The Fragile Revival of Southern Ming Resistance

By late 1650, Sun Kewang had consolidated control over the remaining military forces loyal to the beleaguered Yongli Emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty. What emerged was a coalition where former peasant rebel armies—particularly those from the defunct Daxi regime—formed the core of anti-Qing resistance. Though the Yongli Emperor remained a symbolic figurehead, real leadership rested with Sun Kewang and his fellow ex-Daxi commanders like Li Dingguo.

This unlikely alliance between Ming loyalists and former rebels marked a turning point. By adopting the Yongli reign era and integrating scattered Ming units, Sun Kewang’s forces gained legitimacy as “Ming troops” rather than rebel bands. Their coordinated efforts breathed new life into a resistance movement that had been on the verge of collapse, rallying Han Chinese and ethnic minorities against the expanding Qing conquest.

Strategic Deployment: A Three-Pronged Assault

With Guizhou secured as their base, Sun Kewang orchestrated a bold counteroffensive in early 1651:
– Eastern Front: Sun and Li Dingguo would push into Hunan
– Northern Front: Liu Wenxiu would advance toward Sichuan
– Southern Reserves: Forces remained in Yunnan and Guangxi

The Hunan campaign began in April 1651 when Feng Shuangli led 10,000 cavalry, tens of thousands of infantry, and a dozen war elephants across three invasion routes from Guizhou. Their first target: the strategic city of Yuanzhou (modern Zhijiang).

The Battle of Yuanzhou: First Blood

Outnumbered Qing defenders (just 3,000 troops) retreated behind city walls, but Feng’s forces laid an “iron barrel” siege. On April 15, a concentrated assault overwhelmed Yuanzhou within a single day, capturing Qing commander Zheng Yitong and prefect Chai Gonggui. The victory demonstrated the revitalized Ming army’s operational effectiveness—a stark contrast to earlier disorganized resistance.

Stalemate at Chenzhou

Attempting to capitalize on momentum, Feng turned toward Chenzhou (modern Yuanling). Here, Qing general Xu Yong’s disciplined defense proved formidable. For nearly a year, the frontlines stabilized as both sides regrouped—until Li Dingguo’s arrival in April 1652 transformed the strategic picture.

Li Dingguo’s Masterstroke at Jingzhou

The legendary commander’s reinforcements enabled a coordinated attack on Jingzhou in May 1652. Qing relief forces under Zhang Guozhu (8,000 troops) walked into a carefully laid trap:
– Casualties: 5,163 Qing soldiers (including 103 Manchu troops)
– Equipment Lost: 809 horses captured
– Aftermath: Zhang’s shattered remnants fled on May 22

This decisive victory unlocked the entire central Hunan corridor. By June, Ming forces held Jingzhou, Wugang, and were advancing toward Changsha.

The Qing Collapse in Hunan

Facing this onslaught, Qing commander Shen Yongzhong desperately sought reinforcements from Guangxi’s Kong Youde. Personal animosities doomed the request—Kong famously retorted: “Last year Shen memorialized to impeach me over grain disputes. Now he begs for my troops? Let him handle his own crisis.”

Abandoned by allies, Shen’s 20,000-strong army conducted a humiliating retreat:
– June 2: Fell back to Changsha
– August 6: After receiving secret orders to preserve forces, abandoned Changsha
– Final Position: Flee to Yueyang

The rout became a bureaucratic catastrophe as 35 Qing officials—including prefects, magistrates, and circuit intendants—fled northward with the army. Only isolated garrisons at Yueyang, Changde, and Xu Yong’s holdout in Chenzhou remained under Qing control.

Why This Campaign Mattered

### Military Significance
– Demonstrated former Daxi commanders’ tactical prowess
– Exposed Qing vulnerabilities in secondary theaters
– Established a contiguous resistance zone from Yunnan to Hunan

### Political Impact
– Validated the Sun-Li leadership’s legitimacy
– Forced Qing court to replace Shen Yongzhong
– Inspired anti-Qing movements across southern China

### Cultural Legacy
The campaign entered folk memory through:
– Local Chronicles: Like the 1684 Baoging Prefecture Records
– Oral Traditions: Ethnic Miao and Yao communities preserved stories of cooperation with Ming forces
– Literary Works: Later Ming loyalists celebrated it as a missed opportunity for full restoration

Modern Perspectives

Recent scholarship emphasizes how this episode:
1. Challenges simplistic “peasant rebel” narratives about Daxi veterans
2. Highlights inter-ethnic cooperation against Qing expansion
3. Provides case studies in early modern guerrilla warfare

Though ultimately reversed by later Qing victories, the 1651-52 campaign remains a testament to how effectively former rebels transitioned into conventional military leaders—and how close they came to altering China’s dynastic trajectory.