[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army":3,"chapter-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-101":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Little Soldier of the Late Ming Border Army",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1205390,1561,"Chapter 101: Volume Three: Defender of Shunxiang Fortress — Chapter 101: Arrival","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-101",101,"\u003Cp>Volume Three: Defender of Shunxiang Fortress — Chapter 101: Arrival\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ninth day of the seventh month, ninth year of the Chongzhen reign. Morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a cell at Shunxiang Fortress, the Qing soldier Zhuanda let out scream after scream as several burly Discipline Corps soldiers tortured him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao stood by, harshly interrogating him in Manchu, but the Zhuanda only glared with furious brows, roaring something from time to time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao walked over to Wang Dou, clasped his fist, and said, \"My lord, this Tartar is stubborn as iron and refuses to open his mouth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said coldly, \"Continue the interrogation. Remember not to beat him to death — keep him alive. I have a use for him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He led the officers out of the cell and up onto the city wall. Along the way, the streets were filled with the soldiers and civilians of Shunxiang Fortress preparing for battle, making and transporting more rolling logs and stone missiles, and carrying large barrels of boiling filth up the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now every able-bodied male in the fortress had been conscripted into the army as auxiliary soldiers, and even all the sturdy women had been organized. The rations within the fortress were distributed uniformly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The streets were thick with tension, and patrol soldiers moved ceaselessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou and his men arrived on the city wall. According to the defenders' plan, if the Qing troops attacked, they would certainly make the southern gate of Shunxiang Fortress their main target. Outside the western gate of the new Shunxiang Fortress, the ground was covered with pitted earthworks — even walking was difficult, let alone mounting an assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Qing troops attacked from that side, they would become perfect targets. Just filling in those earthworks would cost them many lives; it all depended on whether they could afford such losses. Thus, according to plan, the fortress's main forces and equipment were all deployed near this southern gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By calculation, the old Shunxiang Fortress had a circumference of just over two li, with more than nine hundred crenellations, over ten guard posts, and four bastions. In particular, the barbican outside the southern gate was a powerful bulwark protecting the southern entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were several guard posts on each side of Shunxiang Fortress's walls. Each guard post was about two meters long and just over two meters wide, with the portion projecting beyond the wall measuring about one meter. The projecting section had observation holes on three sides, resembling a small bastion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the bastions, along both sides of the southern gate's barbican, at intervals of fifty paces, there were two bastions on each side. The bastions projected about two meters from the wall and were three meters wide. On the bastion's crenellated parapet there were observation holes, and below or beside the observation holes there were also firing ports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbican was semicircular, situated to the left of the southern gate. A gate opened off to one side, and several dozen paces to the left, on the city wall, stood a bastion — this distance fell exactly within the firing range of firelocks. From this left-side bastion, one could fiercely strike enemy troops attacking the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By calculation, the dozen or so crenellations on the barbican, along with the hundred-plus crenellations on the walls flanking the gate, would be the Qing troops' main assault area, so this also became the primary deployment zone for the Shunxiang army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, the Shunxiang army, including the artillery unit and night scouts, had four sentry companies of combat soldiers, totaling about eleven hundred men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the fifth month, Shunxiang Fortress already possessed five hundred firelocks and over one hundred seventy sets of iron armor. Throughout the sixth month, craftsmen like Li Maosen worked day and night, forging over two hundred more firelocks and over fifty more sets of iron armor. Entering the seventh month, by today, the workshop had produced another seventy firelocks and over ten sets of iron armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Shunxiang Fortress now possessed nearly eight hundred firelocks and over two hundred fifty sets of iron armor. Aside from allocating over seventy firelocks to the firelock soldiers at Dongjiazhuang and one hundred twenty firelocks to the firelock soldiers at Jingbian Fortress, the four sentry companies of firelock soldiers within Shunxiang Fortress, besides having one firelock per man, still had a reserve stock of nearly two hundred firelocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, the hundred-plus sets of armor originally stored in Shunxiang Fortress's warehouse were all brought out for use. Although the quality of this armor was poor, it was still far better than having soldiers fight bare-bodied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over a thousand strong combat soldiers defending a small Battalion Commander's fortress — the troop strength could be considered ample. Even Baoanzhou City likely did not possess Wang Dou's military strength. By the rule that an attacking force needs five times the defenders to take a city, assaulting a city protected by over a thousand combat soldiers would require at least five thousand troops to have any confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou estimated that the Qing troops appearing before his Shunxiang Fortress could not possibly be that numerous, so for the time being he only had Han Zhong's and Sun Sanjie's two sentry companies — one new, one veteran — ascend the wall to defend. The remaining two sentry companies under Han Chao and Wen Fangliang served only as reserves, and also patrolled the rest of the fortress walls and maintained order within the new and old fortresses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou and his men arrived at the crenellations flanking the southern gate. In this area were mounted four breech-loading swivel guns and two bronze cannons. As a precaution, the remaining one breech-loading swivel gun, one bronze cannon, and two tiger-tail cannons were all mounted at the western gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the defense began, Wang Dou had long since ordered his subordinates to calculate clearly, for every critical crenellation at Shunxiang Fortress, how many men each required, how many firelock soldiers, and how many spearmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, on the city walls on both sides of the southern gate, defending soldiers already stood in full force, and the relevant defensive equipment was fully deployed. Every few crenellations were assigned to one squad of combat soldiers from each of the two defending sentry companies. Which crenellations each squad was responsible for, and what equipment they had — all responsibilities were clearly delineated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At each crenellation in this area stood a defensive device called a hanging shelter or soft wall. It was built with a wooden frame, with two legs standing inside the city and a rotating axle outside. Above was a covered lattice, draped with old wadded quilts soaked in water, used to guard against sharp arrows shot from outside the city. These hanging shelters and soft walls were the most essential items for defending crenellations; without such devices, when arrows flew up from below, the soldiers on the wall would certainly be unable to hold their positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the side of the hanging shelter facing outside the city, several holes were cut to spy on movements outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make these hanging shelters and soft walls, the military households within both the new and old Shunxiang Fortresses had been stripped clean of their quilts. Fortunately, it was now summer, so even without quilts, the military households would not freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For each squad of over fifty combat soldiers responsible for their respective crenellations, a thatched shed was built on the wall, covered with straw matting to shield against wind, rain, and sunlight. Outside the shed stood a tall bamboo pole, used to hang the squad flag and lantern. Inside the shed were thick bamboo tubes, used to hold each man's weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, at each combat squad's position, there was a pile of rolling logs and stone missiles, stacked right beside the crenellated parapet. At the parapet stood a device resembling a small stone-throwing machine, which could hurl stone missiles down below to crush enemy troops scaling the wall. A man beside it could observe the enemy's movements through the parapet's observation hole and direct the stone-thrower's aim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some crenellations and parapets, chevaux-de-frise were also placed, their surfaces bristling with sharp iron barbs. Even if Qing soldiers managed to climb onto the city wall, faced with these chevaux-de-frise, they would probably weep and wail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, after discussion among the fortress officers, several sets of chevaux-de-frise were also placed at the city gate entrance. Even if enemy cavalry or infantry charged through, confronted with these chevaux-de-frise and the fire of several squads of firelock soldiers, the resulting situation would make \"heavy casualties\" an understatement. Likewise, at the base of the walls flanking the southern gate, on the outer side of the moat, at certain key positions, chevaux-de-frise, abatis, and iron caltrops were also deployed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After such arrangements, Shunxiang Fortress's warehouse was swept completely empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from defending the barbican, Han Zhong's troops were mostly deployed on the city wall to the left of the southern gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Dou arrived at this spot, the combat soldiers of the Left Sentry Company's various squads were sitting inside their thatched sheds chatting idly. It was nearly noon, and the sunlight was fierce. Aside from a few soldiers on watch, the rest of the combat soldiers of each squad were mostly gathered inside the sheds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the city defense orders Wang Dou had laid down, apart from the soldiers on duty, the remaining defending soldiers were forbidden to stand for long periods beneath the crenellations, lest they become listless when the enemy arrived and lack the strength to defend. At night, each squad also rotated men to stand watch, while the rest slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, no squad of soldiers was permitted to leave the wall without authorization. Anyone who secretly returned home, squad leader included, would face military justice before the entire force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These combat soldiers sat in their thatched sheds day after day, and naturally found it tedious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhong accompanied Wang Dou as he walked over. Seeing everyone's listless appearance, he bellowed, \"All of you, pull yourselves together! Stop dreaming of sleep, damn it. If the Tartars sneak up here, you'll have all the sleep you want — for the rest of your lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several soldiers said, \"My lord, are the Tartars coming or not? We've been waiting for days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhong cursed, \"Damn you all, are you that eager for the Tartars to come?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"Sentry Commander Han, what is the men's morale like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhong laughed, \"Rest assured, my lord, the brothers are rubbing their fists and wiping their palms, just waiting to fight the Tartars. We're only afraid the Tartars won't come, haha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his words, the soldiers on the city wall also laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just at that moment, three reports of hand cannon fire suddenly rang out from the eastern direction, followed by three flaming arrows shooting into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone's expression changed. They all looked outside the city, and soon saw Chen Shoufu, the ambush squad leader from the eastern crossroads, waving a yellow flag as he and a small squad of several soldiers dashed urgently back to the southern gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entered the fortress, came before Wang Dou, and reported breathlessly, \"The Tar... the Tartars are coming. Their numbers are over a thousand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou's face darkened. He shouted, \"Sound the alarm! Have the men prepare to defend!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entered the gate tower above the southern gate. Soon, the central command post inside fired three cannon shots and raised a large white banner. In an instant, the squad leaders of every combat squad defending the wall beat their bamboo clappers and bronze drums, ordering the soldiers to stand ready and prepare for battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers of the two defending sentry companies quickly assembled, retrieving their weapons from the bamboo tubes in the thatched sheds, and formed up by squads in front of the crenellations, ready to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every man's expression was solemn. After waiting so many days, the Tartars had finally come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this battle, who among them would survive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The alarm sounded far and wide, and within Shunxiang Fortress, a commotion stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing on the gate tower, Wang Dou gazed far into the distance toward the Dongfang River area to the east. He saw, from the flat plain over there, column after column of Qing troops advancing toward Shunxiang Fortress, a mix of infantry and cavalry, their military formation strict and orderly. Wang Dou's initial estimate put their numbers at over fifteen hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead of the main Qing army were squads of cavalry scouts, who came whooping and hollering, ceaselessly circling Shunxiang Fortress while shouting strange cries at the fortress in Manchu. But atop Shunxiang Fortress, there was not the slightest stir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After these scouts had ridden around for a while and gotten a clear picture of Shunxiang Fortress's surroundings, some of them galloped back, while the rest converged on the southern side of Shunxiang Fortress. They had evidently also realized that, in the area of Shunxiang Fortress, the southern side of the city was the more suitable place for both assaulting and encamping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the main Qing force came rolling in, their banners a mass of white and red, slowly concentrating about one li south of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Qing troops numbering over a thousand, some soldiers and officers around Wang Dou let out heavy, ragged breaths. Although everyone had prepared for a long time and shared a common hatred, with the main Qing force advancing and the long-standing intimidating prestige of the Eight Banners weighing on them, each man still felt immense psychological pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou’s expression remained calm. He looked carefully and saw that the banners and armor of the Qing troops outside the city were all white with red trim, and he knew this was the Bordered White Banner army of the Eight Banners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Wang Dou’s understanding of history, the Bordered White Banner belonged to the lower four banners of the Eight Banners, with fifteen niru of troops under its command. The banner lord was originally Dudu, the eldest son of Cuyen; later, after Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he appointed his own son, Hooge, as the banner lord of the Bordered White Banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking again at their numbers and banners, he estimated there were five niru of troops here, commanded by a jalan janggin under the Bordered White Banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou had read historical records before: five niru of Later Jin or Qing troops were organized into one jalan; a jalan marched as one column, halted as one unit, and attacked as one point in battle — and indeed it was so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time he had seen a main Qing force. Wang Dou’s blood boiled in his heart, and he said fiercely to himself, “Come on, I’ve been waiting for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>",2472,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","db044ec5cf21f075b3a315bf6021ca6d7b4a371fa6cc2d4588f13e446bba402e","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-102","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-100",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]