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

Chapter 359 Chongzhen: I may not be able to be Yao and Shun, but I can be Yao and Shun's father!
After all that commotion, everyone felt incredibly exhausted, as the Emperor's birthday celebration had truly taken up the entire day.

From morning till night, everyone—from the emperor and officials to ordinary people—was immersed in the joy and busyness of the festival.

However, throughout this entire process, the crown prince Zhu Cilang seemed less important.

After all, on the Emperor's birthday, there is only one protagonist today, and that is Emperor Chongzhen!
Of course, Zhu Cilang wouldn't be jealous, since he'd have plenty of opportunities in the future!

For Emperor Chongzhen, today was undoubtedly a rare good day in his life.

After all, just a year ago, the entire Ming Dynasty was teetering on the brink of collapse, on the verge of national demise.

Unexpectedly, just one year later, the Ming Dynasty not only reversed its decline but also held such a grand birthday celebration.

The twists and turns and changes in these events filled Emperor Chongzhen with mixed emotions.

However, by this time, Chongzhen had become very carefree, and he was laughing very happily. His smile contained both a sense of letting go of the past and an expectation for the future.

He seemed to feel that he had done right by his ancestors and by his elder brother's words:

My brother should be like Yao and Shun!

Although this Yao and Shun are not himself, it would be quite nice to be Yao and Shun's father!

After the Emperor's birthday celebration ended, the civil and military officials finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Because after participating in this birthday celebration, they will finally have a holiday.

However, the Ministry of Rites would have to postpone its holiday a little longer, because according to regulations, they still had to return the greetings to the envoys from those vassal states in accordance with the emperor's decree.

During the Ming Dynasty, when envoys from vassal states came to pay homage and present tribute during the Emperor's birthday celebrations, the Emperor would reciprocate with gifts according to the established rites.

This "tribute" system was an important form of diplomacy in the Ming Dynasty, and it emphasized giving generously in return for meager gifts, in order to demonstrate the benevolence and power of the Celestial Empire.

The Ming Dynasty's return gifts to tributary states were usually more generous than the tribute itself, in order to demonstrate the generosity and magnanimity of the Celestial Empire.

For example, after envoys from countries such as Korea, Ryukyu, and Annam presented tribute on the Emperor's birthday, the Emperor would bestow upon them valuable items such as gold, silver, colored satin, silk, and porcelain, based on their offerings.

Of course, the Ming emperors were not stupid. They would reasonably determine the items and quantities to be given in return based on the value and rarity of the tribute, as well as the strength and status of the vassal state.

However, overall, the Ming Dynasty would still suffer some losses.

After all, the principle of "giving generously and receiving leniently" is not something to be taken lightly.

However, at Zhu Cilang's suggestion, there were fewer material rewards this time. Most of the rewards were new versions of the Ming Dynasty banknotes, with occasional rewards of Ming Dynasty gold coins and silver coins.

The purpose of this was simple: to let these envoys from vassal states know that the Ming Dynasty had now reformed its monetary system.

It's important to understand that the monetary system can't be changed arbitrarily; it requires the support of a strong national power, which also demonstrates the current national strength of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty's paper money, silver, and gold are all interchangeable. These envoys from vassal states have been in the capital for more than ten days, so they naturally understand this principle.

Therefore, he was naturally very happy to receive the reward.

After all, these Ming Dynasty banknotes could be used to purchase any supplies they needed within the Ming Dynasty, then take them back to their countries and resell them for a considerable income.

And all of this tells them that the Ming Dynasty seems to be on the verge of rising again!
In a daze, many envoys seemed to see once again the incomparably powerful Ming Dynasty.
Soon, Lunar New Year's Eve arrived quietly.

As night fell like a giant black ribbon, slowly enveloping the entire capital, the imperial palace was ablaze with lights, as bright as day.

The glazed tiles on the palace walls shimmered with colorful light under the candlelight, like stars fallen from the night sky.

The entire palace was filled with joy, partly because it was the New Year and partly because Emperor Chongzhen was happy, so he rewarded everyone with ten taels of silver.

These are small silver ingots specially made for the royal family, engraved with auspicious patterns, and mainly used to reward those around them on festivals such as the emperor's birthday and New Year's Eve.

Moreover, they weren't necessarily made of silver; gold ones also existed, but only those closest to the emperor could receive gold ingots, such as powerful eunuchs like Wang Chengen.

The palace servants were naturally very happy to receive the silver, as it was equivalent to their annual income.

In addition to the rewards given during the Emperor's birthday celebration, these eunuchs and palace maids had made a small fortune.

It's truly unbelievable. Just last year, the imperial court couldn't even pay their monthly wages, and some were even owed wages for as long as six months. Yet, just one year later, the imperial court suddenly became so wealthy.

This truly gave some of the junior eunuchs and palace maids a dreamlike feeling.

Of course, some people who know the inside story understand that the Ming Dynasty is in its current state entirely thanks to the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace!
On the other side, Zhu Cilang, dressed in a magnificent dragon robe, held Zheng Xiaomei's hand, followed by a group of princes and princesses. The large group of people walked happily toward Kunning Palace, where Chongzhen and Empress Zhou were.

Along the way, the princes and princesses chattered incessantly, their laughter echoing like silver bells throughout the palace, creating a lively atmosphere.

Since it's New Year's Eve, a reunion dinner is a must, and Zhu Cilang is going to have his reunion dinner now.

Zheng Xiaomei nestled close to Zhu Cilang, her eyes filled with excitement and anticipation. Although she was still young, she knew the importance of the New Year's Eve reunion dinner in the palace.

Stepping into Kunning Palace, a warm current immediately washes over you.

The Kunning Palace was also decorated with a festive atmosphere, with red lanterns hanging high, colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind, and auspicious paintings posted everywhere.

Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou sat in the main seats, their faces beaming with kind smiles. The concubines lined up on either side, dressed in gorgeous attire and adorned with jewels, their beauty shimmering under the lamplight.

However, sitting next to Empress Zhou was another pretty woman. She looked to be about thirty years old, only a few years older than Empress Zhou, but judging from her position, she must have a high seniority in the palace!
Indeed, this was the case; this woman's status in the harem even subtly surpassed that of Empress Zhou!

Because she was none other than Empress Zhang Yan, the late Emperor Tianqi, Zhu Youxiao!

She was the sister-in-law of Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou, and the imperial aunt of Emperor Zhu Cilang!
After Zhu Youxiao's death, Chongzhen took pity on his widowed sister-in-law and honored her as Empress Yi'an, allowing her to continue living in the palace, though she was moved to Cining Palace, and all her treatment remained the same.

However, Zhang Yan was also a sensible person. After Zhu Youxiao's death, she stopped interfering in any affairs of the inner palace and handed over all power to Empress Zhou.

Therefore, Empress Zhou and her sister-in-law had a very good relationship and often visited each other.

Now that it was New Year's Eve, Empress Zhou invited Zhang Yan over as well, so the whole family could have a reunion dinner together.

Immediately afterward, Zhu Cilang, along with his younger siblings, stepped forward and respectfully greeted Emperor Chongzhen, Empress Zhou, and Zhang Yan.

"Your son pays New Year's greetings to Father, Mother, and Imperial Aunt. May Father, Mother, and Imperial Aunt enjoy good health and longevity!"

After saying that, the group respectfully kowtowed several times.

Emperor Chongzhen burst into laughter upon seeing this, his eyes filled with joy. He then raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up.

"Rise, all of you. Today is New Year's Eve. Let's have a good family gathering and not be so formal." The next second, Chongzhen happily took one exquisite red envelope after another from the palace servants beside him and began to distribute them to the princes and princesses.

"Here, this is the New Year's money I'm giving you."

The princes and princesses all stood up, respectfully accepted the red envelopes, and then said in unison:

"Thank you, Father!"

Following that, Empress Zhou and Zhang Yan also distributed red envelopes to the princes and princesses, and even some of Chongzhen's concubines did the same.

Of course, Zhu Cilang also received a share of the red envelope.

After everyone has received their red envelopes, it's time for Zhu Cilang, the eldest brother, to take the stage!

Then Zhu Cilang smiled and took out a stack of red envelopes from his sleeve, distributing them to his younger brothers and sisters.

However, he didn't put any gold or silver coins inside, since those things can't hold much. Instead, he filled his bag with the latest silver notes issued by the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty.

Furthermore, the amount is 10,000 taels of silver. With these silver notes, you can directly exchange them for Ming Dynasty banknotes, Ming Dynasty gold coins, or Ming Dynasty silver coins at the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank.

After receiving the red envelopes, the little ones couldn't wait to open them and were immediately overjoyed.

It should be noted that due to the country's financial difficulties, the treatment of these princes and princesses had been severely reduced, which led them to develop an understanding of gold and silver.

Unexpectedly, their own elder brother, the Crown Prince, gave them ten thousand taels of silver. How could they not be happy?

Then, led by Zhu Cijiong, the children respectfully bowed to Zhu Cilang and said:

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Looking at this group of lively and adorable brothers and sisters in front of him, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions.

In the original history, the fates of these younger brothers and sisters were mostly tragic and difficult. Some died young, while others, though they lived to the Kangxi era, ultimately could not escape being killed by Kangxi.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang clenched his fists tightly and silently vowed in his heart:
Such a tragic fate will never happen to them again; he will definitely protect the Ming Dynasty!
At the same time, when they saw this scene, Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou were also filled with relief.

After all, as parents, who wouldn't want to see a harmonious and respectful relationship between brothers?
A moment later, a stream of exquisite dishes were served, including rare delicacies such as bear paw, camel hump, deer lips, orangutan lips, winter bamboo shoots from Jiangnan, chicken mushrooms from Yunnan, sea cucumber from Fujian, abalone from Shandong, honey-glazed cakes, and golden spring rolls.

The whole family enjoyed the delicious food and chatted about everyday life, their laughter echoing throughout the palace.

The family dinner didn't end until late at night.

At this very moment, the sounds of firecrackers and fireworks continued to echo throughout the capital.

There is no doubt that every household is celebrating the arrival of the New Year.
The next morning, Zhu Cilang woke up early because, according to custom, he had to go to the palace to pay New Year's respects that morning.

Although he found it troublesome, he was, after all, the crown prince, and no matter how troublesome it was, he still had to go.

After paying his New Year's respects, on his way back, Zhu Cilang pondered whether he should do something today.

Suddenly, at that moment, Ma Bao's voice rang out from outside the sedan chair:
"Your Highness, this servant thinks the person standing at the East Palace gate is General Ma Xianglin."

Ma Xianglin?
Zhu Cilang was slightly taken aback. He quickly lifted the sedan curtain and saw Ma Xianglin standing at the entrance of the East Palace, looking anxious.

Just then, Ma Xianglin also saw Zhu Cilang returning. He quickly straightened his clothes and stepped forward, saying:

"Your subject, Ma Xianglin, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Zhu Cilang nodded, and then said:

"Let's go inside and talk about it!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Xianglin quickly bowed and said:
"I obey!"

He then followed Zhu Cilang's sedan chair into the East Palace.

Before long, the two arrived at the warm pavilion of the East Palace.

After dismissing the palace servants, Zhu Cilang asked:
"General Ma, what brings you to see me on this New Year's Day?"

Zhu Cilang was indeed quite curious, because he had already brought Ma Xianglin's wife and children to the capital. Logically, this should be a time for family reunion, so why did this guy insist on coming to the Eastern Palace to see him?
Could it be that he wants to request permission to go to Xuanfu to see his mother, Qin Liangyu?

If that were the case, Zhu Cilang would not be able to refuse, after all, Qin Liangyu was getting old, and it would indeed be a bit difficult for her to stay in Xuanfu.

Just as Zhu Cilang was lost in thought, Ma Xianglin hesitated slightly at first, but finally mustered up his courage and said:
"Your Highness, I wish to request an imperial decree to personally travel to Sichuan to confront the peasant army and prevent them from entering Sichuan."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang finally understood Ma Xianglin's intention: this guy wanted to go to Sichuan!
However, he didn't rush to agree, but instead asked:

"Didn't we already send some of your clansmen to Sichuan to recruit White-Spear Soldiers? Why are you worried?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Xianglin hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and said solemnly:

"I dare not deceive Your Highness. I am indeed somewhat uneasy. Although my cousins ​​are also veterans of many battles, I am still different from them in the end."

"I believe that it would be more beneficial for the court if I went to Sichuan in person!"

What Ma Xianglin said is correct.

His father was Ma Qiancheng, the hereditary Pacification Commissioner of Shizhu, who enjoyed very high prestige in Sichuan.

In addition, his mother, Qin Liangyu, was a renowned female general of the Ming Dynasty, who had made outstanding military achievements and was famous far and wide in Sichuan.

As their son, Ma Xianglin's position in Sichuan was naturally irreplaceable.

In contrast, although his cousins ​​were also capable, they clearly lacked prestige and could not gather a large number of White Spear soldiers in a short period of time.

After figuring this out, Zhu Cilang suddenly realized that what Ma Xianglin said was not entirely unreasonable.

Firstly, there's really nothing to do in the capital lately, so it's better to let Ma Xianglin go to Sichuan and make a difference than to leave him here.

Anyway, when spring comes, the imperial court will mobilize a large army to go to Sichuan to fight a decisive battle with the peasant army.

During this period, if Ma Xianglin could recruit more White Spear Soldiers in Sichuan to expand the army's strength, it would also be beneficial to the imperial court!

(End of this chapter)