Following the disappearance of Crown Prince Zhu Cilang of the Great Ming, the capture of Nanjing’s civil and military officials, and the surrender and subsequent suicide of Zheng Zhilong, the "rebellion" was finally quelled. The pacification army remained stationed in Quanzhou, awaiting instructions from the Imperial Court.
News reached the Capital quickly. Emperor Chongzhen ordered the army to remain in Quanzhou for two months to intimidate local power brokers while simultaneously enforcing currency reforms. The entire realm was effectively deemed guilty, with punishment awaiting those who refused to comply. Those who cooperated were left in peace; those who resisted faced execution and the confiscation of their assets. Furthermore, he ordered the Fujian Navy and the Liaodong-Tianjin Navy to carry out major repairs on their vessels, preparing to launch an expedition to the East at any time to thoroughly annihilate Wu Sangui and the Dutch forces entrenched there.
The imperial decree arrived in Quanzhou half a month later. In the Ming Dynasty, officials were required to resign and return home for twenty-seven months of mourning upon the death of their parents, a practice known as *dingyou*. If, however, a national crisis occurred and the Emperor required their services, they would prioritize the nation over mourning; this was called *tuoqing* (the overriding of personal grief by state duty). (As the *Book of Rites* states: "When the ruler commands, one must go; one dares not…
Chapter 1327