Episode 31 – Li’s Beijing

The Battle of Shanhai Pass in which Li Zhicheng’s forces are broken, leading to him fleeing and losing Beijing.

Li Zhicheng may have been a charismatic leader and a fine soldier, but when it came to running a city and, through it, an empire, he was unprepared and relied too much upon people who shouldn’t have been trusted. His soldiers, well-disciplined upon arrival, fell into corruption following on the example of their leaders, until the city practically called out to be invaded again.

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