[{"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-381":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},1205670,1561,"Chapter 381: Li Zicheng, the Thousand-Year Imperial Capital (Part 2)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-381",381,"\u003Cp>After the ambush and the failed assault on Ruzhou that day, Liu Fangliang and the others escaped with only a little over a thousand men — of thirty or forty thousand troops, only this handful remained. Setting aside the starving conscripts and foot soldiers, the cavalry alone lost over a thousand men, and the old camp, in the chaos, suffered two to three hundred casualties. This truly tore at Li Zicheng’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These old camp veterans had been slowly gathered from various places over the past few months, mostly fierce warriors who had campaigned for years, many rising from the Old Eight Corps — each one lost was irreplaceable. With so many dead and wounded all at once, Li Zicheng flew into a rage and wanted to execute Liu Fangliang, Li Guo, and Hao Yaoqi on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the other commanders pleaded for mercy, and because Li Zicheng in truth had no heart to punish them severely — after all, Li Guo was his own nephew, Liu Fangliang was his trusted right-hand general, and Hao Yaoqi was also exceptionally fierce. A thousand troops are easily raised, but a single general is hard to find, especially when the forces under his command were expanding at breakneck speed and officers capable of leading troops were in even shorter supply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng therefore took the opportunity to spare the three men from death and ordered them to redeem themselves through service while bearing their guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, after Liu Fangliang and the other two returned to the old camp, Li Zicheng had questioned them in detail about the circumstances at the time. However, because the various Chuang army commanders were dispersed across Mount Funiu, Mount Xiong’er, as well as Yiyang, Xin’an, and other places, they had no knowledge of the elite new government troops under Wang Dou. Taking advantage of this gathering to discuss matters, Li Zicheng had Liu Fangliang explain everything in detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among Liu Fangliang, Li Guo, and Hao Yaoqi, Li Guo and Hao Yaoqi hung their heads dejectedly, feeling too ashamed to face anyone after such a crushing defeat. Only Liu Fangliang maintained a calm expression. His mindset was more stable, and he could objectively assess the battle at the time, so Li Zicheng specifically called on Liu Fangliang to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fangliang rose, saluted Li Zicheng, then clasped his fists toward the other commanders and said, “Chuang King, brothers all, I, Liu Fangliang, am deeply ashamed. That day when I led the troops to attack Ruzhou, the Chuang King and all my brothers placed high hopes on us, wishing we could take Ruzhou City and swell our righteous army’s momentum, but I let the Chuang King down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng said, “Mingyuan, now is not the time to blame yourself. How did that Wang Dou fight, and what were his troops like? Explain it clearly to all the brothers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chuang army commanders below also chimed in, “Yes, Brother Fangliang, what’s past is past, don’t take it to heart. We old brothers have followed the Chuang King through life and death — victory and defeat are practically routine. How could we blame you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rough, booming voice like a thunderclap rang out: “Enough, Liu lad. The Chuang King and all the brothers don’t blame you, so stop hemming and hawing like a woman. Tell us properly how that Ming general Wang Dou fights. A rare opponent — my hands are itching for a fight, Liu Zongmin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker sat at the head of the military officers’ seats, nearing forty, with an immensely brawny build, angular features, and a face full of weather-beaten resolve. His appearance was rough and fierce, with a short beard bristling like steel needles and halberd spikes. He wore an iron helmet and heavy iron armor, two long swords at his waist, and a bloodstained cloak draped over the outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice rumbled like muffled thunder, his eyes blazed with authority as he looked around — it was none other than Li Zicheng’s trusted right-hand general, Liu Zongmin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he spoke, Liu Fangliang felt greatly reassured. He knew that Liu Zongmin held the highest status in the Chuang army, and even the Chuang King gave his words great face. If he said the brothers did not blame him, then they truly did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed respectfully: “Many thanks, Master Liu.” Liu Zongmin waved his hand dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng laughed, “Jiexuan is truly heroic — the moment he hears there’s an opponent, he can’t wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd laughed even louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fangliang saluted Li Zicheng once more and got to the point: “To put it in perspective, among government troops, Wang Dou’s force counts as large for an Assistant Regional Commander — a full seven thousand men. It seems that Ming generals leading battalion troops are Assistant Regional Commanders, while Vice Regional Commanders have only two or three thousand troops, some even just over a thousand. The government troops are corrupt, pocketing empty pay slots and bleeding the soldiers dry — many commanders’ troop numbers fall far short.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, “Vice Regional Commander Chen Yongfu, the defender of Kaifeng City, came with Wang Dou. His military rank is one grade higher than Wang Dou’s, yet the troops in his camp number less than three thousand. This Wang Dou is truly an oddity — maintaining so many troops, and no one knows where his funds and provisions come from.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not only does he have many troops, but they are also exceptionally well-equipped. Half of his army is cavalry, every man armored, and every horse plump and strong. What’s rare is that even his foot soldiers all have armor. His pikemen are entirely clad in iron armor. Chen Yongfu’s vanguard battalion is considered elite in Henan, but even his retainers don’t all have iron armor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the Chuang camp commanders all showed stirred expressions, and a murmur of whispered conversation spread. Among the crowd, Li Yan listened very intently, as if pondering something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fangliang continued, “The impression I got is that Wang Dou’s army has formidable scout riders and fights very steadily. It seems his entire camp consists of elite soldiers, with no distinction between retainers and common troops like other Ming generals have. I’ve fought Chen Yongfu before — his retainers and ordinary soldiers can be told apart at a glance, but with Wang Dou’s army, you can’t tell the difference. If all seven thousand of them were his retainers, that would be too terrifying to imagine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Yaoqi interjected, “Indeed. In terms of fighting skill, they’re nothing special — it’s just that their soldiers are good and their equipment is superb. If I, Old Hao, had such fine soldiers, I’d fight even better than them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he said this, he grinned and shook his head, looking very regretful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng also fell into thought. He said, “Mingyuan, tell all the brothers in detail the entire process of the battle against Wang Dou’s army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fangliang said, “Yes, Chuang King.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, “Brothers, as I just said, their scout riders are formidable. Brother Li Guo, Brother Dayong, and I knew they were coming to relieve Ruzhou long before the government troops reached Jiaxian, and we set an ambush early. Somehow, Wang Dou’s army found out. Thinking back, it must have been their scouts who detected it. It was very unexpected. Against other government troops, our righteous army’s ambushes succeed eight or nine times out of ten.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chuang general Gao Yigong suddenly interjected, “That’s right, their scout riders are formidable. After Brother Fangliang returned to camp, our righteous army tried to set ambushes around Daxing Fort and Longmen Pass, and every time the government troops discovered us. If it happens once, it’s chance; if it happens again and again, it proves Wang Dou’s scout riders are truly formidable. Ambushing them is nearly impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Gao Yigong was not yet thirty, but he was the younger brother of Li Zicheng’s wife, Gao Guiying. His original name was Gao Guoxun, courtesy name Yigong, but because he fought ferociously and often earned merit, the Chuang army simply called him Gao Yigong — few people even used his original name anymore, much like Hao Yaoqi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the brother-in-law, and because he handled affairs steadily, Gao Yigong was appointed the army’s superintendent general. Normally a man of few words, his speaking up now further confirmed that Liu Fangliang’s account was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Jianxiu beside him said softly, “It seems ambushes are useless against this government force.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fangliang said, “Master Tian is right — ambushes are indeed useless against Wang Dou’s army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Jianxiu was likewise one of Li Zicheng’s trusted right-hand generals, serving as the commander of the old camp, and held a pivotal position in the Chuang army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fangliang continued, “On the sixteenth of last month, after Brother Li Guo, Brother Dayong, and I failed in our ambush at Ruzhou, not yet understanding this government force’s combat strength, we led over thirteen thousand righteous troops to surround their vanguard and hit them hard.” A look of emotion and fear appeared in his eyes: “They were only a thousand men, holding a sharp hillock, with a river on one side, so they defended three sides, roughly two hundred men per side, half pikemen and half arquebusiers. After discussing with Brother Li Guo and Brother Dayong, we surrounded three sides and left one open, attacking only two sides while leaving one free.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our righteous army attacked twice. The first time we sent a thousand men per side; the second time, two thousand per side. The fighting was brutal. Their arquebuses are extremely formidable — lethal at a hundred paces, able to fight in windy weather, never bursting their barrels, and rarely misfiring. Our bows are simply no match for their arquebuses, let alone three-eyed guns. Their arquebusiers are also fully armored — cotton armor, I think, likely lined with iron plates inside. Arrows and three-eyed guns can’t penetrate it. Even if we had arquebuses, firing at a hundred paces probably wouldn’t do much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The brothers fought bitterly and shed much blood. Their arquebusiers are highly trained, firing in continuous volleys without pause. Though there were only a hundred arquebusiers per side, our righteous army simply could not break through. They also use some kind of arquebus we don’t recognize that can kill a man at a hundred and fifty paces, and it shoots very accurately.” Liu Fangliang shook his head: “After our righteous army pulled back the first time, we attacked again, and they brought out their pikemen. We had thought only their firearms were fearsome, but we never imagined their pikemen were even more formidable. Our righteous army of over ten thousand was routed by fewer than a thousand of them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zongmin unconsciously slapped his palms hard against his thighs and squeezed out a sentence through his teeth: “Damned tough nuts — a hard bunch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow passed through everyone’s hearts. Liu Fangliang was one of the Chuang camp’s top generals — fierce in battle, resourceful and shrewd — yet he had suffered a crushing defeat under Wang Dou’s assault. Moreover, recent days had shown that this government force was impervious to bribes or persuasion and extremely troublesome to deal with, completely unlike the government troops elsewhere in Henan who fled at the mere rumor of the Chuang army’s approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng said in a deep voice, “Mingyuan, continue. Tell us how you fought that government force beneath the walls of Ruzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fangliang responded, “Yes, Chuang King.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, “After Brother Li Guo, Dayong, and I fell back to the foot of Ruzhou’s walls, Wang Dou’s main force and Chen Yongfu’s vanguard battalion also arrived below the city. For the first few days, our righteous army fought Chen Yongfu’s vanguard battalion while Wang Dou’s army merely stood by and watched. To be honest, Chen Yongfu’s vanguard battalion can fight very well, but our righteous army could still hold our own against them, even if our casualties might have been somewhat higher. But a few days later, when Wang Dou’s army joined the battle…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of deep terror emerged in his eyes: “We had thought only their arquebuses and pikemen were fearsome, but we never imagined they would use a kind of cannon — it must be able to reach two li. Our righteous army’s great formation of tens of thousands was blasted into rout by their cannon fire while we still lived. The soldiers scattered and fled everywhere, and their several thousand cavalry gave chase. Their horses were outstanding — even many brothers from our cavalry could not escape their riders’ pursuit. In the end, when we returned to Yiyang and Yongning, of tens of thousands, only these thousand-odd brothers remained.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he finished, he broke down in sobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him weep aloud, everyone in the hall felt heavy at heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Yaoqi muttered, “These government troops are too shameless — using cannon fire, what kind of heroes are they? If they had the guts to fight blade-to-blade and spear-to-spear face to face, I, Old Hao, certainly wouldn’t fear them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng had Liu Fangliang sit down and said thoughtfully, “What kind of cannon do they use, that can shoot so far?”\u003C\u002Fp>",2207,"2026-06-03T14:05:36.780Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","9879354176dfe3353029711a73f502e89621cf00b3c106d6eb594ae6aa35cb18","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-382","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-380",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]