[{"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-220":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},1205509,1561,"Chapter 220: The Battle of Stone Bridge (Part 2)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-220",220,"\u003Cp>The opposing *jalan janggin* rode out from the ranks. He, too, had now clearly seen the defensive situation at the stone bridge's smoke beacon. First he was astonished, then his eyes revealed a look of contempt and disdain. Just these few dozen Ming soldiers dared to block the several hundred troops of his Great Qing's Bordered Red Banner? The Ming realm truly had no shortage of arrogant fools!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking again at the uniform matchlocks in the hands of the soldiers opposite, he burst out laughing even louder. Ming firearms not only had little armor-penetrating power, they were also prone to bursting their barrels. And in this freezing wind, the priming powder was easily blown away by the wind, so even fewer of them could be fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only needed to send out some brave warriors to charge within fifty paces of the enemy, using strong bows and sharp arrows to shoot and suppress them. After clearing away the caltrop war wagons, what followed would be a one-sided slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had important matters to attend to; the Ming defending troops at the stone bridge were merely an unexpected interlude on the march. He reckoned it would take less than a few quarters of an hour to finish the battle and kill every one of these audacious Ming soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stone bridge was only a bit over one *zhang* wide, and the official road was likewise not broad, unable to deploy many men. The *jalan janggin* wasted no words. Wanting a quick battle and a quick decision, he barked out orders, and immediately two *fende bošokū* from the army stepped forward to receive their commands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a series of loud shouts, a group of Qing soldiers dismounted. The two *fende bošokū* each led a squad of troops, forming up briefly in front of the main army. Then, one squad advanced along the official road toward the stone bridge, while the other squad left the road and moved along the wheat fields toward the riverbank on the right. Their intent was a two-pronged pincer attack, to take the stone bridge in one vigorous assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the cold wind, those Qing soldiers slowly pressed forward. As the Qing troops formed their ranks, the three squads of matchlock soldiers guarding the bridge had long since loaded their prepared fixed paper cartridge ammunition and lit their match cords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bridge was originally blocked with some wheelbarrow war wagons, their shafts planted with hardwood shields. Compared to the far side of the bridge, the official road on this side was relatively wider, able to accommodate a row of one squad of eleven men standing abreast. The first rank of matchlock soldiers steadied their matchlocks firmly on the shields. Of course, relative to the slightly narrower bridge surface on the opposite side, the few matchlock soldiers on the two flanks of this side's row were effectively providing flanking fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Qing soldiers continuously approaching, Tian Qiming felt his whole body burning hot and his mouth dry, yet he spoke in a deep voice: \"Brothers. Hold steady.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait until the Tatars enter range, then fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the two squads of Qing soldiers pressing in from the official road and the right riverbank. It was exactly as the army veterans had said: Tatar soldiers always fought with two layers of heavy-armored troops in front and lightly armored, skilled archers behind. The squad of Tatar soldiers advancing along the official road had several particularly burly men in the front. In their left hands they held large shields, and in their right hands they carried red-lacquered long-bladed broadswords or half-moon short-handled axes. Every expression they revealed was vicious and malevolent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the bulging look of their bodies, one could tell they wore double layers of heavy armor: an outer layer of iron-studded cotton armor, and an inner layer of fine mail armor. Equipped with the same armor as these men were others wielding iron long-handled picking blades, tiger-tooth blades, or tiger spears and long spears. Beneath each man's spear was an iron ferrule several inches long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reckoned these men were the mounted armored soldiers among the Tatar troops. Tian Qiming also spotted a particularly short and stocky man with a black tassel on his helmet and a tall back-banner behind him; he figured this man must be the *fende bošokū* among the Tatar soldiers. His body was the bulkiest of all, likely wearing three layers of heavy armor, with a gleaming heart-protecting mirror on his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him followed several household slaves, each also clad in double layers of heavy armor, carrying thick and heavy long blades and long spears in their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following behind these men were several dozen soldiers wearing iron-studded cotton armor and holding powerful bows, poised to strike. These were presumably the foot archers among the Tatars. In truth, every soldier in this Qing squad had a bow, and each man also had both long and short weapons ready on his horse. However, at this moment, it was these men at the rear who had taken up their bows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They slowly pressed forward. Though utterly silent, the heavy pressure still made Tian Qiming feel alternately cold and hot. He merely instructed the several squads of matchlock soldiers beside him to hold steady and not rush to open fire. He also kept glancing toward the riverbank; it seemed that squad of Tatar soldiers was about to reach the river. On this side of the bridge, there was one squad of his own blade-and-shield soldiers defending, and on the fire-beacon mound, there were still two squads of matchlock soldiers on guard—nothing to worry about. Yet the pressure in his heart still made him long for the Tatar soldiers to quickly enter the range of his matchlocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three squads of matchlock soldiers at the bridgehead were all new troops trained just last year. Although they had fought bandits many times and had often heard the army veterans express disdain for the Tatars, the Tatar soldiers had a fearsome reputation, and facing them for the first time, they could not help but be nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the harsh training at Shunxiang Fort took effect. Even though the Tatar soldiers pressed closer step by step, every man remained silent, only waiting for them to enter their firing range. From time to time, they glanced at the match cords in their hands, careful not to let them go out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing squad attacking the bridge along the official road, led by that *fende bošokū*, advanced from one hundred fifty paces all the way to within one hundred paces, yet the Ming troops on the other side of the bridge remained utterly silent. He felt some doubt in his heart: how could the Ming troops here be so composed? Based on his experience fighting Ming armies, the enemy's firearms usually could not resist firing wildly before he even entered range. These Ming troops... strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no time to ponder further; they had already entered one hundred paces. With a thunderous roar from him, the Qing soldiers of this squad shouted in unison, quickened their pace, and charged fiercely toward the bridge surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Tian Qiming suddenly calmed down. He watched coldly as those Tatar soldiers charged closer: one hundred paces, ninety paces, eighty paces, seventy paces—now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Qiming suddenly bellowed: \"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deafening roar of matchlocks erupted. One could see the large shields in the hands of the foremost, burliest armored soldiers being shattered by the bullets. From their heavy armor, streams of blood blossomed, and they were sent staggering, knocked to the ground one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no time to think. After the first rank of matchlock soldiers withdrew, the second rank stepped forward. Eleven matchlocks aimed at the Qing soldiers on the bridge surface of the official road; there was hardly any need to aim. As long as they pulled the trigger, Tatar soldiers on the opposite side would fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second rank of matchlock soldiers withdrew, and the third rank stepped forward. Another great cloud of gunpowder smoke belched forth, and one after another, the charging Qing soldiers screamed as they were shot to the ground. The bullets tore through their armor, tumbling rapidly inside their bodies, churning their internal organs into a bloody pulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they were not hit in the head, the Qing soldiers could not die immediately from the bullets. Unimaginable agony made them roll on the ground, shrieking in misery. Even the rank of mounted armored soldier could not suppress physical pain, and they wailed uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One armored soldier clutched his lower abdomen, where a mass of intestines hung down. He staggered into the bridge area but stepped onto the sharp-spiked iron caltrops strewn across the bridge surface. With a loud cry, he suddenly rolled and leaped into the river water below the bridge, crashing heavily onto the river surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The river water had dried up so much that it could not submerge his body as he crashed sideways into the river. Jolted awake by the icy river water, the armored soldier struggled to crawl several meters, then finally went limp all over, lying motionless in the river water, dyeing this stretch of the river surface crimson red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original first rank of matchlock soldiers had finished reloading and again stepped forward to fire upon the bridge surface. Amid the gunfire, a vast expanse of white smoke gathered on this side of the bridge. Even though gusts of cold wind came one after another, they could not immediately blow the smoke away. The acrid smell of gunpowder smoke sobered Tian Qiming slightly. He smelled waves of blood coming from the other side of the bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the smoke, he could see the myriad postures of the Tatar soldiers over there. The bridge surface and bridge entrance were piled with corpses and wounded Tatar soldiers who would not die for a while. The remaining men were already stunned senseless. Some clutched their heads and scurried wildly, seeking a place to take cover. Others screamed as they charged forward, accidentally stepping onto the sharp-spiked iron caltrops covering the bridge surface, immediately leaping up with piercing, mournful howls. The more they leaped, the more caltrops they stepped on—a vicious cycle. In the end, they either jumped into the river or were shot dead by matchlocks on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Qiming estimated that the armored soldiers of this Tatar squad had already been swept away completely. The shield-bearing armored soldiers at the very front had been killed in the first moments, and the Tatar armored soldiers, whether mounted or foot, who followed up were all under the powerful fire of his matchlock squads. Moreover, with the matchlock soldiers on the two flanks of each rank effectively delivering flanking fire, there was even less place for them to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of the Tatar archers in this squad were either clutching their heads and scurrying away, or screaming madly from the rear, desperately loosing arrows. In their panic, the arrows they shot had no accuracy whatsoever. Furthermore, Tian Qiming's matchlock soldiers on this side had the cover of war wagon shields, and each man also wore an eight-panel iron-tipped helmet. There was no need to pay any heed to a few wildly flying arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the Tatar soldiers only had these few tricks. Tian Qiming laughed aloud: \"Satisfying! Satisfying!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own matchlocks could penetrate double armor at seventy paces, and with their rapid loading of cartridges, they could fire one volley after another without cease. The battle on this side of the stone bridge was already beyond doubt; the Tatar soldiers absolutely could not charge through. Tian Qiming shifted his attention to the riverbank side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, from the fire-beacon mound came volley after volley of matchlock fire. That squad of Tatar soldiers creeping up along the right riverbank were knocked to the ground one by one by the volleys from the mound, like rats scurrying in chaos, thrown into utter confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matchlocks of Shunxiang Fort had advantages in range and power. Firing from atop the fire-beacon mound also provided a geographical advantage, looking down from a height, making cover convenient. Meanwhile, the Qing squad executing the pincer movement along the riverbank found it extremely inconvenient to shoot arrows from the bank or the river surface. If they got close, they risked the danger of incoming matchlock fire; if they stayed far, their bows' power was weak, and they might not even reach the fire-beacon mound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the terrain in this area was gentle and open; every spot was under the watchful eyes of the soldiers on the fire-beacon mound. There was not a single blind spot, not even a place to find cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing soldiers of this squad howled and screamed wildly, yet they could never break through the fire net cast by the two squads of soldiers on the fire-beacon mound. Whenever the sound of matchlocks rang out from the mound, the brothers beside them would, one after another, burst forth with mists of blood and tumble onto the icy river surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many layers of armor they wore, none could bring them protection. This immense sense of terror would make anyone collapse. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen men from this Qing squad were already gone, and the minds of the remaining men were already turning to thoughts of fleeing and retreating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squad Vice-Commander Huang Wei stood calmly on the suspended tower, directing the two squads of matchlock soldiers on the fire-beacon mound to fire upon the Qing soldiers at the riverbank. He divided the two squads of matchlock soldiers into four sections of five, each time firing five or six matchlocks down from the mound, providing a continuous stream of firepower. One after another, Qing soldiers were shot down into the river before his watchful eyes, regardless of whether they were Tatar mounted armored soldiers or foot archers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over a dozen Qing corpses lay strewn haphazardly on both sides of the river, their blood dyeing the river surface crimson. Some who were shot but not yet dead lay by the riverbank, howling and writhing. Huang Wei also saw a man drenched in blood screaming as he sprinted madly toward the upper reaches of the river, dragging behind him a bloody, dripping large intestine, still unaware of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Wei watched him sprint madly for over a hundred *zhang*, until finally that figure collapsed face-down onto the ground and lay motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the Qing soldiers scurrying chaotically by the riverbank like headless flies, Huang Wei exhaled calmly: \"The Tatar soldiers cannot charge through.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An arrow shot toward his face, but its force was spent, confirming the saying: \"A spent arrow from a strong crossbow cannot pierce even thin Lu silk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Wei lazily swung his blade to swat the arrow down, letting it fall onto the sloped mound of the fire-beacon tower. He looked toward the stone bridge; volley fire had sounded from there several times. He could clearly see the gunpowder smoke at the bridgehead and the Tatar corpses piled on the bridge surface, along with wounded Tatars struggling and leaping wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was very obvious: after enduring several rounds of matchlock fire, the remaining soldiers of the Qing squad attacking the stone bridge were already showing signs of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking further into the distance, the main Qing force behind the stone bridge was also clearly showing signs of unrest and agitation. It was evident that the two-pronged attack on the stone bridge had greatly exceeded their expectations. Some of the Qing army's horses over there had even been startled by the deafening roar of the matchlocks, dragging themselves away from the crowd and bolting wildly into the nearby wheat fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile appeared on Huang Wei's face: \"The brothers fought well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2645,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","3a419caf7c34079e27a72e085ce05d1103c48c61af0d5b4715d4efe4eb4a4a83","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-221","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-219",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]