Ldans forces quickly mobilized troops to defend against Galdan's Dzungars, with the Setsen Khan of the Khalkha pressed into cooperation against him. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Hong Taiji openly promised that, so long as the realm stood firm, their descendants would live in wealth and honor and any crimes would be forgiven. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Sibeisu sent scouts to reconnoiter the Amur basin, their mission a top priority as winter's chill began to set in. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Wu Sangui summoned his troops and formally severed ties with the Qing court on November 21 of Kangxi's twelfth year. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Gantemur led his people south toward the Nen River basin, seeking protection from the Qing, but his mercurial nature soon led him to defect to the Russians, sparking a diplomatic crisis. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Jirgalang knelt before the Emperor, his illness evident in his strained posture, as Dorgon received a petition from him. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Kangxi personally examined maps of the Heilongjiang region, worked through logistics, and drew up plans. He ordered ships to be built to navigate the river, and dispatched elite troops and commanders to the… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Sonin set about pressing his fellow regents, submitting a memorial urging the Kangxi Emperor to take up personal rule, to counter Oboi's growing influence at court. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Shi Lang performed rites honoring Zheng Chenggong, speaking sincerely of the man's achievements in developing Taiwan, without a trace of bitterness, and drew up three simple rules to enforce strict military… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Liu Guoxuan resisted fiercely, leading the Zheng forces against the Qing's superior ships and equipment. The Qing commander Shi Lang employed a concentrated tactic, systematically smashing the Zheng main… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

King Injo set up an altar at Samjeondo, near Hanseong, and performed the formal lord-subject ceremony with Hong Taiji, thereby severing ties to the Ming and becoming a Qing vassal state. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Shi Lang stormed out of the palace, his face twisted in rage, as he personally beheaded Zeng De in a brazen public insult that made reconciliation impossible. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Wu Sangui stood in his chambers, a sudden rush of triumph swelling in his chest as he surveyed the court's split factions. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Wang Xi stood beside the ailing Shunzhi Emperor, who dictated the terms of his will four nights after contracting smallpox, his condition worsening swiftly. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Wu Sangui's eyes widened as he read the edict, his triumph suddenly replaced with shock and despair. The court's decision was final: he and his officers were to be relocated, their fief stripped. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Dorgon issued proclamations in the name of the young Shunzhi Emperor, declaring that the court contends with rebels, not with the people of the Ming; surrender and service would be rewarded. The message was… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Wu Sangui gathered civil and military officials in secret at dusk in Yunnan, his words stirring whispers of rebellion against the Qing. He proclaimed himself Grand Marshal of the Great Ming, vowing to… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Wu Sangui captured the Yongli Emperor, putting an end to the Southern Ming in 1662. He then turned his attention to the Three Feudatories, large armies and independent finances controlling five provinces,… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Hong Taiji rode out beyond the city to meet the Three Shun leaders, whose defection delighted the emperor, as it decisively refuted rumors of Mao Wenlong's impotence and showed their value to a former… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty

Kangxi Emperor rode through the dusty streets of Beijing, flanked by his guards, as the court's exhaustion and financial strain weighed heavily on his young shoulders. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTPWLKJM #QingDynasty