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

Zhu Cilang continued:
"Upon returning, two matters must be addressed immediately without delay."

"First, according to the account books, immediately count half of your family property, classify and register it, and prepare to hand it over to the court for acceptance by officials. This matter concerns the court's reputation and your lives, so you must handle it properly and without any mistakes."

"second."

Zhu Cilang paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Make every effort to prepare for the arrival of the Emperor. My father and I will soon be on a southern tour and arrive in Nanjing. This matter concerns the dignity of the imperial family, as well as whether you have fulfilled your responsibilities."

"All matters concerning ceremonial guards, lodging, security, welcoming and sending off must be handled in accordance with regulations, ensuring thoroughness and accuracy, without the slightest error! Is this even possible?"

"Yes! It must be possible!"

"Please rest assured, Your Highness! We will immediately begin the task upon our return! We will ensure the mission is carried out perfectly and will never fail to live up to the trust placed in us by Your Majesty and Your Highness!"

Duke Xu Yunzhen of Wei took the lead, representing everyone, and made a firm guarantee.

At this moment, they were truly convinced of the Crown Prince's abilities, and also felt a deep sense of fear towards him.

After all, even the emperor had to follow his wishes, so how could these ministers dare to be even slightly negligent or disrespectful?
Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, said nothing more, and simply waved his hand gently.

Wang Chengen, who was standing to the side, understood and immediately shouted in a high-pitched voice:
"Your Majesty has decreed to withdraw from the court!"

"We take our leave! Long live Your Majesty! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The nobles kowtowed again, then bowed their heads and left the Qianqing Palace in turn.

The heavy palace gates slowly closed behind them, shutting out the splendor and oppression within the hall.

As the sunlight shone on their faces, they suddenly realized that their underwear was already soaked with cold sweat, but the heavy weight that had been hanging over their hearts for months finally lifted.

After everyone left, only Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Cilang, and a few personal eunuchs remained in the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Chongzhen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, leaning back slightly on the back of his dragon throne. A hint of weariness, mixed with curiosity and excitement, appeared on his face as he turned to Zhu Cilang and asked:
"You just looked at the account books. How much cash would half of these families' assets be worth?"

Zhu Cilang already knew the answer and replied without hesitation:

"Father, if we only consider the most easily convertible gold, silver, copper coins, and the silver deposits of major banks and banks, the cash donated by more than ten families, including the Duke of Wei, the Earl of Chengyi, and the Marquis of Zhenyuan, is roughly estimated to be between seventeen and eighteen million taels."

"Seventeen or eighteen million taels of silver?"

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this number, his eyes widened instantly, and his breathing quickened!
This is almost equivalent to the annual revenue of the national treasury during the Ming Dynasty's heyday!

And this is only half of the cash held by a dozen or so noble families! How much must their total assets be? He simply couldn't imagine!
Zhu Cilang continued calmly:
"And this does not even include the land, manors, shops, residences, docks, workshops, and various antiques and rare items they have donated. If these are also valued, I estimate that the total value we can receive this time will be over thirty million taels of silver."

"Thirty million taels?!"

Emperor Chongzhen gasped, his entire body stiffening, unable to utter a word for a long time.

This number has completely exceeded his expectations!

He couldn't help but recall the embarrassing scene from a few years ago when the national treasury and the imperial treasury were empty, and he was forced to humbly "persuade" the officials, imperial relatives and nobles to donate to the army.

Those noble ministers who usually claimed to be loyal to the emperor and love the country all cried out for poverty and injustice, and in the end, the amount of silver they raised was only a mere two hundred thousand taels!

Compared to today's thirty million taels, it's a world of difference!

An extremely complex emotion welled up inside me, a mixture of ecstasy, bitterness, and a sense of absurdity, as if I were in another world.

"But this is just the beginning."

Just then, Zhu Cilang's voice pulled him back from his memories.

"Within Nanjing, there are dozens of noble families. The ones who have voluntarily surrendered their assets this time are only the most powerful and the most 'pragmatic' of them. Once the Southern Tour arrives in Nanjing and a comprehensive rectification begins, the assets that can be seized and confiscated will probably be an astronomical figure."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen remained silent for a long time, only letting out a long sigh. He gazed at the bright sky outside the window with a complex expression and murmured:
"This is all thanks to you! Without you, I would have been powerless against them! Without you, I and the Ming Dynasty would probably have already..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was self-evident.

Afterwards, the father and son remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

After sitting quietly for a while, they each got up and left.

Emperor Chongzhen returned to Kunning Palace to rest, while Zhu Cilang returned to the Eastern Palace.

Those Nanjing nobles who were fortunate enough to be pardoned dared not linger in the capital after receiving their "immunity from death" tokens.

The next day, just as dawn broke, the convoys of more than ten noble families set off in a grand procession through the main gates of Beijing, embarking on the long official road back to Nanjing with a complex mix of emotions, as if they had survived a calamity.

They knew that there were too many things to deal with immediately after returning to Nanjing, such as the trivial and painful process of taking stock of half of their family property, and the tension and pressure of preparing for the emperor's southern tour. Each of these matters concerned the future fate of the family and could not be taken lightly.

As time goes by, spring is gradually arriving in Beijing, and willow catkins are beginning to drift in the air.

Before we knew it, it was early April of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign.

Spring comes late in the north, and the lingering effects of last year's harsh winter seem to last exceptionally long. It wasn't until April that the weather truly warmed up and stabilized.

The ice on the moat had long since melted, and the weeping willows on the banks had sprouted tender green buds.

With only seven days left until the scheduled departure date of the southern tour, the entire imperial machinery was operating at high speed for this unprecedented imperial southern tour.

After repeated consultations among the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites, and other government departments, and with Zhu Cilang's final decision, the total number of people accompanying the emperor on his southern tour was set at approximately 30,000.

This included the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison responsible for the ceremonial procession, the Imperial Guards, the officials of the Six Ministries and their subordinates, palace guards, eunuchs, palace maids, imperial physicians, craftsmen, and others, forming an extremely large contingent.

The reason for setting the number at 30,000 was that this southern tour was not a war, and there was no need to bring a large combat force and baggage.

The main itinerary is planned to start from the Tianjin port, travel south along the coastal road, and finally arrive in Nanjing.

Therefore, a sizable naval fleet will accompany and escort the ship, with the total number of people on land and sea expected to reach 60,000.

For an imperial southern tour whose core purpose was to inspect, appease, and reorganize, this scale was unprecedented.

Officials in the provinces along the route had already received strict orders to do everything in their power to ensure the safety of the imperial procession and to provide everything they needed.

Therefore, the final number of participants in this southern tour definitely exceeded 100,000!
In his final days as regent, Zhu Cilang entrusted the daily administrative affairs to the cabinet headed by Xue Guoguan, and summoned several key officials who remained in Beijing to give them final instructions and advice. In truth, he didn't have many things to worry about, as the Ming Dynasty had undergone a dramatic transformation compared to the internal and external troubles and precarious state it had been a few years prior.

The situation in Liaodong has temporarily stabilized. The bandits who had ravaged the region for many years have been basically eliminated. The promotion of high-yield crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes has begun to show results. In addition, the planned purchase of grain from overseas as a supplement and reserve has effectively alleviated the famine in various places.

Looking around, the empire presented a long-lost, stable state of recovery.

This is precisely the source of his confidence in undertaking this far-reaching southern tour with Emperor Chongzhen.

Although the overall situation was settled and everything was arranged properly, Zhu Cilang still had a faint lingering concern in his heart, like willow catkins outside the window, gently stirring his emotions.

This concern did not stem from any unease about the government or his safety during his southern tour. After all, with important officials such as Xue Guoguan and Li Banghua remaining in Beijing, and capable ministers such as Qin Liangyu, Zu Dashou, and Sun Chuanting fulfilling their duties, the situation in Liaodong and the Northwest was temporarily stable, so he had little to worry about.

This unease concerns a place and a person.

That was the Firearms Research Institute in the west of the city, and Bi Maokang, who was in charge of it.

Thinking of Bi Maokang, Zhu Cilang's brows furrowed slightly.

A few days ago, the Embroidered Uniform Guard reported that, according to the Embroidered Uniform Guard captains who were secretly guarding the Firearms Research Institute, Bi Maokang seemed to have caught a cold recently and had been coughing for a while. Although he still went to the research institute to perform his duties every day, his spirit and complexion looked much worse than before.

This news made Zhu Cilang's heart jump.

Bi Maokang! He is the most crucial and almost irreplaceable core figure in his plan to strengthen the military through science and technology and achieve a technological advantage in the military!

This elderly minister, nearing seventy, is not only proficient in traditional crafts, but also remarkably open-minded, highly receptive to new things, and possesses a strong spirit of research and practical ability.

The improvement of flintlock muskets, the establishment of standardized production processes, and even the groundbreaking breech-loading rifle project currently underway, were all promoted under the leadership and personal participation of Bi Maokang.

He was an indispensable bridge connecting Zhu Cilang's vision that transcended his time with the current industrial base of the Ming Dynasty.

If anything were to happen to him, the entire firearms development process could very well come to a standstill, or even be interrupted!

This kind of loss cannot be compensated by any amount of gold, silver, or official rank.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang sent several imperial physicians to treat him. Although the physicians said there was nothing seriously wrong, Zhu Cilang was still somewhat worried.

"No, I have to go and see it for myself before I leave, otherwise I won't feel at ease."

Zhu Cilang thought to himself.

Having thought this through, Zhu Cilang no longer hesitated, abruptly stood up, and instructed Ma Bao, who was standing to the side:
"Prepare a sedan chair and head to the Firearms Research Institute. Travel light and simply; there's no need to disturb too many people."

"The slaves obey the order."

Ma Bao bowed in response and immediately turned to go out and make the arrangements.

About half an hour later, an inconspicuous procession of blue sedan chairs, escorted by more than twenty plainclothes Imperial Guards, quietly arrived outside the heavily guarded gate of the Firearms Research Institute in Xicheng District, Beijing.

The research institute's walls were tall and thick, and at the entrance stood soldiers of the Beijing Garrison, fully armored and armed, creating a solemn atmosphere.

The officials inside the research institute had obviously been informed in advance. As soon as Zhu Cilang's sedan chair came to a stop in front of the institute's gate, the institute's heavy iron gate creaked open from the inside.

Led by Bi Maokang, more than ten people, including several key officials and master craftsmen of the research institute, were already dressed in their finest attire and waiting respectfully on both sides of the passageway inside the gate.

Bi Maokang, who was in the lead, was wearing a scarlet official robe with peacock embroidered patches. His hair and beard were completely white and he was meticulously combed. However, his face was indeed much thinner than when Zhu Cilang last saw him. His complexion also carried a hint of weariness and paleness that was not easily detected. However, he seemed to be in good spirits and his back was still straight.

Behind him were officials dressed in blue and green robes, of varying ranks.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang step into the courtyard, Bi Maokang immediately led everyone in bowing respectfully, his voice loud but unable to conceal a hint of old age:

"Your humble servant Bi Maokang, along with all staff of the Firearms Research Institute, pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

According to custom, when a subject meets the crown prince, he must perform a full kneeling ceremony.

Bi Maokang merely bowed, not kneeling, while the officials behind him all knelt down in unison, shouting:

"I am waiting to see His Highness the Crown Prince!"

This special treatment was not because Bi Maokang was taking advantage of his age, but because Zhu Cilang had given him a special imperial edict a year earlier, seeing that Bi Maokang was old and had difficulty walking, so that he could be exempted from the kneeling ceremony when he met the emperor in the future, as a sign of leniency.

This imperial decree demonstrates Zhu Cilang's respect and care for this national treasure-level technical expert.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang, seeing this, quickly stepped forward, a gentle smile on his face, and raised his right hand in a gesture of respect:

"Minister Bi, please rise quickly. Everyone else, please rise as well. There's no need for such formalities."

After everyone stood up, Zhu Cilang's gaze fell on Bi Maokang's face, and he said with concern:
"Soon, I will be going on a southern tour with my father. This trip will probably last at least half a year and at most a year. Before leaving, I am still a little worried, so I thought I would come to the research institute to visit Bi Aiqing and everyone else."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed gratitude, and they all expressed their gratitude:
"Your Highness, rest assured! We will do our utmost in all matters concerning the Research Institute, and will not dare to be negligent in the slightest. There will be absolutely no mishaps!"

"With your words, I am relieved."

Zhu Cilang nodded with a smile, and then naturally walked side by side with Bi Maokang into the research institute, while the other officials followed respectfully behind.

The research institute is now vastly different from its humble beginnings a few years ago.

The tall workshops stood side by side, from which came the rhythmic clanging of metal and the shouts of craftsmen.

The road is paved with cement and is clean and tidy.

Soldiers were stationed and patrolled at all key locations, and the management was well-organized.

The air was filled with a distinctive smell of coal, metal, and grease.

As Zhu Cilang walked, he nodded slightly in satisfaction. This place was already taking shape as a modern industrial research and development institution.

He and Bi Maokang walked at the front, slightly behind by half a step, to show respect for the elder.

He then turned his head, lowered his voice, and asked with undisguised concern:
"Minister Bi, I heard that you caught a cold and fell ill some time ago? Are you feeling much better now?"

Upon hearing this, Bi Maokang's gray eyebrows twitched, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face, which quickly turned into emotion.

He hadn't expected that the Crown Prince, so busy with state affairs, would even remember such a minor matter as his own slight cold. (End of Chapter)