[{"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-141":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},1205430,1561,"Chapter 141: Arrangements, and Off to the Department City","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-141",141,"\u003Cp>After spending a night at the guard city, Wang Dou returned to Shunxiang Fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the ninth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Chongzhen, at noon, the Thousand-Household Official Hall was packed to capacity, every face beaming with joy, their brand-new official robes dazzling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wang Dou's promotion and reward, the officers under him were likewise promoted and rewarded. Sir Lin Daofu, a tree that finally bloomed after a thousand years, was promoted from Vice Thousand-Household to Full Thousand-Household. Wen Fangliang, originally a Vice Thousand-Household, had rendered meritorious service this time and was also promoted to Full Thousand-Household. The brothers Han Chao and Han Zhong, originally substantive Company Commanders, had their merits assessed and were found to have rendered the greatest service in this battle; they were substantively promoted two ranks to Full Thousand-Household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Sanjie was likewise promoted to Vice Thousand-Household; Zhong Diaoyang was promoted to Company Commander; Gao Shiyin was promoted to Vice Thousand-Household; Yang Tong was promoted to Company Commander. Wang Dou's brother-in-law Xie Yike was also promoted to Platoon Leader. The Garrison Provost Chi Dacheng was also promoted to Company Commander. The remaining officers and soldiers were promoted or rewarded according to their military merits, and everyone rejoiced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou's appointment had already been issued: he would serve as Garrison Commander of Bao'an Department City in the capacity of Vice Guard Commander of Bao'an Guard. The former Garrison Commander, Xu Zucheng, had already been promoted to Guard Commander of Bao'an Guard and transferred into the guard city. Wang Dou was about to take up his post, and everyone was concerned about his arrangements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou pondered for a long moment, then said, \"After I leave, Shunxiang Fort will be managed by Sir Lin Daofu. Very soon, the appointment document for you to serve as Garrison Commander of Shun Fort will arrive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was confident in Lin Daofu's management ability. After more than a year, he could be considered one of Wang Dou's inner circle, and his loyalty to Wang Dou was beyond question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu stood up, trembling slightly. Days of speculation had finally become reality. Nearly fifty years old, after many years as a deputy, he had finally become the head of a fort, all thanks to Wang Dou's patronage. Choking with emotion, he said, \"I thank you, Garrison Commander, my lord. Rest assured, with me here, Shunxiang Fort will only get better and better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou smiled faintly. \"I trust in Sir Lin's ability. Your burden will be very heavy from now on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he was being transferred to the department city and could control greater resources and territory, he could not abandon his old base. The department city was large, but it also had correspondingly many gentry and interest groups. Anything he wanted to do would face numerous obstacles. Only Shunxiang Fort, a place he had built up with his own hands, allowed him to do anything as easily as moving his fingers. In the future, he would deepen his operations there — farming colonies, troop training, military industry, commerce, education, medical care, and so on — all could serve as training bases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu sat down, and everyone else looked at him with envious eyes. Wang Dou continued, \"Thousand-Household Wen shall serve as the Qian Shu Officer of Shun Fort, managing all farming colony affairs inside and outside the fort, while continuing to lead your own troops. Vice Thousand-Household Sun Sanjie will assist you in farming and operations, also continuing to lead his own troops. And Sir Chi shall continue to manage military discipline and law inside and outside the fort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang and Sun Sanjie loudly clasped their fists in assent, their faces wreathed in smiles. Chi Dacheng remained his eternally unchanging self; he rose, performed a deep bow, and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said to Han Zhong, \"Brother Han, you shall also serve as Qian Shu Officer of Shun Fort, managing the training affairs of Shunxiang Fort. Vice Thousand-Household Zhong shall assist you in jointly training the troops. Whether you are farming or drilling, none of you may slacken. Finally, Brother Han Chao, you shall lead the troops of the Jia Corps and accompany me to garrison the department city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few months, Wang Dou had slightly reorganized the army of Shunxiang Fort, reverting to the Xuanfu Garrison structure of Corps, Squad, and Platoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, Wang Dou had to conceal his troop strength, so he divided his own Corps into five Picket units. Now that was no longer necessary. Wang Dou had been promoted to Garrison Commander of the department city and could command the troops of a full Company Commander. Having several Corps of troops under him was now fully legitimate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Wang Dou's former five Picket units were renamed and divided into five Corps: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, and Wu. Han Chao's former Right Picket was renamed Jia Corps; Han Zhong's former Left Picket was renamed Yi Corps; Wen Fangliang's former Front Picket was renamed Bing Corps; Sun Sanjie's former Rear Picket was renamed Ding Corps; Zhong Diaoyang's former Center Picket was renamed Wu Corps. These five men each served as Squad Commander. Additionally, Gao Shiyin led a force of one Company Commander, with Yang Tong serving as Platoon Officer under that Company Commander. In the future, this would also be expanded into a full Corps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Wang Dou's troop quota was one Company Commander, yet he had five Squad Commanders and an additional Company Commander under him — still vastly over establishment. The troops of many Corps could only exist in the form of military auxiliaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the seventh month, Wang Dou had slightly reformed the army. Within the Picket — now Corps — he implemented uniform pike units and firearms units. Within each unit, one squad of troops was also to be organized as sword-and-shield soldiers or spear-and-shield soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, during implementation, some soldiers complained. They had painstakingly trained in firearms marksmanship or pike thrusting techniques, and suddenly being reassigned as sword-and-shield or spear-and-shield soldiers meant that all the weapons, skills, and experience they had honed were now useless; everything had to start from scratch. Some soldiers had morale issues. Having squad leaders in the pike units serve as sword-and-shield soldiers was also inappropriate, as it blocked the promotion path for the remaining soldiers. Furthermore, spear-and-shield soldiers, holding a shield in one hand and a spear in the other, would inevitably lack offensive power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering these circumstances, Wang Dou later made adjustments. In each pike unit or firearms unit, he added one squad of sword-and-shield soldiers. When forming ranks, they stood at the very front to block incoming enemy arrows. Each sword-and-shield soldier was also given two javelins, allowing them to defend at close range and attack at a distance. These sword-and-shield soldiers were all newly trained, not selected from the original veterans. The spear-and-shield soldiers were also abolished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Wang Dou's one Squad now had six squads of men. Taking this into account, Wang Dou created a new position of Squad Deputy in each Squad to manage three squads of troops. Each Squad Deputy also had two guards. The Squad Officer had four guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the sword-and-shield soldiers providing cover at the front, whether the squad leaders, Squad Officers, and Squad Deputies in each Squad carried long weapons or short weapons, or held shields, was left to their own discretion based on circumstances. However, the flags of the squad leaders, Squad Deputies, and Squad Officers were still affixed to their backs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After adjustments, Wang Dou's one Squad had a strength of seventy-four men. One Corps had four Squads, and a Corps Deputy was established, leading two Squads of troops. Each Corps Deputy had eight guards, and the Corps Deputy's flag was also affixed to his back. The Squad Commander, in addition to having eight guards, also had four standard-bearers, one bugler, and five men for gongs and drums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calculated this way, one Corps of troops at Shunxiang Fort had a total of three hundred and twenty-four soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou had five Corps of troops, plus Gao Shiyin's one Company Commander of one hundred and forty-eight men, totaling one thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight soldiers. In addition, there were the Night Scouts. Shunxiang Fort currently had one Squad of fifty Night Scouts, and Wang Dou planned to expand them into two Squads of Night Scouts. Adding his guards, standard-bearers, drummers, and so on, Wang Dou's total troop strength would eventually reach over one thousand nine hundred men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a huge number. Over these past months, Wang Dou had been adjusting and supplementing the army of Shunxiang Fort, drawing manpower from the newly arrived military households. Based on Wang Dou's understanding of history, the Xuanfu Garrison would see no warfare for several years. At this stage, Wang Dou's most important task was to sustain the soldiers and civilians, and this would remain true even after he reached the department city. Once he had stockpiled sufficient funds, grain, and supplies, by the latter half of next year, Wang Dou would consider training three to four thousand auxiliary soldiers. In the future, they would farm during busy seasons and drill during idle times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the present stage, of the five Corps of troops at Shunxiang Fort, aside from one Corps that rotated on city defense duty, the remaining soldiers all had to go to the fields to work and participate in the great production drive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wang Dou's words, Han Zhong grinned broadly. Zhong Diaoyang's expression was somewhat more composed. Han Chao, however, deeply clasped his fists and performed a solemn bow. Wang Dou taking him into the department city showed that he regarded him as his most trusted confidant. This debt of recognition and patronage would be remembered to the end of his days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou looked at each person. \"On this trip to take up my post in the department city, Brother Han Chao will be the first to accompany me. Henceforth, every half year, the five Corps of troops from Shunxiang Fort will rotate into the department city for garrison duty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wang Dou say this, everyone fell into thought. It seemed the Garrison Commander intended to keep Shunxiang Fort firmly under his direct control, not relinquishing management of Shunxiang Fort just because he had gone to the department city. Nor would anyone have the chance to pursue their own petty schemes outside the circle. To closely follow Wang Dou, or to be excluded from the circle — that depended on each person's choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Wang Dou's army expansion arrangements, everyone could see that Wang Dou's ambitions were not small. This also suited everyone's tastes. In these chaotic times, the more troops under their command, the stronger their ability to protect themselves. Moreover, with Wang Dou's power and official rank rising step by step, closely following Wang Dou was clearly the most promising choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without any hesitation, everyone clasped their fists and bowed in unison. \"We, your humble subordinates, will follow your lead, my lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing everyone's stance, Wang Dou was also very pleased. He said, \"Good. All of you brothers are old hands who have been by my side. I will not forget any of you. No matter what the future holds, I, Wang Dou, will share life and death, wealth and honor with all my brothers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eleventh day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Chongzhen, Wang Dou, leading Han Chao's Jia Corps troops and his own guards and standard-bearers, left Shunxiang Fort and set out for Bao'an Department City to take up his post. Wang Dou planned to go ahead first. Once he had established a firm foothold in the department city, he would bring his mother and wife over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In order to create the greatest shock and awe among the soldiers and civilians of the department city, every one of the several hundred men with Wang Dou and Han Chao was clad in iron armor, and each rode a horse — whether it was a warhorse or not did not matter, as long as it could carry a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu, Wen Fangliang, Zhong Diaoyang, Sun Sanjie, and others came out of the city to see them off. The soldiers and civilians of Shunxiang Fort also turned out in full force to bid farewell to Wang Dou and his party as they went to take up their post in the department city. Many people had tears in their eyes and were reluctant to part. During his more than a year in office, Wang Dou had distributed land to the military households, allowing the soldiers and civilians of the fort to eat their fill. The soldiers and civilians were all immensely grateful to Wang Dou. They only hoped that after Wang Dou left, he would not forget this place called Shunxiang Fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the sincere gazes of the surrounding soldiers and civilians and the enthusiastic send-off, Wang Dou was also stirred with emotion. He repeatedly clasped his hands and bade farewell to the soldiers and civilians around him. People have feelings. During this past year and more at Shunxiang Fort, he had experienced countless life-and-death trials and watched this place change day by day. Suddenly having to leave, Wang Dou also felt reluctant in his heart. However, unlike when he left Jingbian Fort, he would return often to Shunxiang Fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cheering voices finally faded into the distance. Passing Shunxiang Fort, Dongjiazhuang Fort, and Zhouzhuang Fort, Wang Dou's party surged grandly toward the department city. Iron hooves pounded the loess road, raising a cloud of dust and a thunderous roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, they passed many military forts and farming forts, all desolate and uninhabited. No one knew when those abandoned fortresses could be restored. Seeing them, Wang Dou's mood could not help but darken somewhat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, the soldiers nearby did not share Wang Dou's complex sentiments. To be able to go garrison the department city — each of them was elated. The department city was a large city far more prosperous than Shunxiang Fort. Being able to accompany their lord to the department city, every soldier felt his face was aglow, full of excited expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this trip, Wang Dou had nearly four hundred men. Outsiders seeing these iron-clad soldiers would likely assume they were all Wang Dou's retainers. In fact, Wang Dou had not a single retainer — or rather, one could say that all five Corps of troops at Shunxiang Fort were his retainers. The various systems Wang Dou had implemented at Shunxiang Fort, especially the distribution of land, firmly secured the hearts of these soldiers in his grasp. Given the circumstances of the Great Ming, only as long as Wang Dou was present could these soldiers, under his protection, keep their families' land and enjoy the welfare system of low taxes, free from the harassment of exorbitant taxes and levies by the government offices and guard battalions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even better, this system allowed Wang Dou to sustain a large body of men at very little expense. Wang Dou did not need to issue grain pay to the soldiers; he only needed to ensure they ate their fill during drills. The soldiers' families were allotted land, and during busy farming seasons, each soldier returned home to work and could also eat his own food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their families were allotted land, and in the future, two dou of grain would be levied per mu. Although this was heavier than the tax rates of the early and middle Great Ming, in the late Ming, when various miscellaneous taxes could exceed the principal tax many times over, this simple grain tax was already considered a very light burden. After paying the farming colony grain, the remaining grain was enough for the military households to feed their entire families and live a stable life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To enhance the soldiers' combat capability, Wang Dou adopted a system of rewards from spoils, which further boosted the soldiers' enthusiasm for battle and tempered their fighting skills. The spoils awarded did not cost Wang Dou any grain or money, and he also gained a share himself — it was essentially generosity at others' expense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up to now, this grain and pay system at Shunxiang Fort had been widely accepted by the soldiers. In the recent operations against bandits and the Qing troops, the spoils and rewards many soldiers received could match the grain pay issued by the regular Ming army for an entire year. With land allotted to their families, food and clothing were secure, and everyone was filled with hope for life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This series of operations had made Wang Dou's prestige at Shunxiang Fort higher and higher. It could be said that even if some officers harbored ulterior motives, the soldiers beneath them could not possibly follow them. A close-knit interest group had already formed around Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this trip to the department city, Xie Yike, leading two small squads of Night Scouts, also followed along. After recovering from his injuries, this fellow had regained his vitality and could not stay still for a moment. Now he was also riding his horse back and forth. In the future, the Night Scouts he led would be expanded in the department city into a large squad of fifty men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Xie Yike's cheerful and lively figure, Wang Dou laughed and cursed, \"That rascal. He'll be eighteen after the new year, and he's still this wild. It's time to find him a wife to settle his heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao, beside Wang Dou, also smiled. Wang Dou looked at Han Chao and said with earnest gravity, \"Brother Han, the same goes for you. You can't delay any longer. It's time to start a family and establish a household.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao was already twenty-five years old this year. His lifelong matter had become a project managed by many officers inside and outside the fort. Over these past months, under Lin Daofu's supervision, many solitary male and female military households inside and outside Shunxiang Fort had re-formed families and become new couples. Wang Dou also demanded that the officers lead by example: those not yet married should marry quickly, and those already married should take more wives and concubines to multiply their progeny. Only the brothers Han Chao and Han Zhong remained single. Wang Dou had asked about this matter many times already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"Lady Zheng is a good woman. Do not let her down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao lowered his head and softly responded in acknowledgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Han Chao's demeanor, Wang Dou heaved a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Shunxiang Fort to the department city was only a little over twenty li. With several hundred men riding horses, their pace was fast. Very soon, the party had already arrived outside Bao'an Department City.\u003C\u002Fp>",3132,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","eb8e866c6a927c8585bf95140f70a412dfef05c80af0ae75c2bc1b3934b801f6","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-142","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-140",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]