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

Chapter 255 Joseon: As expected, the Ming Dynasty is the real father!
Just then, a white-bearded Korean envoy looked at the young man who had just asked the question and said:
"Lord Fenglin, it seems we came to the right place this time. The Ming Dynasty will surely be able to save us."

The young man, whom he addressed as Lord Fenglin, nodded excitedly upon hearing this.

The so-called Grand Prince Bongrim, whose original name was Yi Ho, was the second son of the current King Yi Jong of Joseon. In the original history, he was also the next king of Joseon.

He was not actually qualified to be king, because there was a Crown Prince Sohyeon ahead of him, who was similar to the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty and was the rightful heir to the throne.

However, according to historical records, Crown Prince Sohyeon was taken hostage in Shenyang when the Jurchens defeated Joseon, and after a series of events, he lost his life.

Then, Prince Bongrim seized the opportunity and became the next king of Joseon.

Of course, these are all things that actually happened in history, but with the arrival of Zhu Cilang, these things could no longer happen.

After all, in Zhu Cilang's plan, Korea would inevitably fall to the Ming Dynasty!
Since they had not received any order from Emperor Chongzhen to receive the Korean delegation, the officers and soldiers responsible for escorting the Korean delegation directly sent them to the Honglu Temple according to regulations.

This is because the Court of State Ceremonial was the department in the Ming Dynasty specifically in charge of diplomatic affairs.

Meanwhile, the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial had already received orders, so they were not surprised by the arrival of the Korean delegation and immediately received and accommodated them according to protocol.

Meanwhile, Zhu Cilang also received news that the Korean delegation had arrived in Beijing.

However, there's no need to trouble Chongzhen with such matters, because given his bad temper, who knows what might happen then.

To ensure the smooth progress of the later stages of the plan, Zhu Cilang decided to meet with the Korean delegation together with several cabinet ministers.

That afternoon, after careful grooming, the North Korean delegation finally entered the palace.

Upon entering the palace gates, they were stunned by the sight before them.

The white marble steps lead up to the majestic palace, each step carved with lifelike mythical beasts that seem ready to take flight at any moment.

Between the eaves and brackets, the exquisite carvings seem to tell the story of the passage of time. The gilded roof shines in the sunlight, and the glazed tiles reflect a variety of colors in the breeze.

Compared to the somewhat cramped and simple royal palace in North Korea, the magnificence here made them feel as if they were in a dream.

Even after entering the Qianqing Palace, the group still didn't quite realize what was happening.

Zhu Cilang sat on the throne in the main hall, looking at the shocked expressions of the Korean envoys, and naturally felt secretly pleased.

Although he never visited later-era Korea, he gained some understanding of the so-called Korean royal palace through online videos.

In his view, the Korean royal palace was not worth mentioning compared to the Ming Dynasty royal palace.

Meanwhile, upon entering the Qianqing Palace, the Korean delegation immediately recognized Zhu Cilang, who was sitting in the main seat.

He was dressed in a crimson dragon robe, with dragon patterns embroidered in gold thread appearing and disappearing, and a jade belt around his waist gleaming with a warm luster. He exuded an innate nobility and majesty.

Needless to say, this is none other than the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty!
In an instant, everyone knelt down with a thud, their voices ringing out in unison and respect:
"The Korean envoy pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty. May His Highness live a thousand years!"

Immediately following was a series of meticulous kowtows, the sound of foreheads hitting the ground echoing in the empty hall, with no room for carelessness.

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly and accepted the bow with composure.

In his mind, the royal families of vassal states were never valued, let alone the royal family of Joseon, which had once betrayed the Ming Dynasty and sided with the Jurchens.

After the envoys had finished their greetings, he said in a calm tone:

"Alright, everyone, please get up."

Immediately afterwards, the group of Korean envoys stood up shakily.

Before they could even speak, Xue Guoguan, the Grand Secretary standing before the throne, stepped forward, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, and demanded in a questioning tone:

"Korean envoys, didn't you stop paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty ten years ago? You even recognized the Qing Dynasty of the Jurchens as your suzerain state."

"If that's the case, why do you come to pay homage to the Ming Dynasty?"

"Don't you know that there can only be one sun in the sky, and one country can only have two clans? Aren't you doing something completely unnecessary?"

Upon hearing this, the Korean envoys turned deathly pale and quickly knelt down again.

One of them, his voice trembling with tears, cried out:

"Please forgive us, Your Majesty. This was not what Korea wanted. It was the Jurchens who forced us to submit. We had no choice but to submit to them."

"To be honest, we have only nominally submitted to the Jurchens, but in reality we have always been using the name of the Great Ming Dynasty. Our loyalty to the Great Ming Dynasty is as clear as the sun and moon! We beg the Great Ming Dynasty to forgive our sins."

After he finished speaking, everyone kowtowed again, the sound of their foreheads hitting the ground echoing throughout the hall.

However, Xue Guoguan was not swayed by their words and continued to press for answers:
"Since you say you were forced, then I'd like to ask you, why did you send troops to attack the Ming Dynasty together with the Jurchens during the Battle of Songjin?"

"Do you think you can hide this matter? It's only if the Ming Dynasty wins this war. If the Ming Dynasty loses, will you still continue to attack the Ming Dynasty together with the Jurchens?"

Upon hearing these words, Grand Prince Fenglin, Li Hao, felt a pang of anxiety and hurriedly said:

"Our country is wise and discerning. This matter was not our Joseon's own intention, but was forced upon us by the Jurchens."

“If North Korea doesn’t send troops, the Jurchens will massacre our Korean people. There’s really nothing we can do about it.”

"Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty was valiant and ultimately defeated the Jurchens, which was a great blessing for Korea."

As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Zhu Cilang, filled with pleading and expectation.

Zhu Cilang listened to Li Hao's explanation and couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, but he didn't say anything.

At the same time, several other cabinet ministers also criticized North Korea's actions, their words sharp and incisive, leaving the North Korean envoys terrified.

They all kept their heads down, barely daring to breathe, large beads of sweat sliding down their foreheads and occasionally dripping onto the ground.

Seeing that the cabinet ministers were getting increasingly heated in their tirade and the situation was threatening to spiral out of control, Zhu Cilang raised his hand to signal them to stop, and then spoke:
"Alright, alright, everyone, please be quiet."

Although his voice had the clear tone of a young man, it also possessed an air of authority, and the crowd immediately stopped arguing, and the hall fell silent.

Immediately afterward, the Korean envoys became even more nervous.

Because they knew a great deal: while the attitudes of the cabinet ministers were important, the one who could truly determine the fate of Korea was the young crown prince before them.

Then Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the crowd, and he slowly said:

"Tell me, what is the purpose of your visit to the Ming Dynasty this time?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Grand Prince Bongrim, Yi Ho, earnestly stated:

"Your Highness, I have come to the Ming Dynasty on my father's orders to seek your help. I hope that the Ming Dynasty can send troops to support Korea and drive the Jurchens out of Korea."

"From this day forward, Korea will once again submit to the Ming Dynasty and become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, a fact that will never be forgotten."

After saying this, he hurriedly took out a secret letter from his pocket, respectfully handed it over with both hands, his fingers trembling slightly.

Upon seeing this, Wang Chengen quickly stepped forward, took the secret letter, carefully examined the wax seal on the envelope, and only handed it over to Zhu Cilang after confirming that it was correct.

Zhu Cilang opened the letter and quickly scanned its contents.

As expected, the letter was written by the King of Joseon himself, and it was written entirely in Chinese characters. The letter expressed that although Joseon nominally submitted to the Jurchens, it longed to return to the embrace of the Ming Dynasty and hoped that the Ming Dynasty could send troops to help it. It also expressed a lot of gratitude.

Zhu Cilang didn't have much of an emotional reaction after reading the letter, because it was all within his expectations.

Then, he looked at the Korean envoy before him and said:
"I already know about your request, but you probably don't know that not long ago, the Jurchens sued for peace with the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty agreed to their request. Now the Jurchens are considered a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty."

"Under these circumstances, it is not appropriate for the Ming Dynasty to send troops to help you deal with the Jurchens."

"After all, as the suzerain state, how could the Ming Dynasty do something so treacherous?"

what?
Upon hearing this, the Korean envoys were stunned, because they really didn't know about this.

It's not that they were out of the loop; the main reason is that this event hadn't happened when they left North Korea.

Because the war between the two sides had just ended at that time, they only knew that the Ming Dynasty had defeated the Jurchens, and knew nothing else.

But now, upon hearing this news, they felt as if they had been struck by lightning!
Not
How could the Jurchens be so shameless?

If they can't win, they should just submit. Now they've actually become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. What are they going to do? Didn't they come all this way for nothing?
After all, Zhu Cilang was right; what suzerain state would take the initiative to attack a vassal state?
For a moment, the Korean envoys were at a loss for words.

After all, legally speaking, Korea is no longer a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but the Jurchens were.

And now they're asking the Ming Dynasty to attack its vassal states? Isn't that absurd?

In an instant, the atmosphere in the store became somewhat awkward.

Just as the Korean envoys were at a loss for words, Zhu Cilang suddenly spoke up again:

"However, as everyone knows, the Jurchens have always been wolves in sheep's clothing, so the Ming Dynasty has always been skeptical of their so-called submission. Therefore, it is not that the Ming Dynasty cannot help you."

Upon hearing this, the Korean envoys felt their eyes light up, as if they had grasped a lifeline.

Several quick-witted envoys hurriedly spoke up:
"Your Highness is right. The Jurchens have always been wolves in sheep's clothing. Their submission is all a lie. Given some time, they will surely rebel again."

"Such traitors must be eliminated as quickly as possible, and they should not be given any chance to breathe."

As they said this, the Korean envoys gritted their teeth, clearly showing that they truly hated the Jurchens to the extreme.

When they were defeated by the Jurchens, the Jurchens plundered their country, taking away large amounts of gold, silver, jewels, grain, horses, and people to Liaodong.

This has led to the displacement of countless North Koreans, and countless others have starved to death.

Now, after the disastrous defeat in Liaodong, the Jurchens were even more cruel to them. The day before they set off, the Jurchens carried out a large-scale raid on their capital, plundering a great deal of gold, silver and people.

It's no exaggeration to say that they really can't even afford to eat now.

This is the situation for officials; as for ordinary people, it's even more unpredictable.

Of course, the Jurchens didn't care about their lives; they only cared about themselves!

At the same time, Zhu Cilang pretended to be deep in thought. Although the plan had been decided long ago, he couldn't just say it outright; it was still necessary to put on an act.

The Korean envoys didn't dare to breathe loudly, their eyes fixed on Zhu Cilang.

Although Zhu Cilang was only thirteen or fourteen years old and still looked like a boy, no one dared to underestimate him at this moment.

After all, they had heard that the crown prince was now acting as regent and could make all the decisions about the court!
After a moment, Zhu Cilang finally seemed to have made up his mind and slowly spoke:
"In that case, I have decided to send troops to support Korea."

Upon hearing this, the Korean envoys were overjoyed and immediately shouted:
"His Majesty the Crown Prince of the Great Ming is wise! Long live His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming!"

At this moment, they were almost moved to tears. Indeed, the Ming Dynasty was their true father!

They would immediately send troops to rescue their son if he was in trouble, which was much better than the Jurchens who only knew how to rob them!
At this moment, Zhu Cilang added:

"Gentlemen, although I have promised to send troops to rescue Korea, we still need to discuss how many troops to send and who to send."

"In the meantime, please stay in the Ming Dynasty for a few days. Once the matter is decided, I will send someone to inform you."

The Korean envoys had nothing to say after hearing this, since they knew that mobilizing troops was always a troublesome matter, let alone a war of this magnitude that was far overseas.

Moreover, the emperor isn't here, so this matter definitely needs to be discussed with him.

Thinking of this, the Korean envoys quickly added:

"We understand, Your Highness."

Zhu Cilang didn't speak, but simply waved his hand to indicate that they could leave.

Immediately afterwards, the Korean envoys withdrew.

After the Korean envoys left, Zhu Cilang smiled and looked at the cabinet ministers before him, saying:
"Gentlemen, things are developing much as we planned."

Several cabinet ministers laughed upon hearing this.

Because everything is going according to plan!
Just then, Zhu Cilang suddenly asked:
"By the way, didn't we ask you to nominate the generals for this expedition yesterday? Are there any suitable candidates?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan took out a memorial from his sleeve and respectfully said:
"Your Highness, we discussed this with Minister of War Li Banghua yesterday and finalized a list. We hope Your Highness will review it."

Immediately afterwards, Wang Chengen handed the list to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang opened it and took a look. The first person he saw was none other than Cao Youyi, the General of Tianjin, followed by Huang Fei, and then Zheng Zhilong.

Behind them were the Guangdong Navy, the Zhejiang Navy, and some official titles and names that he couldn't even recall.

Without exception, they were all naval commanders!
In fact, the cabinet ministers knew that Cao Youyi and Huang Fei were not to be touched, but since it was just a recommendation, they added their names to the list.

Of course, Zhu Cilang didn't care, because he already had his own list in mind.

The reason for having the cabinet prepare this list is merely a formality.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang only glanced at it briefly before saying:

"I will accept this list for now, and decide on the final selection after discussing and confirming it with my father."

Upon hearing this, the cabinet ministers naturally had nothing to say and quickly responded:
"My minister obeys."

Zhu Cilang then gave some other instructions before letting them leave.

Time flies, and three days later, Zheng Zhilong finally arrived in Beijing.

Compared to his previous trip to Beijing, Zheng Zhilong looked much more weathered this time, but also much more confident.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. After being exposed to the sea breeze for half a year, how could it not look worn out?
When Zheng Zhilong first arrived in the capital, he was somewhat hesitant and timid, fearing that he might accidentally offend someone.

But this time, he's not afraid of anything!

However, in order to keep a low profile and avoid giving anyone with ulterior motives an opportunity to make trouble, he did not wear the python robe. Instead, he wore only a casual outfit and arrived in the capital with a dozen or so personal guards.

Normally, when ministers come to the capital, they should first pay their respects to the emperor, especially generals like Zheng Zhilong.

But clearly, this time is different.

As soon as he entered the city gate, Zheng Zhilong spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

It was none other than his son, Zheng Chenggong!
Zheng Chenggong stood like a pine tree beside a beautifully decorated vermilion carriage.

The carriage was adorned with brocade with subtle patterns hanging from its four corners, swaying gently in the breeze. The carriage was carved with exquisite designs, seemingly proclaiming its distinguished status.

Beside the carriage, several guards in plain clothes stood upright. They seemed to be standing casually, but their eyes were as sharp as eagles, constantly observing their surroundings with vigilance.

The faintly visible knife hilt at their waists and the barely visible gold thread embroidery on their cuffs all revealed that they were no ordinary people.

However, at this moment, Zheng Zhilong only had his son in his eyes and had no time to pay attention to anything else.

He spurred the horse hard, and the chestnut horse neighed loudly, galloping towards Zheng Chenggong like an arrow released from a bow.

At the same time, Zheng Chenggong also saw Zheng Zhilong and strode towards him.

"Father!"

Zheng Chenggong's voice was filled with joy, and his face was beaming with a bright smile.

Zheng Zhilong reined in his horse in front of his son, and as he dismounted, his rough hands gripped Zheng Chenggong's shoulders tightly. He then looked Zheng Chenggong up and down, his eyes filled with satisfaction and pride.

After several months apart, Zheng Chenggong had gotten quite tanned, his face was more angular, and his posture was even more upright.

Beneath that outfit, a hint of valor and experience from countless battles was subtly revealed.

Thinking of his son's bravery in the Battle of Songjin and his meritorious service, Zheng Zhilong felt an indescribable sense of pride.

He patted Zheng Chenggong heavily on the shoulder and said:

"Good, good! You've really grown into a man in just a few months."

Zheng Chenggong was so praised by his father that even the usually composed Zheng Chenggong couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

But suddenly, at that moment, accompanied by the clear sound of a copper bell, the curtain of the carriage behind them was gently lifted by a pair of hands.

"Father!"

Immediately, a familiar voice came from inside the carriage, as melodious as a nightingale singing in a valley.

Zheng Zhilong turned around in surprise and saw a young girl sitting in the carriage. She was wearing a moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) embroidered with delicate gold thread lotus patterns, which swayed gently with her movements.

Who else could it be but his daughter, Zheng Xiaomei?
When Zheng Zhilong saw Zheng Xiaomei appear here, his eyes were filled with surprise.

He wasn't surprised to see his daughter, but he never expected to meet her here.

For a moment, Zheng Zhilong didn't know what to say.

Seeing this, Zheng Chenggong quickly spoke up:

"Father, let's go back to the manor first. We can talk about it later."

Zheng Zhilong then came to his senses, and then, as if he had thought of something, he frowned slightly and asked:

"Having just arrived in the capital, shouldn't I first pay my respects to His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Zheng Chenggong explained with a smile:

"His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince already know that you have come to the capital. However, His Highness said that you have had a long journey, so he asked you to go back to your residence to rest first, and then go to the East Palace for the banquet in the evening."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Afterwards, the group headed towards Zheng Zhilong's Nan'an Marquis residence.

The title of Marquis of Nan'an was previously bestowed upon Zheng Zhilong, and Zhu Cilang also granted him a residence in the capital, which is known as the Marquis of Nan'an Mansion.

However, because Zheng Zhilong was away from the capital for many years, the house was always occupied by Zheng Chenggong.

After all, as the eldest son, Zheng Chenggong would inherit the title of Marquis of Nan'an in the future.

Riding in a sedan chair was far more comfortable than riding a horse, but Zheng Zhilong still chose to ride a horse alongside Zheng Chenggong.

This is, of course, to avoid suspicion!

Although the rules in the Ming Dynasty were not very strict, it was not unacceptable for a woman to ride in the same carriage as her father even after she had married.

But Zheng Xiaomei's status is now completely different; she is now the Crown Prince's concubine, and may even become an Imperial Noble Consort in the future.

Although Zheng Zhilong came from a pirate background and was never particular about details, he had to be cautious at this moment.

However, Zheng Zhilong was still somewhat uneasy, because he did not know what the Crown Prince's attitude was towards his daughter.

Although Zheng Chenggong had written him several letters before, none of them mentioned this aspect.

Thinking of this, Zheng Zhilong couldn't help but ask:
“Mingyan (Zheng Chenggong’s courtesy name), tell your father, how exactly does His Highness the Crown Prince treat your sister?”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Chenggong's face showed a mixture of amusement and exasperation, but he still smiled and comforted him:
"Father, rest assured, His Highness the Crown Prince and his sister have a very good relationship."

Zheng Zhilong breathed a sigh of relief, but soon he pressed on with another question:

"So, besides your sister, does His Highness the Crown Prince have any other women now?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Chenggong could no longer laugh. Instead, he glanced at Zheng Zhilong with a rather helpless expression, and then subconsciously looked at the guards beside the carriage.

Zheng Zhilong immediately realized that these guards were all brought from the Eastern Palace.

I really shouldn't have said those words!

(End of this chapter)