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

To prepare these delicacies, chefs throughout Xi'an Prefecture have been busy since last night.

Whether kneading dough and making flatbreads, or stewing meat and simmering soup, they strive for perfection in every step, all so that the soldiers can taste the most authentic Shaanxi flavor.

At this moment, the area outside Xi'an Prefecture is bustling with activity.

Huge stew pots of meat were steaming hot, and the aroma of meat filled the air.

Beside them, the stove for making flatbread was also bustling with activity, and one after another, fragrant and crispy flatbreads were freshly baked, making one's mouth water.

The fragrance seemed to have a magical power, drifting on the wind for miles.

At the same time, not far away, the figure of the army finally slowly appeared.

As the massive army gradually came into view, the King of Qin hurriedly led his civil and military officials from Xi'an Prefecture to meet them.

Meanwhile, as they approached Xi'an Prefecture, Zhu Cilang decisively ordered his army to halt and then find a suitable place to set up camp.

He then led several hundred elite guards and rode directly towards Xi'an Prefecture.

After all, the army was too large to be stationed inside the city, so they had to set up camp outside the city.

From a distance, Zhu Cilang could keenly smell a rich and mellow fragrance wafting from the direction of Xi'an Prefecture.

The fragrance wafted gently, penetrating straight into the nasal cavity.

Zhang Shize, standing to the side, sniffed the air forcefully, then smiled and said:

"Your Highness, it seems that His Highness the Prince of Qin has prepared quite a few things to welcome us. The aroma is almost bewitching."

Zhu Cilang's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a faint smile as he said:
"Indeed, my Uncle King Qin is quite hospitable!"

"However, he was probably one of the wealthiest princes in the Ming Dynasty, so it was normal for him to put on such a show."

Zhu Cilang was absolutely right.

In order to raise military funds, he had already "extorted" several million taels of silver from the King of Qin.

The fact that the King of Qin still has the money to put on such a grand show shows that his financial resources are not to be underestimated.

However, Zhu Cilang is no longer interested in extorting the King of Qin.

After all, the King of Qin had always responded positively to the court's decisions, providing money and grain as needed, doing his best to fulfill his duties.

If they were to take further action, it would indeed be unreasonable, and it would inevitably make people feel that the imperial court was being too harsh.

As the procession steadily advanced, Zhu Cilang soon encountered the arriving Prince of Qin.

At this moment, the King of Qin was dressed in a magnificent royal robe and wore a royal crown. His face was solemn yet somewhat obsequious.

The next second, he hurriedly bowed to Zhu Cilang and said:

"Your subject respectfully welcomes Your Highness the Crown Prince's triumphant return!"

He then prepared to perform a grand salute.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang quickly dismounted and, before the King of Qin could kneel, he darted forward and steadily helped the King to his feet with both hands. Then, he smiled and said:

"Uncle Qin, we are all family, why bother with such formalities? Our Ming Dynasty values ​​kinship and harmony, so let's skip these unnecessary formalities."

The King of Qin was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then he stopped insisting.

However, the ministers behind the King of Qin still knelt on the ground. After all, they had no blood relation with Zhu Cilang, and they still had to kneel as a matter of etiquette and custom.

"Your Highness, we pay our respects! Congratulations on your victorious return!"

The crowd shouted in unison, their voices deafening.

Zhu Cilang looked at the crowd in front of him, then nodded and said:

"Okay, everyone, get up."

The crowd slowly stood up. Some lowered their heads, not daring to look at Zhu Cilang, while others secretly sized him up, their eyes filled with awe.

Immediately afterwards, the King of Qin spoke first:
"Your Highness, you said before you went to war that you would stay in Xi'an for a few days after your triumphant return. You can't go back on your word!"

"Ever since I learned of the Ming army's great victory, I have been eagerly awaiting your return!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang smiled and said:

"Uncle Qin, rest assured. I am quite tired from the journey here. I will have to trouble you for a few days. This will also be a good opportunity for me to learn more about the local customs and culture of Xi'an Prefecture."

The King of Qin was so happy that his eyes narrowed into slits. After all, there were few opportunities to build a relationship with the future emperor, and he had to make the most of them.

So he hurriedly said:

"This is exactly what I wanted. I have prepared the best accommodations and all kinds of delicacies for Your Highness, so that Your Highness will be comfortable and satisfied with your meals."

Afterwards, everyone headed towards Xi'an Prefecture.

The closer they got to Xi'an, the stronger the fragrance became, as if an invisible force was drawing them in.

The King of Qin, with a smug look on his face, introduced:

"Your Highness, please take a look. These are various local snacks that I have prepared for the army, enough for 200,000 soldiers to enjoy."

"I have put in a lot of effort to select the best chefs from all over the country and purchase the freshest ingredients, just so that the soldiers can taste the most authentic Shaanxi cuisine."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang glanced at the scene before him and was also awestruck by the King of Qin's grand gesture.

At this moment, it is no exaggeration to say that there are at least a thousand stalls of all sizes set up outside Xi'an Prefecture.

The stalls were arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, some of them steaming with hot air, where pots of stewed meat were bubbling and boiling.

At some stalls, chefs were vigorously slapping the flatbreads, the "slap slap" sounds echoing throughout.

At other stalls, chefs skillfully slicing mutton with sharp knives, their movements fluid and graceful, making it look like a bustling market.

Zhu Cilang looked at the King of Qin with satisfaction and said:
"It is rare for Uncle Qin to have such a kind gesture. On behalf of the army, I thank Uncle Qin for his hospitality."

After saying that, he looked directly at Li Hu beside him and said:

"By order of the Empress, all troops shall line up and proceed in order, and no looting is permitted. Violators will be punished according to military law!"

Li Hu quickly accepted the order and then turned and left.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang and the Prince of Qin boarded the sedan chair that the Prince of Qin had prepared and entered Xi'an Prefecture.

The city gates of Xi'an are tall and majestic, and the city walls are etched with the marks of time. Inside the city, the streets are wide and clean, the shops on both sides are full of dazzling arrays, and the pedestrians are bustling about, creating a prosperous scene.

Shortly after they entered, an army arrived from the direction of the main force and began to enjoy the feast.

In ancient times, eating meat was a luxury, especially for an army on the march. Therefore, the provisions prepared by the King of Qin were considered extremely extravagant for the Ming army.

On the other side, Zhu Cilang and the Prince of Qin rode in the same sedan chair down the street.

The sedan chair was very ornate, carried by eight strong men. The body of the chair was carved with exquisite patterns, and golden curtains hung all around. Ordinary people could tell at a glance that it was the Qin King's sedan chair, so they kept their distance.

At such a time, trying to travel incognito was simply too unrealistic, so Zhu Cilang gave up on doing anything more.

Through the curtain of the sedan chair, he saw the scene of Xi'an Prefecture and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

Although Xi'an Prefecture cannot compare to the prosperity of the capital, it is still considered the most prosperous city in the Northwest.

The buildings along the streets have a unique architectural style, and the people's clothing is also distinctive. It is clear that the King of Qin has managed Xi'an Prefecture quite well.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. The Qin King's lineage has existed in Xi'an Prefecture for over two hundred years and has long regarded Xi'an Prefecture as their 'base,' so how could they not manage it well?

Just then, Zhu Cilang seemed to have thought of something and looked at the King of Qin, saying:

"Uncle King Qin, along the way I have seen potatoes and sweet potatoes planted everywhere in the Guanzhong Plain. I wonder how the people around Xi'an Prefecture are accepting of this new crop?"

"Are you being too resistant? After all, this new crop is related to the livelihood of the people, so we can't be careless."

The King of Qin smiled and said:

"Your Highness, I was just about to tell you about this!"

"To be honest, at first people were indeed skeptical about this new crop. After all, for thousands of years, Guanzhong had been growing crops such as wheat or millet, and had never grown potatoes or sweet potatoes."

"They were worried that the new crop would not grow well and would affect the year's harvest. However, I sent a large number of agricultural officials to various villages to explain to the people the planting methods and advantages of potatoes and sweet potatoes, and even personally demonstrated how to plant them."

"Therefore, most people accepted these two new crops and planted some of them."

"These two crops are almost ripe now. Some people harvested some early because they were short of food at home. As a result, the yield was indeed gratifying, with more than 2,500 catties per mu."

"This yields much higher than growing wheat and millet!"

"The people are overjoyed now, feeling that these potatoes and sweet potatoes are life-saving food. They praise His Majesty for his wisdom in bringing them such good crops."

Zhu Cilang nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.

However, he knew that there was something fishy about what the King of Qin said, but as long as potatoes and sweet potatoes could be popularized, Zhu Cilang didn't really care.

Zhu Cilang then asked:

What water sources are mainly used to irrigate the fields in the Guanzhong area? What if another drought occurs, will it prevent crops from growing?

"Although this new crop is cold- and drought-resistant, it may not be able to withstand the dry weather."

"This is a major issue concerning whether people can have enough to eat, and we must take it seriously."

The King of Qin quickly suppressed his smile and then explained in a serious tone:
"Your Highness, please rest assured on this point. Although Shaanxi has suffered from severe drought for years, such droughts generally only last in northern Shaanxi. Although the Guanzhong Plain will also experience drought, it is generally manageable and there is no reason why crops cannot be grown."

"The main reason is that the Guanzhong Plain has the Wei River and the Hei River, which can irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of land in the surrounding area."

"In addition, there are the Jinghe River, Luohe River and Zheng Guo Canal, which can also irrigate millions of acres of land, so the drought in the Guanzhong Plain is relatively mild."

"With the promotion of potatoes and sweet potatoes, I dare say that this year the people will be able to eat their fill and will no longer go hungry like before."

Hearing the King of Qin's explanation, Zhu Cilang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that the situation in Shaanxi is much better than in Henan. After all, there are not many rivers in the Henan area that can be used for irrigation, only the Yellow River and a few tributaries of the Yellow River.

However, since ancient times, managing the Yellow River has been an arduous project. The Yellow River has a turbulent flow and a high sediment content. If not handled carefully, it can cause the dikes to breach and the river to change course, bringing great disasters to the people.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty was facing financial difficulties at the end of the year and had not managed the Yellow River for a long time, which led to increasingly serious floods and more frequent droughts in Henan.

However, if the imperial court could spend some effort managing the Yellow River, perhaps the drought in Henan would be alleviated.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang secretly made a note of the matter, intending to discuss it with Sun Chuanting when he passed through Tongguan.

After all, the drought in Henan is still quite severe, and the people have to rely on the imperial court for relief to survive, making their lives very difficult.

At this time, using industrial relief to get them to build water conservancy projects would be a good option.

Firstly, it can solve the problem of food for the people, allowing them to earn wages through labor and avoid going hungry.

Secondly, it can be used to build water conservancy facilities, prepare for drought, and improve Henan's drought resistance capabilities.

As they were talking, the sedan chair finally arrived at the Prince of Qin's residence.

It must be said that the Qin Prince's Mansion is quite magnificent, with its tall gate resembling a majestic mountain that inspires awe.

Moreover, it looks even older than the entire Xi'an Prefecture.

That's pretty much the case, because the Qin Prince's Mansion was basically built at the same time as Xi'an Prefecture, and it's been almost 250 years since then.

The vicissitudes of time have left deep marks on it, but have also added a profound sense of history.

As soon as Zhu Cilang stepped out of the sedan chair, he saw that the Qin Prince's family members were already waiting at the gate.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang, everyone quickly bowed down in worship.

"Your subject, Your Highness, pays your respects! Long live the Crown Prince!"

Zhu Cilang looked at the crowd before him and said with a smile:

"Please rise, everyone. We're all family, no need to be so polite."

Everyone then stood up, but some of the younger members of the imperial family looked at Zhu Cilang with even more fervent eyes.

After all, who could have imagined that the peasant army scourge that had plagued the Ming Dynasty for more than a decade would be completely resolved by this underage crown prince?

Despite his young age, he possessed extraordinary courage and wisdom, leading the Ming army to victory after victory and making outstanding contributions to the Ming Dynasty.

In an instant, the admiration of the imperial clan members for Zhu Cilang was like a surging river, endless and boundless.

For the next few days, Zhu Cilang stayed in Xi'an Prefecture.

Under the guidance of the Prince of Qin, Zhu Cilang toured the scenic spots and historical sites around Xi'an Prefecture, and also stayed at the Prince of Qin's villa in the Zhongnan Mountains for a few days.

The villa was in a quiet and secluded environment, surrounded by mountains and lush trees, like a paradise on earth.

They enjoyed tea and conversation in the villa, reveling in the rare tranquility and comfort.

A few days later, when the weather turned cool again, Zhu Cilang prepared to continue his journey.

After all, the army had to return to the capital before the snow fell, otherwise it would be difficult to travel if the heavy snow blocked the roads.

Seeing this, the King of Qin did not try to keep him any longer, and personally led the civil and military officials of Xi'an Prefecture to escort Zhu Cilang outside the city. (End of this chapter)