[3] The next year, Zuo Liangyu and Hong Chengchou managed to score more victories, although they did so while ignoring Xiong Wencan (appointed by the emperor to lead the campaign against the rebels in late 1637).
[3] Zuo scored some victories against rebel groups in Sichuan in the early part of the year,[4] and then defeated and killed the bandit Ma Shouying in the summer.
The vanguard of his army, under the command of Luo Dai (killed in the fighting), was ambushed by the rebels at Mount Luoying, and lost 10.000 men.
[3] In late 1639, Xiong Wencan was impeached and relieved from command, and Yang Sichang began his campaign to end the rebels once and for all,[3] while Zuo Liangyu was invested as "Bandit-Pacifying General".
He went on to win a great victory at Mount Manao, killing between 2200-3500 rebels (more were wiped out in follow-up operations by He Renlong), capturing various commanders and Zhang's wives and concubines, and reclaiming many supplies and weapons as loot.
[3][4] In the 5th month of 1641, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai moved north from Sichuan to relieve pressure on Li Zicheng, who was bottled up for a brief time in the mountains of Shaanxi by He Renlong.
[3] After that, Luo Rucai left Zhang Xiangzhong and joined Li Zicheng,[3] and in the 10th month of 1641 they attacked Zuo Liangyu and forced the Ming general to retreat to Yancheng, Henan.
[4] Also, in late 1643 Zuo ignored Sun Chuanting's order to move from Jiangxi to Runing, to catch Li Zicheng in a pincer in the desperate last Ming offensive against the rebels.
[5] Already predisposed to sail down the Yangzi River by strategic considerations, as Shun remnants could sweep down on Huguang fleeing from the Qing, Zuo accepted Hou Fangyu's plead to intervene on behalf of a group of prosecuted scholars against Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng.
[5] Although Zuo was very ill by that point, his forces started moving towards Nanjing on 19 April, 1645, with a significant amount of initial popular support.
[5] His physical condition worsened by the day, and eventually died of internal bleeding in late April, unable to control his men which were already looting along the way.