Zhu Ping’an spent some time with Li Shu and the children before retreating to his study to focus on the first task Zhang Jing had assigned: rooting out the gentry who harboured pirates for profit and the traitors colluding with the Japanese pirates, ensuring they did not undermine the broader campaign to suppress them.
Even without Zhang Jing’s orders, Zhu Ping’an would have taken on this task. It was unavoidable.
To eradicate the pirates, those colluding with them—gentry, commoners, and even some officials—had to be exposed. Historical records documented numerous officials who defected to the pirates, from thousand-household commanders to prefectural officials.
All of them needed to be rooted out.
Otherwise…
If a family had a member among the pirates, and the pirates shared their plunder with them, would they not pass information to the pirates?!
If gentry profited from smuggling with the pirates or secretly supported a band of them, would they not tip off the pirates?!
As for colluding officials—whether they harboured pirates, were bribed with money or seduction, or had other motives—once they were tied to the pirates, they were on the same sinking ship. Would they not pass information to the pirates?!
With these people feeding intelligence to the pirates, any campaign against them was like fighting in broad daylight, with no secrets left. The battle was half-lost before it began. Thus, the colluding gentry, commoners, and officials had to be exposed.
Once these collaborators were rooted out, the pirates would lose their eyes and ears among the people, becoming blind and deaf. Suppressing them would then be twice as effective with half the effort.
As for how to root them out, Zhu Ping’an already had a plan.
In chaotic times, severe measures were needed.
Here it comes.
The law of collective responsibility!
If it worked for the Zhejiang Army, it could work for Zhejiang Province. Of course, the brutal Qin dynasty’s original version of collective responsibility wouldn’t do—it needed modern adaptations.
In his modern life, Zhu Ping’an had studied the Qing dynasty and Republic-era baojia system, which offered much to borrow from.
With brush, ink, paper, and inkstone prepared, Zhu Ping’an spread out a sheet of xuan paper and began drafting his first military and administrative order as Zhejiang’s governor.
It was a harsh order.
“The Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law!”
The bold characters leapt onto the paper…
The next morning, Zhu Ping’an handed the drafted “Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law” to the prefectural yamen clerks, ordering them to copy and stamp it, then distribute it immediately to all prefectures and counties, with strict instructions for immediate implementation.
Soon, the Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law reached the villages, with the proclamation posted in front of the village ancestral hall.
The villagers were gathered by the village head and elders before the hall, where an elderly scholar, the only literate man in the village, read and explained the document.
“Listen up, folks, young and old. This is the ‘Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law’ set by our Lord Governor. It says once this proclamation is posted, we must implement it immediately, or face severe punishment!”
The old scholar slowly stroked his white beard, relishing the attention, and spoke deliberately to the crowd.
This was his favourite moment—everyone in the village depended on him, as he was the only one who could read.
“Old Wen, tell us, what’s this ‘Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law’? What’s it for?”
“Who’s this Lord Governor?”
The villagers clamoured, urging the scholar to explain what the law was.
“Alright, alright, don’t rush me. Let me catch my breath, and I’ll explain it properly.”
The scholar put on airs, taking a few deep breaths before stroking his beard and continuing:
“Our Lord Governor is Zhu Ping’an, the top scholar of his year. This ‘Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law,’ here’s what he says: As the appointed governor of Zhejiang, I aim to eradicate the Japanese pirates and ensure the people’s peace. But my abilities and wisdom are limited, so I need the full cooperation of all officials, gentry, and commoners. To counter external threats, we must first govern internally. Having just taken office, I’m unfamiliar with local customs. As for suppressing the pirates, I’m still at a loss. It’s been found that many among the military and civilian households seek small profits, harbouring strangers of unknown origins involved with the pirates. Some even collude with the pirates, passing them information, or shelter them, enabling their schemes. The pirates’ unrest stems from this, hence the issuance of the ‘Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law’…”
After the scholar finished, the villagers shouted that they didn’t understand, demanding he explain in plain words.
“Fine, fine. Here’s what the Lord Governor means in simple terms: He’s new to Zhejiang, doesn’t know the lay of the land, and needs all officials and commoners to help him wipe out the pirates. There are bad apples among us—some have joined the pirates, some are secretly passing them information, some are hiding pirates. Because of this, the Lord Governor issued this ‘Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law.’”
The scholar rephrased it in plain language.
Some villagers looked unfazed, others uneasy, and some huddled together, whispering.
“So what’s this Ten-Household Placard Baojia Law, and how’s it work?” the villagers pressed.
“The Lord Governor says every household in the prefectures and counties, in cities and villages… Alright, I’ll put it plainly. In our village, every household must hang a wooden placard on their door. The placard must list everyone in the house: their full name, gender, occupation, appearance, hometown, and any disabilities—where, what kind, and how they happened. All clearly written on the placard.
“Every ten neighbouring households form one jia, and you’ll collectively choose a jia head. If you can’t agree, the village head will appoint one. Every evening at the hour of You, the jia head supervises a roll call. One person from the ten households, rotating daily, goes door-to-door checking, with the jia head overseeing.
“If someone’s not home, the family must explain who’s missing, when they left, where they went, what they’re doing, and when they’ll return. The jia head and the roll-call person must note this clearly and inform the other households.
“If there’s an extra person in a household, the family must explain their name, where they’re from, their occupation, their relation to the family, why they’re there, and when they’ll leave. The jia head and roll-call person must note this and inform the others.
“During roll call, every household must report truthfully, without concealing or falsifying anything.
“Anyone who spots a suspicious stranger, notices anything odd about a household, or finds discrepancies in a household’s report must immediately report it to the authorities.
“If a household has a pirate, or someone’s missing without a clear explanation, or a stranger appears without a clear origin, or is a pirate, and no one in the jia reports it, not only will the colluding household be punished, but the other nine households will also be held collectively responsible and punished.”
…
