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

Chapter 283 Chongzhen: Although I am very unhappy, I still accept it!

As a time traveler, Zhu Cilang's attitude towards problems was different from that of people in ancient times.

So when he first saw this memorial, he quickly came up with a way to split Li Zicheng's peasant army.

He knew that the peasant generals and some minor leaders were not entirely loyal to Li Zicheng, and that as long as the court showed true sincerity, some would still be willing to surrender.

Of course, Zhu Cilang did not simply coax them into surrendering, nor would he accept their surrender first and then kill them.

It should be noted that Liaodong is a vast area, and after Liaodong is conquered in the future, more garrisons will definitely be needed to garrison and defend the border.

Previously, the garrisons in Liaodong were basically abandoned, with sparse troops and dilapidated facilities. These peasant armies could be used to fill the gaps in the garrisons in Liaodong and contribute to the stability of the Ming Dynasty's borders.

Therefore, the official positions he offered were all real and not empty promises.

Just then, Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa had recovered from their shock.

The two then looked at Zhu Cilang with eyes full of admiration.

Shi Kefa said:

"Your Highness is truly wise. If this law is implemented, many of Li Zicheng's troops will surely rebel."

"For the sake of high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, they will surely break away from Li Zicheng and turn to the imperial court."

"In that case, dealing with Li Zicheng next year will be much easier."

Zhu Cilang nodded, his expression revealing composure and confidence, and then said:
"This matter should be addressed as soon as possible. Since Lord Shi is here, I would like to trouble you to personally draft a memorial summarizing what we have just discussed, and then send it to the court so that the imperial edict can be issued as soon as possible."

"After all, time waits for no one. If it drags on for too long, something might happen in Shaanxi."

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa quickly stood up and said solemnly:

"It is my duty to do so!"

Immediately afterwards, Ma Bao eagerly brought over the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and neatly arranged them on the table.

Without the slightest hesitation, Shi Kefa walked directly to the desk, picked up his pen, and after a moment's thought, wrote down everything that Zhu Cilang had said.

After finishing writing, Zhu Cilang took the memorial, looked at it carefully, and then nodded in satisfaction.

Because the content here is not much different from what he said before, only the expression is more literary and the wording is more refined.

There was nothing that could be done about it. After all, Shi Kefa was a civil official, and civil officials tend to write in a literary style, emphasizing classical allusions and elegant language.

It doesn't matter, as long as the original meaning is expressed, since the court officials are used to this style of writing.

After doing all this, Zhu Cilang did not hesitate at all and immediately summoned another member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Then he solemnly handed the memorial to him and said seriously:
"You must immediately send this memorial back to the capital without fail. This letter concerns important matters of the court, so you must be extremely careful and avoid any mistakes."

Upon hearing this, the commander immediately knelt on one knee, took the letter with both hands, carefully sealed it in the box, and then respectfully said:

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly fulfill my mission and deliver this memorial safely to the capital."

Having said that, he stood up, strode out of the government office, mounted his horse, and disappeared into the distance like a black lightning bolt.

Thus, from receiving Sun Chuanting's memorial to devising a solution and resolving the matter, Zhu Cilang only took less than an hour.

Of course, the main reason is that he simply didn't take this matter seriously.

This is because, in his view, Li Zicheng could never genuinely surrender to the Ming Dynasty, meaning that a war between the Ming Dynasty and Li Zicheng was inevitable.

Therefore, he didn't bother with these trivial matters of 'feigned surrender' at all, and was only waiting for the spring next year to have a final battle with Li Zicheng!
As for now, what he cares about most is the situation on the grasslands.

After finishing this matter, Zhu Cilang's gaze slowly fell on Shi Kefa and Qin Liangyu, and then he said in a steady tone:
"By the way, I have just reached a general consensus with the Tumed leader on the matter of surrender. However, the specific details and terms still need to be discussed in detail by Lord Shi personally sending capable officials."

"In addition, the military should not be complacent. They need to make full preparations in advance so that when the army returns to the capital, it can be stationed in Tumet and stabilize the situation on the grassland."

Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa had already heard the news that the Tumed leader had arrived in Xuanfu, but they did not know the details.

But upon hearing Zhu Cilang's resolute words, they immediately understood that the surrender had been agreed upon, and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Immediately afterwards, the two men respectfully clasped their hands in response:

"I accept your order."

However, at that moment, Shi Kefa seemed to have thought of something. He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked:
"By the way, Your Highness, you mentioned before that you wanted to send some Tumed people to Xuanfu to serve as military officers and officials."

"However, I wonder how these people will be selected and arranged?"

His gaze was fixed on Zhu Cilang, his eyes full of inquiry, clearly showing his great interest in this issue.

Zhu Cilang was completely unconcerned by these words, and instead said:

"You can handle it yourselves. I won't interfere in this matter, but you need to understand the deeper meaning behind it."

"That's why we do this, mainly to let the Tumet people gradually become familiar with our Han culture. Once they have a deep understanding of Han culture, they will bring this culture back to the Tumet tribes."

"I do not expect all Tumed people to understand Han culture, but it is enough if a portion of them can learn and understand it."

"At that time, Tumed will naturally and gradually move closer to the Ming Dynasty and become a stable territory of the Ming Dynasty."

Shi Kefa was incredibly intelligent, and he immediately understood Zhu Cilang's intention.

This is to gradually assimilate the Tumet people and integrate them into the cultural system of the Ming Dynasty.

He secretly admired Zhu Cilang's foresight and quickly replied:

"In that case, I know what to do."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand gently, signaling that Shi Kefa and Qin Liangyu could leave.

The two bowed respectfully again and then slowly withdrew from the government office.

After they left, Zhu Cilang felt incredibly bored and continued waiting.

What are you waiting for?

Of course, we're waiting for good news to come from the grasslands.

Seven days have passed since the army set out.

Based on the timeline, the army should have already arrived at the Vetra Alliance.

What follows is probably going to be a fierce battle, right?

However, these were all just Zhu Cilang's guesses. Because this trip took him deep into the grasslands, communication was extremely difficult, so Zhu Cilang didn't know exactly what had happened there.

However, he still had full confidence in the generals of the Ming Dynasty, knowing that they would certainly live up to expectations.

So all he can do for now is quietly wait for good news to come back.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

On this day, in the Ministry of War, Li Banghua was engrossed in handling official business when suddenly an official hurriedly walked in.

He was also holding a secret box in his hand.

"My lord, this is a memorial sent from Xuanfu."

Upon hearing this, Li Banghua was immediately taken aback. He quickly raised his head, his eyes fixed on the secret box, his mind filled with doubt.

Why so fast?
He knew, of course, that the memorial was sent by Zhu Cilang from Xuanfu, but he did not expect it to arrive so quickly.

After all, it had only been four days since Sun Chuanting's last letter arrived in the capital.

It should be noted that four days is only enough time for a round trip to Xuanfu. Doesn't this mean that Zhu Cilang made a decision immediately after receiving the military report from Sun Chuanting, and then immediately sent it to the capital?
Well, the speed was just too fast, so fast that he could hardly believe it.

Although he was full of doubts, Li Banghua still reached out and took the secret box, opened it and took out the memorials inside.

Then I looked at it carefully.

In an instant, an irrepressible light burst forth in his eyes, a light that contained both surprise and admiration.

After a moment, he muttered to himself:
"His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed extraordinary!"

Li Banghua never expected that Zhu Cilang would come up with such a brilliant idea to deal with Li Zicheng.

In his opinion, this prince was ridiculously clever; with his intelligence, he couldn't possibly have come up with such a brilliant idea.

Without hesitation, Li Banghua quickly put away the memorial and then hurriedly took it to the cabinet.

When the cabinet ministers heard that Li Banghua had arrived, they immediately guessed that it must be because of Zhu Cilang's reply.

However, they did not expect the response to come so quickly, and they all looked surprised.

A moment later, Li Banghua appeared before everyone, his face beaming with excitement, and he loudly proclaimed:

"Gentlemen, His Highness the Crown Prince has replied! As expected, His Highness's thoughts coincide with ours, except that he has thought of things in a more detailed and comprehensive way than we have."

"If His Highness the Crown Prince's method is implemented, I'm afraid the rebel leader will suffer!"

Upon hearing this, the cabinet ministers exchanged bewildered glances.

Immediately afterwards, the memorial was delivered to Xue Guoguan.

Xue Guoguan took the memorial, glanced at it, and stared in surprise.

He had thought that the young prince was already quite formidable, but he had underestimated him after all.

The prince's intelligence far exceeded his imagination, like the vast starry sky, profound and mysterious, making him unfathomable.

Subsequently, the other cabinet ministers also gathered around and curiously took a look at the memorial.

Instantly, their faces showed astonishment, and some even couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Just then, Wang Chengen, who was standing to the side, spoke up:

"My lords, should I go and invite His Majesty over now? After all, this matter is of great importance, and I'm afraid it will require His Majesty's personal decision."

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan seemed to snap out of a daze and then said to Wang Chengen:
"Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch Wang. Please invite His Majesty over to discuss this matter as soon as possible. In that case, the imperial edict can be sent to Shaanxi before tonight." Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen did not hesitate at all. He immediately turned around and hurriedly left the cabinet to find Chongzhen.

Meanwhile, Emperor Chongzhen was still in the inner palace, enjoying a rare moment of tender intimacy with Empress Zhou.

When Wang Chengen arrived at the inner palace, the eunuch at the gate stopped him.

The young eunuch rubbed his hands awkwardly and said cautiously:

"Eunuch Wang, His Majesty has said that no one is allowed to disturb him."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen frowned slightly, inwardly lamenting that Chongzhen was "busy" again.

But there was nothing he could do!
After all, this concerns national affairs and cannot be delayed for even a moment.

Therefore, he could only speak with a serious expression:
"Get out of the way! This matter concerns national affairs and must not be obstructed. If His Majesty blames us, we will take full responsibility."

Hearing this, the young eunuch could no longer stop him. After all, Wang Chengen was the "boss" of all the eunuchs and held a very high position in the palace. They dared not offend him.

Immediately afterwards, the eunuchs obediently made way for Wang Chengen, who then arrived at the front of Kunning Palace once again.

He knocked gently on the door and then said:

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has replied. The Cabinet requests that you go there immediately to discuss the matter."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen inside the room frowned in disappointment.

He had just become interested in getting closer to Empress Zhou when he was unexpectedly interrupted by Zhu Cilang's letter.

Fortunately, Emperor Chongzhen was not yet blinded by greed and knew that the matter was of great importance and could not be delayed.

Therefore, he quickly said:
"I'll be there right away."

He then hurriedly got up and began to put on his dragon robe, with Empress Zhou helping him.

After dressing properly, Chongzhen opened the door and then went to the cabinet with Wang Chengen.

Upon seeing the emperor arrive, the men quickly rose and respectfully bowed, saying:

"I see your Majesty."

Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand, indicating that everyone should dispense with formalities, and then sat down in a chair.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Chengen handed the memorial to Emperor Chongzhen.

Emperor Chongzhen took the memorial, glanced at it briefly, and a hint of hesitation flashed across his face.

He raised his head to look at the assembled officials before him, and said hesitantly:
"The Crown Prince's intention is to appoint Li Zicheng as the General Commander of the three border regions of Shaanxi, Henan, and Shanxi, and also to bestow upon him the title of Grand Coordinator."

"Of course I know that all of this is to show the court's sincerity and to mislead Li Zicheng, but isn't this going a bit too far? This is no different from making Li Zicheng the King of the Northwest."

His voice carried a hint of doubt and worry, clearly indicating that he did not quite agree with Zhu Cilang's suggestion.

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan quickly stepped forward and respectfully said:
"Your Majesty, I do not think there is anything wrong with doing this, because it can demonstrate the sincerity of the court and let the world see the court's determination to grant amnesty to Li Zicheng."

"In that case, if Li Zicheng were to refuse again, it would make him seem ungrateful."

"In addition, if the peasant army under Li Zicheng knew that the imperial court was going to bestow such a high official position upon Li Zicheng and even grant them official titles, but Li Zicheng still refused to surrender, they would not be able to become officials either."

"Will they harbor resentment towards Li Zicheng then, feeling that he doesn't want them to live a good life, thus exacerbating the division within the peasant army?"

After careful consideration, Emperor Chongzhen suddenly realized that Xue Guoguan's words made a lot of sense.

He then nodded slightly, his initial doubts gradually dissipating, and said:
"Alright, since you've all said so, then I agree. Let's do it this way."

After saying this, Chongzhen was still somewhat displeased, because he felt that the official title bestowed upon Li Zicheng was far too high and exceeded his expectations.

Despite his displeasure, he had promised Zhu Cilang that he would not interfere in state affairs, and he would naturally keep his word.

After all, the Ming Dynasty had finally achieved its current state, and he really didn't want any more accidents to happen.

And so, the matter of accepting Li Zicheng's surrender was finally settled!
The cabinet ministers knew that this matter was urgent and did not delay at all. They immediately drafted an imperial edict on the spot.

Wang Chengen waited respectfully to the side. Once the imperial edict was drafted, he quickly stepped forward and directly affixed the jade seal, which symbolized supreme imperial power.

And so, the imperial edict bestowing titles upon Li Zicheng was completed methodically right under Chongzhen's nose.

After the imperial edict was completed, Chongzhen carefully checked it to ensure there were no flaws. He then summoned the Embroidered Uniform Guard and ordered them to quickly issue an imperial edict to Tongguan.

Moments later, a group of Imperial Guards dressed in flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring knives set off from the capital like arrows, heading straight for Tongguan.

A few days later, the scene shifts to Tongguan, Shaanxi.

As dawn broke, a bustling scene already unfolded outside the Tongguan city gate.

Sun Chuanting stood on the city tower, looking out of the city. Then he gave an order, and immediately the people outside Tongguan began to get busy.

They set up three large pots outside Tongguan, then started burning firewood and boiling water.

Once the water boiled, baskets of snow-white rice were poured into the pot.

The large pot was big and deep, with a roaring fire burning at the bottom. As the fire grew stronger, the rice porridge gradually thickened, and its aroma filled the air.

The aroma filled the air, making the soldiers who were cooking porridge drool.

However, not a single disaster victim came to collect the porridge after it was cooked.

Moreover, not only today, but in fact, since Sun Chuanting started setting up a porridge stall here, no one has come to collect porridge.

The reason is quite simple: Li Zicheng issued a strict order forbidding all peasant soldiers from coming here to collect porridge.

Li Zicheng knew very well that if those people came to collect the porridge, they would most likely be won over by the imperial court, and then they would really be unable to return.

Even if he returns, there is a high possibility that all sorts of bad news will spread within his army, causing instability and having a very negative impact.

Therefore, he simply demanded that all peasant army generals strictly guard their peasant armies and not allow them to get even a step closer to Tongguan.

Even at night, a large number of veteran soldiers patrolled the vicinity of Tongguan, and would immediately capture any peasant soldiers who approached.

Of course, this might not necessarily be a bad thing for Sun Chuanting.

Every evening, the cooked porridge would be taken to the city and distributed to the people.

Anyway, the weather is cool now, so the porridge won't spoil in a day.

Moreover, this saved him a lot of food.

In short, the two sides are currently at a stalemate.

Sun Chuanting was waiting for the imperial edict from the capital. He knew that once the edict arrived, the situation might take a new turn.

Meanwhile, Li Zicheng was also waiting for news. As long as the troops he had previously sent out reported that there was food stored in the surrounding area, he would immediately send troops to attack and obtain the food to maintain the supplies for his army.

That morning, Sun Chuanting got up very early.

He stood on the city wall, looking at the soldiers standing guard outside the city and the rice porridge that had just been cooked in the big pot. At that moment, his mind was filled with many thoughts.

Suddenly, at that moment, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from not far away.

Then a dozen or so riders came galloping in like lightning.

The horse galloped swiftly, kicking up a cloud of dust, and before the rider even reached the city walls, he shouted loudly:
"Urgent message! Open the city gates immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting was overjoyed, for he knew that news had arrived from the capital.

He then hurriedly ordered the city gates to be opened, allowing all the Imperial Guards who had come to deliver the imperial decree to enter the city.

Immediately afterwards, Sun Chuanting quickly straightened his clothes before taking steady steps to prepare to receive the imperial edict.

Since the imperial edict was delivered by the Imperial Guards, not by eunuchs, and since all those present were military officers, the usual formalities were waived.

After the two sides met, the Imperial Guard who delivered the imperial decree took out the secret box wrapped in layers on his back without saying a word.

The box was exquisitely crafted, with delicate patterns engraved on it, showcasing the majesty of the royal family.

The next second, the Imperial Guard respectfully handed the secret box to Sun Chuanting with both hands, saying:

"Lord Sun, please receive the imperial decree!"

Sun Chuanting did not immediately reach out to take it, but first respectfully kowtowed to the secret box before saying:

"The minister accepts the order."

He then took the sealed box and retrieved the imperial edict from it.

Upon opening the imperial edict, Sun Chuanting was immediately astonished, for its contents were far too unbelievable and completely different from what he had originally imagined.

But soon, a smile appeared on his face, because he knew that the contents of the imperial edict were clearly of great help to the current situation.

If this imperial edict is taken and read aloud to Li Zicheng, it will surely shake the morale of Li Zicheng's army.

"My lord, what exactly does the imperial edict say? Please read it aloud!"

Just then, one of the military officers surrounding Sun Chuanting couldn't help but speak up.

They were also very curious about what was written on the imperial edict.

Seeing this, Sun Chuanting did not hesitate and directly told the soldiers the contents of the imperial edict.

When they heard these words, everyone was stunned, and then they couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"I never imagined that His Majesty would be so wise as to come up with such a method to sow discord among Li Zicheng's army!"

"I dare say that as soon as this imperial edict reaches Li Zicheng's camp, the morale of Li Zicheng's army will immediately collapse. After all, if one can become an official, who would want to be a rebel?"

Immediately, all the military officers began to discuss the matter.

(End of this chapter)