The Collapse of the Shun Dynasty and Dispersal of Rebel Forces

The year 1645 marked a critical juncture in China’s tumultuous Ming-Qing transition. Following the death of rebel leader Li Zicheng and the collapse of his short-lived Shun dynasty, remnants of his peasant army fragmented into two main groups. The western contingent, led by Li Jin (Li Guo) and Gao Yigong, marched south from Hanzhong through Sichuan’s mountainous terrain before entering western Hubei. Meanwhile, the eastern division under Tian Jianxiu and Liu Fangliang operated in Hunan, struggling to secure supplies from Ming loyalist forces.

This dispersal occurred against the backdrop of the Qing conquest, which had already captured Beijing in 1644. The Manchu forces, having defeated both the Ming imperial government and Li Zicheng’s rebellion, now sought to consolidate control over central and southern China. The surviving Shun troops found themselves caught between the advancing Qing armies and the remnants of the Ming resistance in the south.

Strategic Maneuvers in the Yangtze Basin

By June 1645, Li Jin’s western army demonstrated remarkable mobility, capturing strategic cities including Jingmen and Dangyang. Their subsequent siege of Jingzhou in July revealed both their military capacity and limitations – though fielding substantial forces across a 300-li front, they failed to take the well-defended city after fifteen days of intense assault.

The eastern contingent faced different challenges. Despite reaching a tentative agreement with Ming commander He Tengjiao, they received inadequate support, forcing their northward movement to join Li Jin’s forces. This reunion in August 1645 allowed the combined Shun remnants to learn definitive news of Li Zicheng’s death and regroup under the protection of his widow, Lady Gao.

The Leadership Crisis and Political Calculations

The united Shun forces now confronted a critical leadership vacuum. Contemporary Qing documents mention attempts to install Li Zicheng’s younger brother as a figurehead, with Li Jin controlling the captured Ming imperial seal. However, this arrangement proved ineffective, reflecting deeper divisions within the rebel leadership.

Both Ming and Qing authorities recognized the strategic value of these battle-hardened troops. The Qing launched repeated diplomatic overtures, demanding symbolic submission through the queue (haircutting) ordinance. Meanwhile, Ming officials debated fiercely about cooperating with former rebels. The stage was set for a dramatic political realignment.

The Pivotal Intervention of Du Yinsi

The arrival of Ming governor Du Yinsi at the Shun camp near Songzi in August 1645 proved transformative. Unlike his colleague He Tengjiao, Du recognized the necessity of full cooperation with peasant forces against the Qing threat. His dramatic personal diplomacy – meeting Lady Gao and negotiating directly with rebel commanders – created the foundation for a military alliance.

Du’s memorial to the Longwu Emperor in Fujian sparked intense court debate. Conservative ministers objected to honoring “bandits” who had overthrown Beijing, while pragmatists like Zhang Jiayu argued: “Without expending provisions or casualties, we gain thirty thousand elite troops through empty titles alone.” The emperor ultimately approved, granting Li Jin the title Marquis of Xingguo and renaming his unit the “Loyal and True Army.”

Military Reorganization and Joint Campaigns

The formalized alliance in early 1646 brought significant changes. The Shun forces received Ming military titles and recognition, while Lady Gao was honored as “Chaste and Righteous Lady of the First Rank.” The combined forces now operated under joint command structures, though tensions persisted with Ming traditionalists like He Tengjiao.

Strategic opportunities emerged as the Loyal and True Army could threaten Qing positions across Hubei and Hunan. However, the partnership remained uneasy – many Ming officials still privately distrusted their former enemies, while some Shun commanders chafed under bureaucratic constraints.

The Enduring Legacy of the Alliance

This unprecedented cooperation between Ming loyalists and peasant rebels represented a watershed in Chinese resistance to Qing conquest. It demonstrated:

1. The recognition of anti-Qing resistance as the primary national struggle
2. The military potential of coordinated action between different anti-Qing forces
3. The political vision of figures like Du Yinsi who transcended class prejudices

Though ultimately unsuccessful in preventing Qing victory, this alliance established patterns of cooperation that would continue through the Southern Ming resistance. The Loyal and True Army’s subsequent campaigns under Li Jin (now Li Chixin) and Gao Yigong (Gao Bizheng) became legendary, inspiring later anti-Qing movements.

The complex interplay of military necessity, political calculation, and personal diplomacy during this period offers profound insights into China’s seventeenth-century crisis. It reminds us how extraordinary circumstances can forge unlikely alliances, and how the struggle for survival can temporarily overcome deep social divisions.