The Late Ming Dynasty's Chief Military Commander

The Imperial Guards draw bows and shoot the Heavenly Wolf,

Riding through the yellow sands to vie for glory.

We swept away the northern invaders, though I fell before my time;

I have not betrayed my duty to the descendants of Yan and Huang!

A poem written by Yang Lin, Commander of Chengdu for the Great Ming, to encourage his officers and soldiers before leading them to the Liaodong battlefield!

History of Ming: Biography of Yang Lin

"Yang Lin, courtesy name Wenyong, was from Hongdong County, Shanxi. He was the fourth of six brothers. In the first year of the Tianqi reign, he enlisted in the army. He was imposing in stature, skilled in strategy, and expert at riding and archery. When the An and She rebellion first broke out, the rebels attacked Chengdu. Remaining calm in the face of danger, he gathered the people and swore an oath: 'The rebels have just arrived and will surely attack the city with their full strength. We must blunt their force in battle, sow confusion in their ranks with stratagems, and disrupt their camps with attacks. Then the enemy will surely be defeated!'…"

The Tianqi Emperor called him "My Huo Qubing"; the Manchu chieftain Huang Taiji called him "the most dangerous enemy Great Jin has faced since its founding";