Chapter 0003: Suffocate the Dream

Wang Cheng'en nodded slightly, neither affirming nor denying, "Perhaps it is because His Majesty is worried about the state affairs that he dreams at night"

According to the report from the Governor-General of Jilin and Liaoning, the so-called Manchu Eight Banners elite troops number over 80,000, while the forces of the false king San Shun exceed 10,000. The total number of elite soldiers is approximately around 100,000! Additionally, there are tens of thousands of Mongolian troops allied with the Hu people that can be mobilized. In total, it is possible to deploy over 100,000 soldiers!

After entering the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen era, more officials had already realized that "the border bandits are intertwined, and the Central Plains cannot be defended." Therefore, the proposal for migration to the south was openly discussed in the court.

The fertile lands of the southeast bear such heavy taxes and levies, yet remain stable and undisturbed by the calamity of displaced people. This indicates that the southeast is wealthy enough to bear various taxes and levies

However, Emperor Chongzhen was unable to make a decisive resolution to implement the southern migration with absolute authority. Most of the ministers were reluctant to bear the blame of abandoning the ancestral tombs, thus there was always a chorus of opposition during the court discussions regarding the southern migration

However..." Wang Cheng'en furrowed his brows, "But if we abandon Beijing, can we really hold the Southeast?"

Zhu Cilang stopped in his tracks and said to Wang Cheng'en: "Since we cannot produce it, we can only temporarily give up the loss-making Central Plains and Liaodong, and retreat to the Southeast where we can still make a substantial profit. As long as we hold the Southeast, an annual income of twenty million can still be managed. With this twenty million, the revival of our Ming Dynasty is still hopeful"

In total, the court requires 600,000 elite troops to pacify Liao and eliminate the bandits! How much money is needed to maintain 600,000 elite troops? Can the court afford it? Even if there is no intention to conquer or eliminate, maintaining the situation still requires 200,000 to 300,000 elite troops. If we calculate the expenses based on the treatment of the Guanning Army, how much would it cost for 200,000 to 300,000 elite troops? Is it possible for the court to bear this cost?

This chart primarily analyzes the financial situation of the Ming Dynasty

As long as he can gain power in Jiangnan, he will find a way to receive money from the wealthiest maritime merchants and the large landowners of the Three Wus... or to deceive them out of their money! In later generations, he will be engaged in this line of work

Oh. Wang Cheng'en replied, "What does the ancestor that His Majesty dreamed of look like? Is it similar to the portrait of Emperor Gao, the founding emperor?"

Wang Cheng'en thought to himself: The Crown Prince likely supports the idea of moving south, but is concerned that his youth may lead to his words being taken lightly, which is why he is using the excuse of a dream from the founding emperor to bring up the suggestion of relocating southward

If my troops can engage two enemies with one, then 300,000 elite soldiers are required If it is necessary to engage three enemies with one, then 450,000 elite soldiers are required

Indeed! Zhu Cilang was very certain, "The military campaigns in the Central Plains and Liaodong rely on the swift cavalry. In contrast, the southeastern region is crisscrossed by waterways, with the Yangtze River and the Yellow Huai (at this time, the Yellow River flows into the sea through the Huai River, forming a unified system in the lower reaches), and the Grand Canal as the main arteries, along with the ocean as support. Therefore, in the defense of the southeast, the advantage lies with the naval forces. The Hu people and bandits do not possess a navy, yet our Ming Dynasty has the naval forces of Fujian, Guangdong, and Tianjin to rely on. Under the supervision of the transport commissioner, there are also fleets that can be converted into naval forces. As long as they are utilized properly, we can depend on the Yangtze River, the Yellow Huai, and the ocean to ensure the stability of our Ming Dynasty in the southeast."

Moreover, the bandits have grown in strength, and are now advancing with an army of over 100,000! If we wish to defeat them, it is feared that we will also require an elite force of over 100,000.

When the court moved to the southeast, there was no need to engage in battle with the Hu invaders, nor was it necessary to provide generous support to the various vassal kings and royal family members, and even the bandits were unable to advance southward

Zhu Cilang looked at Wang Cheng'en and said: "The difficulties faced by our Ming Dynasty may appear to be due to military defeat and loss, with setbacks at every turn. However, upon closer examination, the root cause lies in our finances. If the court had an inexhaustible supply of funds, the bandits would have been quelled long ago, and the Hu people would have been trapped and perished by the fortress walls."

Zhu Cilang spoke with great emotion, his gaze distant and profound, looking at an unknown point in the sky, slowly spreading his arms, "Therefore, as long as the court moves south, the Hu invaders will become like the Mongol Yuan of old, the bandits will turn into the Red Turban Army of yesteryear, and our Ming Dynasty will be able to revive in the southeast just as it did during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao!"

Zhu Cilang did not outright dismiss the conversation from the beginning. Although Wang Cheng'en is honest, he is certainly not a fool. Emperor Chongzhen would employ honest individuals, but he would never appoint a fool as the chief eunuch of the Ministry of Rites and the supervisor of the Eastern Depot. To deal with such a person, one must coax him with a mix of truth and falsehood, ideally leading him to willingly fall into the trap.

Zhu Cilang forced a smile and said, "The government troops have fought against the bandits, and in fact, they have won more often than they have lost. If it were not for natural disasters and man-made calamities, and if the court had sufficient funds for relief, the bandits would have been subdued long ago. However, when the government troops engage in battle with the Hu invaders, victories are rare, and they have suffered numerous significant and devastating defeats! As a result, the elite troops that could be used to suppress the bandits have all been lost on the battlefield against the Hu invaders.

It is not difficult to conclude that the combat strength of the imperial troops is superior to that of the bandits, but significantly weaker than that of the Hu invaders. To resist the Hu invaders with imperial troops, it would require several times the number of elite forces compared to the enemy.

This is actually the simplest form of asset restructuring, which involves abandoning unprofitable markets and businesses, and focusing primary efforts on profitable businesses and markets

Wang Cheng'en shook his head

Not quite the same, Zhu Cilang shook his head and said vaguely, "It needs to be much younger, looks very fierce"

It seems that I dreamt of my ancestors

In the Southeast, there are no bandits, no foreign invaders, no feudal lords, and no major disasters. Even the coastal pirates have been subdued by Zheng Zhilong, creating a scene of complete peace and prosperity. Therefore, while the court collects enormous taxes in the Southeast, it does not need to spend much, and the income is almost pure profit

"The path of life?" Wang Cheng'en asked, somewhat puzzled, "Whose path of life?"

Zhu Cilang paused for a moment and then asked, "Wang Banban, do you know where the court primarily spends its money?"

The navy was the core competitive strength of the Ming Dynasty! What could the two landlubbers, Dorgon and Li Zicheng, use to fight?

There are just two minor issues: the depletion of cash reserves and the imbalance of income and expenditure ...! ... To the financial experts of later generations, these are certainly minor issues!

He does not believe that Zhu Yuanzhang would truly send a dream to the sixteen-year-old young prince, as there is still a wise emperor in the Ming court. Even if the ancestors had some way to turn the tide, they should be sending dreams to the emperor instead.

Zhu Cilang stood up, hands behind his back, pacing in the great hall while speaking eloquently: "In the sixteenth year of Chongzhen, the total value of various taxes and levies amounted to over ten million taels of silver. Due to the turmoil in the Central Plains, Shaanxi, Huguang, and other regions, and the plundering of North Zhili by the Hu people in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, there has been a significant amount of arrears. Of the more than ten million received last year, the majority came from the fertile southeastern regions such as South Zhili, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong.

Wang Cheng'en respectfully took the chart and was momentarily taken aback. This method of systematically analyzing various major internal strengths, weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats related to the research subject, by listing them through surveys in the form of charts and matrices, and then matching and analyzing the various factors, was clearly beyond the grasp of the sixteen-year-old Zhu Cilang. Moreover, it seemed that neither Zhu Cilang's teachers nor the eunuchs around him were familiar with this method.

Sigh," Wang Cheng'en sighed, "Naturally, it has been spent on the war in Liaodong and the suppression of bandits in the Central Plains, in addition to the substantial amount spent on the stipends for the vassal kings.

Wang Banban, this is the dream of this palace! It is also the path of life pointed out for our Ming Dynasty by Emperor Taizu Gao! Do you see whether the path pointed out by Emperor Taizu Gao is right or wrong?

In June of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, while Emperor Chongzhen repeatedly urged Sun Chuanting to leave Tongguan and engage in a decisive battle with the rising force of Li Zicheng, Empress Zhou also suggested relocating the capital. She, citing the urgency of the situation, tentatively remarked to Chongzhen, "There is still a family residing in the south." At that time, Wang Cheng'en was by Chongzhen's side

Zhu Cilang did not answer the question, but simply handed the chart he had prepared earlier to Wang Cheng'en, saying, "Take a look."

The old eunuch was overwhelmed with joy and wept: "The great Emperor Taizu truly appeared in a dream! The Ming Dynasty is saved! The Emperor is saved..."

Of course, it is the path of survival for the Ming Dynasty! Zhu Cilang spoke with a firm tone, enunciating each word, "Does Wang Banban not feel that our Ming Dynasty is currently teetering between life and death?"

Currently, both the Central Plains and Liaodong are devoid of funds. After so many years of conflict, any wealth that existed has been depleted. There is none in the hands of the court, yet it seems to have found its way into the hands of the rebel leader. The rebel leader continues to shout about land distribution and tax exemptions, claiming no taxation for three years. However, once he enters the city of Beijing and faces the fierce onslaught of the barbarian invaders, he will come to understand the suffering. At that point, the rebel leader will be too preoccupied with defending against the invaders, leaving no strength to launch a southern campaign.

Because the Ming Dynasty had virtually no debt, and also possessed a substantial cash flow, it monopolized a vast market—the tax revenue markets of Jiangnan, Jianghuai, Fujian, and the two Guang provinces

Wang Cheng'en still could not answer this...

Perhaps so, Zhu Cilang said seriously as he looked at Wang Cheng'en, but I still saw a glimmer of hope in my dreams

Wang Cheng'en remained silent. Who does not know that the Ming Dynasty is now on the brink of life and death? In fact, as early as after the Battle of Zhuxian Town in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the supervising general Hou Xun had already stated the importance of abandoning the Central Plains for the sake of the country and its people.

"Did our ancestors mention the matter of the southward migration in a dream?" Wang Cheng'en asked tentatively

Zhu Cilang then asked: "Wang Banban, how much money do you think the court needs in order to simultaneously defeat the already powerful rebel forces and the Hu invaders?"

"What the Lord said is true," Wang Cheng'en replied while frowning and examining the chart provided by Zhu Cilang

This was the largest tax market in the world during the seventeenth century! Moreover, it exhibited good growth potential, as a substantial export of goods such as silk and porcelain led to a continuous influx of silver from the New World into the tax markets of Jiangnan, Jianghuai, Fujian, and the two Guang provinces. Therefore, these regions were able to bear higher taxes! Of course, the premise was to have Zhu Cilang go to Jiangnan to collect the money

Wang Cheng'en has already begun to feel a suffocating sensation—this is suffocation for the sake of his dreams

The Central Plains market is not easy to operate in! The competition is fierce! Moreover, the cash flow generated is limited, while the various expenditures are substantial, making it very difficult to sustain

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, "Indeed! The court collects enormous taxes in the southeast, while spending vast amounts in the Central Plains, Northwest, and Liaodong... The revenue from the southeast is insufficient to cover the expenses in the Central Plains, Northwest, and Liaodong, leading to an unmanageable financial situation. When the finances are in disarray, the soldiers will lack pay and equipment, the refugees in the Central Plains and Northwest will receive no relief, and they will have no choice but to rise in rebellion. Furthermore, there will be no funds to reinforce the walls in Liaodong... Naturally, the war will deteriorate beyond control!" The financial situation is unmanageable, leading to a lack of pay and equipment for the soldiers, no relief for the refugees in the Central Plains and Northwest, forcing them to rise in rebellion, and no funds to reinforce the walls in Liaodong... Naturally, the war will deteriorate beyond control!

Wang Cheng'en remained silent and speechless

The financial situation of the Ming Dynasty is generally quite healthy

In the spring of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen era, Emperor Chongzhen privately discussed the southward migration with Zhou Yanru, who had been reinstated as the chief minister.

Zhu Cilang continued to analyze: "Furthermore, once the bandits enter Beijing, then the rebel leader will have to confront the enemy directly! With the rebel leader fighting against the enemy in the north, can our Ming Dynasty not take the opportunity to recuperate in the southeast? This is reminiscent of the situation when the great Emperor Taizu rose from the southeast to unify the world!"