Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 6 The First Cut: Kill Chongzhen's Father-in-law

In the East Factory,
Wang Zhixin, the factory lord, had naturally heard about Chongzhen's request for donations from the nobles and ministers. He tapped the table with his fingers and asked, "Why didn't the emperor ask the eunuchs to donate money?"

After thinking for a long time,

Before he could figure it out, a captain next to him said, "Master, we are the emperor's men."

"How can you ask your own people for money?"

"Hmm?" Wang Zhixin's eyes suddenly widened, and he pointed at him and laughed, "What you said makes sense. Come, give me a reward."

"Master, this..."

"If I give it to you, you can take it." Wang Zhixin picked up the teapot and took a sip. "Let's just watch them bleed."

"Hey, where is Qiao Yan?"

"He said he was going home. His mother has been very ill recently and she probably won't survive the winter."

"Oh," Wang Zhixin shook his head, "He is just too filial."

During every festival, Qiao Yan would give him money and gifts, never missing a single one.

……

The city of Beijing was still bustling with activity. After leaving Wen Tiren's residence, the officials went back to their homes.

The first thing that Duke Chengguo Zhu Chunchen did when he returned home was to take out the key to the small treasury and count the money in the house again.

He called the housekeeper and said, "Go and find some carriages."

"Where are you going to take all this money that you have saved with great difficulty? Are you raising children outside?" Lady Chengguogong cried and refused to give in.

Duke Chengguo Zhu Chunchen was so angry that he wanted to curse, "This woman knows nothing. If we don't hide the money, if she ends up like Zhang Wenda, we won't be able to keep the money."

"what?"

"Your Majesty asked the nobles and ministers to donate money. I always feel that this is strange. For now, hide the money in your hands and hold it tightly."

"After this storm has passed, I'll get the money back."

Lady Chengguo couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going to transport it to?"

"Send 200,000 taels to the eldest, 100,000 taels to the second, and 100,000 taels to the third... Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

"Then I will help the master keep track of the silver ingots, so don't move too much."

Similar situations occurred more than once in Kyoto.

……

"What's your name?"

"Qiao Yan!"

"..."

It was almost noon when Zhu Changgan met the captain.

Feeling hungry and stomachache, he asked Wang Chengen, "Didn't I eat breakfast this morning?"

"Your Majesty, you didn't eat anything yesterday."

"What are you waiting for? I want to eat."

The imperial meal at noon was brought over by Empress Zhou. When she saw Chongzhen eat two bowls in a row, she couldn't stop smiling.

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes were sparkling, and two dimples were shallowly floating on her cheeks. She really had a pretty face with a charming look, and her smile could be heard before her red lips opened.

What a pity, it's just a body swap, otherwise...

Before they finished their meal, Wang Chengen came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Earl of Jiading is here."

Earl of Jiading, Zhou Kui?

Queen Zhou's father, the upright father-in-law of the Emperor.

"Let him in."

"I'll take my leave." Queen Zhou was a sensible person. Whenever the emperor met with court officials, even if it was her own father, she would avoid them.

Zhou Kui was very fat and would be out of breath after walking a few steps. He had a full beard, small eyes, a bad nose, but big nostrils.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Zhu Changgan found that this person was stuttering.

"Wang Chengen, give your father-in-law a seat." Zhu Changgan looked at him indifferently. In today's words, he was the biggest vested interest holder in the Ming Dynasty.

Chongzhen was really kind to his father-in-law. When the Ming Dynasty was in ruins, he even conferred the title of Earl of Jiading on Zhou Kui and appointed him to the Military Affairs Department.

He also granted him a house in Fengmen, Suzhou, and a large amount of land and houses as reward.

He was originally just an ordinary citizen, but because of his daughter, with the reward from Chongzhen and the status of the emperor's father-in-law, his accumulated wealth could not be spent in several lifetimes. The fact that his family has been supporting a large private band for a long time is proof of this.

According to historical records, the famous beauty Chen Yuanyuan was also a singer in his private band.

As soon as Zhou Kui entered the room, he knelt down on the ground, "Your Majesty, I..."

"Father-in-law, you've come at the right time. I was just thinking about letting him take the lead in donating money to the court. The fate of the imperial relatives is closely tied to the emperor's. I don't think he will not support me, right?"

Zhou Kui was completely confused, his mouth opened like a box, "Uh..."

No, why did you interrupt me right away?
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I really am..." Zhou Kui came to Chongzhen to cry poor. As the Earl of Jiading, he also had to donate money. He did not go to Wen Tihen's place. After discussing with the other two relatives, he came up with this idea.

Zhu Changgan continued to interrupt him, "Father-in-law is very sensible, I have always known it."

"Wang Chengen, bring a piece of paper and write it down. I borrowed it from the Earl of Jiading." Zhu Changgan narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhou Kui. "Father-in-law? How about writing 100,000 taels?"

“One hundred thousand taels?” Zhou Kui felt terrible. His body was shaking and he had difficulty breathing. He stretched out his hand and said, “Isn’t this…”

Isn't this going to kill me? Before he could finish the last few words, he heard "Chongzhen" interrupt him, "You think it's too little? What about 200,000 taels? Wang Chengen, write it to the Earl of Jiading."

Wang Chengen tore up the piece of paper, wrote another one, and placed it in front of Zhou Kui.

Looking at the words "two hundred thousand taels" above, his vision suddenly went dark and he fell to the ground.

"Wang Chengen, hurry up. The Earl of Jiading fainted from joy at donating money for the country." Zhu Changgan reminded Wang Chengen to give Zhou Kui his fingerprint.

After the hand seal was pressed, Zhu Changgan asked several eunuchs to carry Zhou Kui away to rest.

How did Mr. Zhou play before Li Zicheng entered Kyoto?

He kept crying poor and making a fuss. The eunuch Xu Gao, who delivered the imperial edict, read Chongzhen's edict three times in an attempt to put pressure on him, but he still refused to donate.

Xu Gao couldn't stand his expression anymore and said bluntly: "The old royal relatives are so stingy that they don't even have the country. What's the point of having so much money?"

In the end, Chongzhen was forced into a panic and donated 10,000 taels. Empress Zhou was embarrassed by her father's expression, so she gave him 5,000 taels, hoping that he would add another 5,000 taels to make up 20,000 taels.

But you would not dare to imagine what happened next. Mr. Zhou embezzled two thousand taels of the five thousand taels given to him by Queen Zhou and only donated three thousand taels.

Afraid that Chongzhen would ask him to donate money again, he simply asked people to buy moldy rice and cried poor to all the civil and military officials outside the palace, saying that all the money in the family had been donated, and their life was already extremely poor, and they could only live by eating moldy rice.

To put on eye drops for Chongzhen.

When Li Zicheng entered Beijing and was severely tortured, how much did he give out?
Six hundred thousand taels,

Plus countless rare antiques, totaling over one million taels.

"I don't want your 600,000 taels, I only want one third of it." Zhu Changgan asked someone to take the imperial meal away, "Wang Chengen, invite Concubine Tian's father Tian Hongyu and Concubine Yuan's father Yuan You to come to me as well."

Concubine Tian's father, Tian Hongyu, was a spoiled man. He also took advantage of his daughter to be promoted to guerrilla general, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and named the Left General. He was a powerful figure and made a lot of money in recent years.

Concubine Yuan's father, Yuan You, was inferior to him, but he also took advantage of his status and his family had a lot of land and houses.

As soon as the two arrived, Wang Chengen directly placed the paper signed by Zhou Kui in front of them.

"Governor Tian, ​​the father-in-law donated 200,000 taels. How about you donate 100,000 taels?"

"One hundred thousand..." Tian Hongyu's eyes were filled with anger. In the morning, he had just discussed this with Yuan Youcai and Zhou Kui.

As the fathers-in-law with whom Chongzhen had the closest relationship, they had already agreed that no matter what, they must be unanimous on the issue of donations, which was that they had no money.

He and Yuan You also took advantage of Zhou Kui's stingy nature and each gave him five hundred taels of silver, asking him to come and cry poor.

But I never expected Zhou Kui to cry poor like this?
Isn't this just roasting them on the fire?

"Chongzhen" just stared at them blankly, with an unfriendly look in his eyes.

If the emperor punished the eunuchs, the nobles and civil servants would not help, and they would be even less likely to stand up if Chongzhen punished his father-in-law.

This step is absolutely stable.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to donate 80,000 taels." Yuan You has always been a timid and cautious person, never showing up for anything. Seeing that Zhou Kui has donated, why should he insist on it?
Seeing Yuan You also spoke, Tian Hongyu's facial muscles twitched, he closed his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth and said: "I am willing to donate."

(End of this chapter)