MLMD -Chapter 129 Finally Settled

Watching Yang Sichang and Hou Xun arguing back and forth in front of the throne, Chongzhen raised a hand to press his temples, feeling an inexplicable irritation rising in his heart.

Seated to his left, Grand Secretary Wen Tiren looked rather displeased. He had just proposed punishing Yue Yang, yet hardly anyone supported him. Instead, the court had devolved into a quarrel over whether to levy grain taxes. This was clearly a slight against him as the Chief Grand Secretary.

Yang Sichang spoke loudly, “Lord Hou, Wuli Village has indeed rendered meritorious service. In my humble opinion, it should be lavishly commended, just as the August Founder once rewarded Kang Maocai’s troops, making Wuli Village a model for the entire realm. Not only should we refrain from levying grain taxes there, we should instead encourage further land reclamation to stabilize the hearts of the refugees.”

Hou Xun immediately retorted, “Lord Yang, your words are misguided. You know well enough that the Ministry of Revenue is currently in dire straits—harvests have failed everywhere, and yet the treasury has no grain to distribute. Now Wuli Village has enjoyed a bumper harvest, producing over a million dan of grain. I am not asking them to hand over all of it. Would it really be unacceptable to escort fifty or sixty thousand dan to the capital to relieve the court’s immediate crisis? As for the Founder Emperor’s edict exempting newly reclaimed land from grain tax for three years, that was to show compassion for the people’s hardship and to encourage reclamation. But does Yue Yang truly lack that bit of grain now? This is a special situation requiring special measures. The court is on the verge of having nothing to eat—are we really to cling rigidly to ancestral injunctions and miss the forest for the trees?”

“Enough!”

Wen Tiren finally spoke. Feeling ignored for too long, he coughed heavily before saying, “Lord Yang, Lord Hou, I already said that Yue Yang arbitrarily married the daughter of a barbarian chieftain. Even if the court does not punish him, it cannot possibly reward him. Otherwise, all officials will follow his example—what kind of chaos would that bring? Yet you two are here quarreling endlessly over grain levies. What sort of conduct is this?”

Since the Chief Grand Secretary had spoken, the two at least gave him some face and stopped arguing, though neither truly agreed with Wen Tiren’s view.

Frowning, Yang Sichang said, “Isn’t Lord Wen going too far? He merely married a foreign woman—why should that preclude commendation? Could that woman really turn the world upside down?”

Normally, Wen Tiren’s status as Chief Grand Secretary should have earned him deference, but his reputation at court was notoriously poor. In his years in office, aside from purging political opponents, he had achieved nothing of substance—a classic case of ‘occupying the latrine without relieving oneself.’ Many officials despised him, and Yang Sichang was no exception.

Hou Xun also chimed in, “I believe Lord Yang is quite right. He merely married a foreign woman—must we abandon such a capable official of the court for that alone?”

Seeing the two men who had just been arguing now turning their weapons on him, Wen Tiren’s face darkened instantly. Feeling his authority as Chief Grand Secretary being challenged, he was about to berate them when Chongzhen, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke:

“Enough, all of you. Stop arguing for now. Lord Lu, what do you think of this matter?”

At Chongzhen’s words, everyone turned to look at the middle-aged official who had yet to speak. His name was Lu Xiangsheng.

Lu Xiangsheng had loved reading military treatises since youth and delighted in horsemanship and archery. He became a jinshi in the second year of Tianqi (1622) and later served as Magistrate of Daming. In the second year of Chongzhen (1629), when Later Jin forces crossed the passes and threatened the capital, he raised ten thousand troops to defend it. The following year, he was promoted to Right Vice Commissioner and tasked with overseeing military preparations in the three prefectures of Daming, Guangping, and Shunde, commanding troops known as the “Tianxiong Army.”

Because of his skill in training soldiers, Lu Xiangsheng had caught Chongzhen’s eye. With bandits ravaging the land this year, the emperor urgently summoned him to court to discuss plans for pacification.

Unhurried, Lu Xiangsheng replied, “In reply to Your Majesty, this humble servant believes Yue Yang is indeed a man of great talent. If the court does not reward him, it will be difficult to win people’s hearts. However, judging from his conduct, he is accustomed to acting according to his own will, paying little heed to conventional norms and laws. Therefore, the court must be cautious in how it treats him—neither extreme favor nor harshness—lest resentment be provoked, which would be undesirable.”

“Utter nonsense!” Wen Tiren shouted angrily. “Yue Yang is nothing more than a mere garrison commander. What right does he have to resent the court? How dare you exaggerate and mislead His Majesty!”

As Chief Grand Secretary, Wen Tiren’s anger was indeed intimidating; even Lu Quanyou, the JinYiwei Commander standing nearby, felt a chill.

But who was Lu Xiangsheng? Though he currently held only a fourth-rank post, his courage was second to none. He met Wen Tiren’s gaze calmly and said, “Lord Wen exaggerates. I merely speak the truth—how can that be called exaggeration?”

“You still dare to argue—”

Wen Tiren rose to continue his tirade, but Chongzhen shot him a sharp look and barked, “Lord Wen, that’s enough. I find Lord Lu’s words quite reasonable. Do not be so harsh with him!”

“I’m being harsh?” Wen Tiren nearly fainted in rage at this appraisal, though his composure barely kept him standing.

Finally, Chongzhen said, “Enough. Let me consider this further. Tomorrow, each of you submit a memorial for my review. Lord Lu will remain; the rest may withdraw.”

Amid envious gazes, Lu Xiangsheng stayed behind.

Looking at the dignified and imposing Lu Xiangsheng, Chongzhen smiled and said to Wang Chengen beside him, “Attendant, grant Lord Lu a seat.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

After Lu Xiangsheng sat down, Chongzhen said solemnly, “Lord Lu, the Jin region guards against the Tatar threat in the north and bandits in the east. Its strategic importance is paramount and cannot be lost. I intend to appoint you as Governor-General of Xuan–Da, stationed in Shanxi. What do you think?”

Lu Xiangsheng was then only a fourth-rank commander; the Governor-General of Xuan–Da was a second-rank position—a promotion of four ranks at once.

He immediately rose and knelt before the emperor, choking with emotion. “Your servant… Lu Xiangsheng, thanks Your Majesty for this boundless grace. I dare not fail to repay it with my life.”

“Rise, rise,” Chongzhen said, signaling eunuchs to help him up. “Lord Lu, the state faces grave difficulties. Everything must take national affairs as the priority. Once in Shanxi, you must train an elite army for me—I shall have great use for it.”

“I obey the decree!”

“And one more thing…” Chongzhen paused, then added, “When you arrive in Shanxi, pay close attention to Yue Yang. While you’re at it, visit Yingzhou Prefecture to see whether merchants truly gather there like clouds. I am quite curious—just what kind of man is this Yue Yang…”

Let us set aside Chongzhen’s curiosity for the moment. After several ministers left the Warm Fragrance Pavilion, discussion of Wuli Village spread like wildfire. Officials in the capital debated endlessly, all asking who this Yue Yang was, capable of turning a barren, bitter land into a land of abundance. Through the imperial gazettes, these discussions quickly spread to prefectures and counties across the realm. For a time, magistrates, prefects, provincial commissioners, and frontier garrisons alike all took notice of Wuli Village, and Yingzhou’s garrison commander Yue Yang became the focus of widespread attention.

Whether Wuli Village should pay grain tax became the most hotly debated topic. Notably, the capital’s censorial officials supported Hou Xun, believing that since the court was in hardship, Wuli Village—having enjoyed a great harvest—should provide tangible support.

Some officials, however, sided with Yang Sichang, arguing that ancestral laws must not be abandoned. The Founder Emperor had decreed that newly reclaimed land be exempt from grain tax for three years—so why not simply obey the ancestors instead of levying taxes? The two sides argued fiercely.

These opposing views were hardly surprising, for each side spoke for its own interest group. The capital officials represented landlords and merchants; in their eyes, Yue Yang belonged to the same class. If the court taxed Yue Yang now, who could guarantee that the precedent wouldn’t one day be used against them?

The censors were different. Mostly of humble origin and with fewer vested interests behind them, they naturally believed it only right to share the court’s burdens. Meanwhile, Shanxi Governor Xu Dingchen and Wei Tonghe also submitted memorials seeking merit for Yue Yang.

After arguing for over half a month, Chongzhen finally made his decision: Wuli Village was to submit sixty thousand dan of grain for the year, or alternatively pay fifty-eight thousand taels of silver. A formal imperial edict was issued:

“Since ascending the throne, We have labored day and night, without leisure even for meals. To bring peace to the people, one must first employ capable men. Now there is Yue Yang, Garrison Commander of Yingzhou Prefecture, who has stored grain for the state, ensuring his troops’ self-sufficiency, a talent worthy of great use. We hereby promote Yue Yang to Roaming Commander of the Northern Route of Shanxi, granting him the title of Mingwei General. His wife, Hailanzhu, is granted a sixth-rank patent. Additionally, bestow three hundred taels of silver, and twenty bolts each of silk and gauze. May he loyally serve the state and not fail Our expectations. Respect this.”

When the edict arrived at the Garrison Office, the entire city of Yingzhou was shaken. Zheng Fakui even led officials and local gentry to the residence to offer congratulations.

Caught somewhat unprepared, Yue Yang bustled about for a while before finally settling everyone. It took an entire day to see them all off. The next day, he slipped a banknote to the eunuch who delivered the edict and courteously sent him on his way.

In truth, the happiest people were not Yue Yang himself, but his subordinates. In their eyes, as Yue Yang rose step by step, they too would naturally rise with him—wasn’t that the whole pursuit of officialdom?

What they did not know was that while they celebrated, Lu Xiangsheng had already departed the capital with a troop of cavalry, heading toward Shanxi…