Chongzhen Year Two, first lunar month. Beijing, imperial palace, Imperial Study.
Zhu Youjian was intently reviewing morials, his brows deeply furrowed.
Three Boundary Governor Wu Zhiwang reported the mutiny in Guyuan. Mutinous soldiers had plundered the treasury of Guyuan Prefecture before attacking Jingyang, Fuping, and Sanyuan. Guerrilla General Li Ying was also captured…
Reading this morial made his heart feel like it was riding a roller coaster plumting downward.
This report dated from the twelfth month of the previous year, but he only saw it now in the first lunar month because the backlog of morials piled up endlessly—unreadable, simply unreadable.
Recalling his ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang’s formidable statecraft, Zhu Youjian felt a wave of sha.
“Even border troops have rebelled. Withholding pay for so long… indeed disastrous.”
Zhu Youjian couldn’t help but heave a deep sigh.
His trusted eunuch Cao Huachun whispered softly, “We must find a way to acquire silver, Your Majesty. Otherwise…”
Zhu Youjian replied, “But where can silver be found?”
Cao Huachun extended his hand, offering a morial: “Your Majesty, perhaps examine this report.”
“Oh?”
Zhu Youjian opened the morial and focused. It was submitted by Liu Mao, a supervising secretary from the Office of Scrutiny for Justice. The docunt proposed strict reforms to the courier station system, redefining its usage standards. It argued that rectifying various abuses could save the courier service hundreds of thousands of liang of silver annually.
“Eliminate the reckless distribution of travel passes to relieve the people’s suffering!”
After reading it, Zhu Youjian frowned slightly. “rely reforming the courier stations could save hundreds of thousands of liang yearly?”
Cao Huachun murmured, “The courier system’s expenditures are indeed imnse. Officials of all ranks often demand excessive porters and horses during travels. So even extort ‘zhe qian’—forcing courier stations to supply more than needed, keeping the surplus as converted silver for themselves… anwhile, the stations report these inflated sums to the court, burdening the state treasury.”
Zhu Youjian’s brows knotted tightly. “So these scoundrels swindle hundreds of thousands from the treasury yearly?”
Cao Huachun confird quietly, “Exactly, Your Majesty.”
Zhu Youjian erupted in rage. “Outrageous! Imdiate reform! Rein in the courier stations’ spending! This waste ends now!”
Cao Huachun soothed, “Do not anger yourself, Your Majesty. After reform, those hundreds of thousands will flow back to the treasury. You should rejoice instead.”
Zhu Youjian pondered this. Yes—previously, this drain went unnoticed, but now exposed, the wealth would return. He could deploy hundreds of thousands more liang yearly. Wasn’t this splendid? It would greatly ease his strained finances.
At this thought, his spirits soared as if on a jet engine.
But joy lasted barely monts…
“Report! Urgent dispatch!”
A eunuch rushed into the study, handing over an urgent military report.
Zhu Youjian scanned it: “Bandits rampaged through Luochuan, Chunhua, Sanshui, Lueyang, Qingshui, Cheng County, Hancheng, Yi County, Zhongbu, Shiquan, Yichuan, Suide, Jiazhou, Yao, Jingning, Tongguan, Yangping Pass, Jinsuo Pass, and more…”
The endless string of place nas made Zhu Youjian’s heart plumt like a dive coaster. He roared, “What do these endless nas an? Why not say: Shaanxi and its borders have descended into chaos?!”
Cao Huachun broke into a cold sweat.
Zhu Youjian thundered, “Are Shaanxi Governor Hu Tingyan and Yan-Sui Governor Wu Zhiwang utterly worthless?”
As he finished shouting, another eunuch burst in breathlessly: “Report! Yan-Sui Governor Wu Zhiwang has died of illness! A new governor is urgently needed!”
Zhu Youjian: “!!!”
He frowned, lost in thought for a long mont, then commanded, “Summon Yang He to see .”
…
anwhile, Chengcheng County was stirring with renewed vitality.
Since the Dao Xuan Deity manifested publicly to its people, heavenly interventions beca frequent. First, the deity induced rain over Chengcheng County in full view of all. Then, through his herald, Mr. Wang, and the magistrate, he began reviving every trade in the city.
As with Gaojia Village’s path, the governnt artisans were the first beneficiaries.
The Deity directly raised all artisans’ wages.
This broke ancestral custom, yet Magistrate Liang Shixian raised no objections and promptly obeyed.
By the late Ming Dynasty, far-sighted officials recognized the artisan household system’s flaws and desired reform. Liang Shixian simply lacked the power to change it. With supplies granted by the deity bolstering him, he finally had the courage to treat artisans generously.
Simultaneously, the deity released vast stores of grain to restock the county granary.
Liang Shixian imdiately opened an official grain shop, selling grain at prices from non-famine years. Within days, the exorbitant grain price—one dou of rice costing a thousand coins—plumted back to normal rates.
Overjoyed by this achievent, sources reported Liang Shixian stood in the county office yard, laughing heartily: “People of Chengcheng, your magistrate has lowered the grain price for you!”
Once grain prices normalized, commoners no longer spent every coin on food. They now had energy and coins to purchase other goods. Thus, trades everywhere reawakened, gradually restoring life to the city.
Fabric shops reopened. Tailor shops welcod custors. Tea houses drew patrons again. Pottery and wares found buyers. Craftwork began selling. Theatrical troupes perford to audiences…
The county’s revival exceeded all predictions.
Amidst this lively rebirth…
One Daoist and three companions crossed through Chengcheng County’s city gates.
The Daoist was Ma Tianzheng. The three with him were Song Yingxing and his two servants.
Exhausted and hungry, the four travelers had journeyed afar.
Their path had not been easy—eting packs of bandits multiple tis. Yet in these tis, Daoists commanded respect; bandits hesitated to rob them. When occasional ruffians attacked, Ma Tianzheng’s Quanzhen sword art sufficed for defense.
“Mr. Song, this is Chengcheng County,” Ma Tianzheng said with a long sigh of relief. “From here to Gaojia Village is rely thirty li. Let us rest here tonight and proceed tomorrow.”
Entering the city, Song Yingxing also eased. “Marvelous! I too have wearied. Shaanxi is truly fearso—famine and bandits everywhere. Ah, without Daoist Ma’s aid, I could never have reached here.”
Ma Tianzheng replied, “It was this humble Daoist’s duty.”
As they spoke, a large crowd approached down the street. Leading them, a mother and son: Young Master Bai and Madam Bai. Beside them walked contractor Teng Yifeng.
Addressing Young Master Bai respectfully, Teng said, “Young Master Bai, we heard you possess a masterful thod for moving heavy objects. Our road construction team faces an enormous boulder blocking our way. It needs removal. We beg your assistance.”
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