Volume 259 Biographies 147: Yang Gao, Yuan Yingtai, Xiong Tingbi, Yuan Chonghuan, Zhao Guangbian

楊鎬附:李維翰周永春袁應泰附:薛國用熊廷弼〈（王化貞）〉袁崇煥〈（毛文龍）〉趙光抃附:範志完

Yang Gao, with appended biographies of Li Weihan and Zhou Yongchun; Yuan Yingtai, with appended biographies of Xue Guoyong and Xiong Tingbi (Wang Huazhen)〉 Yuan Chonghuan (Mao Wenlong)〉 Zhao Guangbian, with appended biography of Fan Zhiwan

楊鎬，商丘人。萬曆八年進士。曆知南昌、蠡二縣。入為御史，坐事調大理評事。再遷山東參議，分守遼海道。嘗偕大帥董一元雪夜度墨山，襲蒙古炒花帳，大獲。進副使。墾荒田百三十餘頃，歲積粟萬八千余石。進參政。

Yang Gao was a native of Shangqiu. He passed the metropolitan examination in the eighth year of the Wanli reign. He successively served as magistrate of Nanchang and Li counties. He entered office as a censor; for an offense he was transferred to serve as a reviewing official at the Court of Judicial Review. He was promoted again to Assistant Commissioner of Shandong, with responsibility for guarding the Liaohai Circuit. Once, together with the supreme commander Dong Yiyuan, he crossed Mo Mountain on a snowy night and raided the camp of the Mongol Chao Hua, winning a great victory. He was promoted to Vice Commissioner. He opened more than 130 qing of wasteland to cultivation and accumulated over 18,000 piculs of grain each year. He was promoted to Vice Administrator.

二十五年春，偕副將李如梅出塞，失部將十人，士卒百六十餘人。會朝鮮再用兵，命免鎬罪，擢右僉都御史，經略朝鮮軍務。鎬未至，先奏陳十事，請令朝鮮官民輸粟得增秩、授官、贖罪，及鄉吏奴丁免役，大氐皆苟且之事。又以朝鮮君臣隱藏儲蓄不餉軍，劾奏其罪。由是朝鮮多怨。

In the spring of the twenty-fifth year he went beyond the frontier together with Vice General Li Rumei and lost ten subordinate generals and more than 160 soldiers. When Korea was again put to war, he was pardoned for his offense, promoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, and appointed to supervise Korean military affairs. Before Gao arrived, he submitted a memorial setting forth ten proposals, asking that Korean officials and commoners who contributed grain be granted promotions, appointments, and remission of punishments, and that village clerks and bond servants be exempt from corvée — for the most part petty expedients. He also impeached the Korean king and ministers for concealing stored grain and failing to supply the army. Because of this Korea was deeply resentful.

當是時，倭將行長、清正等已入據南原、全州，引兵犯全羅、慶尚，逼王京，銳甚。賴沈惟敬就擒，鄉導乃絕。而朝鮮兵燹之餘，千里蕭條，賊掠無所得，故但積粟全羅，為久留計，而中國兵亦漸集。九月朔，鎬始抵王京。會副將解生等屢挫賊，朝鮮軍亦數有功，倭乃退屯蔚山。十二月，鎬會總督邢玠、提督麻貴議進兵方略，分四萬人為三協，副將高策將中軍，李如梅將左，李芳春、解生將右，合攻蔚山。先以少兵嘗賊，賊出戰，大敗，悉奔據島山，結三柵城外以自固。鎬官遼東時，與如梅深相得。及是，遊擊陳寅連破賊二柵，第三柵垂拔矣，鎬以如梅未至，不欲寅功出其上，遽鳴金收軍。賊乃閉城不出，堅守以待援。官兵四面圍之，地泥淖，且時際窮冬，風雪裂膚，士無固志。賊日夜發砲，用藥煮彈，遇者輒死，官兵攻圍十日不能下。賊知官兵懈，詭乞降以緩之。明年正月二日，行長救兵驟至。鎬大懼，狼狽先奔，諸軍繼之。賊前襲擊，死者無算。副將吳惟忠、遊擊茅國器斷後，賊乃還，輜重多喪失。

At that time the Japanese generals Konishi Yukinaga, Kato Kiyomasa, and others had already seized Namwon and Jeonju and marched to invade Jeolla and Gyeongsang, pressing on the capital with great force. Fortunately Shen Weijing was captured and the guides were cut off. But after the ravages of war, a thousand li of Korea lay desolate; the invaders could plunder nothing, so they merely stored grain in Jeolla and planned to stay, while Chinese troops also gradually gathered. On the first day of the ninth month Gao first reached the capital. Meanwhile Vice General Xie Sheng and others had repeatedly defeated the enemy, and the Korean army had also scored several victories, so the Japanese withdrew to garrison Ulsan. In the twelfth month Gao met with Governor Xing Jie and Commander-in-Chief Ma Gui to discuss plans for advancing the army; they divided forty thousand men into three wings — Vice General Gao Ce commanding the center, Li Rumei the left, and Li Fangchun and Xie Sheng the right — and jointly attacked Ulsan. First they sent a small force to probe the enemy; the enemy came out to fight and was utterly defeated, all fleeing to hold Goyangsan, where they built three palisades outside the city to fortify themselves. When Gao had served in Liaodong he and Rumei had been very close. At this point Ranger Chen Yin had successively taken two of the enemy palisades and the third was about to fall, but Gao, because Rumei had not yet arrived and unwilling to let Yin's achievement surpass his own, abruptly sounded the gong to recall the army. The enemy then shut the city gates and refused to come out, holding fast and awaiting relief. Government troops surrounded them on four sides; the ground was miry, and it was the depth of winter — wind and snow cut to the bone — and the soldiers had no firm resolve. Day and night the enemy fired cannon, boiling medicine into the shot; whoever was struck died at once; the government troops besieged and attacked for ten days without taking the place. The enemy, seeing the government troops slackening, falsely offered surrender to stall for time. On the second day of the first month of the following year Konishi's relief army suddenly arrived. Gao was greatly frightened and fled first in disarray; the other armies followed. The enemy struck from the front; the dead were beyond counting. Vice General Wu Weizhong and Ranger Mao Guoqi covered the retreat; only then did the enemy withdraw, and much baggage was lost.

是役也，謀之經年，傾海內全力，合朝鮮通國之眾，委棄於一旦，舉朝嗟恨。鎬既奔，挈貴奔趨慶州，懼賊乘襲，盡撤兵還王京，與總督玠詭以捷聞。諸營上軍籍，士卒死亡殆二萬，鎬大怒，屏不奏，止稱百餘人。鎬遭父喪，詔奪情視事。御史汪先岸嘗劾其他罪，閣臣庇之，擬旨褒美，旨久不下。贊畫主事丁應泰聞鎬敗，詣鎬咨後計。鎬示以張位、沈一貫手書，並所擬未下旨，揚揚詡功伐。應泰憤，抗疏盡列敗狀，言鎬當罪者二十八、可羞者十，並劾位、一貫扶同作奸。帝震怒，欲行法。首輔趙志皋營救，乃罷鎬，令聽勘，以天津巡撫萬世德代之。已，東征事竣，給事中楊應文敘鎬功，詔許復用。

In this campaign preparations had lasted a year, the full strength of the empire and the entire population of Korea had been committed — all squandered in a single day — and the whole court lamented in regret. After Gao fled he took Gui and rushed to Gyeongju, fearing the enemy would seize the chance to attack; he withdrew all troops back to the capital and, with Governor Jie, falsely reported a victory. The various camps submitted military registers showing nearly twenty thousand soldiers dead; Gao was furious, suppressed the reports, and claimed only a little over a hundred casualties. When Gao's father died, an edict ordered him to set aside mourning and continue in office. Censor Wang Xian'an had once impeached him on other charges; the grand secretaries sheltered him and drafted an edict praising him, but the edict long went unissued. Staff officer Ding Yingtai, hearing of Gao's defeat, went to consult him on what to do next. Gao showed him letters in the hands of Zhang Wei and Shen Yiguan, plus the draft edict not yet issued, boasting proudly of his achievements. Yingtai was enraged; he submitted a forthright memorial listing the full extent of the defeat, stating twenty-eight grounds on which Gao deserved punishment and ten grounds of shame, and also impeaching Wei and Yiguan for conspiring in fraud. The emperor was enraged and wished to punish him by law. Chief Grand Secretary Zhao Zhigao interceded for him; Gao was dismissed and ordered to await investigation, and Tianjin Grand Coordinator Wan Shide replaced him. Later, when the eastern expedition was completed, Supervising Secretary Yang Yingwen recounted Gao's merits, and an edict permitted his reinstatement.

三十八年，起撫遼東。襲炒花于鎮安，破之，御史田生金劾其開釁。時遼左多事，鎬力薦李如梅，請復用為大將，為給事中麻僖、御史楊州鶴所劾。鎬疏辨乞休，帝不問，鎬竟引去。

In the thirty-eighth year he was recalled to serve as Grand Coordinator of Liaodong. He attacked Chao Hua at Zhen'an and defeated him; Censor Tian Shengjin impeached him for provoking hostilities. At the time the eastern Liao frontier was much troubled; Gao strongly recommended Li Rumei and asked that he be reappointed supreme general; he was impeached by Supervising Secretary Ma Xi and Censor Yang Zhouhe. Gao memorialized in his own defense and begged to retire; the emperor did not pursue the matter, and Gao ultimately withdrew from office.

四十六年四月，我大清兵起，破撫順，守將王命印死之。遼東巡撫李維翰趣總兵官張承允往援，與副總兵頗廷相等俱戰歿，遠近大震。廷議鎬熟諳遼事，起兵部右侍郎往經略。既至，申明紀律，征四方兵，圖大舉。至七月，大清兵由鴉鶻關克清河，副將鄒儲賢戰死。詔賜鎬尚方劍，得斬總兵以下官，乃斬清河逃將陳大道、高炫徇軍中。其冬，四方援兵大集，遂議進師。時蚩尤旗長竟天，彗見東方，星隕地震，識者以為敗征。大學士方從哲、兵部尚書黃嘉善、兵科給事中趙興邦等皆以師久餉匱，發紅旗，日趣鎬進兵。

In the fourth month of the forty-sixth year the Great Qing army rose, took Fushun, and the defending commander Wang Mingyin died in the action. Liaodong Grand Coordinator Li Weihan urgently ordered Supreme Commander Zhang Chengyun to the rescue; together with Vice Commander Pi Tingxiang and others he was killed in battle, and near and far were greatly shaken. At court it was decided that Gao was thoroughly familiar with Liaodong affairs; he was appointed Right Vice Minister of War and sent as frontier commissioner. Once he arrived he clarified discipline, conscripted troops from all quarters, and planned a major campaign. By the seventh month the Great Qing army took Qinghe via Yahuan Pass; Vice General Zou Chuxian died in battle. An edict bestowed on Gao the imperial sword, empowering him to execute officers below the rank of supreme commander; he then executed the Qinghe deserters Chen Dadao and Gao Xuan before the army. That winter relief troops from all quarters gathered in great numbers, and they then deliberated advancing the army. At the time the Chiyou banner stretched across the sky, a comet appeared in the east, stars fell and the earth quaked — those who read omens took these as portents of defeat. Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe, Minister of War Huang Jiashan, and Supervising Secretary Zhao Xingbang and others all held that the army had been deployed too long and supplies were exhausted; they raised the red banner and daily pressed Gao to advance.

明年正月，鎬乃會總督汪可受、巡撫周永春、巡按陳王庭等定議，以二月十有一日誓師，二十一日出塞。兵分四道：總兵官馬林出開原攻北，杜松出撫順攻西，李如柏從鴉鶻關出趨清河攻南，東南則以劉綎出寬奠，由涼馬佃搗後，而以朝鮮兵助之。號大兵四十七萬，期三月二日會二道關並進。天大雪，兵不前，師期泄。松欲立首功，先期渡渾河，進至二道關，伏發，軍盡覆。林統開原兵從三岔口出，聞松敗，結營自固。大清兵乘高奮擊，林不支，遂大敗，遁去。鎬聞，急檄止如柏、綎兩軍，如柏遂不進。綎已深入三百里，至深河，大清兵擊之而不動。已，乃張松旗幟，被其衣甲，紿綎。既入營，營中大亂，綎力戰死。惟如柏軍獲全。文武將吏前後死者三百一十余人，軍士四萬五千八百餘人，亡失馬駝甲仗無算。敗書聞，京師大震。御史楊鶴疏劾之，不報。無何，開原、鐵嶺又相繼失。言官交章劾鎬，逮下詔獄，論死。崇禎二年伏法。

In the first month of the following year Gao met with Governor Wang Keshou, Grand Coordinator Zhou Yongchun, Regional Inspector Chen Wangting, and others to finalize plans: to take the oath on the eleventh day of the second month and march out of the frontier on the twenty-first. The army was divided into four routes: Supreme Commander Ma Lin would leave Kaiyuan to attack from the north; Du Song would leave Fushun to attack from the west; Li Rubo would leave via Yahuan Pass toward Qinghe to attack from the south; to the southeast Liu Ting would leave Kuandian and strike from the rear via Liangmadiàn, assisted by Korean troops. They claimed a main force of 470,000 and set the second day of the third month to rendezvous at Erdao Pass and advance together. Heavy snow fell; the troops did not advance; and the campaign schedule was leaked. Song wished to claim first merit; he crossed the Hun River ahead of schedule and advanced to Erdao Pass; an ambush was sprung and his army was entirely destroyed. Lin commanded the Kaiyuan troops out via Sanchakou; hearing of Song's defeat he encamped and held fast. The Great Qing army struck fiercely from high ground; Lin could not hold and was utterly defeated, fleeing away. When Gao heard he urgently issued orders stopping the armies of Rubo and Ting; Rubo then did not advance. Ting had already penetrated three hundred li; at Shen River the Great Qing army attacked but he did not move. Later they displayed Song's banners and wore his armor and clothing, deceiving Ting. Once inside the camp there was great disorder; Ting fought to the death. Only Rubo's army escaped intact. Civil and military officers who died numbered more than 310; soldiers more than 45,800; lost horses, camels, armor, and weapons were beyond counting. When news of the defeat arrived the capital was greatly shaken. Censor Yang He submitted a memorial impeaching him; no response was given. Before long Kaiyuan and Tieling were lost in succession. Censorial officials submitted memorial after memorial impeaching Gao; he was arrested and imprisoned by imperial order and sentenced to death. In the second year of the Chongzhen reign he was executed.

李維翰

Li Weihan

李維翰，睢州人。萬曆四十四年，以右副都御史巡撫遼東。遼三面受敵，無歲不用兵，自稅使高淮朘削十餘年，軍民益困。而先後撫臣皆庸才，玩悽苟歲月。天子又置萬幾不理，邊臣呼籲，漠然不聞，致遼事大壞。及張承允覆沒，維翰猶獲善歸。至天啟初，始下吏論死。

Li Weihan was a native of Suizhou. In the forty-fourth year of Wanli he served as Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, Grand Coordinator of Liaodong. Liaodong was attacked on three sides; no year passed without military action; since the tax envoy Gao Huai had drained the region for more than ten years, soldiers and civilians were ever more distressed. Yet successive grand coordinators were all mediocre talents who played for time with perfunctory sorrow. The Son of Heaven also set aside the myriad affairs of state and did not attend to them; frontier officials cried out but he remained indifferent and did not hear — leading to the great ruin of Liaodong affairs. When Zhang Chengyun was destroyed Weihan still returned home safely. Only at the beginning of the Tianqi reign was he handed over to the judicial authorities and sentenced to death.

周永春

Zhou Yongchun

周永春，金鄉人。官禮科都給事中。齊党方熾，永春與亓詩教為之魁。尋由太常少卿擢右僉都御史，代維翰為巡撫。值喪敗之後，佐經略調度軍食，拮据勞瘁。越二年，罷歸。天啟初，言官追論開原失陷罪，遣戍。

Zhou Yongchun was a native of Jinxiang. He served as Chief Supervising Secretary in the Office of Scrutiny for Rites. The Qi faction was then at its height; Yongchun and Qi Shijiao were its leaders. Soon he was promoted from Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, replacing Weihan as grand coordinator. Facing the aftermath of defeat and ruin, he assisted the frontier commissioner in arranging military provisions, laboring in hardship and exhaustion. After two years he was dismissed and returned home. At the beginning of Tianqi, censorial officials reviewed his guilt for the fall of Kaiyuan; he was sent into exile.

袁應泰

Yuan Yingtai

袁應泰，字大來，鳳翔人。萬曆二十三年進士。授臨漳知縣。築長堤四十餘里，捍禦漳水。調繁河內，穿太行山，引沁水，成二十五堰，溉田數萬頃，鄰邑皆享其利。河決硃旺，役夫多死者。應泰設席為廬，飲食作止有度，民歡然趨事，治行冠兩河。

Yuan Yingtai, styled Dalai, was a native of Fengxiang. He passed the metropolitan examination in the twenty-third year of Wanli. He was appointed magistrate of Linzhang. He built a long dike of more than forty li to defend against the Zhang River. He was transferred to the difficult post of Henei, bored through the Taihang Mountains to divert the Qin River, built twenty-five weirs, and irrigated tens of thousands of qing of fields, so neighboring counties all shared the benefit. When the river broke at Zhuwang, many laborers died. Yingtai set up a mat pavilion as his lodging, with regulated meals and daily routine; the people gladly took up the work, and his administrative record was the finest on both banks of the Yellow River.

遷工部主事，曆兵部武選郎中。汰遣假冒世職數百人。遷淮徐兵備參議。山東大饑，設粥廠哺流民，繕城浚濠，修先聖廟，饑者盡得食。更搜額外稅及漕折馬價數萬金，先後發振。戶部劾其擅移官廩，時已遷副使，遂移疾歸。

He was promoted to Director in the Ministry of Works and successively served as Director in the Bureau of Military Appointments in the Ministry of War. He weeded out and dismissed several hundred men who falsely claimed hereditary offices. He was promoted to Assistant Commissioner for Military Defense of Huai and Xu. When Shandong suffered great famine, he set up gruel kitchens to feed refugees, repaired the walls and dredged the moat, and restored the Temple of the Sage, so the hungry all obtained food. He also collected extra taxes and grain-transport horse-price deductions totaling tens of thousands of taels of silver and distributed relief in succession. The Ministry of Revenue impeached him for unauthorized transfer of official granaries; by then he had already been promoted to Vice Commissioner, so he pleaded illness and returned home.

久之，起河南右參政，以按察使治兵永平。遼事方棘，應泰練兵繕甲，修亭障，飭樓櫓，關外所需芻茭、火藥之屬呼吸立應。經略熊廷弼深賴焉。

After a long interval he was recalled as Right Vice Administrator of Henan and, as Surveillance Commissioner, administered troops at Yongping. With Liaodong affairs then critical, Yingtai drilled troops and repaired armor, built pavilions and barriers, maintained watchtowers, and supplied fodder, gunpowder, and the like needed beyond the pass at a moment's notice. Frontier Commissioner Xiong Tingbi relied on him deeply.

應泰曆官精敏強毅，用兵非所長，規畫頗疏。廷弼在邊，持法嚴，部伍整肅，應泰以寬矯之，多所更易。而是時蒙古諸部大饑，多入塞乞食。應泰言：「我不急救，則彼必歸敵，是益之兵也。」乃下令招降。於是歸者日眾，處之遼、瀋二城，優其月廩，與民雜居，潛行淫掠，居民苦之。議者言收降過多，或陰為敵用，或敵雜間諜其中為內應，禍且叵測。應泰方自詡得計，將藉以抗大清兵。會三岔兒之戰，降人為前鋒，陣死者二十余人，應泰遂用以釋群議。

In his successive offices Yingtai was keen, sharp, and resolute, but military command was not his strength and his planning was rather loose. Tingbi at the frontier enforced the law strictly and kept the ranks disciplined; Yingtai corrected this with leniency and changed much. But at that time the Mongol tribes suffered great famine and many entered the frontier to beg for food. Yingtai said, "If we do not relieve them quickly, they will surely go over to the enemy — that would be adding to the enemy's forces." He then ordered acceptance of surrenders. Thereupon those who surrendered grew daily in number; they were settled in Liaoyang and Shenyang and given generous monthly rations, but mixed with the people they secretly committed robbery and rapine, and the residents suffered. Critics said too many surrenders had been accepted — some might secretly serve the enemy, or the enemy might mingle spies among them as inside agents, and disaster would be beyond reckoning. Yingtai was then boasting that he had found the right plan and intended to rely on them to resist the Great Qing army. At the battle of Sancha'er the surrendered men served as vanguard; more than twenty died in battle, and Yingtai used this to silence the critics.

明年，天啟改元，三月十有二日，我大清兵來攻瀋陽。總兵官賀世賢、尤世功出城力戰，敗還。明日，降人果內應，城遂破，二將戰死。總兵官陳策、童仲揆等赴援，亦戰死。應泰乃撤奉集、威甯諸軍，並力守遼陽，引水注濠，沿濠列火器，兵環四面守。十有九日，大清兵臨城。應泰身督總兵官侯世祿、李秉誠、梁仲善、薑弼、硃萬良出城五里迎戰，軍敗多死。其夕，應泰宿營中，不入城。明日，大清兵掘城西閘以泄濠水，分兵塞城東水口，擊敗諸將兵，遂渡濠，大呼而進。鏖戰良久，騎來者益眾，諸將兵俱敗，望城奔，殺溺死者無算。應泰乃入城，與巡按御史張銓等分陴固守。諸監司高出、牛維曜、胡嘉棟及督餉郎中傅國並逾城遁，人心離沮。又明日，攻城急，應泰督諸軍列楯大戰，又敗。薄暮，譙樓火，大清兵從小西門入，城中大亂，民家多啟扉張炬以待，婦女示盛飾迎門，或言降人導之也。應泰居城樓，知事不濟，太息謂銓曰：「公無守城責，宜急去，吾死於此。」遂佩劍印自縊死。婦弟姚居秀從之。僕唐世明憑屍大慟，縱火焚樓死。事聞，贈兵部尚書，予祭葬，官其一子。

The next year, when the Tianqi reign began, on the twelfth day of the third month the Great Qing army came to attack Shenyang. Supreme Commanders He Shixian and You Shigong went out of the city and fought with all their strength, then returned defeated. The next day the surrendered men indeed acted as inside agents; the city was taken, and the two generals died in battle. Supreme Commanders Chen Ce and Tong Zhongkui and others went to the rescue and also died in battle. Yingtai then withdrew the armies of Fengji, Weining, and elsewhere, combined strength to hold Liaoyang, diverted water to fill the moat, lined the moat with firearms, and posted troops on all four sides to defend. On the nineteenth day the Great Qing army reached the city. Yingtai personally directed Supreme Commanders Hou Shilu, Li Bingcheng, Liang Zhongshan, Jiang Bi, and Zhu Wanliang to go five li out of the city to meet the enemy; the army was defeated and many died. That evening Yingtai lodged in camp and did not enter the city. The next day the Great Qing army dug open the sluice gate west of the city to drain the moat, sent detachments to block the water outlet east of the city, defeated the generals' troops, crossed the moat, and advanced with loud shouts. After fighting fiercely for a long time, ever more cavalry arrived; all the generals' troops were defeated and fled toward the city, and those killed or drowned were beyond counting. Yingtai then entered the city and, with Regional Inspector Zhang Quan and others, divided the ramparts and held fast. Supervisors Gao Chu, Niu Weiyao, and Hu Jiadong and Provisioning Director Fu Guo all fled over the wall, and morale collapsed. Again the next day the assault was fierce; Yingtai directed the armies to deploy shields and fight a great battle, and was again defeated. At dusk the watchtower caught fire; the Great Qing army entered through the small west gate; great disorder broke out in the city; many households opened doors and lit torches to await them, and women displayed fine dress at the doors to welcome them — some said the surrendered men guided them. Yingtai was on the city tower; knowing affairs could not be saved, he sighed and said to Quan, "You have no duty to hold the city; you should leave quickly; I shall die here." He then girded on sword and seal and hanged himself. His wife's younger brother Yao Juxiu followed him in death. Servant Tang Shiming leaned on the corpse and wailed greatly, set fire to the tower, and died. When the matter was reported, he was posthumously granted Minister of War, given sacrificial rites and burial, and one son was granted office.

薛國用

Xue Guoyong

國用，洛南人。曆官山東右參政，分守遼海道，以右僉都御史代應泰巡撫遼東。應泰死，廷議將起廷弼，道遠未至，乃進國用兵部右侍郎，代應泰為經略。曆官醇謹，久於遼，日夜憂戰守備。會大清兵不至，得安其位。無何請告，竟卒於官。

Guoyong was a native of Luonan. He successively served as Right Vice Administrator of Shandong, guarding the Liaohai Circuit, and as Right Vice Censor-in-Chief replaced Yingtai as Grand Coordinator of Liaodong. When Yingtai died, court deliberation was to recall Tingbi, but the road was long and he had not yet arrived; Guoyong was then promoted to Right Vice Minister of War and replaced Yingtai as frontier commissioner. In his successive offices he was sober and careful; long stationed in Liaodong, day and night he worried over battle and defense preparations. Fortunately the Great Qing army did not come, and he was able to keep his post in peace. Before long he requested leave and ultimately died in office.

熊廷弼〈（王化貞）〉

Xiong Tingbi (Wang Huazhen)〉

熊廷弼，字飛百，江夏人。萬曆二十五年舉鄉試第一。明年成進士，授保定推官，擢御史。

Xiong Tingbi, styled Feibai, was a native of Jiangxia. In the twenty-fifth year of Wanli he placed first in the provincial examination. The next year he passed the metropolitan examination, was appointed investigating censor of Baoding, and was promoted to censor.

三十六年，巡按遼東。巡撫趙楫與總兵官李成梁棄寬奠新疆八百里，徙編民六萬家於內地。已，論功受賞，給事中宋一韓論之。下廷弼覆勘，具得棄地驅民狀，劾兩人罪，及先任按臣何爾健、康丕揚黨庇。疏竟不下。時有詔興屯，廷弼言遼多曠土，歲於額軍八萬中以三分屯種，可得粟百三十萬石。帝優詔褒美，命推行于諸邊。邊將好搗巢，輒生釁端。廷弼言防邊以守為上，繕垣建堡，有十五利，奏行之。歲大旱，廷弼行部金州，禱城隍神，約七日雨，不雨毀其廟。及至廣寧，逾三日，大書白牌，封劍，使使往斬之。未至，風雷大作，雨如注，遼人以為神。在遼數年，杜饋遺，核軍實，按劾將吏，不事姑息，風紀大振。

In the thirty-sixth year he served as Regional Inspector of Liaodong. Grand Coordinator Zhao Ji and Supreme Commander Li Chengliang abandoned eight hundred li of new territory in Kuandian and moved sixty thousand registered households into the interior. Later, when merit was discussed they received rewards; Supervising Secretary Song Yihan criticized this. The case was referred to Tingbi for reinvestigation; he fully established the circumstances of abandoning territory and driving out the people, impeached the two men's crimes, and also the previous regional inspectors He Erjian and Kang Piyang for factional protection. The memorial in the end was not issued. At the time there was an edict to promote military colonies; Tingbi said Liaodong had much idle land — each year from the quota army of eighty thousand, if one-third were put to cultivation, one could obtain 1,300,000 shi of grain. The emperor issued a gracious edict praising him and ordered this implemented on all frontiers. Frontier generals liked raiding enemy camps and constantly provoked incidents. Tingbi said that defending the frontier should prioritize holding fast, repairing walls and building forts — there were fifteen benefits — and memorialized that this be carried out. In a year of great drought Tingbi toured Jinzhou, prayed to the city-god, and pledged rain within seven days — if no rain he would destroy the temple. When he reached Guangning, after three days beyond the deadline he wrote a large white placard, sealed a sword, and sent an envoy to behead the god. Before the envoy arrived, wind and thunder rose greatly and rain poured down; the people of Liaodong took him for a god. During several years in Liaodong he stopped gifts, verified military strength, investigated and impeached officers, and did not indulge anyone; discipline was greatly restored.

督學南畿，嚴明有聲。以杖死諸生事，與巡按御史荊養喬相訐奏。養喬投劾去，廷弼亦聽勘歸。

As Education Intendant of the Southern Metropolitan Region he was strict and clear and had a reputation. Because of the matter of beating a student to death, he and Regional Inspector Jing Yangqiao mutually impeached and memorialized each other. Yangqiao submitted his resignation and left; Tingbi also was ordered to await investigation and returned home.

四十七年，楊鎬既喪師，廷議以廷弼熟邊事，起大理寺丞兼河南道御史，宣慰遼東。旋擢兵部右侍郎兼右僉都御史，代鎬經略。未出京，開原失，廷弼上言：「遼左，京師肩背；河東，遼鎮腹心；開原又河東根本。欲保遼東則開原必不可棄。敵未破開原時，北關、朝鮮猶足為腹背患。今已破開原，北關不敢不服，遣一介使，朝鮮不敢不從。既無腹背憂，必合東西之勢以交攻，然則遼、瀋何可守也？乞速遣將士，備芻糧，修器械，毋窘臣用，毋緩臣期，毋中格以沮臣氣，毋旁撓以掣臣肘，毋獨遺臣以艱危，以致誤臣、誤遼，兼誤國也。」疏入，悉報允，且賜尚方劍重其權。甫出關，鐵嶺復失，瀋陽及諸城堡軍民一時盡竄，遼陽洶洶。廷弼兼程進，遇逃者，諭令歸。斬逃將劉遇節、王捷、王文鼎，以祭死節士。誅貪將陳倫，劾罷總兵官李如楨，以李懷信代。督軍士造戰車，治火器，浚濠繕城，為守禦計。令嚴法行，數月守備大固。乃上方略，請集兵十八萬，分佈靉陽、清河、撫順、柴河、三岔兒、鎮江諸要口，首尾相應，小警自為堵禦，大敵互為應援。更挑精悍者為遊徼，乘間掠零騎，擾耕牧，更番迭出，使敵疲於奔命，然後相機進剿。疏入，帝從之。

In the forty-seventh year, after Yang Gao had lost his army, court deliberation held that Tingbi was familiar with frontier affairs; he was raised as Assistant Director of the Court of Judicial Review concurrently Henan Circuit Censor to console Liaodong. Soon he was promoted to Right Vice Minister of War concurrently Right Vice Censor-in-Chief and replaced Gao as frontier commissioner. Before leaving the capital, Kaiyuan was lost; Tingbi submitted a memorial: "Eastern Liaodong is the shoulder and back of the capital; east of the river is the heart of the Liaodong garrison; Kaiyuan is again the root of the territory east of the river. If one wishes to preserve Liaodong, Kaiyuan absolutely cannot be abandoned. Before the enemy took Kaiyuan, Beiguan and Korea were still enough to threaten front and rear. Now Kaiyuan has been taken; Beiguan dares not refuse submission, and if a single envoy is sent Korea dares not refuse obedience. Once there is no worry of front and rear, the enemy must combine east and west forces to attack together — then how can Liaoyang and Shenyang be held? I beg that troops be sent quickly, fodder and grain prepared, and weapons repaired; do not constrain my resources, do not delay my schedule, do not obstruct in the middle to dampen my spirit, do not interfere from the side to check my arm, do not leave me alone in peril — lest you err with me, err with Liaodong, and err with the state together." When the memorial entered, all was approved, and he was also granted the imperial sword to enhance his authority. Just as he left the pass, Tieling was lost again; the soldiers and civilians of Shenyang and the various forts all fled at once, and Liaoyang was in uproar. Tingbi pressed on by forced marches; when he met fugitives he ordered them to return. He executed the deserter generals Liu Yujie, Wang Jie, and Wang Wending to sacrifice to those who had died loyal. He punished the corrupt general Chen Lun, impeached and dismissed Supreme Commander Li Ruzhen, and replaced him with Li Huaixin. He directed soldiers to build war chariots, prepare firearms, dredge moats and repair walls, and plan for defense. Strict laws were enforced; within months the defenses were greatly strengthened. He then submitted a strategic plan, asking to gather 180,000 troops and deploy them at the key passes of Aiyang, Qinghe, Fushun, Chaihe, Sancha'er, and Zhenjiang, responding to one another from head to tail — small alarms would be blocked on their own, great enemies would aid one another. Moreover he selected the fiercest for roaming patrols, seizing chances to capture stray horsemen, harassing farming and herding, rotating detachments in succession to wear the enemy out with constant running — then strike according to opportunity. When the memorial entered, the emperor assented.

廷弼之初抵遼也，令僉事韓原善往撫瀋陽，憚不肯行。繼命僉事閻鳴泰，至虎皮驛慟哭而返。廷弼乃躬自巡曆，自虎皮驛抵瀋陽，復乘雪夜赴撫順。總兵賀世賢以近敵沮之，廷弼曰：「冰雪滿地，敵不料我來。」鼓吹入。時兵燹後，數百里無人跡，廷弼祭諸死事者而哭之。遂耀兵奉集，相度形勢而還，所至招流移，繕守具，分置士馬，由是人心復固。

When Tingbi first reached Liaodong he ordered Vice Commissioner Han Yuanshan to go pacify Shenyang; Han feared and refused to go. He next ordered Vice Commissioner Yan Mingtai; when Yan reached Hupi Station he wailed and returned. Tingbi then personally made the rounds, from Hupi Station to Shenyang, and again on a snowy night went to Fushun. Supreme Commander He Shixian, citing proximity to the enemy, tried to stop him; Tingbi said, "The ground is covered with ice and snow; the enemy will not expect us." He entered with drums and pipes. At the time, after the war scourge, for several hundred li there were no human traces; Tingbi sacrificed to all who had died in the affair and wept for them. He then displayed troops at Fengji, surveyed the terrain and returned; wherever he went he recruited refugees, repaired defensive equipment, and assigned troops and horses — thereby morale was restored.

廷弼身長七尺，有膽知兵，善左右射。自按遼即持守邊議，至是主守禦益堅。然性剛負氣，好謾駡，不為人下，物情以故不甚附。

Tingbi was seven chi tall, courageous and knowledgeable in military matters, skilled at shooting with either hand. From the time he inspected Liaodong he held to the policy of defending the frontier; by now he insisted on defense all the more firmly. Yet his nature was hard and proud; he liked to revile others and would not serve under anyone; for this reason people did not greatly attach to him.

明年五月，我大清兵略地花嶺。六月，略王大人屯。八月，略蒲河。將士失亡七百余人，諸將世賢等亦有斬獲功。而給事中姚宗文騰謗於朝，廷弼遂不安其位。宗文者，故戶科給事中，丁憂歸。還朝，欲補官，而吏部題請諸疏率數年不下，宗文患之。假招徠西部名，屬當事薦己。疏屢上，不得命。宗文計窮，致書廷弼，令代請。廷弼不從，宗文由是怨。後夤緣復吏科，閱視遼東士馬，與廷弼議多不合。遼東人劉國縉先為御史，坐大計謫官。遼事起，廷議用遼人，遂以兵部主事贊畫軍務。國縉主募遼人為兵，所募萬七千餘人，逃亡過半。廷弼聞于朝，國縉亦怨。廷弼為御史時，與國縉、宗文同在言路，意氣相得，並以排東林、攻道學為事。國縉輩以故意望廷弼，廷弼不能如前，益相失。宗文故出國縉門下，兩人益相比，而傾廷弼。及宗文歸，疏陳遼土日蹙，詆廷弼廢群策而雄獨智，且曰：「軍馬不訓練，將領不部署，人心不親附，刑威有時窮，工作無時止。」復鼓其同類攻擊，欲必去之。御史顧慥首劾廷弼出關逾年，漫無定畫；蒲河失守，匿不上聞；荷戈之士徒供挑浚，尚方之劍逞志作威。

The next year, in the fifth month, the Great Qing army overran the territory of Hualing. In the sixth month they overran Wangdaren's camp. In the eighth month they overran Puhe. Officers and soldiers lost more than 700 men, though generals such as Shixian also had merit in killing and capturing. But Supervising Secretary Yao Zongwen spread slander at court, and Tingbi could not rest secure in his post. Zongwen had formerly been Supervising Secretary in the Bureau of Revenue and returned home on mourning leave. When he returned to court he wished to fill a post, but memorials submitted to the Ministry of Personnel often went unanswered for years, and Zongwen was troubled by this. Under the false name of recruiting western tribes, he asked those in power to recommend him. He submitted memorials repeatedly but received no appointment. Zongwen, at his wits' end, wrote to Tingbi asking him to petition on his behalf. Tingbi refused, and Zongwen therefore resented him. Later, through connections he returned to the Bureau of Personnel, inspected Liaodong troops and horses, and often disagreed with Tingbi. Liaodong native Liu Guojin had formerly been a censor and was demoted in the grand evaluation. When Liaodong troubles arose, court deliberation favored using Liaodong men, and he was then made a Director in the Ministry of War to staff military affairs. Guojin chiefly recruited Liaodong men as soldiers; of more than 17,000 recruited, over half fled. Tingbi reported this at court, and Guojin also resented him. When Tingbi was a censor he, Guojin, and Zongwen were together on the censorial circuit, spirits in accord, and all made it their business to attack the Donglin faction and assail Neo-Confucian learning. Guojin and his kind expected Tingbi to be as before; Tingbi could not be as before, and they grew ever more estranged. Zongwen had formerly been Guojin's disciple; the two drew closer and together sought to topple Tingbi. When Zongwen returned he memorialized that Liaodong territory was daily shrinking, denounced Tingbi for abandoning collective counsel and vaunting his own wisdom alone, and said, "Troops and horses are not drilled, generals are not deployed, hearts are not attached, penal authority sometimes fails, and labor never ceases." He again stirred his kind to attack, wishing to remove him at all costs. Censor Gu Zao first impeached Tingbi: more than a year out of the pass with no fixed plan; Puhe was lost and he concealed it from the throne; men bearing halberds were used only for digging and dredging, and the imperial sword was wielded to indulge his will and make a show of power.

當是時，光宗崩，熹宗初立，朝端方多事，而封疆議起。御史馮三元劾廷弼無謀者八、欺君者三，謂不罷，遼必不保。詔下廷議。廷弼憤，抗疏極辨，且求罷。而御史張修德復劾其破壞遼陽。廷弼益憤，再疏自明，雲「遼已轉危為安，臣且之生致死。」遂繳還尚方劍，力求罷斥。給事中魏應嘉復劾之。朝議允廷弼去，以袁應泰代。廷弼乃上疏求勘，言：「遼師覆沒，臣始驅羸卒數千，踉蹌出關，至杏山，而鐵嶺又失。廷臣鹹謂遼必亡，而今且地方安堵，舉朝帖席。此非不操練、不部署者所能致也。若謂擁兵十萬，不能斬將擒王，誠臣之罪。然求此於今日，亦豈易言。令箭催而張帥殞命，馬上催而三路喪師，臣何敢復蹈前軌？」三元、應嘉、修德等復連章極論，廷弼即請三人往勘。帝從之。御史吳應奇、給事中楊漣等力言不可，乃改命兵科給事中硃童蒙往。廷弼復上疏曰：「臣蒙恩回籍聽勘，行矣。但台省責臣以破壞之遼遺他人，臣不得不一一陳之於上。今朝堂議論，全不知兵。冬春之際，敵以冰雪稍緩，哄然言師老財匱，馬上促戰。及軍敗，始愀然不敢復言，比臣收拾甫定，而愀然者又復哄然責戰矣。自有遼難以來，用武將，用文吏，何非台省所建白，何嘗有一效。疆場事，當聽疆場吏自為之，何用拾帖括語，徒亂人意，一不從，輒怫然怒哉！」及童蒙還奏，備陳廷弼功狀，末言：「臣入遼時，士民垂泣而道，謂數十萬生靈皆廷弼一人所留，其罪何可輕議？獨是廷弼受知最深，蒲河之役，敵攻瀋陽，策馬趨救，何其壯也？及見官兵駑弱，遽爾乞骸以歸，將置君恩何地？廷弼功在存遼，微勞雖有可紀；罪在負君，大義實無所逃。此則罪浮於功者矣。」帝以廷弼力保危城，仍議起用。

At that time Emperor Guangzong died and Emperor Xizong had just ascended; the court was busy with many affairs and frontier debate arose. Censor Feng Sanyuan impeached Tingbi on eight counts of lack of strategy and three of deceiving the sovereign, saying that if he were not dismissed Liaodong could not be preserved. An edict ordered court deliberation. Tingbi was enraged; he submitted a forthright memorial arguing forcefully and also asked to be dismissed. Censor Zhang Xiude again impeached him for ruining Liaoyang. Tingbi grew more enraged and submitted a second memorial clarifying himself, saying, "Liaodong has turned from peril to safety, and I am ready to go from life to death." He then returned the imperial sword and strongly sought dismissal. Supervising Secretary Wei Yingjia again impeached him. Court deliberation agreed to Tingbi's removal and replaced him with Yuan Yingtai. Tingbi then submitted a memorial requesting investigation, saying, "When the Liaodong army was destroyed I first drove several thousand exhausted soldiers stumbling out of the pass; at Xingshan Tieling was lost again. Court ministers all said Liaodong would surely perish, yet now the region is calm and the whole court sits at ease. This is not what failure to drill or deploy could achieve. If one says that holding 100,000 troops I could not behead generals and capture kings, that is truly my crime. Yet to demand this today — is it easily said? When order-arrows pressed, Commander Zhang lost his life; when urgent riders pressed, three routes lost their armies — how dare I tread the old path again?" Sanyuan, Yingjia, Xiude, and others again submitted memorial after memorial arguing forcefully; Tingbi then asked that the three go to investigate. The emperor assented. Censor Wu Yingqi, Supervising Secretary Yang Lian, and others strongly said this could not be done; the appointment was changed to Supervising Secretary Zhu Tongmeng of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Tingbi again submitted a memorial saying, "I have received grace to return home and await investigation — I am going. But the censorial offices charge me with leaving a ruined Liaodong to others; I must set forth each point to Your Majesty. Today's court debates know nothing of military affairs. In winter and spring, when the enemy slackened slightly because of ice and snow, they clamored that the army was long deployed and funds exhausted and pressed for battle from horseback. When the army was defeated they turned grim and dared not speak again; just as I had barely restored order, those who had turned grim clamored again to blame me for not fighting. Since Liaodong troubles began, whether using military generals or civil officials — what was not proposed by the censorial offices? Yet was there ever one success? Frontier affairs should be left to frontier officials to handle themselves — why use essay phrases picked from examination papers, merely confusing men's minds, and flare up in anger whenever one is not obeyed!" When Tongmeng returned and reported, he fully set forth Tingbi's merits, concluding, "When I entered Liaodong the gentry and people wept as they spoke, saying that several hundred thousand lives were preserved by Tingbi alone — how can his guilt be lightly discussed? Only Tingbi received the deepest trust; in the Puhe campaign, when the enemy attacked Shenyang, he spurred his horse to the rescue — how bold! Yet when he saw government troops weak, he abruptly begged to retire — where does he place the sovereign's grace? Tingbi's merit lay in preserving Liaodong; minor labors may be recorded; his guilt lay in failing the sovereign — in great principle there is no escape. In this guilt outweighed merit." The emperor, because Tingbi had forcefully preserved the perilous city, still deliberated recalling him.

天啟元年，瀋陽破，應泰死，廷臣復思廷弼。給事中郭鞏力詆之，並及閣臣劉一燝。及遼陽破，河西軍民盡奔，自塔山至閭陽二百餘里，煙火斷絕，京師大震。一燝曰：「使廷弼在遼，當不至此。」御史江秉謙追言廷弼保守危遼功，兼以排擠勞臣為鞏罪。帝乃治前劾廷弼者，貶三元、修德、應嘉、鞏三秩，除宗文名。御史劉廷宣救之，亦被斥。乃復詔起廷弼於家，而擢王化貞為巡撫。

In the first year of Tianqi, when Shenyang fell and Yingtai died, court ministers again thought of Tingbi. Supervising Secretary Guo Gong fiercely denounced this and also implicated Grand Secretary Liu Yihuan. When Liaoyang fell, soldiers and civilians west of the river all fled; from Tashan to Lüyang for more than 200 li smoke and fire ceased, and the capital was greatly shaken. Yihuan said, "If Tingbi had been in Liaodong, it would not have come to this." Censor Jiang Bingqian followed by stating Tingbi's merit in preserving perilous Liaodong, and also made driving out a toiling minister Guo Gong's crime. The emperor then punished those who had earlier impeached Tingbi: Sanyuan, Xiude, Yingjia, and Gong were demoted three ranks; Zongwen's name was struck from the rolls. Censor Liu Tingxuan tried to save them and was also dismissed. An edict then recalled Tingbi from home, and Wang Huazhen was promoted to grand coordinator.

化貞，諸城人。萬曆四十一年進士。由戶部主事曆右參議，分守廣寧。蒙古炒花諸部長乘機窺塞下，化貞撫之，皆不敢動。硃童蒙勘事還，極言化貞得西人心，勿輕調，隳撫事。化貞亦言遼事將壞，惟發帑金百萬，亟款西人，則敵顧忌不敢深入。會遼、瀋相繼亡，廷議將起廷弼，御史方震孺請加化貞秩，便宜從事，令與薛國用同守河西。乃進化貞右僉都御史，巡撫廣甯。廣寧城在山隈，登山可俯瞰城內，恃三岔河為阻，而三岔之黃泥窪又水淺可涉。廣寧止孱卒千，化貞招集散亡，復得萬餘人，激厲士民，聯絡西部，人心稍定。遼陽初失，遠近震驚，謂河西必不能保。化貞提弱卒，守孤城，氣不懾，時望赫然。中朝亦謂其才足倚，悉以河西事付之。而化貞又以登萊、天津兵可不設，諸鎮入衛兵可止。當事益信其有才，所奏請輒報可。時金、復諸衛軍民及東山礦徒，多結砦自固，以待官軍，其逃入朝鮮者，亦不下二萬。化貞請鼓舞諸人，優以爵祿，俾自奮於功名，詔諭朝鮮，褒以忠義，勉之同仇。帝亦從之。

Huazhen was a native of Zhucheng. He passed the metropolitan examination in the forty-first year of Wanli. From Director in the Ministry of Revenue he rose to Right Vice Administrator, guarding Guangning. Mongol chieftains such as Chao Hua seized the chance to watch below the frontier pass; Huazhen pacified them and none dared move. When Zhu Tongmeng returned from his investigation he strongly said Huazhen had won western hearts and should not be lightly transferred, lest pacification work be ruined. Huazhen also said Liaodong affairs would go bad unless a million taels from the treasury were disbursed quickly to treat with western tribes — then the enemy would hesitate and not advance deeply. When Liaoyang and Shenyang were lost in succession, court deliberation was to recall Tingbi; Censor Fang Zhenru asked that Huazhen's rank be raised so he could act at discretion, and ordered him to guard the west of the river together with Xue Guoyong. Huazhen was then promoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, Grand Coordinator of Guangning. Guangning city lay in a mountain hollow; climbing the mountain one could overlook the city interior; it relied on the Sancha River as a barrier, but the Huangniwa of Sancha was shallow enough to ford. Guangning had only a thousand weak soldiers; Huazhen gathered scattered fugitives and recovered more than 10,000 men, roused gentry and people, linked with western tribes, and morale was slightly restored. When Liaoyang was first lost, near and far were shocked, saying the west of the river surely could not be held. Huazhen led weak soldiers and held an isolated city without losing spirit; his reputation at the time was brilliant. The central court also held his talent sufficient to rely on and entrusted all affairs west of the river to him. Huazhen also said troops from Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Tianjin need not be established and garrison troops from the various commands entering to defend the capital could be stopped. Those in power increasingly believed in his talent; whatever he memorialized was approved. At the time soldiers and civilians of Jinzhou, Fuzhou, and other guards and miners of Dongshan mostly fortified camps to hold themselves, awaiting government troops; those who fled into Korea also numbered no less than 20,000. Huazhen asked to encourage these men with generous rank and salary so they would strive for merit on their own; an edict instructed Korea, praising their loyalty and righteousness and urging them to share the enemy. The emperor also assented.

至六月，廷弼入朝，首請免言官貶謫，帝不可。乃建三方佈置策：廣甯用馬步列壘河上，以形勢格之，綴敵全力；天津、登、萊各置舟師，乘虛入南衛，動搖其人心，敵必內顧，而遼陽可復。於是登、萊議設巡撫如天津，以陶朗先為之；而山海特設經略，節制三方，一事權。遂進廷弼兵部尚書，兼右副都御史，駐山海關，經略遼東軍務。廷弼因請尚方劍，請調兵二十余萬，以兵馬、芻糗、器械之屬責成戶、兵、工三部。白監軍道臣高出、胡嘉棟，督餉郎中傅國無罪，請復官任事。議用遼人故贊畫主事劉國縉為登萊招練副使，夔州同知佟卜年為登萊監軍僉事，故臨洮推官洪敷教為職方主事，軍前贊畫，用收拾遼人心，並報允。七月，廷弼將啟行，帝特賜麒麟服一，彩幣四，宴之郊外，命文武大臣陪餞，異數也。又以京營選鋒五千護廷弼行。

By the sixth month Tingbi entered court and first asked that censorial officials' demotions be remitted; the emperor refused. He then proposed a three-front deployment: at Guangning use cavalry and infantry to array ramparts on the river, blocking by terrain and tying down the enemy's full strength; at Tianjin, Dengzhou, and Laizhou each establish naval forces to strike empty into the southern guards, shaking enemy hearts — the enemy must look inward and Liaoyang can be recovered. Thereupon Dengzhou and Laizhou deliberated establishing a grand coordinator as at Tianjin, with Tao Langxian appointed; and at Shanhaiguan a special frontier commissioner was established to command the three fronts under one authority. Tingbi was then promoted to Minister of War concurrently Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, stationed at Shanhaiguan to supervise Liaodong military affairs. Tingbi therefore asked for the imperial sword, asked to mobilize more than 200,000 troops, and charged the Ministries of Revenue, War, and Works with horses, fodder, grain, and weapons. He stated that Supervisors Gao Chu and Hu Jiadong and Provisioning Director Fu Guo were innocent and asked that they be restored to office. It was deliberated to use former Liaodong staff officer Liu Guojin as Vice Commissioner for Recruitment and Training at Deng-Lai, Tong Bunian of Kuizhou as Supervisory Vice Commissioner at Deng-Lai, and former Lintao investigating censor Hong Fujiao as Director in the Bureau of Appointments for staff duty before the army — to win Liaodong hearts — all approved. In the seventh month, as Tingbi was about to depart, the emperor specially bestowed one qilin robe and four rolls of colored silk, feasted him outside the city, and ordered civil and military grandees to accompany the send-off — an extraordinary honor. He also selected 5,000 elite troops from the capital garrison to escort Tingbi on his journey.

先是，袁應泰死，薛國用代為經略，病不任事。化貞乃部署諸將，沿河設六營，營置參將一人，守備二人，畫地分守；西平、鎮武、柳河、盤山諸要害，各置戍設防。議即上，廷弼不謂然，疏言：「河窄難恃，堡小難容，今日但宜固守廣寧。若駐兵河上，兵分則力弱，敵輕騎潛渡，直攻一營，力必不支。一營潰，則諸營俱潰，西平諸戍亦不能守。河上止宜置遊徼兵，更番出入，示敵不測，不宜屯聚一處，為敵所乘。自河抵廣寧，止宜多置烽堠；西平諸處止宜稍置戍兵，為傳烽哨探之用。而大兵悉聚廣寧，相度城外形勢，掎角立營，深壘高柵以俟。蓋遼陽去廣寧三百六十里，非敵騎一日能到，有聲息，我必預知。斷不宜分兵防河，先為自弱之計也。」疏上，優旨褒答。會御史方震孺亦言防河六不足恃，議乃寢。而化貞以計不行，慍甚，盡委軍事於廷弼。廷弼乃請申諭化貞，不得藉口節制，坐失事機。先是，四方援遼之師，化貞悉改為「平遼」，遼人多不悅。廷弼言：「遼人未叛，乞改為『平東』或『征東』，以慰其心。」自是化貞與廷弼有隙，而經、撫不和之議起矣。

Earlier, when Yuan Yingtai died, Xue Guoyong replaced him as frontier commissioner but was ill and could not manage affairs. Huazhen then deployed the generals, set six camps along the river, each camp with one Vice Commander and two Garrison Commanders, dividing territory to defend; at Xiping, Zhenwu, Liuhe, Panshan, and other key points garrisons and defenses were each established. When the plan was submitted, Tingbi did not agree and memorialized, "The river is narrow and hard to rely on, the forts small and hard to hold — today one should only firmly defend Guangning. If troops are stationed on the river, forces divided will be weak; enemy light cavalry may ford secretly and strike one camp directly — strength will surely not hold. One camp routed, then all camps routed; the garrisons at Xiping and elsewhere also cannot be held. On the river one should only place roaming patrol troops, rotating in and out to show the enemy uncertainty — one should not mass in one place to be seized by the enemy. From the river to Guangning one should only place many beacon towers; At Xiping and elsewhere one should only place a few garrison troops for relaying beacons and scouting. The main army should all gather at Guangning, survey the terrain outside the city, establish camps in pincer formation, and build deep ramparts and high palisades to await the enemy. For Liaoyang is 360 li from Guangning — enemy cavalry cannot arrive in one day; if there is any sign, we will know in advance. One absolutely should not divide troops to defend the river — that would be a plan to weaken oneself first." When the memorial was submitted, a gracious edict praised and answered. Meanwhile Censor Fang Zhenru also said the six river-defense camps were not reliable, and the plan was then dropped. Huazhen, because his plan did not go through, was greatly angry and entrusted all military affairs to Tingbi. Tingbi then asked that Huazhen be clearly instructed not to use command authority as a pretext and sit by while opportunities were lost. Earlier, the armies from all quarters sent to aid Liaodong Huazhen had all renamed "Pacify Liaodong"; many Liaodong men were displeased. Tingbi said, "Liaodong men have not rebelled; I beg they be renamed 'Pacify the East' or 'Campaign East' to comfort their hearts." From this Huazhen and Tingbi had a rift, and debate arose over discord between commissioner and coordinator.

八月朔，廷弼言：「三方建置，須聯絡朝鮮。請亟發敕使往勞彼國君臣，俾盡發八道之師，連營江上，助我聲勢。又發詔書憫恤遼人之避難彼國者，招集團練，別為一軍，與朝鮮軍合勢。而我使臣即權駐義州，控制聯絡，俾與登、萊聲息相通，於事有濟。更宜發銀六萬兩，分犒朝鮮及遼人，而臣給與空名劄付百道，俾承制拜除。其東山礦徒能結聚千人者，即署都司；五百人者，署守備。將一呼立應，而一二萬勁兵可立致也。」因薦監軍副使梁之垣生長海濱，習朝鮮事，可充命使。帝立從之，且命如行人奉使故事，賜一品服以寵其行。之垣乃列上重事權、定職掌八事，帝亦報可。

On the first day of the eighth month Tingbi said, "The three-front deployment must coordinate with Korea. I ask that an imperial envoy be sent quickly to console that country's ruler and ministers, so they deploy all troops of the eight circuits, encamp in succession on the river, and aid our prestige. Also issue an edict pitying Liaodong people who took refuge in that country, gather them for militia training, form a separate army, and combine strength with the Korean army. Our envoy should temporarily be stationed at Uiju to control liaison, so that word reaches Dengzhou and Laizhou — this would help affairs. It is further fitting to disburse 60,000 taels of silver, divide rewards between Korea and Liaodong men, and grant me a hundred blank appointment documents to appoint and dismiss under imperial commission. Dongshan miners who can gather a thousand men should be appointed Commanders; those with five hundred, Garrison Commanders. At one call they will respond at once, and ten or twenty thousand crack troops can be obtained immediately." He therefore recommended Supervisory Vice Commissioner Liang Zhiyuan, who grew up on the coast and was versed in Korean affairs, as suitable for the mission. The emperor immediately assented and ordered that, following the precedent of palace envoys, first-rank robes be bestowed to honor the mission. Zhiyuan then listed eight matters for enhancing authority and fixing duties; the emperor also approved.

之垣方與所司議兵餉，而化貞所遣都司毛文龍已襲取鎮江，奏捷。舉朝大喜，亟命登、萊、天津發水師二萬應文龍，化貞督廣甯兵四萬進據河上，合蒙古軍乘機進取，而廷弼居中節制。命既下，經、撫、各鎮互觀望，兵不果進。頃之，化貞備陳東西情形，言：「敵棄遼陽不守，河東失陷將士日夜望官軍至，即執敵將以降。而西部虎墩兔、炒花鹹願助兵。敵兵守海州不過二千，河上止遼卒三千，若潛師夜襲，勢在必克。敵南防者聞而北歸，我據險以擊其惰，可盡也。」兵部尚書張鶴鳴以為然，奏言時不可失。御史徐卿伯復趣之，請令廷弼進駐廣寧，薊遼總督王象乾移鎮山海。會化貞復馳奏：「敵因官軍收復鎮江，遂驅掠四衛屯民。屯民據鐵山死守，傷敵三四千人，敵圍之益急。急宜赴救。」於是兵部愈促進師。化貞即以是月渡河。廷弼不得已出關，次右屯，而馳奏海州取易守難，不宜輕舉。化貞卒無功而還。

Zhiyuan was just deliberating military funds with the relevant office when Division Commander Mao Wenlong, sent by Huazhen, had already seized Zhenjiang and reported victory. The whole court rejoiced greatly and urgently ordered Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Tianjin to send 20,000 naval troops to support Wenlong; Huazhen would direct 40,000 Guangning troops to advance and hold the river, combine with Mongol forces to seize the opportunity and advance, while Tingbi would control from the center. Once the order was issued, commissioner, coordinator, and the various commands all watched one another; the army in the end did not advance. Soon Huazhen fully set forth east-west conditions, saying, "The enemy has abandoned Liaoyang and does not hold it; officers and men lost east of the river day and night await government troops — they will seize enemy generals and surrender. Western tribes Hudeniu and Chao Hua all wish to aid with troops. Enemy troops guarding Haizhou number no more than 2,000; on the river there are only 3,000 Liaodong soldiers — if a secret force strikes by night, victory is certain. Enemy troops defending the south, hearing this, will return north; we hold the defiles and strike their slackness — they can be destroyed entirely." Minister of War Zhang Heming thought this correct and memorialized that the time must not be lost. Censor Xu Qingbo again pressed the matter, asking that Tingbi advance to station at Guangning and Jizhou-Liaodong Governor Wang Xiangqian move his headquarters to Shanhai. Meanwhile Huazhen again sent an urgent memorial, "Because government troops recovered Zhenjiang, the enemy drove and plundered settlers of the four guards. Settlers held Tieshan and defended to the death, wounding three or four thousand enemy; the enemy besieged all the more fiercely. Rescue is urgently needed." Thereupon the Ministry of War pressed all the more for advancing the army. Huazhen then crossed the river that month. Tingbi had no choice but to leave the pass, halted at You Tun, and sent an urgent memorial that Haizhou is easy to take but hard to hold and should not be lightly attempted. Huazhen in the end achieved nothing and returned.

化貞為人騃而愎，素不習兵，輕視大敵，好謾語。文武將吏進諫悉不入，與廷弼尤牴牾。妄意降敵者李永芳為內應，信西部言，謂虎墩兔助兵四十萬，遂欲以不戰取全勝。一切士馬、甲仗、糗糧、營壘俱置不問，務為大言罔中朝。尚書鶴鳴深信之，所請無不允，以故廷弼不得行其志。廣甯有兵十四萬，而廷弼關上無一卒，徒擁經略虛號而已。延綏入衛兵不堪用，廷弼請罪其帥杜文煥，鶴鳴議寬之；廷弼請用卜年，鶴鳴上駁議；廷弼奏遣之垣，鶴鳴故稽其餉。兩人遂相怨，事事齟齬。而廷弼亦褊淺剛愎，有觸必發，盛氣相加，朝士多厭惡之。

Huazhen as a man was dull and obstinate, never practiced in military matters, looked down on the great enemy, and liked boastful talk. Civil and military officers who admonished him he would not heed; he was especially at odds with Tingbi. He fancied the surrendered enemy Li Yongfang as an inside agent, believed western reports that Hudeniu would aid with 400,000 troops, and thus wished to win complete victory without fighting. All horses, soldiers, armor, provisions, and camps he left unattended, striving only for big talk to deceive the central court. Minister Heming trusted him deeply; whatever he asked was granted — for this reason Tingbi could not carry out his intent. Guangning had 140,000 troops while Tingbi had not a single soldier at the pass — he merely held the empty title of frontier commissioner. Yan-sui garrison troops entering to defend the capital were unusable; Tingbi asked to punish their commander Du Wenhuan — Heming deliberated leniency; Tingbi asked to employ Bunian — Heming submitted a rebuttal; Tingbi memorialized to send Zhiyuan — Heming deliberately delayed his funds. The two then resented each other; in every matter they clashed. Tingbi too was narrow, shallow, hard, and obstinate; whenever provoked he would flare up, adding fierce spirit — many court officials despised him.

毛文龍鎮江之捷，化貞自謂發蹤奇功。廷弼言：「三方兵力未集，文龍發之太早，致敵恨遼人，屠戮四衛軍民殆盡，灰東山之心，寒朝鮮之膽，奪河西之氣，亂三方並進之謀，誤屬國聯絡之算，目為奇功，乃奇禍耳！」貽書京師，力詆化貞。朝士方以鎮江為奇捷，聞其言，亦多不服。廷弼又顯詆鶴鳴，謂：「臣既任經略，四方援軍宜聽臣調遣，乃鶴鳴逕自發戍，不令臣知。七月中，臣咨部問調軍之數，經今兩月，置不答。臣有經略名，無其實，遼左事惟樞臣與撫臣共為之。」鶴鳴益恨。至九月，化貞猶言虎墩兔兵四十萬且至，請速濟師。廷弼言：「撫臣恃西部，欲以不戰為戰計。西部與我，進不同進，彼入北道，我入南道，相距二百餘里，敵分兵來應，亦須我自撐拒。臣未敢輕視敵人，謂可不戰勝也。臣初議三方佈置，必使兵馬、器械、舟車、芻茭無一不備，而後克期齊舉，進足戰，退亦足以守。今臨事中亂，雖樞臣主謀于中，撫臣決策于外，卜一舉成功，而臣猶有萬一不必然之慮也。」既而西部竟不至，化貞兵亦不敢進。

At Mao Wenlong's victory at Zhenjiang, Huazhen claimed it as his own tracking of a wondrous achievement. Tingbi said, "The three fronts' strength is not yet gathered; Wenlong acted too early, causing the enemy to hate Liaodong people and slaughter soldiers and civilians of the four guards nearly to extinction, extinguishing Dongshan hearts, chilling Korean courage, sapping morale west of the river, disrupting the three-front joint advance plan, and ruining the vassal-state liaison scheme — to call this a wondrous achievement is a wondrous disaster!" He sent letters to the capital fiercely denouncing Huazhen. Court officials were then taking Zhenjiang as a wondrous victory; hearing his words, many also were unconvinced. Tingbi again openly denounced Heming, saying, "Since I hold the post of frontier commissioner, relief armies from all quarters should obey my dispatch; yet Heming directly sent garrisons without letting me know. In the seventh month I consulted the ministry on the number of troops to be transferred; for two months now there has been no answer. I have the name of frontier commissioner without the reality; Liaodong affairs are done only by the minister and the coordinator together." Heming hated him all the more. By the ninth month Huazhen still said Hudeniu's 400,000 troops were about to arrive and asked that troops be supplied quickly. Tingbi said, "The coordinator relies on western tribes and wishes to make not fighting into a fighting plan. Western tribes and we do not advance together — they enter the northern route, we enter the southern route, 200 li apart; if the enemy sends detachments to respond, we must still resist on our own. I dare not lightly regard the enemy and say we can win without fighting. My original three-front plan required that horses, weapons, boats, carts, and fodder all be ready before setting a date for joint advance — advancing enough to fight, retreating enough to hold. Now affairs are confused at the critical moment; though the minister plans within and the coordinator decides without, one may divined success at a stroke — yet I still have the fear that it may not necessarily be so." Later western tribes in the end did not come; Huazhen's troops also dared not advance.

廷弼既與化貞隙，中朝右化貞者多詆廷弼。給事中楊道寅謂出、嘉棟不宜用。御史徐景濂極譽化貞，刺廷弼，詆之垣逍遙故鄉，不稱任使。御史蘇琰則言廷弼宜駐廣寧，不當遠駐山海，因言登、萊水師無所用。廷弼怒，抗疏力詆三人。帝皆無所問。而帝於講筵忽問：「卜年系叛族，何擢僉事？國縉數經論列，何起用？嘉棟立功贖罪，何在天津？」廷弼知左右譖之，抗疏辨，語頗憤激。

Tingbi having fallen out with Huazhen, many at court who favored Huazhen denounced Tingbi. Supervising Secretary Yang Daoyin said Chu and Jiadong should not be employed. Censor Xu Jinglian greatly praised Huazhen, stabbed at Tingbi, and denounced Zhiyuan for idling in his home village and not fulfilling his mission. Censor Su Yan then said Tingbi should station at Guangning and not far at Shanhai, and also said Deng-Lai naval forces were useless. Tingbi was angry and submitted a forthright memorial fiercely denouncing the three men. The emperor questioned none of it. But at the lecture session the emperor suddenly asked, "Bunian belongs to a rebel clan — why was he promoted to Vice Commissioner? Guojin was repeatedly criticized — why was he employed? Jiadong earned merit to redeem guilt — why is he at Tianjin?" Tingbi knew those around the throne had slandered him; he submitted a forthright memorial in defense, his language rather indignant.

是時，廷弼主守，謂遼人不可用，西部不可恃，永芳不可信，廣甯多間諜可虞。化貞一切反之，絕口不言守，謂我一渡河，河東人必內應，且騰書中朝，言仲秋之月，可高枕而聽捷音。識者知其必僨事，以疆場事重，無敢言其短者。

At this time Tingbi advocated defense, holding that Liaodong men could not be used, western tribes could not be relied on, Yongfang could not be trusted, and Guangning had many spies to be feared. Huazhen reversed everything, never speaking of defense, saying that once we crossed the river men east of the river would surely respond from within; he also sent letters to the central court saying that in the mid-autumn month one could rest easy and await news of victory. Those who understood knew he would surely ruin affairs; because frontier affairs were weighty, none dared speak of his faults.

至十月，冰合，廣寧人謂大清兵必渡河，紛然思竄。化貞乃與震孺計，分兵守鎮武、西平、閭陽、鎮甯諸城堡，而以大軍守廣寧。鶴鳴亦以廣寧可慮，請敕廷弼出關。廷弼上言：「樞臣第知經略一出，足鎮人心；不知徒手之經略一出，其動搖人心更甚。且臣駐廣寧，化貞駐何地？鶴鳴責經、撫協心同力，而樞臣與經臣獨不當協心同力乎？為今日計，惟樞部俯同於臣，臣始得為陛下任東方事也。」其言甚切至，鶴鳴益不悅。廷弼乃復出關，至右屯，議以重兵內護廣寧，外扼鎮武、閭陽，乃令劉渠以二萬人守鎮武，祁秉忠以萬人守閭陽。又令羅一貫以三千人守西平。復申令曰：「敵來，越鎮武一步者，文武將吏誅無赦。敵至廣甯而鎮武、閭陽不夾攻，掠右屯餉道而三路不救援者，亦如之。」部署甫定，化貞又信諜者言，遽發兵襲海州，旋亦引退。廷弼乃上言：「撫臣之進，及今而五矣。八、九月間屢進屢止，猶未有疏請也。若十月二十五日之役，則拜疏輒行者也，臣疾趨出關，而撫臣歸矣。西平之會，相與協心議守，掎角設營，而進兵之書又以晦日至矣。撫臣以十一月二日赴鎮武，臣即以次日赴杜家屯，比至中途，而軍馬又遣還矣。初五日，撫臣又欲以輕兵襲牛莊，奪馬圈守之，為明年進兵門戶。時馬圈無一敵兵，即得牛莊，我不能守，敵何損，我何益？會將吏力持不可，撫臣亦怏怏回矣。兵屢進屢退，敵已窺盡伎倆，而臣之虛名亦以輕出而損。願陛下明諭撫臣，慎重舉止，毋為敵人所笑。」化貞見疏不悅，馳奏辨。且曰：「願請兵六萬，一舉蕩平。臣不敢貪天功，但厚賚從征將士，遼民賜復十年，海內得免加派，臣願足矣。即有不稱，亦必殺傷相當，敵不復振，保不為河西憂。」因請便宜行事。

By the tenth month ice had formed; people of Guangning said the Great Qing army would surely cross the river and thought of fleeing in disorder. Huazhen then planned with Zhenru to divide troops to hold the forts of Zhenwu, Xiping, Lüyang, and Zhenning, while the main army held Guangning. Heming also thought Guangning worrisome and asked that Tingbi be ordered out of the pass. Tingbi submitted, "The minister only knows that once the frontier commissioner goes out, he can steady hearts; he does not know that a frontier commissioner going out empty-handed shakes hearts all the more. Moreover, if I station at Guangning, where will Huazhen station? Heming charges commissioner and coordinator to cooperate with one heart and one strength — should not the minister and the commissioner alone cooperate with one heart and one strength? For today's plan, only if the ministry yields to me can I then undertake eastern affairs for Your Majesty." His words were very earnest; Heming was all the more displeased. Tingbi then went out of the pass again, reached You Tun, and deliberated using heavy troops to protect Guangning within while blocking Zhenwu and Lüyang without; he ordered Liu Qu with 20,000 men to hold Zhenwu and Qi Bingzhong with 10,000 to hold Lüyang. He also ordered Luo Yiguan with 3,000 men to hold Xiping. He again issued orders, "When the enemy comes, whoever crosses one step beyond Zhenwu — civil and military officers shall be executed without pardon. When the enemy reaches Guangning and Zhenwu and Lüyang do not attack from both sides, or plunder the You Tun supply road and the three routes do not rescue — the same applies." Deployment had just been settled when Huazhen again believed a spy's report, abruptly sent troops to raid Haizhou, and soon withdrew as well. Tingbi then submitted, "The coordinator's advances — up to now there have been five. Between the eighth and ninth months he advanced and halted repeatedly, yet still without submitting a memorial request. The operation of the twenty-fifth of the tenth month was one where he memorialized and went at once; I hurried out of the pass, but the coordinator had already returned. At the Xiping meeting we jointly planned defense in one heart, set pincer camps — yet the letter to advance the army arrived again on the last day of the month. The coordinator went to Zhenwu on the second of the eleventh month; I went to Dujiatun the next day — by the time I reached mid-route the troops and horses had been sent back again. On the fifth the coordinator again wished to raid Niuzhuang with light troops, seize the horse pastures and hold them as the gateway for next year's advance. At the time there was not one enemy soldier at the horse pastures — even if we took Niuzhuang we could not hold it; what harm to the enemy, what gain to us? When the generals and officers strongly held it impossible, the coordinator also returned discontentedly. The army advanced and retreated repeatedly; the enemy has already seen through all our tricks, and my empty reputation too has been damaged by going out lightly. I beg Your Majesty clearly instruct the coordinator to act with caution and not be laughed at by the enemy." Huazhen, seeing the memorial, was displeased and sent an urgent memorial in his own defense. He also said, "I wish to ask for 60,000 troops and sweep the enemy clean in one stroke. I dare not claim Heaven's merit, but richly reward the generals who follow the campaign, grant Liaodong people ten years' tax remission, and exempt the realm from extra levies — that is enough for me. Even if things do not fully succeed, casualties will surely be equal; the enemy will not recover, and I guarantee no worry for the west of the river." He therefore asked to act at discretion.

時葉向高復當國，化貞座主也，頗右之。廷臣惟太僕少卿何喬遠言宜專守廣甯，御史夏之令言蒙古不可信，款賞無益，給事中趙時用言永芳必不可信，與廷弼合。餘多右化貞，令毋受廷弼節制。而給事中李精白欲授化貞尚方劍，得便宜操縱。孫傑劾一燝以用出、嘉棟、卜年為罪，而言廷弼不宜駐關內。廷弼憤，上言：「臣以東西南北所欲殺之人，而適遘事機難處之會。諸臣能為封疆容則容之，不能為門戶容則去之，何必內借閣部，外借撫道以相困？」又言：「經、撫不和，恃有言官；言官交攻，恃有樞部；樞部佐鬥，恃有閣臣。臣今無望矣。」帝以兩臣爭言，遣兵部堂官及給事中各一人往諭，抗違不遵者治罪。命既下，廷臣言遣官不便，乃下廷臣集議。

At the time Ye Xianggao was again directing state affairs; he was Huazhen's patron and favored him considerably. Among court ministers only Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud He Qiaoyuan said one should concentrate on defending Guangning; Censor Xia Zhiling said Mongols could not be trusted and that gifts and rewards were useless; Supervising Secretary Zhao Shiyong said Yongfang absolutely could not be trusted — all agreeing with Tingbi. The rest mostly favored Huazhen and ordered that he not accept Tingbi's command. Supervising Secretary Li Jingbai wished to grant Huazhen the imperial sword so he could manipulate affairs at discretion. Sun Jie impeached Yihuan for employing Chu, Jiadong, and Bunian, and said Tingbi should not station inside the pass. Tingbi was angry and submitted, "I am one whom east, south, west, and north wish to kill, and I happen to meet a moment when affairs are hard to manage. If ministers can tolerate me for the frontier, then tolerate me; if they cannot tolerate me for the faction, then let me go — why must they borrow the grand secretaries within and the coordinator without to constrain me?" He also said, "Commissioner and coordinator are discordant, relying on censorial officials; censorial officials attack one another, relying on the ministry; the ministry aids the quarrel, relying on grand secretaries. I have no hope now." The emperor, because the two ministers disputed, sent one director from the Ministry of War and one supervising secretary each to instruct them; whoever resisted and did not obey would be punished. Once the order was issued, court ministers said sending officials was inconvenient; the matter was then referred for collective deliberation by court ministers.

初，廷弼之出關也，化貞慮奪己兵權，佯以兵事委廷弼。廷弼上言：「臣奉命控扼山海，非廣寧所得私。撫臣不宜卸責於臣。」會震孺奏經、撫不和，中有化貞心慵意懶語，廷弼據以刺化貞，化貞益不悅。及化貞請一舉蕩平，廷弼乃言：「宜如撫臣約，亟罷臣以鼓士氣。」當是時，中外舉知經、撫不和，必誤疆事，章日上。而鶴鳴篤信化貞，遂欲去廷弼。二年正月，員外郎徐大化希指劾廷弼大言罩世，嫉能妒功，不去必壞遼事。疏並下部，鶴鳴乃集廷臣大議。議撤廷弼者數人，餘多請分任責成。鶴鳴獨言化貞一去，毛文龍必不用命，遼人為兵者必潰，西部必解體，宜賜化貞尚方劍，專委以廣寧，而撤廷弼他用。議上，帝不從，責吏、兵二部再奏。會大清兵逼西平，遂罷議，仍兼任二臣，責以功罪一體。

Earlier, when Tingbi went out of the pass, Huazhen feared losing his military authority and pretended to entrust military affairs to Tingbi. Tingbi submitted, "I am ordered to control Shanhai; Guangning is not mine to dispose of privately. The coordinator should not unload responsibility onto me." Meanwhile Zhenru memorialized on discord between commissioner and coordinator, containing words that Huazhen's heart was lazy and his will slack; Tingbi used this to stab at Huazhen, and Huazhen was all the more displeased. When Huazhen asked to sweep clean in one stroke, Tingbi then said, "It is fitting, as the coordinator promised, to dismiss me quickly to rouse army morale." At that time inside and outside all knew commissioner and coordinator were discordant and would surely ruin frontier affairs; memorials arrived daily. Heming trusted Huazhen deeply and thus wished to remove Tingbi. In the first month of the second year, Department Director Xu Dahua, seeking favor, impeached Tingbi for big talk covering the world, envying talent and begrudging merit — if not removed he would surely ruin Liaodong affairs. The memorial was referred to the ministry; Heming then gathered court ministers for great deliberation. Several deliberated removing Tingbi; most asked to divide responsibilities and fix accountability. Heming alone said that if Huazhen were removed, Mao Wenlong would surely not obey orders, Liaodong men serving as soldiers would surely collapse, and western tribes would surely disintegrate — Huazhen should be granted the imperial sword and Guangning entrusted to him alone, while Tingbi should be withdrawn for other use. When the deliberation was submitted the emperor did not assent and ordered the Ministries of Personnel and War to submit again. Meanwhile the Great Qing army pressed Xiping; deliberation was dropped; the two ministers still held joint posts, charged with merit and guilt as one.

無何，西平圍急。化貞信中軍孫得功計，盡發廣寧兵，畀得功及祖大壽往會秉忠進戰。廷弼亦馳檄渠撤營赴援。二十二日，遇大清兵平陽橋。鋒始交，得功及參將鮑承先等先奔，鎮武、閭陽兵遂大潰，渠、秉忠戰沒沙嶺，大壽走覺華島。西平守將一貫待援不至，與參將黑雲鶴亦戰歿。廷弼已離右屯，次閭陽。參議邢慎言勸急救廣寧，為僉事韓初命所沮，遂退還。時大清兵頓沙嶺不進。化貞素任得功為腹心，而得功潛降於大清，欲生縛化貞以為功，訛言敵已薄城。城中大亂奔走，參政高邦佐禁之不能止。化貞方闔署理軍書，不知也。參將江朝棟排闥入，化貞怒呵之，朝棟大呼曰：「事急矣，請公速走。」化貞莫知所為。朝棟掖之出上馬，二僕人徒步從，遂棄廣寧，踉蹌走，與廷弼遇大淩河。化貞哭，廷弼微笑曰：「六萬眾一舉蕩平，竟何如？」化貞慚，議守寧遠及前屯。廷弼曰：「嘻，已晚，惟護潰民入關可耳。」乃以己所將五千人授化貞為殿，盡焚積聚。二十六日，偕初命護潰民入關。化貞、出、嘉棟先後入，獨邦佐自經死。得功率廣寧叛將迎大清兵入廣寧，化貞逃已兩日矣。大清兵追逐化貞等二百里，不得食，乃還。報至，京師大震，鶴鳴恐，自請視師。

Before long the siege of Xiping grew urgent. Huazhen believed the plan of Central Army Commander Sun Degong, sent out all Guangning troops, and gave Degong and Zu Dashou to join Bingzhong in advancing to battle. Tingbi also sent urgent orders for Qu to withdraw camp and go to the rescue. On the twenty-second day they met the Great Qing army at Pingyang Bridge. As the vanguard first clashed, Degong and Vice Commander Bao Chengxian and others fled first; the troops of Zhenwu and Lüyang then collapsed in great rout; Qu and Bingzhong died in battle at Shaling; Dashou fled to Juehua Island. Xiping's defending commander Yiguan, awaiting relief that did not come, died in battle together with Vice Commander Hei Yunhe. Tingbi had already left You Tun and halted at Lüyang. Assistant Administrator Xing Shenyan urged urgent rescue of Guangning but was blocked by Vice Commissioner Han Chuming; he then withdrew. At the time the Great Qing army halted at Shaling and did not advance. Huazhen had always trusted Degong as his intimate; Degong had secretly surrendered to the Great Qing and wished to capture Huazhen alive for merit; false reports said the enemy had already reached the walls. Great disorder and flight broke out in the city; Vice Administrator Gao Bangzuo forbade it but could not stop it. Huazhen was just in his office handling military documents and did not know. Vice Commander Jiang Chaodong pushed open the door and entered; Huazhen angrily shouted at him; Chaodong cried loudly, "Affairs are urgent — my lord must flee quickly." Huazhen did not know what to do. Chaodong supported him out and onto a horse; two servants followed on foot; he abandoned Guangning and fled stumbling, meeting Tingbi at the Daling River. Huazhen wept; Tingbi smiled and said, "Sixty thousand men sweeping clean in one stroke — how did it turn out?" Huazhen was ashamed and deliberated holding Ningyuan and Qiantun. Tingbi said, "Alas, it is too late — only escorting fugitives into the pass will do." He then gave the five thousand men he commanded to Huazhen as rearguard and burned all stored supplies. On the twenty-sixth day he together with Chuming escorted fugitives into the pass. Huazhen, Chu, and Jiadong entered in succession; only Bangzuo hanged himself. Degong led Guangning defectors to welcome the Great Qing army into Guangning — Huazhen had already fled two days. The Great Qing army pursued Huazhen and others for 200 li; finding no food, they returned. When the report arrived the capital was greatly shaken; Heming was afraid and asked to inspect the army personally.

二月逮化貞，罷廷弼聽勘。四月，刑部尚書王紀、左都御史鄒元標、大理寺卿周應秋等奏上獄詞，廷弼、化貞並論死。後當行刑，廷弼令汪文言賄內廷四萬金祈緩，既而背之。魏忠賢大恨，誓速斬廷弼。及楊漣等下獄，誣以受廷弼賄，甚其罪。已，邏者獲市人蔣應暘，謂與廷弼子出入禁獄，陰謀叵測。忠賢愈欲速殺廷弼，其黨門克新、郭興治、石三畏、卓邁等遂希指趣之。會馮銓亦憾廷弼，與顧秉謙等侍講筵，出市刊《遼東傳》譖於帝曰：「此廷弼所作，希脫罪耳。」帝怒，遂以五年八月棄市，傳首九邊。已，御史梁夢環謂廷弼侵盜軍資十七萬。御史劉徽謂廷弼家資百萬，宜籍以佐軍。忠賢即矯旨嚴追，罄貲不足，姻族家俱破。江夏知縣王爾玉責廷弼子貂裘珍玩，不獲，將撻之。其長子兆珪自剄死，兆珪母稱冤。爾玉去其兩婢衣，撻之四十。遠近莫不嗟憤。

In the second month Huazhen was arrested; Tingbi was dismissed and ordered to await investigation. In the fourth month Minister of Justice Wang Ji, Censor-in-Chief of the Left Zou Yuanbiao, Chief Justice Zhou Yingqiu and others submitted the prison indictment; Tingbi and Huazhen were both sentenced to death. Later, when execution was to be carried out, Tingbi had Wang Wenyan bribe the inner court with 40,000 taels of gold to seek delay, then went back on his word. Wei Zhongxian hated him greatly and swore to execute Tingbi quickly. When Yang Lian and others were imprisoned, they were falsely charged with receiving bribes from Tingbi, greatly increasing his guilt. Later, patrol officers captured market man Jiang Yingyang, saying he entered and left the forbidden prison with Tingbi's son — a plot beyond reckoning. Zhongxian wished all the more to kill Tingbi quickly; his partisans Men Kexin, Guo Xingzhi, Shi Sanwei, Zhuo Mai and others then sought favor and pressed the matter. Meanwhile Feng Quan also resented Tingbi; together with Gu Bingqian and others attending the lecture session, he produced a market-printed Liaodong Biography and slandered to the emperor, "This was written by Tingbi, hoping to escape guilt." The emperor was angry; in the eighth month of the fifth year Tingbi was executed in the marketplace and his head transmitted to the nine frontiers. Later Censor Liang Menghuan said Tingbi embezzled 170,000 in military funds. Censor Liu Hui said Tingbi's family assets numbered a million and should be confiscated to aid the army. Zhongxian then forged an edict for strict recovery; assets exhausted were not enough; affinal and clan families were all ruined. Jiangxia Magistrate Wang Eryu demanded sable coats and precious curios from Tingbi's son; not obtaining them, he was about to beat him. His eldest son Zhaogui cut his own throat and died; Zhaogui's mother cried injustice. Eryu stripped his two maidservants and beat them forty strokes. Near and far all sighed in indignation.

崇禎元年，詔免追贓。其秋，工部主事徐爾一訟廷弼冤，曰：

In the first year of Chongzhen an edict remitted recovery of embezzled goods. That autumn, Works Department Director Xu Eryi petitioned on Tingbi's injustice, saying:

廷弼以失陷封疆，至傳首陳屍，籍產追贓。而臣考當年，第覺其罪無足據，而勞有足矜也。廣甯兵十三萬，糧數百萬，盡屬化貞，廷弼止援遼兵五千人，駐右屯，距廣寧四十里耳。化貞忽同三四百萬遼民一時盡潰，廷弼五千人，不同潰足矣，尚望其屹然堅壁哉！廷弼罪安在？化貞仗西部，廷弼雲「必不足仗」；化貞信李永芳內附，廷弼雲「必不足信」。無一事不力爭，無一言不奇中。廷弼罪安在？且屢疏爭各鎮節制不行，屢疏爭原派兵馬不與。徒擁虛器，抱空名，廷弼罪安在？唐郭子儀、李光弼與九節度師同潰，自應收潰兵扼河陽橋，無再往河陽坐待思明縛去之理。今計廣寧西，止關上一門限，不趣扼關門何待？史稱慕容垂一軍三萬獨全，亦無再駐淝水與晉人決戰之理。廷弼能令五千人不散，至大淩河付與化貞，事政相類，寧得與化貞同日道乎！所謂勞有足矜者：當三路同時陷沒，開、鐵、北關相繼奔潰，廷弼經理不及一年，俄進築奉集、瀋陽，俄進屯虎皮驛，俄迎扼敵兵於橫河上，于遼陽城下鑿河列柵埋砲，屹然樹金湯。令得竟所施，何至舉榆口關外拱手授人！而今俱抹摋不論，乃其所由必死則有故矣。其才既籠蓋一時，其氣又陵厲一世，揭辯紛紛，致攖眾怒，共起殺機，是則所由必殺其軀之道耳。當廷弼被勘被逮之時，天日輒為無光，足明其冤。乞賜昭雪，為勞臣勸。

Tingbi, for losing the frontier, was even transmitted head and displayed corpse, with property confiscated and embezzled goods pursued. Yet examining that year, I only find his guilt insufficient to stand on and his labor sufficient to pity. Guangning had 130,000 troops and millions in grain — all belonged to Huazhen; Tingbi had only 5,000 Liaodong troops stationed at You Tun, 40 li from Guangning. Huazhen suddenly collapsed together with three or four million Liaodong people; Tingbi's 5,000 not collapsing together was enough — how could one still expect them to stand firm like a wall? Where is Tingbi's guilt? Huazhen relied on western tribes; Tingbi said "they absolutely cannot be relied on"; Huazhen trusted Li Yongfang's inner surrender; Tingbi said "he absolutely cannot be trusted." Not one matter was not fiercely argued; not one word was not uncannily accurate. Where is Tingbi's guilt? Moreover he repeatedly memorialized that control of the various commands would not be implemented, repeatedly memorialized that originally assigned troops and horses were not given. Merely holding empty instruments and empty names — where is Tingbi's guilt? In Tang, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi collapsed together with the nine frontier commanders; they should have gathered fugitive troops and blocked Heyang Bridge — there was no reason to go again to Heyang and wait to be bound by An Lushan. Now west of Guangning there is only the threshold of the pass gate — why not hurry to block the gate instead of waiting? History says Murong Chui's army of 30,000 alone remained intact — likewise there was no reason to halt again at the Fei River and decide battle with the Jin. Tingbi could keep 5,000 from dispersing and deliver them to Huazhen at the Daling River — the affair is truly of the same kind; how can he be spoken of in the same breath as Huazhen! What is sufficient to pity in his labor: when the three routes collapsed together, Kaiyuan, Tieling, and Beiguan fled in succession, Tingbi had managed affairs for less than a year — soon advancing to build at Fengji and Shenyang, soon advancing to garrison at Hupi Station, soon meeting the enemy on the Cross River at Liaoyang, digging moats and setting palisades and burying cannon below Liaoyang city, standing firm as an impregnable fortress. If he had been allowed to finish what he undertook, how could all territory beyond Yuguan have been handed over on a salver! Yet now all is erased from discussion; the reason he had to die has a cause. His talent covered an age; his spirit towered over a generation; debates flared everywhere, provoking universal anger and jointly raising the intent to kill — that is the path by which his body had to be killed. When Tingbi was investigated and arrested, heaven and sun repeatedly lost their light — clearly showing his injustice. I beg exoneration to encourage toiling ministers.

不從。明年五月，大學士韓爌等言：

The petition was not accepted. In the fifth month of the following year Grand Secretary Han Kuan and others said:

廷弼遺骸至今不得歸葬，從來國法所未有。今其子疏請歸葬，臣等擬票許之。蓋國典皇仁，並行不悖，理合如此。若廷弼罪狀始末，亦有可言。皇祖朝，戊申己酉間，廷弼以御史按遼東，早以遼患為慮，請核地界，飭營伍，聯絡南、北關，大聲疾呼，人莫為應。十年而驗若左券，其可言者一。戊午己未，楊鎬三路喪師，撫順、清河陷沒，皇祖用楊鶴言，召起廷弼代鎬。一年余，修飭守具，邊患稍寧。會皇祖賓天，廷議以廷弼無戰功，攻使去，使袁應泰代，四閱月而遼亡。使廷弼在，未必至此，其可言者二。遼陽既失，先帝思廷弼言，再起之田間，復任經略。化貞主戰，廷弼主守，群議皆是化貞。廷弼屢言玩師必敗，奸細當防，莫有聽者，徘徊躑躅，以五千人駐右屯。化貞兵十三萬駐廣寧。廣寧潰，右屯乃與俱潰，其可言者三。

Tingbi's remains to this day have not been permitted burial and return — never before in national law. Now his son memorializes asking to return the remains for burial; we ministers propose drafting approval. For national code and imperial benevolence run together without contradiction — it is fitting thus. As for the beginning and end of Tingbi's guilt, there is also something to be said. In our imperial ancestor's reign, between the wushen and jiyou years, Tingbi as censor inspected Liaodong, early taking Liaodong troubles as his concern, asking to verify boundaries, drill camps, and link south and north passes — crying aloud, yet none responded. Ten years later it was verified like a tally — the first point that may be stated. In wuwu and jiwei Yang Gao lost his army on three routes; Fushun and Qinghe fell; the imperial ancestor, following Yang He's advice, recalled Tingbi to replace Gao. In a little over a year he repaired defenses; frontier troubles were slightly calmed. When the imperial ancestor passed away, court deliberation held that Tingbi had no battle merit and attacked until he left; Yuan Yingtai replaced him — in four months Liaodong perished. Had Tingbi remained, it might not have come to this — the second point that may be stated. After Liaoyang was lost, the late emperor recalled Tingbi's words and raised him again from the fields, reappointing him frontier commissioner. Huazhen advocated battle; Tingbi advocated defense; collective opinion sided with Huazhen. Tingbi repeatedly said that toying with the army would surely bring defeat and that spies must be guarded against — none listened; he lingered and hesitated, stationing 5,000 men at You Tun. Huazhen's 130,000 troops were stationed at Guangning. When Guangning collapsed, You Tun collapsed with it — the third point that may be stated.

假令廷弼於此時死守右屯，捐軀殉封疆，豈非節烈奇男子。不然，支撐寧、前、錦、義間，扶傷救敗，收拾殘黎，猶可圖桑榆之效。乃倉皇風鶴，偕化貞並馬入關，其意以我固嘗言之，言而不聽，罪當末減。此則私心短見，殺身以此，殺身而無辭公論，亦以此。傳首邊庭，頭足異處，亦足為臨難鮮忠者之戒矣。然使誅廷弼者，按封疆失陷之條，偕同事諸臣，一體伏法，廷弼九原目瞑。乃先以賄贓拷坐楊漣、魏大中等，作清流陷阱；既而刊書惑眾，借題曲殺。身死尚懸坐贓十七萬，辱及妻孥，長子兆珪迫極自刎。斯則廷弼死未心服，海內忠臣義士亦多憤惋竊歎者。特以「封疆」二字，噤不敢訟陳皇上之前。

Had Tingbi at this time held You Tun to the death and sacrificed himself for the frontier, would he not have been a loyal and heroic man? Otherwise, sustaining Ning, Qian, Jin, and Yi, tending the wounded and saving defeat, and gathering the remnant people — he might still have achieved late success. Yet in panic at every wind and crane he entered the pass on horseback with Huazhen — his intent being that he had warned beforehand and was not heeded, so guilt should be mitigated. This was private motive and narrow view — he was killed for this, and public opinion gives no excuse for his death on this account either. Head transmitted to the frontier, head and body in different places — enough to warn those who are rarely loyal in peril. Yet if those who executed Tingbi, under the statute for losing the frontier, had punished all colleagues together, Tingbi would close his eyes in peace in the nine springs. Instead they first tortured Yang Lian, Wei Zhongxian and others on bribery charges, making a trap for the pure stream; then published books to confuse the masses and killed him on a pretext. After death he was still charged with embezzling 170,000, disgracing wife and children; eldest son Zhaogui, driven to extremity, cut his own throat. Thus Tingbi died unconvinced; loyal ministers and righteous men throughout the realm also sighed in indignation. Only because of the two words "frontier," they dared not plead before the emperor.

臣等平心論之，自有遼事以來，誆官營私者何算，廷弼不取一金錢，不通一饋問，焦脣敝舌，爭言大計。魏忠賢盜竊威福，士大夫靡然從風。廷弼以長系待決之人，屈曲則生，抗違則死，乃終不改其強直自遂之性，致獨膺顯戮，慷慨赴市，耿耿剛腸猶未盡泯。今縱不敢深言，而傳首已逾三年，收葬原無禁例，聖明必當垂仁。臣所以娓娓及此者，以茲事雖屬封疆，而實陰系朝中邪正本末。皇上天縱英哲，或不以臣等為大謬也。

We speak impartially: since Liaodong troubles began, how many deceived office and sought private gain — Tingbi took not one coin of gold, sent not one gift, and wore out lips and tongue arguing great plans. Wei Zhongxian stole authority and blessing; scholar-officials followed the wind. Tingbi, long imprisoned awaiting sentence — bend and live, resist and die — yet in the end did not change his hard, straight, self-willed nature, alone receiving conspicuous execution and going to the market generously; his loyal spirit was not wholly extinguished. Now even if we dare not speak deeply, the transmitted head has already exceeded three years; collecting remains for burial was never forbidden — the sage emperor surely will show benevolence. We speak at length on this because though the matter belongs to the frontier, it secretly concerns the root of right and wrong at court. Your Majesty is naturally brilliant — perhaps you will not think us greatly mistaken.

詔許其子持首歸葬。五年，化貞始伏誅。

An edict permitted his son to carry the head home for burial. In the fifth year Huazhen was at last executed.

袁崇煥〈（毛文龍）〉

Yuan Chonghuan (Mao Wenlong)〉

袁崇煥，字元素，東莞人。萬曆四十七年進士。授邵武知縣。為人慷慨負膽略，好談兵。遇老校退卒，輒與論塞上事，曉其厄塞情形，以邊才自許。

Yuan Chonghuan, styled Yuansu, was a native of Dongguan. He passed the metropolitan examination in the forty-seventh year of Wanli. He was appointed magistrate of Shaowu. As a man he was generous and possessed courage and strategy; he loved to discuss military affairs. Meeting old officers and retired soldiers he would discuss frontier matters, understanding their straits and passes, and considered himself frontier talent.

天啟二年正月，朝覲在都，御史侯恂請破格用之，遂擢兵部職方主事。無何，廣甯師潰，廷議扼山海關，崇煥即單騎出閱關內外。部中失袁主事，訝之，家人亦莫知所往。已，還朝，具言關上形勢，曰：「予我軍馬錢谷，我一人足守此。」廷臣益稱其才，遂超擢僉事，監關外軍，發帑金二十萬，俾招募。時關外地悉為哈剌慎諸部所據，崇煥乃駐守關內。未幾，諸部受款，經略王在晉令崇煥移駐中前所，監參將周守廉、遊擊左輔軍，經理前屯衛事。尋令赴前屯安置遼人之失業者，崇煥即夜行荊棘虎豹中，以四鼓入城，將士莫不壯其膽。在晉深倚重之，題為寧前兵備僉事，然崇煥薄在晉無遠略，不盡遵其令。及在晉議築重城八里鋪，崇煥以為非策，爭不得，奏記首輔葉向高。

In the first month of the second year of Tianqi, while attending court in the capital, Censor Hou Xun asked that he be employed beyond normal rules; he was then promoted to Director in the Bureau of Appointments in the Ministry of War. Before long the Guangning army collapsed; court deliberation held that Shanhaiguan must be held; Chonghuan alone rode out to inspect inside and outside the pass. The ministry lost Director Yuan and was surprised; his family also did not know where he had gone. Later he returned to court and fully set forth conditions at the pass, saying, "Give me horses, soldiers, money, and grain — I alone am enough to hold this." Court ministers increasingly praised his talent; he was then specially promoted to Vice Commissioner to supervise troops outside the pass, with 200,000 taels from the treasury for recruitment. At the time all territory outside the pass was held by Khalkha tribes; Chonghuan therefore garrisoned inside the pass. Before long the tribes accepted pacification; Frontier Commissioner Wang Zaijin ordered Chonghuan to move station to Zhongqiansuo, supervising Vice Commander Zhou Shoulian and Ranger Zuo Fu's armies and administering affairs of Qiantun Guard. Soon he was ordered to go to Qiantun to settle unemployed Liaodong people; Chonghuan traveled by night through brambles and tigers, entering the city at the fourth watch; officers and soldiers all admired his courage. Zaijin relied on him deeply and recommended him as Ningqian Military Defense Vice Commissioner, yet Chonghuan looked down on Zaijin's lack of far-reaching plan and did not fully follow his orders. When Zaijin deliberated building a heavy fort at Balipu, Chonghuan thought it not a good plan; unable to prevail in argument, he wrote to Chief Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao.

十三山難民十余萬，久困不能出。大學士孫承宗行邊，崇煥請：「將五千人駐寧遠，以壯十三山勢，別遣驍將救之。寧遠去山二百里，便則進據錦州，否則退守寧遠，奈何委十萬人置度外？」承宗謀于總督王象乾。象乾以關上軍方喪氣，議發插部護關者三千人往，承宗以為然，告在晉。在晉竟不能救，眾遂沒，脫歸者僅六千人而已。及承宗駁重城議，集將吏謀所守。閻鳴泰主覺華，崇煥主寧遠，在晉及張應吾、邢慎言持不可，承宗竟主崇煥議。已，承宗鎮關門，益倚崇煥，崇煥內拊軍民，外飭邊備，勞績大著。崇煥嘗核虛伍，立斬一校。承宗怒曰：「監軍可專殺耶？」崇煥頓首謝，其果于用法類此。

More than 100,000 refugees at Shisanshan were long trapped and could not get out. Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong toured the frontier; Chonghuan asked, "Station 5,000 men at Ningyuan to strengthen Shisanshan's position and separately send a fierce general to rescue them. Ningyuan is 200 li from the mountain — if convenient advance and hold Jinzhou; if not retreat and hold Ningyuan — how can we abandon 100,000 people?" Chengzong consulted Governor Wang Xiangqian. Xiangqian, because troops at the pass had just lost morale, deliberated sending 3,000 Chahar troops guarding the pass; Chengzong thought this correct and told Zaijin. Zaijin in the end could not rescue them; the multitude was destroyed; only about 6,000 escaped. When Chengzong rejected the heavy fort plan he gathered generals and officers to deliberate what to hold. Yan Mingtai favored Juehua; Chonghuan favored Ningyuan; Zaijin together with Zhang Yingwu and Xing Shenyan held it impossible; Chengzong ultimately sided with Chonghuan. Later Chengzong guarded the pass gate and relied on Chonghuan all the more; Chonghuan comforted soldiers and civilians within and tightened frontier preparations without — his labor and merit were great. Chonghuan once audited phantom rolls and immediately executed one company commander. Chengzong angrily said, "May a supervising commissioner kill on his own authority?" Chonghuan kowtowed in apology; his decisiveness in applying the law was of this kind.

三年九月，承宗決守寧遠。僉事萬有孚、劉詔力阻，不聽，命滿桂偕崇煥往。初，承宗令祖大壽築寧遠城，大壽度中朝不能遠守，築僅十一，且疏薄不中程。崇煥乃定規制：高三丈二尺，雉高六尺，址廣三丈，上二丈四尺。大壽與參將高見、賀謙分督之，明年迄工，遂為關外重鎮。桂，良將，而崇煥勤職，誓與城存亡；又善撫，將士樂為盡力。由是商旅輻輳，流移駢集，遠近望為樂士。遭父憂，奪情視事。四年九月，偕大將馬世龍、王世欽率水陸馬步軍萬二千，東巡廣寧，謁北鎮祠，曆十三山，抵右屯，遂由水道泛三岔河而還。尋以五防敘勞，進兵備副使，再進右參政。

In the ninth month of the third year Chengzong decided to hold Ningyuan. Vice Commissioners Wan Youfu and Liu Zhao strongly opposed; he did not listen and ordered Man Gui to go together with Chonghuan. Initially Chengzong ordered Zu Dashou to build Ningyuan city; Dashou judged that the central court could not hold far and built only one-tenth, thin and not meeting specifications. Chonghuan then fixed regulations: height three zhang two chi, parapet six chi, base three zhang wide, top two zhang four chi wide. Dashou together with Vice Commanders Gao Jian and He Qian supervised in division; the next year work was completed — it became the great fortress outside the pass. Gui was a good general, and Chonghuan was diligent in duty, swearing to live and die with the city; he also knew how to comfort troops; officers and soldiers gladly exerted themselves. Thereupon merchants gathered, refugees streamed in, and near and far looked on it as a happy land. When his father died he was ordered to set aside mourning and continue in office. In the ninth month of the fourth year, together with Supreme Generals Ma Shilong and Wang Shiqin he led 12,000 cavalry and infantry by land and water east to tour Guangning, visited the North Guardian temple, passed Shisanshan, reached You Tun, then returned by water via the Sancha River. Soon, for merit in the five defenses, he was promoted to Military Defense Vice Commissioner, then again to Right Vice Administrator.

崇煥之東巡也，請即復錦州、右屯諸城，承宗以為時未可，乃止。至五年夏，承宗與崇煥計，遣將分據錦州、松山、杏山、右屯及大、小淩河，繕城郭居之。自是寧遠且為內地，開疆復二百里。十月，承宗罷，高第來代，謂關外必不可守，令盡撤錦、右諸城守具，移其將士於關內。督屯通判金啟倧上書崇煥曰：「錦、右、大淩三城皆前鋒要地。倘收兵退，既安之民庶復播遷，已得之封疆再淪沒，關內外堪幾次退守耶！」崇煥亦力爭不可，言：「兵法有進無退。三城已復，安可輕撤？錦、右動搖，則寧、前震驚，關門亦失保障。今但擇良將守之，必無他慮。」第意堅，且欲並撤寧、前二城。崇煥曰：「我寧前道也，官此當死此，我必不去。」第無以難，乃撤錦州、右屯、大、小淩河及松山、杏山、塔山守具，盡驅屯兵入關，委棄米粟十余萬，而死亡載途，哭聲震野，民怨而軍益不振。崇煥遂乞終制，不許。十二月進按察使，視事如故。

In Chonghuan's eastern tour he asked to recover Jinzhou, You Tun and other cities immediately; Chengzong thought the time not yet ripe and stopped. By the fifth year summer Chengzong and Chonghuan planned to send generators to hold Jinzhou, Songshan, Xingshan, You Tun and the Great and Small Ling Rivers, repair walls and dwell there. From this Ningyuan became interior territory; recovered territory extended 200 li. In the tenth month Chengzong was dismissed; Gao Di came to replace him, saying territory outside the pass absolutely could not be held, ordering all defenses at Jin, You and other cities withdrawn and their officers and soldiers moved inside the pass. Colony Supervisor Tongpan Jin Qizao wrote Chonghuan, "Jin, You, and Daling three cities are all vanguard key points. If troops are withdrawn, settled people will again be displaced, recovered frontier again lost — how many times can inside and outside the pass retreat and hold?" Chonghuan also argued forcefully that it could not be done, saying, "In military law there is advance, no retreat. The three cities are recovered — how can they be lightly abandoned? If Jin and You shake, then Ning and Qian are alarmed and the pass gate also loses protection. Now only choose good generals to hold them — there will surely be no other worry." Di's intent was firm and he also wished to withdraw Ning and Qian as well. Chonghuan said, "I am of the Ningqian circuit; holding this office I should die here — I absolutely will not leave." Di had no way to object; he withdrew defenses at Jinzhou, You Tun, Great and Small Ling Rivers and Songshan, Xingshan, and Tashan, drove all colony troops into the pass, abandoned more than 100,000 shi of grain — death filled the roads, wailing shook the fields; the people resented and the army grew ever more dispirited. Chonghuan then begged to complete mourning; this was not permitted. In the twelfth month he was promoted to Surveillance Commissioner and continued in office as before.

我大清知經略易與，六年正月舉大軍西渡遼河，二十三日抵寧遠。崇煥聞，即偕大將桂，副將左輔、硃梅，參將大壽，守備何可剛等集將士誓死守。崇煥更刺血為書，激以忠義，為之下拜，將士鹹請效死。乃盡焚城外民居，攜守具入城，清野以待。令同知程維楧詰奸，通判啟倧具守卒食，辟道上行人。檄前屯守將趙率教、山海守將楊麒，將士逃至者悉斬，人心始定。明日，大軍進攻，載楯穴城，矢石不能退。崇煥令閩卒羅立，發西洋巨砲，傷城外軍。明日，再攻，復被卻，圍遂解，而啟倧亦以然砲死。

Our Great Qing, knowing the frontier commissioner was easy to deal with, in the first month of the sixth year raised a great army west across the Liao River; on the twenty-third day it reached Ningyuan. When Chonghuan heard he immediately together with Supreme General Gui, Vice Generals Zuo Fu and Zhu Mei, Vice Commander Dashou, and Garrison Commander He Kegang and others gathered officers and soldiers and swore to hold to the death. Chonghuan further wrote in blood to rouse them with loyalty and righteousness, bowing to them; officers and soldiers all asked to die for the cause. They burned all dwellings outside the city, brought defensive equipment into the city, and cleared the fields awaiting the enemy. He ordered Prefect Cheng Weiyuan to investigate spies; Tongpan Qizao to supply garrison food; cleared the road for travelers. He issued orders to Qiantun Garrison Commander Zhao Shuaijiao and Shanhai Garrison Commander Yang Qi — all officers and soldiers who fled were executed; hearts were then settled. The next day the great army advanced to attack, carrying shields and digging under the wall; arrows and stones could not repel them. Chonghuan ordered Fujian soldier Luo Li to fire Western great cannon, wounding troops outside the city. The next day they attacked again and were again repelled; the siege was lifted — Qizao also died firing heated shot.

啟倧起小吏，官經歷，主賞功事，勤敏有志介。承宗重之，用為通判，核兵馬錢糧，督城工，理軍民詞訟，大得眾心。死，贈光祿少卿，世廕錦衣試百戶。

Qizao rose from a petty clerk, served as Director, managed merit awards — diligent, sharp, and principled. Chengzong valued him, used him as Tongpan, audited horses, funds, and grain, supervised wall work, handled civil and military lawsuits — greatly winning popular hearts. At death he was posthumously granted Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; hereditary enrollment as trial hundred-household of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

初，中朝聞警，兵部尚書王永光大集廷臣議戰守，無善策。經略第、總兵麒並擁兵關上，不救，中外謂寧遠必不守。及崇煥以書聞，舉朝大喜，立擢崇煥右僉都御史，璽書獎勵，桂等進秩有差。

When word of the crisis first reached the capital, Minister of War Wang Yongguang convened a large council of officials to debate war and defense, yet no sound policy emerged. Frontier Commissioner Gao Di and General Yang Qi both kept their armies at the pass and refused to relieve the city; at court and beyond, all assumed Ningyuan could not be saved. When Yuan Chonghuan's dispatch arrived, the court erupted in joy. He was promptly promoted to Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief, honored with an imperial commendation, and Man Gui and the others received graded promotions.

我大清初解圍，分兵數萬略覺華島，殺參將金冠等及軍民數萬。崇煥方完城，力竭不能救也。高第鎮關門，大反承宗政務，折辱諸將，諸將鹹解體，遇麒若偏裨，麒至，見侮其卒。至是，坐失援，第、麒並褫官去，而以王之臣代第，趙率教代麒。

As soon as the Great Qing lifted the siege, it sent tens of thousands of men to plunder Juehua Island, slaying Vice Commander Jin Guan and others and killing tens of thousands of troops and civilians. Yuan Chonghuan had only just finished rebuilding the fortifications and was spent; he could not reach them in time. Gao Di held Tong Pass and overturned Sun Chengzong's entire program, shaming his commanders until the army fell apart. He treated Yang Qi like a subordinate captain, yet when Qi appeared, Gao's own men were mocked in turn. For their failure to relieve the garrison, Gao Di and Yang Qi were both dismissed. Wang Zhichen succeeded Di as frontier commissioner, and Zhao Shuejiao took Qi's place as regional commander.

我大清舉兵，所向無不摧破，諸將罔敢議戰守。議戰守，自崇煥始。三月，復設遼東巡撫，以崇煥為之。魏忠賢遣其党劉應坤、紀用等出鎮。崇煥抗疏諫，不納。敘功，加兵部右侍郎，賚銀幣，世廕錦衣千戶。

The Great Qing swept all before it wherever it marched, and none of the Ming generals dared even debate whether to fight or hold. It was Yuan Chonghuan who first broke that silence and put war and defense back on the table. In the third month the Liaodong grand coordinator's office was restored, and Yuan Chonghuan was named to it. Wei Zhongxian dispatched his partisans Liu Yingkun and Ji Yong to assume field commands. Yuan Chonghuan protested in a blunt memorial, but the throne would not hear him. For his victory he was raised to Vice Minister of War on the right, rewarded with silver and silks, and granted hereditary enrollment as thousand-household of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

崇煥既解圍，志漸驕，與桂不協，請移之他鎮，乃召桂還。崇煥以之臣奏留桂，又與不協。中朝慮僨事，命之臣專督關內，以關外屬崇煥畫關守。崇煥虞廷臣忌己，上言：「陛下以關內外分責二臣，用遼人守遼土，且守且戰，且築且屯。屯種所入，可漸減海運。大要堅壁清野以為體，乘間擊瑕以為用；戰雖不足，守則有餘；守既有余，戰無不足。顧勇猛圖敵，敵必仇；奮迅立功，眾必忌。任勞則必召怨，蒙罪始可有功；怨不深則勞不著，罪不大則功不成。謗書盈篋，毀言日至，從古已然，惟聖明與廷臣始終之。」帝優旨褒答。

Once the siege was broken, Yuan Chonghuan grew increasingly arrogant and clashed with Man Gui, asking that Gui be posted elsewhere; the court then recalled Gui. Chonghuan had Wang Zhichen petition to keep Gui in place, and the two men remained at odds. Fearing their feud would wreck the frontier, the court confined Wang Zhichen to affairs inside the pass and left the territory beyond the pass entirely to Yuan Chonghuan's planning. Yuan Chonghuan, suspecting the court envied him, wrote: "Your Majesty has split the frontier between two ministers. Let Liaodong men hold Liaodong ground—defending while fighting, fortifying while settling. Revenue from frontier farming could slowly ease the burden of shipping grain by sea. The core strategy is strong walls and scorched earth as the foundation, and opportune strikes as the instrument; We may be too weak to seek battle, but more than strong enough to hold; and once defense is secure, offense need not be wanting. But the man who rushes to grapple with the enemy makes an enemy of him; and the man who snatches glory invites resentment from all sides. Toil brings slander; only through enduring blame can one earn real merit; unless the slander runs deep the labor goes unseen, and unless the blame is heavy the achievement never stands. Memorials of abuse overflow the desk and fresh accusations arrive every day, as they have since ancient times. Only Your Majesty and the ministers can sustain a man through to the end. The Emperor answered with warm commendation.

其冬，崇煥偕應坤、用、率教巡曆錦州、大、小淩河，議大興屯田，漸復第所棄舊土。忠賢與應坤等並因是廕錦衣，崇煥進所廕為指揮僉事。崇煥遂言：「遼左之壞，雖人心不固，亦緣失有形之險，無以固人心。兵不利野戰，只有憑堅城、用大砲一策。今山海四城既新，當更修松山諸城，班軍四萬人，缺一不可。」帝報從之。

That winter Yuan Chonghuan toured Jinzhou and the Greater and Lesser Ling Rivers with Yingkun, Yong, and Shuejiao, planning extensive land settlement and gradually reclaiming the ground Gao Di had abandoned. Wei Zhongxian and Yingkun were ennobled in the Guard on this pretext, and Chonghuan promoted his own ennobled kin to Assistant Commander. Yuan Chonghuan wrote: "Eastern Liaodong collapsed not only because hearts wavered, but because we lost real fortifications and had nothing left to anchor loyalty. Our troops cannot fight in the open field; our sole recourse is strong walls and heavy artillery. With Shanhai's four cities newly rebuilt, Songshan and the other forts must be strengthened as well. Forty thousand rotating garrison troops are required—not one fewer. The Emperor agreed.

先是，八月中，我太祖高皇帝晏駕，崇煥遣使吊，且以覘虛實。我太宗文皇帝遣使報之，崇煥欲議和，以書附使者還報。我大清兵將討朝鮮，欲因此阻其兵，得一意南下。七年正月，再遣使答之，遂大興兵渡鴨綠江南討。朝議以崇煥、之臣不相能，召之臣還，罷經略不設，以關內外盡屬崇煥，與鎮守中官應坤、用並便宜從事。崇煥銳意恢復，乃乘大軍之出，遣將繕錦州、中左、大淩三城，而再使使持書議和。會朝鮮及毛文龍同告急，朝命崇煥發兵援，崇煥以水師援文龍，又遣左輔、趙率教、硃梅等九將將精卒九千先後逼三岔河，為牽制之勢，而朝鮮已為大清所服，諸將乃還。

Earlier, in the eighth month, the Great Qing's founding emperor died. Yuan Chonghuan sent envoys to mourn him and to spy out the realm's strength. The Great Qing's Hong Taiji sent envoys in return. Yuan Chonghuan sought peace talks and attached a letter to their dispatch home. The Great Qing was preparing to attack Korea and hoped to tie down its forces so as to march south unhindered. In the first month of the seventh year he sent envoys again; then the Great Qing massed its armies, crossed the Yalu into Korea, and struck. The court judged Yuan Chonghuan and Wang Zhichen incompatible, recalled Zhichen, abolished the frontier commissionership, and placed everything beyond and within the pass under Chonghuan, granting him and the eunuch commanders Yingkun and Yong full discretionary power. Eager to recover territory, Yuan Chonghuan exploited the enemy's absence abroad to repair Jinzhou, Zhongzuo, and Greater Ling, even as he again dispatched envoys to discuss peace. When Korea and Mao Wenlong both cried for help, the court ordered relief. Chonghuan sent his fleet to Wenlong and nine generals—including Zuo Fu, Zhao Shuejiao, and Zhu Mei—with nine thousand elite troops toward San Cha River to pin the enemy down. Korea had already fallen to the Great Qing, and the columns came back empty-handed.

崇煥初議和，中朝不知。及奏報，優旨許之，後以為非計，頻旨戒諭。崇煥欲藉是修故疆，持愈力。而朝鮮及文龍被兵，言官因謂和議所致。四月，崇煥上言：「關外四城雖延袤二百里，北負山，南阻海，廣四十里爾。今屯兵六萬，商民數十萬，地隘人稠，安所得食？錦州、中左、大淩三城，修築必不可已。業移商民，廣開屯種。倘城不完而敵至，勢必撤還，是棄垂成功也。故乘敵有事江東，姑以和之說緩之。敵知，則三城已完，戰守又在關門四百里外，金湯益固矣。」帝優旨報聞。

At first the court knew nothing of Yuan Chonghuan's peace talks. His memorial won gracious approval, but the policy was soon deemed mistaken and repeated edicts warned him against it. Yuan Chonghuan meant to use the negotiations to rebuild the frontier and pressed on all the harder. When Korea and Wenlong were struck, the censors blamed the peace negotiations. In the fourth month Yuan Chonghuan wrote: "The four frontier cities span two hundred li north to south against mountain and sea, yet they are only forty li wide. Sixty thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of merchants and civilians are packed into that strip—where is their grain to come from? Jinzhou, Zhongzuo, and Greater Ling must be finished at all costs. Settlers must be relocated and farming expanded. If the forts are unfinished when the enemy comes, we must pull back—and that means throwing away victory within reach. So while the enemy is busy in Korea, I use peace talks chiefly to buy time. By the time they see through the ruse, the three cities will stand complete and our line of battle will lie four hundred li beyond the pass—stronger than ever. The Emperor answered with warm approval.

時率教駐錦州，護版築，朝命尤世祿來代，又以輔為前鋒總兵官，駐大淩河。世祿未至，輔未入大淩，五月十一日大清兵直抵錦州，四面合圍。率教偕中官用嬰城守，而遣使議和，欲緩師以待救，使三返不決，圍益急。崇煥以寧遠兵不可動，選精騎四千，令世祿、大壽將，繞出大軍後決戰；別遣水師東出，相牽制；且請發薊鎮、宣、大兵，東護關門。朝廷已命山海滿桂移前屯，三屯孫祖壽移山海，宣府黑雲龍移一片石，薊遼總督閻鳴泰移關城；又發昌平、天津、保定兵馳赴上關；檄山西、河南、山東守臣整兵聽調。世祿等將行，大清已於二十八日分兵趨寧遠。崇煥與中官應坤、副使畢自肅督將士登陴守，列營濠內，用砲距擊；而桂、世祿、大壽大戰城外，士多死，桂身被數矢，大軍亦旋引去，益兵攻錦州。以溽暑不能克，士卒多損傷，六月五日亦引還，因毀大、小淩河二城。時稱甯、錦大捷，桂、率教功為多。忠賢因使其黨論崇煥不救錦州為暮氣，崇煥遂乞休。中外方爭頌忠賢，崇煥不得已，亦請建祠，終不為所喜。七月，遂允其歸，而以王之臣代為督師兼遼東巡撫，駐甯遠。及敘功，文武增秩賜廕者數百人，忠賢子亦封伯，而崇煥止增一秩。尚書霍維華不平，疏乞讓廕，忠賢亦不許。

Zhao Shuejiao held Jinzhou while the walls went up. The court sent You Shilu to replace him and posted Zuo Fu as vanguard commander at Greater Ling River. Shilu had not yet arrived and Fu had not yet entered Greater Ling when, on the eleventh of the fifth month, the Great Qing army appeared before Jinzhou and closed a ring around it. Zhao Shuejiao and the eunuch Yong defended the walls while sending envoys to parley for time. Three missions came back unresolved, and the ring tightened. Unable to strip Ningyuan, Yuan Chonghuan chose four thousand elite horsemen under You Shilu and Zu Dashou to swing behind the enemy host and force a decisive fight; he sent the fleet eastward as a diversion; and asked for Ji, Xuanfu, and Datong troops to shield the pass from the east. The court had already shifted Man Gui from Shanhai to Qian Tun, Sun Zushou from Santun to Shanhai, Hei Yunlong from Xuanfu to Yipian Stone, and Grand Coordinator Yan Mingtai to the pass; Changping, Tianjin, and Baoding columns were hurrying to Upper Pass; and frontier officials in Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong were told to stand ready. As Shilu and the others marched out, on the twenty-eighth the Great Qing split its force and turned on Ningyuan. Yuan Chonghuan, the eunuch Yingkun, and Vice Commissioner Bi Zisù manned the walls, camped inside the moat, and beat off the assault with artillery; while Man Gui, Shilu, and Dashou fought outside until many fell; Gui took several arrows. The main column soon withdrew to reinforce the siege of Jinzhou. Unable to crack the city in the summer heat and losing heavily, they withdrew on the fifth of the sixth month and demolished Greater and Lesser Ling. The court hailed a great victory at Ningyuan and Jinzhou, with the chief credit going to Man Gui and Zhao Shuejiao. Wei Zhongxian's men claimed Yuan Chonghuan's tardiness at Jinzhou showed fading spirit, and Chonghuan asked to retire. With the whole court praising Wei Zhongxian, Chonghuan reluctantly petitioned for a shrine in his honor yet still earned no goodwill. In the seventh month his retirement was approved. Wang Zhichen became supreme commander and Liaodong grand coordinator at Ningyuan. Hundreds of officers were promoted and ennobled for the campaign; Wei Zhongxian's son was made a marquis, while Yuan Chonghuan gained a single rank. Minister Huo Weihua protested the injustice and offered to yield his own ennoblement; Zhongxian refused.

未幾，熹宗崩。莊烈帝即位，忠賢伏誅，削諸冒功者。廷臣爭請召崇煥。其年十一月擢右都御史，視兵部添注左侍郎事。崇禎元年四月，命以兵部尚書兼右副都御史，督師薊遼、兼督登萊、天津軍務，所司敦促上道。七月，崇煥入都，先奏陳兵事，帝召見平臺，慰勞甚至，咨以方略。對曰：「方略已具疏中。臣受陛下特眷，願假以便宜，計五年，全遼可復。」帝曰：「復遼，朕不吝封侯賞。卿努力解天下倒懸，卿子孫亦受其福。」崇煥頓首謝。帝退少憩，給事中許譽卿叩以五年之略。崇煥言：「聖心焦勞，聊以是相慰耳。」譽卿曰：「上英明，安可漫對。異日按期責效，奈何？」崇煥憮然自失。頃之，帝出，即奏言：「東事本不易竣。陛下既委臣，臣安敢辭難。但五年內，戶部轉軍餉，工部給器械，吏部用人，兵部調兵選將，須中外事事相應，方克有濟。」帝為飭四部臣，如其言。

Not long after, the Tianqi Emperor died. The Chongzhen Emperor came to the throne. Wei Zhongxian was put to death and the false claimants to glory were purged. Officials clamored to bring Yuan Chonghuan back. In the eleventh month he was made Right Censor-in-Chief with additional charge as Left Vice Minister of War. In the fourth month of Chongzhen 1 he was named Minister of War and Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, supreme commander of Ji-Liao with concurrent authority over Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Tianjin; the ministries pressed him to depart at once. In the seventh month Yuan Chonghuan reached the capital and laid out his military views. The Chongzhen Emperor received him at the Platform of Peace, lavished praise upon him, and asked for his plan. He answered: "The strategy is already in my memorial. Your Majesty has shown me extraordinary trust. Grant me discretion, and in five years I can recover all of Liaodong. The Emperor said: "Recover Liaodong and I shall not stint enfeoffment or reward. Lift this empire from the brink, and your line shall share the blessing." Yuan Chonghuan kowtowed in gratitude. When the Emperor stepped away briefly, Supervising Secretary Xu Yuqing pressed him on the five-year plan. Yuan Chonghuan said: "The Son of Heaven is deeply troubled; I meant only to give him heart. Xu Yuqing replied: "The Emperor is shrewd. You cannot answer him with empty comfort. When five years are up and he asks for results, what will you say? Yuan Chonghuan flushed and fell silent. When the Emperor returned, Chonghuan at once wrote: "The eastern frontier was never an easy task. Yet since Your Majesty has entrusted it to me, I dare not refuse the burden. Within five years Revenue must pay, Works must arm, Personnel must appoint, and War must mobilize—court and frontier must move as one, or nothing can be done. The Emperor immediately ordered the four ministries to obey.

崇煥又言：「以臣之力，制全遼有餘，調眾口不足。一出國門，便成萬里，忌能妒功，夫豈無人。即不以權力掣臣肘，亦能以意見亂臣謀。」帝起立傾聽，諭之曰：「卿無疑慮，朕自有主持。」大學士劉鴻訓等請收還之臣、桂尚方劍，以賜崇煥，假之便宜。帝悉從之，賜崇煥酒饌而出。崇煥以前此熊廷弼、孫承宗皆為人排構，不得竟其志，上言：「恢復之計，不外臣昔年以遼人守遼土，以遼土養遼人，守為正著，戰為奇著，和為旁著之說。法在漸不在驟，在實不在虛，此臣與諸邊臣所能為。至用人之人，與為人用之人，皆至尊司其鑰。何以任而勿貳，信而勿疑？蓋馭邊臣與廷臣異，軍中可驚可疑者殊多，但當論成敗之大局，不必摘一言一行之微瑕。事任既重，為怨實多，諸有利於封疆者，皆不利於此身者也。況圖敵之急，敵亦從而間之，是以為邊臣甚難。陛下愛臣知臣，臣何必過疑懼，但中有所危，不敢不告。」帝優詔答之，賜蟒玉、銀幣，疏辭蟒玉不受。

He added: "My strength is enough to hold Liaodong; it is not enough to silence every critic. Beyond the gate I am ten thousand li from the throne, and men who envy merit are never far. Even without authority to bind my arm, they can wreck my plans with words. The Emperor stood and listened, saying: "Have no fear—I shall stand behind you." Grand Secretaries Liu Hongxun and others asked that the Imperial Swords held by Wang Zhichen and Man Gui be given to Yuan Chonghuan with full discretionary power. The Emperor agreed to everything, feasted him, and sent him on his way. Knowing that Xiong Tingbi and Sun Chengzong had been undone by court intrigue, Yuan Chonghuan wrote: "Recovery rests on what I have always said: Liaodong men on Liaodong soil, Liaodong soil feeding Liaodong men—defense as the main stroke, offense as the feint, negotiation as the side stroke. Progress must be slow, not sudden; real, not hollow. That much the frontier ministers can do. But who appoints and who serves—the keys remain Your Majesty's alone. How can a frontier minister be trusted without doubt? Frontier command is not court politics. The camp breeds alarm and suspicion at every turn. Judge the large outcome, not every small slip. Heavy office breeds heavy blame; what helps the border hurts the man who holds it. The harder we press the enemy, the harder he works to divide us—so the frontier post is a cruel one. Your Majesty knows and favors me, and I need not live in terror. Yet what I fear, I must say. The Emperor answered warmly and sent python robes and jade; Yuan Chonghuan declined the robes.

是月，川、湖兵戍寧遠者，以缺餉四月大噪，余十三營起應之，縛系巡撫畢自肅、總兵官硃梅、通判張世榮、推官蘇涵淳於譙樓上。自肅傷重，兵備副使郭廣初至，躬翼自肅，括撫賞及朋椿二萬金以散，不厭，貸商民足五萬，乃解。自肅疏引罪，走中左所，自經死。崇煥以八月初抵關，聞變馳與廣密謀，宥首惡張正朝、張思順，令捕十五人戮之市；斬知謀中軍吳國琦，責參將彭簪古，黜都司左良玉等四人。發正朝、思順前鋒立功，世榮、涵淳以貪虐致變，亦斥之。獨都司程大樂一營不從變，特為獎勵。一方乃靖。

That month troops from Sichuan and Huguang at Ningyuan, unpaid for four months, mutinied loudly. Thirteen camps joined them and bound Grand Coordinator Bi Zisù, Regional Commander Zhu Mei, Prefect Zhang Shirong, and Push Officer Su Hanchun on the watchtower. Zisù was badly hurt. Vice Commissioner Guo Guang, newly arrived, shielded him personally, scraped together comfort silver and twenty thousand taels from Peng Chun, and still failed to appease them until merchants were forced to lend fifty thousand more. Bi Zisù took blame in a memorial, went to Zhongzuo Station, and hanged himself. Yuan Chonghuan reached the frontier in early eighth month, heard of the mutiny, and hurried to plot with Guo Guang. He spared ringleaders Zhang Zhengchao and Zhang Sishun, had fifteen men seized and executed in the market, beheaded Staff Officer Wu Guoqi for complicity, reprimanded Vice Commander Peng Zangu, and dismissed Left Company Commander Zuo Liangyu and three others. He sent Zhengchao and Sishun to the front to redeem themselves; Zhang Shirong and Su Hanchun were expelled for the greed and cruelty that had sparked the revolt. Only Company Commander Cheng Dale's unit held firm and was specially rewarded. The region was calmed.

關外大將四五人，事多掣肘。後定設二人，以梅鎮寧遠，大壽仍駐錦州。至是，梅將解任，崇煥請合寧、錦為一鎮，大壽仍駐錦州，加中軍副將何可剛都督僉事，代梅駐寧遠，而移薊鎮率教於關門，關內外止設二大將。因極稱三人之才，謂：「臣自期五年，專藉此三人，當與臣相終始。屆期不效，臣手戮三人，而身歸死于司敗。」帝可之，崇煥遂留鎮寧遠。自肅既死，崇煥請停巡撫，及登萊巡撫孫國楨免，崇煥又請罷不設。帝亦報可。哈剌慎三十六家向受撫賞，後為插漢所迫，且歲饑，有叛志。崇煥召至於邊，親撫慰，皆聽命。二年閏四月，敘春秋兩防功，加太子太保，賜蟒衣、銀幣，廕錦衣千戶。

Four or five senior generals beyond the pass often pulled against one another. The command was later reduced to two: Zhu Mei at Ningyuan, Zu Dashou at Jinzhou. When Mei was leaving, Yuan Chonghuan merged Ningyuan and Jinzhou under one command: Dashou stayed at Jinzhou, Central Staff Deputy He Kegang replaced Mei at Ningyuan, and Zhao Shuejiao from Ji was posted to the pass—two great generals in all. He praised all three lavishly: "I ask five years and stake everything on these three men—they must see the plan through with me. If I fail, I shall kill them myself and surrender my life to the Ministry of Justice. The Emperor agreed, and Yuan Chonghuan stayed at Ningyuan. After Bi Zisù's death Yuan Chonghuan asked to abolish the grand coordinator's office; when Deng-Lai Grand Coordinator Sun Guozhen left, he asked that it not be restored. The Emperor agreed again. Thirty-six Harchin clans long on pacification pay, harried by the Chakhar and starving year after year, began to turn disloyal. Yuan Chonghuan summoned them to the border, reassured them in person, and won their obedience. In the intercalary fourth month of the second year he was made Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, given python robes and silks, and ennobled as thousand-household of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for the year's defenses.

崇煥始受事，即欲誅毛文龍。文龍者，仁和人。以都司援朝鮮，逗留遼東，遼東失，自海道遁回，乘虛襲殺大清鎮江守將，報巡撫王化貞，而不及經略熊廷弼，兩人隙始開。用事者方主化貞，遂授文龍總兵，累加至左都督，掛將軍印，賜尚方劍，設軍鎮皮島如內地。皮島亦謂之東江，在登、萊大海中，綿亙八十里，不生草木，遠南岸，近北岸，北岸海面八十里即抵大清界，其東北海則朝鮮也。島上兵本河東民，自天啟元年河東失，民多逃島中。文龍籠絡其民為兵，分佈哨船，聯接登州，以為掎角計。中朝是之，島事由此起。

From the day he took command Yuan Chonghuan meant to kill Mao Wenlong. Mao Wenlong was a native of Renhe. Sent as company commander to aid Korea, he stayed in Liaodong. When the region fell he escaped by sea, struck the Great Qing garrison at Zhenjiang, reported to Grand Coordinator Wang Huazhen but not to Frontier Commissioner Xiong Tingbi—and the breach between the two men opened. The faction behind Wang Huazhen made Wenlong regional commander, raised him to Left Chief Commander, gave him the general's seal and Imperial Sword, and treated Pi Island like a mainland command. Pi Island—also called Eastern River—lay in the open sea off Deng and Lai, eighty li long and barren, close to the northern coast eighty li from Great Qing territory, with Korea to the northeast. Its soldiers were refugees from east of the Liao River; after that region fell in Tianqi 1 they flooded the island. Mao Wenlong enrolled them as troops, spread picket boats, and linked the island to Dengzhou as a pincer. The court approved, and the Eastern River command was born.

四年五月，文龍遣將沿鴨綠江越長白山，侵大清國東偏，為守將擊敗，眾盡殲。八月，遣兵從義州城西渡江，入島中屯田，大清守將覺，潛師襲擊，斬五百餘級，島中糧悉被焚。五年六月，遣兵襲耀州之官屯寨，敗歸。六年五月，遣兵襲鞍山驛，喪其卒千餘。越數日又遣兵襲撤爾河，攻城南，為大清守將所卻。七年正月，大清兵征朝鮮，並規剿文龍。三月，大清兵克義州，分兵夜搗文龍於鐵山。文龍敗，遁歸島中。時大清惡文龍躡後，故致討朝鮮，以其助文龍為兵端。

In the fifth month of the fourth year he sent a column up the Yalu past Changbai Mountain into the Great Qing east; the garrison destroyed it. In the eighth month he sent men across the river west of Yizhou to farm; the enemy struck by night, killed more than five hundred, and burned the island's grain. In the sixth month of the fifth year he raided Yaozhou's official granary and came back beaten. In the fifth month of the sixth year he struck Anshan Post and lost over a thousand men. Days later he hit Sa'er River, assaulted the south gate, and was driven off. In the first month of the seventh year the Great Qing marched on Korea and meant to destroy Mao Wenlong as well. In the third month they took Yizhou and by night struck Wenlong at Tieshan. Mao Wenlong was beaten and fled to the island. The Great Qing hated Wenlong for threatening its rear and made his support the pretext for war on Korea.

顧文龍所居東江，形勢雖足牽制，其人本無大略，往輒敗衄，而歲糜餉無算；且惟務廣招商賈，販易禁物，名濟朝鮮，實闌出塞，無事則鬻參販布為業，有事亦罕得其用。工科給事中潘士聞劾文龍糜餉殺降，尚寶卿董茂忠請撤文龍，治兵關、寧。兵部議不可，而崇煥心弗善也，嘗疏請遣部臣理餉。文龍惡文臣監製，抗疏駁之，崇煥不悅。及文龍來謁，接以賓禮，文龍又不讓，崇煥謀益決。

Eastern River's position could tie the enemy down, but Wenlong had no grand strategy and lost whenever he fought; he trafficked with merchants in contraband under cover of aiding Korea, profited in ginseng and cloth in quiet times, and was useless in war. Supervising Secretary Pan Shiwen accused Wenlong of wasting pay and killing prisoners; Senior Attendant Dong Maozhong asked that he be removed and troops concentrated at Tong and Ning. War rejected the proposal, but Yuan Chonghuan disliked Wenlong and once asked for a ministry officer to audit supplies. Wenlong hated civil oversight and answered with a defiant memorial; Chonghuan grew angrier. When Wenlong came to call, Chonghuan treated him as an equal guest; Wenlong refused deference, and the decision to kill him hardened.

至是，遂以閱兵為名，泛海抵雙島，文龍來會。崇煥與相燕飲，每至夜分，文龍不覺也。崇煥議更營制，設監司，文龍怫然。崇煥以歸鄉動之，文龍曰：「向有此意，但惟我知東事，東事畢，朝鮮衰弱，可襲而有也。」崇煥益不悅。以六月五日邀文龍觀將士射，先設幄山上，令參將謝尚政等伏甲士幄外。文龍至，其部卒不得入。崇煥曰：「予詰朝行，公當海外重寄，受予一拜。」交拜畢，登山。崇煥問從官姓名，多毛姓。文龍曰：「此皆予孫。」崇煥笑，因曰：「爾等積勞海外，月米止一斛，言之痛心，亦受予一拜，為國家盡力。」眾皆頓首謝。

Now, under pretense of reviewing troops, he sailed to Shuang Island; Wenlong came to meet him. Yuan Chonghuan feasted with him deep into each night; Wenlong never guessed. Yuan Chonghuan proposed reorganizing the camps and appointing supervising commissioners; Wenlong bristled. Chonghuan tempted him with retirement. Wenlong said: "I have thought of that—but only I understand the east. When the east is settled and Korea weakens, it can be taken. Yuan Chonghuan liked him even less. On the fifth of the sixth month he invited Wenlong to watch archery, set a tent on the hill, and hid armored men outside with Vice Commander Xie Shangzheng. When Wenlong came his escort was barred. Chonghuan said: "I leave tomorrow. You hold a weighty post abroad—accept a bow from me. They exchanged bows and climbed the hill. Chonghuan asked the names of Wenlong's attendants; many were surnamed Mao. Wenlong said: "These are all my sons and grandsons. Chonghuan laughed and said: "You have labored overseas on a scant bushel of grain a month—it breaks my heart. Bow to me as well, and serve the state." They all kowtowed in thanks.

崇煥因詰文龍違令數事，文龍抗辯。崇煥厲色叱之，命去冠帶縶縛，文龍猶倔強。崇煥曰：「爾有十二斬罪，知之乎？祖制，大將在外，必命文臣監。爾專制一方，軍馬錢糧不受核，一當斬。人臣之罪莫大欺君，爾奏報盡欺罔，殺降人難民冒功，二當斬。人臣無將，將則必誅。爾奏有牧馬登州取南京如反掌語，大逆不道，三當斬。每歲餉銀數十萬，不以給兵，月止散米三鬥有半，侵盜軍糧，四當斬。擅開馬市于皮島，私通外番，五當斬。部將數千人悉冒己姓，副將以下濫給劄付千，走卒、輿夫盡金緋，六當斬。自寧遠還，剽掠商船，自為盜賊，七當斬。強取民間子女，不知紀極，部下效尤，人不安室，八當斬。驅難民遠竊人參，不從則餓死，島上白骨如莽，九當斬。輦金京師，拜魏忠賢為父，塑冕旒像於島中，十當斬。鐵山之敗，喪軍無算，掩敗為功，十一當斬。開鎮八年，不能復寸土，觀望養敵，十二當斬。」數畢，文龍喪魂魄不能言，但叩頭乞免。崇煥召諭其部將曰：「文龍罪狀當斬否？」皆惶怖唯唯。中有稱文龍數年勞苦者，崇煥叱之曰：「文龍一布衣爾，官極品，滿門封廕，足酬勞，何悖逆如是！」乃頓首請旨曰：「臣今誅文龍以肅軍。諸將中有若文龍者，悉誅。臣不能成功，皇上亦以誅文龍者誅臣。」遂取尚方劍斬之帳前。乃出諭其將士曰：「誅止文龍，餘無罪。」當是時，文龍麾下健校悍卒數萬，憚崇煥威，無一敢動者，於是命棺斂文龍。明日，具牲醴拜奠曰：「昨斬爾，朝廷大法；今祭爾，僚友私情。」為下淚。乃分其卒二萬八千為四協，以文龍子承祚、副將陳繼盛、參將徐敷奏、遊擊劉興祚主之。收文龍敕印、尚方劍，令繼盛代掌。犒軍士，檄撫諸島，盡除文龍虐政。還鎮，以其狀上聞，末言：「文龍大將，非臣得擅誅，謹席稿待罪。」時崇禎二年五月也。帝驟聞，意殊駭，念既死，且方倚崇煥，乃優旨褒答。俄傳諭暴文龍罪，以安崇煥心，其爪牙伏京師者，令所司捕。崇煥上言：「文龍一匹夫，不法至此，以海外易為亂也。其眾合老稚四萬七千，妄稱十萬，且民多，兵不能二萬，妄設將領千。今不宜更置帥，即以繼盛攝之，于計便。」帝報可。

Yuan Chonghuan then charged Wenlong with several breaches of orders; Wenlong answered defiantly. Chonghuan thundered at him, stripped his cap and belt, and had him bound; Wenlong still resisted. Chonghuan said: "You stand guilty of twelve capital crimes. Do you know them? By ancestral law a general abroad must have a civil supervisor. You ruled alone; troops, horses, funds, and grain escaped audit—the first capital crime. No crime exceeds deceiving the throne; your reports were lies and you slaughtered prisoners and refugees for credit—the second capital crime. No subject may play general; if he does, he dies. Your memorial spoke of raising horses at Dengzhou and taking Nanjing as easily as turning the hand—treason, the third capital crime. Hundreds of thousands in yearly pay never reached the ranks; you issued only three and a half pecks a month and stole army grain—the fourth capital crime. You opened horse markets on Pi Island and traded privately with foreigners—the fifth capital crime. Thousands of officers bore your surname falsely; vice commanders and below held appointments by the thousand; runners and cartmen wore gold and crimson—the sixth capital crime. Returning from Ningyuan you looted merchant ships like a bandit—the seventh capital crime. You seized commoners' sons and daughters beyond count; your men copied you and no household was safe—the eighth capital crime. You drove refugees to steal ginseng and starved those who refused; the island's bones lay thick as reeds—the ninth capital crime. You sent gold to the capital, called Wei Zhongxian father, and erected his image in imperial regalia on the island—the tenth capital crime. At Tieshan you lost armies beyond count and disguised defeat as victory—the eleventh capital crime. Eight years in command, not an inch recovered, watching the enemy grow—the twelfth capital crime. When the list ended Mao Wenlong could not speak; he could only kowtow for mercy. Chonghuan turned to Wenlong's officers: "Does he deserve death? They trembled and assented. One man praised Wenlong's years of toil. Chonghuan roared: "He was a commoner raised to the highest rank with honors for his whole house—enough repayment! How dare he rebel like this! He kowtowed and said: "I execute Wenlong today to restore discipline. Any general like Wenlong shall die as well. If I fail, execute me as you execute him. He drew the Imperial Sword and beheaded Wenlong before the tent. He told the troops: "Only Wenlong dies; the rest are innocent. Wenlong's tens of thousands of hardened troops feared Chonghuan's authority and did not stir; he had the body coffined. The next day he offered sacrifice and said: "Yesterday I killed you by the law of the state; today I mourn you as a comrade. He wept. He split the twenty-eight thousand troops into four brigades under Wenlong's son Chengzuo, Vice Commander Chen Jisheng, Vice Commander Xu Fuzou, and Mobile Commander Liu Xingzuo. He took Wenlong's seal and Imperial Sword and left them with Chen Jisheng. He rewarded the men, issued orders to the islands, and abolished Wenlong's abuses. Back at his post he reported: "Wenlong was a great general; I had no right to kill him alone. I await punishment. It was the fifth month of Chongzhen 2. The Emperor was shocked at the news; Wenlong was dead and he still needed Chonghuan, so he answered with warm praise. Soon an edict publicized Wenlong's crimes to steady Chonghuan; his agents in the capital were ordered arrested. Chonghuan wrote: "Wenlong was only a commoner, yet overseas command made lawlessness easy. He counted forty-seven thousand souls but claimed one hundred thousand; civilians outnumbered soldiers two to one, yet he maintained a thousand fake generals. No new commander is needed; let Chen Jisheng hold the post for now. The Emperor agreed.

崇煥雖誅文龍，慮其部下為變，增餉銀至十八萬。然島弁失主帥，心漸攜，益不可用，其後致有叛去者。崇煥言：「東江一鎮，牽制所必資。今定兩協，馬軍十營，步軍五，歲餉銀四十二萬，米十三萬六千。」帝頗以兵減餉增為疑，以崇煥故，特如其請。

Though he had killed Wenlong, fearing mutiny he raised stipends to one hundred eighty thousand taels. But the island troops, leaderless, lost heart, proved useless, and some later defected. Chonghuan wrote: "Eastern River remains essential to pin the enemy. He fixed two brigades—ten horse camps and five foot camps—at four hundred twenty thousand taels and one hundred thirty-six thousand shi yearly. The Emperor doubted fewer troops with higher pay, but granted it for Chonghuan's sake.

崇煥在遼，與率教、大壽、可剛定兵制，漸及登萊、天津，及定東江兵制，合四鎮兵十五萬三千有奇，馬八萬一千有奇，歲費度支四百八十余萬，減舊一百二十余萬。帝嘉獎之。

With Shuejiao, Dashou, and Kegang he reformed the armies of Liaodong, Deng-Lai, Tianjin, and Eastern River: one hundred fifty-three thousand troops, eighty-one thousand horses, four million eight hundred thousand taels a year—one million two hundred thousand less than before. The Emperor praised him.

文龍既死，甫逾三月，我大清兵數十萬分道入龍井關、大安口。崇煥聞，即督大壽、可剛等入衛。以十一月十日抵薊州，所曆撫甯、永平、遷安、豐潤、玉田諸城，皆留兵守。帝聞其至，甚喜，溫旨褒勉，發帑金犒將士，令盡統諸道援軍。俄聞率教戰歿，遵化、三屯營皆破，巡撫王元雅、總兵硃國彥自盡，大請兵越薊州而西。崇煥懼，急引兵入護京師，營廣渠門外。帝立召見，深加慰勞，咨以戰守策，賜禦饌及貂裘。崇煥以士馬疲敝，請入休城中，不許。出與大軍鏖戰，互有殺傷。

Barely three months after Wenlong's death the Great Qing entered in hundreds of thousands through Longjing Pass and Da'an Pass. Hearing this, Yuan Chonghuan at once marched Dashou, Kegang, and the others to defend the capital. On the tenth of the eleventh month he reached Jizhou, leaving garrisons at Ning, Yongping, Qian'an, Fengrun, Yutian, and other towns along the way. The Emperor rejoiced, sent warm praise, treasury silver for the troops, and ordered him to command every relief column. Soon he learned Zhao Shuejiao had fallen, Zunhua and Santun Camp were lost, Wang Yuanya and Zhu Guoyan had killed themselves, and the enemy was pressing west of Jizhou. Afraid, Yuan Chonghuan rushed to the capital and camped outside Guangqu Gate. The Emperor summoned him at once, comforted him, asked his plan, and gave him imperial food and sable. His men and horses were spent; he asked to rest inside the walls and was refused. He went out and fought the enemy host to a bloody draw.

時所入隘口乃薊遼總理劉策所轄，而崇煥甫聞變即千里赴救，自謂有功無罪。然都人驟遭兵，怨謗紛起，謂崇煥縱敵擁兵。朝士因前通和議，誣其引敵脅和，將為城下之盟。帝頗聞之，不能無惑。會我大清設間，謂崇煥密有成約，令所獲宦官知之，陰縱使去。其人奔告於帝，帝信之不疑。十二月朔再召對，遂縛下詔獄。大壽在旁，戰慄失措，出即擁兵叛歸。大壽嘗有罪，孫承宗欲殺之，愛其才，密令崇煥救解。大壽以故德崇煥，懼並誅遂叛。帝取崇煥獄中手書，往召大壽，乃歸命。

The breach lay under Grand Coordinator Liu Ce; Chonghuan had raced a thousand li to save the capital and believed himself blameless. But the capital, suddenly under siege, blamed Chonghuan for letting the enemy through while holding back his army. Courtiers, remembering his peace talks, accused him of guiding the enemy to force a treaty under the walls. The Emperor heard enough to doubt him. The Great Qing planted word that Chonghuan had a secret pact, told a captured eunuch, and let him escape. The eunuch fled to the Emperor; the Emperor believed him utterly. On the first of the twelfth month he was summoned again—and bound for prison. Zu Dashou stood beside him, panicked; once outside he mutinied and marched home. Dashou had once deserved death; Sun Chengzong wanted to kill him but valued his talent and secretly had Chonghuan spare him. Dashou owed Chonghuan his life; fearing he would die with him, he rebelled. The Emperor sent Chonghuan's letter from prison to summon Dashou; only then did he yield.

方崇煥在朝，嘗與大學士錢龍錫語，微及欲殺毛文龍狀。及崇煥欲成和議，龍錫嘗移書止之。龍錫故主定逆案，魏忠賢遺党王永光、高捷、袁弘勳、史褷輩謀興大獄，為逆黨報仇，見崇煥下吏，遂以擅主和議、專戮大帥二事為兩人罪。捷首疏力攻，褷、弘勳繼之，必欲並誅龍錫。法司坐崇煥謀叛，龍錫亦論死。三年八月，遂磔崇煥于市，兄弟妻子流三千里，籍其家。崇煥無子，家亦無餘貲，天下冤之。

At court Yuan Chonghuan had once told Grand Secretary Qian Longxi of his plan to kill Mao Wenlong. When Chonghuan sought peace Qian Longxi had written to stop him. Longxi had judged the Eastern Palace case; Wei Zhongxian's survivors Wang Yongguang, Gao Jie, Yuan Hongxun, and Shi Shen plotted revenge. With Chonghuan in chains they charged both men with unauthorized peace and unauthorized execution of a great commander. Gao Jie attacked first; Shi Shen and Yuan Hongxun followed, demanding both men's deaths. The courts found Chonghuan guilty of treason and Longxi worthy of death. In the eighth month of the third year Yuan Chonghuan was dismembered in the market; his family was exiled three thousand li and his property seized. He had no son and no wealth left; the realm judged it a gross injustice.

崇煥既縛，大壽潰而去。武經略滿桂以趣戰急，與大清兵戰，竟死，去縛崇煥時甫半月。初，崇煥妄殺文龍，至是帝誤殺崇煥。自崇煥死，邊事益無人，明亡征決矣。

Once Chonghuan was bound Dashou broke and fled. Military Commissioner Man Gui, forced into battle, was killed by the Great Qing barely half a month after Chonghuan's arrest. First Yuan Chonghuan wrongly killed Mao Wenlong; now the Emperor wrongly killed Yuan Chonghuan. After Yuan Chonghuan's death the frontier had no one left to trust; the dynasty's fall was already sealed.

趙光抃

Zhao Guangbian

趙光抃，字彥清，九江德化人。父贊化，工部郎中，光抃舉天啟五年進士。鄉人曹欽程父事魏忠賢，驟得太僕少卿。光抃語之曰：「富貴一時，名節千古，君不可不審。」欽程惡之，即日出贊化為南寧知府。南寧惡地，贊化亻宅亻祭而死，光抃奔喪歸。

Zhao Guangbian, styled Yanqing, came from Dehua in Jiujiang. His father Zanhua served as a director in the Ministry of Works. Guangbian passed the jinshi in Tianqi 5. His townsman Cao Qincheng had curried favor with Wei Zhongxian through Cao's father and was suddenly made Vice Director of the Imperial Stud. Guangbian told him: "Wealth and rank fade in a day; honor lasts a thousand years—you should think carefully. Qincheng hated him and that same day had Zanhua posted as prefect of Nanning. Nanning was a deadly posting; Zanhua died of grief; Guangbian hurried home to mourn.

崇禎初，服闋，除工部都水主事，曆兵部職方郎中。十年秋，遣閱薊、遼戎務，盡得邊塞形勢，戰守機宜，列十二事以獻。明年冬，大清兵入密雲，總督吳阿衡敗歿，廷議增設巡撫一人，駐密雲，遂擢光抃右僉都御史任之。至即發監視中官鄧希詔奸謀。帝召希詔還，而令分守中官孫茂霖核實。茂霖為希詔解，光抃反得罪，遣戍廣東。

At the start of Chongzhen, after mourning he became Principal Clerk for Waterways in Works and later Director in War's Bureau of Operations. In the autumn of the tenth year he was sent to inspect Ji and Liao, mastered the frontier's terrain and the logic of war and defense, and submitted twelve recommendations. The next winter the Great Qing entered Miyun; Grand Coordinator Wu Aheng was killed. The court added a grand coordinator at Miyun and made Guangbian Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief. On arrival he exposed Supervising Eunuch Deng Xizhao's treachery. The Emperor recalled Xizhao and sent Division Eunuch Sun Maolin to investigate. Maolin cleared Xizhao; Guangbian was punished and exiled to Guangdong.

十五年，兵事益棘，廷臣薦光抃復官。光抃家素饒，聞命，持數萬金入都為軍資。既至，召見德政殿。奏對稱旨，拜兵部右侍郎兼右僉都御史，總督薊州、永平、山海、通州、天津諸鎮軍務。而大清已克薊州，分兵四出，命光抃兼督諸路援軍。諸援軍觀望，河間迤南皆失守，光抃不敢救，尾而南。已，聞塞上警，又驅而北。廷臣交章劾光抃，謂列城被攻不救，退回高陽，坐視淪覆。明年，復論光抃及範志完。四月，大清兵北旋，光抃、唐通、白廣恩等八鎮兵邀於螺山，皆敗走。帝聞，大怒。既解嚴，與志完並獲譴。帝召見雷縯祚，縯祚詆志完，而稱光抃。帝曰：「志完、光抃逗遛河間，獨罪志完，渠服其心乎？」遂並逮光抃。光抃嘗薦廣恩，廣恩抗不赴召，帝以是益惡光抃，卒與志完同日斬西市。

In the fifteenth year, as war worsened, officials recommended restoring Guangbian. His family was wealthy; on recall he brought tens of thousands of taels to the capital as war funds. He was summoned to the Hall of Virtuous Governance. His answers pleased the Emperor. He became Vice Minister of War and Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief, grand coordinator of Jizhou, Yongping, Shanhai, Tongzhou, Tianjin, and other commands. The Great Qing had taken Jizhou and sent columns in four directions; Guangbian was ordered to command all relief forces. Relief armies hung back; everything south of Hejian fell; Guangbian dared not save them and trailed south. When the northern frontier alarmed again he hurried north. Officials impeached Guangbian for failing to relieve besieged cities, retreating to Gaoyang, and watching towns fall. The next year he and Fan Zhijun were impeached again. In the fourth month, as the Great Qing withdrew, Guangbian, Tang Tong, Bai Guang'en, and eight commands ambushed them at Luoshan—and were routed. The Emperor was furious. When the crisis passed both men were punished. The Emperor summoned Lei Yanzuo, who denounced Fan Zhijun and praised Guangbian. The Emperor said: "Zhijun and Guangbian both stalled at Hejian. Punish only Zhijun—will Guangbian think that fair? Guangbian was arrested as well. He had recommended Bai Guang'en, who defiantly ignored the summons; the Emperor hated him all the more, and he was beheaded at West Market the same day as Fan Zhijun.

光抃才氣豪邁，而於大慮亦疏。在職方，深為尚書楊嗣昌所倚，曰：「吾不及光抃。」先是，毛文龍據東江，海疆賴之。文龍死，陳繼盛、黃龍、沈世魁代其部，往往為亂，中朝又素以糜餉為憂。及世魁死，島中無帥，光抃慫臾嗣昌撤之。二十年積患一朝而除，而于邊計亦左焉。光抃雖文士，有膽決，嘗遇敵，諸將欲奔，光抃坐地不起，久之，乃引歸。其起戍中也，將士不相習，猝遇大敵，先膽落，故所當輒敗。然受事破軍之餘，身先被創，顧與志完同誅，人鹹以為冤。福王時，太僕萬元吉奏復其官。

Guangbian was bold and talented, yet careless on large matters. In Operations Minister Yang Sichang relied on him deeply, saying: "I am not Guangbian's equal. Earlier Mao Wenlong held Eastern River and the coast relied on him. After Wenlong's death Chen Jisheng, Huang Long, and Shen Shikui led his men, often in mutiny, while the court fretted over wasted pay. When Shen Shikui died the island had no commander; Guangbian urged Sichang to abandon it. Twenty years of trouble vanished in a morning—but the frontier plan was weakened. Though a civil man he had nerve: when generals wanted to flee he sat on the ground until, long after, he withdrew. Recalled from exile, his troops were strangers to one another; at the first shock of battle they broke, and he lost every fight. Yet he took command after defeat, was wounded himself, and was still executed with Fan Zhijun—a judgment all called unjust. Under the Prince of Fu, Vice Director Wan Yuanji memorialized to restore his rank.

範志完

Fan Zhijun

範志完，虞城人。崇禎四年進士。授永平推官，專理插漢撫賞，意不欲行，上疏言權輕，請得特疏奏軍事。當事者惡之，謫湖廣布政司檢校。擢甯國推官，曆官分巡關內僉事。十四年冬，超擢右僉都御史，巡撫山西。其座主周延儒當國，遂拜志完兵部右侍郎兼右僉都御史，總督薊州、永平、山海、通州、天津諸鎮軍務，代楊繩武。

Fan Zhijun came from Yucheng. He passed the jinshi in Chongzhen 4. Made push officer at Yongping in charge of Chakhar stipends, he refused to go and asked authority to memorialize on military affairs directly. Those in power demoted him to inspector in Huguang. He rose to push officer at Ningguo and became Regional Inspector inside the pass. In the winter of the fourteenth year he was suddenly made Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief and Grand Coordinator of Shanxi. His patron Zhou Yanru was in power; he became Vice Minister of War and grand coordinator of Jizhou, Yongping, Shanhai, Tongzhou, and Tianjin, replacing Yang Shengwu.

繩武者，雲南彌勒人也。由庶起士改授御史。十一年冬，用楊嗣昌薦召見，吐言如流，畫地成圖。帝偉之，遂超擢右僉都御史，巡撫順天。洪承疇困松山，遂擢繩武總督，尋以志完代之，而令繩武總督遼東、甯遠諸軍，出關救松、錦，加銜督師。

Shengwu came from Mile in Yunnan. Raised from commoner ranks he entered by the irregular path and became a censor. In the winter of the eleventh year Yang Sichang recommended him; summoned to court he spoke fluently and drew maps on the ground. The Emperor admired him and made him Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief and Grand Coordinator of Shuntian. When Hong Chengchou was trapped at Songshan, Shengwu became grand coordinator; soon Fan Zhijun replaced him while Shengwu was sent beyond the pass to relieve Song and Jin as grand coordinator of Liaodong and Ningyuan with the title of supreme commander.

明年正月，繩武卒官，贈兵部尚書，廕錦衣、世襲百戶。遂進志完左侍郎，督師出關如繩武，而以張福臻督薊鎮，駐關內。自王朴諸軍敗，兵力益單，松、錦相繼失，志完乃築五城甯遠城南，護轉輸，募土著實之。又議修覺華島城，為掎角勢，帝甚倚之。六月易銜欽命督師，總督薊、遼、昌、通等處軍務，節制登、津撫鎮。遼事急則移駐中後、前屯，關內急則星馳入援，三協有警則會同薊、昌二督並力策應。時關內外並建二督，而關外加督師銜，地望尤尊，又於昌平、保定設二督，於是千里之內有四督臣，又有寧遠、永平、順天、密雲、天津、保定六巡撫，甯遠、山海、中協、西協、昌平、通州、天津、保定八總兵。星羅棋置，無地不防，而事權反不一。

The next first month Shengwu died in office and was posthumously made Minister of War with hereditary hundred-household in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Fan Zhijun became Left Vice Minister and supreme commander beyond the pass; Zhang Fuzhen became grand coordinator of Ji, stationed inside the pass. After Wang Pu's defeat strength dwindled; Song and Jin fell; Fan Zhijun built five cities south of Ningyuan to guard supply lines and settled locals in them. He proposed fortifying Juehua Island as a pincer; the Emperor relied on him heavily. In the sixth month he was made supreme commander of Ji, Liao, Chang, Tong, and other commands, controlling Deng, Tianjin, and the regional commanders. If Liaodong burned he moved to Zhonghou and Qian Tun; if the pass burned he raced to relieve it; if the three brigades alarmed he coordinated with Ji and Chang. Inside and outside the pass stood two grand coordinators; beyond the pass a supreme commander held higher rank; Changping and Baoding added two more—four coordinators in a thousand li, six grand coordinators, and eight regional commanders. Everywhere had a commander, yet no one truly commanded.

十五年，給事中方士亮劾福臻昏庸，因言移督師關內，則薊督可裁，福臻可罷。於是召還福臻，令志完兼制關內，移駐關門。志完辭，不許。求去，不許。上疏言不能兼薊，請仍設薊督。逾月，始以趙光抃任之。而大清兵已入自牆子嶺，克薊州而兵部劾志完疏防，廷臣亦言志完貪懦，帝以敵兵未退，責令戴罪立功。然志完無謀略，恇怯甚，不敢一戰，所在州縣覆沒，惟尾而呵噪，兵所到剽虜。至德州，僉事雷縯祚劾之，自是論列者益眾。帝猶責志完後效，志完終不敢戰。

In the fifteenth year Fang Shiliang impeached Zhang Fuzhen as incompetent and argued that moving the supreme commander inside would let Ji dispense with Fuzhen. Fuzhen was recalled; Fan Zhijun was ordered to control the pass interior and move to the gate. He declined; the court refused. He asked to leave; that too was refused. He wrote that he could not hold Ji as well and asked for a separate Ji coordinator. A month later Zhao Guangbian was appointed. The Great Qing had entered at Qiangzi Ridge and taken Jizhou. War impeached Fan Zhijun for lax defense; officials called him greedy and cowardly; the Emperor ordered him to redeem himself while the enemy remained. Fan Zhijun had no plan and scarce courage; he fought no battle; towns fell as he trailed behind shouting; his men looted wherever they marched. At Dezhou Lei Yanzuo impeached him; the accusations multiplied. The Emperor still demanded results; Fan Zhijun never fought.

明年，大清兵攻下海州、贛榆、沭陽、豐縣，已而北旋。志完、光抃卒觀望，皆不進。事定，議罪，召縯祚廷質，問志完逗遛淫掠狀，志完辨。問御史吳履中，對如縯祚言。時座主延儒督師亦無功，遂命下志完獄，以十二月斬志完。

The next year the Great Qing took Haizhou, Ganyu, Shuyang, and Fengxian, then withdrew. Fan Zhijun and Zhao Guangbian watched and did not advance. When peace returned guilt was debated; Lei Yanzuo was summoned and asked about Fan Zhijun's stalling and looting; Zhijun defended himself. The Emperor asked Censor Wu Lüzhong, who confirmed Yanzuo's account. His patron Zhou Yanru was also supreme commander without merit; Fan Zhijun was imprisoned and executed in the twelfth month.

先是，十二年封疆之案，伏罪者三十有六人。至是，失事甚於前，誅止志完、光抃及巡撫馬成名、潘永圖，總兵薛敏忠，副將柏永鎮，其他悉置不問。而保定巡撫楊進得善去，山東巡撫王永吉反獲遷擢。帝之用刑，至是窮矣。

In the twelfth year thirty-six men had been punished in the frontier case. Now the disaster was worse, yet only Fan Zhijun, Zhao Guangbian, Grand Coordinator Ma Chengming, Pan Yongtu, Regional Commander Xue Minzhong, and Vice Commander Bai Yongzhen were executed; the rest went untouched. Yet Grand Coordinator Yang Jinde left unscathed while Shandong Grand Coordinator Wang Yongji was promoted. The Emperor's use of punishment had reached absurdity.

贊曰：三路喪師，收降取敗，鎬與應泰同辜。然君子重繩鎬而寬論應泰，豈不以士所重在節哉！惜乎廷弼以蓋世之材，褊性取忌，功名顯於遼，亦隳於遼。假使廷弼效死邊城，義不反顧，豈不毅然節烈丈夫哉！廣寧之失，罪由化貞，乃以門戶曲殺廷弼，化貞稽誅者且數年。崇煥智雖疏，差有膽略，莊烈帝又以讒間誅之。國步將移，刑章顛覆，豈非天哉！

The commentator writes: On the three-route disaster Yang Hao and Yuan Yingtai share the guilt for lost armies and failed surrenders. Yet historians condemn Yang Hao harshly and Yuan Yingtai lightly—is it not because integrity matters most? Alas! Xiong Tingbi had talent to dominate an age yet a narrow temper that bred enemies; he rose in Liaodong and fell in Liaodong. Had he died at his post without turning back, would he not have been a hero of integrity? Guangning was Wang Huazhen's fault, yet faction killed Xiong Tingbi while Huazhen's punishment waited years. Yuan Chonghuan was no deep thinker, yet he had courage and plan; the Chongzhen Emperor killed him on slander. As the dynasty stumbled and justice collapsed—was this not fate itself?

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