Fanfiction: Wu Ming at the Battle of Dongchang

Author: Fang Congzhe, who has poured his heart and soul into this work

In the second year of Wu Jianwen and the thirty-second year of Ming Jianwu, the Ming Emperor Deng She executed his chief adviser—Right Chancellor Hong Jixun. Believing the time had come, the Emperor of Wu, Zhu Yunwen, launched another northern campaign to reclaim the Central Plains.

This time, Zhu Yunwen drew lessons from his grandfather Zhu Yuanzhang’s earlier northern expeditions. After years of peace and recovery in the south, hopes rose for reunification. Yet most of the great southern generals had perished, with only a handful surviving—this was the greatest hardship facing the south.

Yunwen appointed Commander-in-Chief Geng Bingwen to lead a force of one hundred thousand as the eastern army, with Li Jinglong, Sheng Yong, and others serving as deputies. The King of Chu, Zhu Di, along with Commander Ping An and others, led sixty thousand as the western army, advancing north from Xiangyang to attack Henan. In addition, General-in-Chief Gu Cheng departed from Hanzhong, while the King of Han, Zhu Quan, set out from Shangqiu, each commanding twenty to thirty thousand men as auxiliary forces.

Before the campaign, Minister of Personnel Qi Jianyi and others argued that the northern army was fierce, its fighting power surpassing that of the south. Even after purges, the north still boasted more famous generals. Yet Minister of War Qi Tai believed the south’s resources were superior, while the north, exhausted by years of war against the Northern Yuan, was now fighting on two fronts and could not match the south.

In the second year of Jianwen, envoys from Northern Yuan and Goryeo arrived in Nanjing via Japan, proposing an alliance with Wu against the Ming. Yunwen was overjoyed and ordered all regional commanders to attack.

The eastern army, departing from Xuzhou, boasted a force of one hundred thousand, claiming to be three hundred thousand. They quickly captured cities such as Jining, and by August reached the gates of Dongchang. The Ming sent Vice Commander Fang Mihan of the Jinan field army with ten thousand to defend the city. Li Jinglong, commanding sixty thousand, surrounded Dongchang. Intent on looting the city’s riches, Jinglong forbade the destruction of the walls or the use of firearms in the assault. Some urged him to attack swiftly, warning, “The traitor Deng may arrive any day—what then?” Jinglong replied, “The northern cavalry will harass him.”

Earlier, Yang Wanhu, commander of the Jinan field army, had been forced to hold Jinan after a defeat by Sheng Yong. In September, Deng She left the capital, defeated the invading Northern Yuan at Xinghe, then sent Zhao Guo with one hundred twenty thousand to pursue them from Daning, while he personally led thirty thousand cavalry to reinforce Shandong. In October, Deng She and Yang Wanhu led fifty thousand cavalry to relieve Dongchang. Upon hearing that Sheng Yong and Ning Zhong had suffered setbacks, Li Jinglong abandoned all artillery and supplies, fleeing south, only to be relentlessly pursued by Ming forces—his army was nearly wiped out. Commander Ning Zhong was killed, and Deputy Commander of the Northern Campaign, Imperial Son-in-law Li Jian, was captured.

The western army advanced swiftly through Henan, capturing cities and territory. Deputy Commander Ping An pressed on into Guanzhong, taking Luoyang and threatening Tongguan. Meanwhile, Zhu Quan and Song Sheng’s central army seized Changshe, advancing toward Hulao, and for a time the situation looked promising. But with the eastern army’s defeat, Ming troops swept into Jianghuai. The Jianwen Emperor, terrified, ordered the western army to retreat for reinforcements. Forced to abandon their conquests, the western army’s withdrawal marked the end of this grand northern expedition in failure.

Seeing the Wu armies crumble, Deng She rejoiced and resolved to invade the south. He dispatched eighty thousand from Shandong’s forces on the eastern front, coordinated with the navy to strike at Huaihai. On the central front, generals from Shanxi and Henan attacked Huainan.

Ming commanders Guo Conglong and Xue Lu led fifty thousand infantry and cavalry in pursuit of Zhu Quan. The seasoned general Song Sheng, with eight thousand, formed ranks to resist but was defeated amidst chaos when fire was set upon his lines. Song Sheng perished in battle. Zhu Quan, with a handful of followers, escaped to the fortress at Shouyang, but soon even Shouyang fell to cannon fire. Disguised, Zhu Quan fled back to his fief at Jiujiang. The gateway to Huainan lay open.

Knowing Geng Bingwen excelled in defense, Deng She bypassed Pengcheng and advanced swiftly south, closing in on the Wu capital, Yingtian. The Jianwen Emperor, at a loss, lamented, “If only Lan Daxie were still alive, it would not have come to this.” Yet Deng She, mindful of the southern imperial guard’s tens of thousands of elite troops and the lingering threat of the Northern Yuan, proposed a marriage alliance and annual tribute as a solution. Incited by Fang Xiaoru, Huang Zicheng, and others, the Jianwen Emperor refused. Enraged, Deng She sent cavalry to raid and plunder the countryside, abducting people and devastating the southern economy.

When the Jianwen Emperor saw Deng She’s army disperse, hope rekindled in his heart.

In the third year of Jianwen, in February, he appointed Duke Wei, Xu Huizu, as central army general, leading ten thousand men, joined by the defeated remnant under Sheng Yong from Nantong, to strike at Deng She—pinning his hopes on a decapitation strike. Once again, they were defeated; Guo Yi, commander of the Ming’s First Might Army, routed them. Deng She seized the opportunity to advance to Guabu, burning and pillaging as he went. Xu Huizu and the defeated troops retreated to defend Yangzhou.

In March, Deng She besieged Yangzhou. Minister Tie Xuan, along with Xu Huizu and Sheng Yong, mounted a staunch defense. After long assaults proved fruitless, Deng She sighed, “The south is not so easily subdued,” and withdrew.

On his return he captured Xuzhou, where Geng Bingwen and others surrendered.

After this northern campaign, the south was left in ruins. The armies and wealth accumulated over many years had been exhausted. The vital gateways of Shouyang and Xuzhou had fallen into northern hands.

Even more alarming, this conflict exposed the Jianwen Emperor and his regime’s immaturity and incompetence, resulting in grievous losses. This emboldened the King of Chu, Zhu Di, stationed at Wuchang and controlling the upper reaches, and his personal ambitions began to swell rapidly.