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

Chapter 288 Chongzhen: So, it turns out, I can also expand the territory!

After seeing off the Yarkand envoy and the Khoshut envoy, Zhu Cilang sat alone in the study of the government office, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, and then fell into deep thought.

After careful consideration, he felt that this matter was indeed of great importance and that he should consult with Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa to discuss it together.

So he immediately sent someone to invite them over.

When Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa hurriedly arrived at the government office, entered the study, bowed, and took their seats, Zhu Cilang briefly told them what had just happened.

Upon hearing this, Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa were stunned, their eyes filled with astonishment, as if they could not believe their ears.

But soon, an uncontrollable ecstasy appeared on their faces.

It should be noted that the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate had been out of the control of the Ming Dynasty for more than a decade, and during this time, the Ming Dynasty had been powerless to do anything about them.

After all, the Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse at this time, so why would it bother with them?
But who could have imagined it?
Zhu Cilang has effortlessly won them back to submission with just the prestige of the Ming Dynasty and the lingering power of the previous Battle of Songjin. How could they not be overjoyed?
This is practically no different from expanding territory, and even more significant, since it brings back former vassal states that had rebelled!

The next second, Qin Liangyu hurriedly stood up, clasped her hands in a fist salute, and said excitedly:

"Your Highness is truly wise! I admire you greatly! Your actions are a blessing to our Great Ming and a boon to our people!"

Shi Kefa followed closely behind, saying with a face full of admiration:

"Your Highness, I also admire you to the point of prostration! Your Highness has made extraordinary wisdom and decisive decisions to bring these two Khanates back to submission. Such achievements will surely be recorded in the annals of our Great Ming Dynasty."

Um.
It must be said that these words of praise made Zhu Cilang a little embarrassed.

Then Zhu Cilang smiled and shook his head, saying:

"This is not my achievement, but the achievement of the millions of soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. If it weren't for the great victory in the Battle of Songjin, which showed the surrounding countries the powerful fighting force of the Ming army, they probably wouldn't have been willing to submit to the Ming Dynasty so easily."

"In the end, this achievement was earned by the soldiers with their blood and lives on the battlefield. I was merely going with the flow."

Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa were even more moved upon hearing this.

As the future emperor, Zhu Cilang not only possessed outstanding talent but also such a humble heart, truly a blessing for the Ming Dynasty.

But suddenly, at that moment, Shi Kefa seemed to remember something important, frowned slightly, and then asked:

"Your Highness, may I ask how the surrender and troop deployment of the Khoshut and Yarkand should be handled?"

Zhu Cilang hadn't really considered this matter carefully before, but now that Shi Kefa had asked him, he replied:

"I haven't decided yet. Do you have any thoughts? Feel free to share them."

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"I really don't have any good ideas about this matter. To be honest, the surrender of the Tumed tribe is not something that Xuanfu can easily handle."

"Xuanfu already has a lot of affairs to attend to and a limited number of officials. Recently, they have been overwhelmed just by discussing the surrender with the Tumed envoy."

"Furthermore, the local bureaucratic systems of the Khoshut and Yarkand are different from those of our Great Ming. I believe that Xuanfu simply has no way to properly handle this matter."

"Therefore, I suggest that the envoys of the Khoshut, the Yarkand, and the previous Tumed envoys be sent to the capital so that the cabinet and court ministers can discuss the surrender."

"Only in this way can we demonstrate the high importance the court attaches to this matter, and also handle it more quickly and properly."

To be honest, Shi Kefa wasn't shirking responsibility; it was simply the reality.

Xuanfu itself doesn't have many officials, and most of them are busy with their own affairs and have limited energy.

Recently, the officials have been so busy negotiating the specific terms of surrender and resettlement plans with the Tumed envoys that they simply don't have the extra energy or ability to deal with the affairs of the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate.

Moreover, both khanates were large countries with populations of hundreds of thousands, and their internal situations were complex, involving many conflicting interests. How could a small place like Xuanfu possibly handle them?

Therefore, the best solution is to send all their envoys to the capital and let them negotiate with the officials there.

Of course, the Tumed envoy was also taken along. Recently, the officials in Xuanfu have been extremely busy with this matter, which has affected local affairs in Xuanfu.

Zhu Cilang thought about it seriously and then realized that what Shi Kefa said made a lot of sense.

This kind of matter involves many aspects of the country's diplomacy, military, and politics, and it should indeed be handled by the imperial court, rather than by a small Xuanfu.

After all, the imperial court has a more sophisticated decision-making mechanism, richer human resources, and stronger coordination capabilities, which can quickly resolve this matter.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang nodded and said:

"In that case, let's send all the envoys from the Yarkand Khanate, the Khoshut Khanate, and the Tumed to the capital, so that the experienced officials there can negotiate their surrender with them."

"Anyway, winter is approaching and the fighting in various places is relatively calm. They have nothing to do, so this is a good opportunity to properly handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa quickly bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, I will obey your decree. I will immediately arrange the relevant matters to ensure that the envoys can arrive in the capital safely."

Although it would take some time to pack up and send these envoys to the capital, Zhu Cilang still had someone write a letter beforehand, briefly explaining what had happened.

At the same time, it was emphasized that the capital should be prepared and have countermeasures discussed in advance so that negotiations could begin quickly once the envoy arrived in the capital.

Two days later, the letter appeared at the Ministry of War.

When he learned that another letter had arrived from Xuanfu, Minister of War Li Banghua immediately became extremely vigilant.

He knew that letters from Xuanfu often concerned important matters on the frontier and could not be taken lightly.

So he quickly put down what he was doing, carefully opened the envelope, and began to read it carefully.

In just a moment, he was so shocked that he almost dropped the letter in his hand.

When he first learned that the Tumet had surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, he wasn't actually that surprised, since he knew that the Tumet were very close to the Ming Dynasty.

When the Ming Dynasty was at its peak, the Tumet people had no choice but to surrender to the Ming Dynasty in order to survive and develop.

However, to his utter surprise, even the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate, which had long since broken away from the Ming Dynasty, chose to surrender to the Ming Dynasty again, and their envoys were on their way back to the capital, just waiting to discuss the specific details of the surrender with the Ming Dynasty.

It's no exaggeration to say that this is an achievement akin to pioneering new territory!
The Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate were vast and rich in resources. If they were to return to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty's territory would expand further and its national strength would be greatly enhanced.

Li Banghua never expected that Zhu Cilang's trip to Xuanfu would bring so many unexpected surprises!
Strictly speaking, these achievements are not all Zhu Cilang's. Rather, they are due to the butterfly effect caused by the Battle of Songjin, which greatly increased the prestige of the Ming Dynasty among the surrounding countries, leading to the current situation.

But he also knew in his heart that the Crown Prince had contributed the most of the credit in the previous Battle of Songjin.

From strategizing and commanding operations to boosting morale, Zhu Cilang demonstrated exceptional talent and extraordinary courage.

From this perspective, everything that is happening now is thanks to Zhu Cilang.

Thinking of this, Li Banghua could no longer sit still.

Such good news must be immediately announced to the cabinet and Emperor Chongzhen, and it would be best if the entire court knew about this momentous news.

So Li Banghua rushed to the cabinet with the letter.

When the cabinet ministers saw Li Banghua come here again, they were already used to it.

After all, due to the changes in the situation in various places recently, Li Banghua has been visiting the cabinet more often.

Then, Xue Guoguan asked with a smile:

"Minister Li, judging from your happy expression, do you have some good news to share with us again?"

Li Banghua quickly said with a smile:

"Gentlemen, this is truly good news! The Ministry of War has just received a letter from His Highness the Crown Prince from Xuanfu, saying that both Yarkand and the Khoshut Khanate have sent envoys to Xuanfu to pay their respects to His Highness the Crown Prince and have clearly stated their intention to surrender to the Ming Dynasty!"

"In addition, they also agreed to allow the Ming Dynasty to station troops within their territory as a demonstration of their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty!"

what?
Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan could no longer sit still. He quickly stood up, then strode over to Li Banghua, took the letter from his hand, and began to read it carefully.

At the same time, the other cabinet ministers also gathered around, and after reading the letters one by one, they were all overjoyed.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise and excitement.

Immediately afterwards, Xue Guoguan said with a broad smile:
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! This is truly a joyous occasion! The Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate have returned to the Ming Dynasty, which is tantamount to expanding our territory! Your Highness is truly astounding!"

"To accomplish such a tremendous feat in such a short time is truly awe-inspiring!"

Fan Jingwen also praised:

"I thought this was just a routine burning of wasteland, but I never expected that we would be able to recapture the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate."

"His Highness the Crown Prince is truly wise; he is indeed a blessing to our Great Ming Dynasty!"

Immediately, everyone began to flatter Zhu Cilang, their words filled with admiration and praise.

At the same time, Wang Chengen, who was standing to the side, was also somewhat surprised.

Although he was just a eunuch, he knew how furious Emperor Chongzhen had been when the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, Emperor Chongzhen was constantly frowning, deeply saddened and angry by the betrayal of the two Khanates, and even considered sending troops to punish them.

He never expected that after more than a decade, these two khanates would be so eager to return to the embrace of the Ming Dynasty, which made him feel like he was dreaming.

Immediately afterward, Xue Guoguan's voice rang out again:

"Eunuch Wang, it seems I'll have to trouble you again to invite His Majesty over. After all, such a great event must be known to His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen finally realized what was happening and then laughed:

"What Grand Secretary Xue says is true. I'll go right away. Such a joyous occasion will surely delight His Majesty." After saying this, Wang Chengen hurriedly rushed towards the inner palace once again.

Fortunately, Emperor Chongzhen was not spending time with Empress Zhou today. Instead, he sat alone in the Imperial Garden drinking tea, looking somewhat tired.

Seeing Wang Chengen hurrying towards him with a joyful expression from afar, Chongzhen frowned slightly, filled with doubt, and then asked:
"What's wrong? You look so happy. What's the matter?"

At this moment, Wang Chengen's mouth was practically stretched to his ears, and his uncontrollable joy was practically overflowing from his face. No wonder Emperor Chongzhen was so curious.

Upon hearing Emperor Chongzhen's question, Wang Chengen first bowed respectfully, then spoke with excitement and enthusiasm:

"Your Majesty, great news! This is truly a cause for celebration! The Crown Prince has sent a letter from Xuanfu, saying that the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate have sent envoys to Xuanfu to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, and have even agreed to allow the Ming Dynasty to station troops within their territories!"

"What did you say?"

When Chongzhen heard these words, it was as if he had been struck by lightning, and he immediately stood up from his seat.

His eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief.

It should be noted that when he first ascended to the throne, the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate directly declared their secession from the Ming Dynasty and even established diplomatic relations with the Jurchens.

This was a slap in the face for Chongzhen, who had just ascended the throne.

After all, an emperor has just ascended the throne, full of expectations to make a name for himself, only to have neighboring vassal states declare their secession. Is there anything more embarrassing or humiliating than this?

However, Emperor Chongzhen was powerless to do anything at the time and could only swallow this bitter pill.

Because the country was beset by internal and external troubles and the situation was turbulent, it was not the time to concern ourselves with the separation of these vassal states.

However, what Emperor Chongzhen never expected was that, fourteen years later, these two khanates would send envoys to surrender to the Ming Dynasty again, wanting to become vassal states of the Ming Dynasty once more.

Upon thinking of this, Chongzhen was overwhelmed with excitement, his hands trembling slightly. He then hurriedly asked again:
"Are you telling the truth? Or are you trying to fool me? This is no laughing matter. If you utter even a single falsehood, do you know the consequences?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen immediately knelt down with a thud, his forehead pressed tightly to the ground, and said in an extremely firm voice:

"Even if this old servant had ten thousand lives, I wouldn't dare to deceive Your Majesty! This news was personally delivered to the Grand Secretariat by Minister of War Li Banghua, and it was also Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan who sent me to invite Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, think about it, who would dare to deceive you about such an important matter?"

Upon hearing this, Chongzhen's doubts finally vanished, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The laughter echoed through the garden, filled with joy and delight.

"Haha, I knew it! I knew you wouldn't let me down!"

Although Chongzhen did not explicitly say who this "you" was, Wang Chengen knew in his heart that this "you" was undoubtedly the Crown Prince.

After all, who else but the Crown Prince could bring such exciting news?
At this moment, Chongzhen was overjoyed because he felt that he had finally regained the face he had lost more than a decade ago!

Of course, the most important thing was the surrender of Yarkand (New Zombie).

It should be noted that during the nearly three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty never recovered Yarkand (New Jam). The relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Yarkand (New Jam) was similar to that between the Ming Dynasty and Korea, or even worse.

In any case, the Ming Dynasty could not directly mobilize the troops of Yarkand (New Zombie).

But right now, Yarkand has not only agreed to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, but has even allowed the Ming Dynasty to station troops there!

How is this any different from expanding territory?
For a moment, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings).

After all, he never imagined that the Chongzhen Emperor's reign could actually lead to territorial expansion.
This truly made him feel like he was dreaming!

Suddenly, at that moment, Emperor Chongzhen seemed to remember something, his expression hardened, and he instructed Wang Chengen:

"Daban, immediately issue an edict to all civil and military officials, saying that I am going to court, and all officials of the fourth rank and above must attend! I want to personally tell the whole court this good news so that they can share this joy with me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen quickly said:

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Then he hurriedly withdrew to prepare.

Not long after, the cabinet also learned that Emperor Chongzhen was going to summon all officials to court on short notice.

Well, although it was a bit unexpected, it was actually quite reasonable.

After all, this was a major event that the Ming Dynasty could celebrate.

A country's ability to persuade its surrounding vassal states to surrender and return to its former allegiance is undoubtedly a testament to its strength and prestige.

So, an hour later, all the officials gathered at the palace gate to prepare for court.

It is also worth mentioning that this was the first time Emperor Chongzhen attended court after Zhu Cilang left the capital.

Therefore, no one dared to be careless in the slightest. Each person carefully straightened their official robes and stood solemnly at the palace gate.

Only after the bell tolled for the start of court did the officials file in.

When they arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Emperor Chongzhen was already waiting for them.

After everyone had paid their respects to Emperor Chongzhen, before Wang Chengen could speak, Chongzhen, his face beaming, said:

"Gentlemen, I have some good news to announce to you today. The Crown Prince has just sent a memorial from Xuanfu, saying that the three Mongol tribes of Tumed, Yarkand and Khoshut have all surrendered to the Ming Dynasty."

"And they agreed to the Ming Dynasty's request to station troops in their territory."

"The envoys from the Tumet, Yarkand and Khoshut Khanates are already on their way to the capital and will arrive in less than three days."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the imperial court.

The civil and military officials looked at each other, their faces filled with shock and surprise.

Clearly, none of them expected this to happen.

Although they all knew about Zhu Cilang's 'personal expedition,' they did not expect it to cause such a big commotion.

Although the Khoshut had a good relationship with the Ming Dynasty before, and the Ming Dynasty also had garrisons in the Khoshut, that was more than a decade ago.

The Yarkand Khanate was even more outrageous. It should be noted that the Ming Dynasty never established a garrison in the Yarkand Khanate, nor did it ever truly control it.

The same was true for the Tumet region, which was never part of the Ming Dynasty's territory.

But now, these three Mongol tribes have actually surrendered voluntarily and even allowed the Ming Dynasty to station troops. This is practically no different from expanding the territory!

This means that the territory and influence of the Ming Dynasty will be further expanded, and the country's strength will be greatly enhanced.

Upon realizing this, a minister immediately stepped forward; this man was an official from the Ministry of Rites.

His face was full of excitement as he loudly proclaimed:

"Your Majesty, I congratulate you! This is a great achievement in expanding our territory! Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise and powerful; you are truly a blessing to our Great Ming!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Crown Prince!"

After saying this, he knelt down in full prostration.

Seeing someone start, the next second, all the civil and military officials hurriedly knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Hearing the flattery, Chongzhen felt even more pleased with himself.

He was, after all, a man who cared about his reputation, and was naturally pleased to be flattered by his ministers.

Although these things had nothing to do with him and were all Zhu Cilang's achievement, he was the emperor after all, so he should at least get a share of the credit, right?

After the flattery, it's time to discuss serious matters.

The real issue was how to accept the surrender of the three Mongol tribes and the matter of stationing troops there.

However, Emperor Chongzhen did not need to personally intervene in this matter, as the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War would jointly handle it.

Of course, the Ministry of War was the primary authority, since the matter of stationing troops was its responsibility. It involved a series of issues such as troop deployment, troop arrangement, and logistical support, all of which required the Ministry of War to plan and arrange.

Of course, the Ministry of Revenue couldn't be idle either.

Because stationing troops in these three Mongol tribes would definitely require recruiting new soldiers, as the existing forces would certainly not be enough.

Recruiting soldiers requires money. Paying new recruits, purchasing weapons and equipment, and providing food and supplies all require a large amount of money.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty is not short of money. After previous reforms and restructuring, the country's financial situation has greatly improved, so everything is not a problem.

Even after the court session ended, Chongzhen still had an uncontrollable smile on his face.

He walked briskly towards Kunning Palace, surrounded by palace servants.

On his way back to Kunning Palace, Emperor Chongzhen was suddenly filled with a myriad of emotions.

Then he looked at Wang Chengen behind him and slowly asked:
"My lord, do you think the Crown Prince is more suitable to be the emperor than I am?"

In the past, Wang Chengen would have been terrified to death upon hearing this, and would never have dared to answer directly.
After all, topics concerning the succession to the throne have always been extremely sensitive.

A slight misstep could lead to death.

But not anymore!

(End of this chapter)