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

Chapter 613 The Princes of the Ming Dynasty!

The fatigue from the long journey to Beijing had not yet completely subsided, but at this moment, everyone present had an irrepressible complex light in their eyes—excitement, curiosity, trepidation, calculation, and a trace of barely perceptible worry about their unknown fate.

The people greeted each other with clasped hands, their voices kept low, creating a humming, restrained background noise in the empty hall.

"Brother Zhou, was your journey smooth?"

"Thanks to Your Majesty's good fortune, the roads were slippery after the snow, so we were a bit slow, but we still made it in time."

"Brother Chu looks increasingly better; the land and water of Huguang are truly nourishing!"

"Not at all, not at all, I cannot compare to the vigorous and healthy King of Shu."

"Uncle Rui, please take your time, this way please."

The scene appeared lively, filled with laughter and chatter, but beneath the smiles, everyone's thoughts were racing.

The conversation naturally veered towards the upcoming wedding of the Crown Prince, which was the official pretext, and a whole host of auspicious words were exchanged.

However, everyone's eyes kept glancing at the empty throne, their thoughts already on the word that stirred their nerves even more than the crown prince's wedding—"overseas enfeoffment."

His Majesty mentioned it at the clan banquet years ago, and His Highness the Crown Prince also vaguely hinted that now that the Ming Dynasty has quelled both internal and external troubles and expanded its maritime borders, shouldn't it be time to fulfill its promise?

Is it just empty promises, or is there a real plan? If it is, are overseas lands truly wild and plague-ridden, or are they as lucrative as legend suggests? How much support can the imperial court provide? And how should I choose?

These questions were like cat claws scratching at my heart.

But with the emperor and crown prince not yet present, no one dared to make any unfounded comments.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone's gaze turned in unison to Zhu Yujian, the Prince of Tang, who stood a little behind the crowd, wearing a gentle smile but not saying much.

The Prince of Tang was enfeoffed in Nanyang, which is close to the Central Plains. A few years ago, he was reprimanded by the court for "leaving his fiefdom without permission" and "leading troops to defend the emperor," and his salary was reduced. Later, he was reinstated to lead the Zhu Family Army in battle and participated in several major battles. He was the only prince who stayed in the capital for a long time.

In everyone's eyes, he was naturally the one closest to the center of power and the one with the best information.

Prince Zhu Gongxiao of Zhou spoke first with a smile, his voice not loud, but loud enough for those around him to hear clearly:

“Brother Yujian, it’s been a long time. You’ve been in the capital for a long time, often having the opportunity to meet the Emperor and receive his teachings. Your insight is far beyond that of those of us who live far away. What is the purpose of His Majesty’s and the Crown Prince’s audience with us today? Could you perhaps… tell me a little bit?”

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"Especially... what His Majesty mentioned before, regarding the 'overseas' matter. I wonder what exactly His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince's plan is? Is it true, or..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was already quite clear.

The surrounding princes immediately perked up their ears and stared intently at the Tang King.

King Zhu Hua Kui of Chu immediately chimed in, more concerned with practical interests, leaning slightly forward:

“Brother Tang, we are all family, let’s talk behind closed doors. If it’s true that we are to be enfeoffed overseas, where does the court intend to send us? Will it be a fertile plain or a desolate wasteland? How much troops and money will the court provide? We uncles and elders should have some idea so that we won’t be completely in the dark!”

He rubbed his fingers together, on which he wore a large jade thumb ring.

Prince Zhu Zhishu of Shu stroked his white beard, his brows furrowed, his tone filled with deep worry:

“What my brother, the King of Chu, said is also what I was worried about. Traveling across the ocean, through thousands of miles of waves, the outcome is truly unpredictable. The storms at sea, the foreign lands, the barbaric people... which of these is easy to deal with? At my age, I really can't withstand such turmoil and hardship…”

He shook his head and sighed, his words revealing a strong sense of fear and difficulty.

At this moment, Prince Rui, Zhu Changhao, who was being helped into a chair by a eunuch, suddenly let out a heavy snort, his aged voice carrying undisguised resistance and dissatisfaction:

"Overseas? Beyond the borders! Wilderness! I'd rather be locked up behind the high walls of Fengyang and live out my remaining years in peace than leave my homeland and become some damned vassal king in that godforsaken place! My ancestors' legacy is in the Ming Dynasty, my roots are in the Ming Dynasty! How can I abandon my roots for the branches and leaves?!"

Prince Rui is the oldest and has the highest seniority, so he speaks the most directly.

His words represented the sentiments of a considerable number of royal family members who were content with the status quo, afraid of change, and especially those who were getting old.

The atmosphere inside the hall froze.

The crowd chimed in, some probing, some questioning, some complaining, and some lamenting, and before they knew it, they had surrounded Prince Zhu Yujian of Tang.

All the pressure, doubts, and expectations seemed to be trying to find a breakthrough from him, to get even the slightest bit of definite information.

Surrounded in the middle, Tang Emperor Zhu Yujian inwardly groaned, but on his face he still maintained that impeccable, gentle, and slightly apologetic smile.

He certainly knows more than others.

Crown Prince Zhu Cilang had several in-depth conversations with him, vaguely outlining a grand blueprint for overseas fiefdoms, revealing the court's intention to "redeem" assets in the mainland, and even hinting that he could choose a good location.

However, he knew that this matter was of great importance, involving the fate of the entire royal family for hundreds of years to come, and was a key move in His Highness the Crown Prince's plan to rule the world.

Before the emperor and the crown prince have issued a clear decree and set the tone, he cannot say a word more, let alone leak any information in advance, so as not to disrupt the plan or cause unnecessary speculation and confusion.

So he bowed deeply, his tone so sincere it was almost helpless, and his voice clearly reached everyone's ears:

"My esteemed brothers, Prince Rui, you flatter me greatly. Although I am fortunate to remain in the capital thanks to His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince's kindness, my knowledge is truly limited. Such matters concern the fate of our Ming dynasty for centuries and the foundation of our dynasty for generations to come. His Majesty's decision is made with divine wisdom, and His Highness the Crown Prince's far-sightedness ensures a foolproof plan. How could we, as his subjects, presume to speculate or discuss them in private?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the crowd—some disappointed, some disbelieving, some understanding—before continuing:

"His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince have summoned you today to discuss important matters. They will surely issue a clear decree upon their arrival here shortly. My brothers, please remain calm and wait patiently. Everything is subject to the wise decision of His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince."

These words were spoken flawlessly, demonstrating both his "lack of knowledge" and perfectly shifting the final interpretation to the incoming emperor and his son, while also implying that this was indeed a "century-long plan" and something extraordinary.

Although the crowd was unwilling and felt that the Tang King was making excuses, they saw that he looked calm and spoke sincerely, and they could not find any fault with him, so they dared not really force him.

After all, the Prince of Tang was a prince, and it seemed that Jian was favored by the emperor.

For a moment, the atmosphere inside the hall became somewhat subtle. The anxious anticipation, the unease about the unknown, and the slight dissatisfaction with the Tang Emperor's "keeping his mouth shut" flowed silently in the slightly chilly air.

The princes dispersed slightly, some returning to their seats, others pacing in contemplation, but their gazes frequently drifted towards the tightly closed palace door or the blank wall beside the throne, as if their fates were about to be revealed there.

In the midst of this somewhat dull wait, the side door of the side hall was suddenly pushed open silently.

Four tall, strong eunuchs, dressed in purple undergarments, walked in with heavy steps, two in front and two behind, carrying a huge object steadily on their shoulders and supporting it with their hands.

The object was completely covered by a thick, bright yellow satin, obscuring its exact shape. However, judging from its size, it was about ten feet long and nearly ten feet high, requiring four people to move it; it was clearly quite heavy. This sudden commotion immediately attracted the attention of all the vassal kings.

The buzzing whispers abruptly ceased, and all eyes turned to the four eunuchs and the mysterious object on their shoulders.

The eunuchs remained expressionless, ignoring the princes in the hall, and walked straight to the front of the throne, to the most conspicuous and empty wall.

With perfect coordination, they placed the enormous object down, adjusted its position, and positioned it so that it faced the people inside the hall squarely.

Then, the four of them bowed at the same time, backed away silently through the side door they had come from, without saying a word or making a loud noise, as if they had just completed the most ordinary task.

The hall fell silent again, even more so than before. However, all eyes were now fixed on the enormous object covered in yellow satin.

That bright yellow was the color reserved for the emperor. The sudden appearance of such a huge object covered with imperial yellow satin in this side hall, where imperial relatives were being received, spoke volumes.

Is it a screen?

Or... a map?

The princes' hearts pounded involuntarily. They exchanged glances, each seeing surprise and suspicion in the other's eyes.

No one spoke, but an invisible tension began to permeate the hall.

Just then, another eunuch suddenly stepped forward, reached out, and gently tugged at a silk ribbon hanging from the edge of the covering.

"Shh-"

The thick, bright yellow satin, like a stage curtain, was gently pulled down and slid to the ground.

In an instant, a dazzling and breathtaking panorama was presented to all the vassal kings without reservation and with an overwhelming sense of oppression!

That was a map.

But it was by no means any map they had ever seen.

Traditional maps of the Ming Dynasty, centered on the capital, condensed the known "world" onto a single sheet of paper, with blurred edges. Overseas countries were merely scattered dots, or even just conceptual representations.

The picture in front of us is so huge that it occupies the entire wall, the colors are so vivid that they are almost dazzling, and the lines are so complex that they are dizzying.

At its center is a vast ocean, depicted in varying shades of blue, occupying nearly half of the image.

On the east and west sides of the ocean lie continents with unique shapes and incredibly vast areas!

The eastern continent is long and narrow, winding like a dragon; the western continent is much broader and more majestic, connecting to an ice field at its northern end and gradually narrowing at its southern end.

On the continent, the undulations of mountains, the course of rivers, the outlines of forests, and the traces of deserts are depicted with extremely fine brushstrokes.

What's even more striking is that the map is densely covered with tiny, handwritten markings! The place names are strange and unfamiliar, some are transliterations, some are translations, and some are just simple descriptions.

Mountains and rivers have their own names, bays and straits have special markings, and even some coastal settlements and ports are marked.

What catches the eye most are the map illustrations scattered across it, marked with special, bright colors and symbols!

In some places, small, glittering mountains are drawn, labeled "gold mine" or "silver mine"; in others, full ears of grain are drawn, labeled "three harvests a year" or "fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles"; in still others, smoking volcanoes or strange animals are drawn, labeled with words they cannot understand.

These markings, like stars in the night or tempting treasures, are scattered across every corner of those unfamiliar continents, silently telling of their richness and danger.

Most of the feudal lords were completely bewildered when they first saw the map.

This completely exceeded the boundaries of their geographical knowledge and imagination.

The world... is so big? Where is the Ming Dynasty?

But soon, some people, relying on their vague memory of traditional maps, found a familiar outline in the upper right corner of the map—that was the Ming Dynasty!

Although it occupies a much smaller proportion of this huge map than they imagined, it is indeed there, its shape vaguely discernible.

Next, they found Korea, Japan, Ryukyu... these "neighbors" appeared so small on the map.

Their gazes involuntarily drifted past these familiar outlines and toward the vast ocean, onto that unfamiliar continent so expansive it made them gasp for breath.

"Look! Look over there!"

The Prince of Shu, Zhu Zhishu, pointed with trembling fingers to the vast landmass (North America) to the east of the Ming Dynasty on the map.

"The shape of this place... and the bay here... could this be the 'New World' that His Highness the Crown Prince once mentioned? It's... it's so vast?!"

"It's more than just vast!"

King Zhu Hua Kui of Chu gasped, his gaze fixed on several striking golden mountain-shaped markings on the southern continent (South America). His pupils contracted sharply, and his voice trembled with excitement.

“Look at these markings! Gold mines! Silver mines! And here… here it says ‘granary’! This… this isn’t a barren land at all! This is clearly… a treasure trove flowing with gold and silver, an inexhaustible fertile field!”

The immense visual impact and psychological shock instantly banished all restraint, concerns, and anxieties.

The princes could no longer contain themselves. Like bees drawn by honey, they swarmed forward, completely surrounding the huge screen map.

They tilted their heads back, squinted, and carefully examined the fine markings, their fingers moving and gesturing eagerly across the map, searching for their own "future kingdom."

Exclamations, gasps, and excited chatter could no longer be suppressed and erupted in the hall:

"My God! There are more here! Look at these labels, 'Spice Islands' and 'Pearl Coast'! They're all at sea!"

"This land is excellent! Judging by the river network, irrigation will be very convenient!"

"This place seems closer to the Ming Dynasty? Wouldn't the voyage be shorter?"

"A gold mine! A silver mine! If we could find such a place, how could we not become the richest people in the world?!"

"Such a vast land, if it could truly be divided into kingdoms and kings, then it would be... that would be a true kingdom within a kingdom!"

A flush of excitement rose on everyone's faces, their eyes burning with greed, ambition, and a yearning for the infinite possibilities of the future. (End of Chapter)