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

Chapter 257 What's going on? Yuan Chonghuan is being dragged out and humiliated again!
Looking back, the East Palace was still brightly lit, and Zheng Xiaomei stood in front of the palace gate, watching her father leave.

Only after Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Chenggong had completely disappeared from sight did Zheng Xiaomei turn around and return to the East Palace.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang was also somewhat drunk and fell asleep shortly after lying down on the bed.

The following day, under Zhu Cilang's arrangement, Chongzhen also summoned Zheng Zhilong.

In the palace, Zheng Zhilong received extremely high honors and was even invited to have lunch with Emperor Chongzhen.

With Zhu Cilang's encouragement, the news spread like wildfire and quickly reached the entire capital.

All the nobles and officials in the capital knew about the arrival of the Marquis of Nan'an of the Ming Dynasty in the capital.

That afternoon, the area in front of the Marquis's mansion was bustling with activity as nobles and dignitaries came to visit. Zheng Zhilong naturally greeted them with a smile.

Because he knew in his heart that all of this was with Zhu Cilang's tacit approval.

The Zheng family will also take advantage of this favorable wind to gain a firm foothold in the Ming Dynasty's court.

In September, the scorching sun still hung high in the sky over the capital, baking the entire city like a steamer.

The red walls and yellow tiles gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight, while pedestrians hurried along the streets, raising clouds of dust.

Someone looked up at the sun overhead and couldn't help but complain:

"It's this late, why is it still so hot? Looks like this winter will be colder than usual!"

After saying this, he immediately prepared to go to the state-run store of the Ming Dynasty, intending to stock up on some more honeycomb briquettes for use in the winter.

After all, it goes without saying that this thing will be hard to buy in winter.

On the other side, Zheng Zhilong stood in the courtyard of his own Marquis's mansion, looking at the scorching sun overhead, his heart filled with a myriad of emotions.

Five days have passed in the blink of an eye during this trip to the capital, and now it's finally time to leave.

Although the capital city was far more prosperous and bustling than Fujian, his heart was always with the distant Fujian.

Moreover, there was an extremely important matter waiting for him to attend to: Zheng Chenggong was to select suitable personal guards to accompany him to Korea to serve as troops.

After all, Zheng Chenggong was about to be isolated overseas, and who knows what uncontrollable things might happen then. At that time, the importance of his personal guards was self-evident.

In critical moments, they are even willing to die for their master!

Before his departure, Zheng Zhilong paid another visit to Zhu Cilang and Emperor Chongzhen.

Although Chongzhen knew from the beginning that Zheng Zhilong was not short of money, he still symbolically bestowed some gold and silver treasures upon him. In addition, he also conferred the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady upon Zheng Zhilong's wife.

To outsiders, Zheng Zhilong was undoubtedly enjoying the emperor's favor and was highly regarded and trusted by him.

On the day I left Beijing, the first rays of dawn shone, casting a soft golden glow on the city's streets.

Zhu Cilang, accompanied by Zheng Chenggong and Zheng Xiaomei, personally escorted Zheng Zhilong to the outside of the city.

Zheng Zhilong looked at the three people in front of him, his heart filled with emotion.

Zhu Cilang said gently:
"Father-in-law, have a safe journey."

Zheng Zhilong quickly clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and responded:
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness!"

Zheng Zhilong then glanced at his son and daughter before mounting his horse.

With the sound of horses' hooves, Zheng Zhilong's figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

Zhu Cilang and his entourage watched Zheng Zhilong's departing figure for a long time before slowly returning to the East Palace.

Time passed, and a few days later, one morning, in the Eastern Palace, Zhu Cilang sat in his study, with a mountain of memorials and documents piled on his desk.

He rested his chin on his hand, his eyes slightly tired, pondering how to deal with the memorial before him, when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar, breaking the silence.

The next second, Ma Bao rushed in and reported:

"Your Highness, Lord Li Ruolian requests an audience, and has brought Mao Wenlong's three sons with him. They are currently waiting outside the hall!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang raised an eyebrow slightly, but his face did not show much surprise.

In fact, Mao Wenlong's second son had already arrived in Beijing two days earlier.

However, Zhu Cilang already had his own plans. He wanted to meet all three of them together after they all arrived, so he didn't take the matter to heart.

Now that they have all arrived in Beijing, it is indeed time to receive them.

Thinking of this, he nodded slightly and said:

"Bring them in."

Before long, Li Ruolian led three men in their twenties into the study.

The three men were tall and straight, and although they were dressed in simple clothes, they could not hide their heroic spirit. They were none other than Mao Wenlong's three sons.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang, the three immediately knelt and kowtowed, their voices loud and respectful:
"Your Highness, I pay my respects!"

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the three of them one by one before he spoke gently:
"Everyone, get up."

Then, the three of them slowly stood up. Although they tried to keep their faces calm, they could not hide the joy in their eyes.

Because they already knew the purpose of the imperial court's summons.

These days, the thought of their father, Mao Wenlong, being exonerated and posthumously granted the title of marquis has kept them awake at night.

My father died unjustly, and we lived a difficult life under the strange gaze of the world, burdened by heavy shackles. But now, the day when his innocence is finally vindicated is coming. How can we easily suppress this joy?

Looking at the three young people before him, filled with anticipation and excitement, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but sigh softly, his tone tinged with guilt and helplessness as he said:
"You must already know that the imperial court has summoned you to the capital this time."

"In that case, I won't waste any more words."

"In short, it is true that the court and the emperor have wronged you in the past, causing your father to suffer injustice to this day. I apologize to you on behalf of the court and the emperor."

Unlike Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Cilang didn't have so many strange ideas.

In his view, a mistake is a mistake, and even the emperor must admit his mistake.

To say that an emperor admitting his mistakes would affect his prestige was, in Zhu Cilang's view, a ridiculous thing.

For him, the only thing that could truly affect the emperor's prestige was how many knives the emperor held and how sharp those knives were!
Of course, Emperor Chongzhen wouldn't understand any of this.

At the same time, Mao Wenlong's sons felt a surge of sadness upon hearing this, but they quickly recovered.

Mao Chenglu became emotional and couldn't help but shout:
"Your Highness, please don't say that. This is not the fault of the court, nor His Majesty, but the fault of that villain Yuan Chonghuan! If he were still alive, I would definitely tear him to pieces to avenge my father's death!"

As he said this, his eyes blazed with intense hatred, as if he wanted to tear Yuan Chonghuan to pieces to vent his anger.

His two younger brothers also clenched their fists, their eyes filled with anger and resentment.

Unfortunately, Yuan Chonghuan had already been executed by slow slicing, so even though they were filled with hatred, they had no chance to take revenge.

Zhu Cilang didn't say anything more, but just waved to Ma Bao who was standing to the side.

Ma Bao immediately understood, carefully carrying the prepared imperial edict in both hands as he approached, then slowly opened it and loudly proclaimed:

"Mao Chengzuo, Mao Chenglu, and Mao Youjie receive the imperial decree."

Upon hearing this, the three hurriedly knelt down again, their expressions extremely tense.

The next second, Ma Bao's voice echoed in the study:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I recall that General Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town devoted himself wholeheartedly to defending the borders and the land. On the isolated island of Pi, he single-handedly held up the precarious situation, leading a small army to resist the powerful enemy. He devised a clever formation to hinder the enemy's advance, preventing the Jurchens from making any rash moves."

Within a few years, Liaodong was somewhat at peace. His loyalty and bravery are as clear as the sun and moon, and his achievements should be recorded in history!
However, the treacherous Yuan Chonghuan forged an imperial edict, usurped power, and deceived the emperor. He even poisoned loyal officials, causing Mao Wenlong to die unjustly. His loyal soul was filled with resentment, which makes me heartbroken and filled with regret!

Now that the truth has come to light and the injustice done to the loyal minister has been redressed, Mao Wenlong has been exonerated and posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Dongjiang, the posthumous name of "Wu Min", and is entitled to be worshipped in the Imperial Ancestral Temple during the spring and autumn sacrifices.

His title was inherited by his eldest son, Mao Chengzuo, and was hereditary. His second son, Mao Chenglu, and third son, Mao Youjie, were both appointed as guerrilla generals to honor their family.

May the descendants of the Mao family carry on the aspirations of their ancestors, serve on the battlefield, and make outstanding contributions to our Great Ming Dynasty!

Admire this! "

It must be said that this imperial edict was incredibly long and tedious, much longer than any other edict issued by Emperor Chongzhen in the past.

Zhu Cilang was also somewhat bewildered when he first saw this imperial edict. It wasn't that he hadn't seen imperial edicts of bestowal by Emperor Chongzhen before, but none of them had ever been this long.

Previous imperial edicts of bestowal and reward were usually no more than a hundred words long, but this one was nearly three hundred words long.

Zhu Cilang understood that this was probably because Chongzhen felt guilty towards Mao Wenlong, which was why he described Mao Wenlong's achievements in such detail in the edict and expressed his remorse.

As the imperial edict was read aloud, Mao Wenlong's three sons were already in tears.

Tears streamed down their cheeks and dripped onto the ground. The excitement and emotion they felt at that moment were beyond words.

The father's death was finally vindicated, and the family ushered in new hope and glory. The years of waiting and perseverance had finally come to fruition.

The next moment, the three hurriedly bowed in gratitude again.

"Your Majesty, I receive the imperial decree and express my gratitude for Your Majesty's divine grace. Long live Your Majesty!"

According to the original plan, this imperial edict was to be announced by Emperor Chongzhen himself during the court session the next day.

However, it just so happens that the imperial edict is still in the Eastern Palace, so Zhu Cilang took it out first, so that they could be mentally prepared in advance and feel the sincerity of the court.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang looked at the three of them and said:
"Get up, all of you. I have something else to discuss with you!"

Upon hearing this, the three quickly stood up and waited for Zhu Cilang to continue.

Zhu Cilang's expression turned serious, and then he said solemnly:

"I will not hide it from you. The reason why the court is now exonerating your father Mao Wenlong and posthumously granting him a title is not only to commemorate his past achievements, but also because of another matter."

As Zhu Cilang spoke, he recounted how the Korean envoy had come to the Ming Dynasty seeking help, as well as the Ming Dynasty's plans against Korea and the Jurchens.

Anyway, the three people in front of me are all family, so there's nothing to hide.

Upon hearing this, the three of them suddenly realized what was going on.

Following that, Zhu Cilang continued:

"In short, the imperial court will soon station troops in Korea, most likely on Pi Island, where your father, Mao Wenlong, once held great prestige." "Therefore, I hope that you two, Mao Chenglu and Mao Youjie, can follow the army to Korea and help recover your father Mao Wenlong's former troops."

“Even though those old subordinates are no longer here, stories about Mao Wenlong must still circulate in the area. With you here, you can still win over some of the locals.”

"This will make it easier for the army to move around!"

Mao Chengzhuo, as the eldest son, spoke first, his tone firm and sincere.

"Your Highness, we are all subjects of the Great Ming Dynasty. Whenever the court needs our brothers' help, we will never refuse!"

Mao Chenglu and Mao Youjie also quickly bowed down and said in unison:

"Your Highness, we are willing to give our lives for the Ming Dynasty, even unto death!"

In fact, they knew in their hearts that there were no benefits without a reason in this world. The court gave them such generous rewards and honors in the hope that they would serve the court.

As military officers, protecting their country and serving the court was their duty. Moreover, it concerned their deceased father's reputation and the future of their family, so how could they refuse?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded in satisfaction, a look of gratification in his eyes.

"What Mao Wenlong was able to do back then, you, as his sons, I believe you can do as well."

"I'm waiting for your good news."

"Alright, go and rest. His Majesty will personally receive you at the morning court tomorrow, so you should prepare in advance."

Upon hearing this, the three quickly bowed in gratitude once more.

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, we will certainly not fail in your trust!"

The three then withdrew.

After leaving the Eastern Palace, the three Mao brothers felt relaxed and refreshed.

Even the steps beneath my feet became lighter, as if the heavy burden on my body had suddenly disappeared, and my heart was filled with longing and anticipation for the future.

He was only thinking about the day when he could make contributions to the imperial court.

Perhaps before this, they still harbored some resentment towards the imperial court, after all, it was Yuan Chonghuan who unjustly killed their father, yet for more than a decade, the court had not exonerated their father.

At this moment, all that hatred had vanished without a trace.

Ultimately, it's because the imperial court gave too much.
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the next morning.

In the imperial court, the ministers arrived early, waiting to begin the court session.

Immediately afterwards, when everyone saw Chongzhen appear on the dragon throne, they were all slightly stunned, and their faces showed surprise.

After all, Emperor Chongzhen had not attended court for almost a month, so his sudden appearance was quite surprising.
However, everyone quickly realized what was happening and then paid their respects to Emperor Chongzhen according to custom.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Chengen's shrill voice rang out.

"When there is something to do, we will start to act, but when there is nothing to do, we will retreat."

As soon as he finished speaking, Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan stepped forward and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Emperor Chongzhen naturally knew what Xue Guoguan wanted to say, so he nodded slightly and said:
"My dear, please tell me."

Xue Guoguan cleared his throat and continued:
"Your Majesty, not long ago, a Korean envoy came to the Ming Dynasty, saying that Japan has been constantly harassing Korea recently, but the Jurchens have ignored such matters. Korea had no choice but to seek help from the Ming Dynasty."

"I believe that although Korea is no longer a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, the two countries were once friendly, so it is still necessary to help Korea fight against Japan."

"After deliberation, the Cabinet wishes to request His Majesty to station troops in Korea to help Korea fight against Japan."

Although the imperial court had long been determined to station troops in Korea to restrain the Jurchens, it could not say so openly.

After all, the Jurchens were nominally a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. It would be unreasonable to openly station troops in Korea under the pretext of fighting against the Jurchens.

If the Jurchens were to use this as an excuse to make a big fuss, the Ming Dynasty would be in a very passive position and appear extremely unreasonable.

After all, the Ming Dynasty still had its pride!
However, this did not stump the quick-thinking cabinet ministers.

Since they couldn't use the Jurchens as a pretext, they turned their attention to Japan.

In any case, in recent years, Japan has indeed been harassing Korea and the coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty. They have committed all kinds of atrocities, such as burning, killing, and looting, and they are simply like beasts.

By stationing troops in Korea under the pretext of helping Korea resist Japan, no one could criticize them.

Even if the Jurchens knew the Ming Dynasty's true intentions, they couldn't find a suitable reason to accuse it.

The Jurchens were well aware of Japan's harassment of the Korean coastal areas, but they had always regarded Korea as a buffer zone with Japan and had no intention of helping Korea deal with Japan.

This, in turn, gave the Ming Dynasty an excellent opportunity to successfully station troops in Korea and achieve its strategic goal of resisting the Jurchens.

At the same time, the ministers' reactions to these words were somewhat different.

Some people knew the truth from the beginning, so they just chuckled to themselves.

Some people don't know the truth of the matter and just think that North Korea is shameless. It is clearly no longer a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, so why is it still begging the Ming Dynasty to help fight Japan?
You should know that during the Wanli era, the Ming Dynasty helped them defeat Japan, but in the end they still became a vassal state of the Jurchens.

This is utterly treacherous!
Although this is not something North Korea wanted, the facts are the facts.

However, since the cabinet proposed this matter and has already made a decision, these people can't say anything more.

Following this, several other cabinet ministers and Minister of War Li Banghua also stepped forward to express their support for the matter.

Seeing that the time was about right, Chongzhen pretended to think for a moment before saying:

"Your Excellencies are right. Although Korea is no longer a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty in name, they were indeed loyal to the Ming Dynasty before, and their submission to the Jurchens was indeed forced. In that case, I have decided to send troops to support Korea and station troops there to resist Japan."

Upon hearing this, the cabinet ministers quickly bowed and said:
"Your Majesty is holy."

The other ministers followed suit.

"Your Majesty is holy."

Just then, Emperor Chongzhen suddenly spoke again:
"Besides that, I have one more thing to announce today."

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly quieted down and waited for Chongzhen to continue.

Chongzhen continued:

"Recently, I have been thinking of one person from time to time. This person is none other than Mao Wenlong, the general of Dongjiang Town, who was unjustly killed by Yuan Chonghuan."

"When I executed Yuan Chonghuan, I originally wanted to exonerate Mao Wenlong, but I was preoccupied with many matters and the Ming Dynasty was in grave danger, so this matter was delayed."

"Until the great victory in Liaodong, I suddenly thought of Mao Wenlong again. I felt that such a loyal minister should not be wronged, so I wanted to exonerate Mao Wenlong. What do you think, my dear ministers?"

Upon hearing this, the court suddenly fell silent.

Those who know the inside story naturally understand why, while those who don't are instantly bewildered.

You know, Mao Wenlong has been dead for fifteen years. Why are we suddenly going to exonerate him?
However, some astute individuals guessed that the matter of exonerating Mao Wenlong was likely related to the recent deployment of troops to North Korea.

After a brief silence, several ministers who had been pre-arranged suddenly stepped forward.

"Your Majesty is wise, and I believe this is the proper way."

"Back then, Mao Wenlong stationed troops overseas, but he always devoted himself to the Ming Dynasty, holding back the Jurchen army in the rear."

"When Mao Wenlong was alive, the Jurchen army did not dare to launch a full-scale attack on the Ming Dynasty, for fear that Mao Wenlong would launch a surprise attack on their rear."

"But Yuan Chonghuan actually killed Mao Wenlong without authorization, which is a heinous crime. It is only because he is dead that he deserves to be executed. If he were alive, his entire family should be exterminated."

"Therefore, I believe that Mao Wenlong should be exonerated!"

Following this, more and more officials stepped forward to support the rehabilitation of Mao Wenlong, and most of them were military officers.

The military officers didn't really have that many thoughts on the matter; they only knew that Mao Wenlong had indeed been wrongfully killed back then, so he should be exonerated.

Moreover, this would enhance the status of military officers in the imperial court, which is something they would like to see.

However, as more and more officials stepped forward, Yuan Chonghuan, who had been dead for a long time, was dragged out again to "whip his corpse"!

But there was nothing that could be done about it; after all, Yuan Chonghuan truly deserved to die.
Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Chongzhen gestured for everyone to quiet down, and then gave a look to Wang Chengen beside him.

Wang Chengen instantly understood, and then shouted loudly:

"Summon Mao Chengzuo, Mao Chenglu, and Mao Youjie to an audience."

Immediately afterwards, Mao Wenlong's three sons arrived at the main hall and respectfully knelt down to kowtow.

"Your subject Mao Chengzu greets Your Majesty!"

"Your subject Mao Chenglu greets Your Majesty!"

"Your subject Mao Youjie pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Mao Wenlong's three sons before him, sighed slightly, and then said:

"Although it was Yuan Chonghuan who killed your father without authorization back then, I did not exonerate him in time, and I am ashamed of my actions towards your father."

"But today, I will exonerate him!"

Upon hearing this, Mao Wenlong's three sons were immediately moved and bowed again in gratitude:
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Emperor Chongzhen said nothing more, but simply waved his hand at Wang Chengen. Wang Chengen instantly understood, picked up the imperial edict that had been prepared beforehand, and loudly read it aloud:
"It is God's destiny, the emperor decreed:

I recall that General Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town devoted himself wholeheartedly to defending the borders and the land. On the isolated island of Pi, he single-handedly held up the precarious situation, leading a small army to resist the powerful enemy. He devised ingenious formations to hinder the enemy's advance, preventing the Jurchens from making any rash moves.

May the descendants of the Mao family carry on the aspirations of their ancestors, serve on the battlefield, and make outstanding contributions to our Great Ming Dynasty!

Admire this! "

After the imperial edict was read, the officials were somewhat dumbfounded, because this edict was much longer than any edict before!
It seems that Emperor Chongzhen felt extremely guilty towards Mao Wenlong, which is why he issued such a long imperial edict.

(End of this chapter)