The Ming Dynasty 1626 Enlightenment

Chapter 28 The Donglin Party's Masters of Verbal Comprehension

It was a little earlier, before the grand assembly.

A carriage sped up and came to a steady stop in front of Sun Chengzong's residence.

"There's no time to explain, get in the carriage quickly!" Shen Yourong jumped off the carriage, covered in dust, and grabbed Sun Chengzong, who was about to get into his own carriage, pulling him into her carriage without saying a word.

"Walk!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the driver cracked his whip, and the carriage rolled along the cobblestone road, disappearing into the street corner in a cloud of dust.

"Brother Ninghai, what's the matter that you're in such a hurry?" Inside the carriage, Sun Chengzong straightened his collar, which had been pulled askance.

"Brother Zhisheng, did you read the newspaper this morning?" You Rong asked nervously, her voice extremely low, as if afraid of being overheard.

"I've seen it! It's just a few things about that brat Nuerha," Sun Chengzong said with a smile, stroking his beard, looking relaxed.

"It's not that unlucky fellow, Nurhaci!" Shen Yourong said in her aged but powerful voice, "It's the Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty! The new Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes! What's going on?"

His hand, gripping the newspaper, trembled slightly.

This veteran, who had spent his entire life on the sea, had witnessed far too much money flowing in and out of Jiangnan.

His sense for money is sharper than a cat's. When the words "bank" and "new banknotes" come to mind, his first reaction is: something big is about to happen.

Furthermore, as soon as the newspaper was published, the Donglin Party urgently convened a small meeting, clearly indicating their intention to make changes at the main court assembly.

So he rushed over before dawn, wanting to ask the Prime Minister: What exactly happened?

"That's all there is to it," Sun Chengzong said with a smile.

Zhu Ming had already been secretly making arrangements for the bank and the new banknotes since he returned to Beijing last year.

Now, with the help of the groundbreaking medium of the Tianqi Daily, the reach extends from the northern and southern Zhili provinces to the surrounding provinces, prefectures, and counties.

It happened naturally.

"This will greatly change the trade pattern of the Ming Dynasty and cause unnecessary turmoil!" Shen Yourong said anxiously.

He understood it all too well.

The naval commanders who had spent decades navigating the waters of the Ming Dynasty understood the power of silver, copper coins, and paper money a thousand times better than the idle talkers in the imperial court.

The inflow and outflow of silver, the rise and fall of prices, and whether military salaries can be paid—aren't these all vital factors?

So when he saw the news in the newspaper, he was on high alert.

"Brother Ninghai, do you know this?" Sun Chengzong simply smiled mysteriously, "The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish!"

"Chizuru..." Shen Yourong looked at his completely calm demeanor, seemingly lost in thought, "Your cabinet... I see!"

"Preparations began at the end of last year. We were quite taken aback when the Emperor mentioned this," Sun Chengzong said in a low voice. "To this end, the Emperor instructed us to prepare numerous plans and contingency plans. This was to ensure that any obstacles in our path would be dealt with as soon as the product was released."

"So, Brother Ninghai, you mustn't rush into this mess."

"Damn it!" Shen Yourong slapped her thigh, suddenly realizing, "Oh no! Cunzhi and the others...!"

At this moment, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the grand court assembly was in full swing.

The Donglin Party members then submitted all five pieces of advice to the emperor.

The eunuch faction's censors were not to be outdone, and under Wei Zhongxian's command—

No, to be precise, it was under Zhu Ming's tacit approval that a war of words was waged with the Donglin Party members.

The hall was buzzing with activity, and spittle was flying all the way to the dragon pillars.

"Wei Zhongxian, you actually misled His Majesty into restarting the disastrous policy of the Great Ming Treasure Notes! What is your punishment?!" Gao Panlong questioned righteously.

"You high-ranking censor, you're making baseless accusations!" Wei Zhongxian arrogantly raised his chin. "When did I say that? This is clearly a policy established by His Majesty's wisdom and might!"

"If it wasn't you who fooled them, who else could it be?" Huang Zunsu, equally stubborn, stepped forward and declared confidently, "I remember the craftsmen who made the paper money were all people you sent down to Jiangnan last year, threatening their entire families to come! You still dare to say it wasn't you?"

"Then please!" Wei Zhongxian said without any politeness. "Don't you dare slander important officials of the court! Be careful, or I'll sue you for defamation!"

Last year, Zhu Ming did indeed give Wei Zhongxian a list, instructing him to find all the people and, incidentally, to "protect" their families as well.

Of course, Wei Zhongxian's methods of cracking down on the Donglin Party members and imprisoning them in the middle of last year had already terrified officials across the country.

Therefore, Wei Zhongxian's methods of finding and arresting people were almost the same, and no one dared to utter a word at the time.

Therefore, the people Zhu Ming wanted were "captured"—no, "invited"—by Wei Zhongxian within two or three months.

"What high-ranking official? Do you, Wei Zhongxian, even deserve that title?" Zhou Shunchang, an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, stepped forward and rebuked him. "Slander? Do I need to slander you?"

"Otherwise what? Do you think you're just going to mess with us after you've had your fill?" Wei Zhongxian said without batting an eye, showing no fear in confronting the Donglin Party officials.

He paused, his eyes darting around, then suddenly raised his voice, "Oh! I know! You just don't want to see the national treasury full and the people well!"

After all, Zhu Ming knew that the Donglin Party would definitely launch a fierce attack on the issuance of the Ming Treasure Notes, targeting the eunuch faction and using them as a pretext to accuse him of acting arbitrarily!

Gao Panlong's face turned ashen: "You're spouting nonsense!"

"Such a momentous matter as issuing the new Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes—if it weren't for you, Wei Zhongxian, deceiving His Majesty, why wouldn't His Majesty consult with us ministers!" Zhou Qiyuan added, seizing the opportunity to deliver the final blow.

"Your Majesty is wise and will make a decision!" Cui Chengxiu, the Vice Minister of Revenue, stepped forward, giving the Donglin officials a sarcastic look. "The new Ming Dynasty Treasury Notes are to be discussed with you? Discuss what?! Can you trust yourselves?"

This Cui Chengxiu was the leader of the "Five Tigers" of the eunuch faction, and the one who was the most greedy in history.

However, he is now being kept under close surveillance by Zhu Ming, who has appointed him as a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue.

But then again, someone who can be so greedy must have an exceptional ability to calculate.

Letting him manage the money is a good way to make the best use of his talents.

"What's wrong with our character?" said Zheng Sanjun, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, extending a gesture of international goodwill towards Cui Chengxiu. "The character of your eunuch faction is truly..."

"..."

He then launched into a long speech, discussing everything from the noble character of the Donglin Party to the humanistic integrity of officials, proving that their character was beyond reproach.

"The talents from our Donglin Academy are of the highest moral character! Now Your Majesty intends to establish a central bank and issue new Ming Dynasty banknotes. I ask you: what is the difference between the new and old banknotes? On what basis will the people trust them?"

"Enough with the nonsense!" Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, chimed in, his tone impassioned. "Currently, a large amount of silver is flowing into the southeastern coast, but what about the national treasury? Is it full? What about the military pay in Liaodong? Do you think you can pay it based on your character?"

He counted on his fingers the facts that more than half of the silver had flowed into Jiangnan, as well as the difficulties the imperial court faced in collecting taxes and paying military salaries.

Every word hit the nail on the head, leaving the Donglin officials speechless for a moment.

"..."

"Stop acting like idiots here," Guo Yunhou said, getting more and more excited. "Sometimes think about your own problems and see if you can share the burdens of the ruler."

"Who's being a jerk? You're the ones being a jerk!" Gao Panlong's face turned bright red.

He knew perfectly well that what the eunuch faction said was indeed a problem, but if Jiangnan was not rich, how could their Donglin faction become rich?

He couldn't say this openly, so he had to bite the bullet and once again talk about the noble character of the Donglin Party and the humanistic integrity of officials, to prove that they hadn't acted like scoundrels in the court.

"You eunuch faction are just spouting nonsense! But we're not pushovers either; our patience has its limits!"

"My family has served in the imperial court for so many years, devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to overseeing all officials, providing disaster relief, and raising funds. Every single time, we've handled things flawlessly."

Wei Zhongxian pressed on, then suddenly changed the subject, "Do you know that the excessively high silver tax on silver will exacerbate the poverty and depletion of the people? This tax on silver has been a burden on the people for far too long!"

His voice suddenly deepened, and even his eyes became clearer!

At this point, he suddenly realized that the new Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes had so many benefits.

No wonder Zhu Ming was pushing it so hard.

"The new Ming Dynasty Treasury Notes are truly meant to alleviate the people's burdens!"

He listed the advantages of the new banknotes one by one, and the more he spoke, the more fluent he became.

"Look at you all, all big-chested, thick-waisted, and with round butts, what do you know about the hardships of ordinary people?"

"Hmph! How could we not know the suffering of the common people..." Ye Xianggao also stepped forward and retorted.

"The new Ming Dynasty paper money is competing with the people for profit, exacerbating their suffering. Your Majesty must be wary!" Ye Xianggao stroked his beard, his words righteous and stern. "The Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty is disrupting market order; this is a pro-commerce policy, and Your Majesty should abolish it! Land taxes and grain taxes are the foundation of the Ming Dynasty; Your Majesty must not neglect them!"

"..."

He then went on to discuss the noble character of the Donglin Party and the humanistic integrity of officials, proving that they also knew about the suffering of the common people from the books of the sages.

"You eunuch faction are just spouting nonsense! But we're not pushovers either; our patience has its limits!"

"How does the Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty regulate commerce and promote its development?"

Cui Chengxiu picked up the conversation, giving a cold laugh. "Storing and transporting silver is extremely difficult, but the new Ming Dynasty paper money is incredibly convenient. Only through the flow of commercial activity can the market economy develop and create greater wealth!"

"..."

He listed out all the benefits of the Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty!

Many of them were personally instructed by Zhu Ming.

Choi Seong-soo has a natural sensitivity to money; he understands things very quickly.

The more he spoke, the clearer it became: the Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty was so powerful that it could control the economic lifeline of the entire Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, we must support this emperor's policies no matter what.

Of course, if you do it well, you can make a lot of money.

Although he is being closely watched now, birds die for food, and people die for wealth.

"Only by establishing a central bank throughout the Ming Dynasty can the Ming Dynasty prosper and become strong!"

Cui Chengxiu became increasingly excited as he spoke, "How about I calculate the accounts of the Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty for you? But what are you calculating?!"

"You...you..." Gao Panlong and the others were choked by his words, their faces turning red and their necks bulging. "Vulgar!"

"We are the backbone of the Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty must not listen to the eunuch faction. If they open their mouths to promote commerce, the might of the Ming Dynasty will be tarnished!"

"..."

He then went on to talk about the noble character of the Donglin Party and the humanistic integrity of officials, proving that they were at least somewhat decent.

"You eunuch faction are all you do is stir up trouble! But we're not pushovers either; our patience has its limits!"

Guo Yunhou scoffed, then retorted seriously, "What 'pro-commerce'? What 'land tax'? Have you ever calculated how much the people's taxes have increased since the Hongwu era?"

He paused, then looked around the hall.

As the Minister of Revenue, he had long since followed Zhu Ming's instructions and meticulously compiled statistics on land taxes and grain levies from the Hongwu era to the fifth year of the Tianqi era.

The result nearly scared him to death; not only was there no growth, but there was also room for continued decline.

"During the Hongwu reign, the highest national grain tax was equivalent to nine million taels of silver. And in the fifth year of the Tianqi reign? The annual revenue from the Taicang granary was approximately seven million six hundred thousand taels!"

He raised his finger, his voice as firm as iron.

"Well? Have you all read all those books of the sages and forgotten them? Or should I do another calculation for you?"

The Donglin officials were momentarily speechless, their faces flushed, but some still mustered the courage to mutter: "Frequent disasters in recent years, and the wicked deeds of rebellious officials in the court, have led to..."

Then, some people talked about the noble character of the Donglin Party and the humanistic integrity of officials, proving that the amount of tax revenue had nothing to do with them!

That was divine punishment brought down by the emperor's lack of virtue and the eunuch faction's rebellion.

"You eunuch faction are all you do is stir up trouble! But we're not pushovers either; our patience has its limits!"

"..."

"Holy crap! Are Cunzhi and the others really that brave?" Shen Yourong, who was watching the scene from the sidelines, broke out in a cold sweat.

Although he was not in the imperial court, he could tell from his observation today that the Donglin Party members were truly masters of rhetoric, daring to say anything and throw any label at anyone.

As a naval commander who had been away from home for many years, the seventy-year-old general had never seen such a grand scene in the imperial court.

It completely shattered his worldview.

Sun Chengzong sat to the side and gave Shen Yourong a look: "Look, these are the Donglin Party officials who talk nonsense and ruin the country."

"I have never seen such a shameless person."