Chapter Seven: The White Lotus Rebellion

On the seventh day of the second lunar month in the second year of the Tianqi reign, earthquakes struck Yanzhou, Jinan, and Dongchang prefectures in Shandong. Officials reported that the quakes were accompanied by thunderous roars; the earth cracked, springs gushed forth, livestock cried out in alarm, and houses collapsed. The tremors even reached Henan, Kaifeng, and Guide prefectures in Henan province. By the seventh day of the third month, earthquakes struck Licheng and other areas within Jinan and Dongchang prefectures again, continuing for three days and destroying countless civilian homes.

On the eighth day of the second month, after receiving the urgent report, Zhu Youxiao immediately issued orders to Zhao Yan, the Governor of Shandong, mandating that the priority be providing food and shelter for the victims. He ordered that those who perished in the disaster be buried promptly and that local order be restored as quickly as possible.

By the beginning of the fourth month, Zhao Yan reported that the victims had been properly settled and that stability had been restored. He requested that the Emperor remit taxes in the affected areas. Zhu Youxiao issued an edict exempting those regions from taxes and directed the Shandong authorities to provide further relief.

In the fifth month, under the inspiration of Zhu Youxiao, Chen Dadao, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and others submitted a joint petition requesting posthumous honors for the former Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, listing twenty of his achievements. The Emperor, concurring that Zhang Juzheng had served for ten years and brought great peace to the realm, declared that his "merits should not be obliterated." He approved the restoration of Zhang's original titles, granted him sacrificial burial rites, adjusted his posthumous name, and allowed his descendants to reside in the family home if it had not yet been sold.

Around this time, Fang Zhongyi, a tenth-generation descendant of Fang Xiaoru, arrived in the capital as a tribute student and submitted a petition to the throne. The Emperor issued an edict: "Fang Xiaoru’s loyalty and integrity are well-established. Since he has surviving descendants, they shall be granted honors in the same manner as Lian Zining."

These two events signaled to the officials that the Emperor intended to overturn previous cases—ranging from the distant era of the Chengzu Emperor concerning Fang Xiaoru and Lian Zining, to the more recent Wanli reign regarding Zhang Juzheng. Zhu Youxiao sought to reshape the ministers' thinking, starting by demonstrating that he did not fear modifying the laws of his ancestors.

This matter had just begun to ferment, causing unease and reflection among some, without yet forming a major impact, when an urgent report arrived from Shandong: on the eleventh day of the fifth month, Xu Hongru, leader of the White Lotus Sect, had led his followers in the Caozhou prefecture area into rebellion. Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao was both shocked and pleased. He was shocked because disaster relief in Shandong was already well underway; since there was no shortage of food, why would they rebel? He was pleased because the Imperial Guard finally had an opportunity for real combat.

He ordered the Governor of Shandong to hold his positions while the Imperial Guard arrived to quell the unrest. He then summoned the generals of the Imperial Guard to discuss strategies for pacifying Shandong. Having fought the Jiannu in Liaodong, the Imperial Guard’s confidence had soared; they felt the Jiannu were nothing special, let alone the displaced rebels of Shandong. Everyone clamored to lead the troops into battle.

This was clearly impossible. The purpose of the Beijing Garrison was to protect the capital; traditionally, they did not leave the city. The previous dispatch to Liaodong was under the guise of escorting Xiong Tingbi, and the trip to the Southwest was under the pretext of escorting Qin Liangyu. If the entire Imperial Guard were to leave for Shandong, the ministers would certainly object. Thus, only a portion of the force could be sent, though a small detachment should suffice to quell a civil uprising.

A dispute arose over who would command the expedition. Yang Guikui, who had not participated in the last campaign, insisted on going. Others, like Yang Guanggao, who had already seen battle, did not want to remain in the barracks for training and wished to earn further merit. Soon, they were arguing before the Emperor. Only Man Gui, still busy drilling the soldiers, refrained from requesting a command.

Zhu Youxiao knew Yang Guikui had a soft heart, which was why he hadn't sent him to Liaodong. He couldn't deny him again, yet he wanted to provide the others with experience for future battles against the Jiannu. Lu Xiangsheng spoke up: "Your Majesty, I believe that to quell the Shandong unrest, speed is essential to prevent other White Lotus branches from imitating them. Large numbers are unnecessary. I request to go and observe the battle."

With another person vying for the position, the generals gazed longingly at the Emperor. Zhu Youxiao, feeling troubled, comforted them by promising an expansion of the Imperial Guard and assuring those who didn't go to Shandong that they would certainly be sent to fight the Jiannu next time. This quieted them down. The Emperor decided that the "good-natured" Yang Guikui would lead the mission; since he was soft-hearted, it would minimize unnecessary bloodshed among his own people.

On the thirteenth day of the fifth month, the Emperor issued an edict promoting Yang Guikui to Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard (Second Rank), Yang Guanggao to Vice Commander (Lower Second Rank), and Zhou Yuji and Cao Wenzhao to Assistant Commanders (Third Rank). Man Gui remained a Garrison Commander (Fifth Rank). Yang Guikui and Cao Wenzhao led the troops to Shandong, with Lu Xiangsheng, a Reader-in-Waiting (Lower Fifth Rank), serving as the Army Supervisor.

Yang Guikui and Cao Wenzhao took one cavalry battalion, two infantry battalions, one artillery battalion, and one supply battalion, departing for Shandong the very day the edict was issued. This left only two battalions of regular troops in the capital. The Cabinet and the Ministry of War raised objections, fearing the city was left vulnerable, but Zhu Youxiao replied, "The security of the capital lies in virtue, not in fortifications. Besides, are there not the Beijing garrison training troops currently stationed here? I believe they are sufficient to guard the capital." The ministers could not tell the Emperor that these training troops were actually useless rubbish, for the Emperor would then ask why they hadn't mentioned it before. Thus, they could only watch helplessly as the bulk of the Imperial Guard departed.

Zhu Youxiao’s textbooks from his previous life told him that the Shandong unrest was not merely a rebellion, but a popular uprising that should be viewed with historical sympathy. Therefore, he instructed his generals to capture Xu Hongru and disperse the rest without killing them. The generals—except for Yang Guikui, who wished to kill no one—grumbled but dared not object. Lu Xiangsheng suggested killing the leaders, but Zhu Youxiao overruled him.

When detailed reports arrived, it was revealed that Xu Hongru had declared himself the "Emperor of the Great Resurgent Fortune," established the "Dacheng Xingsheng" reign title, appointed Chen Canyu as Right Prime Minister and his brother Xu Heyu as the "King of Heroic Martyrs," and created various military ranks. When they captured counties, they opened granaries to distribute grain, forcing those who took it to join the rebellion. Zhu Youxiao realized this was not a case of officials driving the people to revolt, but a cult-led uprising aiming to seize the Ming throne. This was unacceptable. Even if their cause were just, he could not simply hand over the throne. The Imperial Guard had already departed, so he sent messengers to catch up with new orders: all key figures in the rebellion were to be killed unless they surrendered; the ringleaders were to be brought to the capital for death by slicing and the execution of their three clans. He instructed the generals that if they encountered resistance, they were not to show mercy, regardless of who the enemy was. However, they were forbidden from killing innocent civilians to inflate their kill counts, as the Imperial Guard would not measure merit by severed heads. The generals were highly supportive of this, as it was far more reasonable than the previous order.

All kinds of support are requested; thank you for your backing! The author does not believe that such "uprisings" are inherently righteous.