Chapter 878

In the waning years of the Ming Dynasty, the areas of Puzhou and Fan County in Shandong were frequently plagued by natural disasters. Compounded by man-made catastrophes, the local populace was displaced and the land lay fallow. The region was home to elm trees, deciduous trees native to China that bloom before sprouting leaves. Their flowers resemble copper coins, hence the name "elm-money trees." Because these trees propagate through seeds, dense "elm forests" formed over time. In the thirteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, a peasant uprising led by Ma Yingshi broke out, utilizing these dense elm forests to resist the Great Ming Dynasty. Whenever the imperial army came to suppress them, the rebels would vanish into the thick woods. Because the forests were so dense and vast, government troops dared not venture too deep, limiting their search to the periphery. Once the troops departed, the rebels would emerge to resume their resistance. These people were known by the Imperial Court as the "Elm Garden Bandits," and historians refer to them as the "Elm Garden Army."