[{"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-169":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},1205458,1561,"Chapter 169: The Land Acreage Storm","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-169",169,"\u003Cp>The serving women behind Xie Xiuniang who managed the household were all grinding their teeth in fury. They had followed Xie Xiuniang since the Jingbian Fort days — how could they tolerate outsiders speaking of their mistress like this? At these words, a stout serving woman stepped forward, seized the plump, round woman by her hair bun, and struck her left and right with loud slaps, immediately landing twenty blows on the plump woman’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she grabbed the seductive woman by her hair bun as well and fiercely dealt her twenty slaps. Everyone around fell silent as crows; Department Magistrate Li Zhenfu’s mouth hung wide open, and the young mistress’s face drained of color, staring at Wang Dou in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hushed murmurs rose from below: “Serves them right — two women wagging their tongues, daring to slander someone as good as the Commandant’s wife?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly, they deserved the beating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wife of Land Reclamation Officer Zhang Gui and the wife of Company Commander Tian Chang stood to the side, gloating over the misfortune. Those two foxy seductresses, relying on having a few good looks, were always casting flirtatious glances everywhere — they had long found them an eyesore. Watching them get beaten felt especially satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the Jail Warden of Baoan Department, Chen Yuwen, and the Granary Commissioner, Li Ju, wore ugly expressions. That seductive woman was none other than Li Ju’s wife, Lady Liu, and the plump, round woman was Chen Yuwen’s recently taken concubine, Lady Yang. Having their own wives and concubines beaten on the spot made them feel they had lost all face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou cast a comforting glance at his wife, then walked away with a cold expression, a large group of military officers hastily following behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhenfu also furrowed his brow and glanced back at Chen Yuwen. His household discipline was lax — his concubine babbled nonsense in public, lacking all virtue in speech. Being struck by Wang Dou was a beating she took for nothing. Even though he was Chen Yuwen’s direct superior, he could hardly say anything. At the same time, a conclusion formed in his mind: this Wang Dou was a man fiercely protective of his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave a cold snort and swept away with a flick of his sleeves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Yang clutched her face and, seeing Chen Yuwen approach, said pitifully, “Master, you must see justice done for your servant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yuwen slapped her across the face: “Wretched woman, you’ve ruined my plans — I’ll deal with you when we get home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stormed off in a rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou’s prestige in the department city grew heavier by the day; Chen Yuwen had been pondering how to build good relations with Wang Dou, never imagining his own concubine would ruin such an important matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this concubine Lady Yang was not particularly alluring. The reason Chen Yuwen had taken her as a concubine was the rumor that this woman had the physiognomy to bring prosperity to her husband — marrying her could enhance his official fortunes. Now it seemed, bringing prosperity was far from certain, but bringing ruin to her husband was entirely possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the men leave, Zhang Gui’s wife loudly called out, “Serving porridge, serving porridge — we continue serving porridge now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She ingratiatingly came to Xie Xiuniang’s side and said, “Madam, you are tired — let this woman take over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the crowd of refugees below, who had been staring dumbfounded, snap back to their senses. Buzzing with excited chatter, they continued queuing for their porridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the tenth day of the fourth month of the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign, after seeing off Fu Mingqi, the Director of the Confucian School of Baoan Department, Wang Dou’s expression was rather grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat in the main council hall, watching Zhang Xuejiao from the Clerk Office of Baoan Department City, along with the protocol clerks and administrative clerks from the various bureaus, walk in. In addition, Feng Dachang, Zhong Rong, Wang Dou’s maternal uncle Zhong Zhengxian, and others transferred from Shunxiang Fort were also walking in from the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this day, the reclaimed wasteland acreage figures for all parts of Baoan Department had been fully tallied. Zhang Xuejiao bowed to Wang Dou and said, “My lord, the acreage register for the entire department’s land reclamation has been compiled. The department city originally had 883 military households, with 1,135 newly divided households, each reclaiming 50 mu of land. The total reclaimed wasteland amounts to 56,750 mu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The 23 directly-administered garrison forts of the department city originally had 640 military households, with 728 newly divided households, each reclaiming 50 mu of land. The total reclaimed wasteland amounts to 36,400 mu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Five Forts’ main fort together with its 15 garrison forts originally had 725 military households, with 825 newly divided households, each reclaiming 50 mu of land. The total reclaimed wasteland amounts to 41,250 mu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Family Fort’s main fort together with its 10 garrison forts originally had 378 military households, with 466 newly divided households, each reclaiming 50 mu of land. The total reclaimed wasteland amounts to 23,300 mu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shunxiang Fort has 2,057 military households, each reclaiming 50 mu of land. The total reclaimed wasteland amounts to 102,850 mu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Across the entire department city, there are 5,211 newly registered military households, with newly reclaimed land totaling 260,550 mu…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Xuejiao also reported the number of officer households and their reclaimed acreage. Finally, beaming with smiles, he said to Wang Dou, “My lord, by implementing this benevolent policy of granting land for reclamation, many hidden military households have come forward one after another to register and receive land. Households with many members have also successively split into new households. The registered military household population of our Baoan Department has greatly increased, and the newly added acreage has multiplied several times over. Next year the department city will flourish — this is entirely my lord’s achievement!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The several protocol clerks and administrative clerks behind him also chimed in with agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Xuejiao probed, “My lord, shall we compile the military household acreage figures into the register and submit them to the relevant offices for examination and reference?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said flatly, “No rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leafed through the registers. Suddenly, pointing to the registers for the Five Forts and Zhang Family Fort, he said to Zhang Xuejiao, “Clerk Zhang, are the military household and acreage figures for these two forts truly accurate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou eyed him sidelong: “How is it that I hear, under the Five Forts alone, there are over a thousand mu of newly reclaimed land not entered into the register?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clerk Zhang, how do you explain this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Xuejiao and the others gaped, speechless, not knowing how to answer. With a thunderous crash, Wang Dou slammed the table and rose to his feet. He roared in fury, “Zhang Xuejiao, you people have outrageous gall, daring to deceive and hoodwink this official! Do you know what crime it is to conceal and falsify land and grain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the mouths of Feng Dachang, Fu Mingqi, and others, Wang Dou had already learned that in the tallying of reclaimed wasteland, there had been much tampering everywhere — either concealing newly split households, or hiding reclaimed wasteland. Some military officer families had actually reclaimed two hundred mu, yet reported only one hundred fifty or one hundred mu. They bribed the various clerks compiling the registers, and the clerks, led by Zhang Xuejiao, turned a blind eye, doctoring the registers. This situation was most severe in the Five Forts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Feng Dachang and the others had been transferred into the department city, the military clerks of the department city were still led by Zhang Xuejiao and his ilk, and they had no real authority. But Zhang Xuejiao and his group’s actions were all observed by them, and every move they made was known to Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also the land reclaimed by the civilian households of Baoan Department — the problems there were even more serious. In particular, those landlords and gentry concealed newly split households and acreage with utter recklessness. The civilian households inside and outside the city did not fall under Wang Dou’s jurisdiction, so he ignored them for now. But as for the military household land under his own name, he absolutely would not permit such things to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Wang Dou’s oppressive pressure, Zhang Xuejiao felt he could scarcely breathe. His corruption had been exposed; if Wang Dou further reported him for the crime of concealing and falsifying land and grain, he could well imagine the consequences. At this thought, cold sweat poured down his forehead in streams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every guard battalion of the Great Ming, there was established either an Administrative Office or a Clerk Office — generally an Administrative Office for a Guard and a Clerk Office for a Battalion, with essentially the same duties. Unlike hereditary military officers, the administrative clerks and the clerks below them were mostly rotating civil officials, selected and appointed by the Ministry of Personnel. Under the Administrative Office and Clerk Office were established the Six Bureaus, staffed by clerks selected by the Ministry of Personnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The authority of the administrative clerk and the clerk was broad and extensive: guard battalion documents, garrison land and military provisions, court document receipts and expenditures, and so on — all fell under their management. However, due to the political framework established in the early Ming, although the administrative clerk and the clerk served as heads of the Six Bureaus, they did not have the power to evaluate the performance of the subordinate clerks in those bureaus. That power rested in the hands of the Seal-holding Officer of the guard battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, their monthly salaries and operating expenses were provided by the local guard battalion. One who eats from another’s table speaks softly; one who takes from another’s hand is short of reach. Added to the extreme difficulty of promotion for clerks, their performance evaluations had to be assessed by the Seal-holding Officer of the guard battalion. The administrative clerk and the clerk became de facto aides to the military officers of each guard battalion, having to watch the expressions of each Seal-holding Officer in everything they did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a clerk of the guard battalion, Zhang Xuejiao’s evaluations and performance were entirely dictated by the Seal-holding Officer, Wang Dou. He had long witnessed Wang Dou’s methods of handling matters. For Wang Dou to deal with him would be as easy as turning over his palm… Zhang Xuejiao suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed: “My lord, this lowly one was blinded by greed — I beg my lord to grant me one more chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerks behind him also turned pale with fright and knelt, kowtowing without cease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou sighed and said, “I took pity on your meager monthly salaries and already raised your monthly pay in coin and grain. If you performed outstandingly, there would be many further rewards. Why are you still not satisfied?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and said, “From this day forward, the Personnel and Rites Bureau shall be overseen by Clerk Feng Dachang, the Revenue Bureau by Zhong Zhengxian, and the Military Bureau by Zhong Rong. You several shall assist them in re-auditing the military household acreage, to atone for your faults through merit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Ming’s Six Bureaus originally had a fixed quota of two chief clerks, four protocol clerks, plus various administrative clerks and assistant clerks. Because the affairs of each guard battalion varied in complexity, many places often merged several bureaus into one. After the Tianqi era, the guard battalions of the Great Ming retained only four bureaus: Personnel, Revenue, Rites, and Military. The Clerk Office of Baoan Department City likewise had only these four bureaus: one chief clerk for the Personnel and Rites Bureau, one protocol clerk for the Personnel Bureau, one protocol clerk for the Revenue Bureau, and one protocol clerk for the Military Bureau’s Archive Repository.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Archive Repository in particular was the place where military household documents were managed — in Wang Dou’s view, it was quite important, so he assigned Zhong Rong to oversee it. His maternal uncle Zhong Zhengxian was assigned to oversee the Revenue Bureau’s acreage registers. In truth, both Zhong Rong and Zhong Zhengxian were only administrative clerks, originally unqualified to take charge of an entire bureau — but Wang Dou paid no heed to such formalities. The Clerk Office was a place that ought to be completely under his own control now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wang Dou’s arrangements, Zhang Xuejiao and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Although real power had slipped into other hands, their rice bowls were at least preserved. Profusely thanking him, they scrambled out on hands and knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said to Chief Clerk Feng Dachang, “Mr. Feng, I entrust the Clerk Office of the department city to your diligent care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Dachang, newly in charge of an entire office, was also overjoyed. He bowed deeply: “My lord, be at ease. Your students will certainly audit the acreage registers meticulously, without the slightest omission or error.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his expression grew solemn, and he lowered his voice: “My lord, Zhang Xuejiao’s full younger sister is the wife of the newly appointed Assistant Regional Commander of the Eastern Route. For my lord to treat him thus… caution is needed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was taken aback. He had long since learned that the former Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Guowei, due to last year’s great victory in which Wang Dou had taken heads, had already been promoted to Vice Regional Commander and transferred to the garrison city. The former Eastern Route Mobile Corps Commander Mao Bin, likewise having rendered meritorious service, had succeeded him as the new Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander. He had not expected that Zhang Xuejiao’s younger sister was actually the wife of the new Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander Mao Bin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered for a long moment, then said, “This official has taken note of this matter. Mr. Feng, you and the others devote yourselves fully to your work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief Clerk Feng Dachang bowed deeply and withdrew, leading Zhong Rong and the others out.\u003C\u002Fp>",2369,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","38199fc982912a95af2df6ee624bbe5bc221648b399e376bd9a66339612b2847","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-170","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-168",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]