[{"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-239":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},1205528,1561,"Chapter 239: Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander, Chapter 230: Bestowal of Sword and Armor","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-239",239,"\u003Cp>Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander, Chapter 230: Bestowal of Sword and Armor\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou followed Lu Xiangsheng outside the tent and saw a eunuch standing there with an arrogant expression, followed by several Embroidered Uniform Guard members wearing flying-fish robes and bearing embroidered-spring blades at their waists. There were also a dozen or so capital garrison soldiers with fine steeds, all fully armored and wearing bright red capes and cloaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lu Xiangsheng and the others emerge, the eunuch called out again: \"Lu Xiangsheng, Yang Guozhu, Wang Dou — receive the decree!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Matters had to be handled expediently, and there was no time to set up an incense table with offerings. Led by Lu Xiangsheng, everyone knelt to receive the decree. All the soldiers in the camp also went down on one knee, a chorus of voices saying: \"Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell over the field. The eunuch took a yellow-silk-wrapped brocade box from a nearby Embroidered Uniform Guard, inside which was a vermilion-lacquered, gold-traced dragon box. From the box he carefully removed the imperial decree sealed in a yellow damask dark-dragon envelope and chanted in a high voice: \"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: … The slave-brigands bring calamity to the realm, the people suffer in misery, and all Our subjects gnash their teeth in hatred. Now We hear that the Right Vice Minister of War, Lu Xiangsheng, has fought the brigands with true strength and won a great victory at Stone Bridge. Our heart is deeply comforted! We promote Lu Xiangsheng to Minister of War, bestow upon him one imperial sword of authority, one gold-inlaid rhinoceros belt, one gold-woven chest-and-back qilin round-collared robe, five hundred taels of silver from the inner treasury, and twenty silver merit plaques for rewarding valor on the battlefield…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng lay prostrate on the ground, already sobbing uncontrollably, overcome with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou lay prostrate behind Yang Guozhu. Hearing Lu Xiangsheng's reaction up ahead, he secretly rejoiced for him as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The decree then commended Yang Guozhu, bestowing upon him a fine steed, silver taels, a set of leather cap and court attire, and five bolts of silk. Wang Dou felt Yang Guozhu's body trembling unceasingly in front of him. Then his own spirit stirred — the decree mentioned him: \"… Wang Dou, Mobile Corps Commander of Baoan Department, Xuanfu Garrison, whose valor surpasses the three armies, has taken a thousand heads and dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the savage caitiffs. Our heart is gladdened! We bestow upon him one sword and one suit of armor, two hundred taels of silver from the inner treasury, and proclaim this to the three armies and all the people, that they may take him as a model…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch spoke at great length further, and at last managed to read out: \"Thus decreed!\" Wang Dou and the others rose and roared their gratitude. Lu Xiangsheng, hands trembling, reverently received the imperial decree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then received, one by one, the imperial sword, the patterned silver, the python-patterned satin, and the other bestowed items. For each item he received, Lu Xiangsheng kowtowed and expressed his thanks. When the eunuch had finished handing everything over, he said to Lu Xiangsheng with a face full of smiles: \"Lord Lu, congratulations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng suddenly burst into hot tears, feeling that all the grievances he had suffered these days had been worthwhile. He choked out: \"Eunuch, please wait a while in the camp. I shall immediately submit a memorial of thanks, and I must trouble Eunuch to carry it back to the capital.\" The eunuch said: \"Of course, of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Lu Xiangsheng hurried into the tent, the eunuch clasped his hands behind his back and looked around the camp. Seeing the soldiers everywhere with beaming brows and smiling eyes, many of them nearly ready to jump for joy, he gave a snort. His gaze settled on Wang Dou, and he said with reserve: \"This would be General Wang?\" Wang Dou clasped his fists in salute and smiled slightly: \"I am grateful for Eunuch's kind inquiry. This junior officer is indeed he.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch's eyes swept over Wang Dou for a long moment, and he squeezed out a trace of a smile: \"General Wang's two great victories have already spread throughout the capital. His Majesty ordered the severed slave heads piled into a capital mound at the West Market, along with the captured slave banners, armor, and other items. Every day the spectators are like clouds; even I wished to go see but could not squeeze through. The General may truly be said to have made his name known across the four seas.\" Wang Dou was overjoyed at heart, but still said: \"All this relies on Viceroy Lu and Military Commander Yang's tiger-like might. This junior officer does not claim the credit.\" The eunuch gave an \"mm\": \"Neither arrogant nor rash — the General's future prospects are beyond measure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone around looked at Wang Dou with expressions of incomparable envy. Yang Guozhu stood beside Wang Dou, inwardly just as delighted, and also exceedingly envious. To leave one's name through a hundred battles — that is a warrior's highest aspiration. He, a Regional Commander, had basked in Wang Dou's reflected glory, receiving an imperial decree of commendation and gifts of a fine steed and silver, yet in his heart he truly longed to be as renowned and awe-inspiring as Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Dawei was happy for Yang Guozhu and Wang Dou. Wang Pu, the Regional Commander of Datong, however, shot Yang Guozhu an extremely jealous glance, regretting only that he had no brave general like Wang Dou under his command. He also eyed with great envy the fine steed the Emperor had bestowed on Yang Guozhu — that horse was fiery red all over, incomparably spirited, the likes of which he had never seen within his Datong garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Yang Guozhu, utterly enamored, circling the horse left and right with his trusted personal general Guo Yingxian, and from time to time splitting his wide mouth in a grin, Wang Pu finally let out a cold snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very soon, Lu Xiangsheng came out and handed a memorial to the eunuch. The eunuch's face was full of smiles, but as he turned to leave, a trace of displeasure was faintly visible on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou thought for a moment and immediately understood the reason — it was naturally because Lu Xiangsheng had not given him any gratuity. This time the Chongzhen Emperor had bestowed five hundred taels of inner treasury silver on Lu Xiangsheng, three hundred taels on Yang Guozhu, and two hundred taels on himself. Thereupon Wang Dou quietly handed that silver box to Lu Xiangsheng's personal general Chen An, telling him to pass the silver on to the eunuch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen An patted his own forehead, gave Wang Dou a grateful look, and hurried off with the silver box to chase after the eunuch. Wang Dou saw them exchange a few words, and then the dark-faced eunuch turned from anger to delight, cheerfully hugging the silver box as he left the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng's spirit was still in a state of excitement and he did not notice this matter. However, Hu Dawei, Yang Guozhu, Wang Pu, and the others saw it clearly. Yang Guozhu in particular nodded repeatedly, his face showing an expression of approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiangsheng excitedly summoned the various generals in the tent for consolation and instruction, ordering them to return to their camps and assemble the troops, for he wished to publicly read the Emperor's sacred decree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army was encamped to the east. At this moment, only his personal general Xie Yike and a group of guards were beside Wang Dou. They had naturally all witnessed what had just happened, and every one of them was beaming with pride, considering it the greatest honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou returned to his own camp, summoned his officers, and told them of the imperial decree's commendation and the proclamation to the three armies. Everyone boiled with excitement. The news of the great victory and the beheadings had finally reached the Emperor, and he had bestowed such praise — everyone shouted that His Majesty was sagacious. Surrounded by onlookers, Wang Dou also changed into the armor and sword personally bestowed by the Emperor. The armor was of superb quality, with a crimson inner garment that could be worn in both cold and heat. Every outer armor plate had been tempered a thousand times and refined a hundred, gleaming with light — it could be called a suit of steel armor, light and well-fitting, yet extremely protective. Over the armor were bright red and green robes, dazzlingly vivid, and with the cape and cloak tied on, and the imperial fine-steel sword that could slice through iron at his waist, Wang Dou's entire appearance was extraordinarily spirited. The crowd below watched and swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou struck a few poses himself and felt they looked rather good. A pity there was no camera to preserve his heroic image for future descendants to admire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over one hundred thousand men of the three garrisons of Xuan-Da all assembled to the west outside the camp. On a high platform hastily erected at the front, Lu Xiangsheng stood and loudly read the imperial decree. Behind him stood a dense row of military staff advisors and strategists. Sweeping away the dejection of previous days, Lu Xiangsheng was radiant, his voice carrying far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers below, seeming to blanket the earth, all gazed in his direction. Every face was stirred and invigorated — the news of the Emperor's decree of commendation had boosted their morale tremendously. The vast field was silent; apart from Lu Xiangsheng's cadenced voice, there was only the howling of the cold wind like the cries of wolves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they heard the part of the decree that proclaimed to the three armies the commendation of Wang Dou, Mobile Corps Commander of Baoan Department, Xuanfu Garrison, everyone's gaze turned toward Wang Dou's direction. With this decree, the name of General Wang of Xuanzhen would spread across the four seas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou stood quietly, surrounded by a forest of blades and spears and a sea of banners. The soldiers of the Shunxiang Army in particular stood ramrod straight, chests out and bellies in, every face brimming with pride and honor. Listening to Lu Xiangsheng's voice and feeling the gaze of the multitude, Wang Dou secretly exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had changed his own fate, making his life rich and colorful, and had also changed part of Lu Xiangsheng's fate. What would the future hold — could he grasp it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, Lu Xiangsheng's voice ceased. From somewhere within the army a voice rang out: \"Long live!\" Instantly the cry converged into a mountain-roaring, sea-surging wave, rolling toward Wang Dou. Without a second thought, Wang Dou joined the crowd in raising his arm and shouting: \"Long live! Long live! Long live!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, Lu Xiangsheng, full of vigor, gave a rousing speech of encouragement from the high platform and also swore a blood oath with the generals, vowing to strike the caitiff invaders hard. Wang Dou likewise drank down a large bowl of blood-water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the spot, Lu Xiangsheng also distributed the silver and silk the Emperor had bestowed on him to the soldiers, keeping not a single tael for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army's morale soared. However, considering that the Xuan-Da government troops had long been hungry and exhausted, this force of over ten thousand needed to rest and regroup for several days beneath the walls of Baoding. It seemed that Baoding's Provincial Governor Zhang Qiping, having heard of the Emperor's decree of commendation, invited the Xuan-Da troops into the city to rest and also sent two hundred dan of grain and ten pigs and sheep to reward the troops. Lu Xiangsheng accepted the grain, pigs, and sheep, but coldly ignored Zhang Qiping's invitation to enter the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already resolved to march south to seek battle with the Qing troops. For days on end, he summoned the various generals for councils to discuss engaging the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was present at every meeting. He was now a celebrity in the Xuan-Da army — the Emperor had praised him as surpassing the three armies and proclaimed a commendation, a title of honor not easily won. Every time Wang Dou walked outside the camp, the people he met were either adoring, admiring, jealous, or unconvinced, and many were eager to try their hand, looking as if they wanted to challenge him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for those who wanted to challenge him, Wang Dou naturally had no interest in humoring them. He excelled in military command; \"valor surpassing the three armies\" referred to his ability to direct battles, and he had no interest in dueling anyone. Though when it came to single combat, Wang Dou was not afraid — it had been a long time since he had fought anyone, and his fists were a little itchy — but his status and position were different now; he could no longer act as he had when he was a common soldier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever Wang Dou went among the various camp tents, everyone greeted him with smiling faces. First, Wang Dou had delivered grain from a thousand li away, for which the soldiers of every garrison were inwardly grateful. Second, Wang Dou's record of two battles, two victories, and nearly a thousand heads taken had earned him everyone's respect. Such was the way in the army: strong soldiers and sturdy horses, a steady stream of victory reports — these naturally commanded admiration. While exchanging courtesies with the various generals, Wang Dou also discovered that each army had quite a few good things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Lu Xiangsheng's personal battalion, for example. Although it now numbered only a few hundred men, it was equipped with large quantities of fine bird-lock arquebuses and three-eyed guns, as well as one hundred self-igniting arquebuses, one hundred Luzon arquebuses, and five red-barbarian cannons, every one of them a six-pounder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Self-igniting arquebuses and Luzon arquebuses were things Wang Dou was still laboriously researching, yet the personal battalion was equipped with so many. According to Lu Xiangsheng's personal general Chen An, the personal battalion had been using Luzon arquebuses for several years already, and the newly produced self-igniting arquebuses had been in use in the army for over a year as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Luzon arquebus had a range of one hundred and fifty paces. Though its muzzle was small, at a hundred paces against the enemy its armor-piercing power was very strong. Wang Dou picked up a Luzon arquebus to examine it. The barrel was heavy, and indeed it had a double-layered barrel, and the craftsmanship was excellent, with no quality concerns. Lu Xiangsheng had labored painstakingly in Xuan-Da for several years, and the Luzon arquebus was one of the fruits of that labor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen An naturally treasured the Luzon arquebus dearly. However, when the self-igniting arquebus was mentioned, Chen An said helplessly that although this gun was much more convenient than the matchlock, requiring no slow match, it still had many defects. They had brought a portion of them on this campaign only for battlefield testing. As for the individual martial prowess of the soldiers in the personal battalion, Wang Dou feared that only his own Night Scouts could compare. Wang Dou secretly felt relieved — fortunately, battles were not won by individual bravery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, Lu Xiangsheng led over one hundred and three thousand Xuan-Da soldiers, in a mighty and imposing column, away from the walls of Baoding to seek battle with the Qing troops. !! Old Bai Niu: Many thanks to kaboka, the Alliance Leader, hehe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another note: The first book-friend group is full. The content introduction can no longer be casually edited, so I'll mention another book-friend group here, ql. Interested friends may join the group for discussion. There is also a fan group: Cheng Yi Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There will be another chapter tonight. ∫!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>。\u003C\u002Fp>",2682,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","cebcc1965e105ad8163eef1c7af395e56a0481016c15b53f464585f6750bdd5a","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-240","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-238",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]