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Wu San-kuei in 1644: A Reappraisal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

Angela N. S. Hsi
Angela N. S. Hsi
Affiliation:
San Diego State University
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Extract

This essay is an attempt to reassess the role played by Wu San-kuei during the crucial year of 1644.1 Traditionally ignored by historians or relegated to a minor role, the conventional wisdom has instead preserved the following now well established account of Wu's place in the Manchu conquest of China. When the rebel Li Tzu-ch'eng was marching eastward and advancing toward Peking, Emperor Ch'ung chen finally realized the danger of the threat. In early April he conferred upon Wu San-kuei and other able generals the title of earl; Wu was designated P'ing-hsi po (Earl who Pacified the West). The emperor further ordered Wu both to abandon the land east of the Shan-hai pass and to move the troops back to Peking to meet the threat posed by Li's advance toward Peking. Nevertheless, Wu temporarily ignored the order and delayed his march. When his troops eventually marched halfway to Feng-jun, on the 26th of April, Peking had already fallen into the hands of the rebels. Consequently, he marched back to the Shan-hai-kuan, a vital strategic town located at a pass at the east end of the Great Wall, to contemplate the next move. Meanwhile, Li Tzu-ch'eng sent a delegate to demand Wu's surrender, holding his father, the retired commander Wu Hsiang, as hostage. Wu considered complying with the demand but changed his mind upon learning that his favorite concubine, Ch'en Yüan-yüan, had also been seized. Outraged, he surrendered to the Manchus and invited them to suppress the rebellion.

Type
Research Notes and Abstracts
Information
The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , February 1975 , pp. 443 - 453
Copyright
Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1975

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References

1 For the traditional version see “P'ing-hsi wang Wu-san-kuei chuan,” Ming-chi pi-shih ch'u p'ienxs, p. 453. “Wu San-kuei chi-lüeh.” Hsing-chi ts'ung-pien, 4a–b.Google Scholar “Wu ni shih mo chi,” ibid, la–b. “P'ing Wu lu,” ibid, ia. “Biography of Wu San-kuci,” Ch'ing-shih kao (1927–28), 480/Ia. For contemporary versions, Dun, J. Li, The Ageless Chinese (New York, 1965), p. 542.Google ScholarJohn, A. Harrison, The Chinese Empire (New York, 1972), pp. 325–6.Google ScholarChao-ying, Fang, “Wu San-kuei,” Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (Washington, 1943), p. 878.Google Scholar In the People's Republic of China derogatory terms have been used to describe Wu San-kuei who was labelled “han-chien” (a traitor to China). See Li, Kuang-pi, Ming-ch'ao shih-lüeh, (Wu-han, 1957), p.Google Scholar 184. Hsieh, Kuo-chen, Ch'ing ch'u nung-min ch'i-i tzu-liao (Shanghai, 1957), p. 2.Google Scholar

2Chao, Shih-chin, Chta-shen cht-shih and tour Others (Peking, 1959). PP. 3–24.Google Scholar

3Ch'ien, Pang-ch'i, Chta-shen chung-wang chi (Ming-Ch'ing shih-liao hui-picn ed. hence MCSLHP) III. No. 5, p. 2.Google Scholar

4 Chao Shih-chin, p. 7.

5 Kung Tao-jen, Yü-pien cki lüeh (MCSLHP ed), III. No. 5, p. Ia.

6Feng, Meng-lung, “Chia-shen chi-wen” Chia-shen chi-shih (Hsüan-lan t'ang ts'ung-shu ed), p. Ib.Google Scholar

7 Chao Shih-chin, p. 7.

8Cheng, T'ien-t'ing, Ming-mo nung-min ch'i-i shih-liao (Peking, 1954). PP. 445–454.Google Scholar

9 Fang Chao-ying, Ibid

10 Li Sun-chin, Ch'ung-chen ch'ao cht-shih (1897) 4/270. Tsou Liu-i, Ming-chi i-wen (1657), 1/320–333. Liu Tse-ch'ing, a late Ming general, asserts that he had repeatedly warned the minister if War of the oncoming attack from Li Tzu-ch'cng but the warning was brushed aside. Cheng T'ien-t'ing, p. 463.

11Kung, Tao-jen, p. 7. Li Sun-chih, 4/3b. Wen Ping, Lieh-huang hsiao-shih (MCSLHP, ed.), 8/25b.Google Scholar

12Ch'icn Pang-ch'i, Chia-shen chi-pien lu (MCSLHP ed), p. 46.Google Scholar

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15 Fang Chao-ying, ibid

16Ch'eng Cheng-kuei, Ts'ang-chou chi-shih (MCSLHP, ed.), p. 12b.Google Scholar

17 wen ping, whose Lieh-huang hsiao-shih was Written in 1661, was the first to link the edict with Wu's refusal to move the troop. 8/25b–26a.

18 Tsou Liu-i, ibidWu Wei-yeh in his Sui-k'o chi lueh (written in 1651 MCSLHP, ed.), also indicates that only when the danger was threatening the capital did the emperor send edicts to call back the troops of Wang Ying-chi and Wu San-kuci.Google Scholar No enfeoffment was mentioned concurrently with the edict. He further pointed out that the court action was too late for the troops to come to the rescue because by then the rebels had taken Ch'ang-p'ing and were marching toward the capital. Sui-k'o chi-lueh pu-i, chuang shang/39–40.

18 The t'ang-pao was included in Chao Shih-chin et al., pp. 27–28. Pien Ta-shou; a chu-jen and once a magistrate of Mi-chih, Shensi, was in his hometown Ching-hai near Tientsin when Li took over Peking. He also reported how the news of Li's fiasco defeat near Shan-hai kuan and consequent retreat excited him and the townsfolk. The news gave him hope for the Ming's cause and he attempted to organize a militia to respond. Unfortunately, he was captured immediately after, though managed to escape later. There is no hint that the Manchus took part in the battle either. “Hu-k'o yü sheng-chi,” in Cheng Shu-juo, Yü-ch'u hsü-chih (Ch'ing-tai pi-chi ts'ung-k'an, ed.), 4/9b.Google Scholar

20 Cheng T'ien-t'ing, p. 463.

21Tu, Lien-che, “Li Tzu-ch'eng,” Eminent Chinese, p. 492.Google Scholar

22 Shih-fa-tun, “Chia-shen ho-chen lüeh” Ming-chi shih-liao ts'ting-shu, Tsc 8/26a–b.

23 Wen Ping, 8/38b–39a.

24 Chi Liu-ch'i, 20/91a.

25 Tsol Liu-i, ibid Ch'ien Pang-ch'i, p. 4a. Kung Tao-jen, p. 7b.

26 Chi Liu-ch'i, 20/92b.

27Yeh, Meng-chu, Yüeh-snih pienGoogle Scholar (Shanghai chang-ku ts'ung-shu, ed.), 10/21b–22.Lu, Tz'u-yun, “Yüan-yüan chuan,” in Chang Ch'ao, Yü-ch'u hsin-chih (Ch'ing-tai pi-chi ts'ung-k'an, ed.) 4/ 4a–b. Ch'ien Hsien, in his Chia-shen ch'uan-hsin lu, presents both versions of Ch'en Yüan-yüan. The collectanea was printed after Wu San-kuei's rebellion.Google Scholar

28 Ch'icn Hsien, p. 129.

29Hsia, Yun-i, “Hsing-ts'un lu,” Ming-chi pi-shih, p. 315.Google Scholar Ch'icn Hsicn, ibid Cheng Tien-t'ing, P. 463.

30 Tsou Liu-i, I/32b.

31 Shih-fa-tun, p. 33a.

32 Hsia Yun-i, p. 286.

33 Wen Ping, 8/38a.

34 Ch'ien Hsien, p. 113.

35Su, Jung, T'i-chai chien-wen lu (Ming chi shih-liao ts'ung-shu ed) Tse 8, pp. 38a–b.Google Scholar

36 Chang Ch'ao, II / 4b.

37 Lu Tz'u-yun confessed that this story of Ch'en Yüan-yüan was based on Wu Wei-yeh's Yüan-yüan ch'ü. ibid, 11/4b.