Capital City. Imperial Study.
Zhu Youjian sat hunched over the empire's rotting account books, his brows twisted so tightly they could have tied a knot by themselves. His mood rose and fell like a man strapped into a drop tower.
"Silver. I still lack silver." He slapped the desk in frustration. "Why? I have worked so hard. Why is there still no money?"
At his side, the grand eunuch Cao Huachun cautiously leaned forward. "Your Majesty, Lian Guoshi, Left Vice Minister of Revenue in Nanjing, has submitted a memorial."
"Nanjing's Ministry of Revenue?" Zhu Youjian frowned. Even he knew that the Nanjing Six Ministries were largely retirement posts. Memorials from there usually ended up buried in the pile marked unimportant. He read them only when in a good mood, and avoided them entirely when in a foul one.
Yet Cao Huachun had brought this up personally.
"Did you take Lian Guoshi's money?" the emperor asked bluntly. "Why are you specially presenting his memorial?"
Cao Huachun nearly dropped to his knees. "This servant would not dare. Not a single copper coin was taken. It is only that this memorial may benefit Your Majesty in your present difficulties. I mention it solely to share Your Majesty's burdens."
"Oh?"
Zhu Youjian took the memorial and read carefully.
It proposed formally lifting the maritime prohibitions in Fujian and Shanghai.
In truth, although the Great Ming claimed to enforce a sea ban, maritime trade had never fully ceased. Quanzhou remained active. Macao, leased to the Portuguese, bustled with commerce. Merchants traded quietly through Hangzhou and Shanghai while the court pretended not to see.
Lian Guoshi's proposal was simple. Since the ban was already half broken in practice, why not bring it into the open? Legalize it. Tax it.
Zhu Youjian nodded slowly. "He says the ban has long been secretly breached. Better to legalize it openly and allow the court to collect duties."
"Yes," Cao Huachun replied. "It may bring in some silver."
Silver.
At that word, the emperor's heart leapt.
"Approved. Lift the maritime ban in Fujian and Shanghai. Open trade to support military expenditures."
Cao Huachun continued, "Lian Guoshi also suggests that Nanjing's Six Ministries have too many redundant officials and should be streamlined."
That was something Zhu Youjian had long suspected. Since someone had raised it plainly, he might as well save money while at it.
"Cut eighty nine redundant posts in Nanjing," he declared, listing positions with brisk satisfaction.
How much silver would that save?
Before he could savor the thought, a young eunuch rushed in, breathless.
"Urgent military report! Urgent military report!"
The emperor straightened. "Speak."
The eunuch blurted, "Henan Governor Fan Shangjing, Anlu Governor Shi Kefa, Pucheng Garrison Commander Lao Nanfeng, Hedong Military Intendant Xing Honglang, Shangnan Garrison Commander Luo Xi, the Prefect of Wuchang, the Prince of Chu's Guard, Henan General Gao Jie, Henan Suppression Commander Zuo Liangyu and multiple other forces jointly advanced, encircled the Dabie Mountains, and killed the Eight Great Kings in Red Stone Valley. The bandit scourge that plagued the Central Plains for years has been pacified."
For a moment, Zhu Youjian felt as though he had been strapped to a soaring rocket.
Joy.
Wild joy.
Utter, unrestrained joy.
Not long ago he had heard that the Chuang forces were nearly annihilated in Sichuan by coordinated provincial troops. Now the Eight Great Kings was dead as well. Add those together and what did that mean?
Peace under Heaven.
His smile spread uncontrollably.
He threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha! I have turned the tide. I have saved the realm. The empire is restored under my rule!"
Then he paused.
Something felt off.
"You just listed a long string of names. Should most of them not have been stationed elsewhere? Why were they in Huguang?"
The eunuch wiped sweat from his brow. "They were not supposed to be there."
"Summon the Minister of War, Yang Sichang. I want an explanation."
It did not take long.
Yang Sichang entered the Imperial Study, already aware of the report. The moment he saw the list of names, he had known disaster loomed. Such a massive troop movement without the emperor's knowledge could cost him his head.
He had no intention of following his father into a meaningless death.
By the time the summons came, his mind had already forged a path of survival.
He entered wearing a calm, confident smile.
Zhu Youjian tossed the urgent report before him. "Explain this. So many officials left their posts. I demand a reasonable answer."
Yang Sichang coughed lightly. "Your Majesty worries unnecessarily. They did not leave their posts without authorization. They acted under secret orders from the Ministry of War."
The emperor blinked. "Secret orders? Why was I not informed?"
Yang Sichang lowered his voice. "There is a traitor within the court who has repeatedly leaked our troop movements to the bandits, allowing them to escape encirclement. I do not know who it is. But I know the traitor is close to Your Majesty."
Zhu Youjian recoiled. "What?"
Yang Sichang pressed on smoothly. "Therefore, the Ministry of War devised a confidential plan known only to a select few. It was called the Four Fronts, Six Corners, Ten Sided Net strategy."
"The what?"
Yang Sichang spread his hands as if lecturing on grand strategy. "The realm is like a body. The capital is the head. The northern garrisons are the arms. The Central Plains between the Yellow River and the Yangtze are the vital organs. External threats may wound the limbs, but internal bandits poison the heart. If the heart festers, the body dies."
He let the metaphor sink in before continuing.
"I secretly redeployed elite forces to form an encirclement around the Central Plains. Four main armies advanced directly. Six supporting armies tightened from the flanks. A net cast on ten sides. Only after the bandits were destroyed in the Dabie Mountains did we reveal the plan. Thus the traitor could not leak it."
Silence filled the Imperial Study.
The emperor stared at him.
The plan sounded suspiciously improvised.
And yet.
The bandits were dead.