[{"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-275":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},1205564,1561,"Chapter 275: Fleeing in Panic","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-275",275,"\u003Cp>\"Lu Xiangsheng, Wang Dou retreated?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qing generals hastily assembled in Yoto's camp were all incredulous. Then they exchanged delighted glances, and Yoto laughed heartily: \"Excellent! It seems the battle the day before yesterday inflicted heavy casualties on the Xuan-Da Army as well. They lack the strength to hold on any longer and are voluntarily withdrawing today. Our Great Qing troops have nothing to worry about now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jirgalang, commander of the Bordered Blue Banner, likewise smiled: \"Our Great Qing troops are invincible wherever they go. Even the Ming realm's most capable fighters, Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou, cannot stop the edge of our grand army. Once word of this spreads, let us see who else in the Ming realm dares to fight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several Mongol Eight Banner commanders howled: \"Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou are fleeing! Now when we go out to forage for grain, we no longer have to fear anyone tailing us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dodo, commander of the Bordered White Banner, shouted: \"Are we just going to let them run like this? We should raise the entire army and give chase at once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon said in a deep voice: \"Grand General Who Displays Martial Might, honored banner commanders, this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. The Ming army is retreating, so their men are surely panicked. To pursue them now is precisely the right moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoto glanced at Dorgon and coughed once: \"Han military treatises say: do not press a desperate foe. Their army has many cannons and war wagons, and we do not know how much provisions and fodder they have. If we press them too hard, they will defend in place, set up camp and fortify, and we will have another Battle of Julu on our hands. We can no longer afford such losses. Better to err on the side of caution and scout the situation clearly first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked Buyandai, the Mongol Bordered Red Banner commander: \"Buyandai Efui, what was the Ming army's formation like when they retreated?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buyandai's troops were precisely the ones encamped on the left bank of the Hao River, and it was he who had hurried over to report. He said: \"Grand General Who Displays Martial Might, General Who Receives the Mandate, honored banner commanders: when Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou and the others retreated, their military posture was strict and orderly. The vanguard, the main army, and the rear guard were all in perfect order. It did not look like a rout.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This general observed that they still have several thousand men. Their army has many wagons and horses, seemingly laden with large quantities of provisions and fodder, and they have not lost their cannons either. In this general's opinion, we should not press them too tightly. For several dozen li beyond Julu, the terrain is all flat open country, offering no place to lay an ambush, so we could only assault them head-on. In open fields, if they form a wagon fort, breaking through is extremely difficult. This general and Beile Anping suffered bitterly at the hands of Wang Dou's wagon fort at Tongzhou, losing over a thousand men. If we launch a frontal assault and Wang Dou and the others fight with desperate ferocity, our Great Qing troops will likely suffer several thousand more casualties. As the Grand General Who Displays Martial Might said, it is better to err on the side of caution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he spoke these words, the faces of all the Mongol Eight Banner commanders showed traces of timidity. None of them favored pursuit; they only wanted Lu Xiangsheng and the others to simply withdraw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gürüskeribu said loudly: \"Let us not stir up more trouble. It is enough that Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou and the others are gone. In any case, they have suffered heavy casualties and will lack the strength to attack us in the future. We should instead discuss how to forage for grain and plunder more wealth, goods, and people to take back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He further shouted: \"If the General Who Receives the Mandate wishes to pursue, then let him go pursue with Prince Yu. As the Han military treatises say, if one cannot endure small things, one will ruin great plans. I, Duoleng Gürüsi, will not be so reckless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon flew into a rage. He rose to his feet and bellowed at Gürüskeribu: \"Insolence! Beizi Duoleng, what tone are you using to address this Grand General?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You show me such disrespect — do you think this Grand General dares not punish you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fury raged within his heart like madness. In the past, the various banners had looked to him as their leader, but because the two White Banners had suffered heavy losses in their rank-and-file, Dorgon and his brothers' standing among the banners had plummeted rapidly in recent days. To say nothing else, in the past, when they held councils, all the banner commanders would gather in his tent, but these past two days, the meetings had shifted to Yoto's great tent of the Plain Red Banner. And those Mongol banner commanders, who had previously treated him with the utmost deference, had in the blink of an eye changed their tune entirely. How could this not enrage the proud and arrogant Dorgon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Gürüskeribu show him such disrespect, he could bear it no longer and sprang up with a furious roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Dorgon's face turn livid, Gürüskeribu was startled. Dorgon was ruthless and merciless; although his strength had been damaged, he was still not someone a minor Outer Mongol banner commander like himself could afford to provoke. He could not help but secretly regret his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the two men's faces darken, the various banner commanders came forward one after another to smooth things over. Yoto urged: \"We Manchus and Mongols are one family. A mere slip of the tongue should not damage the harmony between our two houses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barked at Gürüskeribu: \"Beizi Duoleng, you have gone too far. Apologize to the General Who Receives the Mandate at once!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gürüskeribu, his heart in his throat, hastily apologized to Dorgon. Dorgon gave a cold snort, inwardly calculating how he would deal with this Mongol barbarian once they returned to the Qing realm. He wanted to show all the banner commanders that he, Dorgon, had the ability to contend with Huang Taiji, and that not just anyone could climb all over him and slap his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoto said to Dorgon: \"General Who Receives the Mandate, how about this: we dispatch a portion of our troops to tail them. If an opportunity presents itself, we will move forward and attack. If the Ming army's posture remains strict and orderly, we will not act rashly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon said flatly: \"Forget it. As the various banner commanders have said, it is better not to invite complications, lest Lu Xiangsheng and the others, like cornered dogs leaping over a wall, turn around and bite back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon understood Yoto's thinking. Yoto had risen in status precisely because the two White Banners' strength had been damaged, so naturally he was unwilling to see Dorgon and his brothers achieve further merit. If a pursuit proved victorious and Dorgon's prestige was re-established, that was something Yoto, Jirgalang, and the others did not wish to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, attacking Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou with the entire army had been extremely difficult; what use would dispatching only a portion of the troops be? It would merely be putting on a show. In any case, with Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou retreating, they no longer posed a threat to their grand army. He would endure it for now and resolve other problems first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: \"Lu Xiangsheng's and Wang Dou's forces are no longer worth worrying about. Their defeat and retreat have greatly boosted our Great Qing troops' morale. Let us seize this sharp edge of spirit and deal with Gao Qiqian's Guan-Ning Army next.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Dorgon's words, everyone in the tent grew animated. Facing Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou had left them with lingering fear, but against Gao Qiqian and the others, they were not afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon. Jize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the temporary headquarters, Gao Qiqian held a book and appeared to be reading with great relish. On the seats to either side below him, the various Guan-Ning generals were chatting leisurely. They talked about the weather, about the scenery, about women. Not a single one mentioned the battle at Julu several dozen li away, as if the Qing troops and the Xuan-Da Army over there had been completely forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A personal guard entered the hall and reported to Gao Qiqian that Yang Tinglin, the military advisor in Lu Xiangsheng's army, was once again requesting an audience. Gao Qiqian said flatly: \"Denied. Tell him I am feeling unwell and it is inconvenient to receive guests today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The personal guard departed. Gao Qiqian gave a cold snort: \"That Big Beard Yang, pestering me time and again — truly an endless annoyance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered this under his breath, then continued reading, slapping the table in admiration: \"In books there are beauties like jade; in books there are houses of gold. How well the ancients put it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong, the Regional Commander of Miyun, offered a flattering remark from below: \"Supervisor Gao's learning is profound and extensive. This general is full of admiration.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiqian, brimming with smug satisfaction, gave an \"mm\" and went back to reading, swaying his head from side to side. Tang Tong and Bai Guangen, the Regional Commander of Ji Garrison, exchanged a glance, sharing a look laden with unspoken meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had of course heard what Gao Qiqian's personal guard had just said, but on the surface they simply pretended not to have heard. Since the eighth day of the month, Yang Tinglin, acting on Lu Xiangsheng's orders, had urgently come to request reinforcements, even bringing a personal letter from Lu Xiangsheng. Gao Qiqian had not even glanced at it before tossing it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong and the others were certainly aware of the military situation at Julu, but faced with Yang Tinglin's fury, Gao Qiqian merely hemmed and hawed. If the Army Supervisor was unwilling to send troops, they, his subordinate Regional Commanders, were naturally even less inclined to budge. This was no joke — over at Julu there were at least sixty or seventy thousand Qing troops. Who would dare go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to persuade Gao Qiqian, Yang Tinglin then set his sights on the various Guan-Ning generals, talking himself hoarse all day long in an effort to convince a few of them to dispatch troops to the rescue. Yang Tinglin argued eloquently: use the Xuan-Da Army as a millstone to grind away the blood of the slave-bandits assaulting the camp, and then they could seize the momentum to launch a single strike, annihilating the invading Qing troops in one sweep and achieving an unparalleled deed of merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong and the others merely listened. They had long since seen through the intentions of Gao Qiqian and Yang Sichang; how would they dare commit such a universally condemned transgression? Besides, to say nothing of the Qing troops' overwhelming strength and their own fear and dread — even if, as Yang Tinglin claimed, they really could annihilate the invading Qing troops in one sweep, they had their own considerations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Wang Tingchen, Regional Commander of Qiantun Guard, and Cao Bianjiao, Regional Commander of Yutian, had once proposed sending troops, but they were shut down by a remark from Ma Ke, Regional Commander of Shanhai Pass: \"...Heh heh, my two honored commanders, if the slave-bandits are wiped out, then will there still be a need for our Guan-Ning Grand Army to exist in Liaodong? When that time comes, will the imperial court still allocate the annual silver, coin, grain, and rice for Liaodong? When the hares are dead, the hounds are cooked; when the birds are gone, the bows are stored away. I fear what follows will be the court taking the knife to us?...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ke's words were naturally not so direct, but the meaning within was exactly that. Hearing Ma Ke's words, Wang Tingchen and Cao Bianjiao hesitated. No matter how much loyalty and righteousness they possessed, they still had to consider the interests of the entire Liaodong military clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, right now there was a chance to completely annihilate the Qing troops that had entered the passes, but after annihilating them, what would become of themselves? Would their Liaoxi warlord clique still have a reason to exist within the Great Ming thereafter? How would they demand money and grain from the central government in the future? Would those vast amounts of silver taels and grain and rice still possibly reach their own hands? Moreover, since the other Regional Commanders were not sending troops, relying solely on their own two armies — could they even swallow the tens of thousands of Qing troops over at Julu? And so the two men hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Gao Qiqian not moving, the Guan-Ning Army was happy to do nothing, thus forming a bizarre phony war. A few dozen li away, Lu Xiangsheng's and Wang Dou's Xuan-Da troops were fighting a bloody battle against the Qing soldiers, while tens of thousands of the Guan-Ning Grand Army stood by watching the show. Such was the conduct of the Great Ming's warlord factions, and in the future, the Great Ming would see the formation of one warlord faction after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These degenerate literati and military cliques of the late Ming were like a tortoise eyeing a mung bean — neither had cause to laugh at the other. Toward the common people they were fierce as wolves and tigers; toward the Qing army they clung to life and feared death, leaving allied forces in mortal peril without a care. They watched with open eyes as the Great Ming was dragged to the brink of destruction, all to preserve their own petty private interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today was the routine council. After reading his book for a while, Gao Qiqian was about to dismiss the generals when suddenly a night-scout burst in, looking as though his parents had just died, wailing: \"Supervisor, Supervisor, terrible news, terrible news...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiqian was very displeased and said in a shrill voice: \"What matter causes such fluster and panic?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night-scout said: \"Viceroy Lu... Viceroy Lu has died in battle. The Xuan-Da Army at Julu has already broken out and fled westward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a thunderclap, everyone in the hall erupted into a buzz of discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiqian blinked rapidly: \"Lu Xiangsheng is dead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He demanded sharply: \"Where did you hear this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night-scout said: \"This lowly one was scouting the perimeter of Julu when I encountered Wang Dou's division of the Xuan-Da Army breaking out. Wen Daxing, the Night Scout Company Commander in his army, told me personally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night-scout continued: \"He also said that not only has Viceroy Lu died, but the Xuan-Da Army has also suffered catastrophic losses and lacks the strength to fight further. After they break out and leave, the main force of the slave-bandits may come to attack Jize, and the Supervisor must make preparations early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiqian was dumbstruck, and the hall fell deathly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just at that moment, several more night-scouts, drenched in blood from head to toe, suddenly burst into the hall, saying in a single breath: \"Supervisor, tens of thousands of slave-bandits are heading straight for Jize. They will arrive today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiqian could no longer suppress the terror in his heart and collapsed heavily into his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Bianjiao, Regional Commander of Yutian, said urgently: \"Supervisor, with the main force of the slave-bandits approaching, we must firmly defend our encampment and tighten our defenses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiqian abruptly shot to his feet. As if mustering every ounce of strength in his body, he shrieked: \"Move out, move out, move out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Qiqian led the charge out of the city on horseback. Tens of thousands of the Guan-Ning Grand Army hastily struck camp and fled in panicked disarray.\u003C\u002Fp>",2660,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","7eabe850573cbb41e38b1e08c173064cc487f6ea810e194a382d95e30d12743e","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-276","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-274",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]