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

Hauge knew that Fan Wencheng was right; this was indeed the only and best way out at the moment.

If the stalemate continues and the tense standoff with Shenyang continues, it will inevitably lead to an accidental clash and civil war, which is exactly what Hong Chengchou and the Ming Dynasty want to see.

Accepting this condition, although it was clearly a case of being used by Dorgon and having to go to the front lines to suffer hardships and risks, at least saved their lives, preserved their army, and gained a relatively independent sphere of influence.

Once he arrived at the front lines, far from the emperor's reach, Hauge was a veritable "local tyrant," far better off than returning to Shenyang, where he had to rely on others and constantly worry about being purged!

As for the future war with the Ming army, that's a matter for later; let's take it one step at a time.

Having thought this through, Haug had already made up his mind.

He turned around, a bittersweet smile mixed with a hint of relief on his face, and said to Fan Wencheng:
"Alright, Mr. Fan, you don't need to say any more. Go back and tell Dorgon and Dayuer that I accept their terms."

He paused, his eyes sharpening, his tone carrying an undeniable warning:
"However, you must also take a message back to me! My wife, daughter, and everyone in the household will remain in Shenyang for the time being."

"If they are well, I will guard the borders of the Great Qing in Liaodong. But if anything happens to them... Hmph! Then don't blame me for disregarding our kinship and turning my back on them without mercy!"

Hearing that Hauge had finally relented, Fan Wencheng felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and quickly bowed in response:

"Your Highness is wise and righteous, and this old minister admires you! Please rest assured, Your Highness! The Empress Dowager and the Regent have repeatedly assured that they will treat the family members of the Prince's residence well and will never let them suffer the slightest grievance! This old minister is willing to stake his head on this matter!"

Haug nodded and waved wearily.

"Alright, go ahead and tell Dorgon that I will soon be moving my camp to Liaodong. Tell him to take care of himself."

Fan Wencheng bowed deeply once again:
"Your Highness, I obey! Take care! I take my leave!"

After saying this, he slowly withdrew from the main tent.

Silence returned to the tent.

Hauge stood alone in front of the huge map, his gaze fixed on the vast and cold land of Liaodong, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

A massive crisis that nearly pushed the Qing Dynasty into the abyss of division was thus temporarily brought to a close in a way that seemed like a compromise but was actually fraught with undercurrents.

Hauge will be sent to Liaodong, ostensibly to guard the border, but in reality, he will be exiled. Meanwhile, Dorgon and Dayuer have stabilized the central government in Shenyang, but they have also planted a thorn in their side that is even further away.

Although Hong Chengchou, the instigator of all this, failed to see an immediate civil war break out within the Jurchens as he had hoped, he successfully drove the tiger Hauge to the front lines and sowed an indelible rift of suspicion between him and the central government in Shenyang. This was already a huge strategic victory.

Our gaze shifts back to Beijing, thousands of miles away.

Regarding the earth-shattering events that had recently occurred in Shenyang, Liaodong, Zhu Cilang had not yet received a detailed report, as the distance was vast and news traveled slowly.

But he wasn't entirely without a premonition.

Hong Chengchou had previously explained in detail his strategic plan to exploit the conflict between Hauge and Dorgon and to sow discord between them, and had received his approval.

He could roughly guess that the Imperial Guards lurking in Shenyang should have already begun their operation according to plan.

However, he is not yet clear about the specific progress and results.

At present, Zhu Cilang's attention is only focused on the upcoming southern tour.

On this day, Zhu Cilang came to the palace again, intending to talk to Emperor Chongzhen about some things.

Upon seeing that it was the Crown Prince, the eunuch guarding the gate quickly bowed and silently lifted the heavy brocade curtain for him.

Zhu Cilang stepped inside, and the scene inside the warm pavilion came into view.

Emperor Chongzhen was sitting upright at the main seat of the kang table by the window, wearing a simple, dark purple robe with a dragon pattern, and his expression showed a rare sense of leisure.

To Zhu Cilang's slight surprise, his third brother, Prince Yong, Zhu Cijiong, was also sitting respectfully on an embroidered stool at the head of the kang table, his body ramrod straight, his hands neatly placed on his knees, looking as if he were listening attentively to a lecture.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang enter, Chongzhen merely raised his eyelids slightly, glanced at him, and gave a barely audible "hmm" as a greeting. He then turned his gaze back to Zhu Cijiong, still earnestly instructing him on something.

His expression was exactly like that of an ordinary father teaching his young son, lacking the majesty of a ruler.

On the contrary, Zhu Cijiong, upon seeing Zhu Cilang's sudden arrival, appeared somewhat flustered. He quickly stood up from the embroidered stool, straightened his slightly oversized princely robes, and bowed respectfully to Zhu Cilang. His voice, though clear and bright like a young man's, also revealed a hint of nervousness.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty, my esteemed elder brother!"

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang casually waved his hand, a gentle smile appearing on his face, and said in a relaxed tone:
“Cijiong, there’s no need for such formalities. We are brothers, and there’s no need to be so reserved in front of Father. Please sit down.”

After saying that, he walked to the other side of the kang table and sat down in an empty rosewood armchair with a very natural posture, as if he had returned to his own palace.

This scene, witnessed by the thirteen-year-old Zhu Cijiong, was like a thunderbolt! A monstrous wave surged through his heart!

In his mind, his father was the supreme ruler, the sovereign of the world, and possessed profound authority.

Normally, when these princes came to pay their respects, they were all extremely cautious, performing their greetings and inquiries meticulously. When had they ever seen anyone dare to be so casual in front of their father?

Even he himself had been holding his breath and concentrating, afraid of making a mistake.

But my brother didn't even bother with the most basic kneeling greeting? He just sat down like that?

And why did the Emperor make no comment on this? As if it were commonplace?
Zhu Cijiong's youthful face was filled with disbelief and astonishment. He secretly glanced at Chongzhen out of the corner of his eye, then quickly swept his gaze over the composed Zhu Cilang. His heart was filled with immense confusion and a trace of indescribable awe.

He was still young and had lived in the inner palace for a long time, so he had no clear understanding of the subtle power shifts that had taken place in the court over the past few years.

Little did he know that his seemingly gentle elder brother had already gradually seized actual power in the empire through a series of ruthless measures years earlier.

Now, Emperor Chongzhen, sitting on the dragon throne, is more of a symbolic monarch; the real decision-making core has long since shifted to his elder brother.

The relationship between father and son had long transcended the simple relationship between ruler and subject, father and son.

Just as Zhu Cijiong was filled with turmoil and inwardly shocked, Chongzhen continued to instruct him:

"Cijiong, have you remembered everything I just told you? After your elder brother and I embark on our southern tour, the capital, the central government of the Ming Dynasty, will be temporarily entrusted to you as regent." Upon hearing this, Zhu Cijiong quickly composed himself, forcing himself to emerge from his shock at his elder brother's actions, and respectfully replied:
"Your Majesty, I have remembered."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded slightly, his tone softening somewhat, but still carrying a warning tone:
"Remember, being a regent is no child's play. Daily affairs are handled by the Grand Secretaries Xue Guoguan and Fan Jingwen, as well as the officials of the Six Ministries. They are all pillars of the country and have rich experience. You do not need to interfere too much, and you must not give orders recklessly, which will only cause trouble."

"As the Prince Regent, your primary duty is to govern the central government and stabilize public sentiment. If you encounter any problems, you should not be ashamed to ask questions and seek advice from senior ministers and important officials."

"This experience will greatly benefit your future growth, so be sure to cherish it."

Zhu Cijiong listened and nodded repeatedly to show that he understood.

However, he couldn't help but glance out of the corner of his eye at his elder brother, Zhu Cilang, who sat calmly to the side, seemingly listening to something that had nothing to do with him.

The position of regent is extremely powerful and carries immense responsibility. In principle, it should have been held by the crown prince. He had never dared to hope for such an honor. This time, it was entirely by chance that the heavy responsibility of regent fell on the shoulders of him, a prince who was only thirteen years old, because his elder brother decided to go on a southern tour with their father.

This sudden and heavy responsibility did not bring him joy, but rather immense pressure and deep unease.

He was only thirteen years old after all. In an ordinary family, he would still be a child. But now he was to symbolically take charge of this huge imperial capital. How could he not be flustered and confused?
After much internal struggle, Zhu Cijiong finally mustered his courage and spoke timidly, his voice trembling slightly:

"Father, I am still young and my knowledge is shallow. I am even more ignorant about state affairs. This position of regent is of great importance. I am afraid that I am not worthy and virtuous enough to fail your great trust."

His words were not entirely humble; they were more a reflection of his deep-seated fear.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen rolled his eyes at Zhu Cijiong, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment:

"Heavy? You're already thirteen years old! Fourteen by the traditional Chinese age reckoning! In ordinary households, that's already considered a capable adult! How can you continue to use your youth as an excuse? Do you understand?"

At this point, Chongzhen's voice suddenly stopped, as if something had suddenly stuck in his throat, and his expression became somewhat strange.

What he originally wanted to blurt out was:

"Do you know that when your elder brother was your age, he had already begun secretly plotting to rebel against me!"

But as the words were about to come out, he suddenly realized that he could not reveal such a "family scandal" in front of his other son. Wouldn't that be exposing his own shortcomings and damaging his dignity as a father and emperor?

At the same time, Zhu Cilang, who was sitting to the side, obviously immediately understood the unspoken "subtext" of Chongzhen, and a helpless bitter smile appeared on his face.

If Zhu Cijiong knew that his seemingly gentle and refined elder brother had started a rebellion and taken control of the court when he was younger than him, how embarrassing would that be?
This will likely leave an indelible shadow in the heart of this younger brother.

Fortunately, Chongzhen stopped himself in time. He coughed awkwardly and quickly changed his words:

"Ahem. In short, stop using your youth as an excuse! When I was your age, I had already thoroughly studied the classics and history and knew the hardships of the common people!"

"Alright, remember what I just told you! Observe more, listen more, ask more questions, and do less to act on your own."

"When you encounter important military or national affairs that you are unsure about, the Cabinet will draft a proposal, and the Directorate of Ceremonial will approve it. Just follow the established procedures. You don't need to worry too much, and you must not act recklessly!"

Seeing his father's resolute tone, Zhu Cijiong dared not argue further and could only lower his head, stammering in response:
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will certainly follow Your Majesty's teachings and consult with the ministers of the cabinet on all matters. I will never act on my own initiative."

Just then, Zhu Cilang, seeing his younger brother looking dejected after being scolded, felt a pang of sympathy and stepped in to smooth things over:
“Father, Cijiong is still young and this is the first time he has taken on such an important task. It is normal for him to be nervous. You don’t need to be too harsh on him. Just take it slow.”

Young my foot!

Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but curse inwardly, a nameless anger almost rising within him.

He thought to himself: You little brat, you have the nerve to say that? When you were his age, you dared to rebel against me. You were as cunning as a hornet's nest, and you knew exactly how to scheme against your old man. Now you're acting like a good guy, saying he's too young.
In comparison, Zhu Cijiong appears even more "incompetent".

However, he dared not voice these criticisms of Chongzhen aloud; he merely let out a cold, ambiguous snort to express his dissatisfaction.

However, what seemed like an ordinary conversation and subtle interaction between the father and his two sons surprised and confused the sensitive Zhu Cijiong even more.

He clearly sensed that there seemed to be some kind of extremely special tacit understanding between his father and his elder brother that he could not comprehend at all.

The Emperor's attitude toward his elder brother was less like that of a monarch toward a crown prince and more like a helpless equality.

Even after the elder brother spoke, the father's cold snort was more like an admission than an expression of anger.
This completely overturned his understanding of the relationship between the father and son in the Tian family!
But he knew the taboos of the palace well and dared not ask too many questions. He could only bury this huge doubt deep in his heart, sitting there with his head down and not daring to breathe.

Emperor Chongzhen seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere from earlier. He waved his hand, as if to dispel the tension, and said to Zhu Cijiong:

"Alright, I have given you everything I needed to say. Go back and think it over carefully. Be more careful in everything you do. You may leave now."

Zhu Cijiong felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and quickly stood up and respectfully bowed:
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will remember your teachings. I take my leave now."

Then he turned to Zhu Cilang and bowed again:
"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded, speaking gently:
"Go ahead. If you encounter any difficulties, you may send someone to the Eastern Palace to find me at any time."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Cijiong felt a slight warmth in his heart. After bowing again, he carefully followed the eunuch standing at the door to exit the warm pavilion.

His somewhat thin, boyish figure quickly disappeared outside the curtain.

Inside the warm pavilion, only Emperor Chongzhen and his son Zhu Cilang remained for a moment.

Chongzhen picked up the warm teacup on the kang table, brought it to his lips, and slowly sipped it to moisten his somewhat dry throat.

He then put down his teacup and turned his gaze to Zhu Cilang. The last trace of gentleness he had shown towards his young son had vanished, replaced by his usual complex expression, a mixture of weariness, scrutiny, and a hint of dependence.

“Your younger brother is far less courageous and daring than you were back then.”

Emperor Chongzhen sighed softly, his tone carrying an undisguised disappointment and worry. (End of Chapter)