Defection To Qing
In 1644, Wu opened the gates of the Great Wall of China at Shanhai Pass to let Qing forces into China proper.
He did not side with the Qing Dynasty until after the defensive capability of the Ming Dynasty had been greatly weakened and its political apparatus virtually destroyed by the rebel armies of Li Zicheng. Indeed, Wu was about to join the rebel forces of Li, who had already sacked the Ming capital Beijing, when he heard that his concubine Chen Yuanyuan and her father had been taken into custody by Li. Enraged, Wu contacted and negotiated with the Qing leader Dorgon, negotiations which resulted in the opening of the gates of the Great Wall. Qing forces swept through the gates and on to Beijing.
It is commonly believed that this act led to the ultimate destruction of the Ming Dynasty and the establishment of the Qing Dynasty.
Read more about this topic: Wu Sangui
Famous quotes containing the words defection and/or qing:
“The most dangerous follower is the one whose defection would destroy the whole party: hence, the best follower.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“There cannot be peaceful coexistence in the ideological realm. Peaceful coexistence corrupts.”
—Jiang Qing (1914–1991)