[{"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-206":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},1205495,1561,"Chapter 206: The Qing Army Invades (Part 1)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-206",206,"\u003Cp>Wang Dou’s Security Command headquarters in Baoanzhou was no different from the Security Command headquarters in other prefectures, counties, guard battalions, and posts. The entire government compound faced south, with the main gate, front hall, second hall, main hall, and rear courtyard forming the central axis. The other offices and barracks were arranged symmetrically on the left and right. Inside, there were also watchtowers, storehouses, and a drill hall with an archery range for the personal guards to train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On ordinary days, the offices of the various military officers and civil clerks of Baoanzhou were all located in the single-story buildings to the left and right of the main hall and the second hall. Wang Dou’s official business, naturally, was conducted in the main hall. On either side were several office rooms. From the corner gates on both sides, one could enter the rear courtyard, which was where Wang Dou and his family lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight screens were arranged to the east and west of the main hall, and a massive painted mural covered the rear wall, giving the hall a rather imposing and dignified atmosphere. The weather was still hot, so Wang Dou stepped out of his office, came to the window to catch the cool breeze, and gazed at the courtyard in front of the hall, lost in silent thought for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he was deep in thought there, in the office beside him, Ji Junjiao was holding a stack of official documents, gazing infatuatedly at his figure by the window. She was now effectively Wang Dou’s dedicated private secretary. Not long after entering the Wang residence, sensing the lack of talented personnel under him, she had been discovered and put to use by Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Wang Dou had taken over Baoanzhou, the affairs of the entire prefecture—military matters, civil administration—were far more numerous and complex than those of Shunxiang Fort. Especially now that Baoanzhou was booming, there were even more matters to attend to. According to the practice of Great Ming officials, these matters were all handed over to subordinate civil clerks to handle. In particular, many military officers of the guard battalions and posts were crude and ignorant, unable to read a single character, and would completely wash their hands of administrative documents concerning military farmlands and military affairs within their jurisdiction. Such administration was naturally rotten beyond repair and gave the subordinate clerks many opportunities to manipulate things for their own gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou certainly could not permit such a situation. After his rectification, the clerks under him could be considered diligent and incorruptible by the standards of the entire Great Ming. The relevant official documents and administrative affairs that reached his hands had to be carefully reviewed and considered by him. Although Wang Dou delegated authority to the greatest extent possible to Orderly Clerk Feng Dachang and others, the daily affairs were still extremely numerous and complicated. The stack of documents that Feng Dachang submitted daily for Wang Dou’s review was huge, and Wang Dou often felt stretched too thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially regarding the handling of many military affairs, funds and provisions, and confidential documents—to be honest, Wang Dou was not entirely at ease entrusting them to his subordinate clerks. It was precisely at this time that Ji Junjiao appeared. As the daughter of an official family, she had received a strict education from childhood, excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so writing and calculating naturally came easily to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was even more valuable was that she was his woman, and thus extremely reliable. Wang Dou naturally would not waste such a resource, so he had Ji Junjiao assist in organizing some of his confidential documents. Upon being given this role by Wang Dou, Ji Junjiao was quite elated. And after employing her for some time, Wang Dou was rather surprised by her talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ji Junjiao usually carried a somewhat coquettish and alluring air and liked to act spoiled in front of Wang Dou, once she set to work, she was focused and serious. Having been imperceptibly influenced by what she saw and heard in the Military Defense Circuit government office, her perspective was far broader than that of ordinary clerks. Sometimes, even a few words from her could spark a certain inspiration in Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed to have a natural gift for the secretarial profession. When Feng Dachang and others submitted documents, she could immediately organize them on Wang Dou’s desk according to their urgency and importance, greatly reducing Wang Dou’s workload. Wang Dou was considering whether to give her more responsibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding Ji Junjiao’s presence at Wang Dou’s side, the clerks and officers in the residence all understood tacitly. What they discussed more was Ji Junjiao’s identity: as the daughter of a Provincial Governor, why was she willing to flee her marriage and come to Baoanzhou to live such a life without formal status with the Security Commander? Of course, everyone only dared to whisper about this topic privately. No one had eaten the gall of a bear or a leopard and dared to discuss it openly. Even Li Zhen, the Department Magistrate of Baoanzhou, was deeply reticent about it in public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Ji Junjiao, the more she came into contact with the deeper aspects of Wang Dou’s life, the more she felt how different he was. The first time she entered Wang Dou’s office, she was stunned. It was spotlessly clean, extremely tidy and elegant. Besides the desk for official documents, the bookshelves were crammed full of books—military texts, history books, and all sorts of miscellaneous collections and volumes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike other military men who placed a few books in their rooms merely to affect cultured tastes, Ji Junjiao discovered that these books had all been carefully read, and after many passages, personal reflections and insights had been added. Those characters were all written by Wang Dou himself. Ji Junjiao found that Wang Dou had excellent calligraphy; the strokes were powerful and vigorous. Even her own father might not have matched Wang Dou’s level of attainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first thing that surprised Ji Junjiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Ji Junjiao also discovered that Wang Dou would carefully read and annotate every single document submitted to him. He processed documents with extreme speed and made decisive judgments. Even her own father did not possess Wang Dou’s decisiveness. What Ji Junjiao loved most every day was to secretly watch Wang Dou’s resolute and contemplative face from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she came into contact with more and more confidential documents, Ji Junjiao grew increasingly astonished in her heart. Wang Dou was merely a Security Commander; since when had his military and financial resources become so vast? The deeper she delved into understanding Wang Dou, the more she felt he was like an enigma—layer after layer peeled away, yet the innermost core was never visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Dou paced to the window and fell into thought, Ji Junjiao unconsciously watched his figure from the side again, unaware of when she had become so entranced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the melodious chime of the bell from the distant drum tower drifted over. It was already noon. Wang Dou stirred slightly, and Ji Junjiao also startled awake. As Wang Dou had said, without realizing it, quitting time had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou returned to his office and said to Ji Junjiao with a smile, “Junjiao, you must be tired. It’s time to rest. Let’s go back to the courtyard for our meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Junjiao pouted and said, “Yes, I’m utterly exhausted. Husband, tonight you must stay with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou smiled faintly. “Junjiao, these next few days I need to accompany Xiuniang. After these few days, I’ll stay with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unknowingly, Wang Dou had developed a routine: every time, he would spend three nights with Xie Xiuniang, two nights with Ji Junjiao, and then one night each with Liu Qing and Liu Ji. Xie Xiuniang and the other two women were naturally very satisfied with this arrangement. Only Ji Junjiao felt that Xie Xiuniang had one more night than her and was somewhat jealous, though on the surface she did not show it in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wang Dou’s words, her eyes glistened with emotion, and she gave a coquettish smile. “You must keep your word.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them exited the main hall. In front of the hall, two burly personal guards stood sentry with spears. Seeing Wang Dou emerge, they both saluted with their spears: “My lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very punctually, Xie Yike also appeared at the entrance of the main hall, leading two guards to take over the shift. The personal guards within the residence were all arranged by him. Not long ago, he had married the daughter of Chu Qinmeng. Perhaps because he now had a family, he had become somewhat more steady than before. After arranging the shift change, he led the two original burly guards to follow behind Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ji Junjiao beside Wang Dou, Xie Yike felt a touch of emotion. When Ji Junjiao first entered the Wang residence, he had been quite hostile toward her. After the trip to the garrison city, that sentiment had completely vanished. In his heart, there was only bewilderment: Miss Ji, a delicate and charming beauty and the daughter of the Provincial Governor, why was she willing to live such a life without formal status with his brother-in-law?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group exited the main hall. Along the way, they encountered clerks who were getting off work. Each clerk saluted Wang Dou, and likewise saluted Ji Junjiao, addressing her as “Young Lady.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, everyone had found addressing Ji Junjiao awkward. She was, in fact, the Security Commander’s wife and concubine, but no formal title had been established. Calling her “Madam” or “Second Madam” was inappropriate. No one knew who had the sudden flash of inspiration to call her “Young Lady,” and afterward, everyone followed suit, addressing her as “Young Lady.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of outsiders, Ji Junjiao always maintained an elegant and composed demeanor, her poise and bearing impeccable. The enchanting smile on her face often made those clerks and officers lose their composure. Perhaps it was Ji Junjiao’s own charm, or perhaps the fact that she was the daughter of the Provincial Governor—even though Governor Ji had let word out that his daughter was dead—still, many civil clerks in Baoanzhou gradually began to gravitate toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they arrived at the inner hall of the rear courtyard, the table had long been set with a sumptuous meal. Wang Dou’s mother, Lady Zhong, his wife Xie Xiuniang, and his two concubines, Liu Qing and Liu Ji, were all in the hall talking, just waiting for Wang Dou and Ji Junjiao to return for the meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wang Dou, Xie Xiuniang came forward to greet him and said softly, “Husband, are you tired?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou smiled faintly. “I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, “Everyone, let’s eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to the table and casually pulled out a chair for Xie Xiuniang, letting her sit down. Every time Wang Dou did this, Xie Xiuniang felt a warmth in her heart. Wang Dou’s action was very natural, without the slightest affectation, as if his care for her came naturally. Such a casual gesture was deeply heartwarming. When Xie Xiuniang chatted privately with the wives of other military officers, she had never heard of their men doing such a thing. Every time she recalled it, it filled her with sweetness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Zhong was also very satisfied with this behavior of Wang Dou’s. Her son truly knew how to cherish his wife. No wonder that girl Junjiao, the daughter of a Provincial Governor, was willing to follow her son even without formal status. What puzzled her was that she knew her son best, having watched him grow up. He used to be a crude fellow who would hit and scold Xie Xiuniang. Since when had he become so understanding and romantic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou also gestured for Ji Junjiao to sit. Ji Junjiao had just been feeling a bit envious of Wang Dou’s gesture toward Xie Xiuniang. Actually, she had also enjoyed Wang Dou’s attentive service a few times before, and at those times, Ji Junjiao had been both surprised and delighted, her heart equally filled with sweetness. Watching Xie Xiuniang sit down, she suddenly had an epiphany: in the future, she must stand in a spot more conveniently within Wang Dou’s reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xiuniang said to Ji Junjiao, “Sister, after working for half the day, you must be tired too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Junjiao smiled. “Sister, I’m not tired. Organizing those documents is quite interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xiuniang said, “Sister is so capable. It’s a pity I’m illiterate and can’t help my husband.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere at the dining table was relaxed and pleasant. This was also one of the reasons Ji Junjiao liked the Wang residence more and more. In the past, when she was in the Provincial Governor’s residence, the rules there were strict and solemn; not speaking while eating was one of the iron laws. How could it compare to the ease and freedom here, where even Wang Dou’s two concubines could share the same table for meals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even at the dining table, Wang Dou would often be lost in thought about something, occasionally exchanging a few jokes with everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ate very quickly. Before Xie Xiuniang and the others had finished even one bowl of rice, he had already eaten five bowls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set down his rice bowl and said with a smile, “This afternoon I need to leave the residence to handle some official business. You all continue eating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He went to the outer hall. Xie Yike and a few guards were also wolfing down their food. Seeing Wang Dou come out, they all put down their bowls and chopsticks. Xie Yike had originally eaten very slowly, but because of Wang Dou, his speed had also increased. By the time Wang Dou finished five bowls of rice, he could also finish three bowls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou asked, “Yike, are you full?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike replied, “Brother-in-law, I’m full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, “Send someone to notify the Field Management Officer, Master Zhang, to accompany me to Shunxiang Fort this afternoon to see those refugees.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2378,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","f0277763792bb1ff192ff0ef4288e727bf2b7bf5fc23cdfee0f75802ff6054aa","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-207","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-205",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]