[{"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-445":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},1205734,1561,"Chapter 445: Procurement","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-445",445,"\u003Cp>Han Chao shook his head, steadied his arquebus, and assumed a thrusting stance. A veteran of many battles, he understood at once how this bayonet should be used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He called out, \"Be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the slightest mercy, he charged straight at Gao Shiyin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin let out a great roar, parried fiercely with the shield in his hand, and with a loud clang, the bayonet of Han Chao's arquebus stabbed into Gao Shiyin's shield. Wang Dou worried a little that the bayonet might break; fortunately, it was forged from some high-quality steel and its quality seemed quite good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao thrust fiercely and repeatedly, while Gao Shiyin kept blocking with his shield. Wang Dou frowned slightly — after stabbing the shield a few times, Han Chao's bayonet seemed to have bent a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly Gao Shiyin let out a great roar, and the bronze hammer in his right hand smashed viciously onto Han Chao's arquebus. With a crack, the bayonet broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone shook their heads and sighed. This bayonet was made of steel and finely crafted, yet in close combat it held no advantage whatsoever. No wonder, apart from heavy swords, the figure of the sword had vanished from the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having defeated Han Chao, Gao Shiyin strutted over, immensely pleased with himself, and said loudly, \"Grand General, this bayonet seems rather useless. And this isn't even on the battlefield, without armor. If one were wearing heavy armor and using a great club or a wolf-tooth mace, tsk tsk...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The various officers all discussed it animatedly, also feeling that the bayonet seemed of little use. In close-quarters combat, the army already had pikemen — those were the professional troops. Using arquebusiers as pikemen too felt neither fish nor fowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded. Against heavy weapons, the bayonet indeed held no advantage, and if the opponent wore armor, it was also of little use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the West adopted the bayonet, both sides had generally already shed their armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai said softly, \"Grand General, is this bayonet not easy to manufacture?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, \"The Logistics Department says it is quite difficult.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manufacturing bayonets required extremely high steel quality; if the craftsmanship fell short of standard, they would bend or break easily. Moreover, bayonets demanded just as high a degree of standardization and precision — making a universal bayonet was even harder than making a single gun barrel. If the socket was made too large, it would fit loosely over the muzzle; if made too small, it would not fit at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the East Route Arsenal, a place with such strict standardization requirements, could produce uniform bayonets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan suddenly said, \"This bayonet is not necessarily useless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, \"Old Gao, just now if Old Han had had powder and shot in his arquebus and fired a round at you, what would have happened?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin froze, then shuddered with horror and shouted, \"Then I'd be finished!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single stone stirred a thousand waves; everyone suddenly felt that this bayonet might not be useless after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai said in a soft, measured tone, \"I think the army's arquebusiers could actually use bayonets. Sometimes the enemy charges too fast, and the soldiers have no time to draw their swords or fall back — that is when the bayonet becomes useful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone nodded. Sometimes when the enemy rushed swiftly before them, for an arquebusier to drop his gun and draw his sword still required an extra motion. If the gun had a blade attached, he could thrust once, buying time for the pikemen to come to the rescue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai added, \"Now the self-igniting arquebuses from the arsenal have a misfire rate only slightly higher than matchlocks. I believe the time has come to use them. If soldiers use self-igniting arquebuses, without the match cord things are much simpler. Add a bayonet, and their combat power will increase considerably.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd murmured among themselves, discussing what Zhong Xiancai had said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main problem with the original flintlock was, first, ignition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sparks struck from the flint did not necessarily ignite the priming powder and then the main charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second was delay. The sparks struck from the flint igniting the priming powder, which then ignited the main charge — this process inevitably took time. So after pulling the trigger, there was a delay before the shot fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And most annoyingly, the ignition delay of a flintlock was not fixed; sometimes it was very short, almost imperceptible. Other times it was very long, so long you thought the shot had misfired — and then it suddenly went off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relatively speaking, the latter problem was manageable; the former problem was quite serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, after years of research and continuous improvement based on battlefield experience, the army's current flintlocks had far fewer firing malfunctions, only slightly higher than the firing malfunctions of matchlocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Currently the matchlock misfire rate was three to four percent; the flintlock misfire rate was eight to nine percent, and the flint needed adjustment every dozen or so shots.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the cumbersome matchlock, which required dragging a long, lit match cord in battle, the flintlock's advantages were obvious and held strong superiority. The officers of the Jingbian Army had also gradually moved from doubt to acceptance of the self-igniting arquebus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin, however, was not satisfied. He bellowed, \"Little Zhong, are you saying that our army's pikemen should be abolished? That those soldiers who have trained so bitterly in their skills will find it has all been for nothing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others also had their own thoughts. Ever since the days of the Shunxiang Army, the Jingbian Army had paired arquebusiers with pikemen. Over so many years, everyone had long grown accustomed to this troop type. No one would agree to abolishing the pikemen in their own battalions, and the soldiers would raise an uproar too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai said, \"Of course not. What I mean is that the arquebusiers should be equipped with self-igniting arquebuses and bayonets, while the pikemen remain unchanged.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd whispered among themselves and thought it feasible. As long as the pikemen remained unchanged, having the arquebusiers use self-igniting arquebuses and bayonets was certainly good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their expressions, Wang Dou could not help but smile. Military technology, it seemed, still developed along with the course of history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In earlier years, the officers had harbored doubts about flintlocks; now they had accepted them. The bayonet on a firearm, though not as handy as a pike, did not take up a separate troop slot, and there was no need to worry about the pike's range of use — it was very convenient. Presumably, over time, pikemen would gradually decrease, until finally there would be uniform ranks of bayonet soldiers. History would enter a new era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Gao Shiyin felt that equipping the arquebusiers in his own battalion with self-igniting heavy arquebuses and bayonets was not a bad idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, at present the army had few long-barreled self-igniting arquebuses, and not many bayonets had been produced. They would soon be heading to the front lines, with no time to familiarize themselves with new weapons, so for now the army's equipment remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Widespread adoption of flintlocks and bayonets would be a matter for at least one or two years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, Wang Dou suddenly received an official dispatch: officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel would soon arrive on the East Route to announce the rewards and honors for the Jingbian Army's battles at Luoyang and Xiangyang, as well as matters concerning troop quotas and provisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the retinue were Zhang Ruoqi, Director of the Bureau of Operations in the Ministry of War, and Vice Director Ma Shaoyu, among others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bureau of Operations of the Ministry of War, fully named the \"Bureau of Operations and Records,\" was one of the four bureaus of the Great Ming's Ministry of War. It managed the maps of all provinces, the recording of merits, review of faults, rewards, punishments, pensions for military officers, as well as the inspection and examination of military forces — its authority was considerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ruoqi was moreover a figure of real power within the Ministry of War, highly valued by Minister of War Chen Xinjia. Their arrival signified the Ministry of War's regard for the Loyal and Brave Count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, after news reached Xuan-Da that the Eastern Slave army possessed large quantities of firearms and cannons, not only were Regional Commander Wang Pu of Datong Garrison and Regional Commander Yang Guozhu of Xuanfu Garrison shocked, but even Viceroy Zhang Fuzhen of Xuan-Da and Provincial Governor Ji Shiwei of Xuanfu Garrison were quite worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Guozhu had emulated the Shunxiang Army and trained three battalions of new troops; Wang Pu had done the same, though he had trained only one battalion. The two had originally been brimming with confidence, believing that with such strong troops, slaying enemy generals and seizing banners, taking the heads of enemy chieftains would be as easy as taking something from a pouch. Yet the news from Liaodong was a blow to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, His Majesty had decided to send the Divine Machine Battalion into battle with heavy artillery, and with the artillery battalion in Wang Dou's camp, everyone's worries about firepower were much relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, calls within the army to strengthen battalion firepower were rising. Everyone recalled that the powder and shot used under the Loyal and Brave Count's command were exceedingly fierce. In the present Great Ming, who would dare force Wang Dou to hand over his powder formula? Settling for the next best thing, everyone began thinking of purchasing from Wang Dou some of his formidable pre-packaged paper cartridge ammunition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who shared this idea included Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, and others. The Ministry of War also had this intention; one of the missions of Zhang Ruoqi and his party was to purchase some powder and shot from Wang Dou, and if possible, to purchase some fine arquebuses as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, each of the Regional Commanders setting out for reinforcement had also firmly resolved to march to the front together with Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having heard that Wang Dou had decided to dispatch troops in the latter part of the sixth month, they too decided to dispatch troops in the latter part of the sixth month. Of course, some had long journeys and needed to set out earlier. In particular, Regional Commander Wang Pu of Datong Garrison would need to set out many days in advance to reach the East Route and march in parallel with Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before that, they had to secure the purchase of powder and shot first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The delegation from Xuan-Da this time was headed by Viceroy Zhang Fuzhen, who would soon arrive on the East Route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon learning this news, Wang Dou also summoned everyone for a council.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opinion of the staff and the various officers was that, with stockpiles of arquebuses and ammunition being plentiful, a portion could be sold off. As long as the ammunition remained under their own control, there was nothing to fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having used firearms for many years, everyone also saw the key point: an arquebus without powder and shot was nothing but a fire poker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the ferocity of the East Route's firearms drew sidelong glances from all under heaven. If they hoarded too much, it might invite criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selling to friendly forces could enhance their combat power; after all, on the battlefield, they could not fight relying solely on their own forces. Selling some arquebuses and gunpowder, though it might invite talk of greed, would, compared to hoarding, put all parties more at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou's original intent had been to sell some old stock, but over the years they had already used up most of it themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing in the current army that surpassed the technology of other parties was the new formula gunpowder developed by Li Zhifen in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, which allowed the Jingbian Army's pre-packaged paper cartridge ammunition to pierce heavy armor at a hundred paces — twenty to thirty paces more lethal range than the arquebus ammunition used by the old Shunxiang Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the rest, such as the fine-crafted bird guns with automatic-opening flash pan covers over the priming pan, many in the Great Ming army are already using them. That is not some advanced technology — it appeared as early as the Qi Family Army era. Back then, Wang Dou simply did not want to be constrained by various parties, so he started from scratch and researched it himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, aside from the gunpowder formula and the new cannon-casting techniques, the firearms technology in Wang Dou's army does not surpass this era, nor does it surpass the friendly forces of this time. Even the flintlock, back then Lu Xiangsheng's personal battalion had used it. The Lumi gun was something Wang Dou obtained from Lu Xiangsheng and the Chongzhen Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to intelligence from the Information Office, the bird guns forged by Yang Guozhu and others, though finely made, clearly cannot compare with those from the Eastern Route Army Arsenal in terms of standardization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their bird guns — some have large muzzles, some have small muzzles. That creates a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those with large muzzles, the bullet and powder sit loose and slack after loading. Even if they use the Eastern Route's fixed paper cartridge ammunition, the power is still greatly reduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those with small muzzles, the ammunition is so hard to ram in that it cannot even be loaded, let alone fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, the Eastern Route's gunpowder is so potent that the chamber pressure it generates would likely be more than many of the individually forged gun barrels can withstand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they learn of this result, the people who come will certainly want to buy the bird guns together with the new fixed paper cartridge ammunition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, in the current inventory, there are also some old-style fixed paper cartridges from before the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, capable of piercing armor at various distances of fifty, sixty, or seventy paces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But obviously, everyone is coming for the ferociously powerful new ammunition that can pierce heavy armor at a hundred paces. Those old-style gunpowders, they already have them in their own armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group concluded their discussion: the strength of the Jingbian Army's firearms lies in systemic superiority and the result of meticulously crafted weapons. So selling some weapons to friendly forces is no great matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before waiting for the arrival of Xuan-Da Viceroy Zhang Fuzhen and the others, Liugou Regional Commander Chen Jiugao came to visit Wang Dou first.\u003C\u002Fp>",2439,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","f7ba0d7a0f6dbe3a4ef8c860b4c367c87441e5d3e0e6f4bbc84c5f3f0b389665","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-446","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-444",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]