on the ground. "Get up. Fetch a stool for yourself, and you too, Chengen."

"This servant obeys the imperial decree."

"This servant dare not!"

Wei Zhongxian bowed his head even lower, until Wang Chengen spoke from the side, "Eunuch Wei, since His Majesty has bestowed a seat, let us not refuse."

Only then did he tremblingly move a stool over, sitting on it with his weight held back, ready at any moment to kneel and kowtow. Seeing the two of them seated, Zhu Youjian gave a slight nod. Honestly, he did not particularly like having his subordinates speak to him while sprawled on the ground, as he felt it was inefficient. However, this was a custom in this era that seemed difficult to correct.

Zhu Youjian set aside the book he was holding, picked up the sword from the side of the table, and slowly stood up from his chair. This movement startled Wei Zhongxian and Wang Chengen, who had barely settled, and they immediately prostrated themselves on the ground again.

Ignoring their reaction, Zhu Youjian walked with the sword until he stood five paces from Wei Zhongxian, then said, "This sword was used by my late imperial brother. Before he passed, he instructed me to treat you well. Take it back with you as a memento."

Wei Zhongxian looked up abruptly, his composure shattered, staring straight at the sword in the Emperor's hand. He felt as if his throat were blocked, leaving him unable to utter a word for a moment. He shifted his gaze upward a few inches and saw the Emperor’s face, illuminated by the dim, flickering candlelight, appearing to possess a genuine imperial aura. A surge of heat welled up in his eye sockets—fear, gratitude, grievance, and the relief of having survived a brush with death. All the emotions contained in his tears ultimately coalesced into a single response.

Wei Zhongxian crawled forward on his knees, performing five kowtows. "This servant thanks His Majesty for your heavenly grace! Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

"Blessed by the Emperor's holy grace, this servant will henceforth dedicate his body and soul to you, and will not shrink even from death!"

Wei Zhongxian was not a man of great learning, but these words of loyalty were spoken from the depths of his heart. He received the sword used by the late Emperor with the utmost reverence, as if a drowning man had grasped at a final straw of salvation.

Zhu Youjian watched the old eunuch weeping before him. His expression remained unreadable, and his heart did not stir with any unnecessary ripples. He had seen such scenes far too often. While not always this dramatic, the essence was always the same.

What is said matters little; what is done is what counts. Zhu Youjian sat back down and, after signaling for Wang Chengen and Wei Zhongxian to sit, asked bluntly, "How much silver can be collected in taxes from the Jiangnan region this year?"

Hearing the Emperor inquire about tax revenue, Wei Zhongxian hurriedly stifled his emotions. Having lived for nearly sixty years, he knew that to gain the Emperor’s trust, he had to prove his usefulness.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, if one combines the land tax, the Liaodong military levy, salt taxes, commercial taxes, and other miscellaneous levies, we can collect approximately five million taels of silver from the Jiangnan region." After a pause, he added cautiously, "If I keep a closer watch, perhaps we could collect six million. Any more than that... and it might incite civil unrest."

Listening to Wei Zhongxian's reply, Zhu Youjian remained impassive, though he made a mental note regarding Jiangnan. As someone who had lived through another time, he knew that even setting aside issues of productivity, it was impossible that the wealthiest region of a nation with over fifty million registered households—and a true population likely exceeding a hundred million—could produce so little in taxes. So, how much silver were those gentry and powerful clans skimming off the top? It seemed that only by purging them from top to bottom, inside and out, would he get to the bottom of this.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhu Youjian said, "Collect five million taels. Do not increase the taxes."

No one knew better than he that such taxes would only end up falling upon the shoulders of the impoverished. He had never once harbored the thought of encroaching upon the interests of the common people.

"Your Majesty is wise and benevolent; it is truly a blessing for our Great Ming. This servant, on behalf of the commoners of Jiangnan..."

Before Wei Zhongxian could finish his sycophancy, Zhu Youjian cut him off: "How much silver did you send to Xu Yingyuan?"

Wei Zhongxian quickly replied truthfully, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this servant sent Xu Yingyuan one hundred thousand taels of silver."

Hearing this, Wang Chengen could not help but worry for Xu Yingyuan. If it were the Emperor’s previous temperament, Xu Yingyuan would surely be in deep trouble. But now... surely he wouldn't be punished lightly?

Zhu Youjian did not dwell on this question, but continued, "Hmm, I have also heard that some of your adopted sons have become somewhat disobedient lately?"

Wei Zhongxian paused, unsure why the Emperor would suddenly ask this, but immediately answered honestly, "That is indeed the case. This servant is mortified that the Emperor has had to trouble himself with such matters."

"If you were to execute them, how much silver could be confiscated?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Chengen was stunned. He was shocked that the master he had served for half his life could speak so directly. In the past, he would always adopt an ambiguous attitude, leaving his subordinates to guess his intentions. If things went well, it was the master's credit; if they went wrong, it was the subordinate's fault.

Wei Zhongxian, however, quickly turned his mind to deciphering the imperial will. *So, the Emperor is short on silver. More importantly, by ordering me to execute those men, the Emperor is signaling to everyone that I am not, as the rumors suggest, about to fall from power. What does this mean? It means the Emperor’s heart is still with me! Otherwise, why not just have me arrested and confiscated? Those bastards of the Donglin Party at court would love nothing more than to see me dead! It would have taken the Emperor but a single word! Therefore, I must handle this task perfectly to repay the Emperor's grace!*

Wei Zhongxian quickly calculated how much silver could be confiscated from those disobedient adopted sons. Having dominated the palace for years, he already had a mental ledger. After a moment of thought, he replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, if you grant me half a month, I can confiscate at least five hundred thousand taels of illicit silver to be deposited into the inner treasury."

"Hmm." Zhu Youjian nodded faintly. Five hundred thousand taels was not much—not even enough for one month of military pay for the Liaodong campaign—but it was enough for what he needed to do.

Just as Wei Zhongxian prepared to kneel and take his leave to attend to this matter, Zhu Youjian spoke again.

"You are taking the blame for me. Perform your duties well in the future, and I guarantee you a peaceful end as the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial."

This time, it was Wei Zhongxian’s turn to be stunned. It was hard for the outside world to understand the impact such warm words could have on a eunuch like him, especially coming from an Emperor who held absolute power over his life and death. Furthermore, these words were not just heartwarming; they were a promise! And they were spoken in the presence of the Emperor's own personal attendant, Wang Chengen—this was no simple attempt to win over a heart.

A peaceful end. For a eunuch serving the Emperor, what an unfamiliar term. Throughout history, how many powerful eunuchs had met a peaceful end? Wang Zhen, Liu Jin—the precedents of their being sliced to death and having their families exterminated were fresh in the history of this very dynasty.