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

Chapter 349 Chongzhen: If Emperor Taizu had had enough to eat back then, where would the Ming Dynasty have come from?
The moment Luo Rucai and his entourage stepped into the palace, ripples spread throughout the court.

All the officials in the court seemed to be drawn by an invisible hand, their gazes turning unanimously to Luo Rucai.

Officials standing a little further away, not wanting to miss this rare sight, all stood on tiptoe and craned their necks, like a group of explorers eager to uncover the truth.

Their faces showed a variety of expressions, some with curious glints in their eyes, seemingly filled with a desire to explore this peasant army leader.

Some wore disdainful expressions, a cold smile playing on their lips, as if to say:

"What's so special about a mere peasant?"

Even worse, some of them had flashes of anger in their eyes, seemingly filled with hostility and rejection towards Luo Rucai and his group's arrival.

However, among all these expressions, the most obvious was the contempt, a sense of superiority that emanated from the very core of their being, as if there was an insurmountable chasm between these high-ranking officials and Luo Rucai and his ilk.

Moreover, this contempt was not unfounded.

Firstly, Luo Rucai and others came from humble backgrounds and were genuine peasants, which was undoubtedly a symbol of lowliness in the eyes of those officials who considered themselves the chosen ones.

Secondly, although the peasant army's path of rebellion appeared to be magnificent, it always lacked a complete system and plan.

They seem to be nothing more than constantly wreaking havoc throughout the Ming Dynasty and waging endless wars against the court, but they have never established their own base. Compared with the great talent and strategy of the Taizu Emperor when he rebelled, they are worlds apart.

Therefore, in the eyes of most officials, all peasant armies were nothing more than a mob, a group of mindless and disorganized bandits.

However, they may not have anticipated that, in the original historical trajectory, it was precisely these peasant armies they looked down upon that ultimately overthrew the rule of the Ming Dynasty.

Most of them eventually knelt before Li Zicheng, enduring unprecedented humiliation and torture, and were then forced to hand over approximately 70 million taels of silver.

Zhu Cilang sat below Chongzhen, quietly observing everything, taking in the hypocrisy and arrogance of these officials.

He was well aware that seven or eight out of ten officials present looked down on the peasant army, but he didn't care and simply waited quietly for further developments.

Just then, Luo Rucai and the others arrived in front of the hall.

After taking a deep breath, Luo Ru slowly bent down and knelt down. The others behind him also quickly knelt down.

To prevent Luo Rucai and others from causing any trouble when they met the emperor, the palace sent people to teach them etiquette for meeting the emperor, hoping that they could show the proper solemnity and propriety in the court.

Luo Rucai learned quite quickly, but the farmers he brought with him didn't learn as fast.

Despite their hard work, they still struggled to master the intricate etiquette.

When Zhu Cilang learned of this, he did not force them to continue learning these etiquettes, but instead withdrew those who taught etiquette.

In his view, these people had already survived with great difficulty, so there was no need to make things difficult for them anymore.

The next second, Luo Rucai shouted:

"Your humble servant Luo Rucai pays his respects to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty. Long live the Emperor!"

He then performed three kneelings and nine kowtows.

The farmers behind him quickly shouted:

"This humble subject pays homage to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

"This humble subject pays homage to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

Emperor Chongzhen sat on the dragon throne, his gaze cold as he looked at Luo Rucai, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

Because he never expected that this unremarkable man in front of him was actually one of the three leaders of the peasant armies.

Although Luo Rucai was not as famous as Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, he was still the most powerful peasant army besides them.

The imperial court had previously tried to win him over, and he had indeed surrendered to the court.

However, he rebelled again not long after, which gave Emperor Chongzhen a great headache.

But who could have predicted that?

Now, Luo Rucai has actually surrendered to the imperial court and even knelt at my feet!

The twists and turns and changes in this process filled Emperor Chongzhen with a myriad of emotions.

On the other side, Luo Rucai was still waiting for the emperor's response, and he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

Although he had planned everything in advance and prepared for the worst, he still couldn't help feeling a little nervous when the moment actually arrived.

Just as he was becoming extremely anxious, Emperor Chongzhen on the dragon throne finally spoke:
"Everyone, get up."

These three simple words were like heavenly music to Luo Rucai.

He felt instantly relieved and quickly said:

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Then he slowly stood up.

Seeing this, the group of farmers behind him also stood up shakily.

Then, Chongzhen continued:
"Luo Rucai, your previous rebellion was truly treasonous, and afterwards you repeatedly surrendered and rebelled again, causing the court to lose a lot of military and financial resources."

"But considering your sincere submission now, I will forgive you."

"Let bygones be bygones. After you go to Liaodong, you must be loyal to the country and not let me down."

Although Chongzhen's voice was cold, it revealed a sense of authority and decisiveness.

Upon hearing this, Luo Rucai finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

He originally thought that he would have to play the victim and beg again before Chongzhen would forgive his previous actions, but he didn't expect that Chongzhen would forgive him before he even said anything.

This surprised and delighted him.

It seems I was overthinking things; the emperor wasn't as cold-blooded and ruthless as I had imagined.

The next second, Luo Rucai hurriedly knelt down again and shouted:
"Thank you, Your Majesty! After I arrive in Liaodong, I will certainly serve the country with utmost loyalty and live up to Your Majesty's grace!"

After saying that, he kowtowed three times.

The farmers behind him looked bewildered and at a loss. Although they knew that Chongzhen had not spoken to them, they did not dare to stand and knelt down and kowtowed three times.

On his throne, Emperor Chongzhen found the scene both amusing and incomprehensible.

Although these farmers were wearing newly changed clothes, their expressions and appearances clearly indicated that they were truly impoverished.

This stirred up a strange emotion in Chongzhen's heart.

Just then, Chongzhen suddenly looked at an old man behind Luo Rucai.

Chongzhen casually asked:

"Grandpa, how old are you this year?"

However, as soon as he said this, the old man remained kneeling on the ground without saying a word.

Seeing this, an official nearby quickly reminded him:

"Old Master, His Majesty is asking you a question."

Upon hearing this, the old man slowly raised his head and looked at Emperor Chongzhen, who was sitting on the dragon throne, with an uneasy expression.

His eyes revealed a sense of awe and fear, as if he were facing a high and mighty deity.

However, he still didn't know what to say next, only staring blankly at Chongzhen, as if intimidated by his imposing presence. The officials beside him could only remind him again:

"His Majesty asked you how old you are."

The old man finally understood and quickly said:

"Your Majesty, I am sixty-eight years old this year."

When Chongzhen heard this, he was quite surprised. He was almost seventy years old and still joining the rebellion. Wasn't this a bit too exaggerated?
Then, at that moment, the old man suddenly cried out:

"Your Majesty, I am from Zhoukou, Henan. A few years ago, there was a drought in our area. We had no food, and the government was pressing us to pay taxes."

"I had no choice but to sell my two acres of land to pay the taxes."

"But later the disaster got worse and worse, and our family couldn't get enough to eat."

"First my wife starved to death, then my son and daughter-in-law starved to death, and finally my two grandsons starved to death, leaving only me, an old man, to survive by eating clay."

"After burying my family, I originally wanted to die, but at this time Li Zicheng had reached Henan, and someone told me that as long as I followed them in rebellion, I would have food to eat."

“I figured I was all alone at home anyway, so as long as I had food to eat, what did it matter if I rebelled? So I joined Li Zicheng in the rebellion.”

"Then, Li Zicheng's side also ran out of food, so I surrendered to the imperial court again."

The old man's voice, though soft, was filled with sorrow and helplessness.

As soon as the old man uttered these words, everyone present changed their expressions.

They never imagined that this seemingly ordinary old man had such a tragic story and experiences hidden behind him.

Luo Rucai probably had the worst complexion among them.

In fact, the things mentioned earlier were indeed what the old man had experienced. Luo Rucai had even specifically instructed him on how to say them in a way that would resonate with the audience.

He originally intended for the old man to gain the emperor's sympathy and understanding by recounting his painful experiences, so that the emperor could forgive him.

However, since Chongzhen had already forgiven him, there was no need to bring it up again.

Even if we were to say it, we should wait until the emperor asks!

If the emperor doesn't ask, then you shouldn't say it.

After all, such a thing is always somewhat embarrassing for the emperor, and it is easy for the emperor to feel awkward and displeased.

However, it was obvious that the old man was too nervous, so he blurted out what he should and shouldn't have said before Chongzhen could even ask him a question.

This left Luo Rucai feeling somewhat helpless and embarrassed.

As soon as the old man spoke, the other farmers behind him couldn't help but chime in as well.

One of the women was holding a child who was one or two years old. She wiped away her tears and then sobbed as she said:

"Your Majesty, I am from Yan'an, Shaanxi. Due to famine, my family could not afford to eat and several people starved to death. Later, my husband joined Li Zicheng's rebellion just to have food to eat."

"But he was unlucky. He broke his leg on the way, and the wound got infected. There was no medicine to treat it, so he died on the way, leaving us, a widow and her child, to depend on each other for survival."

"Your Majesty, we just want to have food to eat, and we don't want to rebel!"

"If we had food to eat, my husband wouldn't have died!"

The woman's voice was filled with sorrow and helplessness; every word she uttered was like a sharp knife, piercing the hearts of everyone present.

Immediately afterwards, a boy of about thirteen years old also stood up, and then said in a choked voice:

“I am also from Shaanxi. That year, there was a drought in Yan'an. The government came to collect taxes, but my family couldn’t pay. The leading official beat my father to death.”

"Later, Li Zicheng came and killed that corrupt official, and then I joined Li Zicheng in the rebellion, because if I didn't rebel, I wouldn't be able to survive."

Although the boy's voice was still young, it was full of determination and resolve.

Subsequently, other farmers present also stepped forward and explained the reasons for their rebellion.

Although their voices were not loud, and some of their words were even incoherent, they still managed to silence everyone present.

Through their own experiences, they recounted the suffering and injustice of this era, as well as their yearning and pursuit of survival and dignity.

Hearing these words, Luo Rucai was filled with regret.

However, in front of a large audience, Luo Rucai couldn't very well tell others to shut up.

Therefore, he could only continue kneeling on the ground.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court, all the civil and military officials dared not utter a sound.

At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen's expression was already quite grim.

His eyes revealed a mixture of anger and helplessness, as if he were suppressing the rage within him.

Upon seeing this scene, some people felt that Luo Rucai and his ilk were probably in for trouble.

After all, to say how bad the court was and why they rebelled in front of the emperor was practically slapping the emperor in the face!

It is important to know that in ancient times, the emperor's dignity and authority were supreme, and anyone who dared to challenge the emperor's authority would be severely punished.

Then, at that moment, Emperor Chongzhen finally spoke.

"Ugh!"

First came a heavy sigh.

The next second, Chongzhen stood up from the dragon throne and then stepped down from it.

Upon seeing this, Wang Chengen hurriedly chased after them.

Emperor Chongzhen quickly approached the old man, grasped his hand, and said:

"Old man, it is I who have wronged you! It is because the court failed to provide timely disaster relief that you have suffered so much. This is my fault, and it is the fault of the whole country!"

"If our founding emperor had even had enough to eat back then, where would the Ming Dynasty be today?"

At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen expressed his deepest apologies and remorse to the old man before him.

Then Chongzhen looked at the others:
"None of you are wrong. The fault lies with the Ming Dynasty and with me. I am sorry."

As he finished speaking, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but shed tears.

He may not have been a good emperor, failing to lead the Ming Dynasty to prosperity and strength, but he was certainly not a foolish ruler.

If he could, he would certainly have wanted to bring peace and tranquility to the people, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not save the Ming Dynasty, which ultimately led to the current situation.

Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen burst into tears.

When they saw the emperor actually crying in front of them, the farmers present felt the same way.

They recalled their past hardships and struggles, their efforts to survive, and couldn't help but cry.

Faced with this scene, most of the civil and military officials in the court were somewhat dumbfounded.

Because they simply cannot empathize with these ordinary people at the bottom of society, since most of them, apart from a few from humble backgrounds, come from noble and aristocratic families.

They grew up in privileged environments, enjoying wealth and high status. How could they possibly sympathize with these ordinary people at the bottom of society?

(End of this chapter)