[{"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-203":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},1205492,1561,"Chapter 203: Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander — Chapter 197: What Is Shame","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-203",203,"\u003Cp>Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander — Chapter 197: What Is Shame\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they saw Han Chao's troop approaching, many among the refugees were startled. The men were all sturdy and strong, some mounted, some on foot, and there were large numbers of carts — they did not look like horse bandits. Could they be government troops? But why were there no uniforms or banners?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether horse bandits or government troops, both were things the refugees feared. Yet seeing that this company also included a great many refugees, they set their minds at ease. Though they found it strange, at the glimpse of hope for survival, they still slowly drew near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao could see them more clearly now. Many of these refugees were skin and bones, every one of them in tatters. Especially many of the women and children — the clothes on their bodies were as ragged as hemp sacks, revealing grimy, dark skin underneath. The word shame could no longer be seen on them; in their eyes there was only numbness, or an expression of extreme starvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many among the refugees were already so famished they were barely breathing. Looking at their state, Han Chao could not help shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The refugees in their own company, seeing the scene across from them, all sighed as well. Not long ago, they themselves had been just the same, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Perhaps one day they would become a pitiful, insignificant corpse starved by the roadside, their bodies abandoned in a strange land, their souls after death becoming lonely ghosts unable to return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, eating steaming hot rice porridge every day, the days of hunger were already in the past. After some days of recuperation, these refugees' complexions had improved greatly. Moreover, they had heard from those strange soldiers with foreign accents in the company that when they reached that place called Baoanzhou, everyone would be able to eat their fill, each person would be allotted farmland, there would be no grain tax for several years, and afterward there would be no increase in grain levies or taxes, and no horse bandit raids either. Thinking of that kind of life, it was truly heaven. Did such a place really exist in the Great Ming? Though many secretly doubted whether what those soldiers said was true — could they be tricking them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then they thought again: they had nothing worth being tricked for. They had wandered to strange lands in the first place just to get a bite to eat. So although each person harbored some misgivings in their heart, as long as they followed this troop, they could stay alive. Thus, among the refugees gathered along the way, not a single one had any thought of running away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, seeing the wretched state of the refugees across from them, each person felt even more how fortunate they were. Ah, life is all a matter of comparison. Even if you are eating chaff and swallowing bitter greens, when you see someone who cannot even get a bowl of rice water, you will still feel your own happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers under Han Chao's command sighed even more deeply, and the sense of superiority and mission in their hearts grew stronger still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In dealing with refugees, Han Chao and his men were already very experienced. He had the supply troops in his unit bring out grain, set up large cauldrons, and cook porridge. He also had some soldiers armed with swords and spears stand guard nearby to maintain order. Then he sent some loud-voiced soldiers over to announce: \"Our lord is benevolent and righteous — the cauldrons are open and porridge is being given out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The refugees on that side had long been watching the activity here. When they saw the porridge being cooked, many were already stirring restlessly. Upon hearing the announcement from those loud-voiced soldiers, they were both astonished and overjoyed, and came rushing over in groups, each striving to be first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao had long been prepared. He had his subordinate officers and soldiers divide these refugees into a dozen or so groups, one group in front of each large cauldron. Moreover, they first saved those who were clearly so famished they were barely breathing, as well as the women and children. Hearing these instructions and looking at the steaming, fragrantly enticing porridge cauldrons, a clear stir of unrest ran through the refugees. Some of the able-bodied young men began to stir restlessly, but seeing that the lords on this side were all robust and strong, eyeing them fiercely, and armed with swords, spears, and even firelocks — who would dare make the slightest move?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, regarding saving the women and children first, Han Chao and the others privately believed that the able-bodied young men were more important. But this had been the Garrison Commander's instruction before they marched out, and Han Chao and his men followed it meticulously. By now, each of them also considered this course of action to be only right and proper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those women, leading their children and holding broken bowls, came forward in astonishment. In a great refugee host like this, the weak like them had always been the first to be abandoned. When starvation reached its extreme, they were even in danger of being eaten. They had never imagined that those lords across the way...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the rice porridge being ladled into their bowls, many of them hurriedly drank it down in great gulps, yet many others had tears brimming in their eyes. One young married woman suddenly knelt down. She looked rather haggard, but her delicate beauty was still evident. Choking with emotion, she said: \"May I ask the honored names of you lords? For such lofty kindness and profound generosity, even if this humble woman were to labor as an ox or a horse, I could never repay it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, a whole crowd of people knelt down. The one ladling porridge for them was a burly supply soldier. Seeing how profusely grateful they were, he rather enjoyed it. These refugees would certainly be gathered and taken to Baoanzhou, so there was no worry about secrets leaking. He said: \"We are government troops from Baoanzhou in the Xuanfu Garrison. Our Garrison Commander is Lord Wang Dou. His Lordship is the most benevolent and righteous. As you drink this porridge, you must remember his kindness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of bewilderment appeared in that woman's eyes. Clearly, she did not know where Baoanzhou was, and she had never even heard the name Wang Dou. But since this supply soldier said so, she firmly committed the name to memory. Holding her bowl, she did not drink from it, but led a little girl beside her, who was also holding a broken bowl, joyfully back into the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, the refugees watched the rice porridge in her hands, their eyes all showing envious, hungry looks. But with the Baoanzhou soldiers patrolling back and forth nearby, who would dare lay a finger on her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman came before several refugees and said joyfully to one man: \"Yang Lang, we have porridge to drink.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man addressed as Yang Lang snatched her bowl away and drank the rice porridge down in a few gulps. Then, red-eyed, he looked at the porridge in the little girl's hands. The little girl was quite sensible and said: \"Papa, Qiao'er isn't hungry. Papa, you drink it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man addressed as Yang Lang was just about to take Qiao'er's bowl when suddenly — smack! — something struck him heavily across the face. Immediately, his right cheek swelled up red. The man addressed as Yang Lang staggered and nearly fell to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the startled cries of his wife and daughter, the man addressed as Yang Lang leaped up violently. He was of a rather sturdy build. Though he had taken a heavy blow and had been starving for a long time, his movements were still agile. Red-eyed, he bellowed: \"Who hit me—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He froze for a moment. Standing before him was an exceptionally handsome young man, tall and fit of build. Though dressed in coarse cloth robes, they could not conceal his dashing, heroic bearing. In his hand he held a sheathed waist saber — it was with the hilt of this that he had just struck him heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man pointed at the one addressed as Yang Lang and, in his somewhat unclear accent, sternly shouted: \"Snatching the rice porridge from your own wife and daughter to drink yourself — are you even a man?\" \"Do you even know what shame is? What disgrace means?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the sharp gaze of that young man, the man addressed as Yang Lang stood stunned, unable to utter a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman knew that the young man was one of the Baoanzhou soldiers the supply soldier had spoken of earlier. She pleaded: \"This military lord, if my husband has given any offense, I beg ten thousand pardons.\" The little girl Qiao'er also wept: \"Please, please don't hit my papa.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Xun's eyes shifted over the woman and Qiao'er, then his gaze, like a hawk's, fixed on the man addressed as Yang Lang for a moment longer before he strode away. The man addressed as Yang Lang stood dazed for a long while. His daughter timidly said: \"Papa... you drink the porridge.\" The man said gruffly: \"I won't drink it. Qiao'er, you drink.\" His daughter answered and began to drink happily. The woman gently consoled her, telling her daughter to drink more slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his daughter drink the porridge with such relish, the man addressed as Yang Lang's eyes reddened. Suddenly, he buried his head in his hands and wept bitterly: \"I'm useless. I've let you two down. I'm useless, useless...\" He pounded his chest violently with his fists, weeping in complete disarray. His wife stood quietly beside him, watching her husband. She knew the pain in his heart and let him weep freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao and the others had witnessed the scene just now, and each of them sighed deeply. Only Gao Shiyin laughed and said: \"That kid Gao Xun — worthy of being a soldier under my command. He's got spirit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the bandit suppression last year, Gao Xun had rendered outstanding service. After the new army was organized, he was promoted to the position of Unit Commander, still serving under Gao Shiyin's command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanying the army on this expedition were four physicians. Looking at those refugees, one physician said: \"Those refugees have been starving for a very long time. Their bodies are weak and depleted. At most two bowls of porridge per person — otherwise, there is a risk of sudden death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao nodded. He gave those refugees two bowls of porridge each. After saving the women and children first, it was then the men's turn. The incident with Gao Xun earlier had been seen by many, so no one dared to stir trouble, and order was maintained. Although there were nearly ten thousand refugees, since the porridge was distributed among them, it did not consume too much of the convoy's grain supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the porridge distribution, Han Chao had the soldiers summon the village elders of standing from among the refugees — those from the same clan or the same village — to come and speak. The task of recruiting refugees was clearly more suited to Comfort Officer Li Jinpei, who was responsible for the soldiers' morale guidance in the army. After Han Chao exchanged a few words with these village elders, he handed the refugee matter entirely over to Li Jinpei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, Li Jinpei was glib and eloquent. When he amiably described the situation in Baoanzhou, all the village elders were stirred. Everyone could eat their fill, land would be allotted, no grain tax for several years, peace and happiness within the territory — could such a place really exist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, when the village elders from among the original refugees were brought over to speak, the elders were even more moved. In any case, they had nowhere else to go. Following this Baoanzhou troop on the journey, at the very least everyone would have porridge to drink and hope of survival. Wandering in a strange land, they had nothing left to lose, and nothing they could not bear to part with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jinpei kept one thought in mind. He asked: \"Gentlemen, after the disaster, do you not wish to return home? Presumably, you all still have farmland at home?\" One old man gave a bitter laugh: \"Return home? Farmland?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued: \"Even if we had some farmland, with exorbitant taxes and levies emerging one after another, it was still hard to stay alive. Let alone the fact that after we left our homes, the farmland we had there was surely seized by those powerful and despotic local gentry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jinpei sighed, recalling some matters from his own past. Yes, every great disaster was a fine opportunity for those officials and despotic gentry to seize farmland. Had his own family not fallen because of just that? And because of that, he had come to live a peaceful and happy life in Baoanzhou — a blessing in disguise. Though he thought this, a dull ache still lingered in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jinpei looked at these refugee village elders. It was just as well that they had cut off all thoughts of returning home. Once they reached Baoanzhou, they would be able to put down roots there all the better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One elder also said: \"This old man observes the conduct of the Baoanzhou soldiers — truly an army of benevolence and righteousness. To save the women and children first, and the able-bodied young men afterward — though it runs counter to the common reasoning of the world, it is imbued with the compassionate heart of the sages. If the great army behaves thus even when out on campaign, then surely Baoanzhou, under Lord Wang's governance, must be a place where widowers, widows, orphans, the childless, and the infirm are all provided for — a land of peach blossom spring.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were filled with hope, and his thoughts had already flown to that land of Baoanzhou he had never seen. To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log in for more chapters. Support the author, support genuine reading!\u003C\u002Fp>",2400,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","e4f3d3c7c56f94f7540b61ab2c2d796fb3fdfed4f4d773db6730b5c840343027","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-204","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-202",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]