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

Besides, Zhang Xianzhong knew very well that if he could take this opportunity to demonstrate his value, he would never be regarded as a useless piece of trash.

In today's rapidly changing world, useless things are easily discarded.

Once the court feels he has lost his usefulness, they might find a seemingly reasonable excuse to get rid of him completely.

However, as long as he can demonstrate his unique value at crucial moments, he will have a foothold in this unpredictable court and will not be easily abandoned.

This is an effort he must make in order to survive better in the future.

Zhu Cilang sat there quietly, showing no surprise at Zhang Xianzhong's words.

He knew that Zhang Xianzhong was a smart man who knew how to weigh the pros and cons in this chaotic world and how to make the most advantageous choice for himself.

Then Zhu Cilang's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a gentle yet confident smile as he slowly spoke:
"Since that's the case, then go back and prepare. After a while, I will send someone to escort you to other places to persuade the local peasant rebels to surrender. I have high hopes for you, and I hope you will not disappoint me."

The voice was steady and powerful, as if carrying an unquestionable authority.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong hurriedly kowtowed again, his forehead hitting the ground heavily with a crisp sound.

He said loudly:

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Zhu Cilang then said nothing more, but simply waved his hand to indicate that he could leave.

Without further ado, Zhang Xianzhong respectfully kowtowed twice more, and then left under the guidance of the eunuchs.

His steps were hurried, yet carried a hint of determination, as if he had already embarked on a new journey.

Even after leaving the East Palace, Zhang Xianzhong still felt a lingering sense of unease.

Recalling his conversation with Zhu Cilang, he felt that every time he met this crown prince, his strength was truly unfathomable.

It was like an unshakeable mountain, something he couldn't even compare to.

With a wry smile, Zhang Xianzhong shook his head and left.

Time flies, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye. Finally, the day for the ancestral worship ceremony scheduled by the Ministry of Rites has arrived.

It's almost November now, and the weather has turned cold. The biting wind feels like a knife cutting into your face.

Not long ago, there was even a light snowfall, which means winter has officially begun.

Fortunately, the weather was quite nice that day; sunlight shone through the thin clouds and onto the earth, adding a touch of warmth to the cold winter day.

Under the arrangement of the Ministry of Rites, Emperor Chongzhen, dressed in a dragon robe and wearing a crown, walked solemnly at the front, followed closely by Zhu Cilang, dressed in the attire of the crown prince, looking dashing and heroic.

A host of civil and military officials, all dressed in their official robes, followed behind with solemn expressions. The grand ancestral worship ceremony began in this solemn atmosphere.

However, having participated several times before, everyone was quite familiar with this kind of thing.

From the placement of offerings to the procedures of the ceremony, everyone was clear about their responsibilities.

After all that trouble, we finally finished without any major incidents.

However, the only drawback was that Emperor Chongzhen always felt that Li Zicheng's head should be used to offer sacrifices to his ancestors.

After all, Li Zicheng was the greatest peasant army leader, which is of extraordinary significance. Using him to worship ancestors would have even greater significance.

In Chongzhen's mind, Li Zicheng was like a malignant tumor, threatening the Ming Dynasty's rule. Using his head as a sacrifice to the ancestors might wash away the humiliation the Ming Dynasty had suffered over the years.

Zhu Cilang could not possibly tell Chongzhen directly that he had properly buried Li Zicheng.

He knew that Chongzhen hated Li Zicheng, and that revealing the truth directly would likely cause unnecessary trouble. So he simply said that Li Zicheng's body had been destroyed beyond recognition in the war and could not be brought back.

Emperor Chongzhen was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, but he could only let it go.

Overall, the ancestral worship ceremony went quite well.

Aside from this matter, the most important thing in the past two weeks has probably been the post-battle rewards for this operation.

Because some of the rewards required internal discussion within the court, fortunately, Emperor Chongzhen spoke up, so everything proceeded relatively smoothly, and the final result was largely in line with what Zhu Cilang had promised to everyone.

More than thirty titles of nobility were bestowed, and silver was given out as if it were free, amounting to more than a million taels.

Apart from this incident, nothing else has happened in the Ming Dynasty recently.

Besides, it's already winter, so there's really nothing to do anymore.

The next step is simple: ensure that the military and disaster victims across the country get through the winter smoothly, and the mission will be perfectly accomplished.

The ministers discussed the matter further and ultimately decided to allocate five million shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain to be transported to Shaanxi, Henan, Liaodong, Gansu, and other disaster-stricken areas to ensure that the local people could get through the winter.

These grains were like lifelines, representing hope for survival for the disaster-stricken people.

In addition to the greenhouses built in various places and the potatoes and sweet potatoes stored by the people, overall, fewer people should starve to death this year.

As for the idea that no one would starve to death, Zhu Cilang didn't even dare to think about it.

After all, in ancient times, productivity was low and natural disasters were frequent, so such a thing was basically impossible.

All he could do was try to reduce the number of such incidents.

A few days later, the scene shifts to the Tianjin port.

The Tianjin docks were bustling with activity that day.

The workers, dressed in thick cotton-padded coats, busily moved goods in the cold wind.

Although their faces were red from the cold wind, their eyes were full of energy.

Suddenly, a tremendous roar came from the distant sea, like ten thousand horses galloping, making the sea surface tremble slightly.

Some people looked up in surprise and saw a large group of huge ships suddenly appearing not far away. The ships looked like moving small mountains, cutting through the waves on the sea.

Upon seeing this scene, the busy workers were instantly stunned. They stopped what they were doing, their eyes filled with confusion and surprise. There shouldn't be any ships arriving at Tianjin Port at this time, and everyone began speculating about the origins of these vessels.

Soon the local navy also learned of this news, and the naval soldiers quickly boarded their warships and headed towards that sea area as if facing a formidable enemy.

However, after recognizing the other party's flag, the naval personnel breathed a sigh of relief, because it was none other than a merchant ship belonging to the Zheng family.

Since last year, Zheng's merchant ships have visited the Tianjin port three times; this is the fourth time.

They were not transporting anything else, but grain imported from overseas.

This grain was like a timely rain for the Ming Dynasty, alleviating the domestic food crisis.

The Tianjin Navy had already received orders from the imperial court to assist Zheng's merchant ships whenever they docked, so that the grain could be transported smoothly to the capital.

However, what puzzled the Tianjin Navy was that in the past, before these grains were transported, the capital would send people to receive them, but why didn't the capital send anyone this time?

Despite some doubts, the Tianjin Navy quickly got to work, preparing to welcome the Zheng family's merchant ships.

The soldiers quickly positioned their warships, preparing for the merchant ship's docking. Soon after, the merchant ship slowly came to a stop at the Tianjin dock, its hull gently bumping against the pier with a dull thud.

Meanwhile, Cao Youyi, the commander-in-chief of the Tianjin Navy, had been waiting for a long time.

Soon, people disembarked from the lead merchant ship. The two men, who were about forty years old, were Zheng Zhilin and Zheng Zhifeng.

Just by hearing the name, you can tell he must be a brother of Zheng Zhilong.

Indeed, this was the case; the two were Zheng Zhilong's brothers and had always managed a portion of the Zheng family's merchant ships.

After Zheng Zhilong became Zhu Cilang's father-in-law, they were put in charge of transporting grain from overseas for the court. For this, Zhu Cilang specially appointed them as third-rank military officers.

Moreover, they had visited the Tianjin port several times before, so Cao Youyi was quite familiar with them.

Upon meeting, Cao Youyi immediately cupped his hands and said with a smile:

"My lords, it's been a long time. You must have had a long journey."

That smile was sincere and warm, as if I were seeing an old friend of many years.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilin and Zheng Zhifeng immediately cupped their hands and smiled, saying:

"General Cao, you're too kind. We're all working for the imperial court; there's nothing to be ashamed of."

The group then followed Cao Youyi to his residence, which was spacious, bright, and elegantly decorated.

Cao Youyi then hosted a grand banquet to properly entertain the two men.

After all, everyone knows that Zheng's daughter has become the Crown Prince's woman, and her future glory goes without saying. Therefore, it is still very necessary to establish a good relationship with Zheng's family as soon as possible.

After both parties had finished their meal and drinks, Cao Youyi couldn't help but ask:
"Gentlemen, this isn't your first time at Tianjin Port, so I'll be frank. In the past, the imperial court would always send people to meet you and transport grain before you returned from overseas. Why hasn't the court sent anyone this time? Did you fail to notify the court in advance?"

His eyes were filled with doubt, waiting for the other party to answer.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilin and Zheng Zhifeng exchanged a knowing smile. Then, Zheng Zhilin looked at Cao Youyi and said:
"General Cao, we're all acquaintances now, so I won't hide anything from you. His Majesty issued a secret decree saying that this time the grain won't be sent to receive us, but we are to transport it to the capital ourselves."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Youyi's eyes widened in disbelief.

To be honest, this is actually against the rules.

In the past, there was a strict procedure for receiving grain, but this sudden change caught him off guard.

However, Zheng Zhilin was not lying, because Zhu Cilang had indeed issued a secret edict in the name of Emperor Chongzhen, instructing them to make preparations after arriving in Tianjin and then personally transport the grain to the capital.

The purpose of doing this was simple: to prepare for the lifting of the maritime ban and to let everyone see the benefits of overseas trade.

Therefore, in addition to a large amount of grain, they also brought many things from overseas, intending to transport them to the capital in a grand manner so that the people could see these things.

Zhu Cilang hoped to change people's views on overseas trade through this method, thereby creating a favorable public opinion environment for lifting the maritime ban.

Another point that needs to be emphasized is that, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court did not completely ban the sea.

More than sixty years ago, a major event occurred in the Ming Dynasty: the opening of the sea during the Longqing era.

Of course, not all sea routes were opened; only ports in the Fujian area were opened. In other words, by this time, the Ming Dynasty had not actually imposed a complete ban on the sea.

It's like a half-open door, with a certain degree of openness but also many restrictions.

However, the lifting of the maritime ban did not bring much revenue to the imperial court. Initially, it was only three thousand taels of silver, and the highest was during the Wanli period, which was barely thirty thousand taels. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, it had dropped back to five thousand taels of silver.

Yes! You heard right. Even if the imperial court lifted the maritime ban on Fujian, the ports of Fujian could only bring in five thousand taels of silver in tax revenue for the court each year, which is clearly illogical.

It's like a gold mine where only a small amount of gold has been extracted, far from reaching its full value.

It's important to understand that Zheng Zhilong's family alone can earn over ten million taels of silver a year. If they paid taxes according to normal regulations, they would earn at least half a million taels, not to mention the other merchant ships. The difference is simply unimaginable.

The reason for this is quite simple: tax evasion.

Indeed, before becoming Zhu Cilang's father-in-law, Zheng Zhilong was the biggest tax evader at sea.

He was like a cunning fox, navigating the seas and cleverly evading the imperial court's taxes.

Of course, that was in the past. Since becoming Zhu Cilang's father-in-law, Zheng Zhilong has intermittently paid more than five million taels of silver worth of grain to the court. Now, he is even helping the court transport grain from overseas for free. Moreover, the Zheng family's merchant ships have always paid taxes honestly according to the rules after each shipment.

The Zheng family, like a reformed prodigal son, began to serve the imperial court.

In addition, Zheng Zhilong had always controlled the Fujian area, which forced merchants in the Fujian area to pay taxes obediently.

Under Zheng Zhilong's authority, the merchants dared not evade taxes anymore. As a result, last year alone, the tax revenue of Fujian ports reached 800,000 taels of silver, nearly thirty times the 30,000 taels during the Wanli era—something unimaginable before.

Getting back to the main point, Cao Youyi was, after all, the local commander-in-chief of Tianjin, and he was quite knowledgeable about maritime affairs. In fact, he had even been involved in some smuggling activities in the past.

After all, the imperial court was so poor before that it couldn't even pay their salaries. If he didn't do something else, his whole family would starve to death. (End of Chapter)