The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

The Imperial Guards swept across the entire Jiangnan region like wildfire within a month.

More than 72,000 soldiers from the Sixth Division of Pingnan Town mobilized in unison to forcefully suppress the rebellion, and none who stood in their way were defeated.

Some gentry, stubborn and resistant to the new policies, kept their gates tightly shut, intending to defy the law. Pingnan Town actually brought out heavy artillery and broke down the high gates and deep walls.

Those fortified villages that had withstood sieges by tens of thousands of soldiers in the past were reduced to ruins and broken walls under the heavy artillery bombardment of the Jingnan Army.

In just over a month, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had arrested over a thousand corrupt officials, low-ranking bureaucrats, and powerful gentry throughout the Jiangnan region, implicating and prosecuting tens of thousands more. Prison carts carrying prisoners traveled the roads in an endless stream.

The entire government and the public were shaken, and ordinary people remained silent in fear.

In teahouses and taverns, even acquaintances who meet only dare to exchange glances before quickly parting ways.

Such a large-scale case, involving a wide range of people, is comparable only to the four major cases during the reign of Emperor Taizu in the more than two hundred years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

However, compared to the New Policies Case, the four major cases during the Hongwu era all seemed somewhat lenient.

Within a month, tens of thousands of people were imprisoned.

Just before the new policy was implemented, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already arrested Qian Qianyi and others, implicating more than 5,000 people.

The new policy had only just been implemented when 15,000 people were already imprisoned and arrested.

It should be noted that the Lan Yu case in the past only implicated and resulted in the deaths of approximately 15,000 people.

Although the Hu Weiyong case involved more than 30,000 people, it took too long to imprison so many people in just one or two months.

Most importantly, the four major cases of the Hongwu reign were so widespread that they implicated so many people.

The new policy was only implemented in Jiangnan, but the large-scale prisons that were established had already resulted in the arrest of more than 15,000 people.

The major cases during the Hongwu era were mainly orchestrated by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and some military officers.

However, in his new policy proposal, Chen Wang directly mobilized the troops of an entire town. Including the auxiliary troops from various places, the army numbered 100,000, which was enough to make people tremble with fear.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard launched a large-scale purge, with more than 3,000 officials of various ranks stationed in different regions.

With the rise of the prison system, countless wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice, as well as numerous cases of extortion and plunder, were uncovered through interrogation under torture.

The gentry and officials in Jiangnan were almost completely wiped out, and the officials sitting in the courts in various places were replaced by officials from the Jingnan Army's Internal Affairs Department.

The officials of various prefectures, states, and counties were almost all uprooted, imprisoned, and their families were investigated.

The Jiangnan region was placed under temporary military control, and officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Huguang, Henan, and other places took direct control of the entire Jiangnan region.

Subsequently, under Chen Wang's instruction, the Ministry of Internal Affairs selected capable individuals from among the common people who had long been oppressed by gentry and powerful figures to serve in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, either as clerks or as yamen runners.

The residence of the Duke of Yan in Nanjing.

Armored soldiers stood in rows, armed and clad in armor, standing silently.

Fast horses carrying intelligence came and went in an endless stream, their hooves echoing along the long street.

The main hall and side hall of the Duke of Yan's residence have become the new center of the Jingnan Army.

Inside and outside the side hall, clerks from the Imperial Household Department, dressed in scarlet and blue robes, came and went in a constant stream, handing over documents one after another.

Dressed in brocade robes and armored suits, the officers of the Imperial Guards walked briskly through the corridors, reporting news from all over Jiangnan.

In the side hall, Chen Wang sat upright behind a rosewood desk, holding a vermilion brush, intently reviewing the memorials sent from all over Jiangnan.

Besides Chen Wang, Dai Zhenglin was also sitting in the hall.

Dai Zhenglin's desk was set up on the right, and behind it were a group of subordinate officials from various departments.

After the memorials from various regions were delivered, they were first processed by the officials under their respective jurisdictions.

The subordinate officials of each department would first classify, summarize, and register the documents, and put forward preliminary opinions on how to handle them. Only then would the most important matters be presented to Chen Wang.

The duties of these subordinate officials were, to some extent, highly similar to those of the cabinet ministers of the Ming Dynasty.

However, their power was far less illustrious than that of the cabinet ministers.

Chen Wang still firmly controls the final decision-making power. Any important decision must be approved by him in red ink before it can take effect. Even the current assistants in the Central Military Department must obtain Chen Wang's approval.

This results in a mountain of political affairs to be dealt with.

However, given the extraordinary circumstances at hand, extraordinary measures are necessary.

Such high-intensity work is naturally not sustainable in the long run.

But it's not time to completely relinquish power yet.

However, their power was naturally not as great as that of the cabinet ministers, and Chen Wang still firmly held supreme power.

"As of today, the new policy case has affected the entire Jiangnan region, and 127 court officials have been implicated and imprisoned."

Dai Zhenglin bowed slightly, having already compiled the important news of the past few days, and began to report.

Even after the fall of Nanjing and the subsequent purge of the court, the number of officials in Nanjing was no longer as bloated as before.

The influence of the civil service group has become increasingly weak under repeated blows, and the existence of the noble group has also become increasingly fragile.

Intimidated by Chen Wang's imposing presence, very few dared to resist.

Therefore, this time, only a little over a hundred officials were implicated, half of whom were civil officials, while the rest were nobles.

Moreover, many of these hundred-plus people were not against the new policy, but were involved in the previous merchant case.

At that time, Chen Wang only punished those merchants. This time, he uprooted the forces behind these merchants after interrogating and interrogating them.

"Among the nobles, due to the previous turmoil and this purge, only one-third still retain their titles."

The nobles of the Ming Dynasty could be considered the most tragic nobles in history.

It was severely purged in the early Ming Dynasty, and after the Jingnan Campaign, a new group was established, which at least restored some of its vitality.

However, the Ming Dynasty suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Tumu Fortress at the hands of the eccentric Zhu Qizhen, which led to a situation in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty where civil officials were valued more than military officials.

Now, Beijing has fallen to the Qing army, and Nanjing has fallen to the Wanmin Army, resulting in the deaths and extermination of many noble families.

If the Ming Dynasty were still ruled by the Zhu family emperors, they would certainly follow the rules and carefully consider finding a successor from among the collateral branches of these noble families.

However, Chen Wang naturally did not have such thoughts; these nobles had enjoyed a life of luxury for over two hundred years.

The virtues of a virtuous person last only five generations. The good deeds left behind by their ancestors who fought bloody battles on the battlefield have long been worn away in the past two hundred years.

Chen Wang had originally planned to target the nobility shortly after the military reforms, to strip them of the privilege of sharing the fate of the nation, reduce expenditures in this area, and recover the state assets they had embezzled.

At present, there will naturally be no one to inherit the titles; instead, these titles will be buried with history.

"Are the regional princes making any moves?"

Chen Wang put down his vermilion brush. He had entrusted Tang Shiping and Zhao Huailiang with the new policies in Jiangnan. The two had received his instructions before leaving the capital and had clearly understood his meaning.

Chen Wang's current concern is not for Jiangnan, but for more distant places. The new policies are indeed currently focused only on Jiangnan, mainly due to the influence of local gentry, the shortage of manpower in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the need for stability throughout the country.

However, there is no need to consider so much when it comes to the regional princes.

"In the early years of the Chongzhen reign, there were 32 princes and 227 dukes."

"The late emperor hanged himself, and Prince Ding and Prince Yong are both dead."

"The world was in turmoil, and war was rampant. The five kings of Shaanxi, Qing, Su, Han and Qin, the line of the King of Shu in Sichuan, and the three kings of Jin, Dai and Shen in Shanxi, a total of eight kings, were killed by Li Zicheng."

Although Li Zicheng was no longer as powerful as he was in history, he had been trapped in Shaanxi for a long time. Apart from Prince Rui in Hanzhong, who was still safe, the other princes had all been killed by Li Zicheng.

After Shanxi was captured by Li Zicheng, the princes within the province were also massacred by Li Zicheng.

The wealth accumulated over more than a century was all taken by Li Zicheng, which enabled him to possess such a powerful army.

"In Henan, the two kings, Fu and Chong, were killed by the Wanmin Army. The four kings, Huguang, Jiangxi, Xiang, Chu, Jing, and Jiangxi Huai, were killed by Zhang Xianzhong."

“The Prince of Yi in Jiangxi, the Prince of Lu and the Prince of Zhao in Henan were killed by the rebel army. The Princes of Shandong in Beizhili, De, Heng and Lu were killed by the Qing army.”

The Yi Fan of Jiangxi could have existed for a long time, but after Chen Wang occupied Huguang, he secretly instigated a popular uprising in Jiangxi through the intelligence department, and then took the opportunity to interfere in Jiangxi and eventually annex it.

The intelligence department set its sights on Yifan in Jiangxi. After instigating a popular uprising, they directly attacked and captured Yifan, using its money and supplies to arm themselves and incite the collapse of the political situation.

As for the deaths of the three princes of Beizhili, the reason was that the Qing army entered the pass earlier, and naturally the Qing army did not bother to cover it up. They were too lazy to pretend anymore and no longer raised the banner of avenging Emperor Chongzhen.

"With the ascension of the Tang Emperor, there are now only nine princes in the country. Apart from the Prince Rui of Hanzhong, the Princes Zhou and Zheng of Henan, and the Prince Jingjiang of Guangxi, the remaining five are all in Huguang."

"Many princes from various regions have died or been injured, and now there are fewer than a hundred registered."

"After the tax reform and the abolition of privileges, some local princes were dissatisfied and resisted. All the evidence of their crimes has been collected. Commander Zhao has already sent special personnel to various places to mobilize troops to arrest them."

"In this case, it is planned that, apart from Prince Rui, the titles of the other eight princes will be stripped, and the titles of seventy-seven other princes will be stripped."

There were still some virtuous kings in the early and middle Ming Dynasty.

However, the princes of the late Ming Dynasty were almost entirely clean, with countless scandals involving their subordinates, and extortion and plunder were commonplace.

The same applies to princes, but some princes are in a very marginal situation due to their status and power.

This seizure of the title was all orchestrated by Chen Wang.

Those princes who were not stripped of their titles were basically powerless and even bullied by local gentry and powerful families, so naturally they had very few scandals.

When the new policy was announced, there was no resistance, so the stripping of titles was waived.

"What about Prince Rui..."

When Dai Zhenglin mentioned Prince Rui, he seemed somewhat helpless.

"It doesn't matter."

Chen Wang didn't pay attention to Dai Zhenglin's helplessness.

Back in Hanzhong Prefecture, Prince Rui had provided him with considerable assistance in his rise to power.

If it weren't for Prince Rui's repeated petitions, Hanzhong Prefecture would not have established a military garrison.

Later, Prince Rui spoke highly of Chen Wang in the court, which greatly improved Chongzhen's impression of him.

While in Hanzhong Prefecture, Prince Rui would send people to reward the troops every few days.

Even when Chen Wang reorganized the garrisons and reopened the fields, the Prince Rui's mansion returned most of the land.

As the forces behind them grew stronger, Prince Rui, who was enfeoffed in Hanzhong Prefecture, became even more cautious and also saw the situation clearly.

With the implementation of this new policy, the Prince Rui's Mansion handed over all the land maps without hesitation. They were so detailed that there was not a single flaw in them, and they even handed over the account books from previous years.

Prince Rui was, after all, a vassal king, and naturally had many crimes, but the main reason was the lack of effective control.

Prince Rui was a devout Buddhist, averse to sensual pleasures in Hanzhong, and known for his purity, love for others, and virtuous character. He had always enjoyed a good reputation within Hanzhong Prefecture.

When Hanzhong was hit by disaster, although Prince Rui did not dare to open the granaries directly to provide relief, he sent people to various temples to deliver money and grain, and the temples sent people to set up soup kitchens to provide relief to the disaster victims.

Compared to other princes of this period, Prince Rui was a breath of fresh air.

Chen Wang had even considered making Prince Rui emperor, but Prince Rui was too timid, so he sent Hu Zhiyi to invite Prince Rui to Nanjing.

Prince Rui claimed to be ill and refused to leave the palace, stating frankly that he was incompetent and unable to shoulder the responsibility of governing the country.

Left with no other choice, Hu Zhiyi led his troops to storm the Prince's residence, intending to help Prince Rui ascend the throne, but found that Prince Rui had indeed fallen ill in bed due to fear.

Considering the strategies that would need to be devised in the future, Chen Wang ultimately abandoned the idea.

The world is so vast that even if an army is invincible in this era, it will be extremely difficult to govern it in the future.

Through continuous research and experimentation, Chen Wang felt that perhaps by the time he reached his twilight years, steam engines and trains would gradually become widespread.

But even with trains and steam engines, the territory directly controlled could only reach as far as Central Asia.

Chen Wang's arrangement for the Ming imperial family was to send them overseas.

Chen Wang has already thought of the location.

After he ascended the throne, his fleet was fully equipped, and he set sail for the Western Ocean again.

After Longwu abdicated, he sent him across the ocean to South America.

Given Longwu's personality, once freed from constraints, he would undoubtedly work diligently to revitalize the country and expand its territory.

Placing it in South America and allowing it to open its own country would naturally be the best thing to do.

What that region needs now is a determined and enterprising regional governor.

Furthermore, South America has limited development potential, and due to its geographical location, no matter how much it develops, it is unlikely to pose a real threat to China.

Those former officials of the Ming Dynasty who still clung to blind loyalty were also conveniently packed up and sent to South America.

Let those who only know the classics and historical texts all day long, or those who have always lived a life of ease and comfort thanks to the protection of their ancestors, truly see what the outside world has become.

"Let Prince Rui keep it."

Chen Wang prepared a final act of respect for Prince Rui, the very person he had initially dealt with.

"I will write a letter, and you can have the Central Military Commission send someone to Prince Rui's residence to reassure him and tell him not to worry."

Although Prince Rui's title will not be retained after he ascends the throne, he will have no problem living a wealthy life.

Chen Wang spread out the documents on his desk, picked up the brush that was on the table, and was about to put pen to paper.

But then, as if remembering something, he stopped writing and asked a question.

"I heard... Zheng Zhilong is almost here..." (End of Chapter)