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Chapter 1353 Occupying Army

With the three teams firing their muskets simultaneously, the post-war reconstruction of Panama City officially began.

Twenty-eight Japanese soldiers and officers who had committed murder and looting after entering the city were lined up and shot in front of the city's largest church. The people in the city seemed to have less hatred in their eyes when they looked at the Ming army; only fear remained.

As for whether it is appropriate and convincing to attribute the casualties of thousands of people to these 28 new soldiers, Setter believes it is both appropriate and convincing.

When the emperor inspected Salim Harbor, he told the naval officers that the easiest group to fool in the world is the common people, and the more people there are, the easier they are to fool.

Once you control the narrative, with a few tricks and maneuvers, the people will become unable to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, and will foolishly follow public opinion, thinking whatever you want them to think.

Moreover, once they fall into this situation, anyone who tries to reveal the truth becomes their enemy, and they will be dealt with ruthlessly.

The emperor called this method "propaganda warfare" and referred to the fooled populace as a mob. He explicitly instructed all military officers not to attempt it within the Ming territory, warning that if anyone was found to be involved, there would be no trial, and their entire family would be wiped out without exception.

At the same time, the emperor encouraged everyone to explore countries and regions outside of the Ming Dynasty to see if they could achieve the greatest results with the least cost. As for whether it was immoral or not, the emperor said that he had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries before he became the ruler of the world; one should not meddle in the affairs of those outside the official position.

As the first whaling ship docked, unloading basket after basket of whale meat onto the pier, dozens of newly appointed village chiefs, along with their respective village leaders, lined up to register and receive the meat for free. The fear in the eyes of the city's residents seemed to lessen, and it was estimated that after a few more meals of meat, it would completely disappear.

“If it’s so easy for Commander Sai to manage a city without needing to educate or benevolent, then why does my father have to work so hard every day? I imagine the ministers in the court aren’t having it much easier either?”

Some things you can't escape, that's called destiny. Ever since Setter took over Panama City, he was always accompanied by two young officers, except when he was sleeping. One wore a tan uniform and had a shaved head, and the other wore a blue uniform and had a crew cut.

As the commander of the only two remaining armed forces, Setel dared not send Mukuhara Daigo and Masahiro out to fight, much less let them lead their own territories. But he couldn't strip them of their military power, so he simply kept them by his side, which, although a bit annoying, saved him a lot of trouble.

"It's obvious you didn't study hard when you were in school. On the title page of your political economy textbook, there's a quote written by His Majesty: 'When a person is hungry, he only has one worry, but when he's full, he has countless worries.'"

The current situation in Panama City is remarkably similar to what His Majesty described. They now have only one worry: the fear of starving to death! And your father and the court officials, burdened with countless worries about ensuring the people are well-fed, are naturally even more overwhelmed.

However, Shinhiro Shinchi was not one to settle for a quiet life. The moment he opened his eyes, he had endless questions and complaints, offering his opinions and insights on almost everything, even commenting on a naval sailor climbing the mast barefoot. Faced with such a stubborn and unyielding individual, Settle could only endure it. He would pretend not to hear five out of ten questions, offer three perfunctory "uh-huhs," and dodge the question with two, then choose the least problematic and most definite answer to avoid appearing deliberately snubbed.

“Commander Sai is truly a great talent. No wonder he is highly regarded and ranked as a deputy commander alongside Governor Du. I admire him greatly! However, I have a question. When the people of the city have something to say, they go to the church to ask the priests. And these foreign monks have not been banned. If this continues, where will the laws of our Great Ming Dynasty stand?”
His Majesty's decree, found at the very beginning of the Ming Code, requires officials to govern the people according to the law. For the law to be effective, it must first be clearly understood; understanding the law ensures that people know it, and knowing it inspires fear; if the law is unclear, the people will not fear it, and if the people do not fear the law, it is difficult to enforce it.

But what makes Zhenhong annoying isn't his gossipy nature or lack of cunning, nor his inability to speak tactfully; rather, it's his family's scholarly background, his vast knowledge, and his tendency to be easily swayed. For instance, when Setter used the Emperor's words to shut him up, he countered by invoking the Emperor himself, refusing to back down an inch.

"...Yes, it is indeed very important to make the people understand the law. Here's what we'll do: you lead your men to translate the Great Ming Code as soon as possible, print it, and post it all over the city, especially in the churches. Once the people of the city understand the law, I will order the priests to be expelled from the city, and all the churches will be converted to other uses."

Setter was seething with hatred, but he couldn't object because the other person was right. However, the right thing could easily turn into a bad thing if handled improperly. Specifically in the case of Panama City and the entire Americas, the abolition of Christianity could not be rushed, much less be done in a one-size-fits-all manner.

There's no other reason than the strong popular support. The people here have been Christian for over a century, and suddenly telling them they can't believe anymore, without offering a replacement, would only complicate the situation further and be detrimental to stability.

But there's no need or interest in explaining these principles to Masahiro. There are similar young officers in the navy who always think they understand things better than anyone else, and they're so eloquent that it's hard to convince them.

The best way to deal with them is not to argue, because the more you argue, the more excited you get, and in the end, you won't be able to clarify anything. Just go along with what they say first, and then let them find the truth in practice. As they do it, they'll all shut up and realize the importance of things.

"Uh... I plan to first organize the priests to study the law, and then let them influence the local people to follow. I wonder what Commander Sai thinks?" Commander Zhen was not troubled. After a moment's thought, he proposed a specific plan and sought his superior's opinion.

"Yes, but we must be careful in our approach. As long as the priests are willing to cooperate, we should not force them too much. The most urgent task right now is to stabilize the situation. Once Governor Du has captured Belle Harbor, the first batch of immigrants will be sent from Pearl Harbor to settle here. His Majesty will also expedite the dispatch of officials to formally take over civil administration, as they are the ones in charge."

Setter agreed without hesitation, figuring that giving this guy something to do would help improve his sleep. But he had to make it clear upfront: using force to enforce the law was not allowed; otherwise, there would have been no need to execute the Japanese New Army, who were doing a much better job than the Ming army.

"Your humble servant obeys... Could you perhaps transfer one or two centurions from outside the city to assist us? We don't have much influence among the people; replacing us with the new army would save us a lot of arguments. I can take responsibility for this and will never again commit unauthorized killings."

Zhenhong readily agreed, but not unconditionally. He made another request: he wanted the Japanese New Army to assist in legal education. His reasoning was quite sound: the New Army had considerable deterrent power, and since force was forbidden, intimidating them shouldn't be a problem.

(End of this chapter)