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

Seeing the incredulous look on Chongzhen's face, Zhu Cilang then explained:
"The reason why there were only three thousand taels before was because Zheng Zhilong did not truly submit to the court, so he colluded with other nobles and officials to deceive the court."

"But since I married my younger sister, Zheng Zhilong has completely submitted to the court, so he no longer dares to cheat on taxes."

"That's why we have 800,000 taels of silver. Actually, it could have been more, because some merchants who used to go to sea from Fujian learned that Fujian was imposing taxes, so they switched to going to sea from other ports."

"In order to evade taxes, they did not hesitate to take detours and choose ports controlled by nobles and officials, because the tariffs they collected were only half of those in Fujian."

"Therefore, I can guarantee that if all ports are opened, I estimate that at least three million taels of tax can be collected annually. Adding other taxes and customs duties on overseas ships, the total will be at least seven or eight million taels."

"This is just a small part. More importantly, it's the revenue from trade. If the government also participates in trade, the annual revenue will definitely be no less than 20 million taels."

"After all, Zheng Zhilong earns more than ten million taels of profit a year. Does our Great Ming Dynasty not even earn twenty million taels a year?"

"With this silver, we can vigorously develop our navy. A strong navy will be able to better defend the country's maritime borders and resist foreign invasion."

"Even if half of the silver is used to develop the navy, it can still generate a profit of more than ten million taels of silver per year. This is the minimum amount I estimate; in reality, it will be even more."

"Therefore, in my opinion, opening the seas is imperative."

Zhu Cilang's words flowed like a torrent, endless and persuasive.

Upon hearing these words, Emperor Chongzhen's eyes lit up, as if he were seeing a prosperous and powerful future.

If he could really earn at least ten million taels of silver every year, he would be willing to fully support the opening of the sea.

After all, this money could solve many problems for the imperial court, such as military expenditures, disaster relief, and water conservancy projects.

Thinking of this, Chongzhen slowly nodded, his tone firm and unwavering:
"If that's the case, then I will definitely give my full support to this matter. I will take responsibility for any crimes that may be committed. You can go ahead and do it."

Clearly, Emperor Chongzhen had not forgotten his role as a scapegoat.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang felt a surge of satisfaction, thinking that Chongzhen was becoming more and more sensible.

But suddenly, at that moment, Chongzhen's face darkened again, and he said with worry in his voice:
"You must understand that this is by no means an easy task. The civil and military officials in the court will definitely oppose it, including those officials and nobles in Nanjing."

"Because this matter has harmed their interests."

"If things get too serious, it could cause unrest in the south, and even I wouldn't be able to control it. How do you plan to resolve this?"

Emperor Chongzhen could help Zhu Cilang withstand the attacks from civil and military officials, but what to do next was up to Zhu Cilang himself!

Moreover, when Chongzhen asked these questions, he already had the answer in his heart.

He felt that Zhu Cilang would most likely do the same thing as before: directly raise the butcher's knife and kill.

After all, it had already been proven that this method was indeed effective. As long as someone dared to resist, they would be killed directly. After killing those who resisted, no one would resist anymore.

Although Emperor Chongzhen himself dared not do this, knowing full well that it might provoke more conflict and resistance, Zhu Cilang would certainly have dared to do it!
Of course, he will definitely use his title as emperor when the time comes.

However, upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang smiled calmly, a smile that exuded confidence and composure, as if everything was under his control.

Under Chongzhen's rather puzzled gaze, Zhu Cilang calmly said:

"Father need not worry about this matter; someone will handle it."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was immediately puzzled, his brows furrowing even more deeply. He then asked in confusion:
"Who are you talking about?"

Zhu Cilang said unhurriedly:

"Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan, Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu, and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the other cabinet ministers and ministers will also help resolve this matter."

Upon hearing this, Chongzhen's eyes widened in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

In his view, the main opponents of opening the sea should be these cabinet ministers and the six ministers.

They hold high positions, wield considerable power in the court, and enjoy the benefits of the existing power structure. It's even possible that some of them are beneficiaries of the maritime ban.

But now Zhu Cilang is saying that these people will help push for the opening of the sea, which is too outrageous.

However, if we can really get the support of these people, then opening the sea will naturally be much easier.

After all, although the cabinet and the six ministries together consisted of fewer than ten people, these ten were the role models for civil officials throughout the country, and their attitudes and actions had a tremendous influence on scholars and intellectuals.

The next second, Chongzhen hurriedly stood up and asked anxiously:
"Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang did not hide anything and briefly recounted what Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu had done to him earlier.

After hearing the story, Chongzhen suddenly understood. He then sat down again, looking at Zhu Cilang with an approving expression, and said:
“You did a good job on this. If we take this as an opportunity, we might actually be able to bring about the opening of the sea.”

"However, what should be done if there are cabinet ministers and ministers of the six ministries who are unwilling to support opening the sea, or even want to resign?"

"You should know that although resigning from office is not a big deal, choosing to resign at this time means that they are firmly opposed to this matter. In this way, even if they resign, the influence they bring is very scary."

"After all, their students and former subordinates are all over the country. Once they resign, they may incite a group of people to oppose the opening of the sea, and then the situation will be difficult to control."

Zhu Cilang smiled slyly and said:
"Father, rest assured, it won't come to that."

"Your Majesty, I am quite satisfied with the current cabinet ministers and the six ministers, so I have no intention of replacing them. The reason I said that before was just to appease Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu."

"In fact, I have already sent people to investigate all of their weaknesses thoroughly."

"After all, no one is perfect, especially those in high positions. They will inevitably make mistakes and leave some evidence against them."

"If they disagree with opening the sea to the sea and want to resign, I will naturally have ways to deal with them."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was speechless.

He vaguely remembered that Zhu Cilang seemed to have used this move before, but he didn't expect him to use it again now!

And it must be said, this trick really works!
After all, for these people in high positions, their reputation is of utmost importance, especially since they are now a group of old men who are even more concerned about their image and posthumous fame.

If some of their scandals were suddenly exposed at this time, ruining their reputations in their old age, it would be even more painful than killing them.

But Emperor Chongzhen still cared about his reputation. He frowned, his face showing displeasure, and said:
"These tricks should not be used in the future. After all, some of them are not respectable. As an emperor, one should govern the world with upright and honorable means, not with these unorthodox methods."

Zhu Cilang, however, thought differently. He looked directly at Chongzhen, a playful smile in his eyes, and said:

“Father, you were too concerned about saving face before, which is why you ended up like this.” “In my opinion, as an emperor, one should stop at nothing to achieve one’s goals.”

"Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song—which of them didn't use some underhanded methods? Yet, didn't they still become role models for all emperors of later generations?"

“Father, you are innocent, yet you almost lost the Ming Dynasty. If it weren’t for my timely intervention and turning the tide, the Ming Dynasty would probably have perished.”

The next second, Emperor Chongzhen exploded!
He suddenly stood up, his face instantly turning bright red, the veins on his neck bulging, and with a trembling hand, pointed at Zhu Cilang and roared:

"Aren't we discussing national affairs? If we're going to talk, let's talk properly. Why do you keep bringing this up? And is this something a son should be saying?"

At this moment, Chongzhen was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged, like a volcano about to erupt.

Meanwhile, the eunuchs and maids serving nearby were so frightened that they all knelt down, trembling and not daring to raise their heads.

They really didn't expect the Crown Prince to dare to talk back to the Emperor like that. If it were in the past, the Crown Prince would probably have been deposed long ago. It's just a pity that Chongzhen really can't touch the Crown Prince now.

Zhu Cilang, however, was unconcerned by the angry Emperor Chongzhen, because he hadn't expected his father to be so naive after all that had happened.

In this complex court and turbulent times, simply caring about saving face is not enough to accomplish great things.

But Zhu Cilang was too lazy to continue speaking at this moment, and simply sipped his tea.

I must say, this tea tastes really good!

After a moment, Chongzhen finally calmed down and then sighed helplessly.

The sigh contained a complex mix of emotions, including helplessness and regret.

He then sat down again and said in a very dejected tone:
"Alright, alright, let's do as you say. You're right, I am indeed too concerned about saving face, and I always hesitate before doing anything. I'm really not as good as you."

"In short, as long as it makes the Ming Dynasty stronger, do whatever you want. I will always support you."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang immediately stood up and bowed to Emperor Chongzhen.

"Thank you, Father Emperor."

The two then returned to Kunning Palace together.

Inside Kunning Palace, delicious dishes had already been prepared, and the various delicacies on the table emitted an enticing aroma.

Empress Zhou held the little princess and waited there. The little princess opened her big, watery eyes and looked around curiously at everything.

Upon seeing the two arrive, Empress Zhou quickly greeted them:
"Come, come, sit down, sit down."

Her voice was gentle and kind, and her face was beaming with a smile.

Zhu Cilang ate the meal with great relish. He savored the food while chatting with Empress Zhou, occasionally teasing his little sister. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

However, Emperor Chongzhen had little appetite and only ate half a bowl of rice before saying he was full. He then got up to rest.

The reason for this was that he was still preoccupied with his previous argument with Zhu Cilang.

Seeing this, Empress Zhou served Zhu Cilang some food while asking in confusion:

"What's going on? What did you say to your father just now? Why does he look like this?"

Zhu Cilang smiled and said:

"It's nothing. I just said some things that Father Emperor didn't like to hear, and he was a little unhappy."

Empress Zhou was somewhat angry, but not at Zhu Cilang; she was angry at Emperor Chongzhen.

He said in an annoyed tone:
"Your father is really something, what's there to be angry about at a time like this?"

"Ignore him, let's eat."

As she spoke, she placed another piece of meat on Zhu Cilang's plate.

Zhu Cilang chuckled to himself, then began to feast.

After finishing his meal, Zhu Cilang leisurely left Kunning Palace.

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Early that morning, the morning mist outside the city gates of the capital had not yet completely dissipated, and the whole world seemed to be shrouded in a thin veil.

Suddenly, a large caravan slowly appeared in sight, like a winding dragon heading straight for the capital.

This caravan was none other than the one the Zheng family had brought back grain from overseas.

However, calling it a caravan is not entirely accurate, because this caravan included Zheng Zhilong's naval forces, making it a semi-military, semi-merchant team.

Leading the way were Zheng Zhilong's two brothers and the naval forces.

At the same time, the Tianjin Navy also dispatched 3,000 troops to escort them.

The group headed towards the capital in a grand procession, the sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps mingling together, creating a truly awe-inspiring sight from afar.

Soon, this large group attracted the attention of the capital.

The generals guarding the city saw the troop from afar, but because of Zhu Cilang's orders, they were not surprised.

Soon after the caravan completed its handover with the city's garrison commander, it entered the capital city directly and walked openly on its streets.

The sun was gradually rising, and golden sunlight shone on the street, adding a warm touch to the entire street.

Before long, the people of the capital were also drawn to this sudden sight.

There's no way around it; it's just that these people are too flamboyant.

These people walked down the street with their heads held high, as if they were a group of triumphant heroes.

Behind them, carriages were pulling loads of glistening rice, which were not concealed and were openly exposed to the public eye. There were nearly a thousand carriages in total.

The rice glistened enticingly in the sunlight, giving one a sense of reassurance!
After all, food is the most important thing for people!
Food is life! (End of Chapter)