Chapter 86: A Story Needs a Background

The first year of the Chongzhen era was destined to be a very eventful one.

"During the court's selection of cabinet ministers, Qian Qianyi was concerned that the Secretary, Wen Tiren, and the Vice Secretary, Zhou Yanru, would both be recommended, which would overshadow his own reputation, so he plotted to thwart them. Wen Tiren pursued the accusation that Qian Qianyi had taken bribes during the examination in Zhejiang, leading to his punishment and redemption through a fine. Wen Tiren then bribed a native of Changshu, Zhang Hanru, to accuse Qian Qianyi of greed and lawlessness. Qian Qianyi sought help from the eunuch Cao Huachun, who had Zhang Hanru executed. Wen Tiren resigned due to illness, and Qian Qianyi was also dismissed from his post and returned home."

This short passage, about a hundred characters long, is rich in content. On the surface, a man named Qian Qianyi was dealt a blow by Wen Tiren and Zhou Yanru during the court's selection of cabinet ministers. If it weren't for the eunuch's intervention, he might have lost his head and never returned to the capital.

Who is Qian Qianyi? He was a leader of the literary world at the end of the Ming Dynasty and continued to be influential in the early Qing Dynasty. In short, he was a very prominent figure in the literary world at the time, described in internet slang as "explosively influential!" However, his literary achievements are not the focus here, so we'll skip over them.

What is the focus? This man, in the first year of the Chongzhen era, was known as a leader of the Donglin Party. The Donglin Party was not a political party but a group of scholars who came together due to their political stance and formed a faction for political gain. They once controlled the government, driving out the Qi, Chu, and Zhe parties, and were known for their fierce internal struggles. (Note: Personally, I think these people were not good.)

This group was defeated by Wei Zhongxian during the Tianqi era. Interestingly, it wasn't because the Donglin Party was incompetent or the eunuch faction was too cunning, but because they committed a taboo that any emperor would find offensive: forming a faction!

Because of this faction, the Donglin Party was defeated by the eunuch Wei Zhongxian during the Tianqi era, leading to the famous "Six Gentlemen of Donglin." (Note: I believe these people were not good either, as they did not do much good and instead caused problems due to factional struggles.)

Again, because of this faction, Qian Qianyi was dealt a fatal blow by Wen Tiren, and Zhou Yanru did not miss the opportunity to kick him while he was down. The specific process would take many words to explain, but it's enough to remember that the eunuch who saved Qian Qianyi was named Cao Huachun.

Wen Tiren is a notorious figure in the "Biographies of Corrupt Officials," and Zhou Yanru is also listed. Historians have not spared their ink in portraying them as villains. However, what many may not notice is that the "History of the Ming Dynasty" was compiled by scholars of the Qing Dynasty. How did these scholars evaluate Qian Qianyi? "As long as Yushan (Qian Qianyi) is around, the national history is not dead."

I think it's unnecessary to spend more ink on Qian Qianyi's blackening.

From this court selection, another interesting aspect emerges: the emperor's political strategy. This time, Chongzhen used Wen Tiren and Zhou Yanru to suppress the Donglin Party's arrogance after Wei Zhongxian's fall. Why was the Donglin Party arrogant? Simply put, in the previous cabinet, nine members were involved, and five were forced to resign by the Donglin Party. In the second court selection, the Donglin Party went even further, directly eliminating Zhou Yanru from the lottery to become a cabinet member. (Note: This is not a joke; the cabinet members were indeed chosen by lottery, with the hand that drew the lots belonging to Emperor Chongzhen.)

Do not think this was the first time Chongzhen took action against the Donglin Party; there will be another, and it will come soon. Have some patience and don't be like Chongzhen, always shouting for "removal."

To briefly explain the above, it is not to fill space but to set the historical context. The context is that the Donglin Party was very arrogant and domineering, and their actions in the court selection were excessive, threatening imperial power. If a softer emperor had allowed the Donglin Party to dominate, would the court have been peaceful? I doubt it! These people would likely create an enemy to fight when there seemed to be none. If that were the case, would history have taken a different path? It's impossible to predict.

In this context, Chen Xie, who decided to use silver to speak, began planning to secure a position as a thousand-man commander for Wang Qian at the end of the first year of the Chongzhen era, and even a fixed-position commander. However, this plan was almost immediately aborted. The reason was simple: the Xu Commander of Weihaiwei was no longer useful. The thousand-man command near Zhangjiazhuang, which was previously under Weihaiwei, was later abolished when the Denglai Inspectorate was established. This area now falls under the jurisdiction of Penglai County. Of course, the Xu Commander, for the sake of silver, could consider giving Wang Qian a position as a commander of Qishan.

At this point, Chen Xie was confused and sought advice from Zhang Yao, kneeling before him: "Uncle Zhang, can you give me a clear answer?" Zhang Yao laughed three times and stood up, saying, "Boy, bring the map."

In the study, the loyal gentryman Zhang Yao taught Chen Xie how to undermine the Ming Dynasty.

"Si Hua, coming from the sea, must remember that a man without sin is not to be blamed, but one who possesses a precious gem is." Chen Xie nodded repeatedly, and Zhang Yao continued, satisfied, "This is Weihaiwei, this is Qishan, this is the Putao Island under Qishan's jurisdiction, and this is the Yangma Island under Jingshan's jurisdiction. A cunning rabbit has three dens; these can all be your retreats. The sea is your strength; why abandon it for a weaker option?"

Chen Xie looked at the map, feeling dizzy. This was beyond Yantai, and even further to Muping. Establishing a thousand-man command so far away? It seemed ridiculous! Chen Xie could only inwardly lament the unreliability of Ming scholars. Zhang Yao's many points were correct and based on political experience. However, Chen Xie never intended to go so far. The idea of "a cunning rabbit with three dens" was not useful to him because, if things went wrong, he could simply time-travel. Chen Xie's efforts were to protect his family and property in Denglai. Giving him a position 200 miles away in Muping would be of no help in an emergency. Dogmatic thinking can be fatal!

200 miles, in this era, would take two days to travel. Even a military unit might not cover that distance in two days, given the poor state of the roads.

Chen Xie was on the verge of tears! At this point, the location of Zhangjiazhuang became interesting. Backed by Long Mountain, it was less than 30 miles to the sea to the east and 30 miles to Huang County to the west. If he could buy a position as a commander of Qishan and then a garrison commander in Huang County, wouldn't that connect the three places? With more silver, he could even build roads, first to Denglai, then to Huang County, and finally to Yantai. (Note: At this time, Yantai was a remote area.)

Looking at the location of the private dock and the militia training camp Chen Xie had built, it was quite suitable for Qishan.

"Uncle Zhang, would 10,000 taels be enough to buy a garrison commander in Huang County?" Chen Xie asked, determined. This time, Zhang Yao did not lose his temper but calmly examined the young man, remaining silent for a long time. Chen Xie fidgeted uneasily, and Zhang Yao finally said, "I've heard you've made quite a stir in Zhangjiazhuang. I want to see it."

What kind of clear answer was that? Zhang Yao couldn't give a clear answer because he couldn't understand Chen Xie's persistence. Given the current state of the Ming Dynasty, why was Chen Xie still seeking a military position? Zhang Yao couldn't understand this. He preferred to see Chen Xie study or become a famous doctor, or at least a wealthy man in Zhangjiazhuang. Chen Xie could live comfortably just from the goods from the Americas, so why was he still striving?

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just an ordinary person, selfish, greedy, and ambitious. However, he also had a basic sense of conscience and moral底线. As for Zhangjiazhuang, Chen Xie treated it as a base. Without a base with people's hearts, could he feel safe? Chen Xie lacked this sense of security, and everything he did was for his own interests, both safety and economic.

If Zhang Yao asked Chen Xie this question, he wouldn't have an answer. How to explain it? Chen Xie felt like a piece of wood floating on the sea, not deciding where to go but being carried by the tide. If he could disregard everything in the Ming Dynasty, he could simply move to another place if Denglai became untenable.

The problem was that Chen Xie couldn't pass the test of conscience and responsibility. Chen Xie was not a saint or a man with a grand vision; he was just