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

At the moment of parting, the King of Qin held Zhu Cilang's hand tightly, his eyes filled with reluctance.

"Your Highness, take care on your journey. You must visit Xi'an again next time."

Zhu Cilang felt quite awkward about the King of Qin's emotional outburst, but he still smiled and said:

"Uncle Qin, rest assured, I will definitely come again. I also hope that you will continue to manage Xi'an Prefecture well and enable the people to live a better life."

After saying this, Zhu Cilang mounted his horse and led several hundred personal guards to join the main army, leaving behind only a cloud of dust.

The King of Qin stood there, watching Zhu Cilang's departing figure, and was filled with emotion.

He now has more and more respect for this crown prince who defeated the peasant army and saved the Ming Dynasty!
It is also worth mentioning that the Qin Prince's clan members in Zhu's army still returned to the capital with Zhu Cilang.

After all, although the peasant army was defeated, the Jurchens were still eyeing the north, and they would need to go to the battlefield again.

Furthermore, although Zhu's army had accumulated some experience in previous battles against peasant armies, that victory came too easily, so easily that people could hardly feel the cruelty of war.

There was no way around it; the power of the flintlock musket was simply terrifying.

They basically only need to stand still and mechanically pull the trigger to take down hordes of enemies.

This fighting style completely abandons the skills and strategies of the past, making war simple and direct.

But Zhu Cilang knew in his heart that this was the trend of future warfare, and these Zhu family troops had to adapt to this new mode of combat as soon as possible in order to remain invincible on the battlefield in the future.

The three-day trip passed quietly amidst tension and anticipation.

On this day, the army finally arrived at Tongguan City.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the ancient city walls, giving this city, which has witnessed many changes, a golden glow.

Outside the city gate, Sun Chuanting and his generals had been waiting for a long time.

When Zhu Cilang appeared in everyone's sight, Sun Chuanting hurriedly led his generals to kneel down and shouted:

"Your subject, Sun Chuanting, along with all the generals guarding Tongguan, respectfully welcomes His Highness the Crown Prince's victorious return! Long live the Crown Prince!"

Zhu Cilang quickly stepped forward, personally helped Sun Chuanting up, and said with a warm smile:
"Everyone, get up."

Sun Chuanting and the other guards then stood up.

Immediately afterwards, their gazes turned to Zhu Cilang with intense admiration and respect.

After all, as a military general, who wouldn't yearn to follow a wise and powerful monarch?

The Zhu Cilang before them undoubtedly perfectly matched all their fantasies about a wise ruler.

With only two thousand men, they defeated a peasant army of two hundred thousand, killing eighty thousand and capturing seventy thousand. What an astonishing achievement!
He secretly rejoiced, glad that the Ming Dynasty had such a crown prince, and that the future Ming Dynasty would surely prosper under the leadership of this crown prince.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhu Cilang, led by Sun Chuanting, entered Tongguan City.

The city of Tongguan had undergone tremendous changes since Zhu Cilang's last visit.

The main reason is that the peasant army that surrendered earlier is no longer there.

Most of the peasant soldiers had been transported to Liaodong to guard the border. Those who remained were mostly older and were assigned to do simple jobs in the city, such as sweeping the streets and carrying goods.

Looking at the newly renovated city, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

Subsequently, Zhu Cilang attended the welcoming banquet prepared for him by Sun Chuanting.

After a quick meal, Zhu Cilang and Sun Chuanting went to the city wall of Tongguan.

Standing atop the city wall, a gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness, making one feel even more refreshed.

Zhu Cilang gazed into the distance, his eyes fixed on the direction of Henan.

The plains of Henan stretch as far as the eye can see, resembling a green ocean.

On that vast land, one can vaguely see the figures of some farmers busy in the fields, some bending over to cultivate, others carrying water to irrigate, bringing life and vitality to this land.

After a while, Zhu Cilang slowly turned around and looked at Sun Chuanting, asking:

"As I traveled, I found that the promotion of potatoes and sweet potatoes in Shaanxi was quite good, with large tracts of land planted with these two crops. This year should be a good harvest. I just wonder how it is going in Henan?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting quickly stepped forward and respectfully replied:
"Your Highness, I am guilty! The situation in Henan is truly dire."

"Because Henan was the main battlefield where the war broke out with the peasant army, the destruction suffered by Henan was too great."

"Many villages were burned down, and the people either died or fled, leaving very few people alive."

"Even though most of the farmers who were previously relocated to neighboring provinces have returned, the population is still pitifully small."

"I sent people to do a survey before, and now Henan only has about 700,000 people, which is really not enough to cultivate so much land."

"In addition, this year has also been hit by drought, so the situation in Henan is still very difficult. Even sweet potatoes and potatoes have only been planted in a very small amount."

"Because if we plant too many, there won't be enough water to irrigate them."

"However, according to my estimation, if the imperial court allocates another million shi of grain, it should be enough for the people of Henan to get through this year."

Zhu Cilang was not surprised to hear this.

He knew that Henan had been severely damaged by the peasant army before, and that it was already quite remarkable that it was in such a state now.

Zhu Cilang then nodded slightly and continued:

“I am pleased that you can tell the truth, but it seems that relying solely on the court’s relief efforts is not a solution, since no one knows how long this drought will last.”

"Moreover, ordinary people can't survive just by having enough to eat. If they don't have cotton and fuel for heating, they'll probably have a hard time getting through this winter."

"Therefore, in addition to planting sweet potatoes on a large scale and providing disaster relief, we should address the root cause of the drought!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting sighed helplessly. He knew all this all too well.
But what can he do if it doesn't rain?
To truly solve the drought problem, it seems the only solution is to rebuild water conservancy systems.
Thinking of this, Sun Chuanting paused slightly, then looked at Zhu Cilang and said:

"Your Highness, are you perhaps planning to build water conservancy projects in the Henan area?"

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded, then explained his general thoughts.

His idea was actually quite simple: to build water conservancy projects around the Yellow River.

Then, dams are built in suitable locations to form reservoirs. Canals are then constructed to divert water from the reservoirs to more distant, arid regions.

However, Zhu Cilang didn't know much about this, so he could only give a general overview.

Sun Chuanting listened to Zhu Cilang's account and nodded in deep agreement.

After all, he naturally knew the importance of the Yellow River to Henan. If the water conservancy project could be built according to Zhu Cilang's method, it would greatly alleviate the drought in Henan.

Therefore, Sun Chuanting said:
“Your Highness has considered things thoroughly, and I also think this is feasible. With sufficient water, we can expand the arable land area, grow more crops, and ensure the livelihood of the people.”

"Moreover, ensuring that people are not affected by floods is of vital importance to the long-term development of Henan."

"However, this may require a large sum of money!"

Zhu Cilang waved his hand dismissively and said:
"Since ancient times, there has never been a time when managing the Yellow River and building water conservancy projects didn't cost money. Don't worry, the current imperial court has no shortage of money!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting was at a loss for words.

Because if you have enough money, there's really nothing you can't do.

Thus, Zhu Cilang and Sun Chuanting reached a consensus on the matter of using industrial projects for disaster relief and constructing water conservancy projects in Henan.

Of course, this matter still needs to be discussed with the cabinet and the Ministry of Works after returning to the capital. After that, the Ministry of Works will also send water conservancy experts to Henan to investigate and determine the construction method.

I estimate it will be at least six months before construction actually starts.

The completion of the project is still a long way off.

Fortunately, Zhu Cilang had plenty of time!

As long as he continues to transport grain to Henan and northern Shaanxi for disaster relief during this period, the people there can survive.

Just then, Zhu Cilang suddenly seemed to remember something, a mysterious smile appearing on his face, and then he said meaningfully:

"I suddenly remembered something. Not long ago, when I was still in Hanzhong, I received a letter from Zheng Zhilong."

"The letter said that he had shipped another batch of rice from overseas to the Ming Dynasty in July, and that another batch of rice would be shipped in November of this year."

"These two batches of rice totaled approximately 15 million shi (a unit of dry measure), and the price was low, costing less than 8 million taels of silver."

"Of course, the actual cost may be higher, mainly because manual transportation is more expensive. However, Zheng Zhilong himself borne the labor and transportation costs, so our Ming Dynasty only needs to pay for the cost of buying rice."

"When the time comes, the imperial court can allocate whatever amount of grain Henan and Shaanxi need!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting was naturally overjoyed, and a relieved smile appeared on his face, because this meant that the imperial court could allocate far more than one or two million shi of grain to Shaanxi and Henan this year.

Considering that Shaanxi and Henan have just stabilized and are in need of reassurance, it is estimated that at least three million shi (a unit of dry measure) can be allocated!
In this way, the people of Shaanxi and Henan will finally not go hungry this year.

Thinking of this, he quickly cupped his hands and said:

"Your Highness, this is truly wonderful news! With the large amount of grain transported from overseas to the Ming Dynasty, more people will be able to have enough to eat."

At this point, Sun Chuanting seemed to realize that something was amiss.

Why did he feel that Zhu Cilang's words just now seemed to have a different meaning?

The next second, he looked up at Zhu Cilang and found that Zhu Cilang was also smiling at him, with a meaningful look in his eyes.

In an instant, Sun Chuanting's brain started working at lightning speed.

Unlike other military generals, he was a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), well-read and with a meticulous mind, making him much smarter than those purely military generals.

In that instant, a thought suddenly popped into his mind:
Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince wants to lift the sea ban?

Otherwise, he wouldn't keep talking about transporting grain from overseas in front of me; he could have just said that the imperial court had grain.
Thinking of this, Sun Chuanting cautiously asked:
"May I ask, Your Highness, do you intend to lift the maritime ban?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang gave him an appreciative look, his eyes revealing his approval of Sun Chuanting, and then nodded and said:
“Indeed, I did mean that. If we include last year, the amount of rice that the Ming Dynasty has purchased from overseas through Zheng Zhilong in the past two years has exceeded 30 million shi.”

"It is thanks to these grains that the Ming Dynasty is what it is today. Don't you think lifting the sea ban is imperative?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting's face showed a hint of worry, but after a moment he still spoke frankly:

"Your Highness, I dare to speak frankly: lifting the sea ban is indeed a fortunate thing for the Ming Dynasty."

"Because in this way, the Ming Dynasty can conduct trade with foreign countries and promote economic development."

"But I'm afraid the ministers in the court will not agree to this. Firstly, the court has always prohibited the sea, and this move would probably violate the ancestral rules."

"Secondly."

At this point, Sun Chuanting suddenly didn't know what to say next.

His lips trembled slightly, as if he was hesitating whether to speak his mind.

Zhu Cilang saw this and spoke up for him:

"Secondly, many gentry and nobles in the south are engaged in maritime trade and smuggling. Lifting the maritime ban would infringe on their interests, leading them to oppose it with all their might, and even openly confront the court. This could cause new internal strife. Is that what you're trying to say?"

A look of horror flashed across Sun Chuanting's eyes, as if he hadn't expected that Zhu Cilang would also know about this matter.

He could only nod and continue:
“These are precisely my concerns. The gentry and nobles wield considerable power in the south, and they will certainly stop at nothing to prevent the lifting of the sea ban in order to protect their own interests.”

"If not handled properly, it could trigger social unrest and unrest."

However, Zhu Cilang was completely unconcerned, and he said with a cold smile:

"There's nothing to worry about in this matter. The interests of the country come first. In the face of national interests, all other interests are insignificant."

"If these people obediently comply, I will give them a way out and let them continue their business, as long as they pay their taxes on time."

“But if they are disobedient and even unwilling to pay taxes, then I will not be lenient with them.”

"In short, I will never allow anyone to harm the interests of the country. For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and its people, it is acceptable to sacrifice this group of people."

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting felt a surge of energy.

It must be said that the Crown Prince's methods of handling affairs seemed to far exceed his expectations.
He then stopped objecting and simply bowed, saying:
"Your Highness is wise! If there is anything I need you to do, I will do my utmost!"

Zhu Cilang smiled, then turned his gaze back to the distance, his heart filled with anticipation and hope for the future. (End of Chapter)