46 days after October 12, 1862 he attacked Tsêng Kuo-ch'üan's quarters at Yü-hua t'ai on the outskirts of Nanking. But owing to Tsêng's superior tactics and to the fact that Li's men were spent by continuous assaults and were suffering from cold, hunger and illness, Li had finally to abandon the effort. At this point, his cousin, Li Shih-hsien, suggested that as the Ch'ing forces were inadequately prepared to protect the area north of the Yangtze it would be wise to take Yangchow, and that with added provisions he might also attack Tsêng's base at Anking and so remove the menace to the Taiping capital. Li Hsiu-ch'êng accepted the suggestion. At the end of 1862 he sent a detachment across the Yangtze and took Ho-chou, Han-shan and Ch'ao-hsien, all in Anhwei. In the spring of 1863 he personally proceeded to Anhwei and took many cities. But he had no chance to approach Anking since he was forced by Pao Ch'ao, P'êng Yü-lin [qq. v.] and others to go northwestward as far as Liu-an, a city near the border of Hupeh (May 1863). Finally he ordered his troops back from the west to retake Yangchow. Though he forced his way through Ch'u-chou and T'ien-ch'ang with Yangchow in view, he had to abandon this hope because his hungry soldiers could not maintain themselves in the devastated areas through which they passed. Moreover the Celestial King at Nanking urgently needed Li's help after Tsêng Kuo-ch'üan strengthened his base at Yü-hua-t'ai (June 1863) and occupied many strategic points round the city. Thus the campaign against Anking and Yangchow failed and Li had to face the necessity of a direct attack on Nanking.
When Li Hsiu-ch'êng was again near Nanking he advised Hung Hsiu-ch'üan to lead half a million men in a general retreat to some other region. But Hung stoutly declined to do so, in the belief that God would take care of him. At that time (1863) Nanking, Soochow and Hangchow were three important headquarters of the Taipings. But Nanking was doggedly attacked by Tsêng Kuo-ch'üan, Soochow was menaced by Li Hung-chang, and Hangchow by Tso Tsung-t'ang [q. v.]. The Taiping generals holding Soochow and Hangchow begged Li Hsiu-ch'êng to come to their rescue, but the Celestial King would not permit it. Finally Li did obtain permission to aid Soochow which was harassed by the forces of Li Hung-chang (see under Ch'êng Hsüeh-ch'i). Though Burgevine (see under Fêng Kuei-fên) with 300 veterans fought with the Taipings at Soochow from August 2 to October 17, 1863, the insurgents were gradually forced to retire into the city. [Burgevine had been a commander of the Ever Victorious Army in 1862, but owing to arrears in salary had mutinied (January 3, 1863) against the Chinese government at Sungkiang and Shanghai, and when dismissed (January 15, 1863) joined the Taipings.] When Li Hsiu-ch'êng came to the relief of Soochow the combined Taiping forces made an effort to take the city, but without success. Realizing that the situation was serious, Li went west of Soochow (December 1) to a point not far from Changchow in order to attack the government forces in the rear or go to Nanking to give the Celestial King time to effect a general retirement from Nanking. But in the meantime eight Taiping chiefs, who by this time were very hard pressed in Soochow, made arrangements with Li Hung-chang to surrender, which they did on December 5, 1863 (for details see under Ch'êng Hsüeh-ch'i).
Thereupon Li Hsiu-ch'êng returned to Nanking. On March 31, 1864 Hangchow was taken by Tso Tsung-t'ang; and Nanking, the only remaining Taiping base, was closely besieged and fiercely attacked by Tsêng Kuo-ch'üan. Soldiers and civilians within the distressed city had nothing to eat and wept as they begged Li for help. Li distributed his own supplies of rice to the poor and his own money to his soldiers. At this juncture the Celestial King, Hung Hsiu-ch'üan, committed suicide (June 1864). Tsêng's forces undermined the city walls with elaborate tunnels and finally took Nanking on July 19, 1864. Hundreds of Taiping officials and maid-servants in the palaces drowned themselves or in other ways ended their lives. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers were mercilessly killed by the victorious army and a majority of government buildings were destroyed. Li Hsiu-ch'êng taking the Celestial King's successor, Hung Fa (see under Hung Hsiu-ch'üan), and several hundred others with him, rushed out through a break in the city wall at midnight July 19. But as soon as they emerged they were scattered by the pursuing soldiers. Having given his best war horse to Hung Fu, and having taken, in his haste, a poor one for himself, he was unable to flee any great distance and was forced near daybreak of the following morning to hide in a ruined temple at the top of the hill called Fang-shan 方山. There he relaxed and divested himself of his heavy burden of jewels and silver. Observing several villagers approaching, he ran away leaving his jewels behind. The villagers chased him,
462
