Transmigrating to the Chongzhen era, I started by confiscating the Donglin Party.

Chapter 47 The Aftermath of the Grain Transport Policy

March 28th, the sixteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, in Huai'an.

A gentle spring rain fell, shrouding the Grand Canal in a misty haze. Along the five-mile stretch of waterway from Qingjiang Sluice Gate to Huaiyin Wharf, cargo boats shuttled back and forth, their sails billowing.

Nearly two months have passed since the strike in early February.

The seven heads that had been displayed at the sluice gate have long been removed, but the stone tablet remains—the "Ten New Rules for the Grand Canal Transport" engraved on bluestone, the characters becoming clearer with each wash of rainwater.

Li Ruolian stood on the second floor of the Grand Canal Governor's Office, gazing out the window at the waterway. He was still wearing a dark blue cotton robe, with an embroidered spring knife at his waist, but the murderous aura between his brows had faded, replaced by a more composed demeanor.

"Sir," a guard said, bringing in a stack of account books, "the accounts for the canal transport from February to March have been audited. According to the new regulations, the canal workers' wages were directly paid in full, totaling 4,300 taels. The 800 taels that had been withheld were recovered and have been fully returned. In addition, the first batch of twelve canal worker representatives for the Canal Transport Association were elected yesterday."

Li Ruolian took the ledger and flipped through it page by page. The accounts were clear, the items were distinct, and each expenditure was marked with the recipient's signature. He nodded: "Was it made public?"

"Notices have been posted in front of the government office, at various docks, and at the sluice gates."

"Alright." Li Ruolian closed the ledger. "Tell those canal workers' representatives that they can attend the transport commissioner's meeting on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of each month. Speak your mind and make your point."

The guards withdrew in response.

Li Ruolian walked to the desk, where a secret letter lay open. It had been delivered the previous night by a secret agent of the Imperial Guard in Yangzhou, containing only a few words:

"Wang Youcai (from a branch of the salt merchant Wang family) and three confidants of Wang Si, a remnant of the grain transport gang, secretly met on a pleasure boat on the Slender West Lake. They purchased thirty barrels of kerosene and five hundred catties of saltpeter. Suspecting something amiss."

Wang Si was the head of the grain transport gang who was beheaded by him on the banks of the canal in early February. The head was cut off, but the roots remained.

Li Ruolian tapped her fingers lightly on the table. The newly established canal transport system had cut off the main source of income for its leaders, and they were unwilling to accept it. The remaining salt merchants, having been purged by Empress Zhou in Yangzhou, were also unwilling to accept it. What would happen if these two unwilling forces joined forces?

Burn the ships? Burn the sheds? Or... something even more ruthless?

He picked up his pen, wrote a secret letter, and sealed it with sealing wax.

"A urgent message sent to Lord Li Jizhen in Nanjing."

After sending the letter, Li Ruolian stood by the window, watching the boats coming and going on the canal.

The rain slanted down, and the boatmen, wearing raincoats and chanting, carried sacks of grain onto the cargo boats. Everything was orderly, and the shouting and cursing of the past were gone.

The new rules have been in effect for two months and are showing initial results. But Li Ruolian knows that beneath the calm surface, undercurrents have never stopped surging.

On the same day, at the Slender West Lake in Yangzhou.

The painted boat was moored in the middle of the lake, surrounded by a light drizzle, with pavilions and towers in the distance appearing and disappearing in the mist. Inside the boat, three people sat around.

The leader was a well-to-do middle-aged man named Wang Youcai, the cousin of Wang Maocai, a wealthy salt merchant from Yangzhou.

After Wang Maocai was executed and his property confiscated, Wang Youcai escaped the calamity because he had separated from his family in his early years and kept clear accounts. However, his salt permits were confiscated, and his business plummeted.

Two men sat opposite him, both in their early thirties and with fierce appearances. One was called Scarface Liu, and the other One-Eyed Zhang. They were both sworn brothers of Wang Si of the canal gang and had escaped by sheer luck on the day of the strike.

"Thirty barrels of kerosene and five hundred catties of saltpeter were delivered to the cellar of the Guanyin Temple outside the city yesterday." Scarface Liu lowered his voice. "Master Wang, when do you say we should make our move?"

Wang Youcai took a leisurely sip of tea: "What's the rush? Li Ruolian is still in Huai'an, and Empress Zhou's men are watching Yangzhou. Making a move now would be like walking into a trap."

"But the brothers can't wait any longer!" One-Eyed Zhang said anxiously. "With the implementation of the new canal transport regulations, out of our more than 300 brothers, only a few dozen are still able to make a living at the docks."

The rest either switched to other jobs or went back to farming—but what do we know how to farm?!

"Therefore, we must plan carefully before acting." Wang Youcai put down his teacup. "Do you know Zuo Liangyu?"

The two were taken aback.

"Zuo Liangyu commands 100,000 troops and guards Wuchang. Even the imperial court has to give him some leeway." A cold glint flashed in Wang Youcai's eyes. "Through connections, I got in touch with Jin Shenghuan, one of his generals."

General Jin promised that as long as we cause trouble in Yangzhou and disrupt the grain transport, he would lead his troops eastward under the pretext of "suppressing the rebellion." At that time…

"What will happen then?"

"At that time, Yangzhou, Huai'an, and even the entire Jianghuai region will be the Zuo family's territory," Wang Youcai sneered. "Li Ruolian? Empress Zhou? What are they compared to an army of 100,000?"

Scarface Liu and One-Eyed Zhang exchanged a glance, and hope ignited in their eyes.

"So... how exactly do we do it?"

"The fifth day of the fourth month, at midnight." Wang Youcai took out a sketch from his sleeve and spread it on the table. "The Qingjiang Sluice Gate in Huai'an, the canal wharf in Yangzhou, and the granary in Zhenjiang are on fire at the same time."

"The fire must be huge and fierce, enough to terrify the court. Once it's burned out, you must immediately scatter and hide, awaiting General Jin's arrival."

"Okay!" The two nodded emphatically.

The rain outside the window grew heavier. The painted boat swayed gently in the middle of the lake, like a lurking beast.

March 30th, side hall of Kunning Palace in Nanjing.

Empress Zhou is looking at the account books.

These were not account books for palace expenses, but rather detailed income and expenditure records for the "Orphanage" and the "Women's Medical Clinic." Since she took charge of Nanjing, these two institutions had expanded to eight counties under Yingtian Prefecture, taking in more than 400 orphans and treating more than 1,000 women and children.

The maid Yunniang was grinding ink nearby and whispered, "Your Highness, news came from Yangzhou last night that Wang Youcai has been making frequent moves recently and has been in close contact with the remnants of the Grand Canal Gang."

Empress Zhou paused, her pen poised: "Does Li Jizhen know?"

"Lord Li has increased the number of people keeping watch. But Wang Youcai is cunning; he often holds gatherings on pleasure boats or in private residences, making it difficult to catch him in the act."

Empress Zhou pondered for a moment, then put down her pen: "Send a message to the ladies of the various prefectures and counties in Nanjing, saying that I will be holding a 'Spring Gathering' at Zijin Mountain on the eighth day of next month to appreciate flowers and enjoy tea, and I invite all the ladies to bring their daughters."

Yunniang was taken aback: "Your Highness, this is...?"

"The gathering is just a pretext," Empress Zhou said calmly. "I want to meet the wives and daughters of several salt merchants in Yangzhou. There are some things that are difficult to say between men, but... are easy to say between women."

Yunniang understood: "This servant will go and do it right away."

Empress Zhou walked to the window. The spring rain outside had just stopped, and the pear blossoms in the courtyard were like snow.

She thought of Beijing, of her husband Li Ce who should be on his way north on light cavalry, of Tongguan which had just been relieved of its siege, and of the seemingly prosperous but actually turbulent situation in Jiangnan.

She wasn't the emperor; she couldn't issue imperial decrees or mobilize troops. But she had her methods—weaving a fine, invisible net through the network of noblewomen and social interactions within the inner chambers.

This net is sometimes more useful than swords.