[{"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-298":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},1205587,1561,"Chapter 298: The Qin Army Arrives","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-298",298,"\u003Cp>Yang Sichang and Chen Xinjia’s weeping at the spirit tablet could truly be called earth-shattering. Wang Dou quietly watched the two of them mourn; he and Yang Guozhu and the others had long since shed all their tears, but now, stirred by the scene, he could not help but let them fall again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the officers and officials shed tears, and the soldiers of the Viceroy’s Personal Battalion wailed even louder. As the sound of weeping spread, there was not a man in the three armies whose eyes remained dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Sichang and Chen Xinjia were so overcome with grief they could not restrain themselves. Seeing they were on the verge of fainting from sorrow, Wang Dou and the others hurriedly consoled them. Finally, the two men departed Lu Xiangsheng’s mourning hall, turning back three times with every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After paying further respects to the fallen officers and men of the Xuan-Da army and offering incense to Han Zhong, Yang Tong, Xuanfu Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Yan, and the others, Yang Sichang brought out the imperial edict and read it aloud to the soldiers of the three armies. On the Emperor’s behalf, he greatly commended the Xuan-Da officers and men, bestowing fifty thousand taels of silver from the inner treasury, three hundred bolts of brocade and red silk, one hundred jars of celebratory wine, and five hundred pigs and sheep, with all ranks to be conferred offices and rewards after the campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You, my ministers, have achieved outstanding merit, and We are greatly pleased and comforted. We have already ordered the Ministries of Personnel and War to swiftly assess achievements and confer promotions and rewards. All officers must summon their courage to further exterminate the rebellious slaves; for those who render exceptional service, the court will not stint on rewards of marquisates. Thus, We eagerly await your triumphant return and the victory banquet. So decreed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the edict had been read, Wang Dou and the others kowtowed to express their gratitude and roared “Long live His Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the rewards were distributed, the Xuan-Da army prepared to march. The Xuan-Da Viceroy Chen Xinjia arrived, and the force under Wang Dou, Yang Guozhu, and the others returned to Chen Xinjia’s command, with orders to relocate to the southern Ji region. Moreover, they were to escort Lu Xiangsheng’s coffin into the capital, as well as escort the severed heads and transport the captured Qing prisoners into the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chongzhen Emperor had decreed that if the military achievements were verified, the Xuan-Da army would receive the honor of a triumphal parade through the capital, and the Emperor would personally receive the meritorious officers at the Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister of Rites Yang Sichang and his party had just arrived, saddle-sore and weary, so the army made preparations and was to set out the next morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two thousand soldiers of the Viceroy’s Personal Battalion that Chen Xinjia had brought encamped near the Xuan-Da army’s camp. Baoding Provincial Governor Zhang Qiping and the Yizhou military defense circuit enthusiastically invited Yang Sichang and his party into Yizhou city to rest. The two were quite tempted; compared to the austere military camp, Yizhou city was certainly far more comfortable. However, Yang Sichang ultimately decided to remain within the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the newly arrived Viceroy’s Personal Battalion soldiers had pitched their tents, Yang Sichang laid out a grand banquet in the central army tent, entertaining the officers of the Shanxi Garrison and Xuanfu Garrison, with the various officials and officers of Yizhou also in attendance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Wang Dou, Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, and the others were seated in Yang Sichang’s tent, they received word: “The Three-Border Viceroy Hong Chengchou and Shaanxi Provincial Governor Sun Chuanting, leading fifty thousand troops of the King’s Relief Army, are already not far from Yizhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd immediately erupted into a buzz of discussion, everyone’s spirits lifted. With another King’s Relief Army arriving, they were even more confident of driving the Qing troops back beyond the passes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the news of Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting’s arrival, Wang Dou deliberately glanced at Yang Sichang, seated at the head, and saw him exchange a look with Chen Xinjia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Sichang and Chen Xinjia, leading all the civil and military officials and officers, as well as Yang Guozhu, Wang Dou, Hu Dawei, and others of the Xuan-Da army, waited outside the command post to welcome them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, a vast army appeared from the southwest, a mix of infantry and cavalry advancing rapidly toward the Xuan-Da camp. At the front of their force flew large banners bearing the characters “Hong” and “Sun.” Surrounded by a cluster of guards in gleaming helmets and armor, they were soon not far from the camp gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou could now clearly make out two men on horseback dressed as civil officials. One wore a grand red python robe and a six-ridge cap; he appeared to be in his fifties, with a lean, refined face, his beard and attire both neat and orderly, his bearing exuding a restrained and genial Confucian grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The civil official beside him also wore a grand red official robe. He was not yet fifty, with a dignified appearance, a square face, and a thick three-part beard, his glances betraying an unconcealable, proud sharpness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou guessed that the elder man was the Three-Border Viceroy overseeing military affairs in five provinces including Henan, Minister of War, Right Censor-in-Chief, and Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, Hong Chengchou. The civil official beside him must be the Right Vice Minister of War, Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief, and Shaanxi Provincial Governor, Sun Chuanting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging solely by their appearance and manner, Wang Dou was certain that Hong Chengchou was the sort of man deeply seasoned by worldly experience, with an extremely profound mind. His gentle and refined appearance and bearing immediately inspired goodwill. Historically, even the notoriously jealous Yang Sichang had held Hong Chengchou in high regard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the eyes of the world, Hong Chengchou was a man of great talent and discernment, modest and courteous. Not long before, he and Sun Chuanting had defeated Li Zicheng, routing him until he fled into the Shangluo Mountains with only eighteen riders, which had greatly boosted his fame and drawn waves of praise. The world called him a rare talent, a pillar of the Great Ming state. No one imagined that later he would become one of history’s most infamous traitors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the Duke of Zhou feared the day slander would spread, when Wang Mang humbly sought worthy men: had they died at that very moment, who could tell the loyal from the treacherous through the ages?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly a maxim of profound truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Sun Chuanting beside him, this elder brother had a bold and unrestrained character, discoursing on the empire and fiercely critiquing through his writing. He had also once captured Gao Yingxiang alive, his reputation soaring and his fame once overshadowing Viceroy Hong Chengchou. A veteran of a hundred battles, he understood military strategy and his loyalty to the Great Ming was beyond question; he was a staunch royalist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, his sharpness was excessive, offending countless people, and he had particularly offended “Grand Secretary Yang,” Yang Sichang. Now, arriving with his troops in high spirits, what awaited him, Wang Dou feared, would be a series of tragedies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou heard Yang Sichang, standing before him, softly praise: “People say Old Hong the Nine is refined, modest, and of excellent bearing. Indeed, it is so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Xinjia murmured his agreement, then snorted: “Look at that Sun Baigu, so smug and self-satisfied. He merely routed some roving bandits, and didn’t even exterminate them. Their achievements are far inferior to the Grand Secretary’s, far inferior to the Xuan-Da army’s. Could they have taken eight thousand slave-rebel heads and slain the slave chieftain Yoto in battle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Sichang let out an almost imperceptible snort. Hearing this, Wang Dou sighed inwardly that hard days lay ahead for Sun Chuanting, and then looked at the Shaanxi soldiers behind the two men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say the Qin army endures bitter hardship, working harder than donkeys and eating less than chickens. Indeed, it was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On such a long-distance march, the King’s Relief Army troops arriving first with Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting were likely only their personal retinues; the rest of the soldiers would straggle in, probably arriving only after several days. Wang Dou guessed that the troops following behind Hong and Sun were probably just the local Regional Commanders’ main battalions or Sun Chuanting’s own Provincial Governor’s Personal Battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even looking at these personal troops, a large portion had no armor. Among those who did, very few wore iron armor; most wore cotton-padded or leather armor, and their gear was old and worn. Every man was travel-stained, their horses thin and weak. Having traveled a thousand li from Shaanxi to the capital region, these soldiers had clearly endured extreme hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their accent was distinctly different from that of the Xuan-Da or Guan-Ning armies. Looking at the Xuan-Da camp before them, they visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and a constant clamor of “donkey balls,” “your mother’s fur,” and “this old man” reached the ears of Wang Dou and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this clamor, Hong Chengchou’s brows twitched slightly, and he turned his head to cast a stern glance backward. Sun Chuanting even shouted a few curses, and immediately silence fell behind them. Clearly, the two men held immense authority within the Qin army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting arrived before Yang Sichang and the others. Wang Dou could now see their features even more clearly. Though past fifty, Hong Chengchou’s face was still fair and smooth, with few wrinkles. In terms of physical upkeep, he was on par with Yang Sichang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Chuanting’s face, however, was deeply lined, his beard streaked with black and white. The closer he drew, the more intense the sharpness in his eyes became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men swiftly dismounted and, leading a large group of civil and military officers arranged by rank with civil officials on the left and military on the right, stepped forward to pay their respects to Yang Sichang. Yang Sichang hurried forward a few steps, helped them up, and comforted them with gentle words, repeatedly praising their achievements in suppressing bandits and remarking on the hardship of their thousand-li ride to serve the King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou respectfully returned the courtesy and sighed: “It is only regrettable that the rebel Chuang slipped through the net and the various bandits could not all be captured in one sweep. This student remains deeply worried, fearing the bandits may yet start a prairie fire again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His official speech carried a trace of a Fujian accent. Sun Chuanting beside him said: “The traitor Gao Yingxiang is dead, and the bandits Scorpion Block, Great Heavenly King, and others are routed. Only the rebel Chuang remains in Shaanxi. It is lamentable that the eastern slaves invaded, forcing the Qin army to march to the King’s aid. Were it not for this, our three armies would have long since captured Li Chuang and the other bandits alive, relieving the court of this worry on the western front!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were brimming with pride. Yang Sichang’s brow furrowed slightly. Hong Chengchou glanced at Sun Chuanting and merely stroked his beard with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou then bowed again to Yang Sichang: “I never imagined the Grand Secretary would personally come to Yizhou to welcome us. This student and others are overwhelmed with trepidation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Sichang smiled faintly: “It is a coincidence. The Xuan-Da officers and men have won a great victory, taking over eight thousand slave-rebel heads, slaying the Plain Red Banner slave chieftain Yoto in battle, and capturing his son alive. For such earth-shaking, extraordinary merit, His Majesty ordered this ministry to come to Yizhou to convey his comfort. This ministry also only arrived today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of exclamations rose and fell. Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting looked at each other in shock. After entering Baoding Prefecture, the two had vaguely heard of the Xuan-Da army’s great victory, but had not dared to believe it. Now, hearing it from Yang Sichang himself, how could it be false?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Chuanting shook his head. Hong Chengchou bowed once more to Yang Sichang: “I never imagined the Xuan-Da government troops could achieve such extraordinary merit. I expect the eastern slaves must be terrified at the news. This incursion by the rebellious slaves should now be of no further concern. This student respectfully offers congratulations to His Majesty, and to the Great Ming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He probed: “May I ask which great minister at court directed the strategy, and which generals slew the enemy to win this great victory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Xinjia, his face brimming with smug satisfaction, said: “Old Nine, it was Grand Secretary Yang whose strategic calculations were divinely inspired, with this humble official also contributing his meager efforts. It was under the command of our Xuan-Da officers and men—Shanxi Garrison’s General Hu Dawei, Xuanfu Garrison’s General Yang Guozhu, and Mobile Corps Commander General Wang Dou—fighting bloody battles that such a great victory was achieved. The heads are now in the camp, and the corpses, banners, and insignia of the slain slave chieftain Yoto and others are also stored within the camp!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The various officials standing behind Yang and Chen all looked at each other, exchanging glances. Since when had the Xuan-Da army’s victory been the strategic planning of Yang Sichang and Chen Xinjia? But seeing the two men standing there with faint smiles, and Yang Guozhu, Wang Dou, and the others not stirring in the slightest, no trace of abnormality appeared on their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou was even more full of admiration, repeatedly congratulating Yang Sichang with boundless esteem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Sichang smiled and modestly demurred, then said to Yang Guozhu, Wang Dou, and Hu Dawei: “You three generals, quickly step forward and pay your respects to Viceroy Hong and Provincial Governor Sun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou helped the three men rise, repeating: “An unparalleled achievement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he helped Wang Dou up, he mused: “Is this the General Wang personally commended by His Majesty, whose valor crowns the three armies?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said: “I dare not claim such honor. It is indeed this humble officer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou scrutinized Wang Dou with great attention. Sun Chuanting also looked Wang Dou over repeatedly, though his attention remained focused on Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei. Wang Dou was merely a Mobile Corps Commander; though he had a reputation for bravery, in this great victory, they presumed he had simply been in the right place at the right time, reaping a great bargain by following behind the two Regional Commanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Wang Dou suddenly heard a rough, hearty voice from behind Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, and the others: “Donkey balls, cutting down eight thousand Tartar heads—such a true hero! This old man surnamed He must go up and make his acquaintance.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2489,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","6ba97e590590778928f62e8f12df4bb02dc0118976ef6f7ff48751a2b08e91f8","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-299","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-297",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]