[{"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-441":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},1205730,1561,"Chapter 441: The Debate","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-441",441,"\u003Cp>Soon, word arrived from the Loyal and Brave Count, who stated: “If the eastern slaves truly possess Divine Might Grand General cannons, then my own cannon battalions are no match for them — the most numerous cannons in our camp can only fire five-catty shot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou’s words pushed the mood in the capital to a fever pitch: even the Loyal and Brave Count’s cannons were inferior to the bandit slaves’ — Jinzhou was in peril! The Great Ming was in peril!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the court and the public in uproar, the Chongzhen Emperor and the Grand Secretariat could no longer sit still. The Emperor summoned his ministers for days of deliberation. After Xu Guangqi’s death a few years earlier, the casting of red-barbarian cannons in the north had ground to a halt. The court resolved that, aside from continuing to commission officials to cast cannons, the topic of purchasing Western-style firearms should once again be placed on the agenda. An imperial commissioner was to be dispatched with a Ministry of War warrant to proceed to Macao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, the southeastern provinces possessed many red-barbarian cannons. The Emperor ordered the various provincial governors to ship them north immediately, but the mountains were high and the roads treacherous — distant water could not quench a nearby fire, and the battle for Jinzhou was imminent. The court therefore resolved to dispatch a contingent of the Divine Mechanism Battalion to the front. That battalion employed large numbers of matchlocks, crank-operated matchlocks, thunderbolt matchlocks, five-thunder divine mechanism guns, nine-headed bird guns, and other weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They also gathered thirty Divine Might Grand General cannons from various regions to accompany the army, along with a great many rocket carts. These included “divine-fire flying crows,” “sky-soaring bandit-smiting heaven-shaking thunder” and other winged rockets, as well as countless cluster rockets such as “a hundred tigers charging in unison,” “a nest of bees,” and “flying sickle arrows.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Mechanism Battalion was placed under the supervision of Wang Chengen as Army Supervisor, who was further appointed Army Supervisor for the entire Jinzhou front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, Gao Qiqian understood military affairs, was the nominal adoptive father of Wu Sangui and others, and was thoroughly versed in Liaodong matters — he would have been the best choice for Army Supervisor. However, after the Battle of Julu, no one knew where he had fled. Everyone simply assumed he had died in that battle, and a series of posthumous honors and rewards were conferred upon him, following those for Lu Xiangsheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside the uproar in the capital, let us turn to Wang Dou. Upon receiving the intelligence from Liaodong, he immediately summoned his commanders for a council of war, held in the operations section council hall of the General’s residence staff department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff department was headed by Wen Fangliang as Chief of Staff, with Han Chao, Zhong Xiancai, Zhong Diaoyang, Gao Shiyin, Sun Sanjie, Wen Daxing, Li Guangheng, Zhao Xuan, and others serving as deputy chiefs. The operations section was further divided into several desks, each dedicated to studying strategies against the eastern slaves, the northern barbarians, the roving bandits, the mountain brigands, and other foes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, everyone was gathered in the eastern-slaves operations hall — a vast chamber bustling with staff officers and advisors coming and going. In the hall were laid out sand-table terrain maps of the Manchu encampments and other strongholds beyond the passes near the Eastern Circuit, as well as simplified terrain maps of the more distant Tumed, Kharchin, and Chahar regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also sand-table terrain maps of Liaodong, and on several walls hung enormous maps of various regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Present at this council, besides the staff department chief and deputy chiefs, were Chi Dacheng, Yang Guodong, Xie Yike, Wu Zhengchun, Shen Shiqi, Gao Xun, Lei Xianbin, Huang Yujin, Yin Yijin, and others, along with several senior advisors such as Qin Yi. Also present was Wen Fangliang’s uncle, the advisor Wen Shiyan, who, thanks to his active and frequent contributions of plans and counsel in recent years, had earned a place at this meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wen Daxing finished reading aloud the Liaodong intelligence report, the council hall instantly erupted like a boiling cauldron. Everyone argued without pause, and their reactions fell broadly into several categories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were Wen Fangliang, Han Chao, Wu Zhengchun, and others of the “cautious, prudent, and circumspect” faction; Gao Shiyin, Shen Shiqi, and others of the “aggressive and dismissive” faction; Zhong Xiancai, Zhong Diaoyang, Gao Xun, Sun Sanjie, and others of the “balancing” faction; and Li Guangheng, Zhao Xuan, and others of the “indifferent” faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as when Wang Dou hosted a grand banquet, at such councils of military secrecy no one needed to stand on ceremony regarding rank or status — all could speak their minds freely — and so the debate was exceedingly fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin shouted loudly: “Gentlemen, take note! Although it is said the Tartars now possess quite a few cannons and matchlocks, our advantages are abundantly clear. Our troops are superbly trained, our powder is powerful, our gunners and marksmen have all been forged through the expenditure of vast amounts of ammunition, and they are extremely rich in practical experience. I ask you, do the Tartars enjoy such advantages?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi said: “Exactly. Can the Tartars possibly compare to the training and will of our Jingbian Army? Back when the arch-traitor Kong Youde used firearms against our forces, the result was a catastrophic rout! It is precisely because the Liaodong Tartars have suffered so many setbacks at our hands that they now ape us clumsily, cobbling together cannons and matchlocks of their own. But they are the ugly imitator, and we are the original beauty — we are not on the same level at all.” …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men in the hall snickered. The fleshy folds on Gao Shiyin’s face twitched a few times, but since Shen Shiqi stood on the same side as him, he could hardly take offense. He cursed under his breath, then continued loudly: “Just now someone said that our cannon battalions can only fire five-catty shot at most, while the Tartars have Divine Might Grand General cannons that fire shot of ten catties or more, giving them an advantage in range and power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But note this: when our cannon battalions fire five-catty shot, the range still exceeds two li — not much inferior to their ten-catty shot! Furthermore, according to the intelligence, each of their cannons requires twelve oxen to drag it — heavy and slow, and repositioning a single cannon takes an eternity. We can maneuver rapidly, close in, and hammer them hard. When the ranges are comparable, can their cannons possibly outshoot ours?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly turned to Zhao Xuan and said: “Little Xuan, what do you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan started, then said reflexively: “Of course — the Jingbian Army’s cannon battalions are the finest in the Great Ming. Ahem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi added: “Indeed. War is won by skill and will. Do the Tartar gunners have as much powder to train with as we do? Do they have as much practical experience? Is their coordination between infantry and artillery as seamless as ours? When they push their cannons forward, they won’t even know where their own men have run off to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin spoke again: “Others go on and on about how ferocious the Tartars are, but we of the Jingbian Army know full well that they are, in fact, very afraid of death. In this respect, our Jingbian troops far surpass them — our men’s fighting spirit is on an entirely different plane. To say nothing else: when our officers fall in battle, the ranks below automatically take over, and the chain of command remains unbroken. Can the Tartars do that? Even if they now have cannons and matchlocks, they are still savages. We are men of the Central Kingdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi said: “Exactly. Even with matchlocks and cannons, they remain savages. We grow stronger with every battle. At Julu, our army suffered over fifty percent casualties, yet recovered swiftly. Can the Tartars do that? If they could, they wouldn’t need to organize the Eight Banners’ Han armies. Those Han traitor troops are nothing but dogs. Don’t be fooled by how much the Tartars value them now — beware the tail wagging the dog. When those Han traitor troops turn into wolves, they’ll bite their masters in return. Then we’ll have a fine show to watch…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Gao Shiyin expound with such eloquence, Wang Dou could not help but nod. Gao Shiyin had truly matured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Gao Shiyin finished, the hall fell silent. Seeing that he had silenced the room, Gao Shiyin could not help looking immensely pleased with himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang cleared his throat and said: “Old Gao is right. He has correctly identified our army’s strengths and the enemy’s weaknesses. But note this: the bandit slaves’ cannons and matchlocks have indeed been trained to a functional level. According to intelligence, their total number of cannons very likely exceeds ours. They also have more heavy cannons. I believe our gunners and marksmen hold the advantage, but the mere fact that their guns and cannons are present on the field means they can still inflict heavy casualties on us. We must prepare for a rainy day — this point cannot be ignored.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao’s expression was equally grave: “When two armies meet in battle, they cannot avoid forming ranks. In dense formations, our cannons can bombard their formations — and they can do the same to us. Cannonballs plunging into the ranks…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, everyone fell somewhat silent. Even Gao Shiyin said nothing. Many of those present had fought at the Battle of Julu, where the Qing troops had used twelve-pounder and twenty-four-pounder red-barbarian heavy cannons, inflicting severe casualties on the Shunxiang Army of the time — and that was while on the defensive. If enemy artillery struck while they were forming ranks…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, the Jingbian Army, whether fighting Qing troops or roving bandits, had repeatedly used cannon fire to bombard their formations, often shattering them completely. The enemy could now do the same. And flesh and blood was so fragile before metal — a battle-hardened soldier might survive a musket ball, but if struck by a cannonball, there was absolutely no chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou also sighed pensively. Smoothbore cannonballs might have poor accuracy, but against dense formations of ten thousand men or more, they were devastatingly lethal — a single ball ploughing through meant a trail of blood. Historically, Napoleon’s twelve-pounders had achieved the feat of a single solid shot rolling through twenty ranks of musketeers. And such dense formations could not dodge or give way — if the battle line shifted, the inevitable result was chaos and collapse. …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin very much wanted to say that men died in every war, and it all came down to who could endure to the end — but those words were awkward to voice aloud, as they implied a lack of regard for the soldiers’ lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang said: “That is the toll from cannon fire. And then there are the matchlocks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued: “When both sides form ranks and engage — you shoot at me, I shoot at you — the Tartars’ matchlocks are equally well-crafted. Their musket balls, striking our men, will cause casualties just the same. This is a factor we must consider.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai sighed and said: “Now that the bandit slaves have cannons and matchlocks, our army’s advantage has diminished considerably. Is there any method to guard against musket balls and reduce our soldiers’ casualties?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this point, opinions were many. Someone suggested: “The front rank of marksmen could use shields.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after discussion, the consensus was that this would not work. A well-made matchlock could shoot through a shield without difficulty; the shield would shatter, causing even greater harm to both the shield-bearer and the marksman. Moreover, using shields in combat would create confusion among the marksmen and impair each soldier’s performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan called out: “We could use the wagon camps! Our war wagons have been sitting in storage all this time — we could bring them out and use them. The hardwood mantlets on the wagons are fully capable of stopping enemy musket balls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a fervent advocate of wagon warfare. The wagon camps had gone unused for years, left sitting in storage, and this had always rankled Zhao Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After discussion, however, a cacophony of voices rose to refute him. Using wagon camps would likewise cause disorder, and if the enemy, learning from the Jingbian Army, brought their cannons up close, the wagon camps would be just as useless. Perhaps wagon camps were only viable in siege assaults or defensive engagements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi suddenly said: “When the enemy opens fire, our marksmen could simply lie flat — that way they could evade the musket balls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were immediately met with a barrage of objections: “Lie flat how? The front rank lies flat or the rear rank lies flat? If the front rank lies flat, what happens when the balls strike the rear? Or does the entire formation lie flat? What kind of spectacle would that be — could you still call it a battle line? Do that a few times and the whole formation will disintegrate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi rubbed his head sheepishly and said no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhengchun, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly spoke: “The intelligence says the bandit slaves’ matchlock men also use pre-measured paper cartridges?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone looked toward Wen Daxing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Daxing sighed: “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike ********, pre-measured paper-tube cartridges involved no great technical complexity. Back in Qi Jiguang’s day, his army had already used corned powder and categorized pre-measured cartridges. In recent years, as Wang Dou led the Jingbian Army to prominence, many observant and interested parties had taken note. Men like Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, and Cao Bianjiao had all adopted pre-measured paper-tube cartridges in their own forces. Qing spies were everywhere in the Great Ming — it was impossible that they had failed to notice this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Jingbian Army’s advantage in gunpowder lay first in manufacturing. The Eastern Circuit employed the nitrate-collection method, making gunpowder extraordinarily abundant. All other forces, friend or foe alike, lagged far behind in saltpeter production. As for sulfur and the like, mineral deposits were plentiful everywhere — the Eastern Circuit itself had many — so no side had much cause for concern there. Charcoal, needless to say, was even less of an issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then there was ******** — yet another major advantage of the Eastern Circuit. The gunpowder produced by other parties could not remotely compare to the Jingbian Army’s in stability or power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi muttered under his breath: “Damn it, these ugly imitators are multiplying — have they no shame!” (To be continued…)\u003C\u002Fp>",2472,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","25faa2ef39f83dcf85eaf8403ee6d84959ddc0b8feb364fe08a6804b92146dac","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-442","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-440",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]