Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Fall of Guangning

Governor Wang Huazhen remained unaware of the unfolding events. On the morning of the 22nd, just after rising and engrossed in reading military dispatches, he was oblivious to the turmoil outside. Suddenly, Deputy General Jiang Chaodong barged into his bedroom without permission. Enraged, Wang Huazhen sharply rebuked him. Disregarding decorum, Jiang urgently grasped Wang and exclaimed, “The situation is dire! We must flee at once!” Startled and confused, Wang allowed Jiang to lead him out. They hurried to the stables to mount horses, but found the steeds stolen by rebel soldiers. Fortunately, loyal officers arrived with seven horses. Jiang helped Wang onto a horse, while two attendants followed on foot, carrying four chests of luggage loaded onto two camels. They hurried toward the city gate.

The gate was already held by rebel forces who blocked their escape, shouting, “You cannot leave!” One seized a camel laden with chests. Wang explained, “These contain only correspondence, nothing else.” Upon opening the chests and finding no valuables, the rebels began beating Wang and his entourage. As the assault grew fierce, Jiang Chaodong arrived with several dozen men, brandishing swords and scattering the rebels. They protected Wang as he fled the city, abandoning Guangning and staggering westward. Meanwhile, Liaodong Inspector Fang Zhenru, still in the city and yet to rise, panicked upon hearing of Wang’s escape and fled westward alone on horseback.

Wang Huazhen’s party crossed the Daling River, where they encountered Xiong Tingbi. Xiong had rushed with five thousand troops to the Luyang Post upon hearing urgent reports of crushing defeats at Xiping and Shaling, after leaving the Right Garrison. Military supervisor Xu Shenyin had urged a rescue of Guangning and the capture of the rebel commander, but Assistant Magistrate Han Chuming opposed this plan, blocking the relief effort. Xiong had thus retreated, only to chance upon Wang Huazhen at the Daling River. Upon seeing Xiong, Wang broke down in tears. Xiong sneered coldly, “You once routed sixty thousand troops at Liaoyang—what has become of that now?” Ashamed, Wang was speechless. After a pause, he proposed defensive measures for Ningyuan and the forward camps. Xiong responded bitterly, “Hmph! It’s too late now. Had you not been deceived into battle and not withdrawn troops from Guangning to Zhenwu, today’s defeat might have been avoided. Now that the army is collapsing, who would still hold the line for you? The only hope is to safeguard the lives of a million people as they enter the pass, preventing their capture by the enemy.”

Xiong entrusted his five thousand troops to Wang for rear-guard duty, while he and Han Chuming led civilians into the pass. During the retreat, Xiong issued orders for a scorched earth policy—burning Ming military and local government stores and facilities.

Soldiers and civilians gradually arrived at Shanhaiguan Pass. The garrison commanders, fearing infiltration by Later Jin spies, closed the gates for three days, refusing entry. On the 26th, when Xiong reached the pass and explained the situation, they finally allowed the refugees in. Wang Huazhen, Gao Chu, Hu Jiadong, and others soon followed. Only Deputy Military Commissioner Gao Bangzuo went alone to Songshan, sighing, “Having lost Guangning, how can I face entering the pass?” Resolute to serve his country with his life, he hanged himself.

After Wang Huazhen fled, Sun Degong and his conspirators—Chief Officer Lang Shaozhen, Lu Guozhi, and Guard Huang Jin—secured the city gates and took control of Guangning. On the 23rd, Sun Degong dispatched seven men to the Later Jin camp at Xiping, inviting their troops to enter the city. Nurhaci rewarded the envoys with silver and letters of authority.

On the 24th, Nurhaci led his army to Guangning. Sun Degong, Huang Jin, and others went three li east of the city to Wangcheng Hill, where they welcomed the Later Jin troops with banners, umbrellas, dragon pavilions, sedan chairs, and festive music. Nurhaci first ordered the Eight Banners’ princes and Li Yongfang to establish camp and inspect the city thoroughly before he himself entered on horseback. At the Ming governor’s office, he dismounted and declared the place his temporary palace. The Later Jin took Guangning without a fight, just two days after Wang Huazhen’s escape.

Following the capture of Guangning, surrounding forts surrendered without resistance, including Pingyangqiao Fort under Min Wenlong, Xixing Fort guarded by Zhu Shixun, Jinzhou Central Army led by Chen Shangzhi, Tiechang Fort under Yu Hongjian, Daling River guerrilla force commanded by He Shiyan, Jin’an Fort guarded by Deng Deng, Right Garrison defense under Huang Zonglu, Tuanshan Fort under Cui Jinzhong, Zhenning Fort under Li Shi, Zhenyuan Fort under Xu Zhenjing, Zhen’an Fort under Zheng Weihan, Zhenjing Fort’s Deputy General Zhou Yuanxun, Daqing Fort guerrilla Yan Yin, Dakang Fort under Wang Guotai, Zhenwu Fort commanders Jin Li, Liu Shizhang, Li Weilong, and Wang Yougong.

In addition, more than forty other forts and towns—such as Zhuangzhen Fort, Luyang Post, Shisanshan Post, Xiaoling River, Songshan, Xingshan, Qianmaling, Qijia Fort, Zheng’an, Jinchang, Zhong’an, Zhenyi, Dajing, Daning, Daping, Da’an, Daxing, Panshan, Damao, Dasheng, Dazhen, Dafu, Dading, and others—along with their governors and populace, all fell under Later Jin control.

Throughout the Ming dynasty, defenses were first built against the Mongols, then against the Jurchens, with extensive construction of the Great Wall, outer walls, watchtowers, and forts manned by garrisons. “From Liaozuo to Shanhaiguan and on to Tieling, a city was built every thirty li, forming a necklace of fortresses—an old Ming border defense system.” The forts, watchtowers, and smoke signal mounds were as dense as a spider’s web, “laid out like chess pieces and stars, visible for thousands of li, with stations atop every border mountain.” “The expenses for such defenses in the late Ming period were countless,” even prompting Korea to marvel, “China’s resources are beyond measure.” Yet once war with the Later Jin began, this vast network of thousands of forts and signal mounds was swiftly shattered, each fortress becoming an easy target for the Later Jin.

News of this reached the imperial capital, throwing the court into shock. Although Zhu Youxiao knew the ultimate outcome of the Ming-Later Jin war, he had not expected such a crushing defeat. He regretted not heeding Xiong Tingbi’s counsel sooner. After Guangning’s fall, Wang Huazhen immediately submitted a memorial, “I accept full responsibility and punish myself as deserved—worthy of death a thousand times over.” On the second day of the second month, Xiong Tingbi reported from Shanhaiguan, confessing, “I have betrayed the imperial grace and stand condemned beyond pardon. Upon returning to the pass, I intend to present myself for execution.” As he settled refugees inside the pass, he vowed, “Once arrangements are complete, I will hasten to the capital and accept lawful punishment.”

Zhu Youxiao responded, “The loss of the frontier is undeniable, and Xiong Tingbi bears responsibility, but he is hereby permitted to defend the pass under sentence, to redeem himself through merit.”

Shortly after, Luo Yangxing submitted secret intelligence. He had remained hidden near Guangning for some time after Wang Huazhen’s flight before returning to Shanhaiguan. According to Luo, when Wang fled, Guangning’s defenses were intact with over sixteen thousand soldiers. Had Xiong Tingbi taken timely control of Guangning, the city might well have been held.

However, though nominally commander, Xiong had only five thousand troops, while actual control of Guangning’s forces lay with Wang Huazhen. Xiong dared not enter Guangning, fearing he could not command its troops and overestimating the military strength of the Jianzhou Jurchens.

Moreover, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had long suspected Sun Degong and reported their doubts to both Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen. Both dismissed these concerns, asserting Sun Degong’s loyalty as Wang’s trusted aide. Luo Yangxing understood this, but even Xiong, who was less familiar with Sun, believed him trustworthy. This led Luo to suspect that spies from the Later Jin must be operating within Xiong’s ranks.