Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Luo Rucai requests a pardon!"

Zhu Youjian took this news very seriously.

After receiving the report from the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area, he convened a special court meeting to discuss it.

Yuan Keli, who had just returned to Beijing and was in charge of the suppression of the rebellion and disaster relief, spoke first:
"Luo Rucai was a notorious bandit leader and one of the leaders of the Thirty-Six Camps of the Bandit Alliance."

"Although many of these bandit leaders have been brought to justice, some have escaped and are now hiding in the countryside."

"I believe we can take Luo Rucai as an example and issue a pardon to them to attract them to come out of the countryside."

"To prevent the drought from worsening and these people from gathering displaced people to rebel."

These are his feelings after returning from Henan.

Out of consideration for disaster preparedness, the emperor planned to relocate the poor people of Henan.

He initially thought it was making a mountain out of a molehill, but after returning to his hometown and observing carefully, he discovered that the emperor's worries were not unfounded:

Henan is currently in a better situation than Shaanxi, which has been suffering from continuous drought.

However, the frequent droughts and the flooding of the Yellow River have left the people of Henan in dire poverty.

If a major drought occurs, Henan may become a land of refugees.

If a bandit leader were hiding in this place, he could easily gather tens of thousands of bandits.

Therefore, Yuan Keli believed that a pardon could be issued to Luo Rucai to attract these bandit leaders to come out on their own initiative.

Many people agree with his view.

However, there were also dissenters. Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Justice, stated:

“Plotting to endanger the state is called treason, and it ranks first among the ten unpardonable crimes.”

“The rebels have committed treason and should not be pardoned.”

"Otherwise, the whole world will follow suit, deliberately plotting rebellion to gain fame, and then seeking the court's pardon and amnesty."

"I believe that Luo Rucai should be punished according to the law for treason."

Many people agree with this.

Most of the officials were civil servants, and they naturally disliked military affairs, especially those who plotted rebellion.

They believed that Luo Rucai's crimes were so egregious that he should be executed as a warning to the world.

Grand Secretary Cheng Jiming objected to this, saying:

“No matter what crimes Luo Rucai committed before, the court should not kill him.”

"He deliberately bound himself, defying the imperial decree of granting a general amnesty."

"If we have to kill people like this, how will we appease others in the future?"

"The court made a mistake once before by killing Wang Zhi, and we must not make the same mistake again this time."

"Moreover, His Majesty's birthday is approaching, and killing him would be somewhat inauspicious."

This reason was so compelling that the courtiers immediately changed their minds.

Compared to the emperor's birthday celebration, what does Luo Rucai's life or death matter?
Organizing this celebration well is what they should be most concerned about.

Otherwise, if they displease the emperor, Han Rizuan's fate serves as a cautionary tale.

After Cheng Jiming put forward this reason, it quickly became the consensus among the ministers not to kill Luo Rucai.

Out of consideration for preventing a larger-scale rebellion, Zhu Youjian had already agreed with Yuan Keli's opinion.

Seeing that the ministers had reached a consensus, he immediately said:

“Then we will not kill Luo Rucai, and we will allow him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service.”

"Yuan Qing just said that some bandit leaders are hiding in the countryside, which is a major hidden danger in various places."

"The Survey and Rescue Committee should coordinate with various departments and take multiple approaches, making use of Luo Rucai's contributions, to solve this problem."

"We need to have Luo Rucai lead men to find more of the bandit leaders from their hiding places."

"As long as these people do not rebel again, I am willing to pardon them."

"Consider it a special offer of amnesty, as a supplement to the general amnesty."

"I do not wish for long-standing banditry to continue to exist in the Ming Dynasty."

They decided to take this opportunity to recruit talented individuals from among the bandits.

The reason why the suppression of bandits in the Northwest in recent years has been so successful is largely due to the fact that after Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, he established the Three Provinces Bandit Suppression Command and cleared out long-standing bandits.

Without the legacy of these bandits, it would take much longer for itinerant thieves to become familiar with combat.

Taking advantage of their unfamiliarity with the situation since they had just started their uprising, the imperial court dispersed and wiped out the bandits.

There has been no succession among the bandits, so they have been unable to pass on their experience in fighting against the imperial court.

However, this situation changed after major bandit leaders such as Wang Jiayin and Wang Ziyong were wiped out and the bandits scattered.

No matter how powerful the imperial court is, it is impossible to wipe out all the small groups of bandits.

Like Luo Rucai, who went into hiding and fled directly to Jiangnan.

If Yuan Shu hadn't happened to be there, no one would have discovered this yet.

Zhu Youjian was worried about this and decided to appoint Luo Rucai to find all the long-time bandits he knew.

Even if there are more peasant uprisings in the future, they will need to accumulate experience again.
-
Yuan Keli understood the emperor's intentions and also believed that the long-standing bandits should be dealt with.

Otherwise, given Henan's current population, if a bandit leader were to enter during a natural disaster, he could quickly muster a large army.

After eliminating the long-standing bandits, things changed. Even if there were still bandit leaders hiding and tens of thousands of refugees gathered, without a core force, they had no way to organize the refugees into battle.

Therefore, Yuan Keli immediately agreed to form a team to clean up long-standing bandits and find them in the countryside.

However, deterrence alone is not enough, Yuan Keli inquired:
"Your Majesty, since it is a matter of offering amnesty, you should set conditions."

"I believe that Luo Rucai should be rewarded with official titles and ranks to attract other bandit leaders to join us."

This proposal has drawn even more opposition.

Many officials believed that Luo Rucai had not made any contributions and should not be awarded official titles or ranks.

Previously, the emperor had pacified pirates such as Zheng Zhilong, and promoted them to high-ranking positions, thus fostering the Fujian maritime merchant group.

These ministers did not want a similar group to rise up among the bandits.

In particular, people like Gao Yingxiang, who came from the Northwest, had connections with these individuals.

Bringing them together will change the political landscape of the court.

Zhu Youjian saw that there were so many opponents, and he didn't think much of Luo Rucai's abilities.

After thinking it over, he said to Yuan Keli:
"Luo Rucai was discovered by Yuan Shu, and he still has several hundred men under his command."

"These people will all be given to Yuan Qing, and he can bestow official titles and ranks upon them."

"As for the imperial court, there will also be rewards."

"Luo Rucai retained his rank of craftsman for inventing the combined spear. Furthermore, he was granted a hereditary knighthood for his role and was allowed to establish vassal territories in Deng Province."

"Now, we will borrow the Imperial Guard from Deng Fan to serve in his post. After completing the mission of pacification, he will be promoted to a higher rank and granted a fiefdom based on his merits."

After assigning Luo Rucai to the Deng family as a subject, Zhu Youjian looked at the excited assembled officials and said:
"The Deng vassal state can appease Luo Rucai, and the same applies to other vassal states."

“As long as these people are willing to accept the offer of amnesty and relocation, you can also bestow official titles and ranks upon them.”

"Five years have passed since the bandit suppression began. Most of those who survived are quite capable, no less than Zhao Sheng or Bai Wang."

“As long as their loyalty can be guaranteed, these people can contribute when establishing a fiefdom.”

They were given the authority to pacify the bandits and were allowed to relocate these people overseas.

Those officials who had initially opposed bestowing official titles upon Luo Rucai became even more agitated upon hearing these words.

The officials had all witnessed how Zhao Sheng and Bai Wang had performed in Tang territory.

Although these people came from humble backgrounds, they were quite capable. The current situation of the Tang Dynasty is inextricably linked to their service.

The thought that he might recruit such talented people and be granted titles by the emperor made him think that this was a good idea and that he should pacify the bandits.

Thus, the order to offer amnesty was issued as a supplement to the general amnesty order.

Some ministers were already considering how to appease the bandits in their hometowns and how to ensure their loyalty.

With their local power, they could find even the most cunning bandits, no matter how well they hid.

A manhunt targeting the hidden bandits is about to begin, with their cooperation.

With such momentum, Zhu Youjian did not believe that any bandits would remain hiding.

Of course, Zhu Youjian was also wary of the possibility that bandits might continue to rebel after surrendering.

He addressed his ministers:

"Luo Rucai said he wanted to be a loyal dog, but to be honest, I don't believe it."

"This man has a nickname, 'Cao Cao,' because he is known for his cunning and scheming."

"If I don't trust him, why do I use him?"

The officials fell into deep thought, and Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Personnel, said:
"Luo Rucai's loyalty to His Majesty is unreliable, but he will certainly be loyal to his title."

"With a title, he will be a nobleman of the Ming Dynasty, and his family will be rich and powerful for generations."

"Therefore, His Majesty will grant him a hereditary title to appease them."

This was a strategy established when Zheng Zhilong was being recruited earlier.

Guo Yunhou, as someone who experienced it firsthand, was very familiar with it.

Zhu Youjian nodded approvingly, and then said:
"Guo Qing is right, this is exactly what I intended."

"With a hereditary title, one becomes a feudal lord of the Ming Dynasty, and this world belongs to them."

"Moreover, as long as one makes meritorious contributions, one can continue to be promoted and may even obtain the position of prince."

"If anyone is still not satisfied, it means they are inherently rebellious and have their eyes on my throne."

"There's no need to be polite to people like that; the imperial army will quell the rebellion."

"This is another reason why I dare to use him."

As he spoke, he pointed to Yuan Keli, Liu Zunxian, and others, saying:
"My confidence comes from you generals and commanders."

"As long as the imperial court has the power to crush the bandits, there is no need to fear them at any time."

"It would be best if Luo Rucai and others could be loyal dogs. If their ambitions swell and they turn into vicious wolves, the court will punish them."

"The same applies to the bandits you recruit; you must have the strength to crush them."

"Don't give them the opportunity to plot against us; make sure they have no power to resist."

"This is how I, as the head of the monarch, teach you the way of being a ruler. Those of you with titles, remember it well."

These words amused the assembled officials greatly.

After the emperor explicitly stated that ministers were semi-rulers, he then instructed them on how to act as feudal lords.

They had never seen such magnanimity before, and they never imagined that the emperor would have such a broad mind.

Immediately, the court officials praised the emperor and thanked him for his teachings.
-
Zhu Youjian, in high spirits, then said:

"Luo Rucai compared himself to a dog, and this metaphor is very apt."

"Do you think dogs are loyal to their owners?"

"From a dog's perspective, what exactly is their owner?"

This is a novel perspective, looking at the problem from the viewpoint of animals.

Many of the courtiers kept dogs at home, yet none of them had ever considered this issue.

Qian Qianyi knew that the emperor likely had new theories to expound, so he immediately chimed in:

"Your Majesty, I am unaware. Please enlighten me!"

Zhu Youjian greatly appreciated his witty banter and said with a smile:
"This is something worth studying in detail so that we can better train dogs."

"My view is that dogs are wolves that have been domesticated."

"Their master is the leader of the wolf pack."

"When the leader is powerful, they grovel and try their best to please their master."

"But if their owner is weak, they may rebel and even turn against their owner."

“Words like ‘heartless and cruel’ and ‘scheming and despicable’ are all words left over from the process of domestication by the ancients.”

"Most of these words are negative, reflecting the ancients' understanding of dogs."

"Dog owners must remain strong to prevent their dogs from turning on them."

This statement is rather alarmist.

Because dog ownership has become so integrated into daily life, it's not dangerous most of the time.

However, the courtiers understood that the emperor was using a dog as a metaphor for people, so they naturally did not delve into the details.

Qian Qianyi said at the opportune moment:

"Your Majesty's words are thought-provoking."

"To keep a dog, you must be strong yourself to prevent the dog from turning on you."

"The same applies to recruiting henchmen; one must have absolute strength to prevent them from turning against their master."

The Zizhi Tongjian records that Emperor Taizong had a horse named Lion Steed, which was fat and unruly and could not be tamed. Empress Wu suggested to a palace maid: "I can tame it, but I need three things: an iron whip, an iron shovel, and a dagger. If it does not submit to the iron whip, I will shove its head with the shovel. If it still does not submit, I will cut its throat with the dagger."

"This is a technique for training horses, and it can also be used to train dogs."

This is a famous anecdote, usually used to describe taming people in the context of taming horses.

The court officials all believed that this was the emperor's intention, and they unanimously praised Qian Qianyi's explanation.

Zhu Youjian was somewhat amused and exasperated, and could only say:
"Qian Qing is learned and talented, he should also know about Gao Huan's horse training."

"Gao Huan did not restrain the wicked horse but cut its mane; he did the same to manage wicked people."

"Give them room to maneuver, and make good use of them when they are obedient."

"Only when they are disobedient can Empress Wu's method be used to kill the unruly horse."

Following Qian Qianyi's words, Zhu Youjian revealed another purpose:
"The dangers of dogs can be seen from their habits."

"Most able-bodied men are capable of subduing dogs and don't need to worry about them turning on them."

"However, if there are elderly, weak, women and children in the family, you must be careful when keeping a dog."

He instructed the Minister of Agriculture:

"Dogs are one of the six domestic animals. The Institute of Animal Husbandry of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences should establish a special research laboratory for dogs."

"Study the relationship between dogs and wolves, the uses of different dogs, and how to breed more breeds of dogs."

"Dogs should also be classified according to size. For large dogs, especially aggressive dogs that are prone to injuring people, training must be standardized."

"An access system will be implemented in the city, requiring large dogs, aggressive dogs and other wild animals to be licensed and to pay additional taxes for any potential public safety hazards they may pose."

"If a dog kills someone, it must be captured and killed without hesitation. The death penalty for murder is an ironclad rule, and this applies to barbarians and beasts who kill people as well."

"These measures are based on scientific principles. Governing a country requires theoretical basis, and laws and regulations should be formulated accordingly."

He gave a long and rambling speech, demanding the formulation of dog ownership regulations.

If necessary in the future, we should also obtain health certificates for the dogs to prevent the spread of diseases.

In Zhu Youjian's view, rabies, which is incurable, is still very scary and is one of the most likely diseases to cause death.

He imposed many restrictions on keeping cats and dogs in the palace to prevent the spread of this disease. (End of Chapter)