Finally, threats and inducements were used against the local chieftains and the 48 local chieftains of Shuixi who participated in the rebellion. Those who assisted or joined the rebellion would be removed from office and their lands would be reduced, while those who surrendered would retain their original status.
Zhu Xieyuan believed that after this imperial edict was publicly announced, the war to quell the rebellion would definitely usher in new changes and would be a good turn.
The open rebels were She Chongming and An Bangyan, but there were many chieftains who secretly assisted them, making the suppression of the rebellion difficult. This was largely due to rumors that the court was going to change the chieftain system to a commoner system.
As for the interior of Shuixi, the entire territory is divided into thirteen streams, under which there are forty-eight local chiefs; each stream has a Muzhuo as its governor, and a Mukui to govern it, just like the feudal states in the Han Dynasty.
To put it simply, the Shuixi Tusi as a whole was made up of many small tribe-like units. They could unite and divide, and there were always those who feared or worried about losing their position.
Even if the chieftain had no intention of surrendering, the announcement of this imperial decree would increase She Chongming and An Bangyan's suspicions, making them suspect that their subordinates had ulterior motives.
Therefore, on the one hand, they demonstrated their power and expressed their determination to completely wipe them out; on the other hand, they divided and disintegrated them, using threats and inducements to increase the chances of the rebels splitting.
Zhu Xieyuan admired the emperor's wisdom and strategy, but he did not know what Zhu Youxiao believed: "A fortress is most easily breached from the inside."
After the imperial edict was announced, all the generals stood up. Some looked calm, some were slightly surprised, and some were utterly stunned.
Zhu Xieyuan bowed to the north and said, "Your Majesty has already allocated half of the gold and silver treasury to support the suppression of the rebellion, and has also ordered the allocation of food and supplies. We must cooperate sincerely, advance steadily, and behead the rebel leader to report to the court."
"We, the generals, will serve you wholeheartedly to repay your grace." The generals bowed and responded in unison.
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Although the policy of returning the land system to the Han Chinese is an inevitable trend, it has a huge impact and requires sufficient preparation. It cannot be carried out in a simple way of cutting the Gordian knot.
Zhu Youxiao understood this very well, but he was determined to defeat and eliminate Shuixi, She Chongming, and An Bangyan. Then, there would still be some small chieftains in Shuixi, but they would no longer pose a threat to the court.
Dividing the big into the small has some meaning of the historical Enfeoffment Order, but it is not exactly the same.
The key is to seize the opportunity, advance and carry out reforms with stability as the main focus.
It takes stability to fight the Jiannu, to quell the She'an Rebellion, and to subdue the Mongolian tribes. Zhu Youxiao feels like he is almost as steady as an old dog.
There is no way. This is the current situation in the Ming Dynasty. The more anxious we are, the more likely something will go wrong.
The She'an Rebellion lasted for more than ten years, and it seemed that in the future there would be another chieftain named Sha who would rebel and turn Yunnan upside down.
"Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"
"I, the humble commoner, wish the Queen a thousand years of life, a thousand years of life, a thousand thousand years of life!"
A slightly childish but very uniform voice interrupted the young emperor's thoughts. Facing the children kneeling on the ground, Zhu Youxiao showed a sincere smile.
Empress Zhang Yan smiled and nodded repeatedly, then turned to the emperor and said, "The children are so cute, aren't they? Let them get up!"
Zhu Youxiao nodded in agreement and said in a loud voice: "You are the future of our Ming Dynasty. You must study hard and grow up to be the pillars of the Ming Dynasty."
"We, the common people, thank you for your grace." The children had been taught basic etiquette in advance, so they answered in unison.
Shaoyingyuan was named by the emperor himself, meaning young talents. It is home to six or seven hundred male and female orphans mainly recruited from Northern Zhili.
As Zhu Youxiao said, they are the future of the Ming Dynasty. He personally designated the teaching materials and prepared to cultivate them as pillars of talent from a young age.
To this end, the emperor did not hesitate to divide the royal Western Garden into two halves, build houses, and construct the Shaoyingyuan, which is both a welfare home and a school.
From adoption and placement, to arranging palace servants to take care of them, to compiling teaching materials and other work, some of these children have lived here for more than two months.
He was pale and thin when he came in, but now he is clean and tidy, well-fed and warmly clothed, and was even adopted by the emperor himself. It makes many sensible children feel like they are dreaming.
According to Zhu Youxiao's instructions, Shaoying Academy was also divided into two parts. Those under the age of six lived together; and those who taught on time were children aged six to ten.
After the children stood up and bowed in thanks, they seemed less timid. The Emperor and Empress then ordered the palace maids to distribute cakes and sweets, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.
"These little girls are so cute!" Encouraged by the emperor's smiling nod, Zhang Yan walked among the girls, touched their heads, pinched their faces, and appeared friendly and kind.
Feeling someone pulling at her skirt, Zhang Yan turned around and saw a little girl with big eyes, looking up at her innocently.
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