[{"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-273":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},1205562,1561,"Chapter 273: Withdraw Troops After Three Days","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-273",273,"\u003Cp>Wang Dou emerged from Yang Guozhu's central command tent. Night had already fallen. In the bone-piercing cold darkness, the campfires of the Qing army camps on all four sides flickered to life once more, but compared to the dense sea of lights from days before, they were already much dimmer. Especially the Qing camp on the left flank — its fires were even more faint and dull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Time to leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the Qing camp opposite, Wang Dou thought silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night Wang Dou lay in his tent, yet for a long time he could not fall asleep. Scene after scene from these past years appeared before his eyes, flashing ceaselessly through his mind like a film. At last they froze upon the corpses of Lu Xiangsheng, Han Zhong, and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the moment of his death, Lu Xiangsheng's expression had been composed. Perhaps dying in battle on the field was, for him, a better ending? But as for Han Zhong, Yang Tong, and the others...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou stared blankly, lost in thought for a very long time. Without knowing when, his face was already streaked with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He murmured low, \"Brother Han, Brother Yang, I'm sorry...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Qing army camp at that moment, no one could sleep either. The wails of wounded soldiers from every camp rose and fell unceasingly, piercing the black night with a ghastly misery. Inside Dorgon's great tent, the assembled men were likewise long silent. Not a single person uttered a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The casualty figures had been roughly tallied. In today's battle alone, the casualties across all banners numbered over twelve thousand men, of whom nearly five thousand were armored soldiers and banner men. If one added the cumulative losses from all the banners' engagements with the Xuan-Da army, each banner, from top to bottom, had already suffered over twenty thousand casualties, with nearly six thousand armored soldiers and banner men lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing troops that had entered the pass were said to number one hundred thousand. They had already lost twenty percent of their forces. Dorgon's Plain White Banner had suffered the most severe losses in particular — over two thousand armored soldiers and banner men killed or wounded. Dodo's Bordered White Banner had lost nearly another thousand armored soldiers and banner men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since engaging Wang Dou, his losses were comparable to Dorgon's. No wonder he was utterly dejected and spoke not a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, after the Qing army returned to camp, they had also realized that the so-called reinforcements of the Xuan-Da army were merely a portion of militia and volunteers. Yet with such grievous casualties today, every banner was trembling with fear. One jala after another had been thrown into the fray, only to suffer continuous losses and retreat. That fighting spirit was already on the verge of collapse. The moment word spread that Ming reinforcements had arrived, everyone's morale instantly deflated. And that drive could no longer be summoned up again. When it truly comes to fighting to the death, the courage of nomadic peoples can never match the mettle of the civilizations of the Central Plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What chilled everyone's hearts even more was that Ming reinforcements had come. Would they continue to stream in endlessly from now on? This was what everyone present feared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enggetu, commander of the Eight Banner Mongol Plain Red Banner, was the first to speak out: \"We cannot fight any longer. The brave warriors within my banner have suffered too many casualties. If we keep fighting, the warriors of our tribe will be wiped out. Especially now that Ming reinforcements have arrived...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shot Dorgon a glance and said, \"The General Commanding the Expedition once stated that no Ming reinforcements would come. Now they have come. Who knows whether more will follow? Setting other matters aside, right there in Jize alone there are nearly thirty thousand Ming Guan-Ning troops. This Beile has also heard that the Ming Xuan-Da Viceroy, Chen Xinjia, is leading nearly twenty thousand more Ming soldiers prowling like a wolf around Baoding Prefecture. If they close in and we keep fighting to the death here in Julu, I fear we will be surrounded and annihilated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words struck a chord with the remaining Eight Banner Mongol commanders, who all voiced their agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulusixibu, the Gushan Ejen of the Outer Mongol Kharchin tribe, was even more blunt: \"If you want to fight, let the General Commanding the Expedition go fight by himself. The warriors of my Duoleng Beizi banner have suffered severe losses and are already incapable of battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Gulusixibu's words, Dorgon seethed inwardly with rage, yet at the same time felt utterly helpless. Deep in his heart, he secretly regretted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, he and his younger brother Dodo's two White Banners possessed the greatest strength among the Eight Banners. On this expedition inside the pass, their military force had also been the most robust. But over these past few days, especially after today's bloody battle, the strength of the two White Banners had been severely depleted. Of five thousand armored banner men, over half were lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The internal struggles among the Eight Banners were fierce. Now that his strength was damaged, men who had treated him with the utmost deference in the past were suddenly speaking with veiled barbs. This Gulusixibu in particular — just yesterday he had been bowing and scraping before him, yet today he wore a completely different expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Mongols cannot be relied upon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Dorgon's inner thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rage aside, regret aside, Dorgon was powerless. He had originally thought that by capturing Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou's camp and killing the two of them, he could further elevate his own prestige and standing, and return to contend against Huang Taiji. Now, never mind contending — Dorgon was more worried about how Huang Taiji would deal with him upon his return, clearing the path for his son Hooge. Although the bulk of the two White Banners remained and Huang Taiji would not dare kill him, it was obvious that the standing of the two brothers within the Eight Banners would decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Gulusixibu's words, Dodo also glared at him furiously. Gulusixibu sat there arrogantly, paying him no heed whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buyandai, commander of the Eight Banner Mongol Bordered Red Banner, addressed Yue Tuo directly: \"Great General Who Upholds Martial Might, let us withdraw our troops and return beyond the passes. In any case, we have already seized over a hundred thousand people, along with a great quantity of livestock and silver. At least we will not return empty-handed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes of the remaining Eight Banner Mongol commanders lit up. They all voiced their approval and pressed Yue Tuo with their counsel one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imperceptibly, the initiative in command of this expedition's Qing army had already tilted toward Yue Tuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Tuo was secretly delighted. He sat upright and imposing and said, \"The time has not yet come to withdraw our troops beyond the passes. Our Great Qing soldiers have not plundered enough. We must still strike out in all directions to forage for provisions, and only return once we have reaped sufficient spoils.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jirgalang, commander of the Bordered Blue Banner, also concurred with Yue Tuo's opinion. Enggetu voiced his worry: \"To forage and plunder more, we would have to divide our forces to seize the spoils. I only fear that with Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou and the others eyeing us covetously from the side, we will be defeated by them one by one. All the goods we have toiled bitterly to seize would become their trophies of war, and in the end we would have lost soldiers and officers, returning empty-handed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the tent fell silent. Clearly, this was a problem that deeply troubled them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most important reason Dorgon had wanted to concentrate his forces and destroy Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou for good was precisely this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jirgalang pondered for a long while, then said, \"There is no need to worry about this matter. Our Great Qing soldiers have fought bloody battles for many days, and not without gain, though our losses are severe. Presumably, Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou and the others have suffered even more grievous casualties. They should be in no condition to pursue us. The only Ming force capable of fighting is Lu Xiangsheng's single command. Although our Great Qing soldiers have suffered considerable losses at Julu, when facing other Ming armies, we are still sweeping all before us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he spoke thus, he could not be certain, and his tone carried some hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Tuo forced a smile and said, \"Prince Zheng speaks reason. Lu Xiangsheng, Wang Dou, and the others are surely in no condition to pursue. Of course, we must learn our lesson. Our troops must not be dispersed so widely. Even if we forage a little less, we must guard against Lu Xiangsheng and the others exploiting any gaps.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men in the tent fell silent again for a while. Dodo, commander of the Bordered White Banner, seeing that he seemed to have been forgotten by everyone, could not help but speak: \"My lords princes seem to have forgotten that just a few dozen li away, there is still Gao Qiqian's Guan-Ning army. They have tens of thousands of troops. What if they follow us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Tuo smiled faintly. \"Gao Qiqian is not worth worrying about. While we fought bloody battles with the Xuan-Da army at Julu for many days, his troops did not dare to stir in the slightest. They lack the courage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, \"However, the Guan-Ning army must also be dealt with. Our Great Qing warriors have lost soldiers and officers at Julu, and morale is low. If we can win a victory and rout the Ming forces under Gao Qiqian, we can greatly boost the morale of our Great Qing warriors and strike terror into more Ming troops.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enggetu and the others set their minds at ease: \"As long as we don't have to go fight Lu Xiangsheng or Wang Dou, that's fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Yue Tuo said to Dorgon, \"General Commanding the Expedition, this general believes that our Great Qing soldiers should rest and reorganize at Julu for three days. After three days, we shall withdraw. What does the General Commanding the Expedition think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon's face betrayed no emotion. \"Ming reinforcements have already arrived. Attacking the Xuan-Da camp would be fruitless. The soldiers should indeed conserve their strength and build up their energy, then divide into separate columns to forage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※※※\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old White Ox:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past days, book friends have been discussing very passionately, and Old Ox is very pleased to see it. However, I would also ask book friends to take note: when posting, please do not involve the author, or the post will be deleted and the user banned. Some posts are clearly very well written and worthy of being marked as featured, yet in the title or content, they are often disrespectful or even attack the author — this is a most regrettable thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not bring the unbridled bad habits of other book review sections into this book's review section. In my dictionary, there has never been the concept that the customer (reader) is God. I regard all readers (customers) as friends. Those who get along, stay. Those who don't, are driven away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have already driven them away many times. The reason I never beg for monthly tickets, subscriptions, recommendations, and so on is also for the convenience of driving people away. Any threat that might be effective against other authors is useless against me. Old readers know that I have always been very tolerant toward posts. As long as they have substance and are expressed with propriety, I will mark them as featured. I hope the book review section will always maintain a good atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>",1971,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","7e8dfa67ac7cf70334d8620deea83f4f42a8e13d9dd05ee0cbf5c386b9be47b3","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-274","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-272",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]