My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 251 What to do if there are people on overseas territories? Of course, fight them!
In fact, Zhu Cilang originally wanted to make a globe because he felt that it could better showcase the world.

However, after careful research, it was found that similar things already existed in the Ming Dynasty.

This is the "Complete Map of the World during the Wanli Era" drawn by Western missionaries.

To put it simply, this thing is actually a world map from the Ming Dynasty.

After Zhu Cilang obtained it, he added some geographical information based on his own knowledge, which resulted in the unique map we see today.

Meanwhile, the princes stared blankly at the map, wondering what Zhu Cilang was trying to do.
Seeing this, Zhu Cilang's lips curled up slightly, and then he said:
"Please don't be shy, everyone. Come forward and take a closer look."

Upon hearing this, the princes cautiously stepped forward, then gathered around the map, examining it intently with unwavering eyes.

Soon, a sharp-eyed prince spotted the Ming Dynasty's territory marked on the map and exclaimed in surprise:

"What's going on? How could the territory of my Great Ming Dynasty be so small?"

Upon hearing this, the other vassal kings also looked over.

Then they saw that on this huge map, the territory of the Ming Dynasty occupied only an area the size of a head, appearing extremely small compared to the entire map.

Seeing the surprised expressions on the faces of the princes, Zhu Cilang patiently explained:

"As you can see, this map is drawn to scale. Even though the Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, it only occupies a small place on this map."

"The rest of the world is presented in the same proportions. You may take a closer look and see just how big this world is."

Although the princes didn't know much about overseas affairs, they were certainly not stupid, and they immediately understood Zhu Cilang's meaning.

They immediately turned their attention to other areas of the map, and after seeing the various countries and regions marked on it, they all gasped in shock.

They had previously been confined to the territory of the Ming Dynasty, never imagining that there was such a vast and boundless world beyond it, with the territories of many countries even larger than that of the Ming Dynasty. This caused a great upheaval in their hearts.

Zhu Cilang continued:
“In recent years, overseas scholars have come to the Ming Dynasty to serve as officials. According to their experiences and accounts, overseas lands are not barren and impoverished.”

"Some of the land there is fertile, and crops can be harvested three times a year."

"Some underground deposits also contain abundant mineral resources, including gold, silver, copper, and iron."

As he spoke, Zhu Cilang pointed to a location on the map and said:
"For example, here is a giant silver mine with reserves of tens of millions of kilograms. Even if it is mined for a hundred years, it will be difficult to deplete it."

"And here, copper mines are abundant."

"The gold reserves here are quite abundant."

As Zhu Cilang explained, the princes' eyes gradually brightened, and their original fear and resistance towards overseas countries gradually dissipated.

They began to realize that overseas might not be as terrible as they had imagined, and that being enfeoffed overseas might be a rare opportunity for them to create their own glory in a new world.

Even so, some of the princes remained clear-headed and calm, and were not blinded by the grand map before them or by Zhu Cilang's highly tempting words.

They were not ignorant fools; they immediately realized that every inch of this overseas land clearly belonged to someone.

This means that even if the imperial court were to grant them fiefdoms overseas, once they arrived there, they would still have to rely on their own efforts to fight and conquer, and rebuild their empire.

However, they were completely ignorant of the various forces and customs overseas, and even less aware of the local troop deployments.

Given this situation, how should this overseas journey begin?
Are we really going to rely on the already limited number of imperial clan members to charge into battle?
This is simply a fantasy!
According to Zhu Cilang's previous account, these members of the imperial clan were first to besiege Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, and then they had to go to the Liaodong battlefield to fight against the Jurchens.

After these two fierce battles, the royal family members will surely suffer heavy casualties, and it is estimated that less than half of them will survive.

By then, how many members of the royal family will each vassal king have left?
It's probably less than a thousand or two.

With only one or two thousand people, to think they can conquer the world overseas is nothing short of delusional and utterly absurd.

At the same time, more and more feudal lords gradually realized this serious problem.

In an instant, everyone's faces turned extremely pale. The glimmer of hope they had held onto vanished as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

In their eyes, this so-called overseas fiefdom seemed to be no different from sending someone to their death.

Zhu Cilang took in the changes in everyone's expressions and then continued:

"What's wrong? Judging from your expressions, you all have many questions in your hearts. If you have anything you want to ask, please speak up now, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

"It's a rare opportunity, and if we miss this chance, we'll never have another one."

Upon hearing this, the princes looked at each other, exchanging glances, seemingly hesitant about who should break the deadlock first.

Finally, one of the vassal kings took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and spoke:

"May I ask Your Highness, does the imperial court truly intend to enfeoff us overseas?"

Zhu Cilang nodded calmly, giving an affirmative answer.

Upon seeing this, the vassal king continued:

“But Your Highness, look at this map, it clearly shows that these territories all have owners, countries, and all sorts of other people living there.”

"So, how should we respond?"

Zhu Cilang grinned and said with a firm gaze:
"What else can be done? Naturally, it's through military conquest."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the crowd did not change much, because they had already expected this to happen.

Immediately afterward, the vassal king who had spoken earlier continued to press for answers:
"Then may I ask Your Highness, is this matter of conquest to be undertaken by ourselves, or will the imperial court provide assistance and fight on our behalf?"

A hint of admiration flashed in Zhu Cilang's eyes, and he thought to himself:
These people at least have some brains; they finally managed to ask the crucial question.

The next second, he slowly said:
"You don't need to worry about that. The imperial court will send troops to help you conquer these lands. Once the lands are conquered, they will be distributed to you as your territory."

Upon hearing this, the princes present immediately felt relieved, and almost all of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Because they knew in their hearts that if they really wanted to fight overseas on their own, they simply didn't have the ability.

However, before they could completely relax, another vassal king looked troubled and cautiously said:
"Your Highness, if we agree to be enfeoffed overseas, what will happen to the assets we have accumulated in the Ming Dynasty over the years?"

These words sent a jolt through everyone, and they all tensed up once again.

Because each of them owned considerable fiefdoms, property, shops, and gold and silver treasures in the Ming Dynasty.

What will happen to these things once they are granted overseas?
Some things simply cannot be taken away, and even the things that can be taken away cannot be taken away at will; they must be approved by the imperial court.

But then again, would the imperial court allow them to take this wealth overseas?

It must be said that this is a really tricky problem.

Immediately afterwards, all the vassal kings looked at Zhu Cilang again, seemingly waiting for his final answer.

In fact, Zhu Cilang had considered all the problems that these princes were worried about long ago, and even more than they had.

Therefore, upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang remained calm and then composedly said:
"You can rest assured about this. The court will not confiscate your gold and silver treasures; you can take them all overseas."

"As for those family properties that you really can't take with you, the imperial court will also provide funds to purchase them so that you can take them with you."

Zhu Cilang's words were all true; he indeed never intended to seize the property of these princes.

However, he had other plans regarding the purchase method, namely, he would use the new version of the Ming Dynasty banknotes to pay for everything.

In this way, the imperial court could both prevent large amounts of gold and silver from flowing overseas and cleverly use the power of these vassal kings to promote the Ming Dynasty's paper money to the whole world.

He had an even grander vision in mind: that the Ming Dynasty's paper money would one day become a globally accepted world currency, much like the US dollar in later generations.

Of course, at this moment, the princes were completely unaware of Zhu Cilang's plan, and they naively believed that Zhu Cilang's promises were all in real gold and silver.

Therefore, these vassal kings couldn't help but feel excited.

The imperial court sent troops to help them conquer overseas territories, and after the conquest, they gave the land directly to them. Even the family property they couldn't take with them was compensated in silver so they could take it with them. With such a good deal, what could they possibly complain about?
As a result, the eyes of the princes became increasingly fervent.

But Zhu Cilang's next words were like a bombshell, leaving everyone speechless with shock.

Zhu Cilang continued:

"Besides, although you will be enfeoffed overseas, it is actually feasible for you to declare yourself emperors and establish your own countries after you arrive overseas."

what?
Upon hearing this, all the vassal kings widened their eyes instantly, looking at Zhu Cilang with disbelief and shock.

For a moment, they couldn't tell whether Zhu Cilang was joking or serious.

After all, in their minds, such remarks were utterly treasonous, almost tantamount to rebellion!

Only the Tang Emperor remained calm, because he knew that Zhu Cilang was serious.

However, the other feudal lords didn't know that!

The next second, the King of Qin looked terrified and stammered:

"Your Highness, we would never dare to presume to do so."

"We will always be subjects of the Great Ming, and will be utterly loyal to the Great Ming and Your Majesty!"

The other vassal kings also came to their senses and echoed:
"Your Highness, we would never dare to have such a thought!"

"We are His Majesty's subjects in the Ming Dynasty, and even if we go overseas, we will still be His Majesty's subjects!"

Clearly, these princes all believed that this was a trap deliberately set by Zhu Cilang, who wanted to take the opportunity to punish them.

But clearly, they were overthinking it.

Zhu Cilang looked at their panicked appearance, simply smiled, and said:

"Gentlemen, there is no need to panic. I am not joking with you, nor do I intend to punish you. I am serious!"

"After all, once you arrive overseas, the emperor will be far away and the court will have little control over you. You will definitely have other ideas at that time."

"Since that's the case, let's be frank with each other."

"In addition, Father Emperor actually agreed to your going overseas to establish a country and become emperors."

"However, there is one condition: no matter when or where, you must always respect the Ming Dynasty."

"If one day you dare to harbor disloyal thoughts towards the Ming Dynasty, then the army of the Ming Dynasty will surely cross thousands of miles of waves, reach your country, and utterly annihilate you." Hearing this, the vassal kings, though they roughly knew that Zhu Cilang's words were not a joke, were still terrified and knelt on the ground, repeatedly saying:
"Your subject would never dare to do so. Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will remain a subject of the Ming Dynasty until my death."

"No matter where I am, I will always respect the Ming Dynasty. Please rest assured, Your Highness!"

Zhu Cilang silently observed the kneeling princes, inwardly grumbling to himself:
Now you certainly wouldn't dare to have any disloyal thoughts, but it's hard to say what will happen to your descendants.

However, this is a long time from now, and he has no way to worry about the future.

But at least during his reign, these overseas vassal states could only exist as tributary states of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, even if he were to grant fiefdoms, Zhu Cilang would make some plans to ensure that these princes could not become too powerful.

For example, the more fertile and resource-rich lands would be allocated to the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty would directly dispatch troops and officials to manage and control them.

Then Zhu Cilang would select suitable areas from other places and enfeoff them to these vassal kings.

We must ensure that they do not grow too powerful and pose a threat to the Ming Dynasty, but at the same time, we must ensure that they cannot survive.

In short, everything will be centered on the interests of the Ming Dynasty and will revolve around the Ming Dynasty's development goals.

Having said all that, and having explained everything that needed to be explained, everyone had their own plans.

Of course, not everyone is yearning to become emperor overseas.

Many princes still harbored reservations. They always felt that the Ming Dynasty was ultimately their root, the land where they were born and raised. Even if the Han Dynasty's policy of granting favors to princes was adopted and titles were gradually reduced, they would still prefer to remain on the land of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Cilang naturally wouldn't interfere with these people's decisions.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang asked everyone to stand up again, and then, as if making a final summary, said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have told you everything that needed to be said without reservation, and I believe you have all understood my meaning."

"Then let's skip the unnecessary pleasantries and talk about how overseas fiefdoms are specifically divided."

"Simply put, starting next year, the Ming Dynasty will vigorously develop its navy and then gradually expand its overseas territories. Once we have dealt with Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and the Jurchens, these territories can be granted to you."

"If you want to acquire more extensive and fertile fiefdoms overseas, you must have your respective clansmen fight bravely and achieve great military exploits in the upcoming wars."

"In short, the size of the fiefdom was determined by the amount of military merit."

"As for those members of the royal family who are exceptionally capable and perform outstandingly, they will also be granted additional land."

Upon hearing this, the princes immediately understood and realized Zhu Cilang's intention.

In other words, if they want to have more and better fiefdoms overseas, they must ensure that their lineage of royal descendants achieves merit on the battlefield.

Using military merit to obtain overseas fiefdoms seems perfectly reasonable.

Upon realizing this, the princes hurriedly said in unison:

"My minister obeys."

Having said that, there was nothing more to say. After giving some other instructions, Zhu Cilang dismissed the princes.

When they left the palace, the princes were all drenched in sweat.

Their hearts also underwent some significant changes, with both aspirations for the future and a deep admiration for Zhu Cilang.

They never expected that this young prince would have such insight.

Looking back on how they had previously underestimated Zhu Cilang, I can only feel that I was truly blind.

That afternoon, sunlight shone through the dappled clouds, illuminating the streets and alleys of the capital.

As usual, the Imperial Guards roamed every corner of the capital, gathering intelligence from all sides.

Soon, a special secret report was presented to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang glanced at it casually, and found it incredibly amusing.

Secret reports indicated that many vassal kings had changed their previous indifference towards their royal relatives and had actually gone to the military camps outside the city to visit and comfort their respective branches of the royal family.

And they also brought a lot of good stuff.

They even promised that while they were fighting on the battlefield, they would take good care of their families and would distribute the royal stipends to their families in full.

These members of the royal family rarely received attention from their vassal kings when they were in their fiefdoms. What they heard most often were indifferent remarks such as, "There are countless people of the same clan, who do you think you are?" Now, faced with such caring words from their vassal kings, they were all greatly shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief.

However, in Zhu Cilang's view, it was reasonable for these vassal kings to undergo such changes.

After all, the performance of these royal family members on the battlefield will determine how much land these vassal kings will be granted in the future, so it is natural to be concerned about it.

To avoid gossip, Zhu Cilang did not tell all the imperial family members about this matter, and also required other princes to keep quiet.

After all, this matter is too complicated, and if the court officials accidentally find out about it, they will inevitably bother him again.

Besides, this matter comes after eliminating Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and the Jurchens, so there's no rush.

Time flies, and a few more days have passed.

Officials from the Ministry of War began to rigorously screen the imperial family members who came to the capital.

After a rigorous selection process, only more than 20,000 members of the imperial clan with relatively good physical condition were able to stay.

Of those selected, approximately 13,000 were chosen.

Most of these people were members of the royal family whose physical condition was poor and who were unable to adapt to the battlefield.

There's no other way; after all, this is war, and not just anyone can pass the screening process.

According to the previously established plan, these 13,000-plus people were to follow their respective vassal kings back to their original fiefdoms.

However, all the vassal kings knew in their hearts that this was only a temporary arrangement.

When the vassal kings are enfeoffed overseas in the future, they will go with them.

The feudal lords were well aware that these people would be an important foundation for their future overseas operations, and they would certainly take good care of them.

However, not all vassal kings chose to return to their fiefdoms.

Several feudal lords made different choices.

They wanted to stay in the capital and join the Ming Dynasty's Zhu Family Army, fight on the battlefield, and contribute their strength to the Ming Dynasty's country and its people.

This includes Prince Su Zhu Shihong, Prince Gui Zhu Youlang, Prince Lu Zhu Yihai, and Prince Tang Zhu Yujian, who has just been restored to his princely status.

Upon learning this, Zhu Cilang naturally agreed without hesitation.

He then immediately instructed the Ministry of War to arrange suitable official positions for these princes.

When this news reached the ministers, it immediately caused a huge uproar.

After all, in the hundreds of years of the Ming Dynasty, there has never been a precedent of a prince holding an official position.

However, Zhu Cilang did not care about this at all, so he overruled the objections and insisted on his own way.

Although the ministers were dissatisfied with this situation, they knew that the Crown Prince had made up his mind and could not do anything to stop him. They could only accept this fact helplessly.

Overall, everything in the Ming Dynasty is now developing steadily in a positive direction.

Not long after Zhu Cilang returned to the Eastern Palace after court that day, Ma Bao rushed over and said:
"Your Highness, someone outside the palace requests an audience."

Zhu Cilang casually said:

"who?"

Ma Bao quickly replied:

“This servant does not know that person, but he claims to be Gao Sanxi, an official from the cement factory.”

Cement plant?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang perked up instantly, and the image of Gao Sanxi immediately came to mind.

He remembered that Gao Sanxi was originally just an insignificant clerk in the Ministry of Works, but he was promoted by him to become the director of the cement factory, in charge of cement production.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang immediately said:

"Send him in."

Before long, a middle-aged man in his forties walked into the hall with slightly restrained steps. This man was Gao Sanxi.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang, Gao Sanxi immediately knelt down with a thud, respectfully kowtowing and shouting:
"Your Highness, I pay my respects!"

Zhu Cilang said gently:

"Get up!"

After Gao Sanxi stood up, Zhu Cilang asked:
"You've come all this way because something's happened at the cement plant, haven't you?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Sanxi quickly replied:

"Your Highness, the cement plant is operating normally and there are no problems. I have come here today on other matters."

"Recently, cement plants have produced too much cement, resulting in serious inventory backlogs. Now, there is nowhere to store it and nowhere to use it."

"Therefore, I have come to ask Your Highness the Crown Prince whether the production of this cement should continue."

what?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang almost burst out laughing.

He never expected that Gao Sanxi would come all this way for such a matter.

He shook his head slightly, a helpless smile on his face, but his mind quickly began to ponder.

With a cement surplus, it seems we need to do something else to use it up!

Then, a sentence suddenly flashed through his mind:

If you want to be rich, build roads first!
In just a moment, Zhu Cilang made up his mind: to start building a cement road!

After all, road construction is always of great benefit to the country's development, no matter when or where.

(End of this chapter)