A Brief History of the Ming-Qing Wars - A Different Perspective on the History of the Qing Dynasty

Author: Sun Wenliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: To date, this book is the first monograph in China that systematically and comprehensively describes the history of the wars between the Ming and Qing dynasties. It provides a panoramic view of the war that lasted for half a century, determining the final outcome of the Qing's rise and the Ming's fall. The author employs exceptional skill to depict the grand and tumultuous scenes of battle: from strategic planning to decisive victories, with unpredictable twists and turns, showcasing both wisdom and courage. Every battle is a moving story, as vivid and thrilling as being on the scene. Analyzing the wars is like studying military strategy, making it an engaging and enlightening book that greatly enhances one's understanding of wisdom.
The Later Jin troops risked their lives carrying ladders to cross the moat, which was both deep and wide, but they couldn't pass. Many soldiers gathered at the edge of the moat, constantly hit by artillery fire, leaving piles of corpses on both sides and inside the moat. Some who managed to cross the moat were ambushed by arrows and fireballs below the city walls, falling in battle one after another. The area below the walls was "strewn with corpses like a mountain."
The siege of Daling began on the sixth day of the eighth lunar month and lasted until the ninth day of the eleventh lunar month, totaling one hundred days of suffering. It was a catastrophe unprecedented in ancient times, with people resorting to eating bones and flesh. Inside the city, "there was no food or firewood left, and soldiers and civilians resorted to cannibalism."