Chronicle: The Rise and Fall of the Ant Thief-Ant Thief(Zhao Zi said)

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—By the author: Ouxin Lixue Fang Congzhe

Fifth Year of the Longfeng Era of Song
Nineteenth Year of Zhizheng of Yuan
Year 1359 of the West

In the first month, Master Guan and his companions captured the Yuan Upper Capital, and later also took Liaoyang.
Hu Dahai, general under Zhu Yuanzhang, Chancellor of the Jiangnan Province of Song, seized Zhuji Prefecture from the hands of Zhang Shicheng’s subordinates.
In the third month, Master Guan fought a great battle with Bolotemur at Fengzhou. The cavalry commander Deng San died in the breakout. Thereafter, Bolotemur stationed his troops at Datong, defending the direction of Dadu.
In the fourth month, Deng San’s son, Deng She of the Hundred Household Command, seized Yongping Circuit.
Zhao Junyong killed Mao Gui, Chancellor of the Shandong Province of Song.
Zhu Yuanzhang recaptured Chizhou, lost to Chen Youliang the previous year.
In the fifth month, Deng She broke through the Koryo Twin Cities Governor’s Office (Xianzhou Ten-Thousand Household Office), where the Koryo Commander of the Northeast, Yi Seong-gye, who had lingered there to visit his family, was killed.
This month, Zhu Yuanzhang was granted the titles “Equal of the Three Excellencies” and “Left Chancellor of the Jiangnan Province” (according to the JI Annals, the Song capital at this time was still “Bo Capital” rather than “Bianjing,” suggesting that the Song officials had not all moved to Bianjing).
Not long after, his subordinate generals were also rewarded, such as Shao Rong, who was promoted from Assistant Signatory to Deputy Assistant Signatory at the Privy Council, among others.
The Mongol general Chaghan Temur besieged the Song capital, Bianliang.
In the sixth month, Deng She, aided by Tong Doulan, a female Jurchen commander of three scattered tribes who claimed descent from Yue Ting (later historically known as Li Zhilan, a key general of Yi Seong-gye in Korea, posthumously titled Xianglie, whose descendants settled in Korea), achieved a major victory at Dingzhou and Twin Cities over over twenty thousand Yuan forces: Northwestern Marshal and Chancellor Li Yan, Vice Marshal Qing Qianxing, and Chief Commandant of the Northwest Jin Depei.
Qing Qianxing was captured, while Li Yan and Jin Depei fled.
Further territories were taken—Jin, Sanshui Prefecture, Mount Jia, Mount Meng, Ningyuan, and others.
Guan Duo, Chancellor of the Song Liaoyang Province, dispatched envoys, including Yao Haogu, Chief of the Twin Cities Governor’s Office, and Qian Shide, a commander of a thousand, to Twin Cities, appointing Deng She as Grand Commander of the Twin Cities Military and Civil Administration under the Liaoyang Province, with authority over all local affairs.
In the seventh month, Deng She seized Dechuan, Xichuan, Jiangjie, and other regions. Jin Depei, Commander-in-Chief of Koryo’s Northwest, fled to Pyongyang.
To prevent the Red Army of Liaodong from advancing west toward Dadu, the Mongol court appointed Shuosi Jian as Left Chancellor of Liaoyang, and sent King Nangjiadai, Fojiannu, and others to lead the Tammachi troops, pressing toward Liaoyang.
Naha was stationed in Shenyang, Gaojannu in Gaizhou, dividing their forces into four routes to encircle the Red Army of Liaodong.
Zhao Junyong and Xu Jizu fought back into Shandong, executed Zhao Junyong, and installed a new Chancellor, Xiao Mao (this differs from historical accounts).
Zhu Yuanzhang executed Right Chancellor Guo Tianjue (son of Guo Zixing) and campaigned again in Eastern Zhejiang.
Defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang’s general Yu Tonghai, Zhao Pusheng was killed by Chen Youliang. Chen Youliang, having seized Xu Shouhui at Jiangzhou, proclaimed himself King of Han.
In the eighth month, Deng She conquered Koryo’s Western Capital, Pyongyang, and took all cities south of the Cheongcheon River and north of the Taedong River. Koryo’s Acting Commander Lee Chunbu and Jin Depei were captured; Northwest Commander Choe Yeong disguised himself and fled south. The King of Koryo sued for peace with Deng She.
At the end of the month, Chaghan Temur broke through the Song capital Bianliang. The Young Ming King, Liu Futong, and others fled to Anfeng.
In the ninth month, Deng She entered Liaoyang. The Twin Cities Military Command was elevated to the Grand Commandant’s Office, and Deng She was promoted to Grand Commandant.
Song Liaoyang Chancellor Guan Duo, Pan Cheng, Liu Er, and others campaigned against Gaojannu in Southern Liaoning. Due to the betrayal of Left Li, the effort failed at the brink of success. Chief Pan Mei, with fifteen thousand men, captured Dongmu Mountain, but was betrayed by Guan Duo. Deng She led the Eastern Army to the rescue, met with defeat, and Pan Mei perished.
In the tenth month, Naha launched a surprise attack on Liaoyang. Deng She led a force from the Bosuo Inspectorate to attack Southern Liaoning, using the ruse of besieging Wei to relieve Zhao. Naha dispatched former Twin Cities Chief Zhao Xiaosheng to incite the Jurchen to rebellion. Tong Doulan gathered mutinous troops to attack Twin Cities, but Hong Jixun, Yao Haogu, and others repulsed them.
Deng She captured Gaizhou. Mao Jujing returned to relieve Liaoyang.
Deng She returned to Twin Cities; the Jurchen rebels surrendered. Yao Haogu and Qian Shide, conspiring with Warden Huang Luge and Han, wife of Li Seong-gye, incited further unrest. Generals Luo Guoqi and others suppressed the rebellion.
Tong Doulan, Qian Shide, Huang Luge, Han, and others were executed in a great purge.
Master Guan and Mao Jujing, through internal and external coordination, routed Naha, who fled in defeat.
Zhu Yuanzhang captured Qianshan and besieged the strategic upper reaches of Anqing, but failed to take it by October. On the eastern front, he also attacked Changzhou.
In November, Master Guan, under the pretext of “embezzling military rations,” executed Liu Daqing and other generals. But Hu Zhong escaped, bringing Deng She to attack Liaoyang. Guan Duo was defeated and killed; Mao Jujing and Zheng Sanbao were also executed; over fifty thousand of their troops were absorbed by Deng She’s forces. Deng She’s army swelled to one hundred thousand, engaging in diplomatic maneuvering with Shuosi Jian and others.

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Liaoyang Chancellor Liu Er traveled through Southern Liaoning to Anfeng to assist the court. Chancellor Pan Cheng took up defense at Yizhou and other places.
In December, the Song-Mongol court ordered Right Chancellor Taipingzi, acting as Director of the Privy Council, and Yesen Hudu to urge Liaoyang Chancellor Shuosi Jian to attack the Red Army. Nangjiadai, Shuosi Jian, and others divided their forces into four routes to assault Guangning.
Deng She outflanked their rear, annihilated most of their forces in a single stroke, and pacified Liaodong.
Sha Liu Er reached Anfeng.
In December, the imperial envoy and Song Censor Liu Shijiu arrived in Pyongyang, bearing the imperial edict, appointing Deng She as “Equal of the Three Excellencies, Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat for Haedong and other places.” Deng She distributed titles to civil and military officials, establishing the provincial capital at Liaoyang.
Zhang Shicheng seized Hao, Si, Xu, and Pi prefectures (as in history; whether Liu Er’s rescue changed this is unknown).

Sixth Year of the Longfeng Era of Song
Twentieth Year of Zhizheng of Yuan
Year 1360 of the West

In the first month,
Liu Shijiu returned to Anfeng. Deng She launched a cultural campaign in Koryo. The commanders of Liaodong exchanged envoys and swore oaths of alliance.
Zhang Shicheng seized Hao, Si, Xu, and Pi prefectures, threatening Anfeng. Song Chancellor Sha Liu Er and others engaged him in battle.

In the second month,
Deng She attacked Koryo. Naha, Chancellor of the Mongol Liaoyang Province, Shijia Bao, Darughachi of Daaning, and Song Chancellor Pan Cheng of Liaoyang attacked Liaodong from three directions.
The Mongol Prince of Yangzhai, Lehu Mutemur, rebelled, seeking to declare himself emperor. With over a hundred thousand troops, he advanced rapidly. The Director of the Privy Council, Tuchin Temur, and others struck back, scattering his forces in defeat.
On the day of Gengshen, Yuan Tianlu, Vice Minister of the Fujian Provincial Administration, sent County Magistrate Lin Wenguang of Gutian to express, after witnessing the mutual hostilities between Chen Youding and the Hui army, that Mongol power in Fujian was at an end, and therefore submitted allegiance in writing to Zhu Yuanzhang, Duke of Wu in Song.

In the third month,
Deng She captured the Royal Capital and took the King of Goryeo prisoner. Guan Shirong, Deputy Commissioner of the Eastern Sea Privy Council of Song, took Guangning and killed Pan Cheng, Chancellor of the Song Liaoyang Province. Lei Tiemu’er Bukhua, Vice Marshal of Song at Kaiping, repelled Naha’s siege of Liaoyang.
Bolotemur of Datong led an army from Xinghe, threatening Shangdu to punish Yangzhai Prince Lehu Mutemur. Deng She, Left Chancellor of the Eastern Sea in Song, led thirty thousand men to aid Cheng Sizhong at Shangdu.
On the day of Wuzi, Tian Feng, Chancellor of the Yidu Province of Song, found himself at a disadvantage in internal conflict. Taking advantage of the Mongols’ preoccupation with Liaodong and the northern desert, he launched a large-scale attack on Hebei, capturing Baoding and Jining.
The Jiangnan Province of Song was restructured, converting the Huaihai Wing Commander’s Office into the Jiangnan and Other Places Privy Council, with Miao Daheng as joint signatory, overall commanding the military and civilian administration. Liu Ji of Qingtian, Zhang Yi of Longquan, Ye Chen of Lishui, and Song Lian of Jinhua were summoned to Jiankang. Zhu Jun, Chang Yuchun, attacked Hangzhou but was unsuccessful and withdrew.

In the fourth month, the Red Army of Haedong rode with over twenty-five hundred cavalry in a surprise attack on Chaghan Naor. Marshal Zhu Zhen defeated them. Both sides retreated, with Haedong occupying Gaozhou. From then on, Shangdu was no longer under Mongol control.
On the day of Gengshen, Grand Minister of Agriculture Le Yuancheng was sent to negotiate with Tian Feng, but was killed by Tian.

In the fifth month,
On the day of Yiwei, General Luo Zhongxian under Chen Youliang captured Chenzhou. He also attacked Chizhou, but was defeated by Wu general Xu Da and others.
Zhang Shicheng shipped one hundred and ten thousand piculs of grain by sea to the capital; thus, all the power in that region fell into his hands, while Chancellor Dashitemur was left a figurehead.

Intercalary (fifth) month,
An imperial edict from Anfeng appointed Deng She as King of Yan. The King of Yan divided the Haedong Provincial Administration into three: Liaodong, Joseon, and South Korea.
On the day of Bingchen, Chen Youliang led a naval force to attack Taiping. Garrison Commander Hua Yun and Zhu Wenxun, with three thousand troops, resisted; Zhu Wenxun died in battle. On the day of Wuwu, Chen Youliang killed his lord Xu Shouhui and declared himself ruler. On the day of Gengshen, Chen Youliang sent envoys to invite Zhang Shicheng to join him in attacking Jiankang. Zhang did not reply. Youliang then led his fleet eastward from Caishi, causing great alarm in Jiankang, but was soon utterly defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang at Longwan.
On the day of Wuyin, Wu troops took Xinzhu Circuit.

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Liu Shijiu returned to Anfeng. Deng She launched a cultural campaign in Koryo. The commanders of Liaodong exchanged envoys and swore oaths of alliance.
Zhang Shicheng seized Hao, Si, Xu, and Pi prefectures, threatening Anfeng. Song Chancellor Sha Liu Er and others engaged him in battle.

In the second month,
Deng She dispatched Wen Huaguo and Qing Qianxing to attack Koryo. Naha, Chancellor of the Mongol Liaoyang Province, Shijia Bao, Darughachi of Daaning, and Song Chancellor Pan Cheng of Liaoyang attacked Liaodong from three directions.
The Mongol Prince of Yangzhai, Lehu Mutemur, rebelled, seeking to proclaim himself emperor. With more than one hundred thousand troops, he advanced rapidly. The Director of the Privy Council, Tuchin Temur, and others struck back, scattering his forces in defeat.
On the day of Gengshen, Yuan Tianlu, Vice Minister of the Fujian Provincial Administration, sent County Magistrate Lin Wenguang of Gutian to express, after witnessing the mutual hostilities between Chen Youding and the Hui army, that Mongol power in Fujian was at an end, and therefore submitted allegiance in writing to Zhu Yuanzhang, Duke of Wu in Song.

Sixth Year of the Longfeng Era of Song
Twentieth Year of Zhizheng of Yuan
Year 1360 of the West