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

Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down, and then continued:

"As for the second matter, the army led by the Crown Prince completely defeated the peasant army in Hanzhong, killing 80,000 enemies and capturing more than 70,000. Li Zicheng was killed, while our Ming army suffered less than 2,000 casualties!"

"A resounding victory!"

As Chongzhen spoke, a proud gleam shone in his eyes, as if he had personally commanded this victory.

what?
Upon hearing these words, the entire court erupted in uproar.

The ministers whispered amongst themselves, their eyes filled with shock!
What surprised them was not that Zhu Cilang had won the war, since victory was almost inevitable.

They were shocked that there were so few casualties in this war!
Two hundred thousand against two hundred thousand—this kind of battle wasn't unheard of before the Ming Dynasty. In their memory, both sides would suffer heavy casualties in a war of this scale.

Even if they win, it will cause at least 20,000 to 30,000 casualties.

But now the Ming army has only suffered two thousand casualties. Are you sure this isn't a joke?
They were filled with doubts, and some even suspected that the intelligence was wrong.

But then I thought, who would dare to fake something like this?

In other words, this is true!
For a moment, there was another gasp of amazement in the court, everyone was shocked.

Seeing the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, Chongzhen felt even happier.

He may not have been a particularly accomplished monarch, but his son was formidable!

This made him, as a father, extremely proud.

Furthermore, this war took place during his reign as emperor, meaning he deserves some credit for it regardless.

Thinking of this, Chongzhen felt a sense of satisfaction, as if he had truly become a great emperor for all time!
And so, the assembly ended amidst gasps of amazement.

Even as the court session ended, the ministers couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

It was clear that they were all extremely shocked by the victory.

Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, today's Da Ming Daily will also report on this matter, and then all the people in the capital will know that the Ming army has defeated the peasant army.

It looks like Beijing is going to be bustling for several more days!

On the other hand, after the court session, Chongzhen went straight to Kunning Palace.

His steps were light and powerful, as if carrying a spring breeze.

Emperor Chongzhen was always concerned about Empress Zhou, but Empress Zhou was weak after giving birth yesterday and fell into a deep sleep, so Emperor Chongzhen did not disturb her.

Now that Empress Zhou has awakened and recovered considerably, Emperor Chongzhen naturally wants to see her.

He walked through corridors and palaces, finally arriving at Kunning Palace.

Inside Kunning Palace, sunlight streamed through the paper windows, casting warm patches of light on the floor, creating a cozy atmosphere.

At this moment, Empress Zhou was looking at the child beside her with a loving expression, her eyes filled with tenderness and love, as if the whole world had shrunk to just this little baby.

Like Emperor Chongzhen, Empress Zhou did not have much of an obsession with having a son or a daughter, after all, she did have daughters.

In her heart, whether it was her son or her daughter, they were both a piece of her flesh and blood, and her precious treasures.

Looking at the tiny baby beside her, she felt nothing but happiness.

The baby's skin was fair and tender, as smooth as a freshly peeled egg. Its eyes were big, like two black gems, and its little mouth was slightly pouting, occasionally spitting out a small bubble. It was simply adorable.

You can tell at a glance that she'll definitely grow up to be a beauty!

However, Empress Zhou still felt a pang of longing when she thought of Zhu Cilang, who was far away in Hanzhong.

Of course, now she only misses him and has no more worries, because she has also learned of Zhu Cilang's great victory in Hanzhong.

This was undoubtedly great news for her as a mother.

After all, what mother wouldn't want her son to achieve extraordinary feats?
Especially since this son is the crown prince!

Suddenly, a high-pitched and shrill voice came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty is here!"

The sound, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattered the tranquility of the palace.

Immediately afterwards, a series of hurried and powerful footsteps approached from afar, and a moment later, a figure rushed in.

Who else could it be but Emperor Chongzhen?

"His Majesty."

Upon seeing Emperor Chongzhen appear, Empress Zhou immediately tried to rise, but before she could move, Chongzhen quickly stepped forward and pressed down on her shoulder, saying:

"Don't get up, stay lying down! We're husband and wife, why be so formal?"

Chongzhen's voice was deep and gentle, like a spring breeze that gently caressed Empress Zhou's heart.

As he spoke, Chongzhen sat down next to Empress Zhou.

He turned slightly to the side, his gaze falling on the baby beside Empress Zhou.

At this moment, the little princess was looking at Chongzhen with her big, watery eyes.

Those eyes were pure and innocent, as if they could wash away all the dust of the world.

Looking at the child before him, Emperor Chongzhen felt his heart melt, and his joy was beyond words.

A slight smile played on his lips, and his eyes sparkled with affection. He couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the little princess's face, the delicate touch warming his heart.

Then, Emperor Chongzhen remembered the matter of naming his little princess.

Then he looked at Empress Zhou and said:

"Empress, yesterday, as you were giving birth, news of the good news from Hanzhong also arrived. I was overjoyed to hear it and felt that this child was truly a lucky star, so I wanted to name her 'Double Happiness'. What do you think?"

As Chongzhen spoke, he looked at Empress Zhou expectantly, his eyes full of confidence, as if he felt that the name he had chosen was the most suitable.

However, upon hearing the name "Double Happiness," Empress Zhou felt a wave of dizziness and nearly fainted.

Not
Is it really appropriate to name a little girl "Shuangxi" (Double Happiness)?

Moreover, she is a royal princess, and this name is too vulgar, which is really unbecoming of the royal family!

If it were any other empress, she might not dare to disobey the emperor's wishes, but Empress Zhou was different!

So, Empress Zhou shook her head helplessly and said softly:

“Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but this name is really unsuitable. The name of a royal princess should be elegant, grand, and meaningful, while the name ‘Shuangxi’ is too straightforward and simplistic. Please think of another one.”

Empress Zhou's voice was soft yet firm, and her eyes revealed sincerity and expectation.

Emperor Chongzhen was puzzled by these words, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

He really didn't know what was wrong with the name. In his opinion, "Double Happiness" was both festive and easy to pronounce, and it meant double happiness, so it couldn't be more suitable.

However, he did not intend to insist further, but said: "I think this name is quite good, it is auspicious and easy to remember, but since the Empress does not agree, I am also willing to compromise."

"How about 'Double Happiness' as our nickname? We can discuss the formal name later."

Empress Zhou nodded slightly upon hearing this, secretly relieved.

As long as her formal name isn't "Shuangxi" but her nickname is "Shuangxi," she can accept it.

And so, the little princess's formal name was not yet decided, but her nickname was decided first: "Double Happiness".

Looking at Empress Zhou and the child before him, Chongzhen felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

Time flies, and two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

It's already September, but the weather in Beijing is still extremely hot. The scorching sun, like tongues of fire, licks the earth, making people feel as if they are in a giant steamer.

There were few pedestrians on the street, and those few who were there were in a hurry, as if they wanted to find a shady spot as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Hanzhong, thousands of miles away, is relatively cool, mainly because it is surrounded by mountains. The rolling hills act as a green barrier, blocking the heat and making the temperature here not as hot as in the north.

However, by this time, Zhu Cilang had basically finished his work.

Firstly, the peasant soldiers in Hanzhong were basically all sent to various parts of Liaodong, and the wounded peasant soldiers were also properly resettled.

The matter in Guizhou has also been resolved. Just as he expected, when faced with the imperial army again, those chieftains immediately backed down.

They had originally relied on their territory and power to try to confront the imperial court, but when they saw the imperial army arrive, their courage vanished instantly.

In addition, the imperial court had over 100,000 troops stationed in Hanzhong, who could come to Guizhou at any time. Therefore, they eventually obediently returned the families of those chieftain soldiers.

The 20,000 Tusi soldiers have now all become Ming soldiers.

In addition, the new tax system was successfully implemented.

The reason why the people resisted the new taxes was twofold: first, the publicity was inadequate, and second, corrupt officials were lining their own pockets.

After these two issues were resolved, the people readily accepted the new tax system.

However, due to various reasons, the promotion of potatoes and sweet potatoes has encountered some difficulties.

This is mainly because the area surrounding Hanzhong is mostly in the south, which was not affected by the Little Ice Age. The climate in the south is warm and humid, and the grain yield was originally relatively high.

Therefore, people are quite resistant to planting potatoes and sweet potatoes. They feel that these new crops are not as reliable as their traditional grain crops and worry that planting them will affect the original rice harvest.

However, under Zhu Cilang's intervention, most people were still willing to plant some potatoes and sweet potatoes to give it a try.

After everything was settled, the army prepared to return to the capital.

After all, if we stay any longer, the roads will be blocked by heavy snow in winter, and we'll probably have to spend the New Year in Hanzhong.

The temperature is just right right now, neither too hot nor too cold, perfect for a triumphant return.

After resting for two more days, the army finally set off.

On this sunny day, with a gentle breeze, the army set off amidst the farewells of Lin Zhaoding, the General of Guizhou, Liu Jiayin, the General of Sichuan, Zhu Zhishu, the Prince of Shu, and a host of officials.

They took the same route they had come by, since they had already traveled this route before, and the inns and supplies along the way were all prepared, making it the most suitable option.

At the moment of departure, Zhu Cilang looked back at Hanzhong City from his horse.

The city of Hanzhong looked exceptionally majestic and magnificent under the sunlight, with flags on the city walls fluttering in the breeze.

At this moment, he felt incredibly happy, yet also somewhat reluctant to leave.

Because he knew that with this departure, he would probably rarely be able to come to Hanzhong again in his lifetime.

After all, once this war is resolved, there will be no major wars in Hanzhong for at least a hundred years, and the region will enjoy a long period of peace and tranquility.

Hey!
With a slight sigh, Zhu Cilang turned and left.

The army marched through the mountains for more than twenty days and finally came out of the Qinling Mountains and arrived at Chencang. After arriving at Chencang, what they saw was the boundless Guanzhong Plain.

On this day, the sky was as blue as a jewel, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by.

After ordering his army to set up camp on the spot, Zhu Cilang changed into civilian clothes and planned to personally conduct an incognito visit to see how the people of the Guanzhong Plain were living.

After all, it had been almost three months since he left Shaanxi. Three months is neither a long nor a short time. In addition, since there had been no peasant army rampage during these months, the lives of the people should have improved.

To avoid attracting attention, Zhu Cilang only brought ten guards with him this time. These men were all handpicked by Li Hu and were all highly skilled, capable of taking on ten men at once.

Even so, the other generals were still worried, so behind Zhu Cilang, there were also eight hundred elite soldiers led by Zhang Shize.

They followed closely behind, keeping a close eye on what was happening ahead.

They will rush to the rescue as soon as danger occurs.

And so, Zhu Cilang and his party changed into civilian clothes and arrived at a nearby village.

The Guanzhong Plain during the Ming Dynasty was quite different from the Guanzhong Plain hundreds of years later. At that time, the Guanzhong Plain was much larger, and the population was not as dense, so fields were everywhere in sight.

The lush green crops swayed gently in the breeze, as if showing people their vitality and life.

The villages are scattered across the fields, some with only a few households and others with more than a dozen.

The low houses were scattered in a pleasing pattern, their roofs covered with thick thatched roofs that shimmered with golden light under the sun.

Soon, Zhu Cilang was drawn to the crops in the field.

At first glance, he knew that potatoes and sweet potatoes were planted in the field.

The potato leaves were lush and green, rustling in the breeze, while the sweet potato vines covered the ground, as if spreading a green carpet across the earth.

Upon seeing these two items, Zhu Cilang felt overjoyed, as it seemed that potatoes and sweet potatoes had already become widespread in Shaanxi.

After all, he is currently in Chencang, the westernmost part of Shaanxi. If even Chencang has become widespread, then the areas around Xianyang, Xi'an, and Tongguan will be even more so.

The people in these areas will have more food by growing potatoes and sweet potatoes, and their lives will be greatly improved.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang dismounted and walked straight to the edge of the field.

He crouched down, carefully observing the crops in the field, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He then reached out to pull up a bunch of sweet potato vines to see how big the sweet potatoes underneath had grown.

But before he could make a move, a shout suddenly came from not far away.

"Stop thief! Someone is stealing grain!"

The sound was urgent and loud, instantly shattering the tranquility of the fields.

Before long, a large group of people rushed over.

Some of them carried hoes, others carrying shoulder poles, their faces filled with anger and vigilance. (End of Chapter)