Abstract: The“Chen Si Case”occurred in 1711. Chen Si and his companions were itinerant performers who were accused and tried for robbery and other crimes. In the end, more than ten people were sentenced to exile, one was beheaded, and several ministers were demoted. Compared with other cases that occurred in the same period, the handling of the “Chen Si Case”was particularly severe because the highest Qing rulers worried about increasing social mobility and vagabondage. This essay examines the social conditions of the time and the factors that motivated the rulers to seek greater control over society.