When Emperor Chongzhen uttered the words "amnestying the rebel bandits," the gathered civil and military officials stood in awkward silence; not one dared to speak.
Fan Jingwen muttered to himself, "If amnesty could solve the problem, the Great Ming Dynasty would have been rid of these rebels long ago."
He recalled the Battle of Chexiang Gorge in the seventh year of the Chongzhen era. The Ming Army had once trapped Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, Zhang Miaoshou, and Zhang Xianzhong within that very gorge. The then-Governor-General of the four provinces, Chen Qiyu, believed their claims of surrender. With Emperor Chongzhen’s approval, the rebels were all accepted into the fold of the imperial forces. Once rested and resupplied, however, they rebelled again.
Chapter 116