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

More than a month ago, Cao Youyi learned through the Ministry of War's postal system and secret reports from the palace that the Emperor's entourage would soon travel north along the Grand Canal from Nanjing and land at Dagu Port in Tianjin to return to Beijing.

From that moment on, he remained on high alert, never daring to slacken his vigilance.

Welcoming the Emperor is not only a tremendous honor, but also a matter of utmost importance! The slightest mistake could cost him not only his position as a general, but also his life.

Therefore, for the past month or so, he has practically moved his headquarters to the vicinity of the dock, personally overseeing every detail, from the maintenance of the dock, the leveling of the roads, the arrangement of the barracks, to the guards along the route, the arrangement of the ceremonial guard, and even the food and lodging of the officials who were to receive him. He has checked everything repeatedly to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Just yesterday evening, the sentry ship dispatched to patrol and lookout at sea sent back the latest news:
The vanguard of the Holy Carriage fleet has already passed the waters of Dengzhou, Shandong, and is less than two hundred li (approximately 100 kilometers) away from Dagu Port in Tianjin! Based on normal sailing speed, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it is highly likely that they will arrive in Tianjin this afternoon, or at the latest tomorrow morning!

Upon receiving this news, Cao Youyi barely slept a wink all night.

Before dawn, he braved the cold wind and personally went to the dock to oversee the final inspection.

However, it seemed that fate was deliberately testing him, as the weather was exceptionally bad today. The sky was as dark as spilled ink, the low-hanging clouds seemed almost within reach, the waves on the sea were larger than usual, and the damp, cold sea breeze, carrying fine mist, stung his face.

The air was thick with the smell of water, a clear sign that a storm was brewing, or at least that a prolonged period of rain was imminent.

"Damn you, God! Of all times, it had to be today!"

Cao Youyi was extremely irritated and couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath. This kind of weather was what he worried about most.

If the emperor arrives during a torrential downpour, the roads become muddy, the procession is in disarray, and the officials and soldiers welcoming him are left in a sorry state, or even worse, one of them might startle the emperor or cause him to catch a cold...

The consequences are simply unimaginable!
Although the weather was not cooperating and it was beyond human control, if the higher-ups blamed him, he, the general in charge of the specific welcoming affairs, would definitely be the first to bear the brunt.

The thought of facing a wrath sent a chill down Cao Youyi's spine. He scratched his head anxiously, his once neatly combed hair becoming disheveled.

He could only pray in secret that the rain would come later, even if it was only after the emperor had safely landed and entered the palace.

"My lord! My lord! They're back! The sentry ship is back!"

Just as Cao Youyi was filled with worry, one of his personal guards suddenly pointed towards the sea and shouted excitedly.

Cao Youyi's spirits lifted, and he suddenly looked up, gazing into the distance in the direction his personal guard was pointing.

At the gray horizon where the sea and sky meet, a black dot breaks through the surging white waves, hurtling towards the dock like an arrow released from a bow.

He was very familiar with that ship type; it was the very same scout ship he had sent out to get close enough to scout out the exact location of the Holy Fleet!
This ship has a long and narrow hull, uses both sails and oars, and is extremely fast. It is specifically used for transmitting urgent military intelligence.

"Quick! Come with me!"

Without a second thought, Cao Youyi pushed aside the reed mat used to block the wind, disregarding his appearance, and rushed towards the dock pier against the cold wind. Several of his personal guards quickly followed behind him.

The fast scout boat had obviously spotted the general waiting on the dock. It sailed straight to the small, dedicated berth. Before it had even come to a complete stop, several sailors dressed as soldiers nimbly jumped onto the pier and ran quickly toward Cao Youyi.

The two sides met in the middle of the pier. When the sailors saw the general, they instinctively knelt down on one knee to pay their respects.

"No need for formalities!"

Cao Youyi waved his hand and asked urgently:
"Speak quickly! Where is the Holy Fleet now? How far are they from here?!"

Seeing the general's urgency, the leading sailor skipped the formalities and, panting heavily, replied rapidly:
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief! We have been ordered to meet Your Majesty fifty li to the southeast and have confirmed with the vanguard! The main force of Your Majesty's fleet is now less than twenty li away from our Dagu Port! The dragon flag and ceremonial guards are clearly visible!"

"Twenty li?!"

Cao Youyi's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

The journey of twenty miles by water, at the speed of the Holy Emperor's fleet, even with its large size and the need for careful navigation, would surely take no more than two hours!
In other words, the emperor's entourage will arrive at the Tianjin dock around noon!
"Good! Great!"

Cao Youyi slapped his thigh hard, and the anxiety of the past few days seemed to dissipate in an instant, replaced by a tension and excitement of an impending great battle.

He turned abruptly and shouted sternly at the middle-ranking officer following closely behind:
"Pass on my orders! All officers, soldiers, and laborers at the dock, take your positions immediately and be on high alert! Repeat the street cleaning and water-splashing ceremony once more! The honor guard and band will conduct a final check of their equipment and uniforms! The guards will expand the cordon area, and all bystanders will be driven away to a distance of three miles from the dock! All welcoming officials will line up at their designated positions at the dock according to their rank, without fail! Hurry! Go now!"

"Order!"

The officer clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, turned and ran off, loudly relaying the general's command.

In an instant, the already busy Tianjin docks became even more tense, like a machine wound up to its limit, operating at an even higher efficiency.

The sounds of commands, footsteps, clattering objects, and officers' urging and shouting mingled together, creating a tense prelude to welcoming the emperor under the gloomy sky.

Cao Youyi took a deep breath of the cold, salty air, looked up again at the leaden sky that seemed about to drip water, clasped his hands together, and silently prayed to the void:
"May Heaven and our ancestors protect us, and please do not let rain or snow fall at this time, so that this humble general can... smoothly escort the Emperor back to the capital!"

Two hours, filled with tension and anticipation, seemed to pass by both endlessly and in the blink of an eye.

At the beginning of noon, the long-standing gloomy and oppressive seascape finally began to change.

First, the tips of some masts faintly appeared on the horizon, like a black forest growing on the sea.

Immediately afterwards, the sails gradually appeared, one, two, ten, a hundred... The outline of the massive fleet, like a group of ancient behemoths rising from the seabed, slowly tore through the sea fog and haze, clearly appearing before all the Tianjin garrison and officials who were eagerly waiting.

Banners fluttered, obscuring the sky! At the forefront were dozens of long, slender warships equipped with cannons, cutting through the waves and protecting the central army.

In the center, the colossal treasure ship, resembling a palace on the sea, stood majestically, its apricot-yellow dragon flag fluttering at the top of the mainmast, strikingly visible even in the gloomy sky, proclaiming the return of supreme imperial power. Surrounding it were even more ships of various sizes—transport ships, passenger ships, cargo ships… a vast and continuous line, almost covering the distant sea.

The deep sound of horns drifted through the sea breeze, carrying a solemn and majestic air.

Emperor Chongzhen's southern inspection fleet sailed at sea for more than a month. Although it encountered several days of storms at sea and had to take shelter in a port in Shandong, which delayed the journey, it eventually arrived safely and reached the gateway to the northern sea frontier of the empire, Dagu Port in Tianjin, which is only two hundred miles away from the capital!

On the top deck of the massive ship's main building, Zhu Cilang, wearing a black cloak lined with silver fox fur, stood leaning against the railing.

The biting sea wind whipped his hair back, but he paid it no mind. His gaze was calm as he watched the Tianjin dock grow closer and clearer, and the crowd of people on the dock, as dense as ants yet neatly lined up to welcome him. A slight smile appeared on his lips, revealing a relieved yet wistful expression.

Finally... I'm back.

After nearly half a year and traversing thousands of miles, this southern tour, aimed at turning the tide of the nation's destiny and consolidating its foundation, has finally come to a successful conclusion.

As his feet were about to set foot on the heart of the empire once again, Zhu Cilang's heart was filled with turbulent emotions.

For him, this journey home by sea, which lasted for more than a month, was much more than just a physical movement.

He had ample time to quietly observe and reflect, away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland and the complexities of government affairs.

He witnessed firsthand the naval power that the Ming Empire possessed at that time, which was arguably the world's top level in this era.

The large, well-trained, and coordinated fleet under Zheng Zhilong's command, the size of the warships, the configuration of the cannons, the sailors' boat handling skills, and even the organizational ability for long-distance voyages, all left a very deep impression on him.

This made him think of the weakness and incompetence of the navy in the late Ming and late Qing dynasties, which were often depicted in later historical books and film and television works. Whether it was the naval silence after Zheng Chenggong, the disastrous defeat of the old-style navy in the Opium War, or the tragic demise of the Beiyang Fleet, it seems to have left the Chinese people with the stereotype that "the Chinese navy has never been strong".

Although the Ming Dynasty's navy experienced ups and downs after its peak during the Zheng He era, its foundation and technological accumulation, especially along the southeast coast, were never truly severed.

The "Jiajing Wokou Rebellion" in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty spurred generals such as Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang to attach importance to and rebuild the navy.

Although the Ming Dynasty was in decline at the end of the Ming Dynasty, maritime magnates like Zheng Zhilong developed a powerful naval force that was able to rival or even suppress the European colonists who came to the east at that time through privateering and trade!

Their warships may not have been as well-organized as the later European sailing battleships, but their adaptability to the Chinese coastal waters, their flexible and mobile tactics, and their unique equipment such as the "fire dragon" and chained ships should not be underestimated.

It can be said that in the East Asian waters of the mid-17th century, the Ming Dynasty's navy was still a formidable force, one of the most powerful navies in the world at that time, and at least in coastal waters, it had few rivals.

"The only pity is that, in the original history, the Ming Dynasty ultimately perished..."

Zhu Cilang sighed silently in his heart.

Internal collapse and the combination of internal and external troubles completely dragged down this giant, preventing its powerful maritime potential from being transformed into a lasting national policy and the driving force for ocean exploration. Ultimately, it dissipated with the fall of the dynasty or was completely strangled by the Qing Dynasty's maritime prohibition policy.

Otherwise, given the technology and navigational foundation at the time, if the development towards the ocean had continued, who could say that the East would not have given birth to a great maritime empire that was no less than or even surpassed that of the West at the same time?

However, this regret may be made up for by him, no, it has already begun to be turned around in his hands!
Under his intervention, the Ming Dynasty is now facing internal troubles, improved finances, and a renewed imperial power. His alliance with Zheng Zhilong's forces is like adding wings to a tiger.

On land, he reorganized his army and prepared for the final blow against the Jurchens.

At sea, a blueprint for integrating the navy, developing trade, and exploring the open ocean was slowly unfolding in his mind.

History has taken a turn. The great ship of the Ming Dynasty is being forcibly steered away from its original course that was heading towards the reefs, and is now sailing towards a new sea area that, although still turbulent, is full of infinite possibilities.

"I'm not saying that the Ming Dynasty will last forever, but based on this, to extend the dynasty for another two or three hundred years and create an unprecedented land and sea empire seems... not to be a pipe dream."

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang felt all the pent-up emotions in his chest dissipate, and a surge of pride and confidence welled up within him. Even the gloomy and cold weather seemed to brighten and open up.

He straightened his back slightly, his gaze becoming increasingly sharp as he looked towards the land he was about to land on.

About half an hour later, amidst the shouts of countless sailors and soldiers and the creaking of ropes, the massive treasure ship and several main imperial vessels finally slowly and steadily docked at the specially reinforced berth of the Dagukou Wharf in Tianjin.

Once the gangplank was in place, squads of Imperial Guards, dressed in flying fish robes and with embroidered spring knives at their waists, were the first to disembark and quickly take over the security at the dock, their eyes scanning every corner and every face around them with lightning speed.

After confirming that it was safe, a commander of the Imperial Guards turned around and signaled a series of complex and precise flag signals to the side of the "Zhenhai" ship.

Upon receiving the safety signal, the imperial procession on the royal boat began to move.

The first to disembark were the ceremonial guards carrying golden maces, axes, and banners, who quickly formed an imposing passageway on both sides of the gangplank.

Immediately afterwards, eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial, including those in charge of the seal, bowed and stepped forward.

Subsequently, surrounded by Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, Zheng Zhilong, and a group of close ministers and nobles, Emperor Chongzhen, wearing a bright yellow brocade cloak and a winged crown, finally appeared beside the high gunwale of the ship.

On the dock, led by Cao Youyi, the General Commander of the Tianjin Navy, along with local civil and military officials such as the Governor of Tianjin, the Military Commissioner of Tianjin, and the Commander of Tianjin Garrison, as well as some advance officials from the capital who had rushed there upon hearing the news, had already knelt down in a dense crowd according to their ranks and titles.

The wind was biting cold, and many officials' faces turned blue from the cold, but no one dared to slack off in the slightest.

The moment they saw the emperor, everyone immediately lowered their heads, their foreheads almost touching the cold, damp wooden floor, and shouted with all their might, the sound drowning out the howling wind and the crashing waves:
"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome your return to the capital! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Your subject respectfully welcomes Your Highness the Crown Prince! Long live Your Highness! Long live the Crown Prince! Long live the Crown Prince!"

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed like a tsunami over the docks, deafening and filled with the excitement of surviving a catastrophe and the awe of the return of imperial power. (End of Chapter)