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

As a key minister close to Huang Taiji, Fan Wencheng had a very clear understanding of the power struggles within the palace.

Although he had a rough idea that Huang Taiji might really pass the throne to Hauge, after all, Hauge was Huang Taiji's eldest son and had a certain prestige in the court.

Moreover, Hauge has gradually gained control of the Plain Yellow Banner and Bordered Yellow Banner, which originally belonged to Huang Taiji. This is undoubtedly the clearest signal!

However, Huang Taiji never officially announced it, so he couldn't be sure.

At this critical moment, he knew that every action he took could affect his future.

To avoid trouble, he had no choice but to avoid Hauge.

In this way, even if Hauge does inherit the throne, he won't be made to suffer too much.

If Hauge hadn't inherited the throne, no one else would have had anything to say.

In short, Fan Wencheng's main strategy was to remain aloof and maintain a balance among various forces.

However, it was clear that Fan Wencheng had underestimated Hauge's determination. Since Hauge had made up his mind to find out about the flintlock musket, how could he give up so easily?

"Mr. Fan, please wait a moment."

Just as Fan Wencheng ran breathlessly to the palace gate, preparing to get into his sedan chair and hurry home, Hauge's voice suddenly rang out from behind.

The sound was like a thunderclap, ringing in Fan Wencheng's ears and making his heart tremble.

In an instant, Fan Wencheng sighed helplessly, because he knew there was no way to escape it.

He then slowly turned around and saw Haug striding toward him.

As Hauge approached, Fan Wencheng quickly bowed humbly and said:
"What else does your Majesty want?"

Hauge chuckled inwardly when he saw Fan Wencheng's appearance, as Fan Wencheng's face was flushed and there were even fine beads of sweat on his forehead, clearly indicating that he had been jogging all the way.

This means that he guessed correctly before; the old man in front of him was indeed avoiding him!
But Hauge wasn't angry, because he could roughly guess what Fan Wencheng was worried about, so he just smiled and said:

"Actually, it's nothing serious. I just heard that Father asked you to lead a team to replicate the flintlock musket that we got from the Ming army. I wonder how it went?"

As he said this, Hauge stared intently at Fan Wencheng, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Upon hearing this, Fan Wencheng was immediately troubled.

Because Huang Taiji had previously said that this matter should not be told to anyone other than him, but the person standing in front of him was Hauge, and he dared not offend him easily.

Fan Wencheng hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and said:

"Your Highness, His Majesty previously stated that this matter should not be told to anyone other than him, so please do not make things difficult for this old minister."

Logically speaking, while replicating the flintlock muskets of the Ming Dynasty was a highly confidential matter, it shouldn't have been kept secret from everyone.

But Huang Taiji did exactly that!
Because he knew all too well the power of that flintlock musket!

In his view, such a divine artifact must be in his hands, or rather, in the hands of the next emperor. As for his brothers, none of them should touch it!
As for why even Hauge wasn't allowed to know, it was entirely because Huang Taiji hadn't considered this point. After all, he was already terminally ill and couldn't possibly consider everything.

At the same time, Hauge smiled and said upon hearing Fan Wencheng's refusal:

"Mr. Fan, what are you saying? I don't want to see it for myself. I just want to know how far the imitation has progressed. Is that not even allowed?"

"Rest assured, as soon as Father wakes up, I will inform him of this matter immediately, and I am sure he will not blame me!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Wencheng pondered for a moment and felt that giving only a general overview wouldn't be considered disobeying Huang Taiji's orders.

Moreover, the meaning of Hauge's last sentence was quite clear: he was telling him that no matter what he did, Huang Taiji would agree.

This is practically an admission that he is the heir to the throne!
However, Fan Wencheng pretended not to hear the last sentence and then said:
"Since that's the case, then this old minister will tell you the truth!"

"To be honest, Your Highness, the flintlock musket developed by the Ming Dynasty is simply too ingenious. Some parts are not something we can easily replicate, and some of the materials are also very special."

"To this end, I have gathered many craftsmen to try to prevent it, but progress has been very difficult."

As Fan Wencheng spoke, he shook his head and sighed, a helpless expression on his face.

When Haug heard this, his hope instantly vanished.

He originally thought that replicating flintlock muskets wouldn't be too difficult, just like their replication of Ming Dynasty cannons.

Although they encountered some difficulties when they were copying the cannons of the Ming Dynasty, they eventually succeeded in replicating them and they played an important role in the war.

Therefore, in Haug's view, the only way to prevent the flintlock musket was to disassemble it and recast and reassemble the parts.

The result was obvious; he seemed to have underestimated the complexity of the flintlock musket.

After a moment, Hauge also sighed and said:

"Mr. Fan, there's no need to be so discouraged. In my opinion, this is quite normal. After all, this flintlock musket is no ordinary weapon, and it will definitely take more time to develop."

"However, I believe that given time we will be able to replicate it."

"Also, see how many more craftsmen or materials you need. As long as you need them, I will immediately send people to prepare them for you. There's no need to rush this matter; we can take our time."

Hearing Hauge say such a thing, Fan Wencheng was extremely surprised.

For a moment, Fan Wencheng seemed to see a trace of Huang Taiji in Hauge.

It was at this moment that Fan Wencheng suddenly felt that if Hauge were to succeed him, it might actually be a good thing.
Afterwards, the two chatted about some other things before Fan Wencheng took his leave.

Hauge didn't press the matter further. He stood there watching Fan Wencheng's departing figure, his mind starting to stir again.

Lately, he has come to realize that Fan Wencheng is indeed a talented individual. He is not only erudite but also resourceful and has a high reputation in the court.

If Fan Wencheng could be recruited to serve him, it would be of great help to his future succession to the throne and governance of the country.

However, due to his previous promise to Huang Taiji, Hauge could not directly reveal that Huang Taiji had designated him as the heir.

However, Hauge knew in his heart that Fan Wencheng had probably guessed these things long ago, but he dared not take any action without Huang Taiji's personal confirmation!

But then again, it doesn't seem like a big deal. After all, he'll be inheriting the throne soon; why would he be afraid that Fan Wencheng wouldn't obediently serve him?
Thinking of this, Hauge's face immediately showed a confident smile, and then he got into the sedan chair at the palace gate and left.

The scene shifts gently, the camera zooms out, and focuses on the land of Henan, thousands of miles away.

Since ancient times, Henan has been a strategic location that military strategists have fought over, and it is often referred to as the "Central Plains" by the world!
And the term "Central Plains" is the most fitting praise for Henan.

In the glorious chapters of ancient China, Henan is undoubtedly the most dazzling, witnessing the rise and fall of countless dynasties and carrying a profound historical and cultural heritage.

However, with the quiet arrival of the Little Ice Age, the entire land of Henan seems to be shrouded in a thick haze, falling into desolation and decay.

What unfolds before your eyes is an endless plain, covered in silver and white snow, the whole world blanketed in a pristine white layer of snow.

Looking into the distance, there was no sign of human habitation, only the biting cold wind howling wildly across the empty plains, whipping up gusts of snow mist, adding to the desolation and bleakness.

The entire plain was like a lifeless ocean, calm and still, with only the endless desolation telling tales of the vicissitudes and helplessness of time.

Just then, not far away, a massive army, like a sleeping dragon, slowly awoke in the faint light of dawn and then meandered forward.

And this army was none other than the Ming army led by Zhu Cilang!

When they witnessed the scene before them, everyone fell silent, a profound and indescribable sorrow welling up in their hearts.

Because Henan right now is so vast and empty, so vast that it sends chills down your spine.

Along the way, they didn't see a single living person; only the endless snowfields and desolate villages told the story of the misfortunes that had happened here.

Of course, half of the reason for this was that the imperial court had previously implemented a new policy to prevent the peasant army from continuing to expand its ranks, which involved relocating all the people in the Henan area to the surrounding provinces.

Even so, according to previous reports, many people still chose to stay, either because they couldn't bear to leave their homeland or for other reasons.

However, they did not see a single one of them, which could only mean that these people had already starved or frozen to death in this natural and man-made disaster.

This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to everyone.

Meanwhile, inside the imperial carriage, Zhu Cilang sat quietly by the window, gazing at the outside world through the exquisite window.

However, like the soldiers outside, he saw nothing but a vast expanse of white.

The pure white snow covered everything in the world, including all life and hope.

"Hey!"

Upon seeing this scene, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but sigh deeply, his heart filled with helplessness and sorrow.

There was no other way; the people of Henan were suffering terribly during that period!
They first endured the harsh winters of the Little Ice Age, then suffered from annual droughts, followed by the imperial court's forced taxation and the ruthless rampage of Li Zicheng and his peasant army.

This series of disasters came one after another like a storm, which was simply unbearable for the people of Henan.

The population of Henan province is now less than one million!
You should know that in normal times, the population of Henan exceeds five million!
The reasons for all this were both the incompetence of the Ming Dynasty and the cruelty of natural disasters and man-made calamities.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang sighed helplessly, his heart filled with sympathy for the people.

However, at this very moment, a completely different scene unfolded inside the imperial carriage.

Two lively and adorable tiger cubs were chasing each other back and forth inside the dragon carriage. They would leap up and pounce, occasionally letting out roars, adding a touch of life and fun to the otherwise dull journey.

These two tigers were naturally the two tiger cubs that Zhu Cilang brought from the capital.

They are only two months old now, which is a very playful age. They are not aggressive and are very affectionate, just like kittens, making people want to tease them.

Zhu Cilang's way of relieving boredom every day is to play with these two little tigers, otherwise the journey would be too boring.

Before the army set off, Zhu Cilang had already made preparations in advance, sending people to prepare enough food along the way to ensure the army's food supply during the march.

There was basically a station every hundred miles, serving as a temporary supply point.

In addition, the army itself must carry ten days' worth of food in case of emergency.

Therefore, everything went smoothly along the way, and no unexpected situations occurred.

Moreover, the weather has been unusually good recently, with no severe weather encountered, which brought Zhu Cilang some comfort.

With his thoughts returning to their source, Zhu Cilang casually picked up a small tiger and placed it on his lap, then gently stroked its head and teased it.

Seeing this, the other tiger cub seemed to be jealous and also came close to Zhu Cilang, then stubbornly squeezed inside.

While petting the tiger, Zhu Cilang continued to ponder matters concerning Henan.

Although the people of Henan have been relocated to neighboring provinces, they will return after winter.

After all, this area of ​​Henan can't just be left unattended; it needs people to cultivate and protect it.

At that time, we can also reform Henan's tax system. While continuing the tax system reformed before, we should also grant Henan a ten-year tax exemption to reduce the burden on the people and give them time to resume production and rebuild their homes.

Otherwise, Henan will likely have a hard time recovering, given the devastating impact of this disaster.

In addition, the imperial court had to continue allocating grain and fodder to Henan to support the recovery of people's lives and production.

This cost not only money, but also unimaginable human and material resources.

But there was nothing that could be done about it. After all, the people of Henan were also subjects of the Ming Dynasty, and the court could not simply ignore them!

Besides Henan, Shaanxi is probably in a similar situation; these two provinces are practically brothers in misfortune.
"Da da da"

Just as Zhu Cilang was deep in thought, a loud hoofbeat suddenly broke the somber atmosphere.

Immediately afterwards, a scout approached the imperial carriage, attracting Zhu Cilang's attention.

Zhu Cilang glanced at him and instantly recognized his identity.

This fellow was Zhang Shilu, the youngest son of Duke Zhang Zhiji of England and the younger brother of Zhang Shize. He was also one of the noble sons brought out by Zhu Cilang this time.

Zhang Shize, fearing he might cause trouble while idly passing the time, gave him the job of a sentry. (End of Chapter)