[{"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-139":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},1205428,1561,"Chapter 139: The Power of Firearms","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-139",139,"\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deafening volley of arquebus fire rang out. A dense cloud of white smoke billowed up behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thunderous roar of the arquebuses and the searing flash as the bullets discharged startled Lu Xiangsheng and the others behind him. Looking ahead, the thick wooden planks set up fifty paces away were already shattered and flying. The sheer power made Ji Shiwei and the others turn pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of Wang Dou, a squad of arquebusiers from Han Chao's company was firing in three ranks — the first two rows crouching, the rear row standing. It was the rear row firing now. After firing, they each took a pre-packaged paper cartridge from the oilcloth ammunition pouch slung on their backs and swiftly reloaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One deafening volley after another rang out. After this squad of arquebusiers had fired three volleys in sequence, not a single one of the thick wooden planks set up ahead remained. Acrid gunpowder smoke hung everywhere, making it impossible to see ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long moment, Lu Xiangsheng coughed. Beside him, Ji Shiwei's face was pale. Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Guowei and Eastern Route Mobile Corps Commander Mao Bin were also dumbstruck. Likewise, Baoan Guard Garrison Commander Li Yian and the others wore expressions of utter disbelief. Their own armies were also equipped with large numbers of firearms — bird guns, three-eyed guns, and the like — but none possessed the power of Wang Dou's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Truly formidable!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, Lu Xiangsheng spoke, then took an arquebus from one of the soldiers and examined it closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stroked the dark, solid barrel with reluctant fascination and, as if discovering something, said, \"This is a bird gun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, what Lu Xiangsheng held was a bird gun. Though the barrel was slightly shorter and the muzzle somewhat larger, it was unmistakably a bird gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"Reporting to the Viceroy, it is indeed a bird gun, only this humble officer has made slight improvements.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, \"The slave rebels mostly wear two, even three layers of heavy armor. If the bullet is too small, it is difficult to penetrate the heavy armor they wear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng nodded and said, \"A larger muzzle loads more powder and shot, so the power is indeed greater. But I imagine the range is correspondingly shorter. If the slave rebels charge forward, what then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"Firearms can only check the enemy. To drive back the slave rebels, one must still rely on the soldiers' determination to fight to the death and their daily training in martial skills.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng nodded with emotion. In the Great Ming army today, there were already all kinds of more advanced firearms — for example, the Lumi gun and the self-igniting gun. Yet against the Qing troops, they held no great advantage. Apart from quality issues, it was because the soldiers lacked the courage for close-quarters combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou's improved bird gun, strictly speaking, was merely ordinary — old Great Ming technology from decades ago. Yet its power was immense, unforgettable to anyone who saw it. Coupled with his soldiers' spirit of daring to fight, it was only natural they could repel the Qing troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, \"Just now your soldiers fired with calm and speed. I presume that is also the result of daily training?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng had just seen Wang Dou employ a three-rank firing tactic. In fact, the three-rank firearm tactic was now commonly used throughout the Great Ming army — that was nothing unusual. Even the pre-packaged paper cartridges did not greatly surprise Lu Xiangsheng. The Great Ming's firearm troops mostly used pre-measured powder and shot; the only difference was one used bamboo tubes, the other wrapped powder and shot together. Still, the concept was worth learning from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"Exactly. Our Shun Fortress's use of pre-packaged cartridges is one factor, but the most important thing is the strict daily training of the soldiers. Only with much practice can they remain calm and unhurried in battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng nodded. By his estimate, the rate of fire from the Shun Fortress arquebusiers' three volleys just now was such that in a field battle, if enemy infantry charged their formation, they would be shattered by the intense gunfire before they could even get close. But this required rigorous training to overcome battlefield fear, achieve rapid reloading, and bring the firearm's maximum power to bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered for a long moment, then said, \"Just now I saw your soldiers firing calmly, without fear of the barrel bursting. I have examined it in detail, and it is indeed finely made. Could it be that you have some skilled craftsmen within your fortress?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the barrel of the bird gun in Lu Xiangsheng's hands was very hot and the muzzle was still trailing wisps of smoke, there was indeed no danger of it bursting. The firing just now had proven that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Lu Xiangsheng's words, many pairs of eyes turned to Wang Dou. Everyone had large numbers of bird guns in their armies, but soldiers were generally unwilling to use them. This was related to the poor quality of bird guns and their tendency to burst in battle. Yet the bird guns of Shun Fortress seemed free of this concern. They all wanted to hear Wang Dou explain the reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"What skilled craftsmen could this humble officer have? The craftsmen now in Shun Fortress are all artisan households left over from before. In truth, manufacturing fine firearms is very simple. One need only supervise the craftsmen daily, severely punish those who produce substandard firearms, reward the diligent and punish the lazy, and ensure an adequate supply of raw materials.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arquebuses of Shun Fortress were truly not advanced weapons, nor did they contain any technical secrets. As long as the officers of each fortress put in a little care, they could all produce arquebuses just like Shun Fortress's. So Wang Dou had nothing to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou spoke simply, but Lu Xiangsheng's thoughts ran deep. After a long while, he sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said to Wang Dou, \"Wang Dou, would you be willing to present this bird gun to me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou hurriedly said, \"That the Viceroy is willing to accept this arquebus is an honor for all of Shun Fortress. Viceroy, please take it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only that arquebusier's eyes showed a look of regret and reluctance. The arquebus in the hands of every Shun Fortress arquebusier was his very lifeblood. But afterward, he received a reward of five taels of silver, bestowed upon him by Lu Xiangsheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng handed the arquebus to his personal general, Chen An. Chen An stroked the bird gun with reluctant fascination, examining it from every angle. Lu Xiangsheng's younger brothers also crowded around to look. Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Guowei and Eastern Route Mobile Corps Commander Mao Bin craned their necks from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen An suddenly saluted Wang Dou and said, \"Battalion Commander Wang, I have one matter I do not understand and hope you can instruct me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou dared not slight this trusted personal general of Lu Xiangsheng. He hurriedly said, \"General, please speak. Instruction is more than I deserve.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen An said, \"I observe that Shun Fortress's bird guns are indeed finely made and formidable, and free of the danger of bursting. I only wonder whether in battle they suffer the same shortcomings as other bird guns — misfires, failure to discharge, and the like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird guns, that is, muzzle-loading matchlock guns, commonly had the problem of misfiring easily. The main reason was that the priming powder in the flash pan was easily blown away by wind or dampened by rain. Especially in the northern regions of the Great Ming, where fierce winds often blew, the misfire rate of bird guns in battle was even higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Bing Lu\" of the thirty-fourth year of the Wanli reign once discussed: \"The three-eyed gun and the bird-beak gun. The bird-beak is used more in the south and less in the north; the three-eye is used more in the north and less in the south. Why is this? The north is cold and windy. The bird-beak requires hand-firing; constant effort is not easy. Once the flash pan is opened and the wind is fierce, the priming powder is already blown away. Using a match easily damages the flash pan. Once fired, the enemy cavalry arrives like the wind, and holding it to resist the enemy is extremely inconvenient. Hence the three-eyed gun: one stock, three barrels, each barrel loaded with two or three lead balls. Wait for the enemy within thirty paces, aim and fire. One gun, three shots, the sound unceasing, none miss their mark. When the enemy horse arrives, take this gun as a substitute for a club. The enemy's iron helmets and iron armor, though sharp blades cannot penetrate, can only be struck by this gun. Thus in the north, there is this distinction between the bird gun and the three-eyed gun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prone to bursting and prone to misfiring — thus in the northern Great Ming, it was only natural that the bird gun was less popular than the three-eyed gun. Even the arquebuses of Shun Fortress, no matter how finely made, still had a misfire rate of ten percent in normal times. And that was during summer battles against the Qing troops. In autumn and winter, the power of the Shun Fortress army's arquebuses would be greatly diminished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this problem, Wang Dou stared blankly into space. He recalled that in history, the firearms expert Zhao Shizhen had invented a kind of Xuanyuan gun that seemed able to solve this problem. But he had never seen the actual object and did not know if it was reliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the present stage, Wang Dou could not solve this problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He answered honestly, \"Yes, there are. Even in normal times, the misfire rate of our Shun Fortress arquebuses reaches as high as ten percent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen An was greatly disappointed. He said, \"If the arquebus misfires and cannot fire, what should be done when the bandits close in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"There is no other way. We can only rely on the soldiers fighting a bloody hand-to-hand battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen An sighed and asked no further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Lu Xiangsheng watched a skill demonstration by Wang Dou's pikemen. He saw that many soldiers could, from twenty paces away, thrust their pikes and accurately hit various targets on human-shaped wooden dummies. Moreover, the indomitable momentum they displayed during their charge left a deep impression on Lu Xiangsheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If an enemy army of somewhat weaker courage saw the Shun Fortress pikemen charging with such ferocious momentum, their morale would be cowed by a third before the clash even began, and they would likely be unable to withstand even a single pike thrust. Ji Shiwei watched with a somewhat pale face. The Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander and Mobile Corps Commander also felt that the Shun Fortress soldiers' killing aura was too intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng inquired, and Wang Dou explained that he assessed martial skills according to the three grades and nine ranks of Marshal Qi's \"Practical Record of Troop Training.\" According to Wang Dou, the highest assessment grade achieved by Shun Fortress soldiers was Upper-Middle Rank. Shun Fortress had many Upper-Rank soldiers, whether the Ironclad Elite listed in the troop registers or the military conscripts within the fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lu Xiangsheng fell silent, his thoughts turning even more to the matter of the severed heads. But he said nothing, only remarking, \"Wang Dou, assemble all the soldiers and civilians of the fortress. I wish to personally address them with consolation and relief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou had Lin Daofu assemble the soldiers and civilians from inside and outside the fortress. During this assembly process, Lu Xiangsheng did not enter the fortress. He merely walked along the outside of the fortress walls, everyone following behind him. The several large, pockmarked earthen pits remaining around Shun Fortress piqued Lu Xiangsheng's interest. Listening to Wang Dou's explanation, he nodded repeatedly with keen interest. He also saw the traces of the battlefield left outside the south gate — large, dark patches of bloodstains that revealed the brutality of that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this scene, it was not just Baoan Guard Garrison Commander Li Yian and the others who were astonished. They had long known that Shun Fortress had undergone a brutal offensive and defensive battle, but they had not imagined it was brutal to this degree. Huailong Military Defense Circuit Intendant Ji Shiwei, the Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander, the Mobile Corps Commander, and the others also clicked their tongues in amazement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the south gate, Wang Dou briefly recounted the offensive and defensive battle of that day. He emphasized the civilians who had died beneath the walls of Shun Fortress. He said, \"After the battle, this humble officer collected and enshrouded these righteous people and buried them at the foot of Fushan, south of Shun Fortress. This humble officer built grave mounds for them and also constructed a temple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng slowly closed his eyes. Finally, he said, \"Wang Dou, lead me there to see. For those soldiers and civilians who died in battle, I wish to personally offer incense and pay my respects.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2222,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","8eb9ebedf110065ae7ef40a59396912bf1ac73a38b66cd88cd800ee262a3df21","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-140","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-138",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]