Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 206 Minor cases reveal personal connections, major cases reveal influence

Minor cases reveal personal connections, major cases reveal politics. Intimidation is one thing, but it's merely a tactic of private maneuvering. Since this matter has been brought into the open by that bastard Xiong Wencan, the court must issue an official ruling. Major matters are handled in small meetings, minor matters in large meetings. After discussions with the ministers of the Six Ministries and the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, Zhu Youjian decided on the following course of action:
Yuan Chonghuan's crime was, of course, the unauthorized killing of a general. The Ming Dynasty Code stipulated that any general or commander-in-chief who, without the explicit order of the court, killed his subordinate soldiers or surrendered soldiers, would be punished with sixty strokes of the cane, dismissed from office, and exiled to a remote border region.

However, considering that Yuan Chonghuan may have misjudged Zheng Hongkui's identity, thinking that his "pirate" status was merely an impersonation of a court commander, the punishment was mitigated accordingly.
In accordance with the Ming Dynasty's principle of "treating merits and demerits equally," Yuan Chonghuan had rendered meritorious service in military affairs and his handling of Fujian's finances and taxes was also considered to be at its peak. His merits and demerits were offset, so he was only transferred and ordered to submit a confession to the court. After being transferred, he was ordered to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors for three months.

As for Zheng Zhilong, he was also severely reprimanded, but it was not explicitly stated that he had sent troops to attack the government forces. Although both sides knew the truth, if the matter were truly classified, the court would have no choice but to go to war with Zheng Zhilong.

Because the imperial court needed to seek justice for the Ming soldiers who died in battle, it made this lenient decision. The court also needed to add a subsidy on top of the original compensation standard to show that the court knew "you have been wronged".

The court did not intentionally act unfairly, but the situation forced it to compromise. However, this does not mean that the court is indifferent to its soldiers and the people under its rule. One day, it will surely seek justice for them and bring the murderer to justice.

Zheng Zhilong's crime was "lax governance." His subordinate, Zheng Hongkui, a thousand-household officer, impersonated a pirate and plundered the imperial navy, deserving of death. Of course, this was purely his personal act and not at Zheng Zhilong's behest.

This was obtained through Zheng Hongkui's confession during interrogation, and confirmed by Zheng Hongkui himself with his signature and fingerprint. The evidence is irrefutable, with black and white text and a red ink fingerprint.

Zheng Zhilong was ordered to strictly discipline his subordinates, and was allowed to atone for his crimes by leading his troops to suppress Liu Xianglao, who was causing trouble in the Lingdingyang area, and the Japanese pirates led by Li Kuiqi, who had recently been active in Liaoluo Bay and Wuyuyang. He would be rewarded for suppressing the Japanese pirates with ten taels of silver for each head, with additional rewards for minor leaders and bandit chiefs as appropriate. In the final assessment of his merits, he would be honored with a title of nobility.

The idea of ​​being granted a title of nobility is pure wishful thinking. You haven't even killed a single Jurchen, yet you want to be granted a title? Dream on!

Of course, it's uncertain whether this series of overt and covert measures will force Zheng Zhilong to admit defeat. After all, he's young and ambitious, possessing hundreds of warships and over 20,000 followers in his early twenties—far more powerful than Song Jiang of Liangshan Marsh. If he's not arrogant, who is?
The behavior of a seasoned politician is relatively predictable; however, the actions of a hothead like him are unpredictable. Just like Altan Khan, the great conqueror of the steppes, who fought his way in and out of the heart of the Ming Dynasty seven times, reaching the gates of Chang'an in the west and the foot of Beijing in the east, keeping the Ming Dynasty busy and overwhelmed in its efforts to defend against his invasions.

But in his old age, he became a loyal "lapdog" of the Ming Dynasty. He sent envoys to seek peace many times, but they were all lured and killed by Ming generals who were greedy for merit. After being furious, he remained unchanged and continued to seek peace with the Ming Dynasty. He truly treated the Ming Dynasty like his first love.

In response to potential retaliation from Zheng Zhilong, Zhu Youjian dispatched 3,000 cavalry southward, led by Zhou Yuji, Huang Degong, and Sun Yingyuan respectively. This force was intended to serve as a rapid response force against coastal attacks by Japanese pirates and was deployed along the coast.

If Zheng Zhilong hadn't turned against the imperial court, he could have gone to suppress those small-scale bandits and pirates, especially those "blind" thieves who were keen on robbing the imperial court's tax revenue.

Zhu Youjian realized that with the mountains high and the emperor far away, the imperial court had little influence over the local areas and needed to maintain a certain level of imperial armed forces in the border regions. Otherwise, some people would think that the imperial court was "dead" and would become disobedient.

Some literati were keen to fabricate accounts of the Ming army's crushing defeat and the court's corruption, exaggerating the facts and vividly describing events such as "hundreds of Jurchen cavalry swept through the pass as if it were empty, chasing away tens of thousands of government troops, the Jurchens plundered their fill, and the officials were exempted from escorting them." The most typical example is the *Guo Que* compiled by the "unofficial historian" Tan Qian, a book that was widely copied and regarded as gospel among Jiangnan literati. Therefore, from the perspective of the people of Jiangnan, the war the court had just experienced was a complete and utter defeat, with the capital nearly falling.

The Jurchens retreated only because the weather warmed up and they contracted a fever. In addition, they had looted too many supplies and people, and they could no longer transport them away, so they chose to retreat temporarily.

As for the "great victory" announced by the court and the firsthand accounts of merchants returning from the north, they were all dismissed as clumsy attempts by the court to "cover up defeat and turn it into victory." After all, they were adept at such things; everyone was a cunning fox, so who was deceiving whom?
Conspiracy theories are not only popular centuries later, but have actually been prevalent since ancient times. For example, the Bamboo Annals, which categorically denies the abdication system and the existence of the Five Emperors of antiquity, may be a large-scale performance art piece by the "opposition party" to vent their bitterness that is about to overflow the screen.

It was very difficult for Zhu Youjian to seize the initiative in public opinion, because the people were naturally suspicious of the government, and the more he explained, the more suspicious they became.

If you're wrongly accused of "eating two bowls of noodles," the best way to deal with it is to kick the person who wronged you in the groin, then gouge out their eyes and swallow them, so they can see for themselves how many bowls of noodles you actually ate.

Therefore, changing public opinion is too difficult. The state's violent institutions are not just for show. When the army is pressing in, loyal soldiers will hold their swords to the necks of the rebels and draw blood. They will naturally wet their pants and kneel down to defend the Ming Dynasty.

Objectively speaking, Yuan Chonghuan did a really good job as the governor-general of Fujian. Not only did he use unscrupulous means to cobble together a brand-new Fujian navy for the Ming Dynasty from scratch, but he also used his army to collect taxes, transferring millions of taels of silver for the court. His achievements were truly remarkable.

To prevent this favorable situation from being squandered, suitable personnel had to be arranged to take over military affairs in Fujian after his transfer. Chen Jisheng, who followed Mao Wenlong, was also an unreliable figure.

When the position of General was first established, it was a very high-ranking official, who could truly control all military affairs of a border town or a province, and at most command an army of hundreds of thousands. However, later the government shifted to the path of "using civil officials to control military affairs," and the General's power was greatly reduced.

Until a better solution is found, it is best not to make any rash moves. Although we know that it is not good to control the military with civil means, this situation will have to continue for a long time.

Chen Jisheng can continue to lead his Fujian navy; the Fujian infantry should be placed under the command of others. However, the southeastern coast is relatively peaceful now, so there's no need to rush to establish a Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang; the Fujian Governor can take charge.

However, this Fujian governor was no longer Xiong Wencan; he too had been implicated. Knowing full well the sensitive nature of the matter, instead of secretly reporting it to the emperor beforehand, he directly exposed it to threaten the court, all for the sake of internal power struggles. If the emperor had a bad temper, he would have been executed on the spot!

(End of this chapter)