Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Sun Chuanting is a decisive and efficient person.

Upon receiving the mission, we had to set off immediately.

However, just before he set off, he received an invitation from Sun Chengzong.

Faced with the invitation from this marquis, he had no choice but to pay him a visit.

Upon arriving at the destination, he discovered that he was not the only one who had received an invitation; Chen Qiyu and others who had been ordered to leave the capital also received one.

Many meritorious officials and nobles from Liaodong gathered here.

Seeing that these people all seemed to have come for him, Sun Chuanting felt flattered but also somewhat uneasy.

He said to Sun Chengzong:

"Master Sun, inviting me is not as simple as just saying a word, why make such a big fuss?"

"I can't accept so many nobles seeing me off!"

I greeted each of these people, wondering why they had come.

As the host, Sun Chengzong introduced Sun Chuanting to these people with a smile, and then told Sun Chuanting about their identities.

In addition to the nobles in the capital, representatives of the feudal nobles such as the King of Han, the King of Qing, and the Duke of Jiangling were also present.

Sun Chuanting was even more surprised, wondering why they were treating him this way.

Thinking of the task the emperor had given him, Sun Chuanting said:

“Master Sun, if you don’t explain this clearly, I dare not take my seat.”

"Are so many feudal nobles involved in matters concerning vassal states?"

Sun Chengzong stroked his beard and smiled:
"Isn't it for the sake of securing land?"

"Speaking of which, you also have the reputation of being a confidant who helped restore the dynasty, and can be called a meritorious official of the restoration."

"Now that you all have established your own fiefdoms, you are facing difficulties and would like to ask Minister Sun for your assistance."

Sun Chuanting, puzzled, asked:
"What exactly is the difficulty? Please tell me, Lord Sun."

"I will do my best to do anything I can."

They made no promises, only saying they would do it if they could.

This attitude has satisfied Sun Chengzong and others.

He was just the matchmaker this time; the people who were really going to talk to Sun Chuanting were other people.

Zhang Yunxiu, the representative of the Duke of Jiangling, is the son of Zhang Juzheng and the great-uncle of the current Duke of Jiangling. Being the most senior, he spoke first:
"It's not a difficult matter at all; it's not a problem for Minister Sun."

"This year, Shaanxi has had favorable weather, so there are fewer immigrants."

"However, the Northeast has just been pacified, and all the nobles are preparing to establish their own fiefdoms, so they need more people."

"So I would like to ask the minister to do me a favor and allow more refugees to be relocated to the Northeast."

Sun Chuanting felt relieved upon hearing this, realizing that it was indeed not a big problem.

The emperor's intention was also to relocate as many displaced people as possible from Henan to prevent them from gathering and rebelling when the disaster worsened in the future.

He fears that these people's appetites are too great, and he cannot satisfy them in time, which could lead to a civil uprising due to forced relocation.

So he asked carefully:

"Is there a severe shortage of manpower in the Northeast now that the region has been established?"

"I've heard that quite a few people have gone to the Northeast; hundreds of thousands have moved there this year."

Speaking of this, many nobles who established their own fiefdoms in the Northeast sighed.

Cao Wenzhao, who chose to establish his fiefdom in Heilongjiang, said:

"Many migrated to the Northeast, but most were absorbed by the Liaodong and Liaoxi provinces."

"Even if I want to go to a vassal state, I will go to Korea, which is very close by."

"There are rumors that the four northern territories will be directly under the Ming Dynasty and become a lord state. Mao Wenlong and others have taken the opportunity to recruit a lot of people."

“Our fiefdoms in Heilongjiang are too far away, not many immigrants would choose them.”

"As a result, the fiefdoms were full of Tartars, and Han people were needed to guard them."

Cao Wenzhao had absolutely no trust in the tribes within his own fiefdom.

Having fought his way out of Liaodong, he knew that even if these people submitted temporarily, their future would be uncertain.

To ensure the stability of the fiefdom, there must be a sufficient number of Han Chinese.

However, the places granted by the emperor were all remote areas, which were not very attractive compared to Liaodong and Liaoxi, which could be established as provinces.

What particularly annoyed Cao Wenzhao was that he had finally managed to recruit some refugees. After arriving in his fiefdom, these people heard that the Mohe gold mine was recruiting people, so they all took boats to pan for gold.

As a result, apart from his retainers, he hadn't even established a proper garrison in his fiefdom. He could only appoint those retainers as officers and recruit some surrendered barbarians to guard the others.

Now he doesn't dare let his family go to the fiefdom, fearing that the Jurchen tribes within it will cause trouble and he will be killed there.

Sun Chuanting listened to their complaints with disbelief.

He knew that establishing a fiefdom would be difficult, but he didn't expect that these people couldn't even be gathered enough for a garrison.

Unlike before, when most were military households, the military and civilian guards established by the emperor allowed for hereditary soldiers.

These soldiers were equivalent to hereditary officials in the vassal state, so why would anyone be unwilling to accept them?

He asked Cao Wenzhao:

"How do you treat the people in your fiefdom?"

"Even after the hereditary land was divided, some people still ran away?"

Cao Wenzhao spat and said angrily:
"What's the use of dividing up hereditary land?"

"It needs to be cultivated!"

"Besides, the Northeast has a shortage of everything except land."

"As long as you are a Han Chinese, you can get a few square miles of land wherever you go."

“My fiefdom is next to the confluence of three rivers, and it is full of swamps.”

"Those who went there saw that it was difficult to cultivate the land, so they tried to escape."

"The emperor forbade restrictions on citizens' movement, and that's how it turned out..."

After complaining for a while, Cao Wenzhao said to Sun Chuanting:

"Minister Sun is going to Henan this time to suppress bandits, and we can capture more people."

“The prisoners captured during the bandit suppression are all eligible to be directly assigned to military households. We have already negotiated with Wang Tingwei of the Dali Court to exile them to the Northeast.”

"It would be best to distribute them to each household so that their whole family can go."

He stared intently at Sun Chuanting, hoping he would arrest more "bandits".

They preferred the military households that were sent there on a household-by-household basis.

Not only did they have families to support and dare not run away, but they also had to stay and serve in the garrison because of their status as military households.

If Sun Chuanting could capture five thousand households for him, he could organize an army of five thousand and immediately stabilize his fiefdom.

Other nobles shared the same idea, and even representatives of the King of Han, the King of Qing, and the Duke of Jiangling expressed their willingness to accept the exiled bandits.

Although they have been established as feudal states for a long time and there are many Han Chinese in their fiefdoms, there is still a shortage of military households who can serve in the military indefinitely.

Given the instability of civilian households, many people wanted to move back once they had money. These people were eager for more military households to serve in the army in the vassal state.

Sun Chuanting felt a headache coming on as he listened to these people's demands.

He originally thought it would be a simple matter, but he never expected that these people's request was for him to capture more bandits.

There's not much chaos in Henan right now, so there aren't many bandits for him to catch.

They still end up accusing people of being thieves, arresting some people as bandits, and then forcibly exiling them.

Those exiled to vassal states in this way did not enjoy the same freedom as ordinary immigrants who were military or civilian households. Sun Chuanting, out of his own conscience, was unwilling to agree to this.

However, he dared not refuse the demands of so many feudal nobles outright.

Offending these people is tantamount to offending all the meritorious officials who established vassal states in the north.

Sun Chuanting is a bit straightforward, and when he was in a difficult position, he wanted to speak frankly.

Chen Qiyu noticed his predicament and spoke first:
"This is a major issue, related to changes in immigration policy."

"I think we should speak to the Emperor. He will not stand idly by while you all lack sufficient manpower when you open up your fiefdoms."

The group felt awkward upon hearing this, as they had no intention of bringing such a disgraceful matter to the emperor's attention.

In particular, the current emperor has always loved his people like his own children and constantly proclaims "benevolence and righteousness."

They feared that if they brought this matter to the emperor's attention, it would be rejected.

Sensing their concerns, Chen Qiyu said:

Are you all worried that the Emperor will not allow it?

"Don't worry, His Majesty cares more about the disaster victims in Henan than you do."

"The number of registered households in Henan used to be more than five million, but the Emperor estimates that it could be at least three times that number."

"If these 15 million people suffer from drought, do you think His Majesty will be worried?"

This number greatly surprised everyone.

They all knew that Henan had a large population, but they didn't expect there to be so many.

Assuming five people per household, that's three million households. Being coerced by bandits could unleash three million troops.

No wonder the emperor was so worried that after driving out the Jurchens, he dispatched troops to Henan to suppress the bandits.

Based on the migration rate in Shaanxi, if one million out of three million households moved out, it would be more than enough to fill the garrisons in their fiefdoms.

Knowing the emperor's concerns about Henan, Sun Chengzong immediately decided upon hearing this:
"Report this matter to His Majesty."

"I believe His Majesty needs our help."

These nobles, acting on behalf of the Court of Colonial Affairs, submitted a memorial requesting that the Northeast be designated as a place of exile for bandits from Henan.
-
Zhu Youjian was initially puzzled, but after Sun Chuanting and Chen Qiyu explained in person, he understood their intentions.

Enraged, he threw down the memorial and wrote:

"All the people are my subjects; how can I label them as bandits?"

"These people are too audacious; they want to follow in the footsteps of the founding nobles!"

This accusation is too severe. Just thinking about the meritorious officials who were killed during the Hongwu era makes Sun Chuanting and Chen Qiyu feel lingering fear.

As a future high-ranking nobleman, Sun Chuanting hurriedly explained:
"These people do act recklessly, but there are also reasons for the difficulties in establishing their own fiefdoms."

"I believe that although opening up the vassal states is their own business, the court should provide some support."

"Not to mention giving them full-strength garrisons, at least half of the military households should be assigned to them."

"This way they can establish themselves in their fiefdoms and not end up with a population smaller than that of a large tribe."

"I request that 2,500 military households be dispatched to each of the vassal garrisons, and that a military captain be assigned to protect them."

They partially acknowledged the demands of these nobles, believing that there were practical reasons for their actions.

Chen Qiyu shared the same view and felt that too many people in Henan needed to migrate, so this was one of the solutions.

However, Zhu Youjian would not allow his new army to label civilians as thieves or drive good people into banditry. That would cause the new army's morale to collapse and its fighting capacity to crumble.

However, the demands of the vassal states must also be considered. After some thought, he said:
Are there many unregistered residents and people in arrears with their taxes in Henan?

"What do you think about forcibly relocating these people who don't pay taxes to the government?"

This is a method that could increase immigration significantly. However, Sun Chuanting said:
“The nobles need military households; they have no coercive power over civilian households.”

"Without a stable population, the fiefdom will be unstable."

"I am worried that if this continues, they may restrict the people in the fiefdoms in the future."

This is not only possible, but it can be said to be inevitable.

No country wants its people to migrate haphazardly.

However, Zhu Youjian allowed them to establish fiefdoms in order to provide a means of survival for the people of the Ming Dynasty. How could these emperors, when they acted recklessly, prevent the people from fleeing?

Therefore, he insisted on the policy of free movement of citizens in overseas vassal states, but the current situation forced him to compromise.

After thinking it over, Zhu Youjian said:
“Send the Imperial Guard and the Supreme Court to Henan to carry out a crackdown.”

"Anyone who violates the law or commits a crime should be arrested if arrest is not necessary, and sentenced if sentencing is not necessary."

"Anyone who commits a crime will be exiled overseas."

"Those who commit serious crimes will be exiled to military households, while those who commit less serious crimes will be assigned to a specific place of residence and will not be allowed to move within ten years."

“If one person breaks the law, the whole family is implicated and the entire family is relocated.”

This measure, to some extent, granted the nobles' demands, but remained within the bounds of the rule of law.

Zhu Youjian absolutely disapproved of accusing people of theft. He ordered Sun Chuanting to bring several censors from the Censorate to investigate cases. Any cases with doubts were at most classified as minor offenses. As long as they were required to relocate overseas and serve for ten years, they would be pardoned.
-
Sun Chuanting felt somewhat relieved upon hearing the emperor's decision.

As it turned out, the emperor did have a way of dealing with the situation. He satisfied the demands of the meritorious officials without accusing them of thievery.

It seems that exiling all the criminals in Henan would be enough to fill up these vassal states and garrisons.

However, this can only solve the problem temporarily. As the number of nobles who have established their own fiefdoms increases, it is impossible to carry out severe crackdowns and bandit suppression every time.

Reflecting on his actions in Shaanxi, Sun Chuanting said:
"I believe that immigration measures should be strengthened. All people who have no land, no fixed job, and do not pay taxes should be classified as migrants and forcibly relocated."

"The court may not require them to go anywhere, but it must relocate them overseas so that there is sufficient manpower overseas."

"Back then, the various vassal states would recruit people according to their needs, instead of wanting the court to exile more people as it does now."

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval of the proposal, believing it was feasible to implement.

In previous years, immigrants were only worried about not being able to be accommodated, not about not having enough people.

It is enough to guide refugees from various places to overseas; there is absolutely no need to relocate other people.

This led to a sharp decrease in immigration numbers after the drought eased slightly this year and people were unwilling to migrate, causing newly established vassal states to complain about insufficient population.

Therefore, the imperial court's immigration policies must be stricter in the future, forcibly relocating those who are unwilling to migrate.

After pondering Sun Chuanting's words, Zhu Youjian praised him:
“People without jobs were treated as vagrants and forcibly relocated according to the policies for vagrants.”

"This is a good idea; Sun Qing can try it out in Henan."

"If the method is feasible, I will instruct the Ministry of Revenue and the provincial household registration departments to determine the migrant population lines in various regions."

“Anyone who is below the migrant threshold and meets the migrant criteria shall be treated as a migrant and may be forcibly relocated.”

"The future of the Ming Dynasty will be dominated by people with stable property, and there is no need for unstable vagrants."

Sun Chuanting was sent to Henan to gain practical experience and refine his findings.

Anyone identified as a migrant was required to relocate within a specified period.

If they refuse, then they should be forcibly relocated to a designated place of residence.

This is similar to the "kill line" or "homelessness line" in later American society, which eliminates the population that cannot survive.

The difference is that the Chinese have had a spirit of resistance since ancient times; they will not passively await death. They must be given a way to live, a chance to survive.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian established a refugee migration line and forced refugees to migrate.

Even if the migrants die on the road, it is better than raising a flag and rebelling.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian demanded strict secrecy regarding the migration mortality rate, and, modeled after the American military's standards for casualties in later generations, stipulated that those who did not meet the criteria should not be counted as migration deaths, but only as accidental statistics.

At the same time, he instructed the Immigration Department and overseas vassal states to find role models and use these role models to attract migrants.

Feng Dazhu, who discovered a gold mine in Mohe, and Li Sanshui, who reclaimed land in Dongning, were both widely publicized in newspapers as typical examples of immigrants.

When Sun Chuanting went south, Li Sanshui, who was working at the Immigration Administration, was also sent south to assist the migration of refugees from Henan. (End of Chapter)