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

At that moment, his face was instantly filled with disbelief. His eyes widened slightly as he stared intently at Zhu Cilang, as if trying to find a trace of a joke on his son's face.

Don't misunderstand, Emperor Chongzhen did consider the idea of ​​a "southern tour".

As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he certainly knew the enormous role that the emperor's southern tour played in pacifying the local areas and deterring disobedient subjects.

He was surprised that Zhu Cilang would actually ask him to do this.

Based on all that had happened before, he thought that Zhu Cilang would take this opportunity to propose that he, as the crown prince, would tour the capital on behalf of the emperor, while he, the emperor, would remain in the capital to oversee the affairs of state.

The Tathagata's arrival not only achieves his goal but also further consolidates his own authority.

After all, Zhu Cilang had done this kind of thing more than once before, so he was quite experienced in it!

But I didn't expect this time to be a little different?
After a moment of great surprise, Chongzhen asked in a tone of disbelief:
"You agree to this?"

Although Chongzhen had already guessed from Zhu Cilang's tone that Zhu Cilang had agreed to the matter, he still needed to confirm it again.

Zhu Cilang nodded earnestly, his tone sincere.

"Your subject believes that what Grand Secretary Xue is worried about is indeed a wise and insightful opinion on national affairs. The South is the foundation of the nation's finances and the source of its culture, and its stability is crucial to the overall situation."

"If Your Majesty can personally come and demonstrate your power and virtue, the opening of the sea will surely be a natural success. At that time, the people of Jiangnan will feel grateful for the Emperor's grace, and the villains will be intimidated by the Emperor's might. This will be of great benefit to the stability of the overall situation."

"Therefore, I also agree with this proposal and would like to request Your Majesty to make a southern tour."

This time, Emperor Chongzhen was truly at a loss.

It's like having something you've long believed doesn't belong to you, or something you've subconsciously given up on, suddenly presented to you by someone; the shock and bewilderment are immense.

This sudden turn of events left him in a state of confusion, unsure of how to respond.

Surprised, a complex emotion suddenly welled up in Chongzhen's heart, and his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to a few years ago.

At that time, the Jurchen cavalry broke through the pass several times, burning, killing, and looting near the capital as if they were in an empty land.

Meanwhile, the forces of domestic bandit leaders such as Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong had spread like wildfire, with some declaring themselves kings or emperors and advancing directly towards the capital.

Seeing that the foundation laid by his ancestors for more than two hundred years was about to be destroyed, and Beijing was in imminent danger, at that time, Chongzhen's truest and most unspeakable thought was to move the capital!
Abandon Beijing, which is difficult to defend, and retreat to Nanjing, the true birthplace of the Ming Dynasty!
Then, relying on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, they divided the country along its banks, first securing half of the territory, and then planning to restore the entire country.

He recalled that he had tentatively revealed this idea to several trusted ministers.

And what was the result? Instead of understanding and support, it was met with almost unanimous and righteously vehement opposition!
Those memorials and personal admonitions still echo in my ears, all condemning him for "abandoning the imperial tombs," "shaking the foundation of the nation," and "fearing the enemy like a tiger," which are cowardly acts of "abandoning the ancestral legacy."

Some even suggested that this would make him a "fleeing emperor" like Emperor Gaozong of Song, leaving behind a lasting infamy.

Emperor Chongzhen was sensitive by nature and extremely concerned about his reputation. Under such immense moral and public pressure, he could only bury his plan to "move south" deep within his heart, and even felt ashamed of it.

He was once pessimistic, believing that he would probably never have the chance to set foot on southern soil as a victor in his lifetime.

However, things are unpredictable.

Who could have imagined that, through the efforts of this incredibly resourceful crown prince, the situation would miraculously turn around!

The greatest threat from the north, the Jurchens, suffered a severe blow, and the bandit rebellion was completely resolved. The Ming Dynasty suddenly turned the tide and was safe.

Similarly, the southern tour is no longer for "escape," but for "appeasement" and "demonstration of power." The meaning and mindset behind this are completely different from the humiliating "relocation of the capital" plan of that year!

How could he not feel a deep sense of emotion at this feeling of being in another world?
Just as Emperor Chongzhen was overwhelmed with emotion and lost in contemplation, intertwined with the past and the present, Zhu Cilang felt the time was right and dropped another bombshell:
"In addition, I have also carefully considered the specific details of the southern tour."

"This southern tour is not only about resolving the issue of opening the sea to the sea, but also about rectifying many important matters such as the military and political situation, canal transport, and officialdom in the south. It is a complex and extraordinary undertaking."

"Your Majesty is worried that you might be overworked by yourself, and you also fear that some forces in the south might outwardly comply but inwardly defy you. Therefore, it would be better for your son to accompany you on this southern tour."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen instantly sobered up!
Good guy!
It turns out that it wasn't just the emperor who was going on the southern tour, but also the crown prince!
He knew Zhu Cilang wasn't up to any good!
But the next second, Chongzhen didn't care anymore.

Because he suddenly felt that taking Zhu Cilang on the southern tour was a good thing. He could leave everything to Zhu Cilang to handle while he just ate, drank and had fun. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Thinking of this, Chongzhen then said:
"It's not impossible, but what if something happens in the capital when you and I, father and son, leave at the same time?"

Zhu Cilang seemed to have anticipated Chongzhen's question. Far from being worried, he grinned and calmly replied:
"How could I not know what Father Emperor is worried about?"

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice:

"Your subject believes that it is appropriate to have your third brother, Cijiong, remain in the capital during this period to act as regent."

Zhu Cijiong, the third younger brother of Zhu Cilang, was born of the same mother as Zhu Cilang. Both were born to Empress Zhou and he was enfeoffed as Prince Ding in the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign.

In the original historical trajectory, he also had a more well-known name, one filled with tragedy and legend.

That is Zhu San Taizi!
Of course, with the alteration of the history of the Ming Dynasty, such a thing will never happen again.

Moreover, in Zhu Cilang's view, this arrangement was the best choice.

Although Zhu Cijiong was young, not yet thirteen years old, he was not required to handle any complicated military or national affairs when he was put in charge of the country. The specific matters were handled by the cabinet and the officials of the six ministries.

He only needs to symbolically reside in the capital as a representative of the royal family to stabilize public sentiment.

This was the best solution Zhu Cilang came up with after thinking about it for a whole day!

After all, this younger brother was the closest to him by blood, had a noble enough status, and was young and immature, so he would not pose a real threat. He was the most suitable candidate.

However, Zhu Cilang's seemingly well-thought-out plan sounded like a powder keg to Emperor Chongzhen.

Chongzhen's expression suddenly changed; his previous sentiments vanished instantly, replaced by an almost instinctive vigilance and resolve.

He almost flatly refused, saying:
"No! Absolutely not! I will not agree to this!"

"why?"

Now it was Zhu Cilang's turn to be surprised and puzzled.

In his view, this was the most reasonable and safest solution under the current circumstances. It could satisfy the needs of the father and son to travel south together, and also ensure that there were members of the royal family in the capital. Why did Chongzhen react so strongly?
There's not even room for negotiation?
The very next second, Chongzhen's words dispelled his doubts and instantly made him understand Chongzhen's deepest worries. Emperor Chongzhen, his brow furrowed and his gaze sharp as he looked at Zhu Cilang, said in a sorrowful tone:
"Your Highness! Do not forget the history of the Han and Tang dynasties! You are harming your brother! I only hope that he can live a peaceful, wealthy and leisurely life as a prince of Taiping. That is the best ending for him."

"But now you want him to oversee the country and have access to supreme power. What if he is young and ignorant, or is misled by the villains around him, and thus develops some improper thoughts? That would be a path to disaster!"

"When that time comes, brothers will turn against each other, and family members will kill one another. How will I, how will I, face my ancestors in the afterlife? I will never allow such a thing to happen!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang suddenly realized what was going on, and a feeling of being both amused and exasperated welled up inside him.

What Chongzhen was worried about was that if Prince Ding, Zhu Cijiong, tasted the power, he would become ambitious and threaten his position as crown prince, ultimately leading to the tragedy of brothers killing each other.

It's obvious that Chongzhen was applying the template of bloody royal power struggles from history to his brothers.

Zhu Cilang shook his head, somewhat speechless, then looked at Chongzhen and said calmly:

"Father, have you forgotten something? Something important that we discussed and are gradually working on."

He paused briefly, giving Chongzhen time to think, but Chongzhen seemed unable to recall anything and remained bewildered.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang continued:

"That is the national policy we had already decided on for the princes and royal families. After the domestic bandits and the Jurchens outside the Great Wall are completely pacified, we will begin to implement the policy of 'princes taking up their fiefs overseas'."

"At that time, all the royal princes will gradually migrate to the newly expanded overseas territories, establish their own kingdoms there, and permanently guard the frontiers."

“Since other princes, such as the Prince of Fu, the Prince of Gui, and the Prince of Tang, will eventually follow this strategy and go overseas, then my third brother, the Prince of Ding, Zhu Cijiong, will naturally be no exception.”

"He will also be sent to a fiefdom overseas in the future."

At this point, Zhu Cilang's lips curled into a meaningful smile, and he continued:
"Therefore, in the long run, if he really develops some 'inappropriate thoughts' because of this experience of overseeing the country, it may actually be a good thing for me."

"Good thing?"

Emperor Chongzhen was somewhat confused.

Zhu Cilang nodded firmly and said with bright eyes.

"If he is content with his lot and only wants to be a wealthy and idle man, then I will naturally choose a prosperous and stable overseas place for him so that he can enjoy all the glory and wealth."

"But if he becomes ambitious because of this and is unwilling to be subordinate to others, that's fine too. The world overseas is vast and there's much to be done! If he has the ability and the courage, we can give him a large enough territory overseas so that he can realize his ambitions!"

“He wants to be emperor? Fine! Let him be emperor overseas! It’s better than all the brothers crowding into this small piece of land in the Central Plains, distrusting each other, fighting each other, and ultimately causing disaster.”

"What I want is a prosperous and far-reaching Ming Dynasty, not a stagnant dynasty confined to the Central Plains and plagued by endless internal strife."

Zhu Cilang's earth-shattering remarks were like a wake-up call, instantly leaving Emperor Chongzhen wide-eyed and completely stunned.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't speak for a long time.

Yes! Yes! He really did forget about it!
Or rather, in his traditional mindset, the ideas of "reducing the power of regional princes" and "preventing the invasion of regional princes" are deeply ingrained.

He instinctively worried that his young son's regency would trigger a power struggle, but he completely overlooked the much grander path his son had already planned—a path that defied the cyclical nature of history:

To be enfeoffed overseas!

If all the vassal kings eventually had to leave the core area of ​​the Central Plains and go to overseas regions thousands of miles away.

Therefore, the ambition for power that they might have developed during their brief period of regency in the Central Plains could be transformed into a driving force for expansion and progress in the face of the vast overseas territories, rather than a fatal threat to the central imperial power!

This is a fundamental shift in thinking from "blocking" to "dredging"!

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly realized the truth, and his mind became clear.

But the next second, an indescribable sense of sorrow and reluctance quickly overwhelmed the realization that had just dawned on him.

He recalled Zhu Cijiong's still-childish face. The thought that this child, who had grown up in the deep palace and had never experienced hardship, would one day have to leave his homeland and cross the ocean to go to that wild, unknown, and dangerous overseas land, perhaps never to return in this life.

As a father, his heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

A doting mother often spoils her son, but a strict father also has his own intentions.

He certainly hoped his sons would be successful, but he hoped even more that they would be safe and sound.

Taking up a fiefdom overseas sounds like a grand and inspiring undertaking, but in reality, the future is uncertain and fraught with peril.
However, Emperor Chongzhen was too preoccupied with his sorrow at the moment.

Since settling overseas is still a plan for the distant future, there are countless difficulties and obstacles to overcome in order to achieve this.

And the first thing to be affected, of course, is the opening of the fishing season!

After a brief period of reflection and sorrow, Chongzhen finally forced himself to break free from his complex emotions and return to the topic of the southern tour.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if trying to expel all the pent-up emotions in his chest.

When Chongzhen looked at Zhu Cilang again, his eyes had regained their clarity and calmness, and even carried a hint of relief.

Then he made up his mind and spoke:
"I am very pleased that you can view this matter with such a long-term perspective and think it through so thoroughly."

"Therefore, it wouldn't be unreasonable to let Cijiong oversee the country during this period; it would be a good experience for him. As for the matter of you and I, father and son, going on a southern tour together..."

Emperor Chongzhen paused for a moment, as if weighing his options, then nodded again, his tone becoming more certain.

"I think it's feasible! Let's do it your way! You will take the lead in handling the specifics, working with the cabinet and relevant ministries to plan carefully and thoroughly."

Zhu Cilang felt reassured, a smile appeared on his face, and he stood up and bowed solemnly.

"My son obeys the order!"

The snow outside the window had lessened somewhat, but the night remained as deep and inky as ever. (End of Chapter)