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

Because Chongzhen knew in his heart that Zhu Cilang was right. This battle was indeed facing many difficulties. It seemed that only Zhu Cilang, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, could personally take charge and coordinate the various troops so that this decisive battle could proceed smoothly!
At the same time, Empress Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She originally thought that Zhu Cilang had acted impulsively and in a moment of madness, which is why he decided to go to Sichuan to fight Li Zicheng in a decisive battle!
However, it now appears that Zhu Cilang had clearly planned this meticulously. He had a clear understanding of the situation and was fully confident in his decision.

This put her at ease. Although she was still worried, at least she knew that her son was not acting blindly.

Immediately afterward, before Chongzhen could say anything, Empress Zhou spoke up:
"Your Majesty, I think Lang'er makes sense. It seems that Lang'er really has to go this time."

"As the crown prince, he should share the burdens and difficulties of the Ming Dynasty."

"Moreover, he has considered everything so thoroughly that he must have made ample preparations. Your Majesty should agree."

Although Empress Zhou's voice was soft, it was full of firmness, as if she was expressing her trust and support for her son in her own way.

Hey!
Seeing this, Chongzhen sighed helplessly. He looked at Zhu Cilang and then at Empress Zhou, knowing that he could no longer stop Zhu Cilang's decision.

And he had no reason to stop it!
After a moment, Chongzhen slowly said:
"Since that's the case, I agree to it. You may go if you wish!"

"However, you must promise me that this time you absolutely cannot do what you did in Liaodong before, and insist on leading men to directly confront the enemy."

Clearly, the scene of Zhu Cilang leading his troops to clash with Huang Taiji in Liaodong still haunted Chongzhen.

He feared that Zhu Cilang would act impulsively again and then find himself in a dangerous situation.

Zhu Cilang smiled and assured him:
"Don't worry, Father, in my opinion, things won't escalate to that point."

"Perhaps when the imperial army arrives, Li Zicheng's troops will surrender without a fight."

Although this statement had a hint of boasting, Emperor Chongzhen was still very pleased to hear it.

And so, the decision was made that Zhu Cilang would personally go to Sichuan to fight Li Zicheng in a decisive battle.

So far, the Minister of War and the Emperor have agreed, and as for the remaining five ministers and the cabinet, Zhu Cilang felt that there was no major problem.

After all, Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan is on his side, so he will definitely give his full support to this matter.

Zhu Cilang only needed to give him a heads-up, and he would go and persuade the other cabinet ministers on his own.

Sure enough, within a few days, all the ministers of the six ministries and the cabinet ministers agreed to the matter.

Even if some people had some objections, they didn't dare to say it out loud.

After all, the emperor, the crown prince, and the chief cabinet minister all agreed. What can you change if you disagree?
It's nothing more than angering the Crown Prince and His Majesty!

It would be better to simply agree and do a favor, which would leave a good impression on the emperor and the crown prince.

So, after a morning court session, Chongzhen announced the matter directly in front of all the civil and military officials.

When the news came that the Crown Prince was going to Sichuan to fight Li Zicheng, the entire court was in an uproar.

After all, it is rare for a crown prince to personally lead an expedition on such a frequent occasion, especially since this crown prince is not yet an adult!
In their traditional view, the crown prince should stay in the palace to study, handle government affairs, and wait to inherit the throne in the future, rather than personally going to the battlefield to face the clash of swords!
However, since the emperor and the cabinet have already agreed, what reason do these civil and military officials have to disagree?
Therefore, without any suspense, the matter was successfully passed at the court assembly!
And so, the machinery of the Ming Dynasty began to operate rapidly, making final preparations for Zhu Cilang's journey to Sichuan.

In addition, Zhu Cilang was given the title of "conquering on behalf of Heaven" by Chongzhen, and was given the authority to carry the imperial staff, the yellow battle-axe, and the imperial regalia, which can be considered a true imperial expedition!

Next, the Ministry of War was busy allocating troops, provisions, and weapons, while the Ministry of Revenue was responsible for raising more military funds to ensure sufficient expenditures.

The Ministry of Rites was busy preparing for the expedition ceremony and related matters, in order to demonstrate the majesty of the Ming Dynasty and the grandeur of the imperial family.

Everyone knew that this was a major event concerning the stability of the Ming Dynasty, and with the Crown Prince personally leading the expedition, no one dared to play tricks on this matter!
For the next few days, the sky over the capital was always somewhat gloomy. The leaden-gray clouds pressed low over the city like a heavy boulder, making it hard for people to breathe.

However, Zhu Cilang had no time to pay attention to the oppressive weather. He was like a high-speed gear, shuttling around the capital, never able to rest for a moment.

He knew that the journey to Sichuan was long and would take at least six months to make and take another trip.

In addition, the distance between the capital and Sichuan is long and mountainous, making the transmission of information extremely inconvenient.

Therefore, he had to arrange everything properly before setting off to ensure that the grand scheme of the Ming Dynasty could proceed smoothly.

According to Zhu Cilang's plan, the Ming Dynasty has many things to do this year.

The first priority is to promote potatoes, sweet potatoes, and greenhouse technology.

In the Ming Dynasty today, the issue of food is of paramount importance; whether or not the people can have enough to eat depends on these three things.

Therefore, these three matters are undoubtedly of paramount importance, concerning the future rise and fall, and even the survival of the Ming Dynasty.

Besides promoting agriculture, continuing to build cement roads is also a major undertaking!

In addition, people continued to be relocated to Liaodong!
After all, no one knows how long the Little Ice Age will last, and the Little Ice Age not only had cold winters, but also caused droughts in the summer, so that nothing could grow in the ground all year round.

In contrast, the Liaodong region is sparsely populated and has fertile land. Relocating disaster victims there can both alleviate the pressure on the interior and make it easier to govern Liaodong.

In addition, although the tax policy was formulated last year, whether it can be implemented smoothly and whether the taxes due can be collected in full are still unknown.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang dared not slacken in this regard.

In short, everything the court needs to do this year concerns the future life and death of the Ming Dynasty, and not a single thing can be delayed!

However, Zhu Cilang did not intend to specify every step and detail of every matter before having the cabinet and the six ministries carry it out.

He only proposed a general framework and the desired outcome, leaving the rest to the cabinet and the six ministries!
He believed that the Ming Dynasty's cabinet and six ministries would not disappoint him!
In addition, Zhu Cilang also informed Chongzhen that during the six months he was away, Chongzhen would still occasionally need to attend court.

However, one should not make decisions on one's own, but should consult with the cabinet and ministers. After all, the series of outrageous actions taken by Emperor Chongzhen in the past were too frightening, and Zhu Cilang did not want to experience it again!
He had actually considered having Chongzhen not attend court for six months, and just stay obediently in the inner palace.

But then I thought it was unrealistic. After all, with the Crown Prince acting as regent absent, if the emperor were to remain hidden in the inner palace and ignore state affairs, it would definitely lead to instability in the court.

Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen was required to attend court.

However, with the cabinet in place and Zhu Cilang having given instructions on how to handle various matters, there shouldn't be any problems in the short term.

On this day, the sun finally pierced through the thick clouds and shone on the streets of the capital, bringing a touch of warmth to this ancient city.

With nothing else to do, Zhu Cilang decided to make a trip to the Firearms Research Institute.

Since last year, the imperial court has brought all the families of the officials of the Firearms Research Institute to the capital so that they can reunite with their families.

From then on, everyone at the Firearms Research Institute settled down in the capital and devoted themselves to the research and manufacture of firearms, and Bi Maokang was no exception.

Having experienced the Battle of Songjin, the civil and military officials in the court were keenly aware of the importance of firearms.

Even Emperor Chongzhen began to attach great importance to the Firearms Research Institute. Therefore, when Emperor Chongzhen celebrated his birthday and the New Year, he specially rewarded everyone in the Firearms Research Institute with a large sum of money and various gifts.

When these rewards were delivered to the Firearms Research Institute, everyone felt the importance and care that the imperial court placed on them.

Similarly, the Ministry of Revenue also allocated a year's worth of funds to the Firearms Research Institute just two days ago.

A full five million taels of silver!

The pile of gleaming silver coins resembled a small mountain, radiating an alluring glow.

All five million taels of silver will be used for the research and development and manufacture of various firearms and all kinds of instruments that can help the Ming Dynasty.

As for how to use the five million taels of silver, the imperial court gave Bi Maokang full trust, and he was free to make all the decisions.

In the past, such a thing would have been unthinkable. After all, although the Ming Dynasty valued firearms, it was impossible for it to allocate five million taels of silver every year for the research and production of firearms.

But now that everyone has realized the importance of firearms, they naturally have to tighten the budget of the firearms research institute.

They also hoped that the Firearms Research Institute could come up with another world-shaking firearm or some other invention, so that the Ming Dynasty could stand out in the world!
Before long, Zhu Cilang arrived at the Firearms Research Institute with ease.

Having been here several times before, he was very familiar with the environment. Even though he was dressed in casual clothes, the guards at the door recognized him at a glance and bowed respectfully.

"See His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Zhu Cilang waved his hand, signaling them not to make a fuss, and then led Li Hu and several guards straight inside.

Upon entering the research institute, one can see a spacious courtyard filled with various firearm models and parts, with clanging sounds constantly filling the air.

Zhu Cilang did not linger and walked directly toward Bi Maokang's office.

Meanwhile, the white-haired Bi Maokang was sitting at his desk, engrossed in developing the rifle he had been longing for.

His gaze was focused and unwavering as he stared at the blueprint in front of him, as if the entire world had shrunk to just that blueprint.

The paper was covered with dense drawings of the rifle's various parts and structure, along with detailed dimensions and descriptions.

It is gratifying that, after a long period of hard work and research, Bi Maokang has now figured out the basic principles of rifles.

The blueprints for the rifle have all been completed. All that's left is for the craftsmen to manufacture the parts according to the blueprints so that they can be assembled and further optimized.

Bi Maokang estimated that the rifle should be manufactured within a year at most.

Thinking of this, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

Because he knew that once this thing was released, it would shake the entire world!

"Lord Bi."

Just as Bi Maokang was intently staring at the blueprints in front of him, pondering what areas needed optimization, a familiar and friendly voice suddenly rang out.

Bi Maokang looked up and suddenly saw Zhu Cilang walking in with a smile at the door.

"His Royal Highness!"

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang arrive in person, Bi Maokang hurriedly stood up, nearly falling to the ground due to the sudden movement.

He hurriedly steadied himself and then walked over to bow.

Zhu Cilang reacted quickly, stepping forward to support him, and then hurriedly said:

"Lord Bi, didn't I tell you before that you shouldn't bow to me when you see me? Why didn't you listen?"

His tone carried a hint of reproach, but more than anything, it was filled with concern.

After saying this, Zhu Cilang quickly pulled Bi Maokang to sit down on a chair next to him.

Looking at Bi Maokang's full head of white hair and slightly hunched body, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but feel a surge of pity.

There was no way around it; the old man was seventy-five years old this year, with all his hair and beard turned white. In ancient times, he would definitely be considered a centenarian. Zhu Cilang was hoping that he would live a few more years and make some new inventions, so he treated him with great courtesy.

Seeing Zhu Cilang's attitude, Bi Maokang was naturally moved.

His lips trembled slightly as he spoke:

"Your Highness, rest assured, this old minister is still quite hale and hearty, and I estimate that I should be able to live for another three to five years."

Zhu Cilang laughed upon hearing this:
"Three to five years is not enough. I want you to live for another ten years so that you can witness the growing strength of my Great Ming Dynasty."

"What a wonderful sight it would be if the Ming Dynasty's firearms technology led the world and the people lived in peace and prosperity!"

Upon hearing this, Bi Maokang felt his blood boil, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and he nodded repeatedly, saying:

"His Highness is right! This old minister must live another ten years!"

Just then, Zhu Cilang suddenly changed the subject and asked:

"You must have heard about my upcoming trip to Sichuan, right?"

Upon hearing this, Bi Maokang quickly nodded, a look of worry appearing on his face.

Although the Firearms Research Institute does not participate in any national affairs and only focuses on the research and production of firearms, how could Bi Maokang not know about such a big matter?

However, he had nothing to say about it, since it was not something he could interfere with.

He knew his duty was to research firearms and provide strong support for the military power of the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang said again:

"During my absence, you will be in charge of everything at the Firearms Research Institute. Apart from His Majesty's orders, you do not need to follow anyone's orders. Just focus on your research."

"If anyone dares to cause trouble, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Western Depot will handle it for you. You can also go to them if you have any other matters to attend to!"

"I have already given instructions that during my absence from the capital, these three government offices will protect the Firearms Research Institute from any disturbance."

As he spoke, a hint of authority flashed in Zhu Cilang's eyes, for he would not allow anyone to disrupt the normal operations of the Firearms Research Institute while he was away. (End of Chapter)