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

Chapter 217 Chongzhen: Beef stew with potatoes? I like it!
But then, Chongzhen seemed to suddenly remember something important. He looked at Zhu Cilang and said solemnly:

"If ordinary royal relatives evade taxes, they will be killed."

"But the Zhu clan has a special status, so we must not kill them lightly."

"As the ruler of a country, I do not wish to bear the eternal infamy of slaughtering members of the royal family."

Zhu Cilang raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a confident smile as he responded:
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I know what's going on and have already made all the arrangements."

"Anyone involved with the Zhu clan will be escorted back to the capital for punishment. We will never kill them on the spot."

When Chongzhen heard this, he finally felt relieved.

But don't get me wrong, the reason why Chongzhen said this was not because he had any feelings for those royal family members, but because as an emperor, his every word and action was watched by the world, and even if the royal family members made mistakes, he could not deal with them at will.

If the emperor arbitrarily kills members of the royal family, it will easily cause internal panic and unrest, which will in turn shake the foundation of the entire ruling group and lead to political instability.

At this moment, Wang Chengen stepped forward, bowed and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it's time for lunch. Please go and have your meal."

So Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen stood up one after another and walked towards the palace side by side.

At the same time, Queen Zhou and others had been waiting in the palace for a long time.

Seeing Chongzhen step into the hall, Empress Zhou immediately led everyone to bow.

"Welcome the Emperor!"

Chongzhen was in a good mood today, with a smile on his face. He raised his hand and waved gently, saying in a pleasant manner:

"Everyone, please get up. No need to be polite."

After saying this, he strode to the main seat and sat down. Others also took their seats in order according to their seats.

Zhu Cilang naturally sat down next to Zheng Xiaomei.

Queen Zhou's face was filled with enthusiasm. She smiled and greeted everyone, saying:
"Today is a family dinner, a gathering of family. Don't be too rigid about etiquette, just be casual."

This sounded normal to others, but Qiqige felt a little strange. It seemed that she was not considered a family member, was she?

But she didn't say much, just nodded silently.

At this moment, Chongzhen's eyes suddenly fell on an attractive dish on the table. A hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes, and he immediately asked:
"What kind of dish is this? I've never seen it before."

Upon seeing this, Wang Chengen quickly stepped forward and replied respectfully:
"Your Majesty, this is beef stew with potatoes."

"This dish has never been on the palace menu before. The Crown Prince specially ordered the imperial chef to prepare it with great care."

That's right!

What was presented to everyone at this moment was the beef stew with potatoes that Zhu Cilang loved very much in his previous life.

Now that there is a bumper potato harvest, Zhu Cilang naturally would not miss this delicacy and has been eating it for several days in a row.

Although it was not allowed to slaughter oxen at will at this time in ancient times, don’t forget that Zhu Cilang is the crown prince!

If he wanted to eat beef, it would certainly not be a difficult task.

After all, there are many imperial farms under the name of the royal family. It is normal for a few cows to die of old age every day, right?
Because he was going to see Chongzhen today, Zhu Cilang wanted to let Chongzhen and Queen Zhou taste this delicacy as well.

Chongzhen had never seen this dish before, so he was naturally curious. He picked up a piece of it with chopsticks and put it in his mouth to taste it carefully.

After a moment, he couldn't help but praise:

"Well, it tastes quite good indeed."

Then he seemed to remember something, looked at Zhu Cilang beside him and asked:
"Is this the potato you mentioned earlier that could yield several thousand kilograms per mu?"

Obviously, Chongzhen had heard about potatoes and sweet potatoes before.

But this is also normal, because when there was a bumper harvest of potatoes and sweet potatoes, the Daming Daily reported on it for several days.

After Chongzhen returned to the capital, he did not forget to look through all the newspapers he had missed before, so he naturally knew about this matter.

Zhu Cilang smiled and replied:

"Your Majesty, your guess is correct. This is potato."

"This year we had a bumper harvest of potatoes and sweet potatoes. Combined, the harvest was about two million dan."

"On average, one acre of land will yield at least 3,000 kilograms!"

what?
Everyone was surprised when they heard this exaggerated number, even Queen Zhou and Qiqige were deeply shocked.

Queen Zhou said quickly:
"This is God's blessing on our Ming Dynasty! With these high-yield crops, the people of Ming Dynasty will no longer have to suffer from hunger."

Qiqige was also very excited, and couldn't help but think in her heart that if these crops could be widely planted on the grassland, then the tribesmen on the grassland would be able to get rid of the trouble of hunger in the future.

Zheng Xiaomei, who had also been eating potato stewed with beef for a few days, knew more about potatoes than anyone else, and she quickly agreed:
"Your Majesty, what you said is absolutely right. With such high-yield crops, the Ming Dynasty will surely become even more prosperous."

Chongzhen felt more and more happy as he listened to everyone's praise.

Although strictly speaking this matter has nothing to do with him, as an emperor, he should still have some credit, right?
Then, Chongzhen straightened his expression, then looked at Zhu Cilang and said:
"In that case, let the cabinet work out a charter and vigorously promote the cultivation of potatoes and sweet potatoes throughout the country."

"Once these two crops become widely available, no one in the world will starve to death anymore!"

Zhu Cilang responded with a smile:
"Your Majesty, rest assured. The Cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue have already begun to handle this matter. The relevant promotion plans and measures are progressing steadily."

"In a few years, these potatoes and sweet potatoes will be everywhere in the Ming Dynasty!"

After hearing this, Chongzhen nodded with satisfaction, and then continued to pick up a piece of stewed beef with potatoes with chopsticks.

It can be seen that he likes this dish of beef stew with potatoes very much and eats it with relish.

Finally, he added a sentence to Wang Chengen who was standing beside him.

"Order it to be served every day. I love it!"

When Wang Chengen heard this, he quickly agreed.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I understand!"

Looking at Chongzhen eating beef stewed with potatoes with relish, Zhu Cilang sighed inwardly.

Because the promotion plan for potatoes and sweet potatoes is not that simple at all.

According to the original plan, the cultivation of potatoes and sweet potatoes was to be promoted on a large scale in the second half of the year, especially in the Liaodong area, which was the key promotion area.

But contrary to his expectations, the impact of the Little Ice Age was far more serious than he had expected.

With the current temperature conditions in the north, it is difficult to harvest even if you plant the seeds because the weather is too cold.

According to the current temperature, the best time to plant and grow potatoes and sweet potatoes is from May to October, which means that only one season can be planted in a year in the north.

Of course, this is only the case in the north. The climate in the south is warm and humid, and two seasons can be planted in a year.

Therefore, at present, the north is mainly focusing on publicity and guidance, and will officially start planting after the weather warms up next year.

The south can immediately start promoting planting.

For this purpose, Zhu Cilang has ordered that when collecting taxes in the south, the popularization of potato and sweet potato cultivation must be carried out simultaneously.

However, considering that this is the first time and the people may not accept it, each household only needs to plant one acre, and the rest of the people can choose as they please.

And this is a mandatory requirement, no one is allowed to disobey!

After lunch, Zhu Cilang chatted with Chongzhen for a while before returning to the East Palace with Zheng Xiaomei and Qiqige.

Before leaving, Queen Zhou enthusiastically took Zheng Xiaomei and Qiqige's hands, and kept asking them to come to the palace to reunite tomorrow.

Naturally, the two of them agreed happily.

I have to say that Qiqige has become more well-educated and polite recently, and is no longer as careless as before.

This was due to the influence of the Battle of Songjin and the influence of Han culture during this period.

After returning to the East Palace, Zhu Cilang was bored and was planning to improve his relationship with Zheng Xiaomei when Qiqige suddenly called out to him:
"Wait. I want to tell you something."

When Zhu Cilang heard this, he turned around and looked at Qiqige curiously, as if he didn't quite understand what Qiqige was going to do.

Although Zheng Xiaomei didn't quite understand, she still smiled slightly and said sympathetically:
"Your Highness, I will go back first. Please come back to see me when you are done with your work."

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang could only nod.

"Alright, you go back first, I'll come find you later!"

Afterwards, Zhu Cilang and Qiqige came to the back garden of the East Palace.

It is midsummer now. The flowers in the garden are in full bloom, and the grass is green, like a soft green velvet carpet. There are also many butterflies dancing among the flowers, with light and graceful postures, like a group of lively fairies.

I have to say, this is indeed a great place for a date!
It’s just that the person he brought this time was not the right one. In Zhu Cilang’s opinion, Qiqige was not here to date him!
Seeing that Qiqige remained silent, Zhu Cilang became increasingly curious and asked:

"What do you want to say? If you don't tell me, I'll leave."

Qiqige looked a little nervous when she heard this. After hesitating for a moment, she mustered up the courage to say:

"I actually wanted to ask you if you could give me some potato and sweet potato seeds? I want to take them back to the grassland and try to grow them."

"If these things can also be grown on the grassland, then people will no longer starve to death on the grassland!"

When Zhu Cilang heard this, he was stunned at first. He didn't expect that the reason Qiqige wanted to talk to him alone was actually about potatoes and sweet potatoes.

After reacting, Zhu Cilang said with a smile:

"Of course, but we have to wait until next spring."

"The grassland is about to enter winter, and if the temperature is too low, it will not be suitable for growing potatoes and sweet potatoes."

"When the weather warms up next year, I will give you some potato and sweet potato seeds to take back to Mongolia to plant."

Qiqige obviously didn't expect Zhu Cilang to agree so readily, and she was stunned for a moment.

But after she came to her senses, she was instantly overjoyed and nodded in response:
"Okay, then it's settled!"

After a pause, she added:
"Thank you! If these things can really be grown in Mongolia, you will be Mongolia's great benefactor!"

After saying this, Qiqige turned around and left happily. Looking at Qiqige's departing back, Zhu Cilang's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile.

Although the agricultural conditions in Mongolia are relatively weak, its climate and soil conditions are suitable for growing cold-resistant crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes.

However, due to the small amount of arable land in Mongolia, even if it is planted, not much can be grown.

And don’t think that Zhu Cilang agreed to Qiqige out of kindness.

The reason why he agreed so readily was that once potatoes and sweet potatoes took root in Mongolia, the Mongolians would gradually transform into a semi-agricultural civilization, and it would be difficult for them to live by following the water and grass and move around at will as before.

At that time, he would discuss it with Abunai and then build several cities for him.

In this way, it would be difficult for Abunai to escape from his control easily.

In short, the purpose of doing this is actually to forcibly promote the integration between Mongolians and Han people and move towards the goal of great unification.

Of course, Abunai might not agree easily, because he is very smart and should be able to guess Zhu Cilang's intentions.

But this is not something Zhu Cilang needs to worry about.

In any case, no matter what choice Abunai makes, it will not affect Zhu Cilang's plan for Mongolia.

After all, with the powerful weapon of flintlock in his hands, it was only a matter of time before he could recapture Mongolia.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang came back to his senses, a sly smile appeared on his face, and then he walked towards the East Palace bedroom, intending to find Zheng Xiaomei to discuss life.

A few days later, the streets and alleys of the capital city became bustling again.

After this period of fading, the assassination of Chongzhen has been completely turned over.

In addition, Zhu Cilang specifically issued an order allowing merchants to operate normally, so the capital city once again regained its former prosperity.

On this day, the streets were once again crowded with people, all of whom stretched their necks and looked around expectantly.

At the same time, carriages loaded with gold, silver and treasures drove towards the city under the strict protection of officers and soldiers.

These carriages were loaded with unpaid taxes and property collected from various places, which instantly attracted the curious eyes of the people.

Although such things happened every few days before and people were used to it, it was obvious that the situation this time was a little different.

Because the number this time is really too much!
There were actually more than 500 carriages!
These carriages were moving like a long dragon on the streets of the capital. The horses were walking with difficulty, and it was obvious that the things they were pulling were extremely heavy.

This is indeed the case. The total amount of silver and gold transported to the capital this time is about 30 million taels!

Faced with this grand occasion, there were bursts of exclamations from the crowd from time to time.

"My goodness, so much gold and silver! Those gentry are so greedy! They have so much money and they don't want to pay taxes!"

"That's right! These guys usually act arrogantly and evade taxes, and now they've finally revealed all their wealth!"

"They deserve it! They've owed the Ming Dynasty so many years of taxes, even a confiscation of their property wouldn't be too much!"

The people murmured to themselves and secretly cursed the greedy gentry in their hearts.

At this time, the Ministry of Revenue was already filled with a festive atmosphere.

The officials walked hurriedly back and forth, each with an irrepressible smile on his face.

The reason is simple, simply because the Ministry of Revenue will receive a large sum of money from this!
Although they have been receiving large sums of money every day recently, this is the first time they have received such a large amount as today's. Do you think they can not be happy?
At the same time, Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue, was sitting in his main hall working.

In front of him were piles of various accounting documents, with papers stacked up layer upon layer, almost completely submerging the desk.

Ni Yuanlu held an abacus tightly in his hand, and the beads jumped rapidly under his fingertips, making crisp and pleasant sounds.

As he plucked the keyboard faster, his eyes became more and more filled with relief.

Because including the silver shipped today, the Ministry of Revenue now owns 90 million taels of silver. You should know that this is an unprecedented scene in the hundreds of years of history of the Ming Dynasty.

He is definitely the richest Minister of Finance in the history of the Ming Dynasty!

In fact, there could have been more, because Chongzhen and his ministers reached an agreement on the ownership of the unpaid taxes, that is, after the unpaid taxes were collected, half would go into the Ministry of Revenue and half would go into the treasury.

If this matter had happened in the past, Ni Yuanlu would never have agreed to it no matter what.

After all, the taxes owed are taxes, and logically they should belong to the Ministry of Revenue, and there is no reason for them to belong to the imperial treasury.

But it is clear that times are different now.

By now Chongzhen's reputation and power had reached its peak, and no one dared to disobey his will, so Ni Yuanlu had no choice but to agree.

But it must be said that the amount of silver was far beyond his imagination.

If all the unpaid taxes in the world were collected, Ni Yuanlu really couldn't imagine how much there would be.

By then, I’m afraid the national treasury will be unable to hold it!
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Ni Yuanlu's lips again.

It's good to have money!

At the same time, another matter could not be delayed any longer.

That is to go to the Taimiao to worship ancestors.

After the great victory in Liaodong, he should have gone to the Taimiao to pay homage to his ancestors and comfort them after returning to Beijing.

However, because the gentry in the south evaded taxes, Zhu Cilang had to take action against them in advance, so this matter was delayed.

But now that things have come to this, we can't delay any longer.

Because the human heads brought back from Liaodong could no longer be preserved, even with the use of large amounts of salt and lime, they gradually began to rot and emitted a disgusting stench.

The smell almost filled the entire storage area and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Kong Youde, Oboi and Yuetuo, who were the main sacrifices, had been imprisoned in prison for these days and were already half-dead.

If they delay any further, they will probably all die.

So after Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang discussed it, they finally decided to complete the ceremony of ancestral worship in the Taimiao as soon as possible.

After receiving the imperial edict, the Ministry of Rites immediately became busy.

The Minister of Rites Wang Jiayan was even busier.

Because he knew very well that this ancestor worship was of great significance. It was the ancestor worship after the first great victory of the Chongzhen Dynasty, and there must not be any mistakes.

So after receiving the imperial edict, he immediately summoned officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory to start a quick discussion.

After a heated discussion, it was finally decided to hold the ancestral worship ceremony five days later.

The preliminary preparations for ancestor worship are complicated and meticulous, and every link is crucial and cannot tolerate any mistakes.

First, everyone must prepare for the fast.

Three days before the sacrifice, Chongzhen moved to the Zhai Palace.

The Minister of the Ministry of Rites led his subordinates to report on the progress of preparations on time three times a day to ensure that there were no omissions.

Time flies, and the day of ancestor worship is here in a blink of an eye.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the entire capital was already shrouded in a tense and solemn atmosphere.

The streets were dead silent, and everything was still. Occasionally, the sound of a night watchman knocking on a gong could be heard in the distance, which seemed particularly abrupt in the quiet morning.

Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang got up early and, with the help of palace maids and eunuchs, carefully put on their clothes for ancestor worship.

Chongzhen wore a twelve-chapter crown, which was extremely gorgeous, embroidered with exquisite patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, etc.

These patterns are lifelike, as if containing endless mysterious power, vividly demonstrating the majesty and dignity of the royal family.

Even Zhu Cilang wore the crown and robes specially worn by the crown prince for ancestral worship. Although the specifications were slightly inferior to those of the emperor, it was also solemn, dignified, decent and generous.

His crown was embroidered with delicate patterns and he wore accessories that symbolized his status as a crown prince, making him look quite dignified.

Although Empress Zhou could not go to the Taimiao to worship their ancestors, she had already brought a group of female relatives to the palace gate to see them off.

At this moment, Empress Zhou's eyes were filled with concern. She looked at Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang tenderly and said softly:

"Your Majesty, this ancestral worship is of great significance. You must be careful in everything you do."

Chongzhen nodded slightly and responded calmly:

"Don't worry, Queen. I will act with caution."

Zhu Cilang also bowed to Queen Zhou.

"Don't worry, mother, there will be no mistakes this time!"

Only then did Queen Zhou nod.

Afterwards, the group headed towards the Taimiao in a mighty procession.

Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang rode in a jade carriage and entered the Taimiao through the Shenlie Mountain Gate. The accompanying ceremonial procession was extremely spectacular.

Three thousand Jinyiwei held long spears and lined up in neat rows, like proud pine trees, with firm and sharp eyes, as if they could see through all potential dangers.

And on this day, all the spies from the Jinyiwei, Dongchang and Xichang in the capital were dispatched.

They were like ghosts hidden in the dark, constantly patrolling the streets and alleys of the capital.

Some spies disguised themselves as vendors, pushing carts, shouting loudly while quietly observing the movements around them.

Some spies pretended to be idle passers-by, seemingly relaxed and at ease, but in fact they had sharp eyes and were paying close attention to the situation in every corner.

Even the Five Tengxiang Guards and part of the Beijing Camp served as guards, closely guarding Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang.

They looked tense and remained highly vigilant at all times, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

After all, the emperor had just been assassinated before, so they couldn't help but be nervous!
If anything unexpected happens again this time, they will not be able to live!
But of course, in Zhu Cilang's opinion, this was actually a bit unnecessary.

After all, even if others don’t know what’s going on, how could he not know?

But he couldn't tell these things to others, so he didn't bother to care about them.

(End of this chapter)