After hearing Ni Yuanlu’s analysis, Zhu Cilang did not find clarity; instead, he began to doubt.
First, he doubted Ni Yuanlu.
Then, he doubted the nobles in Nanjing, the Donglin Faction, and Zheng Zhilong in Fujian.
Immediately following that, he doubted Emperor Chongzhen...
In the end, he even began to doubt himself.
He wondered: What was the purpose of his own existence?
Before this, he had perhaps lived only to inherit the throne. After the pacification of Liaodong, however, it seemed his distance from the throne had only grown, to the point that rumors of his impending deposition as Crown Prince had set the whole city abuzz.
Zhu Cilang pondered for a long time. By the time he finally looked up, it was nearly noon.
He sighed and asked, "The words you spoke just now..."
Before Zhu Cilang could finish, Ni Yuanlu acknowledged, "Although those words were merely an excuse for rebellion, the fact that His Majesty has not appeared for a long time and has failed to reply to any letters is clearly abnormal. If Your Highness does not raise an army to 'protect the throne,' it would actually be difficult to justify."
"Furthermore, Your Highness is already deeply entangled in the Dragon Robe Case. You have no choice but to rebel!"
Chapter 1228