The Ultimate Duel

In the sweltering midsummer of 1683, the winds over the Taiwan Strait violently shifted. This was the ultimate showdown that would decide the fate of Taiwan, a clash filled with profound irony—a duel between former brothers-in-arms. Standing atop the flagship of a massive 200-ship fleet was Admiral Shi Lang, entrusted by the Kangxi Emperor with the supreme command of the Qing navy.

Ready to defend the island’s final outer line of defense was Liu Guoxuan, the premier military commander of the Kingdom of Tungning. Decades earlier, these two men had fought side-by-side under the very same banner of Zheng Koxinga. However, Shi Lang had later crossed Koxinga, a rift that resulted in the brutal execution of his father and brother on the mainland. This blood feud burned within Shi Lang for thirty years. After decades of waiting in the shadows, he had finally returned to the black waters of the strait with the ironclad vessels of the Qing Empire, and the only man standing between him and his vengeance was his old comrade, Liu Guoxuan.

On July 10, 1683, these two master tacticians collided in the waters surrounding the Penghu archipelago. The battle raged fiercely around the main islands of Penghu, Cat Islet, Straw Islet, and the vital harbor of Magong. Knowing that the fall of Penghu meant the defenseless ruin of Taiwan, Liu Guoxuan had lined the islands with miles of fortified artillery batteries, adopting a strategy of fierce, entrenched defense.

Shi Lang, relying on his brilliant naval instincts, drove his flagship directly into the heart of the Zheng defenses. In the opening skirmishes, Liu Guoxuan utilized his intimate knowledge of the treacherous local currents to lure the Qing fleet into deadly whirlpools, nearly blinding Shi Lang in his right eye and inflicting heavy casualties. Yet, Shi Lang possessed a terrifying willpower; wrapped in bandages, he stayed on deck, calmly observing the unique tides and wind patterns of Penghu, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back.

The hand of destiny turned on the morning of July 16. A sudden, powerful southern breeze swept across the ocean, favoring the Qing fleet. Shi Lang seized this heavenly opportunity instantly, ordering a relentless, all-out assault. The Qing warships tore downwind, unleashing hundreds of advanced western cannons simultaneously.

For hours, the inner sea of Penghu roared with thunderous explosions, as smoke and fire transformed the azure water into a raging inferno. Wooden warships were blasted to splinters under the dense artillery barrages. Though Liu Guoxuan commanded desperately from his flagship, his fleet was overwhelmed by the shifting winds and the crushing firepower of the Qing navy. The elite maritime forces of the Zheng regime, meticulously trained over two decades, were utterly decimated, leaving the sea stained crimson.

Seeing that all was lost, Liu Guoxuan broke through the enemy lines under the cover of night, escaping back to the Anping headquarters in Tainan with only a handful of surviving vessels. The Battle of Penghu, one of the largest naval engagements of its era, ended in a decisive triumph for Shi Lang. The loss of Penghu completely stripped the Kingdom of Tungning of its strongest shield, leaving Tainan entirely exposed to the Qing blade.

This ultimate confrontation between former comrades not only allowed Shi Lang to avenge his family after thirty years, but it also sounded the death knell for the regime. Upon returning to Taiwan, a defeated Liu Guoxuan knew there was no hope for a reversal, and he ultimately persuaded the twelve-year-old puppet king to surrender, bringing a fiery end to the saga of Taiwan's first Han regime.