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

After a two-day rest, Emperor Chongzhen officially began handling state affairs and receiving officials in Nanjing as the emperor.

On this day, in the main hall of the newly renovated Nanjing Imperial Palace, Emperor Chongzhen held his first formal grand court assembly since arriving in Nanjing after his southern tour.

The hall was solemn and dignified, with incense smoke curling from the burners.

The nobles in Beijing, the officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers in Nanjing, the Censorate, the Five Military Commissions, and the main officials of Yingtian Prefecture, Shangyuan County, and Jiangning County gathered together, standing solemnly according to their ranks.

Midway through the court assembly, Emperor Chongzhen seemingly casually brought up a topic:
"I have come south from the capital and have seen the prosperity of Jiangnan, which is the best in the world. I am very pleased. However, I have observed that although the streets of Nanjing are full of people and merchants, the roads are narrow and carriages and horses are difficult to travel. When it is rainy, the roads are muddy and the streets are dusty when it is sunny. This is not very in line with the atmosphere of the capital."

"In comparison, the capital has been renovated over the past few years. Its streets are wide, the roads are smooth, and carriages and horses travel on them. The people are very comfortable. I wonder when Nanjing will be able to achieve this?"

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, some officials in the hall who had been to Beijing on official business and had witnessed the results of the road repairs in Beijing in recent years immediately stepped forward to echo his words.

They were indeed impressed by Beijing's wide and smooth "cement roads," and upon hearing the emperor mention them, they all praised the convenience of Beijing's roads and subtly suggested that Nanjing, as a secondary capital, did indeed need improvement in its road conditions, and that if His Majesty intended to repair them, it would be a blessing for the people of Nanjing.

Other officials and nobles were initially unaware of the situation, but seeing that the emperor seemed to intend to repair the roads in Nanjing, which could be considered a benevolent policy that benefited the local area, and that the project itself could bring a lot of "profit" and opportunities, they also expressed their support. For a time, the hall was filled with praise for the emperor's "concern for the people's feelings" and "attachment to the construction of the secondary capital," and the atmosphere was quite enthusiastic.

However, Chongzhen's next words instantly turned the enthusiastic atmosphere to freezing point.

With a warm smile on his face, Emperor Chongzhen slowly swept his gaze over the assembled officials in the hall and spoke in a relaxed tone, as if discussing a casual family matter:
"I am very pleased that my ministers have reached this consensus. Building bridges and roads is a good policy that benefits the country and the people. However, although the national treasury has been somewhat more abundant in recent years, expenses are also numerous. Military campaigns in Liaodong, relief efforts in various places, river works and canal transport all require money. To suddenly come up with tens of millions of taels of silver to repair the roads in Nanjing is a real challenge for me."

He paused, observing the changes in the expressions of his ministers below, and noticed that the smiles on many of their faces began to stiffen.

Chongzhen continued slowly and deliberately:
"After much deliberation, I suddenly realized that you, my beloved ministers, have lived in Nanjing for a long time and have a deep affection for this place. The prosperity of Nanjing also depends on your efforts in managing it. The roads of Nanjing are walked by you and your families every day and are closely related to your businesses."

“If the roads are repaired and renewed, it will be of great benefit to both the public and private sectors. How about the funds for this road repair be donated by the officials, gentry, merchants and people of Nanjing? The imperial court can give it a push and send capable officials to supervise the project to ensure its quality and efficiency.”

"As for those who contributed funds, I will not hesitate to reward them. Their names can be engraved on stone to ensure their lasting fame. What do you all think?"

Donation?

The emperor won't pay for the road construction, so we have to pay for it?
Upon hearing this, the hall, which had been filled with praise just moments before, fell into complete silence.

Almost all the officials and nobles changed their expressions, especially those with abundant wealth, whose hearts sank.

They just got ripped off by the court under the pretext of "smuggling," and the wound hasn't even healed yet, and now they're trying to "solicite donations" for road repairs? This is like cutting flesh bit by bit with a dull knife!
Many people's first reaction is resistance, or even anger.

At that moment, several impatient officials, or those who considered themselves upright, blushed and stammered, as if they wanted to step forward and offer their advice, arguing that the court should not compete with the people for profit and should not impose further levies.

However, before they could take a step, Chongzhen's seemingly gentle yet undeniably authoritative gaze swept over them, and at the same time, his calm yet weighty words rang out again:

"My lords, after all that has happened, I have a general idea of ​​the wealth and resources of each of you. I suppose the funds required for this road construction are just a drop in the ocean for you, and should not be a major financial burden. Moreover, this is a benevolent act that benefits our hometown and our descendants, and its merits are immeasurable."

These words, though spoken softly, resounded like thunder in everyone's ears!

"Having gone through all that has happened"—this seemingly casual remark instantly evoked everyone's fearful memories of what had just happened.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's ruthless investigations and raids, and the fate of those who refused to cooperate—their families were destroyed!

The emperor now knows everyone's financial situation very well. He knows exactly how much money everyone has, so no one can pretend to be poor!
Those officials who originally wanted to stand up and object were as if they had been choked, swallowing back the words that were about to come out of their mouths, their faces turning red and white in turns.

The nobles looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness and fear.

The emperor was clearly using the pretext of road construction to make them "bleed money" again.

But can they refuse? Do they dare to refuse?

The previous "smuggling incident" has already demonstrated the iron fist of the imperial power and the Crown Prince's methods. If the Emperor is angered again now, it will probably not be as simple as "donating money to repair roads". It may even lead to the calamity of confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family!

After a brief, suffocating silence, Xu Wenjue, the head of the nobility and Duke of Wei, stepped forward first.

He forced a smile that was more like a grimace, knelt down, and spoke in a loud voice that trembled almost imperceptibly:

"Your Majesty is wise! Building bridges and paving roads is a benevolent policy for all time! Your Majesty cares for the capital and understands the people's plight. Your desire to renovate the streets of Nanjing is a blessing for the millions of soldiers and civilians in Nanjing! We have been blessed by the country for generations and have lived in Nanjing for a long time. We have a deep affection for this place."

"Now that His Majesty has given this order, how could we, your subjects, not serve with utmost loyalty? Our Wei State Duke's Mansion is willing to donate 500,000 taels of silver to aid in the construction work! We are doing our utmost to contribute our modest efforts!"

With the Duke of Wei taking the lead, other nobles such as the Earl of Chengyi and the Marquis of Zhenyuan had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward one after another, pledging amounts of 100,000, 80,000, and 50,000 respectively.

Seeing this, the civil officials knew that the situation was hopeless and that resistance was futile, so they could only follow suit and pledge to donate varying amounts of silver according to their rank and "family wealth".

In the blink of an eye, the once deathly silent hall became "lively" again, only this time filled with the sounds of people vying to "donate".

Soon, the initial pledged amount exceeded four million taels of silver. This was only the initial statement at the court meeting. With the subsequent implementation in Nanjing and surrounding prefectures, coupled with the "enthusiastic" donations from merchants, it would not be difficult to reach the funds needed for road repairs as estimated by Zhu Cilang.

Looking at the assembled ministers kneeling before His Majesty, proclaiming "We are willing to share Your Majesty's burdens" and "This is a benevolent act that benefits the country and its people; how dare we refuse?", Chongzhen sat on his dragon throne, a genuine smile of pleasure spreading across his face. This time, he felt he had truly seized the initiative.

He slightly raised his hand and said gently:
"My beloved ministers, rise. Your public-spiritedness and concern for the nation have greatly pleased me. When the project is completed, I will reward you according to your merits and inscribe your names on a stone tablet, so that your good deeds will be remembered in history!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The cheers rang out again, but this time, the true feelings contained within them were probably only known to the officials kneeling on the ground.

After the court session ended, the news that the emperor wanted to "encourage donations" for road construction spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Nanjing, and then to other wealthy places such as Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou.

Upon hearing the news, officials, gentry, and wealthy merchants alike felt a pang of regret and complained, but some saw business opportunities in it—participating in such a massive project offered countless opportunities in material procurement, manpower hiring, and commercial development along the route. Moreover, if they could gain a reputation for "public-spiritedness" and even receive preferential policies from the court, such as tax breaks or exclusive rights, it might not be a bad deal in the long run.

Thus, after the initial shock and dissatisfaction, a trend of "donation" began to spread among officials, gentry and merchants in Jiangnan.

After all, paying for road repairs is much better than having your home raided; consider this money as "spending money to avoid disaster" and "investing in the future."

As for the common people, they were naturally overjoyed when they heard that roads were going to be built. Who wouldn't want to walk on a flat and wide road?
A few days later.

The side hall on the east side of Chengyun Hall in the Nanjing Imperial Palace has now been temporarily converted into the emperor's study for handling daily government affairs.

The warm spring sun shines through the exquisitely carved wooden windows, casting dappled light and shadow on the smooth, mirror-like gold-brick floor of the hall.

Emperor Chongzhen sat upright behind his large rosewood desk, holding a memorial with fresh ink in his hand. His gaze lingered on the dizzying lines of numbers, and his face showed a complex expression of disbelief, yet he tried his best to remain calm.

This is the first summary list of officials, gentry, merchants and common people in Nanjing and other prefectures and states of the Ministry of Revenue who voluntarily contributed money and grain to help repair the city walls of Nanjing and the imperial roads of the two capitals. It was jointly verified and reported by the Nanjing Qingli Division of the Ministry of Revenue, together with the Nanjing Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) and the garrison eunuchs.

The booklet clearly lists the figures, with their sources clearly identified and categorized: more than 30 noble families in Nanjing, including the Duke of Wei, the Earl of Chengyi, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and the Marquis of Lingbi, pledged a total of 8.5 million taels of silver.

Civil and military officials in Nanjing and Yingtian Prefecture pledged a total of 5.8 million taels of silver, while wealthy merchants in and around Nanjing pledged a total of 12 million taels of silver.

The Yangzhou Salt Merchants Association pledged 6.5 million taels of silver, the Suzhou and Songjiang Silk and Cloth Merchants Associations pledged 4.2 million taels of silver, and the Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Huzhou Chambers of Commerce in Zhejiang Province pledged 3 million taels of silver.
All things considered, in just half a month, the "donations" collected at the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue's transport treasury amounted to a staggering 41 million taels!

Moreover, the "repayment" funds from merchant groups in Huizhou, Ningguo, and even Jiangxi and Huguang are still flowing in continuously.

The final amount is very likely to exceed the 50 million mark!

"More than 41 million taels"

Emperor Chongzhen muttered to himself, his fingertips trembling slightly.

He put down the memorial, picked up the blue-and-white porcelain covered bowl on the imperial desk, and wanted to drink some tea to calm his mind, but found that the tea had already gone cold.

He simply put down his teacup, leaned back into the rosewood armchair with its bright yellow cushions, and let out a long breath, as if to expel all the pent-up frustration and pressure that had accumulated in his chest over the years.

This number is unbelievable! It's like a dream!

No, even in his most absurd dreams, there had never been so much silver!

Just three years ago, he was still a poor emperor who was anxiously pacing around the Qianqing Palace for hundreds of thousands of taels of military pay for Liaodong and hundreds of thousands of taels of grain for suppressing bandits. He had to swallow his pride and "persuade" nobles, eunuchs, and even imperial relatives to donate, but he was repeatedly rebuffed and suffered humiliation.

At that time, he couldn't sleep at night or eat. Looking at the empty imperial treasury and the meager national treasury, he felt that the sky of the entire Ming Dynasty was about to collapse.

He had sat alone late at night countless times, facing the portraits of his ancestors, feeling ashamed, fearful, and desperate, with almost no way forward.

However, in just three years! In the blink of an eye! The situation has completely changed!
With the bandits largely quelled and the Jurchens in Liaodong suffering a major setback, the national treasury was overflowing with silver. Now, for a project as trivial as "road construction"—a mere "icing on the cake" rather than a "life-saving" project—the officials, gentry, and merchants in the south were so "enthusiastic" as to hand over tens of millions of taels of silver!

This is absolutely unbelievable!
Chongzhen slowly closed his eyes, and the image of Zhu Cilang's young, calm face, which often carried a profound and resolute quality beyond his years, involuntarily appeared in his mind.

Yes, the root of all these changes lies with Lang'er!

It was he who stepped forward at the most critical moment for the court, reorganized the Beijing garrison, and trained a new army. It was he who proposed those seemingly unorthodox but actually timely new policies.

Without Zhu Cilang, how could the Ming Dynasty be so prosperous and have such a full treasury today?

He was probably still deep inside the Forbidden City, frantically trying to patch up the mess, struggling to keep things in order.
Thinking of this, Chongzhen felt a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe, including relief, pride, joy, and a touch of melancholy.

He was pleased with the improvement of the country's situation, proud to have such a son, and grateful that Heaven had not abandoned the Ming Dynasty. However, he was also saddened that he, as a father and emperor, seemed to be increasingly dependent on his young son in many matters.

But in any case, the current abundance is real, and the dawn of the Ming Dynasty's revival is also tangible.

He opened his eyes, his gaze returning to the memorial, and the corners of his mouth finally couldn't help but curve upwards, revealing a relieved and somewhat cheerful smile.

"Someone is coming."

Emperor Chongzhen called out.

The eunuch who had been standing silently in the shadows behind the imperial desk immediately stepped forward two paces and bowed, saying:

"The old slave is here."

"Make a copy of this memorial and send it to Beijing by express courier, so that the cabinet members can read it and be pleased with it."

Chongzhen's voice carried a hint of lightness that was barely perceptible.

"Old slave obeys the order."

The eunuch respectfully responded, carefully picked up the heavy memorial, and withdrew.

Emperor Chongzhen stood up, walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked out at the blooming flowers and lush trees in the imperial garden.

Summer arrives earlier and is more intense in Nanjing than in Beijing.

A warm breeze caressed his face, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass, but his thoughts drifted away with the spring wind to faraway places. (End of Chapter)