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

The next second—

"boom--!!!"

The crowd erupted like a volcano, or swept in like a tsunami! The entire city was instantly ignited and exploded!
"Victory? Total victory? The Jurchens...are dead?!"

"Captured the false emperor alive? My God! His Highness the Crown Prince is truly awe-inspiring!"

"Victory! Victory for the Ming Dynasty!!"

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The cheers of the Han people were like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami soaring into the sky!
People flooded the streets, embracing, jumping, shouting, and weeping with joy, regardless of whether they knew each other or not.

Shop assistants threw away their abacuses, restaurant patrons smashed their wine glasses, and schoolchildren ran out shouting and yelling. The whole city was plunged into a frenzy of joy.

Many families even lit firecrackers on the spot, which crackled and popped, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The feelings of the original Manchus, including the Jurchens and Mongols who had submitted, were even more complicated at this moment.

Most of them stopped what they were doing, stood on the street or hid behind doors, listening to the deafening cheers and the repeated shouts of "The Jurchens are annihilated!" and "The false emperor has been captured alive!" The color drained from their faces and their eyes changed unpredictably.

There was sadness, sorrow, and bewilderment at the loss of the last ties with the former master, but more than anything, there was a sense of resignation and relief, a feeling of "as expected."

When the last bit of hope is dashed, there is a strange sense of relief.

They knew that era was completely over, and from now on, they had to, and could only, strive to be "obedient citizens of the Ming Dynasty."

Soon, most of them quietly blended into the crowd on the street, heads down, walking away quickly, or forcing out a smile of agreement.

Shenyang Imperial Palace.

After nearly a year of renovation and reconstruction, this palace complex, which was once full of Jianzhou Jurchen and Mongolian styles, has undergone a complete transformation.

The eaves and brackets were repainted, and the shamanic ritual patterns, animal skin decorations, and Manchu inscriptions inside the palace were all removed and replaced with Confucian classics, landscape paintings, and dragon patterns symbolizing imperial power. Although it is still far from the Forbidden City in Beijing in terms of scale and form, it already has the air of a "temporary capital," solemn and majestic.

Emperor Chongzhen was not in the main hall at this moment, but in a side hall or pavilion overlooking the lake.

He was dressed in casual clothes, without a crown, his hair simply tied up, leaning back on a cushioned recliner, holding a book in his hand, with a cup of tea and some fresh fruits on a small table at his feet.

Outside the waterside pavilion, the lake surface shimmered, willows swayed gently, and water birds occasionally flew by, bringing a few clear calls, creating a scene of leisure and tranquility.

It has been more than a year and two months since the emperor personally led the expedition from Beijing last year.

For Chongzhen, this period away from the capital, away from those cumbersome formalities and the endless squabbles of the civil service was an unprecedented period of ease and comfort.

In Shenyang, he was the supreme commander with absolute authority, a "wise ruler" who led the royal army to recover lost territory and expand the land. He only heard reports of victory and praise. The heavy shackles on his shoulders, known as "the king of a fallen kingdom," had long been shattered in successive victories.

He even occasionally had this thought: after returning to the capital, could he simply pass the throne to Lang'er and stay in the Shenyang Palace to be a carefree retired emperor?

Of course, this thought only flashed through his mind. He knew that neither the court officials nor his increasingly composed and experienced son, who already possessed the demeanor of a great ruler, would agree to it.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! It's fantastic news! It's incredibly joyous news!"

A eunuch practically tumbled into the waterside pavilion. He was running so fast that his hat was askew, but his face was flushed with excitement, and his voice was distorted.

Emperor Chongzhen frowned slightly, put down his book, and asked lazily:
"What's the matter with such a panic? What kind of behavior is this?"

He assumed it was another report of good potato growth in Liaodong, or a list of spoils from North Korea.

"Your Majesty! An urgent message! It's from His Highness the Crown Prince! Korea! A great victory in Korea! A complete and utter victory!"

The eunuch was so excited that he became incoherent. He knelt down with a thud and held a piece of urgent document covered with chicken feathers and sealed with the Ministry of War's wax seal above his head.

"North Korea?"

Emperor Chongzhen sat up straight, took the document, quickly removed the sealing wax, and unfolded the letter.

My eyes quickly swept over the powerful and inspiring words on the page.

"We have killed over 130,000 in battle... captured 30,000... the Jurchen's elite land and naval forces have been wiped out... the false Prince Zheng, Jirgalang, is dead, the false Regent Dorgon has sunk to the bottom of the sea and his fate is unknown... the false Emperor Fulin and his mother, Lady Borjigit, have been captured alive by our army... the eight provinces of Korea are now under our control..."

Every word was like a heavy hammer blow to Chongzhen's heart, but it was not pain, but an unparalleled, burning joy!

"Good! Good! Good—!!!"

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly sprang up from his reclining chair. The movement was so violent that it even knocked over a teacup on the small table next to him, which shattered on the ground with a crash, but he was completely unaware of it.

He gripped the report of victory tightly, his fingers turning white from the force. His face first showed disbelief and astonishment, then that astonishment melted away like ice and snow, replaced by a ferocious, extremely joyful laugh!

"Hahaha! Good! Well done, Zhu Cilang! Well done, my Crown Prince! Well done! Absolutely brilliant!!"

He burst into loud laughter, so loud that the beams and pillars of the waterside pavilion seemed to tremble slightly, and tears even welled up in his eyes.

The next second, he shoved aside the eunuch who tried to help him, rushed to the railing outside the waterside pavilion, and facing the vast lake before him, the towering palace walls in the distance, and the boundless blue sky that symbolized his Zhu Ming dynasty, he roared with all his might, as if to unleash all the pent-up frustration, grievances, fear, and the pride and arrogance that had been building up in his chest for seventeen years.

"Ancestors of the Ming Dynasty! Emperor Taizu! Emperor Chengzu! Your spirits in heaven, open your eyes and see! See! I, Zhu Youjian, am not a ruler who brought about the downfall of the country! I am not!!"

His voice choked with emotion, yet it was filled with a triumphant and exhilarating feeling:
"I have reclaimed Liaodong! I have conquered Korea! I have destroyed Jianzhou! I have captured the false emperor alive! My territorial expansion and military achievements, though I dare not say they are unprecedented, are enough to comfort my ancestors. I am worthy of this Ming Dynasty and worthy of this dragon robe! Do you see it?! Do you see it—!!"

The roar echoed across the lake, startling a flock of waterbirds that fluttered and soared into the sky.

Emperor Chongzhen's chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, his face still flushed with ecstasy and streaked with tears.

He slowly turned around, leaning against the railing, gazing at the seemingly light yet incredibly heavy report of victory in his hand, unable to suppress the smile on his lips. Yes, all of this was largely his son's plan, his son's campaign.

But so what? He's the father! He's the emperor! Isn't the son's achievement the father's achievement?
Isn't the glory of the son the glory of the Ming imperial family?

History books will only record: During the Chongzhen reign, he pacified Liaodong, destroyed Jianzhou, captured the false emperor, and expanded the territory by thousands of miles! He, Zhu Youjian, will be a true "restoration emperor" and even a "territorial expansion emperor"!
"deliver an imperial order!"

Emperor Chongzhen had reined in his arrogance, but the light in his eyes was brighter and sharper than ever before.

"Send this news of victory to the whole world! Let every citizen of the Ming Dynasty know of this unparalleled achievement! Reward the three armies, and order the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions to quickly discuss and request rewards for the meritorious officers and soldiers! The Crown Prince shall be in charge of handling all matters related to the aftermath in Korea! I am in Shenyang, waiting for his triumphant return!"

"The slaves obey the orders!"

The eunuch kowtowed excitedly and scrambled off to deliver the order.

Chongzhen walked back to the waterside pavilion, picked up the victory report from the ground, and read it carefully again. The smile on his face was as bright and warm as the June sun, and it was also full of a sense of high spirits, as if he had unloaded all his burdens and was looking forward to an infinite future.

The good news from Liaodong was like the strongest spring breeze, blowing away the last trace of gloom and completely igniting the raging fire of "glory" and "achievement" in the heart of this emperor who had suffered so much.

However, before Emperor Chongzhen could bask in the joy that had just begun to rise in the Shenyang Palace for long, one trouble after another quickly gathered like dark clouds, completely obscuring his originally bright mood.

About half an hour later, a figure hurriedly approached the magnificent gate of the Shenyang Palace.

The man walked quickly, each step seemingly carrying a tremendous weight, as if something terrifying was chasing him from behind.

The guards at the palace gate straightened their backs when they saw this person from afar, their eyes filled with a hint of helplessness.

They dared not stop him, nor dared they step forward to ask questions, for this man was none other than King Injo of Joseon.

Previously, Emperor Chongzhen had issued an imperial edict that clearly stipulated that the King of Joseon could enter and leave the palace at any time and place, and no one was allowed to obstruct him.

To outsiders, this imperial edict might seem like a special favor to the King of Joseon, a sign of Emperor Chongzhen's generous treatment of Joseon, a vassal state. But King Injo of Joseon naturally understood the true reasons behind it.

It was nothing more than the fact that the Ming Empire was about to attack his country, and Emperor Chongzhen felt somewhat guilty, so he gave him these seemingly preferential treatments that were actually a helpless form of compensation.

However, none of that matters anymore.

At this moment, King Injo of Joseon was thinking about the matter he planned to confront Emperor Chongzhen about today.

He had always been well aware of the Ming Empire's ulterior motives. The Ming wanted to completely occupy Korea and incorporate it into its territory.

At first, King Injo of Joseon still held a sliver of hope. He felt that there might still be a chance for things to turn around, and perhaps after weighing the pros and cons, the Ming Empire would suddenly realize that doing so was somewhat inappropriate, and then have a change of heart and return Joseon to him.

After all, Korea had always been a loyal vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, treating the Ming Dynasty with utmost respect and never harboring any disloyalty.

Moreover, the people of Korea have always regarded the Ming Dynasty as their suzerain state, and have been filled with awe and dependence on it.

But now, when he finally heard the good news from North Korea, that last glimmer of hope in his heart was completely shattered. The news struck him like a bolt from the blue, plunging him into despair.

The report stated that the Ming army had completely annihilated the last Jurchen army and even captured the Jurchen emperor, Fulin. What did this mean? It meant that Korea was now completely at peace. The Jurchens, a powerful enemy that had once struck fear into the hearts of the Koreans, had now been completely wiped out by the Ming army, and Korea no longer needed to worry about Jurchen incursions.

When he first heard the news, King Injo of Joseon was stunned for a long time; he simply couldn't believe his ears.

He couldn't understand how the incredibly powerful Jurchens could be wiped out so quickly.

It must be understood that the Jurchens had ravaged the land of Korea for many years, bringing endless suffering and disaster to the Korean people. The Korean army had fought against the Jurchens many times, but all ended in defeat and heavy losses. Now, however, the Ming army had completely annihilated the Jurchens in such a short time. How could this not shock and be unbelievable to him?
At the same time, he realized that the Ming Empire probably wouldn't return Korea to him.

Because the Ming Dynasty is now so powerful that no country can compete with it.

The Ming army demonstrated formidable fighting power and unwavering will on the Korean battlefield, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Moreover, there were 200,000 Ming troops stationed in Korea. These 200,000 troops were like a towering mountain, weighing heavily on King Injo of Korea, making it hard for him to breathe.

In addition, his reputation was already tarnished.

At a critical moment when Korea faced invasion by the Jurchens, he abandoned Korea and its people in order to save his own life and fled to Liaodong alone.

This act caused his image in the eyes of the North Korean people to plummet, making him an object of universal contempt.

At this point, his desire for the Ming army to return Korea to him was nothing short of delusional.

Even if the Ming army agreed, the people of Korea might not.

After all, his previous actions had deeply hurt the feelings of the North Korean people, filling them with resentment and dissatisfaction towards him.

Having figured these things out, King Injo of Joseon had no choice but to accept reality.

He knew that he was powerless to change the fate of Korea being occupied by the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, he planned to confront Emperor Chongzhen today, telling him that he was willing to cede Korea to the Ming Dynasty, only asking that the emperor spare the lives of his entire clan and allow him to remain a prince. He had already come to understand that the unification of the Ming Dynasty was inevitable, and no one could stop it.

This is the trend of history, an inevitable force. He has no choice but to follow it; otherwise, he will face utter destruction.

Moreover, he has recently learned some things by chatting with some people.

From those people, he learned that the Ming Dynasty might soon take action against Japan.

If we want to take action against Japan, then Korea becomes a very important place.

Korea, located between the Ming Dynasty and Japan, was a strategic location for the Ming Dynasty's attack on Japan. If the Ming Dynasty wanted to launch a successful attack on Japan, it had to first control Korea.

In other words, the Ming Dynasty's desire to occupy Korea was inevitable, and no matter how much it struggled, it could not change this fact. (End of Chapter)