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

Chapter 350 Unique Tribute from Various Countries: Beautiful Women!

But at such a time, it was still necessary to show some sadness, after all, even the emperor was crying.

So everyone remained silent, but a trace of grief appeared on their faces.

Some actors with better acting skills managed to squeeze out tears, as if they were truly moved by everything.

While some of these people are genuinely sincere, many more are simply being hypocritical.

They used their performances to try to conceal their inner coldness and ruthlessness, and also to try to maintain their image and status in front of the emperor.

However, despite their realistic performances, they could not conceal their true thoughts and feelings.

Ultimately, the high-ranking officials still can't empathize with the people at the bottom of society.

Zhu Cilang didn't care whether these people were being sincere or not; as things stood, the situation was still under his control.

After he finished crying, Chongzhen turned around and returned to his throne.

At this moment, his eyes revealed a firmness and determination, and he then announced his decree:
"Rest assured, I promise you that all the peasant soldiers who participated in the rebellion will be forgiven if they voluntarily surrender to the court."

"And the court will support you until you are able to support yourselves."

"Furthermore, the court will provide care for all civilians wounded in battle. This is my promise to you, and it is also the promise of the Ming Dynasty to you."

Upon hearing this, Luo Rucai immediately knelt down again and shouted:
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your divine grace! Long live Your Majesty!"

The farmers behind him were also very excited, and they all knelt down and said:
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Now that things had come to this, the civil and military officials present naturally couldn't just stand there doing nothing. They immediately knelt down and shouted:
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Although their voices were uniform, they were inevitably filled with hypocrisy and perfunctory attitude.

However, don't misunderstand, the reason why Chongzhen said such a thing was not a spur-of-the-moment decision or an impulsive act, but the result of prior discussions with the cabinet.

After all, everyone knows that there are tens of thousands of wounded and disabled civilians in Shaanxi who have surrendered to the imperial court, and the court cannot ignore them.

If the imperial court ignores them, these people are likely to rebel again or cause even greater social unrest.

Therefore, after several discussions, the imperial court finally decided to provide certain subsidies and care according to the severity of the injuries.

Of course, the focus was on grain, because grain is the most basic necessity for people's lives.

For ordinary disabled persons, they are given ten catties of grain and fifty coins per month.

In more serious cases, they would be given thirty catties of grain and one hundred coins a month.

The highest level was given 50 catties of grain and 200 coins per month.

These subsidies are enough to allow those disabled people to live a good life.

And so, amidst a chorus of compliments, the morning court session finally came to an end.

After the court session, Emperor Chongzhen returned to the inner palace, and the officials dispersed like birds released from their cages.

They walked in twos and threes, discussing the various matters of the court in hushed tones as they went.

As for Zhu Cilang, he naturally planned to return to the Eastern Palace.

At that moment, the biting cold wind felt like sharp blades cutting into his cheeks, making him involuntarily shrink his neck.

Although the weather has warmed up a bit recently, the temperature is still hovering around minus 15 degrees Celsius.

At times like these, nothing is more comfortable than staying at home.

It is also worth mentioning that in previous years, civil and military officials would have already been on holiday by this time.

However, this year is different because the emperor is celebrating his birthday, which is arguably the most important event for the court at present.

In order to prepare for and attend this grand birthday banquet, the officials had no choice but to continue working.

However, everyone knows that the promised holidays will still be granted, and there will be a break after the birthday celebration.

It must be said that the ancients were quite friendly to these civil and military officials, which gave them a sense of anticipation amidst their busy work.

On the other side, just as Zhu Cilang returned to the gate of the East Palace, a series of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

He stopped and looked up, only to see a fast horse galloping across the white snow like a black lightning bolt.

The soldier on horseback was agile, his face full of anxiety. Before the horse had come to a complete stop, the soldier fell off the horse and almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, the guards at the East Palace gate quickly reached out and supported him, preventing him from falling.

After verifying his identity, the soldier approached Zhu Cilang, knelt on one knee, and held a letter aloft with both hands, saying:

"Your Highness, this is a secret letter from Tianjin. Please take a look."

From Tianjin?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang instantly perked up, his previously languid expression becoming focused, as he roughly guessed who had written the secret letter.

The next second, he eagerly reached out and took the secret letter, then examined it carefully.

Just as he had expected, the secret letter was indeed written by his father-in-law, Zheng Zhilong.

The letter was very simple, saying that he had successfully arrived at the port of Tianjin with envoys from various countries and would soon arrive in the capital.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Cilang finally felt completely relieved.

Although he had great confidence in Zheng Zhilong and believed that nothing would go wrong along the way, there was always a chance of something going wrong.

After all, the sea is unpredictable, and no one can guarantee that they won't encounter any unexpected situations.

But now I can finally rest easy.

The next second, Zhu Cilang suddenly remembered the promise he had made to Chongzhen.

He then summoned a guard and instructed him:
"Go quickly and inform His Majesty that Zheng Zhilong has successfully arrived at Tianjin Port with his envoys and will soon be heading to the capital!"

After receiving the order, the guard immediately cupped his hands and said:

"My minister obeys."

He then turned and headed straight for the palace.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang asked about some other matters before instructing his guards to take good care of the soldiers who were delivering the message.

He himself took Zheng Zhilong's letter and entered the Eastern Palace.

We walked through a series of corridors and then headed straight into the warm pavilion.

Upon entering the warm pavilion, a wave of warmth washed over you, a stark contrast to the cold outside.

Inside the warm room, the charcoal fire burned brightly, the red embers leaping and crackling softly in the furnace.

Not far away, Zheng Xiaomei was playing chess with Qiqige.

Qiqige didn't know how to play chess before; she only learned after Zheng Xiaomei taught her.

When Zhu Cilang arrived at the warm pavilion, he saw two women playing chess with serious expressions. Sometimes they frowned, thinking about their next move, and sometimes their lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile.

When the palace maids saw Zhu Cilang arrive, they were about to bow, but Zhu Cilang waved them off.

Zhu Cilang then stood aside with a smile, watching the two women play chess.

A moment later, Qiqige picked up a few black pieces and threw them onto the chessboard, then pouted and said:
"I'm not playing anymore, I lost again."

Her voice carried a hint of resentment and frustration, and her appearance truly made one feel a pang of pity.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiaomei smiled and then comforted her:
"You've only been learning for a short time, and it's already quite impressive that you can play like this. Maybe you'll be able to beat me in a few more years."

Good grief, what do you mean by "maybe I can beat you in a few years"?
Zhu Cilang was unsure whether Zheng Xiaomei was praising or insulting him, and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

Suddenly, Zheng Xiaomei finally noticed Zhu Cilang standing to the side.

She was taken aback at first, then a bright smile bloomed on her face as she stepped forward and said:

"When did Your Highness return? Why haven't you said anything?"

Zhu Cilang said with a smile:

"I've been back for a while. I saw you two playing chess, so I didn't want to disturb you."

After saying this, Zhu Cilang took off his cloak and handed it to a palace maid standing nearby.

The charcoal fire inside was burning brightly, so there was no need to wear so many clothes.

When Qiqige saw Zhu Cilang return, she didn't react much. She just kept moving the chess pieces on the board, seemingly still upset about her loss.

Zhu Cilang ignored her and instead took out the secret letter from his pocket and handed it to Zheng Xiaomei, saying:
"This is a letter that my father-in-law just sent from Tianjin. He has arrived safely at the port of Tianjin and should arrive in the capital in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiaomei was overjoyed, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement.

She quickly took the letter and began reading it eagerly.

After reading it, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, in the past, the Zheng family would rarely go out to sea during the winter.

Because the vast ocean is even more turbulent and dangerous in winter.

But now, for His Majesty's Halloween, Zheng Zhilong has no choice but to brave the wind and snow to go out to sea in the dead of winter. How can she, as his daughter, not worry?
Fortunately, Zheng Zhilong arrived safely at Tianjin Port, which relieved her of a great weight.

Zhu Cilang then smiled and said:
"My father-in-law has done a great service this time. He traveled to several countries and brought all their envoys to the Ming Dynasty. According to the soldiers who delivered the message, the tribute alone amounted to several hundred cartloads."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiaomei smiled and said:

“This is what a father should do; it’s nothing special.”

Despite saying that, Zheng Xiaomei was still extremely gratified and proud.

After all, the more Zheng Zhilong is valued, the more secure her position will become.

After a pause, Zhu Cilang suddenly seemed to remember something, then looked at Qiqige beside him and said:

"By the way, your brother also sent over some offerings a few days ago. Would you like to go and take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Qiqige rolled her eyes at Zhu Cilang and then said:

"What's so interesting about this? The tributes sent from the grasslands are nothing more than cattle, horses, sheep, and furs."

Her tone carried a hint of disdain, suggesting she had no interest in the offerings.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang smiled and shook his head, saying:

"You're mistaken. In addition to what you've mentioned, your brother has also sent thirty Mongolian girls."

what?
Upon hearing this, Qiqige's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with disbelief.

She could accept her brother sending cattle, sheep, and horses as tribute, but she found it hard to accept that her brother would send Mongolian girls as tribute.

But what she didn't know was that this was actually a very normal behavior.

In the past, whenever the Ming Dynasty emperors paid tribute or celebrated their birthdays, the surrounding vassal states would not only offer congratulatory gifts but also send beautiful women to the Ming Dynasty.

This has become a tradition.

However, since the Ming Dynasty was weak and its national strength was not as great as before, the surrounding countries did not continue to do so.

However, after the Battle of Songjin, the Ming Dynasty's strength once again shocked the surrounding countries. They witnessed the Ming Dynasty's power and majesty, so this tradition was revived.

The next second, Qiqige said somewhat angrily:

"No, how old is your father? Why does he still need these young girls? Doesn't he already have so many concubines?"

Zhu Cilang was speechless upon hearing this. Who said that the beautiful women presented as tribute would necessarily be added to the emperor's harem?
This is clearly a rumor!

Thinking about this, Zhu Cilang shook his head helplessly and then said:
"You're overthinking it. These girls weren't specifically requested by the imperial court; they were sent over by your brother on his own initiative."

"Of course, I also asked His Majesty's opinion. His Majesty decided to entrust this matter to me. After thinking about it, I decided to let you meet them first, and then select a few suitable ones to stay by your side to take care of you."

"As for the others, I will personally assign them to some of my generals so that they can stay in the Ming Dynasty."

In ancient times, the girls who were offered as tribute generally did not have a good ending.

Apart from a few exceptionally beautiful women who might be chosen by the emperor and brought into the harem, most others would be used as rewards or as servants within the palace.

It just so happens that many of Zhu Cilang's personal guards are bachelors, so Zhu Cilang plans to take this opportunity to arrange their marriages.

This can be considered as allowing them to have a stable life.

Upon hearing this, Qiqige was momentarily speechless.

She originally thought these girls were meant for Emperor Chongzhen or Zhu Cilang, but it turned out that the father and son didn't care for them at all and instead planned to distribute them to the generals around them.

This is much better than them staying in Mongolia, where ordinary girls might not have such a good fate.

Thinking of this, Qiqige's expression unconsciously became a little awkward, her face flushed slightly, and then she said:

"Then I thank you on their behalf."

Zhu Cilang smiled but didn't say anything. He then ordered someone to take Qiqige to see the girls.

In fact, recently, the surrounding Mongolian tribes have been sending a lot of tribute, and the young girl was one of them.

It wasn't just Abuna who sent gifts; other tribes sent gifts too.

Unfortunately, in ancient times, population was a resource, especially young and beautiful girls.

This is a common problem in ancient times, and even time travelers cannot change it.

All Zhu Cilang could do was find a good future for them!

(End of this chapter)