[{"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-133":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},1205422,1561,"Chapter 133: News of Victory Spreads — Lu Xiangsheng (Part 1)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-133",133,"\u003Cp>Xu Zu's stout frame sat steadily on his horse. When he spoke to Wang Dou, his fleshy face bore a rather cordial expression — perhaps because Wang Dou had rendered great merit, or perhaps because Wang Dou had just given him two hundred taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their party had set out on a grand scale. From Xu Zu's own command alone, Yang Dongmin led over fifty of the prefectural city's retainers, accounting for half of Xu Zu's retainer force. All along the way, they remained on full alert, as if facing a formidable enemy, fearful that a few Qing riders might burst out from somewhere. Only Wang Dou and Han Chao knew that no Qing troops could possibly remain within the borders of Bao'an Department, and their expressions were quite relaxed and at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the professional eyes of Wang Dou and Han Chao, the equipment of those retainers under Xu Zu was better than that of the Shunxiang Fort soldiers. However, their individual combat strength probably only matched that of an ordinary Shunxiang Fort soldier. If they formed up and fought as a unit, the fighting power of Xu Zu's hundred-odd retainers would only equal that of a single ordinary squad of Shunxiang Army soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, according to the prevailing view in the Great Ming army, a commander's force was considered elite only if he possessed a large number of retainers. On this outing, Wang Dou had brought all eight of his bodyguards and all eight of his standard-bearers. In the eyes of Xu Zu and the others, these sixteen men were probably the only retainers Wang Dou had — how pitiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Xu Zu could never understand: how, with just these few retainers and some sturdy soldiers from Shunxiang Fort, had Wang Dou managed to achieve so many kills? It was truly baffling!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Xu Zu's words, Wang Dou hurriedly said, \"My lord, rest assured. This humble officer will certainly follow my lord's instruction: say what should be said, and not utter a single word of what should not be said.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zu nodded with satisfaction. Wang Dou was perceptive and tactful, and also brave and skilled in battle — this further deepened his notion of drawing Wang Dou in as a trusted personal commander. Full of ambition, he raised his head and looked toward the nearby Bao'an Guard City. Gazing at the fortress's imposing silhouette, his eyes were dazzled by its many hues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, whenever Xu Zu came to Bao'an Guard City, he had always looked up at this fortress in reverence. Today, for the first time, he surveyed the city with the attitude of a master. With the merit Wang Dou had earned, he thought, before long he himself would surely become the master of this fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou also followed his gaze and carefully examined Bao'an Guard City. According to the historical records Wang Dou knew, the entire wall of Bao'an Guard City had been faced with brick during the Wanli reign, and it housed over two thousand garrison officers and soldiers. The soldiers patrolling the wall and the densely packed cannons were both twice as numerous as those in Bao'an Prefectural City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Wang Dou's view, no matter how strong the fortifications, if the defending soldiers lacked the courage to fight, it was all in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The party continued north from Zhenhai Bridge and soon arrived outside the west gate of Bao'an Guard City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bao'an Guard City had three city gates: the east gate was called Dehua Gate, the south gate was called Ying'en Gate, and the west gate was called Zhenjing Gate. Outside each gate and the city walls, deep moats had been dug. It seemed that Zhenjing Gate had once been attacked by Qing soldiers; some traces of the battlefield still remained outside the gate, and the houses of soldiers and civilians attached to the outer walls had all been destroyed by the flames of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, outside Zhenjing Gate, Guard Assistant Regional Commander Wang Captain of the Guard City was already waiting to welcome Xu Zu and Wang Dou's party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Captain was a tall, lean man in his forties, dressed in the military uniform of a rank-3B officer, looking very spirited. He wore a faint smile on his face the entire time. Wang Dou's first intuition was that this was a man of extreme depth, the type whose joy and anger never showed on his face, someone whose inner thoughts you could never fathom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou had once heard Xu Zu describe the local features of the Guard City. This Wang Captain was the most trusted confidant of Garrison Commander Li Yi'an, the Guard City's Qianshu Officer, in charge of all training and drill matters for the guard battalion, and also commanded a Company Commander's worth of troops in the Guard City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the several Guard Vice Commanders of Bao'an Guard, the ones most qualified to contend with Xu Zu for the Garrison Commander post were, besides Guard Tuntian Officer and Guard Assistant Regional Commander Wen Shiyan, the very man before them — Lord Wang Captain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou keenly sensed that the moment Xu Zu and Wang Captain met, an inexplicable undercurrent surged between them. On the surface, however, the two were as close as brothers who shared the same pair of trousers, slapping each other's shoulders and laughing heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Captain laughed loudly, \"Lord Xu, why have you arrived so late? By order of the Garrison Commander, Wang Mou has been waiting here for quite some time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zu also laughed, the fat all over his body and the flesh on his face quivering with the motion. He said, \"The region is unsettled, with slave riders running rampant — one cannot be too careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Captain also sighed, \"The slave bandits are powerful; what can be done? No slave riders have appeared for several days; it seems they have withdrawn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His piercing, spirited gaze turned toward Wang Dou. \"Is this the Shunxiang Fort Battalion Commander Wang, who beheaded two hundred and eighty-one slaves and reported a great victory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou stepped forward and knelt in salute to Wang Captain: \"Wang Dou, Battalion Commander of the Left Battalion of Bao'an Guard, pays respects to Guard Assistant Regional Commander Lord Wang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Captain's strong hands helped Wang Dou up. He looked him over from head to toe and sighed, \"A fine fellow indeed. Why is there no fierce commander like Battalion Commander Wang under my own command?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smug look appeared on Xu Zu's face. Wang Dou said loudly, \"It was all thanks to the Garrison Commander's masterful planning and the Drill Officer's steady direction. This humble officer's meager merit is not worth mentioning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of surprise appeared on Wang Captain's face. He had initially assumed from Wang Dou's tall and powerful build that he was merely a fierce and daring warrior who dared to kill and fight. But now, seeing his appropriate speech and composed bearing, it was clear he was no simple figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mused, \"I have heard that Battalion Commander Wang's ancestors once followed Marshal Qi...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou thought to himself that this Wang Captain was truly formidable — when had he even investigated the circumstances of his ancestors so thoroughly? He said loudly, \"I dare not deceive my lord. My ancestor Wang Hu did indeed follow Marshal Qi in battle, and only later retired to live in the countryside of Bao'an Department.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Captain said, \"Descended from loyal and good men, with deep family learning — no wonder.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cast a meaningful glance at Xu Zu, then looked at the several bodyguards beside Wang Dou, who stood with heads high and chests out, faces showing pride. He praised, \"Fine soldiers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zu laughed heartily and said to Wang Captain, \"Lord Wang, let us enter the city, lest we keep the Garrison Commander waiting too long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Captain smiled faintly, \"Lord Xu, please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The party entered Bao'an Guard City through Zhenjing Gate. Bao'an Guard City was laid out with a cross-shaped main street running east-west and north-south, with lanes arranged in a grid pattern. The cross street lay at the center, where a bell tower was also built. Within the city were the Bao'an Guard Command Headquarters and the Bao'an New City Garrison Commander's Official Hall. In the city's southeastern corner, there were also the Circuit Inspector's Office, the Provincial Administration Branch Office, and the Provincial Surveillance Branch Office — all built in the fifth year of the Jingtai reign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the city there were also a public nursing home, the Xinxing Granary, the Famine Reserve Granary, a grazing ground, an armory, a pharmacy, and other structures. Outside the south gate was a military drill hall. Eight li east of the city was the Hongzi Warm Postal Relay Station; twenty li east, the Zhuanzi Warm Relay Station; thirty li east, the Qizi Warm Relay Station. One hundred forty li southwest of the city was a Shenjing Station. Inside the west gate was a small horse station responsible for postal traffic with Jiming Relay Station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like all guard-battalion fortresses in the Great Ming, Bao'an Guard City also had numerous temples. According to historical records, there were thirty-nine temples inside and outside the Guard City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the Guard City also had many shops and workshops. At this time, the jurisdiction of Bao'an Guard was extremely broad: places that in later times would belong to Huailai County — Xinbao'an Town, Dongbali, Xibali, Shacheng, Sangyuan, and other areas — were all fortresses and villages under Bao'an Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Great Ming historical records, during the Hongzhi reign, Bao'an Guard had 150 official households, 8,019 military households, and 1,013 farming households. There were five Guard Vice Commanders, whether titular or substantive, and eight Assistant Guard Commanders. The Guard City also had a Confucian Instructor, an Assistant Instructor, and various clerks and functionaries of different ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such a large population, a considerable portion lived within the Guard City. The wide range of needs created a flourishing commerce within the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just like the prefectural city, because of the Qing army's incursion, there were now few pedestrians on the streets — a scene of desolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the party arrived before the main gate of the Bao'an Guard Command Headquarters in the city's southeastern corner. Here stood a tall memorial archway, inscribed with two large characters: \"Zhenbei\" — Guard the North.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bao'an New City Garrison Commander's Official Hall was located inside the Bao'an Guard Command Headquarters. This was how all guard battalions in the Great Ming were: since the guard-battalion system and the camp-brigade system had merged into one, the Guard Commander of each Guard City essentially concurrently served as the local Garrison Commander. Each Guard's Command Headquarters was divided into two sections: matters concerning local garrison defense were discussed in the Garrison Commander's Official Hall, while matters concerning the guard battalion itself were handled in the Command Headquarters main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of the \"Zhenbei Arch,\" Bao'an Guard's other Guard Assistant Regional Commander, Wen Shiyan, had already led a host of officials great and small from Bao'an Guard to welcome them. Wen Shiyan was not yet fifty, with a long, flowing three-part beard, refined and handsome in appearance. Dressed in the military uniform of a rank-3B officer, he cut quite a dashing figure — except that his bearing and expression were somewhat stiff, giving the impression of a forced, insincere smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exchanged lukewarm pleasantries with Xu Zu. When Xu Zu had Wang Dou step forward to pay respects, he cast a bland glance at Wang Dou and said, \"The young man is no simple figure. Such martial valor, such courage — very rare indeed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou maintained a respectful face outwardly, but inwardly he speculated maliciously: \"I've heard that Wen Fangliang is this Wen Shiyan's nephew. The two look so alike — could Wen Fangliang actually be his illegitimate son?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zu also helped introduce Wang Dou to several officers beside Wen Shiyan — mostly Guard City Assistant Guard Commanders, Battalion Commanders, and the like. Upon meeting Wang Dou, every one of them was all smiles. At least on the surface, they were very cordial toward Wang Dou, their expressions full of admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the crowd, Wang Dou also spotted the several squad officers who had left Shunxiang Fort: Xu Lu, Liu Wei, Yu Qingyuan, and Lan Bulian. The four stood behind Wen Shiyan. When they saw Wang Dou's gaze turn their way, they all deliberately or unconsciously avoided it — especially Xu Lu, who lowered his head, his face showing an expression of shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao, behind Wang Dou, also saw the four. He gave a cold snort and glared at them angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the pleasantries, Wen Shiyan ushered Xu Zu, Wang Dou, and the others into the Bao'an Guard Command Headquarters. As the group arrived before the main council hall, Wang Dou saw standing under the eaves a gaunt, elderly man dressed in the uniform of a rank-3A Guard Commander. He had a kindly expression and, supported by a person beside him, watched the entering officials and officers with gentle eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou thought to himself that this old man must be Li Yi'an, the Garrison Commander of Bao'an Guard. What drew his attention was the person supporting him at his side — a man of medium build and sturdy frame, wearing the military uniform of an Assistant Guard Commander. His face was hidden in the shadows of the room, his features unclear; Wang Dou only felt a sharp, piercing gaze shoot out and fix upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>",2269,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","0b2b69d3f812e97a79c5f32f555e62489bc875aeb4565ee43427eba8028a52b3","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-134","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-132",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]