Thereafter, people got the mistaken idea that the yimin militia had fought to preserve Qing rule, and the Hakka community once again suffered unjust criticism as running dogs for the elite and the enemies of righteousness.
義民爺也因此被曲解為清朝官方的統治幫手，客家人再度蒙上支持權貴、打擊忠良的不白之冤。