[{"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-281":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},1205570,1561,"Chapter 281: Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander, Chapter 271: Reorganization","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-281",281,"\u003Cp>Volume Three: Shunxiang Fort Garrison Commander, Chapter 271: Reorganization\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao, ordered to march out this time, brought the Jia Unit First Company and Jia Unit Third Company of the veteran troops. His subordinate officers were Gao Shiyin and Wu Zhengchun. Central Army Squad Commander Huang Yujin stayed behind to guard. The new army left two squad commanders on garrison duty. In total, over a thousand men remained to guard Baoanzhou; all the rest were mobilized — a grand army of five thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, besides Gao Shiyin and Wu Zhengchun, those who came with Han Chao to welcome Wang Dou also included Jia Unit Disciplinary Officer Huang Shibian and Jia Unit Morale Officer Li Jinshan. Not having seen Han Chao for several months, Wang Dou noted his bearing was even more steady and composed, though a trace of grief was faintly visible on his face — clearly he had learned the news of his younger brother's death in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came forward to pay his respects to Wang Dou. Wang Dou helped him up and sighed, \"Brother Han, it is good that you have come. It is only a pity about Brother Han Zhong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao's eyes reddened. He said in a deep voice, \"The day I joined the army, I knew this day would come. Han Zhong died a worthy death. General, you need not grieve.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded silently, then bade Han Chao go see Wen Fangliang and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang embraced Han Chao. \"Old Han, it's good you're here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao solemnly saluted Wen Fangliang. \"Brother Wen, these past months you have followed the General on campaign far from home — you have toiled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang said, \"Following at the General's side is nothing, only a pity...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed, and patted Han Chao's shoulder consolingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai stepped forward to pay his respects to Han Chao. Han Chao dared not be negligent. In the past, Zhong Xiancai had been Han Zhong's trusted man; now Zhong Xiancai had taken over Han Zhong's post. The two were now equal in rank and met as equals. And when he saw Gao Xun, the former platoon officer had now become a squad commander — all of it made Han Chao sigh that the structure within the army was already vastly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Han Chao met with Li Guangheng. Remembering Han Zhong's death, both were silent and wordless. Gao Shiyin and Wu Zhengchun also came forward to meet the various officers. Remembering the deaths of Han Zhong and Yang Tong, even Gao Shiyin had little to say. Only Shen Shiqi was in high spirits. His gaze swept repeatedly over Wu Zhengchun's face, and he even took the initiative to step forward and salute Wu Zhengchun. Wu Zhengchun remained expressionless; the two met as equals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou also had Han Chao pay his respects to Xuanfu Garrison Regional Commander Yang Guozhu. Yang Guozhu had taken in all these Baoanzhou officers and soldiers who had come to rendezvous with his own eyes, and he exchanged glances continuously with his own Central Army personal general Guo Yingxian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although these two companies of troops were somewhat less fierce than the soldiers at Wang Dou's side, most of these two companies had experienced the Shunxiang Fort campaign of the ninth year of Chongzhen. They were also first-rate crack troops, their combat strength matching the warriors of his own Main Battalion. With these men joining, Wang Dou was like a tiger given wings; his strength now pressed directly against the forces under his own command — perhaps his overall combat power had long since surpassed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that Wang Dou still had four or five thousand new troops inside Liujing Fortress, and within his Baoanzhou there should still be quite a few troops left on garrison duty. Reckoned this way, the forces under Wang Dou's command already greatly exceeded those of him, a Regional Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou, a mere Mobile Corps Commander, possessed such strength. The depth of this man's concealment faintly made Yang Guozhu feel afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao was also deeply impressed by the caliber of these brothers who had gone out to battle. These men had endured months of brutal warfare; especially after the Battle of Julu, every soldier who had survived was a crack elite, one in a hundred — superb seeds for officers. Looking at them stirred envy and longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Han Chao's Jia Unit had been the most elite force under Wang Dou's command. Now, his unit's combat strength was likely inferior to the troops under Wen Fangliang and Zhong Xiancai. It would depend on how the Mobile Corps Commander adjusted the organization in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao's two companies of troops merged with Wang Dou's grand army. The troops in Gao Xun's company also assembled under Han Chao's command. The great army rolled forward, heading toward Liujing Fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liujing Fortress was located near what would later be the Matou Reservoir. Starting from Liujing Fortress, along both banks of the river, at places that would later be Dongpo, Huangyan, Shuai Shui, and elsewhere, dense camps had been built everywhere, along with even more warehouses, grain stores, and the like. Now, from the thick fortress walls and gates of Liujing Fortress all the way to several li ahead, both sides of the road were already packed with the new troops of Shunxiang Fort. Nearly five thousand of them crowded the roadside, cheering for Wang Dou and his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Wang Dou's side were the officers Chi Dacheng, Wen Daxing, and Li Guangheng, leading the Night Scouts and the battalion cavalry. Yang Guozhu's Central Army grand banner also flew high. They led the troops forward; behind them came rank after rank of helmeted and armored Shunxiang troops and Main Battalion warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the banners passed through the crowd, the cheers grew louder and louder, until at last they seemed to shake heaven and earth. Every soldier who had gone out to campaign thrust his chest out high, basking in the new troops' cheers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new troops lining both sides of the road erupted in wave after wave of cheers for Wang Dou, their gazes filled with undisguised adoration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was their backbone, the guarantee that their families would live better lives in Baoanzhou. During the months of military training, the instructors had instilled in them the conviction of loyalty to Wang Dou. Every time news of Wang Dou's victories arrived, it stirred jubilation throughout Baoanzhou. When word came that Wang Dou and the Xuan-Da army's whereabouts were unknown, all of Baoanzhou was equally distraught. Their interests were already tightly bound to Wang Dou's — they shared glory and disgrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Guozhu spurred his horse alongside Wang Dou, likewise observing this batch of new troops. They wore mandarin-duck battle jackets and red-tasseled military caps. Each man was draped in a vivid red cotton-lined, fleece-turned greatcloak. They carried either firelocks or long spears, every one of them brimming with spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Yang Guozhu's eyes, these soldiers were all qualified recruits. No doubt after the Battle of Zhuozhou, a great number of crack warriors would be born from among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the strength Wang Dou possessed, Yang Guozhu could only sigh deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer wished to inquire how Wang Dou, originally the Mobile Corps Commander of Baoanzhou, had managed to establish such a stronghold within Baoding Prefecture. It had already become fact. How to interact with Wang Dou within Xuanfu Garrison from now on was a question Yang Guozhu had to consider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou rode on horseback, advancing continuously. Watching the simple, adoring gazes of the cheering new troops along the way, deep inside he too felt a burning heat. A powerful sense of confidence and pride surged in his heart. These new troops were also his painstaking effort, a vital guarantee for realizing his own ideals and goals. He had done it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, Yang Guozhu's and Wang Dou's armies made camp at Liujing Fortress to rest and regroup, quietly awaiting the arrival of Hu Dawei's follow-up grand army. From Liujing Fortress into the mountain region, all the way to Dongtaizi and other places, every kind of barracks and warehouse had been built. It was enough to settle an army of over ten thousand, letting them rest at ease in warm houses and escape the severe cold for several days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All around Liujing Fortress, large quantities of grain and fodder were also stockpiled, enough to guarantee this army freedom from worry about food and clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, after Wang Dou held a welcoming feast for Yang Guozhu, he summoned all his high-ranking officers for a council.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the house, the sky was cold and the ground frozen; the deadly north wind blew without cease. But inside the hall, it was as warm as spring. Several glowing-red stoves burned, the charcoal crackling and popping continuously. The hall was packed — every officer in Wang Dou's army from squad commander and above had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Company Commander Han Chao, with his three squad commanders: Gao Shiyin, Wu Zhengchun, and Gao Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Company Commander Wen Fangliang, with his three squad commanders: Sun Sanjie, Zheng Zonghui, and Fan Shanqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Company Commander Zhong Xiancai, with his three squad commanders: Tian Zhijue, Shen Shiqi, and Yin Yijin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Central Army battalion officers Xie Yike and Zhong Diaoyang were wounded and had remained in Zhending Prefecture to recuperate. Zhao Jian was coming with Hu Dawei, escorting the cannons and baggage. Only Chi Dacheng, Wen Daxing, Li Guangheng, and a few others remained. Among those who had gone out to battle, some familiar faces were gone, replaced by newcomers — like Gao Xun, Shen Shiqi, Yin Yijin, and others. They had taken over their predecessors' posts. Perhaps in their hearts, heroic passion and excitement outweighed grief? The army was like this: the old kept departing, the new kept rising — coming and going, coming and going. The affairs of the world were hard to predict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Han Chao was speaking: \"General, when you campaigned through Tongzhou, Dingzhou, and the other places, every time news of victory arrived, the whole prefecture was stirred. Especially when the General was commended by Imperial decree, praised as the bravest of the three armies — the entire prefecture boiled with excitement. All in the prefecture shared the honor. Only after the Battle of Julu, when there was no word from the General, soldiers and civilians alike were all frantic with worry. In particular, the Old Madam and the Young Madam at the General's residence, and also... Madam Ji, prayed to the gods and chanted Buddha's name day and night, hoping only that the General was safe and sound.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao continued, \"Fortunately, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month last year, word came back by Night Scout that the General was safe and unharmed. Only then did the Old Madam and the others set their hearts at ease. However, knowing the gravity of military intelligence, I have not yet disclosed the General's situation to the outside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month, I received the General's urgent order to dispatch troops and immediately led the Shunxiang Army here. The several hundred li of mountain road from Baoanzhou to Liujing Fortress — even without carrying grain, fodder, or baggage, it still took several thousand troops until yesterday to arrive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing of the concern his mother Madam Zhong, his wife Xie Xiuniang, Ji Junjiao, and the others held for him, Wang Dou's heart surged with emotion. But outwardly he suppressed these feelings. He nodded and said, \"Brother Han did right. The matter of our grand army reaching Yizhou is not yet time to disclose to the outside. Everything can wait until after we take Zhuozhou.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, \"Although we achieved many kills in this campaign, our grand army also lost fifteen hundred brothers. It is fortunate that the Shunxiang new troops have been drilled and trained. The Shanxi Garrison Regional Commander, Military Governor Hu, and Battalion Officer Brother Zhao will still need several more days to arrive. Let us use these few days to complete the army's reorganization.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, the officers present discussed the matter of reorganization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liujing Fortress had left behind three platoons of troops on garrison: one platoon of veterans, two platoons of new troops. Including the Liujing Fortress garrison, Han Chao had brought two companies of veteran troops totaling six hundred and forty-eight men, and over forty-five hundred new troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During training, these new troops had only been temporarily assigned some able-bodied men as squad leaders, without confirmed military ranks. Therefore, although Shunxiang Fort had organized and trained sixteen companies of new troops, totaling over fifty-two hundred men, and fourteen companies of new troops had reached Liujing Fortress, all fourteen companies of new troops would be completely broken up and distributed into the various veteran units to accelerate their development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou currently had over seventeen hundred campaign veterans at his side, divided between two company commanders, plus the various battalion officers. Wang Dou decided to expand the organization of each company. Previously, the Shunxiang Army had three platoons per unit; Wang Dou decided to expand it to four platoons per unit, with four squad commanders under each company commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, Wang Dou also intended to adjust the troop strength of his army's organization further — for instance, changing one company from four platoons to five, separately establishing a saber-and-shield platoon. There would also be minor adjustments to troop strength, standard-bearers, and guards at the platoon and company levels. Due to the urgency of time, these would have to wait until after the campaign, when they returned to Baoanzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, Wang Dou would promote three to company commander: Wen Daxing, Zhong Diaoyang, and Li Guangheng, along with one junior squad commander, Xie Yike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the five hundred wounded left within Zanhuang's borders, once they recovered from their injuries and returned, these brave warriors who had survived the calamity would all be transferred into the battalion and placed under Wang Dou's direct command. The hundred-odd men wounded in the Battle of Tongzhou would be treated the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old White Ox:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorry for not updating last night. I was out drinking too late. The first month of the year is full of engagements; plans always can't keep up with changes. From the second to the eighth day of the new year, I have twelve drinking parties. Some days I have to rush to several. Free time is too scarce. I'll try to update as much as I can going forward. As some readers have said, I won't make any more promises, to avoid complaints when something comes up and I miss a scheduled update.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>。\u003C\u002Fp>",2448,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","b8701a014a8b7780f25b71e6d8012634e7f827d4d56987604411f7a976e69a86","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-282","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-280",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]