Di Ming

Chapter 434 Please restore the title of Emperor Jianwen!

The last paragraph of the report was particularly shocking: "...She Chongming proclaimed himself the Great Priest of the Black Yi, usurped the title of King of Liang, established the Liang Kingdom, appointed officials, and wore a black ceremonial robe with nine tigers on the left-fastening side, taking black as the primary color and valuing the element of water to achieve brightness. He used white felt inlaid with star patterns as his banner and banned Han clothing..."

"...At dawn on the first day of the month, She Chongming beheaded ninety-nine black oxen and captured thirty-six prisoners. He then used their blood to smear a white felt inlaid with a star map as a sacrifice, vowing to rebel against the Ming Dynasty..."

After reading the report, Zhu Yin appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was furious.

She Chongming, oh She Chongming, you've certainly picked a good time! To rebel at this critical juncture! I'll have you torn to pieces!

When the courtiers heard that She Chongming had already proclaimed himself king and established his own title, they were filled with a mixture of shock and anger.

This scoundrel has some nerve!

Apart from Chongqing Prefecture, Sichuan remained under the control of the Northern Dynasty, having not yet submitted to Nanjing. Logically, the Northern Dynasty, not the Southern Dynasty, should have been the most concerned about She Chongming's rebellion and attack on Chengdu. It seemed the Southern Dynasty could have simply watched from the sidelines.

However, that's not the case at all!

She Chongming rebelled and attacked Chengdu, which belonged to the Northern Dynasty. The Northern Dynasty could ignore it, but the Southern Dynasty could not sit idly by.

Although Sichuan did not submit to the Qing dynasty, it was a southwestern province, and She Chongming, who rebelled, was also a southwestern chieftain. The rebellion of the southwestern chieftains had a disastrous impact, first affecting the entire south and undermining the stability of the Southern Dynasty.

After She Chongming occupied Sichuan, he certainly wouldn't launch a northern expedition against Shaanxi; he would only focus on developing the southwest.

The Southern Dynasties, not the Northern Dynasties, were actually the first to be affected! The Northern Dynasties could simply abandon Sichuan at worst.

It would be naive to think that She Chongming's attack on Chengdu was a matter for the Northern Dynasties. Not only Zhu Yin, but all the officials believed that She Chongming's rebellion posed the greatest threat to the Southern Dynasties.

If She Chongming rebels, the entire southwestern chieftaindom will be unstable, and there will inevitably be others who respond. Huguang, Liangguang, and Jiangxi will not be able to stay out of it!

The division of the Ming Dynasty into North and South presented an opportunity for those ambitious chieftains. It would be foolish for them not to rebel at this time.

We must never allow extravagance and decadence to truly take hold!
In fact, Zhu Yin had long been wary of She Chongming's rebellion. Several years ago, he had Huya keep an eye on She Chongming, An Bangyan, Yang Yinglong, and others. To prevent them from rebelling, Zhu Yin sent people to infiltrate the chieftain's ranks and bribe his confidants and relatives, hoping to influence the chieftain's decision-making.

This strategy was very effective against Yang Yinglong. Historically, Yang Yinglong's rebellion triggered the Bozhou Rebellion, which the Ming Dynasty quelled with 150,000 troops over several months.

However, in this timeline, under Zhu Yin's influence, Yang Yinglong's rebellious ambitions were extinguished. Tiger Fang secretly reported that the Yang family no longer intended to rebel.

However, She Chongming rebelled ahead of schedule.

Tiger Fang had no effect on the She clan. The She clan and its people were extremely hostile to outsiders, especially Han Chinese. While Mongol and Jurchen nobles trusted Han Chinese advisors, the She clan chieftains found it difficult to do so.

Their strong and stubborn xenophobia left the Tiger Tooth agents with nowhere to start, their infiltration plan was not going smoothly, and they were even less able to influence the She clan's anti-Ming decision.

The She family's ambitions have a long history.

Many of the officials and commoners of the She clan had Han surnames, but in fact they had no relation to the Han people.

The Yongning Black Yi and the Black Yi of the Greater and Lesser Liangshan Mountains are actually of the same ethnicity. However, the Liangshan Black Yi have not been assimilated into Han Chinese culture, while the Yongning Black Yi have undergone some Sinicization. This is similar to the difference between the "wild" Jurchen and the "mature" Jurchen.

The system of the Yongning Black Yi was very similar to that of the Manchu Eight Banners. The only difference was that the Yongning Black Yi's organizational unit was not a "banner" but a "Zhaixi". The Manchus had eight banners, while the Black Yi had nine villages.

Zhaixi was a unit that combined military and civilian functions. In peacetime, they engaged in production, hunting, and herding; in wartime, they selected able-bodied men, equipped with their own armor and weapons, to go to war.

Generally, one out of three men is chosen to be the most elite Yi man to wear armor.

Each stream was divided into four camps, and each camp was divided into four outposts. Each stream had a population of about 30,000, roughly equivalent to a banner of the Later Jin dynasty. The nine streams were each symbolized by different sacrificial inscriptions and emblems.

The commander of Zhaixi was called "Mu Kui," who could command 5,000 soldiers, equivalent to a banner chief in the Eight Banners. The leader of a battalion was called a "Qianhu," who could command over 1,000 soldiers, equivalent to a "Jiala Ejen" in the Eight Banners. The commander of a scouting post was called a "Shao Zong," who could command 300-400 soldiers, equivalent to a "Niru Ejen" in the Eight Banners.

Based on this calculation, the population of the Yongning Black Yi is around 300,000. With nine settlements, each producing 5,000 soldiers, the She clan would have 45,000 soldiers, who were brave, fierce, and very powerful.

If mobilized to the maximum extent, the Yongning Black Yi could even mobilize 100,000 troops, truly deserving of its reputation as a small tyrant in the southwest.

The chief commander and commanders were all members of the She clan or their in-laws. The eight thousand cavalry and three hundred war elephants were directly led by She Chongming himself. It was purely a family-run force.

Once such a force rebels, its cohesion is very strong, and it must be suppressed promptly to prevent them from gaining power. Otherwise, it will lead to a protracted war. Historically, the She-An Rebellion lasted for sixteen years, greatly accelerating the demise of the Ming Dynasty, precisely because the rebellion was not controlled in a timely manner.

Although Zhu Yin was furious, he could not show it at this moment, lest the officials be uneasy and the people's hearts be unsettled.

He waved the report and said calmly, "She Chongming is incredibly audacious; he's practically begging for his life. The opportunity for Sichuan to submit has arrived."

"The Northern Dynasty is currently in a state of chaos and unable to spare any resources to send its elite troops from Guanzhong south to Sichuan to suppress the rebellion. If our dynasty does not send troops... Chengdu will fall, and Sichuan will surely perish!"

"Then it would be a repeat of the tragedy of Nanzhao's invasion of Shu. Our dynasty cannot sit idly by."

Minister of War Xing Jie said, "The Grand Tutor is absolutely right. As long as we send troops to Sichuan to support Chengdu, Sichuan will surely submit to Nanjing. However... our dynasty is already short of soldiers capable of fighting. Next month, the Northern Dynasty will be crossing the Yangtze River. Where will we find troops to enter Sichuan to suppress She Chongming?"

"Even if we can spare an army to support Sichuan, what if the other chieftains rebel again?"

Zhu Yin considered the available troops and realized he could only transfer a few thousand more Jinghai troops stationed overseas.

Currently, only 10,000 Jinghai Navy personnel remain stationed on the four overseas islands. This is the limit of Jinghai Navy's mobilization capacity.

These 10,000 troops were to intimidate the two million natives of Jingzhou (Luzon) and Dongning (Taiwan), preventing them from rebelling. They were also to guard the factories, warehouses, ranches, and shipyards on the four islands, and to defend against invasions by foreigners, Japanese pirates, and other invading forces.

The task is arduous, and the troop strength is very weak.

If too many are diverted, the base will become undefended. The factories on the island are especially crucial and must not be lost.

After thinking it over, Zhu Yin decided to send three thousand people to the site.

Eight hundred troops were transferred from Jingzhou, eight hundred from Zhoushan, seven hundred from Dongning, and seven hundred from Jizhou.

Having made up his mind, Zhu Yin said firmly, "Order of the Grand General's Office! Transfer 5,000 white-pole soldiers from Qin Liangyu of Shizhu, 10,000 Miao soldiers from Yang Yinglong and his son Yang Kedong of Bozhou, and 5,000 soldiers from the Ran family of Youyang."

"Reassign another 20,000 troops from Xiangyang under Cao Wenzhao, Xiong Tingbi, and Mao Wenlong."

"The aforementioned 40,000 troops must assemble in Baidi City before the beginning of September. Failure to do so will be punished by execution!"

"Grand Tutor!" Xing Jie couldn't help but remind him, "Of the 40,000 troops, 20,000 are chieftain soldiers. If they defect in the face of battle and collude with the rebels from within, then Cao Wenzhao, Xiong Tingbi, and Mao Wenlong's 20,000 Han troops will likely be wiped out in one fell swoop!"

The others nodded in agreement, their expressions worried.

In the past, the troops conscripted from the chieftains were not the main force and their numbers were small. But this time, the chieftains' troops accounted for more than half of the force. Moreover, the targets of the suppression were the chieftains themselves.

This risk is far too great. If there is a backlash on the battlefield, the 20,000 Han soldiers could very well be trapped in a desperate situation.

Xing Jie continued, "With the North and South currently divided, many chieftains see this as an opportunity. Otherwise, She Chongming wouldn't have rebelled upon hearing of the Jingnan Rebellion. So, it's hard to guarantee that other chieftains will remain loyal to the Ming Dynasty!"

"If we send them out now, give them military pay and rations, and replenish their weapons, what will the court do if they take the supplies and rebel like She Chongming?"

Zhu Yin felt at ease because he understood Qin Liangyu and had also used Huya and Yang Kedong to change Yang Yinglong.

More importantly, good news came from the palace: after looking at the portraits of several women, the young emperor chose Yang Yinglong's daughter, Yang Zhenggui.

Yang Zhengui was the legitimate daughter of Yang Yinglong, and historically she was married to She Chongming's son, She Hao.

But now, before she has even married, she has already caught the eye of Emperor Taichang.

Zhu Yin had already written to Yang Yinglong, informing him that he was now the prospective father-in-law of the emperor. As long as Yang had no objections, the Ministry of Rites would proceed with the betrothal. At this point, Yang Yinglong couldn't possibly not want his daughter to become empress. But Xing Jie and the others were unaware of this. With She Chongming having rebelled, how could they possibly trust any other chieftain? Naturally, they saw everyone as a potential rebel.

Zhu Yin said, "I will personally lead the troops into battle, and also lead 10,000 imperial guards to join the generals in Baidi City."

"Yang Yinglong was appointed General Who Pacifies the Rebels, and Qin Liangyu and Xiong Tingbi were appointed as his deputies."

"After the tax inspectors confiscated the silver, the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue received over ten million taels. The court has plenty of money and provisions. We can afford to fight a war! The Ministry of Revenue has allocated two million taels of silver and 500,000 shi of military provisions..."

Of course he had to lead the expedition himself; he didn't trust anyone else!

The government must swiftly and decisively suppress She Chongming in the shortest possible time to establish its authority in the southwest and deter other ambitious chieftains.

If he wins this battle well, his position will be more secure and his prestige will be even greater.

Three thousand troops from overseas were transferred to Nanjing to strengthen the defense of the capital region and to supplement the insufficient troops after the troops were transferred to Sichuan.

Upon hearing that Zhu Yin intended to personally lead 10,000 Jinghai troops on an expedition, the officials all displayed varying expressions, but all voices of opposition ceased.

Some even hoped that Zhu Yin would be defeated and killed in Sichuan!
Zhu Yin was well aware of this, and it was also his second purpose in personally leading the expedition: to temporarily leave the capital and deliberately give those weak-willed and disloyal officials an opportunity to emerge, so that they could be wiped out in one fell swoop! To make room for his own people!

This Nanjing court, riddled with incompetent officials and divided loyalties, needs a cleanup. Zhu Yin has always preferred to kill two or even three birds with one stone.

He was not afraid of losing control of the Southern Dynasty after leaving Nanjing. Currently, military power in the capital region was in the hands of his trusted generals, and the troops controlling the capital and blocking the Yangtze River were all his loyal followers.

Thirty percent of the court officials were members of Zhu's faction. He controlled the propaganda machine and the Grand Military Commission. Ning Caiwei, Zong Qin, and Ding Liyang were all based in Nanjing, and even the emperor was his student. The palace guards, female officials, and eunuchs were all his men.

Officials in several provinces were also mostly members of Zhu's faction.

As long as he is not defeated and killed by She Chongming, no one in the capital can turn the tide.

"Grand Tutor," Xu Xiaobai stepped forward, "Grand Tutor's personal entry into Sichuan to quell the rebellion is like a lion hunting a rabbit; the rebels are utterly vulnerable under his overwhelming force. However... however, Grand Tutor is the pillar of this dynasty. After he leaves the capital, who will deal with Qi Jiguang's army? By late September at the latest, Qi Jiguang will be crossing the Yangtze River. Besides Grand Tutor, who in the world can stand against Qi Jiguang?"

Zhu Yin was naturally not worried about his adoptive father's army; he had already made arrangements. Wasn't his adoptive father's army his own?

Of course, this was top secret, and Zhu Yin could not reveal it.

He could only use the excuse he had prepared beforehand: "Our fleet has blockaded the Yangtze River, and the naval advantage is entirely in the hands of the Southern Dynasty. If Qi Jiguang wants to cross the river, he needs to prepare warships, which will take at least two or three months on the north bank of the river. Otherwise, he will definitely not be able to cross. It is estimated that the earliest he can cross the river will be the end of the year."

"With these few months, the She clan will be wiped out!"

"Furthermore, with the Duke of Wei, Zong Qin, Ding Liyang, and the Grand Marshal jointly controlling the military power in Nanjing, and with the Jinghai Army of 10,000 men in the city, the capital can be guaranteed to be safe."

"The Ministry of Revenue shall immediately prepare provisions, military supplies, and packhorses; the Ministry of War shall immediately prepare ships and laborers. Everything shall be ready within eight days. I must leave the capital on August 18th!"

Both Li Tingji and Xing Jie were somewhat dissatisfied.

The eighth day was incredibly hectic. Although the Ministry of Revenue had received a large sum of money, the grain and fodder in the warehouses needed to be loaded onto carts and ships, requiring the requisition of boats, packhorses, and laborers—a complex and multifaceted undertaking.

If everything is ready in eight days, then officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue will have to work around the clock.

However, some officials couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. They couldn't wait for this domineering regent to leave the capital immediately so they could get closer to the emperor.

Zhu Yin continued, “The Court of State Ceremonial shall immediately send someone on horseback to Sichuan with my personal letter, telling She Chongming that as long as he pulls back from the brink, realizes his mistake, and comes to Nanjing in person to plead guilty, the court will not only pardon his crime but also reward him. If he pleads guilty, he will not be punished.”

As Zhu Yin spoke, he personally wrote a letter in a bold and elegant style, without any punctuation, and then stamped it with the official seal that read "Acting in Charge of State Affairs".

Many officials, upon seeing this, were dismissive.

She Chongming has already rebelled and proclaimed himself King of Liang. Would he obediently plead guilty and submit just because of a letter from you?
Some believe this was a ploy by the Regent to embolden his troops.

However, Zhu Yin believed that the letter might not have been entirely without sincerity. His letter was written with great sincerity, affirming the past contributions of the She family ancestors and promising rewards, hoping that She Chongming would submit to the court and be used by him, willing to serve the king.

Zhu Yin was a very magnanimous person. He understood the thoughts and predicaments of those in power, just as he himself had rebelled.
With tens of thousands of elite soldiers under their command, who wouldn't have some ambition?
Zhu Yin did not consider rebellion to be an unforgivable crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. As long as She Chongming was willing to work for him, he would forgive his past transgressions and give the She family a chance.

Even if the chances were slim, Zhu Yin wanted to try. If this letter could truly persuade She Chongming to surrender, it would not only be a major victory for the Southern Dynasty in subduing the enemy without a fight, but it would also save a lot of time, money, and supplies, and avoid sacrificing the lives of soldiers. Moreover, they could gain tens of thousands of She Chongming's elite troops to fight against Burma.

Zhu Yin pointed to the still-wet ink on the letter and addressed the officials:
"The imperial court is unwilling to engage in armed conflict with the chieftains, which would lead to widespread suffering. My sincerity is expressed in this single document. If She Chongming is willing to surrender, plead guilty, and serve the imperial court, I am willing to swear brotherhood with him and make a blood oath!"

"When the envoy met She Chongming, he explained my intentions to him in detail!"

Xing Jie frowned and said, "The Grand Tutor is indeed full of sincerity, only wanting to subdue the enemy without fighting. But it is said that She Chongming is ambitious, cunning and treacherous. How can he be influenced by the Grand Tutor? I'm afraid that after seeing the envoy and reading the letter, he will think that the court and the Grand Tutor are afraid of his military power, and his rebellious intentions will be even stronger, and his morale will be even higher."

Zhu Yin said, "That means the court has done everything in its power. If he remains stubborn and unyielding, the arrival of the army will only result in mutual destruction."

At that moment, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies received the letter and respectfully accepted the order.

Zhu Yin then turned to Emperor Taichang, who was still pondering a math problem, and asked, "Your Majesty, I have made this decision. Do you have any imperial decree?"

Emperor Taichang snapped out of his daze, his face somewhat bewildered. He actually had no idea what the court was discussing; he had been working on a problem and was almost there.

"Oh, I... I have no objection. You handled it very well, sir. You have worked hard, and all of you have worked hard."

After saying that, he smiled somewhat embarrassedly and continued to ponder the solution.

Many court officials sighed inwardly upon seeing the emperor's absent-minded and distracted expression.

Your Majesty, although you are young, you are already fifteen and will be married next year. Why are you so indifferent to state affairs?

Your Majesty must prepare to assume personal rule and seize power. How can you allow Zhu Yin to hold power indefinitely? What will Your Majesty do if, in a few years, the Grand Tutor refuses to relinquish power to the Emperor?
Zhu Yin continued, "Let's leave the matter of She Chongming here for now. Does anyone else have a memorial to present? If no one does, let's adjourn the court."

“I have something to report!” Cao Ming, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty ascends the Jiling Mausoleum, with the Xiaoling Mausoleum nearby and the Taizu Temple within easy reach. Whenever Your Majesty offers sacrifices at the Xiaoling Mausoleum and the Taizu Temple, there are bound to be things that are difficult to say during your prayers!”

"Oh?" Zhu Yin's expression turned serious. "Your Majesty's sacrifice is a matter of course. What could be so difficult about it? If there is no reason for it, I will punish you for your heinous crime!"

The officials all turned to look at Cao Ming.

Cao Ming knelt down and said, “Because Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne in Nanjing, he was the successor appointed by Emperor Taizu. Although he was not blessed, in terms of etiquette, Emperor Jianwen was still Emperor Taizu’s successor. Now that Nanjing has become the capital again, Your Majesty and the officials cannot help but feel ashamed before the spirit of Emperor Taizu when they offer sacrifices at Xiaoling Mausoleum.”

"Therefore, I, your humble servant, risk my life to pay homage to Your Majesty and the Grand Tutor, hoping that Your Majesty and the Grand Tutor will restore the title of Emperor Jianwen, restore the Jianwen reign title, devise a posthumous title, and allow him to be enshrined in the Temple of Emperor Taizu..."

After Zhu Di's Jingnan Campaign, he abolished the Jianwen Emperor's title and reign title, and the official title was simply Jianwen Jun.

"How dare you!" Fan Lun, the Minister of Rites, roared. "His Majesty is a descendant of Emperor Chengzu. How can Emperor Jianwen restore his imperial title!"

Cao Ming retorted, "Why not! Jianwen Emperor ascended the throne in Nanjing and reigned for four years. Emperor Taizu personally designated him as the successor, so why is there no imperial title or reign name?! Isn't this self-deception? Where is the national etiquette and law?!"

"If Your Majesty does not restore the reign title and era name of Emperor Jianwen after ascending the throne in Nanjing, I fear that the Xiaoling Mausoleum will be disturbed and Nanjing will be inauspicious!"

"Arrogant!" several ministers shouted in unison. "Your Majesty, we request that Cao Ming be executed!"

...

P.S.: I have to work overtime tonight, so that's all for today. Thank you to all my readers who have supported me. I pray for your health, peace, and happiness. Goodnight.

(End of this chapter)