[{"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-488":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},1205777,1561,"Chapter 488: Relief","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-488",488,"\u003Cp>This news was so shocking that Hong Chengchou, Zhang Ruoqi, and Wang Chengen all shuddered, their usual composure and calm utterly gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Wang Dou remained inwardly contemplative; compared to the other officers and generals at the central command, he was the one with the most detailed battlefield intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Night Scouts of the Jingbian Army were outstanding, their patrol riders spread out on all sides, gathering intelligence from every sector and continuously funneling reports back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that Bai Guangen’s situation was far too unexpected — often the Night Scouts had only just delivered the latest battlefield report when a new wave of developments would change the picture again, each wave of battle conditions drastically different. The rapid, successive collapse within his army was also hard to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wang Dou found it difficult to accept that Bai Guangen could be defeated so quickly and so disastrously. As far as he knew, although Bai Guangen was arrogant, his troops still had fighting strength — how could they be overrun by the Qing cavalry in a single clash? Were all those war wagons and Frankish cannons just for show?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Wu Sangui was not far away; both sides had sizable forces, and with mutual coordination and reinforcement, defeat should have been even less likely. How could this have happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely ordered the Night Scouts to investigate again in detail, and the latest report confirmed that Ji Town Regional Commander Bai Guangen had indeed died in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His retainers were wiped out to the last man, but the bulk of the Ji Town Main Battalion and the greater part of each wagon battalion still remained. Together with the laborers who had been digging the trenches, they formed a vast wave of routed soldiers, driven by the Qing army and fleeing toward the central command and toward Yang Guozhu’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was speechless, while Hong Chengchou and the others turned ashen-faced. The Song-Jin campaign had only just begun, and already one of their own Regional Commanders had fallen in battle? How were they to explain this to His Majesty, to the expectant court and the whole country?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone looked toward the southeast; across the hills and low ridges, they could faintly hear the sounds of wailing and shouting. On the open plain, dense tiny black dots — countless routed men and horses — spread over the hills and fields, too many to count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the manner of their rout, everyone at the central command clenched their teeth. Such a disastrous collapse was a true disgrace!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jingbian Army, from top to bottom, ground their teeth even harder, deeply loathing the scene before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou exhaled deeply. He had overestimated the Ming army’s fighting ability. This style of warfare reliant on retainers was already far from meeting the demands of this era. After all, partly because of his own influence, the Qing troops had made significant changes compared to history, and ordinary Ming troops no longer held any advantage against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historically, the early stages of the Songshan campaign had been fought with vigor and success, partly because the Qing forces were relatively few — one or two hundred thousand Ming troops fighting forty to fifty thousand Qing troops. Though they gained minor advantages, overall it was a stalemate. But once Huang Taiji mobilized the entire realm in support and the two sides’ troop strengths equalized, the link between Songshan and Xingshan was quickly severed, and the Ming army suffered a crushing defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the Ming army’s overall strength had not increased much, while the Qing army had acquired powerful firearms. Even though the Eight Banners had suffered considerable losses after the eleventh year of Chongzhen, the balance of power was hard to gauge. After all, the two sides now had equal numbers, and the Qing army’s disposable forces were increasingly ample.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from what Wang Dou knew, Bai Guangen’s army collapsed precisely because several wagon battalions broke first. Those old soldiers and shirkers, holding powerful equipment and firepower, still fled at the first touch, dragging down the main battalion behind them. Bai Guangen himself had actually fought hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Wang Dou had no personal liking for Bai Guangen, he still held respect for his dying in battle for the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old soldiers and shirkers were unacceptable; retainers were unacceptable. Wang Dou’s conviction on this point grew even firmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zhang Ruoqi had lost all his earlier bravado. The scene before him struck him with tremendous force; he was, after all, a scholar, and when the brutal reality of the battlefield unfolded before his eyes, he was at a complete loss. He instinctively edged closer to Wang Dou and stammered, “Loyal and Brave Count… what, what is to be done?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Hong Chengchou was alarmed and furious, he was after all a veteran of many campaigns who had served as Grand Coordinator for years, and he quickly regained his calm. He said to Wang Dou, “Loyal and Brave Count, the central command must send immediate relief. We cannot allow the routed troops to crash into the central army’s main formation, still less affect the forces of Commander Yang and Commander Li attacking the hill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded. The Qing troops at present, though attacking the various wings on all sides, were still primarily probing. If they were allowed to defeat each division one by one and conclude that the Ming army could not withstand a single blow, the consequences for the coming Song-Jin campaign would be unthinkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The immediate priority was to first protect Yang Guozhu’s flank, preventing the routed troops and the Qing cavalry following close behind from affecting Yang Guozhu’s and the others’ operations at Huangtuling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huangtuling could not be abandoned, and the assault needed to be pressed hard so that Huangtuling was swiftly taken. Only thus could the Ming army’s overall strategic disposition be preserved, and the adverse impact of the Ji Town troops’ rout and Bai Guangen’s death in battle be minimized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou still understood military matters; as a Regional Commander he was competent, quickly steadying himself and sharply identifying this point. Wang Dou thoroughly agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Hong Chengchou did not mention Wu Sangui’s division at the front, clearly still having confidence in its fighting ability. In fact, Wang Dou knew that although the Qing army was attacking fiercely, Wu Sangui’s formation remained unbroken — as expected of a historically renowned figure, he had his own exceptional qualities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Yang Guozhu below Huangtuling had also detected the approach of Bai Guangen’s routed troops. He deployed his wagon battalions and cavalry in an arc toward the southeast, while the battle at Huangtuling continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A battle-hardened general was indeed different; though alarmed, he was not thrown into confusion, and quickly made a rational and rapid response in his dispositions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the soldiers of the Divine Machine Battalion stirred in agitation for a time; Fu Yingchong exerted his utmost to suppress it before restoring their calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou looked to the left and right, sighed, and said to Wang Dou with grave formality, “Loyal and Brave Count, the front is in peril. We need you to take the field, turn the tide with all your might, and deal the enemy a heavy blow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou spoke these solemn words to Wang Dou and even bowed deeply. The various officials and generals beside him, along with the army supervisors, all bowed to Wang Dou as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou returned the courtesy, saying, “Gentlemen, you honor me too greatly. Dou is also an officer of the Great Ming and shall do all in his power to repel the Tartar caitiffs and safeguard the great army’s security!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the central command still had over thirty thousand troops in total, of which Wang Dou’s Jingbian Army, present on the scene, accounted for over thirteen thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Auxiliary Punitive Regional Commander Zuo Guangxian had just under ten thousand troops, Hong Chengchou’s personal supervisory battalion had fewer than three thousand, and the personal battalions of the local Provincial Governors and Military Defense Circuit intendants mostly numbered only a few hundred or a little over a thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also some local Liaodong officers and generals, such as Vanguard Right Battalion Assistant Regional Commander Qian Youlu and General Patrol Merit Assistant Regional Commander Dou Chenglie, who had accompanied the army into the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the local forces of Songshan itself, apart from the city garrison commander Shang Yudi and the city defense camp Mobile Corps Commander Ge Chaozhong who remained to guard the fortress, Songshan Vice Regional Commander Xia Chengde, Songshan Mobile Battalion Assistant Regional Commander Liu Zhengjie, Songshan Assistant Regional Commander Fan Chenggong, and others had all marched out with their troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although their encampments were numerous, most were battalions of one or two thousand men, so the total forces of all these Assistant Regional Commanders, Vice Regional Commanders, and Mobile Corps Commanders combined amounted to no more than ten thousand or so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also large numbers of laborers at the central command position, though of course they did not count within the scope of combat strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patrol riders reported that over twenty thousand Qing cavalry were just a few li to the southeast — a fighting force of no small consequence, especially now that they had just routed the Ji Town army and the various central command divisions were all uneasy. The force that could fight a hard battle, plug the gap on the flank, and relieve Wu Sangui’s troops at the front — when all was reckoned, it could only be Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the various officials and generals, in their subconscious, did not wish to let Wang Dou earn further merit, they had no choice but to send him forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou naturally did not shirk the responsibility. At this moment, his Jingbian Army numbered over thirteen thousand troops, including two cavalry-infantry battalions and one cavalry battalion totaling over ten thousand, plus an artillery battalion of two thousand, and the scout battalion together with the guard battalion making up another thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Sanjie’s supply battalion, apart from over two thousand men left to hold Changlingshan, had another two thousand who had accompanied Wang Dou to Songshan, continuously shuttling back and forth to transport supplies and provisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them remained to guard the camp; only the four hundred men of the grenadier company within it were currently with the Jingbian Army, along with several hundred more tasked with pushing the war wagons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Qing cavalry numbered over twenty thousand, Wang Dou was not afraid. Wu Sangui’s large formation at the front still had over ten thousand troops; together, their own side would have nearly thirty thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Wu Sangui’s coordination was not tight when the time came, Wang Dou was confident he could repel the enemy on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After urgent discussion, it was decided that Wang Dou would lead the entire Jingbian Army to the southeast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the intelligence Wang Dou had, Wang Pu’s position was not in danger. If the flank was secured, Yang Guozhu and Li Fuming would likewise be safe. As for Ma Ke and Tang Tong’s divisions west of Songshanbao, though their combat strength was worrisome, at worst they could withdraw into their fortified camps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming army camps around Songshanbao likewise had partial forces from each garrison left to hold them; they might not be capable in the field, but defending walls and stockades posed no problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would not be so easy for the Qing army to bypass the dense network of camps and attack the eastern side of Songshanbao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Wang Dou and Hong Chengchou’s intent was to use a tiger to strike a rabbit — to commit the entire formidable Jingbian Army and deal the Qing cavalry to the southeast a heavy blow. Ideally, they would slay a few enemy commanders; only thus could the somewhat flagging morale of the army be revived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They also agreed that once the gap was plugged and the battle situation somewhat stabilized, Military Defense Circuit Intendant Cai Maode would lead large numbers of laborers forward to continue digging the trenches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The link between the rebel slaves at Huangtuling and Songshanling had to be severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, some laborers pushing several hundred earth carts would accompany Wang Dou’s central force, so that if the Tartar caitiffs deployed artillery, they could be urgently used for protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Guozhu’s main force did not need to expand its gains for the time being; it only needed to capture the first defensive line at Huangtuling and stabilize the position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Shanxi Regional Commander Li Fuming’s division would intensify its offensive, exerting maximum pressure on the Qing troops at Huangtuling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Hong Chengchou and the others finished their deliberations with Wang Dou, they all felt their hearts settle. Perhaps Wang Dou’s presence here gave them an unspoken sense of reliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, with the Jingbian Army moving out, the various officials and generals at the central command all felt their interest stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the formidable Wang Dou army taking the field, surely there would be considerable spoils to be had?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they accompanied the army, then without lifting a finger, a great deal of merit would fall into their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Army Supervisor Zhang Ruoqi was the first to declare with impassioned eloquence: “The rebel slaves are running rampant. As Army Supervisor, how can I sit idly to the rear? I shall accompany the Loyal and Brave Count and join hearts in striking the rebels… Even if my own strength is feeble and I cannot slay the slave rebels with my own hands, I shall at least beat the drums to boost the great army’s morale!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his strong insistence, Wang Dou and Hong Chengchou both agreed to let him follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Zhang Ruo had fewer than a hundred personal guard retainers under his command. The reason he could call the shots in the Liaodong theater was by relying on the Minister of War Chen Xinjia and the tiger-skin mantle of the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chance for a civil official to accompany the sortie had been snatched away by Zhang Ruo. At the central command position, a clamor also arose among the generals, all vying for the chance to fight, but Hong Chengchou denied them one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after, Vice Regional Commander Fu Yingchong of the Shenji Battalion’s Forward Battalion hurried over, wanting to lead troops and go into battle alongside the Loyal and Brave Count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Yang Guozhu’s army had attacked the first defense line on Huangtuling and was in no hurry to expand the gains, his Shenji Battalion’s cannons had fallen silent, and the Shenji Battalion arquebusiers in the camp had even less to do. Hearing that the Jingbian Army was sortieing, they were all immensely stirred and wanted to follow into battle and seize military merits! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to come to (.) to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.) [This text provided by @尘世丶戏子]\u003C\u002Fp>",2520,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","f748824c03d945092310fe0b998b7a68659d4247014d2a06b54fe5e96aa8f82e","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-489","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-487",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]