The Shaolin leader, Tianyuan, seized control of the monastic forces, and led them into battle against the pirates. Their first course of action was taking control of the entryways to the rivers that run into China, and they succeeded in doing so in 1553, when they overwhelmed pirate forces from atop Mount Zhe.
From there, they headed to Shanghai, where they scored a huge victory at the Battle of Wengjiagang, demolishing the pirate forces before turning their attention to stragglers. It is here that the Shaolin busted all stereotypes about being super-zen or peaceful, as they began a massively violent campaign that involved hunting down every pirate they could.
The monks would linger for a while after as members of the Ming Dynasty military forces, but eventually returned to their monasteries. The rest, as they say, is history.
Page 3 of 3:
