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

Zhu Cilang found it somewhat amusing to see Chongzhen's eager and seemingly ready-to-do-it-all demeanor, but he maintained a respectful demeanor and replied:

"Your Majesty is wise, I understand."

Then, the father and son discussed for a while the details of the audience the next day and how to phrase their words.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhu Cilang, seeing that the matter had been settled, got up to take his leave and departed from Kunning Palace.

That very evening, several imperial guards on horseback carrying apricot-yellow flags rode to the residences and guild halls of more than ten Nanjing nobles who were staying in the capital, including Duke Xu Yunzhen of Wei, Earl Liu Kongzhao of Chengyi, and Marquis Gu Zhaoji of Zhenyuan, to convey Emperor Chongzhen's oral edict:
His Majesty has decreed that all meritorious officials shall have an audience with the Emperor at the Qianqing Palace at the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM) tomorrow!
This long-awaited imperial summons was like a godsend to these Nanjing nobles who were living in a state of constant anxiety and on the verge of mental collapse!
Many people were so moved upon receiving the imperial edict that they almost burst into tears on the spot!

For the past two months, they have lived in constant fear, terrified that one night the Imperial Guards would break down their doors and imprison them in the imperial prison.

The agony of waiting for the boot to drop had almost exhausted them, but now, the boot is finally about to drop!

Although the future is uncertain and the outcome is unpredictable, at least His Majesty is willing to summon them!
This means there is still room for maneuver!
If the Emperor truly intended to kill them, there would be no need for such elaborate measures; he could simply have the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrest them.

Since the emperor was willing to summon them, it means he never intended to kill them!

For most of the Nanjing nobles, this night was destined to be another sleepless one.

They tossed and turned, their hearts filled with worry and speculation about their fate tomorrow, as well as a faint hope of escaping their predicament.

Time flew by in anxious waiting, and before we knew it, it was the next morning.

Before dawn, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, a large group of noble ministers had already gathered in the square outside the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City. They were dressed in robes adorned with various qilin and bai ze patterns and wore seven- or eight-beam crowns.

It was the Nanjing noble group headed by Xu Yunzhen, the Duke of Wei.

They were all dressed in the most solemn court attire, looking tense, with many having bloodshot eyes, clearly having not slept all night.

The spring mornings were still chilly, but many people had beads of sweat on their foreheads.

They lined up in an orderly fashion according to their rank, waiting in complete silence for the palace gates to open; the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed to freeze.

At the exact moment of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the heavy tolling of the bells and drums at the Meridian Gate rang out, and the palace gates slowly opened.

The eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs loudly proclaimed their greetings, guiding the group of nobles with heavy steps through palace gates and along the long imperial road toward the Qianqing Palace, which symbolized supreme imperial power.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. Emperor Chongzhen was already seated on the high golden throne, wearing a robe with twelve imperial symbols and a black gauze winged crown. His face was calm and dignified, exuding an aura of authority without anger.

Zhu Cilang, dressed in an apricot-yellow robe with dragon patterns, sat on a rosewood armchair to the left of the throne, his expression calm and his gaze deep, like a detached observer.

On either side of the main hall stood burly generals of the Imperial Guards, dressed in flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring knives at their waists, adding to the solemn and imposing atmosphere.

Led by Duke Xu Yunzhen of Wei, the nobles of Nanjing entered the main hall with their heads bowed and their steps cautious. Guided by the master of ceremonies, they knelt down in unison about ten feet away from the imperial desk, performing the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony. Their voices trembled noticeably with nervousness.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Long live the Crown Prince! Long live the Crown Prince! Long live the Crown Prince!"

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed loudly in the empty hall, revealing the extreme unease in the hearts of those kneeling in worship.

These nobles, who were practically local tyrants in Nanjing, now appeared so humble and insignificant in the face of true imperial power.

Emperor Chongzhen looked down at the dark mass of people kneeling on the ground with a cold gaze, but did not immediately order them to rise.

He deliberately let the silence linger for a moment, allowing the invisible pressure to fully permeate the air.
By the time a light sheen of sweat appeared on the forehead of Xu Yunzhen, the Duke of Wei, who was kneeling at the very front, Chongzhen spoke in a voice that was both languid and authoritative:

"Be flat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

The crowd felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they quickly kowtowed to express their gratitude. Then they shakily got up from the ground, stood with their hands at their sides and bowed, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face.

Emperor Chongzhen leisurely adjusted his posture, then, as if just remembering something, slowly asked in a slightly surprised and puzzled tone:
"My beloved ministers, I remember that you came to the capital to celebrate the Emperor's birthday. Now that the birthday celebration has been over for more than two months, why have you not left yet?"

"I have also heard that you have repeatedly requested an audience recently. I have been busy with state affairs and have not had the time. I have summoned you today to find out what important matters you have to report."

His words were so perfectly crafted that it was as if he had no idea why the other party was lingering or requesting an audience, demonstrating his mastery of feigning ignorance.

The nobles in Nanjing below felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Your Majesty, you're putting on quite a show! You know perfectly well why we're lingering in the capital and why we're seeking an audience every day. Why ask such unnecessary questions?

Isn't this just pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth?

But while he thought this in his heart, he would never dare to say it out loud.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, and finally all eyes turned to Xu Yunzhen, the Duke of Wei, who stood at the very front of the noble procession and held the most prestigious position.

Xu Yunzhen inwardly groaned, but the die was cast and the arrow was already on the bowstring.

He took a deep breath, took half a step forward, and then knelt down again with a thud, touching his head to the ground. His voice trembled with tears as he said:

"Your Majesty! We are guilty! We deserve to die! We risk our lives to come before you today, not for any other reason than to beg for forgiveness! We implore Your Majesty to consider the humble merits of our ancestors, and to grant us leniency for our momentary lapse in judgment, and to spare our lives!" With Xu Yunzhen's kneeling and weeping, more than ten nobles behind him, including the Earl of Chengyi Liu Kongzhao and the Marquis of Zhenyuan Gu Zhaoji, knelt down once more, kowtowing repeatedly and wailing:

"We are guilty! We deserve to die!"

"Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

In an instant, cries of pleading and begging for forgiveness rose and fell in the Qianqing Palace, and the solemn and dignified atmosphere was instantly replaced by a sorrowful and bitter atmosphere.

These nobles, who usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly in Jiangnan, now completely lost their former dignity and composure in the face of the absolute authority of the emperor, appearing so disheveled and wretched.

Faced with this dark mass of people, all weeping and pleading for forgiveness, Emperor Chongzhen, sitting upright on his throne, maintained a calm and composed expression, even displaying a perfectly measured look of bewilderment and incomprehension.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowd below, and asked in a slow, deliberate tone tinged with doubt:
"Oh? Duke of Wei, my dear ministers, what makes you say this? What crime have you committed? I'm quite confused."

"You have received the Emperor's favor for generations, guarding the capital and are the pillars of the nation. How could you possibly be involved in such illegal activities? There must be some misunderstanding."

These words were spoken flawlessly, demonstrating the art of feigning ignorance to the fullest extent.

It was as if he, the supreme ruler, was completely unaware of what his noble subordinates were doing in the south, and was kept in the dark.

When Xu Yunzhen, the Duke of Wei, who was kneeling at the front, heard the emperor's question, which he already knew the answer to, his heart was filled with mixed feelings of anxiety and helplessness.

The cold sweat that had just been wiped away by the eunuch on his forehead instantly reappeared, sliding down his temples.

He could feel the expectant and pressured gazes from his colleagues behind him.

He knew that the emperor was determined to see this through to the end, forcing them to reveal their most shameful and fatal secrets! If he were to pretend to be confused with the emperor at this point and try to get away with it, not only would he fail, but he would also completely enrage the emperor and make things irreversible!
Thinking this, Xu Yunzhen steeled his resolve, gritted his teeth, and slammed his head heavily against the cold gold brick again, making a dull thud. When he raised his head, his old eyes were bloodshot and filled with murky tears, and his voice trembled with a desperate resolve:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise! We dare not deceive Your Majesty any longer! We are guilty! We deserve to die!"

He took a deep breath and continued:
"Your Majesty's intention to lift the maritime ban and eradicate smuggling is a wise move that benefits the country and its people! However, I must report the truth: maritime smuggling has long been rampant in the Jiangnan region, deeply entrenched and difficult to describe in detail!"

"Not only were coastal merchants and local officials involved, but even we, your humble servants who have received imperial favor for generations and should have been guarding the land and protecting the people for Your Majesty, as well as many officials from various government departments in Nanjing, were mostly unable to keep themselves clean and became deeply involved, seeking personal gain from it!"

"Even the Duke of Wei's household has not escaped this custom. I am ashamed before Your Majesty! Ashamed before Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong! We deserve to die a thousand deaths! We deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

This confession, which was almost a self-admission of guilt, was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!
Although everyone present knew these things, the fact that the Duke of Wei, the most respected person, said them in front of the emperor still carried enormous weight and impact!

The nobles behind Xu Yunzhen all looked ashen-faced, bowing their heads even lower, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Xu Yunzhen paused, stealing a glance at Chongzhen on the throne. Seeing that the emperor remained expressionless, only staring at him with deep eyes, he felt even more apprehensive and quickly presented the conditions they had agreed upon.

"Your Majesty! We know our sins are grave and we have no face to see Your Majesty again! But even ants cling to life, and we also care about the survival of our families and cannot bear to see our ancestors' achievements destroyed! Therefore, we risk our lives to come before Your Majesty and humbly beg Your Majesty to grant us leniency beyond the law!"

"If Your Majesty can show leniency and pardon our crimes, preserving our titles and stipends, we are willing to donate half of our family's wealth to the national treasury to atone for our past sins and to help Your Majesty in your great cause of increasing national strength and prosperity!"

As he spoke, Xu Yunzhen solemnly took out a booklet wrapped in bright yellow silk from his bosom with trembling hands and held it high above his head.

"This is a detailed account book of our family's assets, which we, from more than ten noble families, have jointly agreed upon and wish to present to Your Majesty! The fields, shops, mansions, treasury silver, and treasures listed on it all represent half of our family's accumulated wealth! Every word is true and there is no deception! We humbly request Your Majesty to review it!"

The bright yellow ledger seemed incredibly glaring at that moment; it was both a symbol of these nobles' confession and submission, and a "deed of indenture" for their chance to survive.

Without Chongzhen's prompting, Wang Chengen, who was standing beside the throne, immediately walked silently to Xu Yunzhen and respectfully accepted the heavy account book with both hands.

Then he turned back to the imperial desk, bowed, and presented the account books to Emperor Chongzhen.

The usually expressionless Chongzhen Emperor finally revealed a barely perceptible glint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Because he had indeed seen Luo Yangxing's secret report last night, which contained the approximate amount of wealth belonging to these Nanjing noble families.

Now he wanted to see for himself just how "honest" these "parasites" who were usually richer than a country could be when their lives were at stake.
Does the "half of their family fortune" they offered match the results of the Jinyiwei investigation?
If the discrepancy in the numbers is too large, it means that they are still harboring illusions and attempting to deceive the emperor!

Then don't blame him for being ruthless and settling all scores, old and new!
With this in mind, Chongzhen stretched out his long, slightly pale fingers and opened the account book, which was bound with high-quality Xuan paper and had neat and clear handwriting.

He began to carefully browse through each page.

The hall fell eerily silent for a moment, with only the rustling sound of Emperor Chongzhen turning the pages of his book and the heavy, suppressed breathing of the nobles below, who were tense with worry.

Chongzhen's gaze swept over the rows of numbers:

How many hectares of farmland does a certain estate occupy? How many shops are there on a certain street? How many taels of silver are stored in the warehouse? How many pieces of antiques and paintings are treasured in the collection?
He looked at it very carefully, pausing occasionally and flipping through it quickly, his mind rapidly comparing it with the numbers from Luo Yangxing's secret report in his memory.

Time passed slowly, and the nobles kneeling on the ground felt that every breath was as long as a year.

They secretly observed the emperor's expression out of the corner of their eyes, their hearts pounding in their throats.

Suddenly, Chongzhen's slightly furrowed brows relaxed almost imperceptibly, and he noticeably sped up his review of the account books.

It must be said that the total value of the assets listed in the account book presented by Duke Xu Yunzhen of Wei was almost identical to the estimated amount from Luo Yangxing's investigation!

Even in some details, such as the commission rates for some more hidden industries and overseas trade, the ledger lists them in more detail than what Luo Yangxing found!
What does this mean? It means that the Duke of Wei's visit to apologize was not a mere pretense, but a genuine act of defiance, demonstrating considerable sincerity in his intention to "spend money to avoid disaster"!
He didn't try to be clever or conceal his family fortune at this critical moment. (End of Chapter)