The three men discussed who might succeed Wang Yongji as the Governor-General of Liaodong. After some debate yielded no results, Fan Jingwen and Wang Jiayan bowed and took their leave.
On the morning and evening of the fourteenth day of the third month, two personal letters from Wang Yongji were delivered to Emperor Chongzhen’s desk. The first letter was written before the Battle of Sarhu. In it, based on a confession from Shosei, Wang surmised that Wu Sangui would seek a pretext to request a change in defensive positions, after which the Jiannu would launch a surprise attack during the transition.
The second letter was written after the Battle of Sarhu. It detailed the entire conflict, including how Wu Sangui had actively requested the change in defense, only to be ambushed by the Jiannu during the repositioning. To avoid being attacked from both sides, the Northern Route Army had been forced to retreat. Although they had retreated, the evidence of Wu Sangui’s betrayal of his comrades was now ironclad.
Chapter 1130