A Friendship Forged in Turbulent Times

The year was 1356, and the Yuan Dynasty’s grip on China was slipping. Amidst widespread rebellions and administrative decay, an unlikely partnership emerged between two extraordinary figures: Liu Bowen, the brilliant but sidelined strategist, and Shi Moi Yisun, a charismatic Khitan general with a passion for poetry. Their collaboration would culminate in the dramatic downfall of Wu Chengqi, a rebel leader whose mountain stronghold had defied Yuan authority for years.

This was no simple military campaign. Liu Bowen’s return to government service—after years of disillusionment—was not due to bureaucratic meritocracy but to the personal appeal of Shi Moi Yisun, a man as cultured as he was martial. Their friendship, forged in the intellectual circles of Shaoxing, became the linchpin of a campaign that blended psychological warfare, tactical innovation, and keen observation of human nature.

The Rebel of Qingtian: Wu Chengqi’s Rise

Wu Chengqi’s story reads like a classic tale of peasant rebellion turned tragic. A salt trader and part-time farmer from Qingtian County, his transformation into the self-proclaimed “King Wu” began with a brutal altercation. After local salt monopolists robbed and beat him in 1353, Wu’s martial arts training (learned from a wandering master) proved deadly—he killed his tormentor with a single blow.

Facing execution, Wu chose rebellion. He allied with:
– Song Maosi, a fellow martial artist
– Zhi Yunlong, a scholar he had supported
– Zhou Yigong, a self-styled “top strategist”

Their timing was impeccable. With the Yuan government crumbling, rebellion offered better odds than farming. By 1354, Wu commanded 10,000 followers from his mountain fortress—a three-tiered stronghold at 700 meters elevation, deemed “impregnable” by Yuan officials.

The Yuan’s Failed Responses

Initial suppression attempts bordered on farce:
1. First Expedition (1354): Disbanded mysteriously at Nantian Mountain
2. Second Expedition: Fled at the sound of Wu’s war drums
3. Negotiations: Collapsed over mutual distrust

Wu expanded unchecked, building over 100 interconnected forts across four provinces—until Shi Moi Yisun received orders for a final suppression.

The Dream Team Assembles

Shi Moi Yisun’s command staff represented Yuan’s last competent officials:

| Figure | Background | Specialty |
|——–|————|————|
| Zhang Yi | Confucian scholar | Civil administration |
| Hu Shen | Clan leader | Diplomatic negotiations |
| Ye Chen | Mixed Khitan-Han | Mountain warfare expert |

Liu Bowen’s assessment was blunt: “Wu builds forts but lacks vision. He’s defensive, not ambitious.”

Psychological Warfare: The “Edict to Pacify the People”

Liu’s first move was propaganda—a masterclass in spin-doctoring medieval style:

“Our Emperor’s heart aches for you! The corrupt officials—not the throne—oppress you. You’ve slain enough villains. Now sheath your swords!”

The edict failed. Peasants saw little difference between “corrupt officials” and the regime enabling them.

Military Innovation: The Lantern Stratagem

Facing Wu’s mountain warfare specialists, Liu adapted:

1. Recruited Hill Tribes: “Use bandits to fight bandits”
2. Cut Supply Lines: Isolated Wu’s water-starved fortress
3. The Lantern Deception (April 1356):
– Soldiers marched with 20-lantern poles along ridges nightly
– Created illusion of endless reinforcements
– Crushed demoralized defenders in synchronized assault

Wu’s body was found in a crevice—cause unknown. The rebellion collapsed within months.

Legacy of a Pivotal Campaign

This campaign marked:
– Liu Bowen’s Last Yuan Service: Soon, he’d join Zhu Yuanzhang’s Ming uprising
– Shi Moi Yisun’s Paradox: A Khitan upholding Yuan rule against Han rebels
– Military Tactics: Early use of psychological operations in Chinese warfare

The alliance between scholar and soldier, Han and Khitan, foreshadowed the cultural synthesis that would define Ming China. Liu’s lantern trick—equal parts theater and tactics—remains a textbook example of winning battles through perception as much as steel.

In the end, Wu Chengqi’s tragedy wasn’t his rebellion but his defensive mindset. As Liu observed: “A man who only builds forts has already lost the war.” The mountains that protected Wu became his prison—and ultimately, his tomb.