pappabearbooks Chapter 60 The Internal Treasury Revolution
Chapter 60 The Internal Treasury Revolution
On September 30th, the river breeze at Longjiang Pass carried the fishy smell of water.
The twelve old shipyard warehouses have been renovated, with new blue tiles, reinforced beams and pillars, and whitewashed walls. More than three hundred women stand in rows in the courtyard, most wearing patched clothes and with sallow complexions. Among them are widows who fled from Jiangbei, poor girls from Nanjing, and a few weavers who used to work in the Jiangnan textile workshops but lost their livelihoods due to the war.
Liu Rushi stood on a makeshift wooden platform, holding a roster in her hand. Today she wore an indigo vest and a white silk skirt, her hair simply styled with a single copper hairpin.
"When your name is called, come forward and get your work badge." Her voice was clear and bright. "You'll have two badges. Wear one around your neck to enter and exit the workshop; return the other to record your working hours and calculate your wages. If you lose it, you'll be deducted three coins for a replacement."
There was complete silence below.
"Suzhou Prefecture, Zhao Chen family."
A woman in her early forties stepped forward, holding the hand of a boy who looked about seven or eight years old.
Have you ever worked as a weaver?
"I did it, I worked in a Suzhou weaving workshop for ten years." The woman's voice was very soft. "My husband died of illness last year, and I have a child, but no one wants to take him in."
Liu Rushi circled a name on the roster: "Go to the Jiazi workshop. They need experienced workers to mentor newcomers. The child..." She paused, "There's a shed set up behind the workshop, with an old nanny looking after the child, and lunch is provided. If you'd like, you can pick her up after work in the evening."
The woman froze, tears suddenly streaming down her face, and she grabbed the child, about to kneel down.
"Don't kneel," Liu Rushi helped her up. "Working and eating are basic human rights. Go on."
Within an hour, the work of more than 300 people was completed. Warehouse A spun yarn, Warehouse B wove cloth, and Warehouse C cut and sewed. At the entrance of each warehouse were ten newly delivered three-spindle spinning wheels—made hastily according to the patterns in Xu Guangqi's "Complete Treatise on Agriculture," which allowed one person to spin three threads at the same time, more than twice as efficient as a single-spindle spinning wheel.
When Liu Rushi entered the Jiazi warehouse, Zhao Chenshi was already sitting in front of the spinning wheel, teaching a young girl next to her how to crank the wheel and connect the wires. The wooden wheel turned, and the buzzing sound echoed in the empty warehouse.
"Mr. Wang," Liu Rushi turned to the craftsman behind her, "how much can this spinning wheel spin in a day?"
Wang Zheng, in his fifties and wearing a worn Taoist robe, squatted in front of the spinning wheel, carefully examining the gears: "According to the book, a skilled person can spin six catties of yarn a day. But that's hemp yarn; cotton yarn is finer, so I'd estimate four or five catties." He touched the wooden gears, "This elm wood isn't hard enough; it'll wear down after a while. I need to think of something..."
"Soak it in tung oil." Bo Jue came in from outside, carrying a small earthenware jar. "I've tried it. Soaking hardwood gears in tung oil for three days and then air-drying them increases their wear resistance by 30%. It's just that the smell is a bit strong."
"It's better than having your teeth break after just a few days." Liu Rushi nodded. "Mr. Wang, please arrange this. Write down how much tung oil you need and I'll go to the Ministry of Revenue to collect it."
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.
At the entrance of the workshop, a large crowd of over a hundred people had gathered.
They were all men, mostly dressed in coarse cloth short jackets, carrying shuttles and wooden rulers, some even carrying loom parts. The leader was an elderly man in his fifties, wearing a silk shirt, with fair skin, clearly not someone who did manual labor.
"Bring out the person in charge!" the old man's voice shrill. "Is the imperial court opening this workshop to cut off our livelihood?!"
Liu Rushi walked out the door, followed by two Imperial Guards—whom Li Ruolian had specially sent to maintain order.
"I am Liu Rushi, the workshop's assistant manager." She looked calmly at the old man. "And you are?"
"Wu Youcai, head of the Procurement Department of the Suzhou Textile Bureau." The old man sized her up, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "The imperial court wants to build workshops, and we weavers naturally support that. But you're hiring female workers for thirty coins a day, with two meals provided—how are we male weavers supposed to survive on that price?"
The crowd behind them began to stir:
"That's right! We only get twenty-five coins a day!"
"If women can get thirty coins, what are we supposed to do?!"
Liu Rushi waited until they finished shouting before speaking: "Manager Wu, the workshop weaves cotton cloth, exclusively for military supplies. We don't compete with civilian weavers for the silk business."
"That won't do!" Wu Youcai raised his voice. "If you raise wages so high, who will be willing to weave cloth at market prices in the future? The imperial court is trying to disrupt the market!"
"Market price?" Liu Rushi smiled. "Master Wu, I'd like to ask—a bolt of top-quality Songjiang cotton cloth costs eight qian of silver. How much does the weaver actually receive?"
Wu Youcai's expression changed: "This...this is an industry matter..."
"I'll speak for you." Liu Rushi turned around and took an account book from her attendant. "This is the Suzhou Textile Bureau's procurement account from last year. One bolt of cloth cost eight qian, the weaver received three qian, the Textile Bureau took two qian, the official in charge took one qian, the middleman took one qian, and the remaining one qian was for 'losses.' Is that right?"
The crowd fell silent.
"The workshop directly pays the female workers thirty coins a day. According to the calculation that a skilled worker can weave one and a half bolts of cloth a day, the wages for one bolt of cloth are about twenty coins, which is equivalent to one and a half fen of silver." Liu Rushi opened the account book. "Including the cost of cotton and machine wear and tear, the total cost of one bolt of cloth is no more than four qian. The court buys it at the market price of eight qian, and there is still a surplus of four qian to be used for military expenses."
She looked at the weavers and said, "If you think the wages are too low, you can come to the workshop. The workshop is short of skilled workers, and those who pass the test will receive thirty-five coins a day."
Wu Youcai panicked: "Liu! You're inciting the weavers to rebel!"
"Defection?" a voice came from behind.
Wang Chengen alighted from the carriage, dressed in an indigo eunuch's uniform. He was fair-skinned and beardless, and his steps were steady. Having spent thirty years in the palace, he possessed an imposing presence even when silent.
"Master Wu," Wang Chengen approached, "I have a question for you—last year, the Suzhou Textile Bureau purchased 300,000 bolts of cloth, with the accounts stating eight qian per bolt. How much was actually paid?"
Sweat beaded on Wu Youcai's forehead: "This... naturally, it will be paid in full..."
"Six qian actually paid." Wang Chengen pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve. "This is the receipt you wrote to the Imperial Transport Warehouse last year. Two qian was withheld for each bolt of cloth, so 300,000 bolts would be 60,000 taels. Who pocketed this silver?"
With a thud, Wu Youcai knelt down.
Wang Chengen didn't even look at him, turning to the weavers: "The workshop is run by the imperial court, exclusively for military supplies. Those of you who wish to come, register now. Those who don't, go back and continue weaving as usual. But there's one thing—" He paused, "Anyone who dares to gather a crowd and cause trouble, obstructing military supplies, will be executed according to wartime laws."
The crowd dispersed.
Liu Rushi looked at Wang Chengen and said, "Thank you for helping me out, Eunuch Wang."
Wang Chengen waved his hand, but there was no joy on his face: "Lady Liu, this matter is not over. You have taken away too many people's jobs." He lowered his voice, "We need to pay more attention to fire prevention and theft prevention in the workshop. At least twenty people should be on duty at night. I will transfer a team of people from the Jingjun."
"The Clean Army?"
"Armed eunuchs." Wang Chengen smiled wryly. "The palace originally kept these people to keep an eye on the outer court. Now... they come in handy."
Inside the Wenhua Hall, Li Ce was reviewing the workshop's accounts.
Ni Yuanlu stood to the side, holding another booklet in his hands: "Your Majesty, the budget for the workshop's first month has been finalized. We will purchase 300 spinning wheels at 1.2 taels each; 3,000 catties of cotton at 0.5 taels each; 300 female workers at 270 taels per month; and 100 taels for food and miscellaneous expenses. The total cost is 1,100 taels of silver."
"What about the output?"
"A skilled worker can spin four catties of yarn and weave one and a half bolts of cloth per day. With three hundred workers at full capacity, the monthly output can reach thirteen thousand bolts of cloth. At the military procurement price of eight qian per bolt, the value is 10,400 taels of silver." Ni Yuanlu paused, "and the net surplus is nine thousand three hundred taels."
Li Ce nodded: "This is just the beginning. Once the water-powered spinning wheel is completed, the output will double."
At this moment, Wang Chengen entered, knelt down, and reported what had happened at the workshop entrance.
After listening, Li Ce remained silent for a moment: "Who is behind Wu Youcai?"
"This old servant has investigated. It's a physician in the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing, surnamed Zhou. Going further back..." Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment, "...it involves the eunuch in charge of the Nanjing garrison, Eunuch Liu."
"Liu Yongzuo?" Li Ce remembered this person, an old man from the Tianqi Dynasty who had been quiet since the southward migration.
"Yes. Eunuch Liu has been in charge of the Nanjing Imperial Treasury for over twenty years; his influence runs deep," Wang Chengen said in a low voice. "This old servant has already sent people to keep an eye on him. However... there is no concrete evidence."
Li Ce smiled: "Wang Chengen."
"This old servant is here."
"You've been in the palace for thirty years. I ask you—you really don't know about those messy accounts in the Inner Treasury?"
Wang Chengen trembled and prostrated himself on the ground: "This old servant... knows a little."
How much do you know?
"When Cao Huachun was in power, he embezzled no less than 100,000 taels from the Imperial Treasury every year. After his downfall, those below him were not clean either." Wang Chengen's voice was bitter. "It's not that this old servant doesn't want to manage it, it's that he can't. The palace is a complex and intertwined place; pulling one hair will affect the whole situation."
"So you're just going to watch?"
"This old servant..." Wang Chengen raised his head, his eyes reddening, "This old servant can only guard his own affairs, not make any mistakes, and not reach out for personal gain. When the late emperor was alive, this old servant advised him, and the late emperor said: 'If the water is too clear, there will be no fish.' This old servant... has no choice."
Li Ce looked at him, the old eunuch who had served three emperors, his hair was already gray, and his face was lined with deep wrinkles.
"I'll give you a chance." Li Ce stood up. "You will thoroughly clean out the Inner Treasury. Those who have embezzled money, I'll give you three days to return the silver, and I will let bygones be bygones. If they haven't returned it after three days, I will have Li Ruolian confiscate their property."
Wang Chengen was stunned: "Your Majesty... this..."
"You can't bear to do it?"
"It's not that I can't bear to!" Wang Chengen kowtowed heavily, "It's that I'm afraid... afraid that if we push them too far, they'll resort to desperate measures. The palace is a place of constant vigilance—fire prevention, poison prevention, and hidden attacks—it's impossible to guard against everything!"
"Then let them jump." Li Ce's voice was cold. "One who jumps out, I'll kill one. A hundred who jump out, I'll kill a hundred. Wang Chengen—"
"This old servant is here."
"Remember this, you are not guarding a few hundred rooms in the Forbidden City. You are guarding the nation's purse strings. If the purse strings leak, the soldiers on the front lines will have to fight on empty stomachs and use their flesh and blood to block the Tartars' swords."
Li Ce stepped down and helped him up, saying, "I know you've had a tough time. But some things have to be done by someone."
Wang Chengen, tears streaming down his face, said, "This old servant... understands. This old servant's life was given to me by the late Emperor. Now, it should be returned to the Ming Dynasty."
On October 12th, something happened at the workshop.
It's not causing trouble, it's a fire.
The fire started at midnight, beginning at the Bing-character warehouse. That night, the wind was strong, and the fire, fueled by the wind, quickly engulfed half the warehouse. Fortunately, the guards sent by Wang Chengen were on high alert and discovered the fire early. They also had plenty of water, and the fire was extinguished in half an hour.
When Liu Rushi arrived, half of the Bingzi warehouse had already burned down. All thirty new spinning wheels were reduced to charcoal, and the five hundred catties of cotton stored in the warehouse were also completely burned.
"How did the fire start?" she asked the head of the samurai guards on duty.
The leader's face was grim: "We've investigated. Someone spilled tung oil. There are oil stains on the warehouse walls; the fire came in from outside."
"Where is the person on night duty?"
"We've asked everyone, and no one saw anything suspicious," the leader said in a low voice. "But at three-quarters past 7 PM, someone saw Eunuch Liu's young apprentice loitering around the area."
Liu Rushi's heart sank.
At this moment, Li Ruolian arrived with the Imperial Guards. He squatted by the wall, dipped his finger in the oil stain, and smelled it.
"Fresh tung oil, poured on less than two hours ago." He stood up. "Lady Liu, where is the workshop's tung oil stored?"
"The T-shaped vault is locked; I have the key."
"Let's go take a look."
The lock on the T-shaped warehouse door was pried open. Three barrels of tung oil, each weighing thirty jin, were missing from the warehouse.
Li Ruolian examined the lock marks: "It was done by an experienced hand, using a thin iron hook to pry it open. Many eunuchs in the palace know how to do that."
"Can we catch them?"
"It's difficult." Li Ruolian shook her head. "But there's a way—the tung oil barrels are numbered, and there's a record for each barrel that leaves the warehouse. We can check who recently took the tung oil and what they did with it."
He paused, then added, "However, we need Eunuch Wang's cooperation. The disbursement of materials for the inner court is all recorded in the Directorate of Ceremonial.
Wang Chengen arrived quickly. After hearing the situation, his face turned ashen: "This old servant will investigate immediately. Three days, I will give His Majesty an explanation within three days."
"It won't take three days," Li Ce's voice came from behind.
Everyone turned around and saw the emperor standing at the door in ordinary clothes, having been there for who knows how long.
"Checking the accounts is too slow." Li Ce walked in, looked at the charred storeroom, and said, "Issue my decree: From this day forward, all flammable materials in the inner court, such as tung oil, kerosene, saltpeter, and sulfur, shall be gathered in the open space of the West Garden and guarded day and night by the Imperial Guards. Each palace and hall shall only have enough for three days, and more shall be issued after that."
He looked at Wang Chengen: "You will personally oversee the operation. Anyone who dares to conceal anything will be treated as an accomplice to arson."
"This old servant obeys the decree."
"Also," Li Ce paused, "tell Liu Yongzuo—I respectfully acknowledge his status as a veteran of three reigns and grant him permission to retire and return to his hometown. He shall leave the capital before sunrise tomorrow, and I will reward him with five hundred taels for travel expenses. If he is still in Nanjing after sunrise..." He didn't finish his sentence.
Wang Chengen's heart skipped a beat: "This old servant... understands."
That night, Liu Yongzuo's residence was brightly lit. The over seventy-year-old eunuch knelt in the ancestral hall, kowtowed three times to the ancestral tablets from the Yongle era, then packed his valuables and left Nanjing before dawn.
After he left, Wang Chengen led a group to search his private residence. They found 80,000 taels of silver, 3,000 taels of gold, and countless land deeds and house deeds in the cellar.
The ledger records: In a certain month of a certain year, 5,000 taels of silver were received as "tribute" from the Suzhou Textile Bureau; in a certain month of a certain year, 3,000 taels of silver were received as "tea tribute" from salt merchants; in a certain month of a certain year, a position as a manager in the Textile Bureau was sold for 10,000 taels of silver...
When Wang Chengen presented the account book to the Wenhua Hall, his hands were trembling.
Li Ce flipped through a few pages and tossed them onto the table: "Half of this silver will go to the army's pay, and the other half will be used to repair the Yellow River dikes. As for these people—" He pointed to the names in the ledger, "have Li Ruolian investigate them one by one. Those who embezzle less than one hundred taels will have their salaries docked; those who embezzle less than one thousand taels will be dismissed; those who embezzle more than ten thousand taels will be exiled. Those who embezzle more than one hundred thousand taels…"
He paused, then said, "Execute."
The autumn wind outside the window is bleak, swirling up fallen leaves all over the ground.
On October 15th, Longjiang Guan Workshop resumed operations.
Fifty newly made three-spindle spinning wheels were delivered. This time, Wang Zheng added iron hoops to the gears, and Bo Jue mixed a thicker tung oil. The female workers silently returned to their positions, turned the wheels, connected the yarn, and the hum of spinning filled the air.
Liu Rushi set up an incense table in the courtyard and placed three kinds of sacrificial animals on it.
"Today we worship the fire god, and we also worship our conscience," she said to the three hundred female workers. "A fire burned thirty spinning wheels, but it cannot destroy our livelihood. From today onwards, the number of people on night watch in the workshop will be increased to thirty, in pairs, patrolling every half hour. Whoever discovers a hidden danger will be rewarded with one tael of silver; whoever catches the arsonist will be rewarded with ten taels of silver."
The female workers listened quietly.
Suddenly, Zhao Chenshi stepped forward and knelt before the incense table: "By the God of Fire, I, Zhao Chenshi, swear—in this life, I will never do anything against my conscience. If anyone dares to set fire again, I will be the first to fight them to the death!"
Then came the second, the third... more than three hundred people knelt down.
Liu Rushi did not stop her; she simply watched quietly.
She knew that these women were not kneeling before the God of Fire, but before the path to survival that they could finally see.
On the same day, on the surface of the Bohai Sea.
Zheng Sen stood on the deck of the "Jinghai" ship, watching the fleet of ships slowly approaching from the north. More than thirty Fujian-style ships and sand barges, with deep drafts, were clearly grain transport vessels.
"General, look closely, it's a North Korean flag," the lookout shouted.
"Where are the guards?"
"Eight warships, judging from their style, are old ships from the Korean Navy, which have been modified."
Zheng Sen nodded: "Pass on the order, use the third set of tactics."
The signal flags were raised. Twelve Cangshan ships silently glided out from both flanks, taking advantage of the morning mist to circle around to the rear of the fleet. Eight Fujian ships formed a horizontal line and slowly approached.
Enter the three hundred steps.
The North Korean fleet spotted them and began to turn. But it was too late.
Zheng Sen waved the command flag down.
The gun ports on the side of the Fujian-style ship opened, and sixteen improved tiger-squat cannons fired simultaneously. The cannonballs were not solid iron balls, but iron-cased gunpowder canisters—exploding upon impact, the splattering flames igniting the ship upon contact.
Three grain transport ships were hit by bullets and caught fire, and the North Korean sailors on board screamed and jumped into the sea.
"Damn it!" Zheng Sen drew his sword.
As the enemy ships drew near, grappling hooks were thrown. Naval officers and soldiers leaped aboard, and amidst flashes of swords, blood splattered on the gunwales. The Korean navy, already weak, was further weakened by this surprise attack. In less than half an hour, five of the eight warships sank, and the remaining three surrendered, flying white flags.
Zheng Sen boarded the largest grain ship and opened the hatch.
The room was filled with sacks; when you opened them, you found they contained rice.
"Take inventory," he ordered.
Half an hour later, the deputy general reported: "General, there are a total of thirty-eight grain transport ships, carrying approximately 40,000 shi of rice. There are also 2,000 shi of beans and 500 bags of salt. The Korean navy suffered approximately 800 casualties and captured 1,200. Our army suffered 17 dead and 43 wounded."
"The grain we loaded onto our ship, the beans and salt... sank," Zheng Sen said. "The ship was burned, nothing was left."
"What a pity about these ships..."
"It's no pity." Zheng Sen looked north. "Our mission isn't to capture anything, it's to make them feel the pain."
He paused. "Have you written down the names of the fallen brothers?"
"I've got it."
"The compensation will be doubled, and workshops will give priority to hiring those with elderly or young children in their families."
"Yes."
The fleet regrouped and turned south. The sea breeze was strong, causing Zheng Sen's robes to flutter loudly.
He suddenly remembered what his father, Zheng Zhilong, had said: "Those who make a living at sea know best when to advance and when to retreat."
It's time to go in.
October 20th, Wenhua Hall.
Li Ce stared at the battle report that Zheng Sen had sent him for a long time.
Then he looked up and said to Sun Chuanting, Li Ruolian, and Ni Yuanlu in the hall, "Forty thousand shi of grain was enough to feed Dodo's fifty thousand troops for a month. Now that the grain is gone, how will he survive this winter?"
Sun Chuanting pondered: "Dodo must either retreat or seize grain on the spot. But Shandong has had a poor harvest this year, and the people themselves are not even enough to eat, so they won't be able to seize much."
"Then let him rob it," Li Ce said. "Have the Imperial Guards spread the word in Shandong that the imperial court has already transported grain to Xuzhou and will soon head north to provide disaster relief. Also, have our men disguise themselves as grain merchants and 'secretly' stockpile grain near Jinan—filling the grain sacks with sand and covering them with a layer of real rice."
Li Ruolian's eyes lit up: "Lure Dodo to come and steal it, and then..."
"Then we set it on fire," Li Ce laughed, "so that he would think his supply lines had been cut off, and his army's morale would collapse."
Ni Yuanlu said, "Your Majesty, Liu Rushi has reported the data from the workshop. Currently, the monthly production of cotton cloth is 5,000 bolts, enough to make 10,000 military uniforms. The cost is 30% lower than purchasing from outside, saving the imperial treasury about 8,000 taels of silver per month."
"Only eight thousand taels?" Li Ce frowned. "Not enough. Tell Liu Rushi that within three months, production must double and costs must be reduced by another ten percent. If she can do it, I will reward her handsomely; if she can't, replace her."
"Yes."
Footsteps sounded outside the hall, and Zhang Jiayu hurried in, holding a letter in his hand: "Your Majesty, urgent report from Wuchang."
Li Ce opened it, looked at it, and smiled.
The letter was written by Zuo Liangyu, and it was very earnest. He said, "I had many doubts before, but now that I have seen the heavenly army defeat the enemy, I have suddenly realized my mistakes. I am willing to personally lead my troops north to assist in the battle and atone for my past sins."
"Seeing that we won, he quickly pledged his loyalty." Li Ce handed the letter to Sun Chuanting. "Mr. Sun, what do you think?"
After reading it, Sun Chuanting said, "This man is fickle and untrustworthy. But since he has spoken, we might as well go with the flow—let him lead 30,000 troops to Guide Prefecture and place them under my command. Once they are under my control, I have plenty of ways to deal with them."
"Good." Li Ce picked up his pen and wrote, "Approved. But tell him that the rations and pay will be distributed in batches, and half will be paid out first when we arrive in Guide Prefecture."
He put down his pen and looked out of the hall.
The autumn sun was shining brightly, turning the palace walls a golden hue.
"Issue the decree." He spoke softly, yet each word was clear:
"Order the Longjiangguan workshop to produce 50,000 winter clothes and send them to Xuzhou before November."
"Order Sun Chuanting's troops to prepare for war, but not to launch an attack for the time being."
"Order Zheng Sen's navy to continue patrolling the Bohai Sea and seize any grain ships they encounter."
"This winter," Li Ce smiled, "we'll let Dorgon go hungry for a good while."