[{"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-523":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},1205812,1561,"Chapter 523: Fierce Battle (Part 1)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-523",523,"\u003Cp>The Qing soldiers on the opposite side had also spotted Xie Yike's group. They spurred their horses faster, howling strangely as they charged this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On such open plain terrain, with a broad field of vision, both sides could easily detect each other's presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike raised his telescope again, his expression grave. As these Qing riders drew nearer, he could see their attire more clearly through the lens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of these Qing riders wore yellow front-buttoned cotton armor studded with copper nails. Their helmet plumes stood tall, red tassels fluttering—strikingly conspicuous. They were unmistakably troops of the Tatar Plain Yellow Banner, and all of them were armored elite cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the dust, several men with black tassels on their helmets and square banners at their backs were also visible—those were their zhuanda, boshi ku, or fende boshi ku officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, among these slave riders, over a dozen gleamed with the flash of armor—the exposed-plate type of bright armor. They wore helmets with long-tailed red tassels and slant-tipped flame back-banners stuck into their backs. These were the bayara of the Plain Yellow Banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What drew Xie Yike's attention were several fellows among the Tatar riders with eagle plumes and otter tails fixed to their helmet tubes, and two-chi flying-tiger fox-tail banners at their backs. They too wore bright helmets and bright armor, and in their bearing they seemed even more fierce and elite than those bayara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ziren said in a deep voice beside Xie Yike, \"Those are scout riders of the Tatar Vanguard Camp.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike nodded silently. He knew that before the slave chieftain Huang Taiji proclaimed himself emperor, he had formed the Bayara Camp and the Gebu Xixian Chaoha Camp, concentrating the bayara from each niru for unified use. Those Gebu Xixian soldiers were further selected from the bayara or the foster troops for outstanding skill, and the entire camp numbered fewer than two thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the names Bayara Camp and Gebu Xixian Camp were awkward to pronounce, Wang Dou had uniformly stipulated that they be called the Guard Camp and the Vanguard Camp, and that the Aliha Chaoha Camp be called the Valiant Rider Camp—a usage that also influenced the terminology of other Ming forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Vanguard Camp Tatars ordinarily served only as forward scouts when the slave chieftain toured, but in large-scale warfare they likewise went out scouting alongside the Guard Camp Tatars, and were even used to assault and break formations. Their combat strength was a cut above even the Tatar Guard troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching those Tatars come rolling in, closer and closer, they brandished weapons of every kind, howling wildly, their arrogance blazing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ziren looked at Xie Yike and said gravely, \"Master Xie, what do we do? Fight or flee?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the squad also looked at Xie Yike, awaiting his decision. Only Jie Yifeng wore a savage grin, looking eager to have a go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike's thoughts raced. Truth be told, he wanted to leave. This scout mission had yielded vital intelligence, and he wanted to deliver it to his brother-in-law as quickly as possible. He did not want to stir up extra trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, as those Tatars drew closer, their numbers were now clear. Though they were over fifty—not quite sixty—on this scout mission his own squad had lost five brothers killed in battle, with seven more gravely wounded. Those still fit to fight numbered only thirty-eight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In numbers, the enemy held the advantage. In a head-on clash, their own odds of victory were not high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike looked at those gravely wounded brothers in the squad. How could he abandon these brothers? But if he took them and fled, galloping wildly, the jolting would tear at their wounds. By the time they returned to camp, likely few would survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the enemy likewise had multiple horses per man. In the course of being hunted down, exposing their backs to the enemy was far too dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy could shoot arrows or hurl spinning blades, broad knives, and other weapons. Their lives would no longer be in their own hands. By then, few would likely survive—and they would die wretched, useless deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, Xie Yike made his decision. He laughed aloud, pointed at those charging Qing riders, and said scornfully, \"Just a few dozen Tatars. Would our Jingbian Army ever fear them? Brothers, grab your gear and follow me—let's kill them dead!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night scouts around him howled in unison, all brandishing their weapons. Ma Ziren swung his long saber; Bench struck his shield with his iron hammer. Every man's morale soared. They were the Jingbian Army, lions of a hundred battles—there was no reason to fear those Tatars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if the enemy had more men? Even if they outnumbered them several times over, they would still dare to meet them in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike rapidly issued orders: \"Daya, Erya, Xizi—you stay behind and guard the wounded brothers. The rest of you, follow me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone switch horses—prepare to engage!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, everyone moved into action, swiftly switching to the other horses they had not yet ridden, mounts with ample stamina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Xie Yike's arrangement, Daya and four other night scouts remained behind, forming the horses into a circle to protect the wounded night-scout brothers, as well as the bodies of the fallen brothers and some horse baggage. The remaining thirty-three rode out with him to battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly every man drew the various hand cannons from the leather holsters on their saddle bridges to inspect them—checking the flint condition, whether the powder might leak out, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In close-quarters combat, the Jingbian Army's hand cannons were supremely advantageous, able to easily pierce multiple layers of heavy armor. Since this was no stealth assassination, they naturally would not forgo their strong suit and use bows and crossbows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the hand cannons' flintlock mechanism made firing extremely convenient. In face-to-face combat, there was no need to worry about alerting the surroundings. And the sound of gunfire might well be heard by nearby Ming scout riders, who would rush to their aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of these night scouts out on patrol carried three or four hand cannons. In the past, they had used linen-wrapped balls for their hand cannons, not fixed paper cartridge ammunition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, however, the military workshop made improvements, enlarging the paper cartridge caliber. Although ramming the paper cartridge and ball together into the barrel required considerable strength, it also ensured the ball and powder were tightly packed inside the piece, so they would not leak out if the muzzle pointed downward or from the jolting of the horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of them was adept at using flintlock hand cannons. In mere moments, they had inspected them all one by one and reinserted each hand cannon into its leather holster. A few who found problems drew their ramrods and tamped the charge inside tight again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, everyone was ready, each man holding a hand cannon in one hand and his personal weapon in the other, their eyes gleaming with ferocity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As night scouts, their horsemanship was superb. They could drive and control their mounts using only their legs, freeing both hands for combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike likewise checked his own equipment. Quickly, he held a hand cannon in his left hand and took up a horse lance in his right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, the weapons the night scouts used were of every variety, long and short alike, though many also wielded horse lances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horse lance was a superb weapon for mounted combat. Unlike the ordinary long spear, the lance shaft generally possessed excellent elasticity. When thrust into an enemy during a charge, the shaft would bend upward, absorbing part of the charge's energy. In that instant, the shaft would also spring back, flinging the enemy's corpse away—serving a buffering, protective function.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, with a rigid long spear or horse lance, when the charge struck an enemy, that immense impact force might well transfer directly to the rider's hand. One careless moment, and the hand would be ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a point where Eastern weapons differed from Western ones, avoiding the Western knight's predicament where the enormous impact forced them to discard their long weapon and switch to a sword for single-use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for all its excellence, the horse lance was also quite difficult to produce. The shaft was made by splitting bamboo into thin strips, twisting them into a small rod, and then repeatedly lacquering and oiling it—one coat dried in the sun, then another coat, dried and lacquered again, until it was just right. Only when a blade struck it with a ringing clang was it cut to the required length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the lance head was mounted, a bronze ingot fitted to the butt, and a cord suspended from the butt to one-third of the way up the shaft. Thus the shaft was balanced—and only then was a horse lance complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the complex production, the Jingbian Army was not equipped with very many. Looking across the Ming armies, generally only military officers from hereditary martial families used them—inferior horse lances did not count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, white waxwood shafts also possessed the advantages of the horse lance, but compared to horse lances, white waxwood was even harder to obtain. Natural white waxwood tended to be too soft and unsuitable for making spear shafts. Only specially cultivated wood would do, and it had to be perfectly straight, without scars or wormholes. It was so precious that only some high-ranking Ming officers possessed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, the Jingbian Army's cavalry and night scouts were already the Ming forces that used horse lances most widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, using the horse lance also required considerable technical skill. Aiming and seizing the initiative in rapid motion, disengaging after thrusting into a target, the depth and angle of the thrust, and so on—all of these contained a wealth of knowledge. Ordinary men could not bring out the horse lance's full power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from the Jingbian Army's night scouts and the fiercest veterans among the cavalry, ordinary riders were not equipped with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tatars opposite were already not far away—less than two hundred paces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now the sky was bright, and their appearance was even clearer. Beneath their lacquered copper and iron helmets were pairs of brutal, violent eyes. They bore weapons of every kind—tiger spears, slicing blades, wolf-tooth clubs, heavy swords, iron maces, and more—with huge bow-and-arrow cases slung at their waists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On each man's yellow front-buttoned, studded cotton armor were all manner of grease, sweat, and grime. This was because years of sweat soaking could effectively strengthen the cotton armor's protective power, so many Tatar soldiers did not wash their armor for years. Those bayara and Gebu Xixian soldiers, however, were every one in gleaming helmets and shining armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those Plain Yellow Banner Tatar soldiers truly lived up to the reputation of the Upper Three Banners' warriors—every man fierce and sturdy, their horsemanship exceptionally fine. A bitter fight surely lay ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike spat fiercely: \"Damn filthy Tatars.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced back at the brothers beside him. Everyone was fully prepared. Looking at the Qing riders opposite, their faces all bore savage grins, seething with killing intent. Not a single man showed tension or worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning back, Xie Yike roared: \"Brothers, let those Tatars see the mettle of us Jingbian Army heroes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bellowed wildly: \"Kill the slaves!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spurring his horse, he charged out at the very front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill the slaves!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night scouts roared, hooves thundering — over thirty riders followed closely as Xie Yike charged out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Jie Yifeng was on Xie Yike's right, Ma Ziren on his left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the others who held a hand cannon in one hand and a weapon in the other, Jie Yifeng still carried his iron hammer and shield. He was accustomed to cold steel and had never taken a liking to using hand-cannon firearms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining men, Daya and the others, quickly circled their own horses into a ring and hid behind them. Among the five of them, they had three Lumi muskets and numerous flintlock hand cannons. Even the wounded soldiers in the inner circle took out their own hand cannons and held them ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tatar soldiers charging toward them with strange cries seemed to sense something different about this Ming force, and their galloping pace began to slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the Ming troops ahead, doubt appeared in their eyes. The Ming were few, while they were many — yet the Ming were not afraid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could not help but be puzzled. When Ming scout riders met their Great Qing warriors in equal numbers, it was rare for them not to flee at top speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the Ming forces in this region — whether under Ming Regional Commander Cao Bianjiao, under Wang Tingchen, or under Liaodong Regional Commander Liu Zhaoji — when numbers were equal, none dared to give battle. Sometimes even when the Ming outnumbered them two or three to one, they still fled at the first rumor of their approach. Yet these Ming troops…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chattered in their barbarian tongue, exchanging words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Ming troops struck first, charging with furious roars, many of them understood and shouted, \"It's the Jingbian Army — the Ming Jingbian Army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, these Qing soldiers stirred restlessly. Indeed, it was the Jingbian Army. Only the night scouts of the Jingbian Army would not fear the scouts of their Great Qing and would dare to fight outnumbered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, though those Ming soldiers were all dressed as local garrison peasants, every man was fierce and imposing. Each carried a hand cannon and had spare horses. Such an abundance of hand cannons and horses — only Wang Dou's Jingbian Army was so widely equipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jingbian Army's fearsome reputation had spread far; even these scout riders of the Plain Yellow Banner felt a trace of fear in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Ming troops had struck first with considerable momentum. Whether to meet them in battle — in that instant, they all hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>",2342,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","db198652ef1ab16851048b09e1cfb959c1cf8fd4a19bd316bfc384ab9f15222e","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-524","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-522",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]