The Tide Turns in Wu Sangui’s Favor

By early 1674, rebel commander Wu Sangui found himself in an enviable military position during the Revolt of the Three Feudatories. His forces controlled nearly half of Qing territory, with only Guangdong’s Shang Kexi offering meaningful resistance. Tens of thousands of troops stood ready along the Yangtze River’s southern banks – a single order away from marching north to challenge the Qing dynasty’s heartland. Military advisors buzzed with suggestions for capitalizing on this momentum.

Most urged immediate action: “The imperial guards haven’t mobilized from Beijing, regional forces remain scattered, and defenses everywhere are unprepared,” they argued. Crossing the Yangtze swiftly to strike the capital would deny the Qing court crucial recovery time. Alternative proposals suggested fortifying along the river to sever Qing supply lines – a devastating tactic summarized by the military adage: “No merit surpasses rescuing the emperor; no strategy surpasses cutting grain supplies.”

The Mysterious Halt at Hunan

Yet Wu made neither move. Instead, he garrisoned his main forces in Hunan, puzzling contemporaries and historians alike. Traditional scholarship attributes this to military conservatism – a veteran commander’s overcautiousness as age tempered his boldness. But closer examination reveals deeper calculations.

Wu, intimately familiar with the elite Eight Banner forces from his years battling alongside (and against) them, understood their unmatched cavalry and archery capabilities. His chilling warning to subordinates revealed this awareness: “You don’t know their true strength… On mountainous terrain near water, we can defend. But on open plains? How could you withstand them?”

Moreover, Wu’s rapid expansion created vulnerabilities. From an initial 20,000 troops in Yunnan, his ranks swelled to over 100,000 through defections – their loyalty uncertain. Rushing north risked betrayal at a critical moment. Additionally, evidence suggests Wu entertained hopes of negotiated settlement, perhaps envisioning a divided China with the Yangtze as boundary. His peace overtures to the Kangxi Emperor went unanswered, exposing the limits of his political ambition.

Kangxi’s Masterstroke: The Defense of Jingzhou

While Wu hesitated, the 20-year-old Kangxi Emperor acted decisively. Recognizing Jingzhou’s unparalleled strategic value – a linchpin controlling the Yangtze since the Three Kingdoms era – he orchestrated an unprecedented mobilization. Elite Manchu and Mongol units formed an advance force under Commander Shuodai, racing to reinforce the city. Soon after, Prince Lekedejin arrived with 11,400 main troops, followed by 3,000 additional Eight Banner cavalry.

By establishing this multilayered defense, Kangxi transformed Jingzhou into an impregnable strongpoint – protecting upstream Sichuan while supporting downstream Nanjing. The city’s later designation as a permanent Eight Banner garrison testified to its enduring importance. Even during the 19th-century Taiping Rebellion, rebels repeatedly took Wuchang but never breached Jingzhou.

The War of Attrition

With Jingzhou secured, the conflict settled into a grueling stalemate along the Yangtze. Kangxi’s strategic patience gradually turned the tide. Contrary to later assumptions about Eight Banner decline, these elite units bore the brunt of major battles throughout the campaign, though numerical limitations forced increasing reliance on Green Standard troops for peripheral operations.

Wu’s failure to capitalize on early advantages proved decisive. His forces, though numerous, lacked the cohesion and leadership to overcome the Qing’s disciplined defenses. As the stalemate continued, the rebellion’s momentum faded, culminating in Wu’s death in 1678 and the Qing’s ultimate victory by 1681.

Legacy of a Pivotal Decision

Historians continue debating Wu’s hesitation at Hunan. Was it:
– Excessive caution from aging command?
– Prudent consolidation of uncertain forces?
– Limited political vision seeking only regional dominance?
– Or sober assessment of Qing military superiority?

Whatever the combination, this pause allowed Kangxi to stabilize defenses at Jingzhou, demonstrating how momentary strategic indecision can alter historical trajectories. The revolt’s suppression consolidated Qing authority, enabling Kangxi’s subsequent consolidation of power and China’s emergence as an 18th-century superpower. Jingzhou’s enduring military significance, lasting into the Taiping era, underscored the long-term consequences of these 1674 decisions along the Yangtze’s strategic waters.