The Tumultuous Backdrop of Ming Loyalist Resistance

In the winter of 1647, as the newly established Qing dynasty tightened its grip over China, a daring plot unfolded in Ningbo, Zhejiang. This event, later romanticized as the “Five Gentlemen’s Revolt,” was in reality a broader conspiracy involving Ming loyalists like Hua Xia, Wang Jiaqin, Tu Xianchen, and the Yang brothers (Wenqi and Wen’an). These men, former scholars under the fallen Ming, had refused to accept Qing rule after the dynasty’s collapse in 1644.

The broader context was one of fractured resistance. The Southern Ming regimes—Hongguang, Longwu, and later the Lu pretenders—struggled to coordinate efforts against the Qing. Zhejiang, a Ming stronghold, became a hotbed of guerrilla warfare, with remnants of Ming forces holding out in the Zhoushan Islands and the Siming Mountains. Hua Xia and his comrades saw an opportunity in late 1647: Qing forces had diverted troops to Fujian and Guangdong, leaving Ningbo vulnerable.

The Conspiracy Takes Shape

The plan was audacious. The conspirators aimed to unite scattered Ming loyalists—notably Wang Yi’s mountain guerrillas and Huang Binqing’s naval forces in Zhoushan—to storm Ningbo and Shaoxing simultaneously. Key to their strategy was the defection of two Qing officers, Chen Tianchong and Zhong Mo, former Ming soldiers now serving under Qing coastal commander Sun Zhixiu.

Wang Jiaqin boasted of rallying 3,000 local fighters, while coded letters (one hidden in bamboo paper, another on silk) detailed the plot: “Our preparations are complete… Once Shaoxing rises, send troops to Ningbo for a joint strike.” The revolt was set for December 4, 1647, coinciding with the departure of Qing officials to Tiantai, which would leave the city undefended.

Betrayal and Collapse

The plot unraveled due to Xie Sanbin, a disgraced former Ming official turned Qing informant. In November 1647, Xie exposed the conspiracy to Qing authorities. Preemptive strikes crushed Wang Yi’s mountain base, uncovering incriminating letters. By early December, Hua Xia and others were arrested, though Dong Zhining escaped (only to die later in Zhoushan).

Huang Binqing’s naval forces, unaware of the breach, arrived at Ningbo’s east gate on December 4 as planned. With no signal from collaborators and Qing troops on high alert, Huang retreated after a skirmish that cost dozens of ships and his deputy Li Rang’s life.

Trials and Defiant Martyrdom

The Qing interrogations revealed stark contrasts in character. Hua Xia, subjected to torture, refused to implicate others, famously declaring: “If we had the means, would we not boast to inspire courage? Must we prove our preparations?” He mocked Xie Sanbin as a “dog-like opportunist” unworthy of sharing the cause. Xie, groveling for mercy, escaped execution only because Hua disdained to link him to the plot.

On May 2, 1648, Hua Xia was executed. Refusing to kneel, he sat defiantly, shouting tributes to the Ming founder before his death. His comrades—Tu Xianchen, Yang Wenqi, and others—met similar fates.

Social Divisions and the “Meat-Eaters” Critique

The uprising laid bare class tensions among Ming holdouts. Hua Xia’s courtroom denunciation became legendary: “The Ming have had no true gentry for years! The rich buy land for their heirs or indulge in concubines… Only poor scholars cling to Ming ideals.” This scathing indictment highlighted how wealthier elites, like Xie Sanbin, prioritized property over loyalty, while lower-ranking scholars (the “herb-eaters”) led the resistance.

Legacy: A Symbol of Unyielding Loyalty

Though militarily insignificant, the Ningbo plot became a moral touchstone. Qing records downplayed it, but Ming loyalists like Quan Zuwang later enshrined Hua Xia’s defiance in works like The Jiqi Pavilion Collection. The revolt also influenced later anti-Qing movements, proving that even failed resistance could inspire.

Today, the event symbolizes the tragic nobility of lost causes—and the enduring conflict between survival and principle in times of upheaval. As Hua Xia’s last words echoed, they framed a question that resonates beyond 1647: When do the costs of resistance outweigh the price of submission?