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

Chapter 202 Chongzhen: I finally became the greatest emperor of all time!

Finally, six days later, the Martyrs' Shrine used to commemorate the soldiers who died in the war was finally built!
The address is between Songshan and Jinzhou!
On this day, the sky was dark, and the entire sky seemed to be covered by a huge leaden cloud.

It is already July, but the air is filled with a chill.

Outside Jinzhou City, a strong wind swept past like a ferocious beast, blowing the sand and stones on the ground into the sky, like a group of trapped beasts that had lost their way, running around in panic.

The mountains in the distance, set against the gray sky, exude endless mystery and sadness.

On this somewhat barren land, a majestic and solemn temple rises from the ground.

The raging wind added a touch of solemnity.

The blue-gray glazed tiles emit a cold and quiet light against the dim sky and earth, as if silently telling the past grandeur and tragedy.

The trees and branches around the temple swayed wildly in the strong wind, making rustling sounds, as if they were singing a sad song for the deceased soldiers.

It also seemed like it was welcoming the people who were about to arrive.

At this moment, Chongzhen was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, which fluttered violently in the strong wind.

His face was solemn, as if shrouded in a layer of heavy haze, and his expression was filled with deep sorrow.

At this time, Chongzhen's heart was filled with guilt and remembrance for the soldiers who died in the battle.

He had been emperor for many years and was no stranger to the deaths of his soldiers.

After all, in the more than ten years since he ascended the throne, wars and peasant uprisings broke out everywhere in the Ming Dynasty, and countless soldiers were killed or wounded.

But in the past, those dead soldiers were just some cold numbers and names, and he didn't feel much.

But this time was different, because he saw with his own eyes these soldiers sacrifice their lives for the Ming Dynasty!

This feeling touched Chongzhen deeply!

Immediately afterwards, accompanied by a loud and tragic trumpet sound, Chongzhen walked towards the temple step by step, his steps extremely heavy.

Behind him, Zhu Cilang and a group of civil and military officials followed and slowly moved towards the temple.

The military generals were dressed in armor and the civil officials were dressed in official uniforms. Everyone's expression was extremely solemn, as if frozen.

Zhu Cilang followed behind Chongzhen, looking at Chongzhen's slightly sad back, his heart full of emotion.

As you step into the temple, a solemn and dignified atmosphere instantly hits you.

The temple was filled with a faint smell of incense, and the lit candles flickered, the weak light barely illuminating the thousands of tablets densely packed in the hall.

These tablets are arranged neatly, like a silent forest of steles, exuding an awe-inspiring atmosphere.

Each tablet carries the vivid and passionate life of a brave soldier, and also represents their achievements!
Chongzhen's gaze slowly swept across these tablets, his eyes full of sadness and regret, and his heart felt a sharp pain like a knife.

Because these are all loyal and brave people of the Ming Dynasty!
Without their bloody battles, how could we have achieved today's great victory?
But they did not see this scene, and could only be shown to the world as such a cold tablet, sleeping forever under this land!
Thinking of this, Chongzhen's eyes turned slightly red, and his throat felt like it was choked by a ball of cotton, so dry that he couldn't speak.

The military generals standing behind Chongzhen couldn't help but feel ripples in their hearts when they saw Chongzhen so grief-stricken.

Zu Dashou looked at the tablets not far away, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

Because among these people, there are thousands of his brothers!

Back then, 5,000 men charged into the battle, but only more than 100 men survived. Among them, 4,900 men were killed in the battle and buried here forever!

But fortunately their deaths were not in vain!

The Ming Dynasty ultimately triumphed! Their names will be remembered by future generations! Their families will also receive compensation from the imperial court!
Thinking of this, Zu Dashou sighed inwardly:
Brothers, have a safe journey!
Immediately afterwards, a special official came up to read the memorial, which reviewed the heroic deeds of the soldiers in the past and expressed gratitude and remembrance for them.

Then there are ceremonies such as welcoming gods, laying down silk, offering food, reading blessings, performing sacrifices, burning silk, and reading prayers.

The Ming Dynasty was almost three hundred years old, and there was already a set of standard procedures for everything, including paying tribute to the dead soldiers.

Zhu Cilang has always hated these red tapes. If it were something else, he would have run away long ago!

But not this time!
Because he also wanted to see these soldiers off for the last time.

So from beginning to end, Zhu Cilang followed Chongzhen all the time, and then completed all the procedures under the guidance of the priest.

By the time the worship was completed, two hours had already passed!

After returning to Jinzhou, Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang stood side by side in the courtyard of the general's mansion.

The flowers and plants in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, but they could not dispel the sorrow in Chongzhen's heart.

Chongzhen looked at the white clouds floating slowly in the sky. Seeing that the white clouds were floating freely, his eyes suddenly revealed a trace of fatigue that was difficult to conceal.

Hey!
The next second, he sighed slightly, then turned around and looked at Zhu Cilang and said:
"It's time to go back to Beijing!"

Zhu Cilang nodded and said:
"I understand. Now that the Liaodong issue has been resolved, it's time to return."

Just like that, the father and son agreed to return to Beijing two days later!

In the next two days, the entire Liaodong became busy again.

In the military camp, soldiers were hurrying around, carrying various supplies, and shouting could be heard one after another.

Zhu Cilang personally sat in the military camp and gave orders in an orderly manner.

There's no way, if he's not here, this place will definitely be in chaos!
He had promised everyone before that before the army left, he would leave behind most of the flintlock rifles, firearms and hot air balloons and distribute them to the generals.

Now that the news that the emperor was about to return to the capital had spread, those military generals flocked to the capital, all wanting to get more things.

After all, they had witnessed the power of flintlock rifles before, and they also knew that the Ming Dynasty's future combat methods would be very different from before, so they wanted to adapt to flintlock rifles as quickly as possible.

So that you can make great contributions in future wars!
For example, right now, these people have surrounded Zhu Cilang so tightly that no one can get in or out.

Wu Sangui, the leader, was anxious and spoke first:

"Your Highness, the men under my command have long been eager to be equipped with such powerful firearms. Please give me more flintlock rifles!"

Zu Dashou was not to be outdone, he stepped forward and bowed, saying:
"Your Highness, I have been stationed in Liaodong for many years. I have a large number of troops under my command and need stronger armaments. I hope Your Highness can take good care of me and equip me with sufficient flintlock rifles, hot air balloons, and new artillery!"

"In this way, I guarantee that Liaodong will be defended as solid as an iron wall!"

Yang Guozhu also shouted in a hoarse voice:

"Your Highness, my brothers are capable of fighting, but they lack powerful men like you."

"You must not forget me!"

For a while, these generals argued with each other, their faces red and their eyes full of desire for flintlock rifles, hot air balloons and new artillery, fearing that they would not be able to get enough weapons and equipment.

Even the female general Qin Liangyu couldn't help but speak.

But she is a woman after all, so even if she speaks, she is not as shameless as other generals.

Zhu Cilang looked at the anxious crowd in front of him, a helpless smile appeared on his face, and then he raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

Seeing that the prince was like this, everyone naturally quieted down.

Then, Zhu Cilang said slowly:

"Generals, please don't worry. Just listen to me."

"This distribution of firearms is to enhance the combat capability of the Ming army. Naturally, I will not favor any party. Everyone present will receive one, and I will distribute it fairly."

"In addition, I will continue to send more flintlock rifles, hot air balloons, and new artillery until every soldier is equipped with these weapons."

"So the most important thing for you now is to get these firearms and make the soldiers proficient in them as soon as possible."

"Soon, the imperial court will mobilize troops to deal with Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, and we'll need you to be loyal to the country then!"

After hearing this, the anxiety on the faces of the generals gradually faded away, and they all showed happy smiles.

Then he hurriedly bowed to Zhu Cilang and said:
"Don't worry, Your Highness. We will definitely live up to your trust!"

In this way, there were no more problems in the subsequent distribution.

Zhu Cilang only kept 10,000 flintlock rifles for emergency use, and distributed the rest to these generals.

As for the hot air balloons and new artillery, Zhu Cilang kept them all.

These things are big and heavy, so there is really no need to bring them back to the capital. There are plenty of them there anyway.

Time flies, and soon it is time to return to Beijing.

Early in the morning, the 50,000 troops brought from the capital were already ready.

These soldiers are in neat uniforms, with high morale, and everyone is full of energy and spirit!
After all, we won the battle!

So naturally they returned to the court victorious. In addition, everyone received a large reward, and some people were promoted. How could they not be happy?

With Chongzhen's order, the army set out immediately!
Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen sat in the dragon chariot, accompanied by Li Ruolian, Fang Zhenghua, Li Hu, Zheng Chenggong, Zhang Shize and others.

Normally speaking, even if he was the crown prince, he could not ride on the dragon chariot.

Because the dragon chariot belongs exclusively to the emperor!
But at this time everyone pretended not to see it. After all, as long as they were not stupid, they would know that the prince was almost no different from the emperor now.

If anyone insists on using this as an excuse, isn't that just asking for trouble?
Even the two most critical censors shut their mouths at this moment!

In addition, Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou led a group of civil and military officials to accompany them.

Along the way, people from Liaodong spontaneously organized themselves to see them off.

Both sides of the road were lined with dense crowds of people. Although their clothes were tattered, everyone's eyes were full of respect.

An old man knelt on the ground tremblingly, with his hands clasped together, and kept chanting "Long live the emperor."

Some young men straightened their backs, their eyes full of gratitude, and watched the holy carriage leave.

There were also women holding children, and the children were imitating the adults, shouting something in a baby voice.

The people of Liaodong were truly moved this time.

Because of this victory, Liaodong returned to peace and there was no more suffering from war.

Moreover, Chongzhen had previously issued an edict to exempt Liaodong from taxes for two years. Adding to the previous year of exemption, these people did not have to pay taxes for three years!

This was undoubtedly a great blessing for the people who made their living from the land. In addition, Chongzhen also distributed a lot of daily necessities such as food and salt to some local people to ensure their survival.

All in all, in the eyes of the people of Liaodong, Chongzhen was indeed a wise and benevolent ruler!
Chongzhen sat on the dragon chariot, watching this scene through the windows on both sides, his eyes instantly moist.

Finally, he became the greatest emperor of all time!
Even Zhu Cilang, who was standing by, couldn't help but be moved.

In this way, the army slowly left Jinzhou City amid the cheers of the people and headed towards the capital.

When passing by the places where the Mongols and Jurchens lived, he saw that these people were also kneeling in an orderly manner outside to see off the emperor.

With awe and gratitude on their faces, they waited until the holy carriage had completely left before slowly standing up.

Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou accompanied him all the way to Ningyuan City.

Then they bowed to Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang again and said goodbye.

Hong Chengchou looked respectful and said with a cupped hand:

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, take care on your journey. We will carefully protect Liaodong."

Zu Dashou also clasped his fists and said:

"May Your Majesty and the Crown Prince have a safe journey and return to the capital soon."

Chongzhen nodded slightly, his eyes full of trust and expectation.

"My two beloved ministers, Liaodong is now in your hands!"

Zhu Cilang didn't say anything, but just nodded at Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou as a greeting.

Afterwards, the army set out again and headed straight for the capital.

Hong Chengchou, Zu Dashou and others watched the army go away until they could no longer see it, then they turned around and returned to the city.

With Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang leaving Liaodong, the "Battle of Songjin" that determined the life and death of the Ming Dynasty was finally over!
Just as the emperor was returning to Beijing, the streets and alleys of the capital were still filled with the joyful atmosphere of the Ming army's great victory.

Whether in the streets or in teahouses and theaters, people were talking about this glorious victory.

Everyone praised Chongzhen endlessly.

Of course, there are also people who praise Zhu Cilang.

Besides this, there is something even more gratifying.

That was not long ago, the overseas rice that the Zheng family helped to purchase arrived safely in Daming.

The Ministry of Revenue sent people to check and settle the accounts and found that this batch of rice was more than 6 million dan, and the grains were full and bright in color. It was obviously not ordinary stale rice.

The officials from the Ministry of Revenue looked at the rice and smiled with satisfaction on their faces.

Because this batch of rice is not only of good quality, but also cheap!
All in all, one stone was only seven cents of silver, which was three or four times cheaper than in the Ming Dynasty!
And they don't have to pay for shipping, they only have to pay the cost price of the rice.

This is undoubtedly great news for the Ministry of Revenue!
In addition, another batch of rice will be delivered before the New Year, and together with the summer grain that will be harvested soon, the court's grain reserves will not only be sufficient, but it can even allocate enough grain to provide relief to the people suffering from famine.

In general, the Ming Dynasty is getting better and better.

That afternoon, the sunlight gradually set in the west, casting a dim afterglow.

After a busy day at court, the cabinet chief Xue Guoguan returned to his residence, dragging his slightly tired body.

Just as he got off the sedan chair with the help of servants, a joyful voice suddenly came into his ears from the door.

"father!"

When Xue Guoguan heard this, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face, which had originally looked a little haggard due to fatigue.

Because he recognized that the owner of the voice was his youngest son Xue Youwei, whom he had not seen for a long time.

Sure enough, when he looked up, who else could it be but his youngest son?

Xue Youwei is in his thirties this year. He is a little plump and has a round face with a casual look.

Because he had no interest in studying or serving as an official, Xue Guoguan let him stay in his hometown and carefully manage the 30,000 acres of fertile land at home.

Every year, he would send a large sum of money to the capital to cover his family expenses.

Although Xue Guoguan felt somewhat disappointed with his youngest son, the blood ties between them were still deep, and seeing his son at this moment, he was naturally filled with joy.

The kindness in those eyes seemed to be able to dispel all the fatigue of the day.

At night, soft lights flickered in the house, illuminating the dining table filled with delicious food, and the aroma of the dishes filled the entire room.

The whole family sat around the dinner table. Except for the eldest son who had official business and had not returned yet, the whole family was there.

Xue Guoguan ate his meal slowly while chatting casually with his family, enjoying this moment of warmth.

Suddenly, Xue Guoguan seemed to remember something extremely important. His originally relaxed expression suddenly became stern. Finally, he stared at Xue Youwei and asked:
"By the way, I once wrote you a letter instructing you to pay all taxes from the first year of Chongzhen to the present. Have you paid them yet?"

Xue Youwei, who was originally smiling and putting a piece of braised pork into his mouth, froze instantly when he heard this.

The smile on his face seemed to be blown away by a gust of cold wind and disappeared without a trace in an instant.

But he quickly pretended to be calm and said in a steady tone:

"How dare a son disobey his father? Of course I handed it over!"

However, this slight abnormality of his did not escape Xue Guoguan's eyes.

In an instant, Xue Guoguan's eyes became as sharp as an eagle's, staring at Xue Youwei intently.

Because he had realized that his son was lying to him!

For a moment, Xue Guoguan's anger suddenly rose up.

He slammed the dishes in his hands on the table, making a loud "bang" sound, and even the dishes on the table vibrated.

Before anyone could react, Xue Guoguan suddenly stood up and shouted:

"Tell me the truth, have you paid the tax?"

This sudden roar was like a thunderclap exploding out of nowhere, frightening Xue Youwei so much that his whole body trembled violently and the chopsticks in his hand fell to the ground.

Although he is already in his thirties, he is still afraid of his father deep down.

Finally, after hesitating for a long time, he murmured like a puppy who had made a mistake:

“No.”

Hearing this answer, Xue Guoguan felt a chill rushing from the soles of his feet to his forehead. He was so scared that his whole body turned cold, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe.

Then he finally collapsed in the chair.

When they saw this scene, the family members around were shocked and rushed forward to comfort Xue Guoguan.

No one knows what the situation is. It’s just that taxes have not been paid. Why would Xue Guoguan have such a big reaction?

After all, since Xue Guoguan became an official, his family has never paid taxes again. Isn't this normal?
However, only Xue Guoguan knew that he might have to go through another life-and-death catastrophe.
As the chief minister of the cabinet, Xue Guoguan had an extraordinary keen perception of changes in the court situation.

He knew in his heart that the young prince had been committed to rectifying taxation. When he rectified the commercial tax before, he made everyone's eyes light up. He even increased the commercial tax of the Ming Dynasty from several million taels to tens of millions of taels!

This kind of courage and vision simply amazed even a veteran like him.

If nothing unexpected happens, he estimates that the prince will take action on land tax soon.

In addition, he had experienced a life-and-death disaster before, so he had become more open-minded about many things and no longer regarded money as so important.

Therefore, a month ago, he specially wrote a letter, repeatedly instructing his youngest son Xue Youwei to not only pay this year's taxes on time, but also to pay the taxes owed in the past.

That is, the taxes owed from the first year of Chongzhen to the present.

But he never expected that Xue Youwei would turn a deaf ear to his words and not take them to heart at all.

The more Xue Guoguan thought about it, the more frightened he became. He felt a black screen in front of his eyes, his head was dizzy, and even his heart started beating violently. He almost fainted.

Xue Youwei was a little scared when he saw his father like this, but he was more puzzled and couldn't help muttering:

"Father, do you have to be so scared? Isn't it just that I didn't pay the taxes?"

"Besides, you are the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. Who dares to collect taxes from our family?"

"Even if I gave the tax to those officers and soldiers, they wouldn't dare to take it."

After hearing this, Xue Guoguan was so angry that his whole body was shaking, and the muscles on his face were twisted with anger.

He raised his finger and pointed at Xue Youwei, his voice becoming hoarse with extreme anger, and shouted:
"You rebellious son, do you know what you're saying? You're dragging our entire family into an abyss of no return!"

"You're going to kill our whole family!"

Xue Youwei was dissatisfied and raised his voice unconsciously to refute:

"Hasn't it always been like this before? Hasn't our family ever had any relationship before?"

When he heard this, Xue Guoguan was so angry that he couldn't help laughing.

It turns out that people can actually laugh when they are angry!
But as he laughed, Xue Guoguan became even angrier.

The next second, he raised his foot and kicked the table in front of him with all his strength. Although the table was not overturned, the dishes on the table were shaken to pieces, and the wine spilled all over the table.

After this kick, Xue Guoguan calmed down.

Then Xue Guoguan said coldly:

"All of you get out, just leave this rebellious son behind!"

When the others heard this, they didn't dare to say anything and left in shame.

For a moment, only Xue Guoguan and his son Xue Youwei were left in the room.

Xue Guoguan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and silently said in his heart:
Dear
Only then did I calm down completely.

(End of this chapter)