The Chongzhen Emperor orders Yuan’s arrest during an interview on January 13, 1630.

He is accused, without much evidence, of collusion with the enemy and condemned to the "death by a thousand cuts" at Ganshiqiao in Beijing.

When Yuan is asked for last words before his execution, he produces the poem: "A life's work always ends up in vain; half of my career seems to be in dreams. I do not worry about lacking brave warriors after my death, for my loyal spirit will continue to guard Liaodong."

His family is resettled.

He is left there after the torture, shouting for half a day and then stops.

It is said that because of his "betrayal", many Beijing citizens hated him so much that they rushed to buy his body parts so they could eat them.

His head, the only recognizable part after the torture, is taken outside the Inner City Wall by a city guard, whose surname is She, and buried near Guanqu Men.

The guard's family have guarded it from one generation to the next ever since.

Yuan is mourned throughout most of the country outside Beijing and even in Korea; with his death many now regard the Ming Dynasty and its allies as highly vulnerable.