Chapter 532: Dismissal and Resignation
Chapter 527 of "The Great Ming in the Box" kicks off with thrilling moments: Large-scale construction surged in Puzhou City. The entire prefecture was gripped by a frenzy of... Read more!
Large-scale construction surged in Puzhou City. The entire prefecture was gripped by a frenzy of building, building, and more building.The harbor town to the west saw massive expansion!
The iron mine town to the south saw massive expansion!
The cement factory and paper mill town to the north saw massive expansion!
Everywhere, it was all dig, dig, dig!
The whole of Puzhou radiated an atmosphere of vigorous growth.
At the same timeā¦
Northern Shaanxi! Yanāan Prefecture.
Upon receiving news of Shen Yikuiās renewed rebellion, Yang He, along with Crazy He, rushed urgently to the Provincial Governorās office of Yansui Provincial Governor Hong Chengchou in Yanāan Prefecture.
Hong Chengchou, dressed in a clean and neat official robe and maintaining dignified composure, had long been waiting respectfully here.
āGovernor Hong!ā Yang He demanded point-blank as soon as he arrived, āHow bad is that Shen Yikui rioting? Report quickly!ā
Hong Chengchou feigned mild disinterest, āDonāt rush, Governor Yang. Shen Yikui is already dead.ā
āWhat?ā Yang He was astounded. āI heard of Shen Yikuiās renewed rebellion while in Puzhou and hurried back. How is it possible that upon just reaching Yansui, heās already dead?ā
Hong Chengchou elaborated, āThis official arranged for Gushan Deputy Cao Wenzhao, Yulin Vice Commissioner Zhang Fuzhen, and Gansu Commander Yang Jiamo to attack him from three directions. They surrounded Shen Yikuiās forces and achieved victory in one battle. They first eliminated Shen Yikuiās brother, Shen Yiyuan, demoralizing the bandits. Then they employed deception, luring one of Shen Yikuiās commanders, Commander Huang Youcai. Huang Youcai indeed fell into the trap and assassinated Shen Yikui.ā
Upon hearing this, Yang He sucked in a breath.
What kind of remarkable figure was this Hong Chengchou? This official had traveled merely a few days, and he had already killed Shen Yikui? That was too fierce.
Yang He continued, āAfter Shen Yikui died, have his remaining forces disbanded?ā
Hong Chengchou replied impassively, āNot yet. Shen Yikuiās remaining forces number one hundred thousand. Under the leadership of Red Army Commander You, Commander Li Du, Du San, and Old Yang Chai, they continue their stubborn resistance.ā
āStill one hundred thousand?ā The sheer number made Yang He feel instantly ill at ease. That was too many. Even with Shen Yikui dead, managing a hundred thousand would be difficult.
Hong Chengchou stated, āThese hundred thousand pose no fear. This subordinate is about to lead troops to deal with these remaining bandits. If Governor Yang is concerned, you are welcome to join me.ā
Yang He agreed, āFine. This official definitely wants to see how you handle these hundred thousand bandits.ā
Next, Hong Chengchou began to demonstrate his true skill.
A few days later, Hong Chengchou, leading his private troops, the āHong soldiers,ā met up with Gushan Deputy Cao Wenzhao on the northern route.
Though Cao Wenzhao was highly capable, his temper was not fierce, and he followed orders obediently. Hong Chengchou ordered east, he went east; ordered west, he went west. Such a character, paired with an incompetent commander, would undoubtedly end in disaster.
But Hong Chengchou was not incompetent; he was among the most formidable figures of the late Ming era.
When a brave general meets a powerful commander, the resultā¦
The Hong soldiers combined with Cao Wenzhao defeated the hundred-thousand-strong bandit army in just one battle, capturing Du San and Old Yang Chai alive.
However, Hong Chengchouās approach to capturing enemies alive differed from others who might seek surrender. After capturing enemy commanders, he used them for beheadings, not persuasion.
Du San and Old Yang Chai had their heads swiftly lopped off with a crunch. Their heads, dripping blood from the wounds, were exhibited at the city gates.
The two remaining leading commanders of the bandit army, Red Army Commander You and Commander Li Du, continued their escape!
Hong Chengchou and Cao Wenzhao pursued relentlessly.
Yang He had no choice but to flee along with them. During the escape, he witnessed firsthand Hong Chengchou crushing the bandits with a dazzling array of tactics. First, he used a ruse to eliminate Hong Junyou. Then, feigning falling into an ambush, he marched into Commander Liās trap. Inside the encirclement, he unleashed a āfrenzied state,ā fought his way out in reverse, and made Commander Liās head a decoration at the city gates.
By this point, Shen Yikui, Shen Yiyuan, and his four most prominent bandit chiefs under his command ā Hong Junyou, Commander Li, Du San, and Yang Laochai ā had all been decapitated, eliminated without exception.
With the bandit leaders dealt with, Hong Chengchou then turned around and dumped the ninety thousand surrendered bandits onto Yang Heās hands: āGrand Coordinator Yang, the ringleaders have been eliminated. These remaining bandits certainly canāt be executed; they must be appeased. But this appeasement business? Iām not good at it. Thatās Grand Coordinator Yangās forte.ā
Yang He looked at the ninety thousand heads kneeling and bowing before him. His temples throbbed with painā¦ Damn itā¦ how was he supposed to handle this?
Donāt panic!
Inspector Wu Shen, he had a hundred thousand taels of silver!
Yang He quickly wrote a letter: āWu Shen, long time no see, havenāt checked in for a while! Lovely weather today! Did you eat? I have ninety thousand surrendered bandits here. How about giving me that hundred thousand taels to spend?ā
Wu Shen: āI bought a watch last year. Super wear-resistant.ā
Wu Shen had no choice but to write a letter too: āBrother Liang, save me! I have ninety thousand surrendered bandits here. I wonder if Chengcheng County couldā¦ ahemā¦ I know the number is a bit much, Chengcheng County certainly faces difficulties. But difficulties can be overcome! We must share the burden for our glorious court.ā
Liang Shixian inwardly rejoiced wildly, but outwardly replied with calm elegance: āIt is indeed a bit challenging. But this humble official would even sell pots and pans to raise funds, sharing the courtās burden. Send those people over.ā
The capital, inside the Imperial Study.
Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian tiredly flipped through memorials.
The situation in Shanxi grew increasingly dire by the day. Although Wang Jiayin was dead, his remaining forces, still over three hundred thousand strong, continued to fight across the land under the leadership of his Chief Minister, Zijin Liang.
The other non-core bandit groups scattered further into various regions. The forces under Bu Zhan Ni, for example, crossed the Yellow River near Hequ County once more and returned to Shaanxi.
Scattered bandits were even more troublesome than concentrated ones.
Regions everywhere groaned under their depredations.
Memorials impeaching Yang He piled high on Zhu Youjianās desk.
āThese bandits, driven to utter desperation by hunger and nowhere to survive, kowtow and surrender when troops approach, only to resume their plundering once the soldiers leave. This is an inevitable pattern.ā
āOne wave hasnāt settled before another rises.ā
āAll roads are filled with resentment against appeasement.ā
āYang Heās advocacy for appeasement has profoundly harmed the nation.ā
Reading this avalanche of memorials, Zhu Youjianās mood felt like riding a plunging elevator.
He knew precisely why appeasement had been necessary! Back then, when the three garrisons sent troops to defend the capital, Yang He had no forces left. What else could he have done except appease the bandits? Thatās exactly why Zhu Youjian had fully supported Yang Heās appeasement policy.
But now, the Jurchen offensive had eased. The loyalist armies sent to the capital had already returned to Shaanxi.
So appeasement could absolutely not continue! It was time to switch to suppression.
However, such a major policy shift required a scapegoat.
This scapegoat could not possibly be Himself the Emperor. That left only Yang He.
Zhu Youjian picked up his brush and wrote:
āYang He governed all of Shaanxi, entrusted with great authority! Yet he allowed brigands to rampage freely, failing to quell them, letting the common people suffer greatly, utterly betraying Our commission. He is hereby dismissed from office. Imperial Guards are dispatched to apprehend him immediately under proper escort, to be brought to the capital for investigation. Recommend a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy. As for Lian Guoshi, he is temporarily demoted three ranks and ordered to eradicate the bandits to redeem himself. If he remains negligent, he shall be severely punished without leniency.ā (Adapted from Guoque, Chapter 91).
With these strokes of the brush, Yang He was finished.
The policy of appeasement officially ended.
The policy of suppression formally took center stage!
The Ming courtās strategy for dealing with the bandits began a new chapter.