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

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Cilang made up his mind.

His gaze then turned to Ma Bao, who was standing respectfully to the side, and he said:

"Bring me the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone."

Upon hearing this, Ma Bao was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening and quickly ran away.

Not long after, Ma Bao hurriedly returned with a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Fine beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead, and his breathing was somewhat rapid, but the object in his hands remained steady and did not shake at all.

Without saying a word, Zhu Cilang got up, walked to the tea table, spread out the Xuan paper, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write a letter.

At this point, he was too lazy to go to the study.

Before long, a secret letter was written.

The letter was simple and clear, instructing Luo Yangxing on what to do next, or more precisely, to investigate the assets of local officials, merchants, and nobles in Nanjing.

After all, more than two hundred years have passed, and these people have become deeply entrenched in the local area, undoubtedly becoming incredibly wealthy through various means.

Although the imperial court had already reaped some benefits when it reformed taxes before, it was just a minor, insignificant impact on them.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang was planning a big operation this time, taking advantage of the opening of the sea to make a fortune again.

Moreover, he knew in his heart that most of these people were involved in smuggling, so this harvest was not entirely unfair to them.

After finishing writing the letter, Zhu Cilang gently put down the brush, handed the letter directly to Ma Bao, and then said:

"Seal it up and give it to Li Ruolian to take away later."

Upon hearing this, Ma Bao quickly nodded, took the letter with both hands, and hurriedly ran off to prepare for its sealing.

His steps were hurried, his heart filled with a sense of mission, as if he were holding not a letter, but a secret concerning the fate of the nation.

Then Zhu Cilang looked at Li Ruolian, who was standing to the side, and said:

“Select some reliable people from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and send them to Nanjing to help Luo Yangxing with this matter.”

"If anyone is found to be deliberately obstructing us during this period, we may deal with them as we see fit, but we should try not to expose them. This matter is of great importance, so we must be cautious."

Upon hearing this, Li Ruolian's expression hardened, and she quickly knelt on one knee, clasped her hands in a fist salute, and said:

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

Before long, Ma Bao returned with the resealed letter.

He held the letter in both hands and carefully walked up to Li Ruolian and handed it to her.

Li Ruolian took the letter, carefully checked the packaging, and left hurriedly after confirming that everything was in order.

Because he knew in his heart that the matter was urgent and could not be delayed for even a moment.

Upon returning to the Northern Garrison, Li Ruolian immediately gathered his men. After a selection process, several hundred Imperial Guards were chosen. They quickly packed their belongings and set off directly towards Nanjing.

At this point, some people might ask:

Nanjing is so big, with so many merchants, officials, and nobles. Isn't it too few to select only a few hundred Imperial Guards?
But actually, there are quite a few!

First, we need to clarify one thing: these Imperial Guards went to Nanjing for a secret investigation, not to fight a war.

They didn't need to engage in a high-profile, head-on confrontation with the enemy; instead, they needed to secretly gather evidence and ascertain the situation.

Furthermore, Luo Yangxing brought hundreds of men with him when he went, all of whom were his trusted confidants. These confidants had followed Luo Yangxing for many years and were loyal, reliable, and capable.

In addition, there were also the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) in Nanjing who were loyal to the imperial court. If all of them were combined, their power would not be small.

Even if the nobles in the south had discovered something, Zhu Cilang really didn't believe they would take action against the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After all, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was the emperor's personal army, representing the majesty of imperial power; taking action against them was tantamount to treason.

The nobles in the south probably didn't have that much courage. Although they were greedy, they knew how serious the consequences of rebellion would be.

Of course, it would be even better if they actually dared to take action against these Imperial Guards!

Then Zhu Cilang can openly send troops over and wipe them out completely!
However, this is probably impossible, after all, those people are not fools and would not risk their entire clan.

Although they coveted wealth, they valued their own lives and the continuation of their families even more.

The next morning, it happened to be time for court.

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, civil and military officials, dressed in court robes, entered the hall one after another.

However, as usual, Emperor Chongzhen did not attend court today, and even the Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, who was in charge of the country, did not come.

There was nothing he could do; Zhu Cilang had been busy until late last night and couldn't get up this morning.

However, the civil and military officials were used to such things.

As usual, they began to discuss state affairs under the leadership of the cabinet. Inside the hall, officials expressed their opinions freely, and the atmosphere was lively.

Without the emperor's imposing presence, everyone spoke freely without much restraint, offering their opinions and suggestions.

It has to be said that the days without the emperor holding court were incredibly pleasant, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off one's shoulders.

But soon people noticed that something seemed off today.

Despite being the Grand Secretary, Xue Guoguan kept yawning and seemed somewhat sluggish when discussing state affairs, as if he hadn't slept well the night before.

His eyes were somewhat unfocused, and he always spoke a beat too slowly.

Even Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue, was the same.

These two men stood out conspicuously among the many spirited officials.

After all, since the court session schedule had been adjusted, it wasn't necessary to attend court every day, so it was quite rare for someone to doze off under such circumstances.

The other officials cast puzzled glances at them, wondering what was going on with these two old ministers.

Little did they know, the two old men had spent the entire night worrying about the opening of the fishing season.

All they could think about was how to get the civil and military officials in the court to accept this matter and avoid causing too much turmoil.

After all, the opening of the sea route is a matter of great importance, affecting the interests of many officials and the stability of the court. A slight misstep could trigger a huge upheaval.

Therefore, both of them went to sleep around midnight.

However, the others were unaware of this, so after the court session ended, some officials gathered around Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu, their faces showing concern, and said:

"Your Excellency, what's wrong? It seems you didn't sleep well last night. I have a calming remedy here; would you like a copy?"

"Grand Secretary Xue, you are getting on in years, you must take care of your health! Is there something troubling you? Tell me, and perhaps I can help."

Faced with the enthusiasm of the crowd, Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu quickly declined.

Xue Guoguan waved his hand and said:
"Colleagues, please don't make wild guesses. I just didn't sleep well last night. It's nothing, nothing at all."

Ni Yuanlu also chimed in:
"Thank you for your concern, my colleagues. I am just suffering from insomnia. It is a trivial matter and you need not worry about me."

After saying this, the two hurriedly slipped away.

Although Zhu Cilang had previously said that they could inform the cabinet ministers and several ministers about the matter and then discuss it together.

However, they haven't figured out how to say it yet, since the opening of the sea is such a significant matter that it can't be discussed casually.

Therefore, they could only wait a while longer to find a suitable time and method to explain to the other ministers. However, Zhu Cilang didn't need to wait any longer.

After getting up at noon, Zhu Cilang quickly washed up and went straight to the palace without even eating.

When he arrived at Kunning Palace, he saw Empress Zhou and Emperor Chongzhen playing with the little princess.

And this little princess was none other than Zhu Shuangxi!

At this moment, the Kunning Palace was warm as spring, with a roaring fire radiating warmth, a world apart from the freezing cold outside.

Empress Zhou, dressed in a magnificent palace gown and wearing a phoenix crown, was holding the little princess with a beaming smile.

Emperor Chongzhen stood to the side, a loving smile on his face, occasionally reaching out to gently tease the little princess's cheeks.

For some reason, Zhu Cilang still found it somewhat amusing every time he saw this young woman and thought of her name.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang arrive, Empress Zhou immediately smiled and said:

"Lang'er is here. It's almost lunchtime. Why don't you stay and have lunch with us?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang readily agreed.

"Then I shall respectfully comply!"

Empress Zhou then instructed the palace maid beside her:
"If the Crown Prince wishes to stay for lunch, give the order to add two more dishes at noon."

The palace maid hurriedly replied:

"Slave, you obey!"

Then he went down to prepare.

As for Zhu Cilang, he started teasing his little sister.

He reached out and gently squeezed the little princess's hand, and the little princess giggled. Her laughter was clear and melodious, like the sound of silver bells.

It must be said that this little princess is truly joyful and adorable, and she really does fit the name "Double Happiness" quite well.

However, Emperor Chongzhen was not stupid. He knew that his son never visited him unless he had a reason.

This time, I must have come to see him again to discuss something.

Therefore, after a short while, Chongzhen spoke:
"I would like to go for a walk outside. Your Highness, please come with me."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang naturally did not refuse and responded:

"My son, I obey."

Seeing this, Empress Zhou knew that the father and son had something important to discuss, so she smiled and took her youngest daughter's hand, saying:
"Go ahead, and remember to come back for your meal later."

Zhu Cilang smiled and agreed, then followed Chongzhen out.

It was already mid-November, and the weather was terribly cold.

The cold wind howled past, cutting like a knife against my face.

For some reason, it hasn't snowed heavily yet.

The back garden of Kunning Palace was also desolate. The flowers that used to bloom had long since withered, leaving only bare branches shivering in the cold wind.

It has lost some of its vitality, but gained a sense of solemnity.

The father and son sat down in the pavilion, and immediately a eunuch poured them tea. The steaming tea felt especially warm in the cold air.

Emperor Chongzhen took a sip of hot tea before asking:

"Speak, what's the matter this time?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang, not bothering to beat around the bush, said directly:

"It concerns the opening of the sea routes; I need to discuss it with Your Majesty."

When Emperor Chongzhen heard the words "opening up the seas," he was initially surprised, but quickly regained his composure.

This matter seemed to be no surprise to him, because the imperial court had already opened up the sea in Fujian more than eighty years ago, which was the opening of the sea during the Longqing reign.

In order to increase fiscal revenue and alleviate the pressure of military expenditures on the frontier, the imperial court decided to lift the maritime ban in Fujian and allow private individuals to engage in overseas trade.

This move has, to some extent, promoted economic development and brought considerable wealth.

Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen did not consider Zhu Cilang's renewed proposal to open the seas a big deal.

So Chongzhen continued to ask:

"Which sea ban do you want to lift?"

Zhu Cilang smiled and said:
"Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, in short, all sea areas are open."

what?
This time, Chongzhen was no longer calm. He looked at Zhu Cilang with a face full of surprise, as if he could not believe his ears.

After all, can the imperial court manage to open up so many sea areas at once?
Moreover, opening up the sea areas requires the presence of the navy, but half of the imperial navy is currently on guard against the Jurchens in Liaodong. If so many ports are opened, how can the government possibly manage them?
That's not the main problem!
It should be noted that when Emperor Longqing opened the sea route, it was met with strong opposition from both civil and military officials.

The ministers believed that lifting the maritime ban would cause various social problems, such as rampant smuggling and piracy, and would also affect the court's control over the coastal areas.

In the end, it was only through the strong opposition of the Longqing Emperor that this matter was brought to fruition.

If the entire sea area were opened now, Emperor Chongzhen could easily imagine how his ministers would cause trouble.

They will definitely unite and write a letter of opposition, or even threaten suicide!
Thinking of this, Chongzhen quickly said:
"This is no small matter. You should think it through carefully. Besides, opening a fishing boat doesn't seem to make much money!"

Emperor Chongzhen's words made sense, because since the opening of the sea route in Fujian, the imperial court had only received three to five thousand taels of tax revenue each year.

That small amount of tax revenue was simply a drop in the ocean compared to the enormous expenditures of the imperial court.

Therefore, in Chongzhen's view, even if all the ports in the coastal cities were opened, the total value would only be a few hundred thousand taels. It was really unnecessary to cause turmoil in the court over such a small amount of money.

He did not want to cause internal conflicts and instability within the court for such a small amount of benefit.

However, upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but laugh, and then said:
"Father, do you know how much tax revenue was collected in the Fujian area last year?"

Emperor Chongzhen was slightly taken aback when he heard this, because he really didn't know, since he had stopped interfering in government affairs much since last year.

So he asked:

"How many?"

Zhu Cilang said with a smile:

"Eight hundred thousand taels."

"Eight hundred thousand taels?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was momentarily speechless.

Once they realized what was happening, they immediately flew into a rage.

"Wait a minute, wasn't it always around three thousand taels before? At most, it was just over ten thousand taels. How did it become eight hundred thousand taels now?"

His voice carried a hint of disbelief, as if he had heard something out of the blue.

This is way too different!

Emperor Chongzhen absolutely could not accept this! (End of Chapter)