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

There was no way around it; after the emperor won a battle, there had been assassination attempts.

Although it was all just a "bitter trick" carefully orchestrated by Zhu Cilang to eliminate dissidents and warn nobles, the bloody lesson was still vivid in the minds of the officers and soldiers responsible for security.

This has caused them to be extremely tense at this moment, fearing that in this glorious moment of triumph, some treacherous officials might resort to desperate measures, which would truly be an unforgivable crime.

Therefore, these officers and soldiers were on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Fortunately, everything is safe and sound.

Amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, the motorcade slowly drove towards the Inner Golden Water Bridge until the majestic Meridian Gate stood before them.

Only then did the people along the street reluctantly disperse under the guidance of the soldiers, while the civil and military officials went back to their offices to hand over their duties. The hustle and bustle of welcoming the emperor came to an end.

Soon, Emperor Chongzhen arrived outside the Forbidden City.

Looking up at the magnificent palace complex with its red walls and yellow tiles, where he had lived for decades, Chongzhen stopped in his tracks. A wave of emotion, difficult to conceal, washed over him, and his voice became somewhat hoarse.
"I'm back, I... I'm finally back."

Zhu Cilang stood beside him, also gazing at the towering corner tower, his tone carrying a barely perceptible sigh:

"It's been a year and a half, and I'm finally back."

This journey, crossing mountains and seas, reclaimed lost territory, pacified the peninsula, and now returns to the old capital, feels like a lifetime ago.

Emperor Chongzhen took a deep breath, as if to inhale the familiar air, which carried a faint scent of sandalwood and dust, into his lungs, and then took the lead in stepping inside.

Not far from the palace gate, they saw Empress Zhou standing quietly in the square not far away, accompanied by her concubines, children, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs.

Similarly, Zheng Xiaomei and Qiqige were also among them.

In fact, if she could, Empress Zhou would have preferred to lead her female relatives directly to the city gates to greet them.
But etiquette cannot be disregarded, especially in a strictly regulated imperial court.

In ancient times, the imperial harem was not allowed to interfere in politics, let alone easily show their faces in public.

Although the situation has changed drastically, Empress Zhou still adheres to her duties. But now, seeing that familiar figure truly appear before her, these rules and etiquette seem to have become unimportant.

"His Majesty!"

When Empress Zhou's familiar figure came into view, she could no longer restrain herself and, along with the concubines behind her, hurriedly and devoutly bowed down.

Emperor Chongzhen rushed forward, taking three steps at a time, and helped Empress Zhou to her feet. He held her hand tightly, his voice hoarse with the strain of his long journey, yet filled with deep affection:

"Empress, I miss you so much."

After saying this, in full view of everyone, he disregarded etiquette and directly reached out to pull Empress Zhou into his arms.

Empress Zhou felt the envious or shy gazes cast upon her by the concubines and palace maids around her, and two blushes instantly rose to her cheeks. She quickly whispered a reproachful rebuke:

"Your Majesty! The children...the children are all watching."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen laughed heartily. Instead of loosening his grip, he hugged her even tighter and said loudly:
"It's nothing, it's nothing! I've been missing you terribly, I don't care about those formalities at all!"

At the same time, Qiqige and Zheng Xiaomei, who were standing behind Empress Zhou, finally saw the figure they had been longing for—Zhu Cilang.

Their eyes met, and Zhu Cilang smiled slightly at them. In that smile, there was apology, reassurance, and the composure that comes with experience.

Qiqige and Zheng Xiaomei immediately responded with a gentle yet tearful look in their eyes.

After all, it had been more than a year since they last saw each other, and they were heartbroken with longing. However, in this important palace, in front of so many elders and palace servants, they knew they could not lose their composure, much less do anything out of line.

Just then, Empress Zhou straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, blushed, broke free from Chongzhen's embrace, and quickly walked to Zhu Cilang.

She reached out and gently stroked her son's more angular face, tears welling up in her eyes instantly, her voice choked with emotion:
"It's been so long since we last met, your mother has missed you terribly."

Zhu Cilang smiled, a smile that held a maturity and warmth beyond his years:

"Your Majesty, I miss you too. Please don't worry, Your Majesty, I'm fine, everything is alright."

Empress Zhou carefully examined her now-adult son, gestured with her hands, and sighed:
"He's really alright. Not only is he fine, but he's also taller and stronger. It seems he's suffered a lot outside."

After saying this, perhaps recalling the contrast between her son's youthful naiveté when he left the capital and his current composure, or perhaps feeling sentimental that this separation had lasted for a year and a half, Empress Zhou couldn't help but raise her hand to wipe away her tears.

Seeing this, Emperor Chongzhen quickly came over to smooth things over:

"Look at you, why are you crying for no reason? Didn't the Crown Prince and I return safely?"

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhou wiped her eyes forcefully, broke into a smile through her tears, and said with a touch of embarrassment:

"I am not sad, I am... I am happy."

Just then, a childish, yet joyful voice suddenly broke in:

"Brother Prince!"

Zhu Cilang looked down and saw a little girl, about two or three years old, wearing a pink jacket, stretching out her short arms and tugging at his sleeve.

He recognized her at a glance; she was his youngest sister, Zhu Shuangxi.

Zhu Cilang's lips curled into a gentle smile. He knelt down and easily picked up the soft, cuddly little girl, then gently stroked her cute little nose with his finger, teasingly saying:
"Shuangxi, do you still recognize your brother? It's been two years since we last met. I thought you had forgotten about me."

Zhu Shuangxi flashed a bright smile, though missing a front tooth, at her brother and said in a childish voice:
"I haven't forgotten! Shuangxi will never forget her brother!"

Just then, Emperor Chongzhen, who was watching this scene from the side, suddenly showed a jealous expression on his face, leaned over, and said in a deliberately serious tone:
"Does Shuangxi remember Father Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shuangxi immediately smiled and opened his arms, as if to throw himself into Chongzhen's embrace:
"Father! Shuangxi remembers! Father, give me a hug!"

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang smiled and handed his daughter to Chongzhen. Chongzhen took her in his arms, held her high, and his face was full of undisguised love and doting affection.

Then, Zhu Cilang stood up and turned his gaze to his younger brother, Prince Ding, Zhu Cijiong, who had been waiting quietly to the side.

He stepped forward, patted Zhu Cijiong's shoulder forcefully, and said earnestly:

"You've worked hard as regent for over a year. You also deserve credit for this great victory."

Zhu Cijiong felt the strength from his elder brother's hand, and a look of relief appeared on his face. He quickly bowed humbly and said, "Your Highness is too kind. This is my duty. Now that Your Highness has returned, I should also relinquish this heavy responsibility of overseeing the country."

After he finished speaking, he unconsciously let out a long breath.

He was truly exhausted. The past year or so of regency, though without any major mistakes, had left him mentally and physically drained. He was not one to be particularly interested in power, and now that the Crown Prince had returned to the capital, he could finally unload this heavy burden and return to the peaceful life of a prince.

As night falls, the Forbidden City is brightly lit and decorated.

Emperor Chongzhen held a banquet in the palace with his family. It was a rare occasion for the whole family to gather together and enjoy a long-awaited reunion dinner.

During the banquet, Emperor Chongzhen was in high spirits and frequently raised his cup. Zhu Cilang was also chatting and laughing. Empress Zhou and the concubines had smiles on their faces that they hadn't seen in a long time. Even the usually composed Zhu Cijiong was unusually relaxed.

Only when the night was deep and quiet, and the drums signaling the closing of the palace gates sounded, did Zhu Cilang, accompanied by Zheng Xiaomei and Qiqige, leave the palace and return to his own East Palace, surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids.

As the clamor subsided, the lights of the imperial city went out one by one, leaving only the bright moon to quietly illuminate this prosperous land that had just experienced separation and reunion.

That night, candlelight flickered in the Eastern Palace, and red curtains fluttered gently; the romantic escapades that took place there is no need to elaborate.

In the latter half of the night, Zhu Cilang felt a little sore all over, especially in his kidney area, where a faint pain came from.

He frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "Indulging in pleasure is good, but I have to be careful."

However, drowsiness eventually overcame the discomfort, and he turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

I slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky, and the warm sunlight shone through the carved window lattice onto the luxurious brocade quilt.

Zhu Cilang slowly woke up, rubbed his sleepy eyes, looked at the bright light outside the window, and secretly rejoiced. He had just returned to the capital and there was nothing urgent to do recently, so it wouldn't hurt to sleep in.

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, Emperor Chongzhen had just risen.

He sat on the bed, stretched, and had a lazy expression on his face.

Over the past year, he personally led his troops on campaigns, enduring hardships and sleeping outdoors, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. Now that he has finally returned to the capital, he naturally wants to take a good rest.

On the same day, both father and son slept in comfortably.

Seeing this, some people may wonder: The emperor has been on a military campaign for more than a year and has just returned to the capital. Shouldn't he immediately go to court to handle state affairs?

Actually, according to the rules, he should definitely attend court, but it wasn't in such a hurry.

Earlier, Emperor Chongzhen had already issued an edict instructing his ministers to rest for three days before resuming court proceedings. Although the ministers had some reservations upon hearing this, they reasoned that since the emperor had won a great victory, it was only natural for him to relax a little in his duties, so they did not say anything further.

The scene returns to the East Palace, where sunlight now bathes the entire courtyard, and flowers and plants sway gently in the breeze, releasing a fragrant aroma.

Zhu Cilang, Zheng Xiaomei, and Qiqige were sitting around an exquisite round table, eating.

Calling it breakfast isn't entirely accurate, as it was already close to noon. But the three of them had just gotten up and were hungry, so they didn't care and treated this meal as breakfast.

The table was laden with a variety of delicious dishes, including crystal shrimp dumplings with translucent skins as thin as cicada wings, wrapping tender shrimp meat, bursting with broth with every bite; fragrant eight-treasure porridge, where various grains and dried fruits were simmered in a pot until soft, sticky, and sweet, each mouthful bursting with rich flavor; and golden, crispy spring rolls, their outer skin fried to perfection, each bite revealing a delicious and savory filling with a satisfying "crunch."

Zheng Xiaomei, dressed in a light pink palace gown and adorned with exquisite hair ornaments, took a sip of tea, then suddenly put down her teacup and looked at Zhu Cilang, saying:
"By the way, Your Highness, there is something I need to tell you about the Crown Princess."

Her voice was soft and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley.

Zhu Cilang was picking up a pastry when he heard this. His hand paused slightly, but he wasn't too surprised.

He slowly raised his head, looking at Zheng Xiaomei with gentle eyes, and asked:

"It seems that Mother has already chosen a Crown Princess for me. What will her name be?"

Zheng Xiaomei smiled, her face beaming with joy, and said:

"Ning Wanyao is the daughter of Ning Hong, a centurion."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang was slightly taken aback, and some memories flashed through his mind. In his memory, in the original history, his queen was also surnamed Ning, and their father's name matched, so it seemed that they should be the same person.

However, in history, that crown princess did not have a good ending.

When the city fell, Wu Sangui gave her to Dorgon, and then her whereabouts became unknown. It is estimated that she is dead.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, but he quickly came back to his senses and thought to himself that such a thing would never happen again.

Immediately, Zhu Cilang smiled faintly and asked:
"So, have you seen her yet?"

Qiqige, standing to the side, said with a smile:

"We've seen her before. When Mother went to find a match, she took us with her. This Miss Ning is outstanding in both appearance and talent. She has eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like stars, skin as white as snow, and a gentle and elegant temperament."

Moreover, she is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and can compose poetry and songs with ease. With her as a sister, she will certainly not mistreat us.

Zheng Xiaomei smiled and nodded, saying:

"Qiqi is right. We see each other often, and she is a very good person with excellent learning. Every time I talk to her, I learn a lot from her."

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded. He naturally trusted Empress Zhou's judgment. The people she chose were certainly not bad.

Then, Zheng Xiaomei suddenly asked again:
"How about we go see her this afternoon?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang waved his hand and said:

"No rush. I have important matters to attend to this afternoon. Let's discuss this later."

Hearing this, Zheng Xiaomei didn't know what to say and just nodded.

After having breakfast, Zhu Cilang rested for a while.

He then changed into casual clothes and rushed to a place, which turned out to be the Firearms Research Institute.

Having been away from the Ming Dynasty for more than a year and a half, he was eager to know what changes had occurred at the Firearms Research Institute during that time.

Although he and Bi Maokang maintained correspondence during this period, Liaodong was simply too far from the capital, making even letter delivery somewhat inconvenient. Moreover, the content that could be described in letters was limited; there were some things he needed to see for himself to be at ease. (End of Chapter)