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

Of course, Cao Youyi stopped after the court subdued Zheng Zhilong and defeated the Jurchen navy, because he was afraid of being caught red-handed and losing his official position.

It was this experience that made him realize that this was no ordinary event. His intuition told him that the imperial court was planning to lift more maritime restrictions, otherwise they wouldn't have sent this caravan to escort goods to the capital.

This was clearly intended to show all the people how abundant the resources were overseas, and that doing business with overseas would bring countless amounts of grain and silver. In this way, public opinion would be created, and the civil and military officials in the court who opposed opening up the sea would no longer have anything to say in opposition.

For a moment, Cao Youyi seemed to see a vision of the future: the prosperity of overseas trade would bring new life and vitality to the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, for a naval commander like Cao Youyi, this kind of thing is absolutely beneficial and without any harm.

After all, before this, the Ming Dynasty's navy had not been given much importance.

The main reason was that the Ming Dynasty's navy had suffered a crushing defeat in a battle against the Jurchen navy, which severely damaged the navy's reputation.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty had always implemented a maritime ban policy, which severely restricted maritime trade, leaving the navy with little opportunity to exert its power.

The only use of them was to prevent the Jurchen navy from attacking coastal cities.

Of course, that's not entirely accurate.

In the past few years, the coastal areas were plagued by Japanese pirates, and Tianjin also experienced some incursions by them.

Those Japanese pirates appeared in the coastal areas from time to time like ghosts, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil deeds. One of their duties was to deal with these Japanese pirates.

However, in recent years, the Japanese pirates have disappeared, which makes their naval forces seem even more dispensable.

Therefore, apart from some main forces, other ordinary naval soldiers had nothing to do on weekdays.

Some of them idled around the military camp, while others even had to work as laborers at the docks, carrying various goods to make a living.

However, if the imperial court were to fully lift the maritime ban, these people would be reinstated and given important positions.

They will shoulder important tasks such as protecting maritime trade routes and combating piracy, becoming an important guarantee for the maritime security of the Ming Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Cao Youyi couldn't help but feel a little excited.

Because of this, he, as the General of Tianjin, would be given an important position and many substantial benefits, after all, he was in charge of the Tianjin naval forces. Merchants passing by would certainly try to bribe him; the amount of money involved would likely be astronomical!
Zheng Zhilin and Zheng Zhifeng, who were on the opposite side, naturally also saw Cao Youyi's reaction.

Looking at Cao Youyi's excited and expectant expression, they knew that he must have figured these things out.

However, they didn't really care, since the matter was about to be put on the agenda, and there was nothing to hide.

Zheng Zhifeng then smiled and said:

“Brother Cao, you’re no stranger here, so let’s be frank. Although His Majesty hasn’t said it outright yet, based on my elder brother’s deduction, the court will likely lift the maritime ban completely. At that time, you, the General of Tianjin, will definitely be given an important position. After all, Tianjin Port is the gateway to the capital. Brother, you’ll surely enjoy endless wealth and honor in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Youyi was overjoyed.

He knew that the two brothers truly didn't treat him like an outsider, which was also thanks to the fact that they would be frequently visiting Tianjin Port in the future, so it was necessary to maintain a good relationship with him.

However, in his view, this is a win-win situation.

The next second, Cao Youyi quickly raised his glass, a warm smile on his face, and said:
"You two are too kind. It's my honor to be called brothers with you. If you ever need anything from me, just let me know. Come, come, let's drink!"

The next second, the three wine glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

The wine rippled gently in the glass, as if foreshadowing a new era they were about to jointly usher in.

The next morning, before dawn, Tianjin was still shrouded in a thin mist.

With Cao Youyi's help, thousands of oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages have been mobilized. These oxcarts are neatly arranged at the port, ready to transport goods at any time.

The dockworkers were busy loading bags of grain imported from overseas onto oxcarts and horse-drawn carts. Although their faces showed fatigue, they were full of hope.

After all, most of them were laborers, and this was their livelihood. Moreover, the Zheng family was now practically equivalent to imperial merchants, paying them more money and never deducting from their wages. Naturally, they would work even harder.

After working for most of the day, all the grain and other goods on the ship were finally loaded onto oxcarts and horse-drawn carts.

With a command given, the oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages slowly started moving, carrying heavy loads of grain towards the capital.

The long convoy, like a giant dragon, moved slowly along the winding road.

Meanwhile, the scene shifts back to the capital city.

At this time, the Ministry of Revenue was in a tense and busy atmosphere.

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue were all frowning, running back and forth in the Ministry's office.

They were all waiting for news of overseas grain supplies, after all, the imperial court had so much to do this year, and they couldn't do without these supplies.

At present, the imperial court must provide grain to Liaodong to support military operations and disaster victims there, and also provide large amounts of grain to disaster-stricken areas such as Shaanxi, Henan, and Gansu to help those affected people overcome their difficulties.

In addition, the imperial court previously stationed troops in the Mongolian region, and these areas also required a large amount of food to maintain the army's supplies.

However, relying solely on the local grain reserves of the Ming Dynasty would certainly not be enough.

Although the Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, it has suffered from frequent natural disasters in recent years, which has greatly affected its grain production.

Therefore, without these grains imported from overseas, this year would probably be very difficult.

At this moment, Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue, was sitting at a large desk with his brows furrowed and his eyes revealing deep worry as he pondered this matter.

Various possible scenarios kept flashing through his mind:
For example, grains encountered a storm at sea and sank to the bottom of the sea.

For example, the grain was seized by pirates, and the entire army was wiped out.

Or something else might have happened that caused the shipping delay.

After all, by this time in previous years, the Ministry of Revenue would have already received the order and begun to gather manpower to prepare for the transport of grain at Tianjin Port.

Now that it's this late, there's still no news from Tianjin, which is causing some concern.

Ni Yuanlu knew that if this batch of grain didn't arrive, there might be a famine in the capital this year.

If a famine were to break out in the capital, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The people will be plunged into hunger and panic, and social order will be thrown into chaos. If that happens, he will be unable to continue as Minister of Revenue. He will not only be reprimanded by the emperor, but also be scorned by the people.

Suddenly, at that moment, an official from the Ministry of Revenue rushed in.

He was panting heavily, his face full of anxiety.

Upon seeing the man, Ni Yuanlu immediately asked:
"Well? Any news about the grain?" Upon hearing this, the official shook his head with a wry smile and said:

"Sir, the men we sent out have investigated several times, but they haven't found anything and we don't know what's going on."

Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu's brows furrowed even more, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

His intuition told him that something was wrong. After all, this matter was of utmost importance, arguably concerning the safety of the entire capital. Why was there still no news at this point?

Moreover, neither the emperor nor the crown prince informed him, which is a bit strange.

Thinking of this, Ni Yuanlu immediately said:
"Alright, you don't need to concern yourselves with this matter anymore. I will personally go to His Highness the Crown Prince to get to the bottom of this!"

After saying this, Ni Yuanlu hurriedly headed straight for the East Palace.

Originally, this matter shouldn't have been directed at Zhu Cilang, but now everyone knows that Zheng Zhilong is working so hard for the Ming Dynasty because the Crown Prince took his daughter as a concubine.

Moreover, within the imperial court, the only person who could probably speak with Zheng Zhilong was probably the Crown Prince.

Therefore, asking Zhu Cilang at this time is undoubtedly the best choice.

As he walked, he pondered how to approach His Highness the Crown Prince and how to obtain accurate information.

Not long after, Ni Yuanlu arrived at the gate of the East Palace.

From afar, he spotted a familiar face standing at the gate of the East Palace. This person was none other than Xue Guoguan, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Moreover, it seems that Xue Guoguan has just arrived and is preparing to meet the Crown Prince.

Seeing this, Ni Yuanlu quickly went up to greet them:

"Grand Secretary Xue, what a coincidence! Are you also planning to see the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan quickly turned around and then said with a smile:

"So it's Lord Ni. What a coincidence."

The two then exchanged pleasantries.

They talked about trivial matters in the court and some recent developments in the capital, but each of them was preoccupied with their own affairs and did not explain why they had come to see Zhu Cilang.

Just then, a young eunuch suddenly came out.

He walked lightly to Xue Guoguan, looked at him respectfully, and said:

"Grand Secretary Xue, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence. Please follow me."

Just then, Ni Yuanlu realized that she had forgotten to announce her arrival, so she quickly said:
"Your Excellency, please inform him that Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu has important business to discuss with His Highness the Crown Prince."

After hearing this, the young eunuch immediately replied:

"Don't worry, Minister Ni, this servant will go and report to His Highness the Crown Prince right away."

In ancient times, everyone, regardless of who they were or what they were doing, had to follow the rules.

Although Zhu Cilang wouldn't say anything if Ni Yuanlu went in directly with Xue Guoguan given his status, it would certainly be against the rules.

Soon after, Zhu Cilang met Xue Guoguan and also learned that Ni Yuanlu was requesting an audience with him.

Then Zhu Cilang said with a smile:

"What a coincidence that you two have come to see me at the same time, one after the other. Did you plan this beforehand?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan, who was standing nearby, immediately said:
"Your Highness, you misunderstand. This old minister came to see Your Highness alone and did not discuss it with anyone else. Lord Ni arrived later."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang smiled but did not continue the topic, only saying:
"Alright, go and invite Lord Ni in."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tai quickly turned and left.

Then, Zhu Cilang instructed the palace maids to serve tea to Xue Guoguan, and asked with a smile:

"What brings you here today, Grand Secretary Xue?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan hesitated for a moment before glancing at the palace gate, a hint of worry in his eyes. He had come today with important matters to discuss with Zhu Cilang, but unexpectedly, he encountered Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu at the palace gate.

Moreover, he couldn't explain this matter in just a few words. If Ni Yuanlu arrived halfway through and overheard him, it would inevitably cause some trouble.

After all, this matter involves some sensitive affairs of the imperial court, and if it were leaked, it could cause unnecessary turmoil.

Therefore, for a moment he didn't know how to talk about it.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang probably understood what the old man was worried about.

He chuckled inwardly, thinking that Xue Guoguan was being far too cautious.

Then he said with a smile:

"Don't worry, Grand Secretary Xue. I trust Lord Ni's character. It's alright if he finds out about anything."

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan stopped hiding it. After all, His Highness the Crown Prince had spoken, so what did he have to worry about?

He put down his teacup, stood up, and said respectfully:
"Your Highness, I have come here today to discuss the matter of smuggling by southern maritime merchants."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang paused slightly, and his gaze toward Xue Guoguan sharpened.

He simply couldn't understand why Xue Guoguan would suddenly bring up the matter of smuggling in the south. Had he heard some rumors?
But this doesn't seem right. I hadn't discussed my plan to completely lift the maritime ban with anyone; I only mentioned it to Sun Chuanting when I passed through Shaanxi. How did Xue Guoguan find out about this?

Could it be that Sun Chuanting specifically sent someone to tell Xue Guoguan this news?
It shouldn’t be!

There doesn't seem to be much connection between the two, and Sun Chuanting isn't stupid. He just discussed this matter with him, and the next day Sun Chuanting told someone else about it. That's incredibly foolish.

After thinking for a long time without understanding what was going on, Zhu Cilang stopped pondering it and calmly looked at Xue Guoguan, saying:
"Please speak freely, Grand Secretary Xue. I will listen attentively."

Xue Guoguan had also noticed the fleeting chill in Zhu Cilang's eyes and knew that Zhu Cilang must have misunderstood something.

However, he was not afraid, after all, he was a member of the Emperor's faction and everything he did was on the side of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

Moreover, what he was about to say was beneficial to the imperial court, which gave him even more confidence! (End of Chapter)