vstars Chapter 490 Negotiation of Donations
Chapter 490 Negotiation of Donations
Fang Zhenghua's smile deepened upon hearing Liu Ye's clear answer.
He and Wen Tiren secretly colluded, forming a powerful alliance between them. One wanted to climb to the position of Grand Secretary, while the other wanted to retain his position as Grand Secretary. They shared their connections and resources, giving them a clear advantage over their colleagues in the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Cabinet. However, even so, they could not guarantee that they would achieve their goals. Compared to the textbook political alliance between Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao, their positions and political resources were much weaker.
Although Wen Tiren was also a Grand Secretary, he was far inferior to Zhang Juzheng in terms of seniority and ability. He was, in essence, merely Chongzhen's senior secretary, spending his days trying to understand Chongzhen's thoughts and cater to his preferences, offering little constructive advice on matters of state. Zhang Juzheng, on the other hand, was one of the regents entrusted with the care of the young emperor by the Longqing Emperor. Without any family background, he rose through the ranks, defeating the three Grand Secretaries Yan Song, Xu Jie, and Gao Gong, reaching the pinnacle of his career. He was a powerful minister who single-handedly saved the Ming Dynasty for 40 years, a figure etched in history.
Fang Zhenghua, needless to say, no matter how promising he was, was ultimately just a court eunuch. Compared to Feng Bao, he was worlds apart. Feng Bao, along with Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong, were regents. Inside the palace, he relied on Empress Dowager Li, the birth mother of Emperor Wanli, and outside the palace, he allied with Zhang Juzheng, wielding immense power. Even the emperor feared him.
Because their foundations were too weak and their political resources insufficient, they had been constantly seeking external support. As early as his time as a military officer, Liu Ye had come to Wen Tiren's attention, and the idea of winning him over was already in mind. After Liu Ye rose rapidly through the ranks to become the Earl of Pingnan, Wen Tiren felt he was qualified to be an ally and discussed with Fang Zhenghua bringing him into their alliance. The Chongzhen era was vastly different from the Wanli era; the era of civil officials deciding everything was over. In chaotic times, generals wielding significant military power were also a force influencing the court, and Liu Ye was a prime example of this.
To achieve his goals, Liu Ye was willing to use anyone from all walks of life. Why wouldn't he agree to the Grand Secretary's overtures and attempts to win him over? This way, he would have a substantial network of connections in the capital, Shandong, and Guangdong, making his work much easier.
Such matters don't require signatures, oaths, or vows; a few words are enough to convey the meaning, and we both understand. Having ascertained Liu Ye's stance, Fang Zhenghua proactively revealed another purpose of his trip.
"Accompanying us to Nanjing are Cheng Li, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Li Weide and Zhao Yue, the principal clerks of the Ministry of Revenue. At present, the bandits in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Henan are powerful, and Hong Chengchou cannot hold them off alone. The court intends to transfer troops from Xuanfu and Datong, but it is short of money and grain. They came here on His Majesty's orders to ask the Earl of Pingnan for donations, hoping to get some silver to pay the back wages and relieve the urgent crisis. However, His Majesty is concerned about his reputation, so this time he came in the name of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue."
The emperor ordering local military commanders to donate silver sounds novel. Liu Ye knew that in another timeline, before Li Zicheng's invasion of Beijing, Emperor Chongzhen had also set aside his imperial dignity and pleaded with ministers and imperial relatives in the capital to donate money and provisions to defend against the bandits. However, the result was disappointing: the then Grand Secretary Wei Zaode only donated 500 taels; the Emperor's father-in-law, the Earl of Jiading Zhou Kui, who was extremely wealthy, donated 1 taels after repeated pleas from the emperor's son-in-law; many more powerful figures feigned poverty, evaded responsibility, or fled. Some sold their pots and pans on the streets, while others posted notices on their mansions for sale—anything to avoid donating silver. As a result, a few days later, Beijing fell, and the Ming Dynasty collapsed.
It seems that because of his appearance in this time and space, Chongzhen had resorted to fundraising in advance. However, since it was not yet a matter of life and death, Chongzhen, for the sake of face, did not ask for the money himself, but sent his subordinates away.
Liu Ye pondered. A count's title, then a demand for silver—should he agree? As for silver, he wasn't actually short of it. Not to mention the millions of taels he earned annually from selling raw silk to Japan, the two customs offices in Bofu and Tainan each had an average monthly income of tens of thousands of taels, easily bringing in two to three million taels a year. Add to that the cotton cloth and liquor shops in Guangzhou, and his total annual income was easily six to seven million taels, far exceeding Chongzhen's national treasury revenue. Even after deducting the expenses of the Qionghai Army, he still had considerable financial reserves. Whether or not to agree to the request depended solely on how much he would have to give and what he would gain.
Fang Zhenghua was unaware that this potential ally was incredibly wealthy. He assumed Liu Ye was reluctant to spend the money, so he advised, "The Grand Secretary told me to inform the Earl of Pingnan that this money is not donated for nothing. We can set conditions. As long as it doesn't involve money, everything is negotiable."
Liu Ye's eyes lit up. This was the benefit of allying with the Grand Secretary; knowing their trump cards in advance gave him a significant advantage when negotiating with the officials in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue. His eyes darted around, and he immediately thought of the conditions he should propose. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Fang. Please also convey my gratitude to the Grand Secretary. Now I know what to do."
The next day, a "donation negotiation team" consisting of Cheng Li, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Li Weide, the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Revenue, and Zhao Yue came to the door. Knowing their purpose in advance, Liu Ye was very calm and unhurriedly arranged for them to be seated.
Asking for money is, after all, asking for favors. These vice ministers and officials were usually powerful figures in their respective departments, waiting for others to come to them for bribes. This was the first time they had done something like this, and they didn't know how to start. Just as they were stammering and not knowing where to begin, a soldier came to report: "The Duke of Wei has sent someone to request an audience."
Seeing that these officials were not yet mentally prepared, Liu Ye stood up and said, "Gentlemen, please wait a moment. Someone from the Duke of Wei's mansion has arrived. We dare not delay. I will be right back."
They all wanted some time to cool off, and besides, they couldn't afford to offend the Duke of Wei, so they quickly agreed: "It's alright, Earl of Pingnan, please do as you please."
Liu Ye arrived at the door, where the visitor was the steward of the Duke's mansion. He said respectfully, "Lord Pingnan, our Duke has heard about the imperial edict and has specially prepared a feast at Meilou tonight to celebrate for you. Please come."
Liu Ye smiled. Overnight, everyone knew about his new title of Earl of Pingnan. He and the Duke of Wei had become acquainted through a misunderstanding, each having their own needs and deliberately cultivating a good relationship. Their temperaments were also compatible, and they had gotten along very well over the past month. Hearing that the other party was celebrating his conferment of a title, he couldn't refuse, so he smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled the Duke of Wei. I will definitely be there tonight."
The butler added, "Mei Lou is located on the banks of the Qinhuai River, at Taoye Ferry. If Marquis Pingnan doesn't know the way, he can just ask for Gu Mei. Everyone along the entire Qinhuai River knows her."