Chronicle: A Survey of the Various Factions in the Year of Jihai

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— By Ouxinlixue Fang Congzhe

In the recently concluded year of Ji Hai (1359–1360 AD, the fifth year of Longfeng in the Song, the nineteenth of Zhizheng in the Mongol calendar), the gains and losses of the various powers are as follows:

I. The Song Dynasty:

1. The Court (Liu Futong):

In May, after capturing Bianliang, their forces once spread across Henan. Yet, they were soon besieged by Chaghan Temur and suffered defeat. By August, Bianliang was lost, and they retreated to Anfeng, never to recover their former strength. At the end of the year, Sha and Liu led over thirty thousand men from Liaodong to reinforce them, temporarily stabilizing the situation as they defended their old base in the Huai region.

Most Northern Expedition armies under their command have failed.

Previously, Zhao Junyong’s Huai’an Province was shattered. The remaining forces, including the Provincial Right Minister Xue Xian who stayed in Sizhou, could no longer hold their ground and have now crossed the Yangtze to seek refuge with the old comrade Zhu Yuanzhang.

The starting point of the Central Column, Caozhou Province, was once the domain of Chief Councillor Sheng Wenyu, but now Wu Cheng has taken over as Provincial Chief. Details are unclear. As Caozhou is near Anfeng, it likely serves as its support.

2. Shandong Province (Mao Gui and others):

After the failed Northern Expedition last year, their strength was greatly diminished. In April, Zhao Junyong in Tai’an killed Chief Councillor Mao Gui and proclaimed himself Prince of Yongyi. However, in July, Wang Shicheng and Xu Jizu returned from Liaodong, executed Zhao Junyong, and now Wang Shicheng, Xu Jizu, and Chen Routou support the young Chief Councillor Mao in Yidu. The Flower Horse King, Tian Feng (formerly of the Green Army), as Provincial Chancellor, is based in Dongping (ancient Yanzhou).

This is Chaghan Temur’s next target.

3. Liaoyang Province (Master Guan and others):

At the beginning of the year, after capturing Shangdu, Master Guan and the three Chief Councillors entered Liaodong. In February, they took Liaoyang. In autumn, they campaigned in southern Liao but were defeated due to betrayal by Left Li. Both sides, including Mongol Liaoyang Province’s Left Chancellor Naha Chu, suffered heavy losses. In winter, Master Guan became Governor of Two Cities, but Liaoyang fell into the hands of Haidong. Sha and Liu crossed the sea to rescue their lord at Anfeng. The Mongol Chancellor Shuo Sijian and others attacked, nearly capturing Guangning, but were repelled by Deng She. Now, only Chief Councillor Pan Cheng remains, besieged in Guangning.

It is likely he will soon surrender to Naha Chu or Bolotemur.

4. Haidong Province (Deng She and others):

In spring, Deng She captured Yongping. In summer, he raided northern Goryeo. In autumn, he seized southern Liao. In winter, he took Liaoyang and defeated the Mongol army. In mid-December, Censor Liu Shijiu arrived with an imperial edict to establish Haidong Province, appointing Deng She as Left Chancellor.

5. Jiangnan Province (Zhu Yuanzhang and others):

In spring, Hu Dahai captured Zhuji, beginning the campaign in eastern Zhejiang. In April, the western army retook Chizhou. In May, Zhu Yuanzhang was promoted from Provincial Chief Councillor to Left Chancellor, and all generals were rewarded. In July, Zhu Yuanzhang executed Right Chancellor Guo Tianjue, launched the campaign in eastern Zhejiang, and pacified Chuzhou and nearby areas, making half of eastern Zhejiang his own. In September, Zhu’s general Yu Tonghai defeated Zhao Pusheng, who was then killed by Chen Youliang. Chen, holding Xu Shouhui in Jiangzhou, proclaimed himself King of Han. Zhu’s army seized the opportunity to capture Qianshan, besieged the vital upstream city Anqing, but failed to take it by October.

II. The Tianwan Dynasty:

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1. Central Authority (Xu Shouhui/Chen Youliang):

Last year, Chen Youliang made considerable gains, capturing Anqing, Longxing, and other important cities, and completely occupying the key regions of the upper Yangtze. However, this was marred by the incident where Chen Youliang, feigning a welcome, ambushed Xu Shouhui’s followers at Jiangzhou’s west gate, killing all but Xu Shouhui himself. Chen Youliang then established his capital at Jiangzhou and proclaimed himself King of Han.

This year, Chen Youliang’s achievements were modest, seemingly focused on preparations for his second year’s eastern campaign. In September, he treacherously killed Zhao Pusheng, losing much popular support.

2. Longshu Province (Ming Yuzhen):

The year before last, in spring, he led troops into Sichuan via Wuxia, captured Chongqing, and made it his base, receiving appointments as Provincial Councillor, General of Cavalry, and both Left and Right Chancellor.

Last year, he took Jiading (now Leshan, Sichuan) and defeated the main forces of the Sichuan Mongol army. However, when preparing to annihilate the Mongol forces in Sichuan this year, the Song’s Western Expedition army led by Li Xixi, Wang Hu, Guo Cheng, and others entered Sichuan. Ming Yuzhen had to march north, defeated them in the regions of Pingyuan (Guangyuan) and Jiange, and absorbed most of their forces, though a few fled to Hanyang to join Chen Youliang.

This year, Yuzhen sent envoys to pay tribute to Tianwan, and Xu Shouhui promoted him to Grand General of the Cavalry Guard and Left Chancellor of Longshu Province.

Not until the spring of Xin Chou year (1361 AD) did Ming Yuzhen finally eliminate the remaining Mongol forces of Lang Gedai and Zhao Zi in Sichuan. In October, he proclaimed himself King of Longshu, posthumously honored Xu Shouhui as the Emperor Ying Tian Qi Yun Xian Wu, with the temple name Shizong.

Note: The claim that Ming Yuzhen captured Chengdu in 1358 is incorrect.

III. The Mongols:

1. The Court:

Currently, the de facto ruler is the “virtuous minister” Taiping, who does not support Empress Qi and opposes the “internal abdication,” thus incurring the opposition of the empress’s faction. Fierce struggles rage between the imperial and empress’s parties at court.

2. Bolotemur:

In spring, he dealt a heavy defeat to the Red Turban army led by Master Guan. He is stationed at Datong, observing Taiyuan.

3. Chaghan Temur:

In May, Chaghan Temur began mobilizing troops to attack Bianliang. He led a large army to Hulao, dispatched forces along the southern route to capture the southern regions of Bian, taking Gui, Bo, Chen, and Cai Prefectures; a northern force advanced east of Bian, sending warships down the Yellow River by land and water, capturing the area south of Caozhou (now Heze, Shandong), and occupying Huanglingdu (now east of Lankao, Henan). He also summoned troops from Shaanxi, passing through Hangu and Hulao; troops from Shanxi crossed the Taihang Mountains and the Yellow River, assembling under Bianliang’s walls, and seized its outer city. Chaghan Temur camped at Xinghua Camp (west of Bianliang), commanding all forces to encircle the city so tightly that not a drop of water could escape. The rebel army under Liu Futong repeatedly sallied forth but was defeated each time. With no reinforcements and no supplies within, the situation grew dire. By August, food in the city was nearly exhausted. Chaghan Temur, with Yan Sixiao, Li Keyi, Hulinchi, and Guan Bao, planned a multipronged assault. At night, the Yuan army scaled the walls, broke through the gates, and stormed in. Liu Futong, with several hundred cavalry, escorted the Song Emperor Han Lin’er to escape through the eastern gate, while the Yuan army captured the empress and tens of thousands of rebel family members, along with over five thousand officials. With Bianliang lost, the rebels lost Henan, and Chaghan Temur’s power surged. For his achievements, the court named him Chief Councillor of Henan Province, also overseeing the Henan Privy Council and the Shaanxi Censorate. Chaghan Temur then dispatched troops to garrison Guanshan, Jingxiang, Heluo, and Jianghuai, with a heavy force stationed in Taihang—“encampments and banners stretched for thousands of miles. Day by day, they repaired chariots and ships, forged weapons, farmed to store grain, and drilled troops, preparing for a grand campaign to retake Shandong.” His main base was Jining (Taiyuan).

4. Eastern Wu (Zhang Shicheng):

The year before last, Zhang Shicheng surrendered to the Mongols and was appointed Grand Commandant. Yet, while ruling his own territory, he feigned allegiance to the Mongols, making multiple grain shipments to Dadu. He now resides in Longping Prefecture (Suzhou), ruling a domain “north to Xuzhou, south to Shaoxing.”

In spring, Zhu Yuanzhang’s generals Hu Dahai and Li Wenzhong attacked the key city of Zhuji. Zhang Shicheng sent forces to attack Jiangyin but was defeated by the governor Wu Liang. In autumn, he besieged Changzhou, causing a severe food shortage within, but was ultimately repulsed.

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In the following January, he attacked the Song court and seized most counties along the Huai River.

Fang Guozhen, Chen Youding, and other local Mongol powers are omitted here.

—

Note:

The dates of death for the three great generals of the Southern Court are as follows:

Nanmoku Saemon-no-jō Masashige died in battle at Minatogawa in 1336.

Kita Daijo Daijin Akiie fell at Izumi Ishizu in 1337.

Nitta Saemon-no-jō Yoshisada perished near Fujishima Castle in Echizen in 1338.

These events occurred over twenty years ago.

The novel mentions “Fujimitsu Mitsuhide as a routed soldier of the Southern Court.” Researching the Southern Court’s defeats in Kyushu around this year, it may refer to the clans led by the Gamitsu family at Koma-zaki Castle, the Yui family, and the Oda family at Shibushi Castle. In 1357 (Shohei 12), the Northern Court’s Hyuga governor Tadayama Naoaki’s army annihilated these families, eradicating Southern Court influence in Hyuga. However, the very next year, the Southern Court’s Western Command expelled them from Kyushu.

That same year, the Southern Court’s Western Command achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Daibo-hara against the combined forces of the Shoni and Otomo clans, thereby establishing their dominance on Kyushu. Originally, most important Southern Court generals had perished before 1340, and the shogunate’s position seemed unassailable. Yet internal divisions soon erupted, with Shogun Ashikaga Takauji and his confidants, the Kō brothers, on one side, and the shogun’s brother Tadayoshi and his son Tadafuyu (also Tadayoshi’s adopted son) on the other—a great schism known as the “Kannō Disturbance.” Thus, the conflict between the Northern and Southern Courts became a three-way war.

This internal strife ended with the total defeat of the conservative Tadayoshi’s faction. But the shogunate was gravely weakened, and local feudal lords who had once been loyal now ruled their domains autonomously, rendering central authority powerless and plunging the nation into feudal chaos.

Meanwhile, Prince Kaneyoshi, Commander-in-Chief of the Western Army for the Southern Court, aided by loyalists like the Kikuchi and Aso families, seized the opportunity to intervene in the military’s internal power struggles, greatly strengthening his own position.

After gaining control of Kyushu, the Southern Court seemed to be on the verge of restoration. Thus, they sought to exploit the shogunate’s internal dissidents and threatened lords, encouraging their frequent defections to weaken the regime. However, these “defectors” saw joining the Southern Court as a temporary expedient (such as Hosokawa Yoriyuki), so ultimately the overall situation did not change.