to flee immediately for Ningyooen, set ambushes at Gaochiao and Sanggarjai. They had not long to wait; for Woo Sangwei and the others marched out; and their men, now thoroughly demoralized, ran and most of them perished in the sea. Woo himself and Wang Poo escaped alone. Jang Zwolin, one principal cause of that terrible disaster, fled in a boat and proved the man he was by joining the robbers, then so powerful all over China, and again deserting to the Manjows. Of the Chinese, fifty-three thousand seven hundred and eightythree then perished, and seven thousand four hundred and forty-four horses, sixty-six camels, and nine thousand three hundred and forty-six coats of mail, were taken. Most of the lost were drowned as they had been fleeing by the sea-shore. The sea was covered with the floating bodies, as if with innumerable "wild geese or ducks." The Manjows had ten men wounded that night. Siwngshan, which was short of provisions before, was soon in great straits by the additional men shut up there, and hope of relief was destroyed; for a deep ditch was cut round the city which was closely invested, Hoong Chungchow not daring to sally. Next month a large force was sent against Jinjow. Taidsoong returned to Moukden, and some provisions were smuggled into Siwngshan, which had come by sea from Tientsin. They were of little service however; for the foojiang, Hia Chungdua sent his son secretly into the city, who managed to open the gates. Hoong Chungchow was taken alive. Tsao Bienjiao and other officers were slain fighting. Orders were sent to Jirhalang to closely invest Jinjow,—to cut down even the grass which grew between the wall and the trench. As soon however as it was known in Jinjow, that Siwngshan had fallen, the hearts of all failed. Dsoo Dashow again presented himself with his troops to the Manjows, by whom he was well treated. But every Mongol, and the men outside Dsoo's contingent were put to death. Men had been sent on to aid Jinjow, but they dared not pass Ningyooen where Woo Sangwei was governor. He-though he could not save the country around from plunder-kept his city. Tashan and Hingshan, whether influenced by the advice of Dsoo Dashow or of their own accord, resisted no longer. The fall of these four cities filled the Peking court with terror. A messenger was at once dispatched to talk of peace. But Taidsoong discovered that the messenger was sent, not by the emperor, but by the shangshoo of the Board of War, and would not therefore see the message. Others were sent who got to Jinjow, and went on to Moukden in June, 1642. Officials were sent out of Moukden twenty li to welcome and prepare them a feast. When they got to Moukden, the messengers performed "one kneel and three knocks" (katow), and presented the emperor's letter which was written to the shangshoo of the Board of War, appointing him to treat of peace. They were dismissed the following month with a long epistle, recapitulating the causes of war from the very beginning, throwing all the blame on the Chinese court. This epistle concluded with a proposal, that the Chinese should pay the Manjows yearly ten thousand gold taels and a million taels of silver, in return for which they would receive a thousand catties of ginsheng and a thousand sable skins, (!) each retaining the ground then in their possession. But now that the rebels had gained such formidable proportions, the Manjows were not at all anxious for the peace which they would have welcomed some years before, and the negotiations fell through. The Chinese contingent of the army became so numerous by desertion, that they had to be divided into eight banners. Some of them now urged Taidsoong to march direct on Peking, which in the present state of Chinese terror could not but fall. He however, thought it was the best policy to harass and plunder the country all round; that thus Peking would by and bye fall of itself, like a tree which has been cut all round the outside. There can be little doubt that he might then easily have taken Peking, which was seized next year by the rebels; after which the chance of the Manjows was hanging in the balance. An army was again prepared to raid China. It set off in November. The left wing broke down the Great wall at Jieshan, and passed through; and at Taitow ying fought and slew two thousand five hundred men of Taitoong foo. The right wing found the gullies so narrow and the roads so rough, that they had to ride singly. A Chinese official was seized, who told them that twenty li outside of Whangyen kow was a very narrow road at Yenmung wan, while the gate was of stone and protected by cannon and powder mines. Men were sent on by night, who seized the cannon, and withdrew the powder charges. The gate, with another further on, was taken. The wing divided into two before Whangyen kow, attacked, took it and passed through chang-chung, as the "Great wall" is called. The two wings united at Jijow, the inhabitants of which had all fled to the hills, leaving grain and cattle behind. A detachment coming up to aid Jinjow, was broken. Before starting, Taidsoong exhorted the men to act as good soldiers, and not as ruffian robbers; telling them that no old man should be killed without grave reasons, no man's wife should be seized or his property destroyed, and none beaten because they failed to give silver, as was the case during the last invasion. The advice was good, but we can scarcely hope any attention was paid it; for in July of next year (1643), the army returned from Shantung reporting thirty-nine victories, and three foo, eighteen jow and sixty-seven hien cities taken, besides six which opened their gates. They brought back twelve thousand two hundred and fifty taels of gold, two million two hundred and five thousand two hundred and seventy taels of silver, four thousand four hundred and forty taels of pearls, fifty-three thousand two hundred and thirty pieces of satin, furs and coats of mail in abundance, three hundred and sixty-nine thousand human beings, and over three hundred and twenty-one thousand head of cattle. A number of high Chinese officials concerned committed suicide. Expeditions sent against Karka and other Mongol districts were equally successful. * After Wanli's reign the yearly allowance for Gwandoong or the two Liaos was six million six hundred thousand rations, which was increased in Tsoongjung's (Ts'ung-cheng) time to sixteen million seven hundred thousand, the Chinese author adding, that this formed the larger half of the army expenditure for the whole of China. Taking into consideration that this was over two centuries ago, it represents a considerable sum of money. The Yüjwun wang Dwodwo, probably sick and tired of this carnage and cruelty, began the new year of 1643 by advising that the example of the ancients should be followed,-who fought only when it was unavoidable; (?)—for that Heaven would certainly punish the people trusting to its own power and acting unrighteously. He recommended that the soldiers should be disbanded, and that the officials should well regulate their internal affairs, customs, and agriculture which was of prime importance as the source of food and clothing. His advice was not at all likely to be carried into action. Taidsoong recommended his great ministers to be sure to entrust all important business connected with war to men of wisdom, who, if carrying out successfully whatever task was imposed upon them, would be permitted to send their men to dig ginsheng; while those would be forbidden whose failure proved them incompetent, and it would be criminal for them to be jealous of their betters. Next month (September), this able son of a more able father died at the age of fifty-two, and there has been no third to place beside them. A long title was given him, and his body rests in the Jaoling, north of Moukden, before which is the finest pailow I have seen. his tomb and that of his father are sadly in need of repair. son. But both The child who was elected to succeed Taidsoong was his ninth His mother's temple name may be given as a curiosity, along with the distinguishing marks which pointed him out as future emperor. siang,-which I am informed means many taels for rations. Jaoshungtsushowgoongjieunganyijangchingdwunwhiwunjwangkanghua empress, before the birth of her child, used to be surrounded by a red flame, which terrified the servant maids, who rushed forward to smother it, when lo! it disappeared. In addition to other wonders, a lock of hair on the crown of his head was at his birth longer and different from the rest. During the day of his birth, a red flame surrounded his mother's palace, and a delightful fragrance moved slowly about like the soft flowing of water. His mental capacity was above the ordinary kind from his birth, and daily increased. He was extremely fond of learning at six (five according to our calculation), when he was nominated to the throne by Daishan his oldest uncle, all consenting. All the wangs, beiluas and great ministers wrote an oath of allegiance (which was burnt), to inform Heaven and Earth. Jirhalang the Jun chin-wang and Dworgwun the Zooi chin-wang were nominated guardians; and another written oath was burnt. The succession was not established however without some commotion. Adali or Uadali, a prince wang, secretly promised to abet Zooi chin-wang if he claimed the throne. Shwotwo a Gooshan beidsu sent Woodan to the same wang, to state, that he and a number of ministers were prepared to support him. Adali and Shwotwo went with Lwolwohoong to Li chin-wang Daishan-who was confined with a bad leg—and said that everybody was ready to proclaim Zooi chinwang emperor, blaming him (Daishan) for negligence in not taking active steps to prevent such a thing. Daishan saw Dworgwun his brother face to face with his accusers. Adali and Shwotwo were condemned to death for the crime of instigating civil war, together with the mother of the former and the wife of the latter. The family register of Adali was given to Daishan, that of Shwotwo to Dworgwun. Because Woodan and Lwolwohoong knew not what they did, they were forgiven. The dasiadsu Ganglin was imprisoned, but his crime pardoned, as he had informed the privy council that he would not be in the plot. Fan Wunchung, a dasiadsu, was degraded into the bordered yellow banner. This storm-of whose origin doubtless Dworgwun knew more than he cared to say-having blown over, Jirhalang was ordered off to Jinjow and against Ningyooen, which was taken in November. Chientwun wei, Joonghow swo, and Joongchien swo followed within a few days, and the people and spoils were divided among the conquerors according to rank. Bands of men were sent towards Hei-loong jiang and Koorka to seize men to fill the ranks. * Wives, concubines, children, slaves and cattle were all included; the register being the title-deed to such property. |