[{"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-530":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},1205819,1561,"Chapter 530: The Assault","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-530",530,"\u003Cp>Reading without ads feels so good!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>w Old White Bull: High subscriptions have broken ten thousand, thank you friends for your support. For me, history has entered a new era. 144 Book! Academy...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the foot of Mount Shimen, the sound of slaughter shook the heavens. Shanhai Army soldiers wearing red-brimmed military caps and short-body armor surged like the tide, attacking the mountain ridges on all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rolling logs and stones rained down from the mountain from time to time, sharp arrows flew back and forth. On the mountain and below, corpses and wounded lay piled in layers. The air was thick with the heavy stench of blood and the smell of sulfur and gunpowder smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle was deadlocked. Though the Qing soldiers defending the mountain were few, they were quite tenacious. Those Manchu soldiers shot arrows with both accuracy and vicious force. Many of those Korean soldiers were experts at using trebuchets, and they also had many arquebuses. On the Ming army's side, although their troop strength was superior, the rugged mountain terrain prevented them from deploying fully, and their war chariots could not be pushed up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could only advance under the cover of shields. Facing the Qing army's arquebus fire and sharp arrows, they were often beaten back, crying and fleeing, before they could even reach the stockade walls and trenches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this distance, the Qing army's archers all had remarkably good aim. Although their arrows did not shoot far, their armor-piercing and bloodletting ability was extremely strong. Many Shanhai Army soldiers, once hit by arrows, quickly felt weak and powerless, losing their combat effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Korean army's arquebuses, though not comparable to the Ming army's, could cause equally terrifying consequences if someone was hit at this distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>West Shimen, where the Jalangga Colonel Yan Zha was defending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like the defense line at Huangtuling that day, the stockade walls and trenches here were also built in the one-wall-three-trench style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One earthen wall, three trenches. Drawing lessons from the Battle of Huangtuling, the original stockade walls, many of which were stone, had now all been changed to earthen walls. In front of the earthen wall, many earth-filled baskets and bags were also piled up, to defend against the Ming army's Hongyi cannons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the mountain terrain here was rugged, there were only some gentle slopes and a few traversable paths between the two ridges. The stockade wall built between the two ridges truly had the strategic strength of \"one man guarding the pass, ten thousand unable to break through.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, in front of the stockade wall, many wounded and dead Ming soldiers had already fallen. The flowing fresh blood gave off a nauseating stench under the sunlight. Many rolling stones, covered in blood and flesh, were scattered everywhere on the hillsides and mountain paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crackling sound of arquebus fire rang out. Behind the stockade wall, the Korean soldiers, shouting in unintelligible Korean, clamored as they pulled their triggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another wave of Ming soldiers attacking the mountain screamed and fell. Although they had shield cover, the light shields could not block musket balls. As for shields fully wrapped in iron, they were so heavy that few could carry them. The Ming troops of Shanhai Garrison were not accustomed to using arquebuses; if they used firearms, they mostly used three-barreled guns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could the range and power of a three-barreled gun match an arquebus? If they used bows and arrows, how could they outshoot the Qing soldiers behind the stockade wall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, due to the terrain, the troops here could not be fully deployed. Each wave of attack was purely a piecemeal reinforcement tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of bowstrings twanging was incessant. While those Korean soldiers were shooting, the Qing soldiers on the stockade wall loosed volley after volley of arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large, heavy infantry arrows came whistling through the air. In the blink of an eye, soldiers from that wave of Ming troops continuously screamed as they were hit. Those struck felt a chill on their bodies, then quickly became weak and powerless. To onlookers, these arrow-struck soldiers were all bleeding profusely, a terrifying sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rolling stones rained down, flashing out from behind the stockade wall, then using their momentum to roll heavily down the hillside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the terrified gazes of these mountain-attacking Ming soldiers, many round rolling stones came crashing head-on, smashing into faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst waves of howling, many Ming soldiers were struck on the spot, their tendons broken and bones fractured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those hit in the body all spewed blood from their mouths. If hit in the limbs, the result was broken hands and feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many had stark white bone exposed on the spot. Clutching their wounds, each was in unbearable agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fighting will of these Ming soldiers could not be called resolute. Seeing their comrades' miserable howls and horrific injuries, they lost all courage to attack the mountain and immediately collapsed. They shouted and yelled, crying out as they fled down the mountain, ignoring even the hoarse, raging roars of their officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming army attacking this position had failed once again. On the stockade wall, Yan Zha laughed heartily, immensely pleased: \"These Nikans are utterly worthless!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the foot of the mountain, Ma Ke's face was ashen, extremely furious. He had thought the mountain assault would be easy, but it turned out to be unexpectedly difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difficulty of attacking West Shimen was within his expectations. The mountain terrain there was steep and perilous, and the Shanhai troops attacking there were mostly rotational conscripts, whose combat strength was inherently inferior to professional soldiers. But the central route army, on which he had placed high hopes, was also progressing slowly. This made Ma Ke lose face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that area, a small number of war chariots could advance. Most of the Shenji Battalion's mortars and rockets for this battle were also deployed at the foot of that mountain. The several battalions attacking were also led by Mobile Corps Commanders and Assistant Regional Commanders from within the garrison who were close to him. Compared to those rotational troop commanders, their treatment was far better, and their troop strength was also more substantial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to West Shimen, the Tartar defenders on this side were somewhat more numerous. However, compared to the Ming army attacking the mountain, their troop strength was clearly weak. Just over a thousand Tartar and Korean armored soldiers, plus some laborers and auxiliaries, yet the fighting had turned out like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did Ma Ke lose face, but seeing such battle results, Hong Chengchou at the rear of the three-garrison army furrowed his brows in great disappointment. Wang Dou also shook his head. The various generals of the Jingbian Army behind him all showed expressions of contempt. Wang Pu, Fu Yingchong, and others snickered, whispering among themselves and making sarcastic remarks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their demeanor, Liaodong Provincial Governor Qiu Minyang and others felt deeply uncomfortable. Their overt and covert support had led to this result. Could it be that the Jiliao Army was truly an A Dou who could not be propped up? Perhaps they should replace Ma Ke and let Wu Sangui take over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Mount Rufeng, Huang Taiji and his men also sneered coldly. The Ming army's combat effectiveness like this greatly reassured them. Let the Ming army at the foot of the mountain run rampant for now. When the river-crossing battle came, they would let them know what a nightmare truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, another wave of wailing came from the mountain. Ma Ke looked over in alarm and saw a group of soldiers from the left battalion fleeing desperately, pursued by several dozen Plain White Banner armored soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This group of soldiers numbered nearly a thousand, while the Tartar soldiers who had charged out of the stockade wall to pursue them were fewer than a hundred. Yet not one of these soldiers dared to turn and fight. All threw away their helmets and armor, utterly terrified. Many also shouted desperately: \"Defeated, we're defeated! The Tartars are too fierce, we can't hold them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The collapse of these men affected the follow-up troops attacking the mountain. Many also cried out, turned, and ran. Some who were pushing war chariots and Frankish cannons likewise abandoned their chariots and artillery, echoing the retreat as they fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a hill below the mountain ridge, ten Shenji Battalion mortars and twenty rocket carts were set up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the Shanhai soldiers ahead screaming as they fled past the hill, the Shenji Battalion soldiers all stared at each other blankly. Before the battle, Mobile Corps Commander Fu had repeatedly assured them of their safety during combat. Given the current situation, could this be considered safe?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking again, some ferocious Tartar soldiers, already charging forward with tiger spears and hooked blades, were barely over a hundred paces from their own position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although these Shenji Battalion soldiers were all equipped with Lumi arquebuses, and counting the gunners, archers, and guard soldiers, there were nearly two hundred men on the hill. Yet facing fewer than a hundred Tartar armored soldiers, they also screamed miserably, abandoned their cannons and rockets, and fled in confusion along with the human tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wailing and clamor from the mountain wilderness ahead made Ma Ke and his men stare dumbfounded. Shenji Battalion Mobile Corps Commander Fu Tingfu rubbed his eyes, seemingly unable to believe the scene before him. Then he came to his senses, his face pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers of the Shenji Battalion all had layers upon layers of connections and deep personal networks. If the troops he had brought out suffered heavy losses, upon returning to the capital, he would not even know how he died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a great roar and bellowed at Ma Ke beside him: \"Commander Ma, is this the safety you guaranteed? Before the battle, you said our Shenji Battalion soldiers would all be firing cannons from afar and certainly face no danger. Now look, the distance is indeed far, but the Tartars have already charged right in front of the cannons. Is this your guarantee? Ma Ke, if my subordinates suffer any losses, I will not let you off!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ke suddenly turned to look at Fu Tingfu, his eyes unreadable. Seeing Ma Ke's sinister expression, Fu Tingfu's heart actually skipped a beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Ma Ke's face broke into a smile again, and he said: \"General Fu, rest assured, the brothers of the Shenji Battalion will all be fine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instructed a junior officer of his personal guard beside him: \"Go, tell Xiangfeng to hold his ground. An entire battalion of troops routed by a few dozen Tartars—if word gets out, it'll be a laughingstock!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his tone turned grim: \"If those few dozen Tartars don't die, even if I don't behead him on the spot, a later impeachment will mean the fate of those Jizhen officers and generals! Let him remember that!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junior officer led some personal guards and left. Watching their departing backs, Ma Ke looked at Mount Shimen and muttered to himself: \"This mountain, I will definitely take it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui looked worried. The Battle of Mount Shimen turning out this way was something he had not anticipated. He said: \"The battle is like this. Does Commander Ma need support from the Ningyuan Army?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong also smiled beside him and said: \"If support is needed, I could squeeze out some troops, still able to send a few.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face showed concern, but his words carried a tone of schadenfreude. Compared to Ma Ke, his eastern route army was progressing smoothly. When the time came to attack behind Mount Shimen, it would be a fine battle achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ke chuckled darkly and said: \"Rest assured, I can still handle this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at his trusted general Ma Zhiren: \"It's time for our main-force battalion to move. With so many battalions at Shanhai Pass, it still depends on us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said fiercely: \"Bring out the silver chests! Those who dare to be vanguard, each man rewarded fifty taels of silver, all counted as extraordinary merit afterward. I refuse to believe that just a few hilltops cannot be overrun by the officers and soldiers of my Shanhai Garrison!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those who dare to be vanguard will all receive heavy rewards!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, Ma Zhiren and some personal guards beside him roared out. Beside Ma Ke, Bai Houren, the former Jizhen Mobile Corps Commander newly assigned to the main-force battalion, also bellowed loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lured by the heavy reward, numerous desperadoes from the main-force battalion immediately signed up. Even soldiers from other battalions of the Shanhai Garrison also came forward to register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the crowd’s enthusiasm, Ma Ke nodded with satisfaction. Truly, where there are heavy rewards, there will be brave men — these words are no lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, Ma Ke also said to Fu Tingfu, “General Fu, when we assault the mountain shortly, we will still need the support of the Divine Machine Battalion’s cannons and rockets. The General knows as well as I do that retreating in the face of battle means losing your head! If we take the mountain ridge, the credit due to you will not be one bit less than the General’s!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Tingfu understood this reasoning too. Although he kept grumbling about pulling the Divine Machine Battalion’s gunners back to camp, that was just talk. If he really did so, Viceroy Hong might just cut him down with one stroke of the blade, and even Vice General Fu and the Loyal-and-Brave Count would find it hard to speak on his behalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth and said, “Fine, this lowly general will trust Marshal Ma one more time. But remember this — you must guarantee the safety of my battalion’s officers and men!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ke laughed heartily. “Rest assured, General Fu, set your mind at ease!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed broadly on the surface, yet his eyes held not a trace of mirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noon hour, Mount Shimen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cannonballs shrieked through the air, exploding with thunderous crashes inside the stockade walls at various points on Mount Shimen. Strange, thick fumes spread in billowing clouds, and some shells burst open, scattering white, hazy powder that drifted everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whizz whizz whizz!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke and fire soared as countless rockets shot forth from the rocket carts, seeming to blanket the sky as they flew toward the Qing army’s positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After prolonged assault without success and with heavy casualties, the Ming army was already fighting with inflamed fury. Under Ma Ke’s orders, the Divine Machine Battalion’s mortars and rockets were concentrated below Central Shimen Mountain. Disregarding the risk of wounding their own camp’s officers and men, even as the Ming troops assaulted the mountain, he ordered the Divine Machine Battalion’s cannons and rockets at the mountain’s base to fire upon the Qing positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These mortars and rockets had already been fired for many volleys earlier, but because the Qing troops could take cover behind the stockade walls while the shells were in flight, and then emerge to fight when the Ming troops subsequently attacked, the effect had been consistently negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore Ma Ke ordered that while their own forces were assaulting the mountain, the Divine Machine Battalion’s mortars and rockets should fire at the same time, so that when the Qing soldiers came out to engage, they could not take cover — thus increasing the killing effect of the poison shells and rockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ke seemed to be throwing everything into the fray. Multiple battalions of the Shanhai garrison, over twenty thousand troops, had launched an all-out assault. Leading the charge was still his main-force battalion, and rushing at the very front were those vanguard heroes who had taken the reward silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ancient times, cold-weapon combat was purely a matter of physical strength, and those vanguard death-warriors in particular needed to be issued meat rations right before battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, having eaten and drunk their fill, each man grasped his blade or spear, their roars like thunder, as they charged toward the stockade walls of Central Shimen Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of them also carried large baskets on their backs filled with Ten-Thousand-Man Bombs. Because of the Battle of Huangtuling, where the Ten-Thousand-Man Bombs had proved remarkably effective, when Ma Ke’s three garrisons assaulted the mountain this time, Hong Chengchou had brought out a great many Ten-Thousand-Man Bombs from the storehouses for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they could not compare to the Ten-Thousand-Man Bombs of the Jingbian Army — each of those was large and heavy and could not be thrown far — in close-quarters combat, these still packed considerable power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill the Tartars!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vanguard heroes of the main-force battalion howled as they sprinted with all their might. Some of their officers, their voices hoarse from shouting, urged and roused them on. Inspired by these heroes, the Shanhai troops surged toward Mount Shimen like a tidal wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems this time it will be hard to hold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Atop the beacon-fire tower on the mountain ridge, Ajige Nikan, the Baya-ra Banner Commander of the Manchu Plain White Banner, watched coldly as the Ming troops below roared and pressed closer. Looking down from the mountain, they were a dense black mass, seemingly boundless and without end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the armored soldiers defending the mountain were fierce and courageous, they were after all few in number. What pained him more was that Ajige Nikan knew Mount Shimen was merely abandoned ground, sooner or later to be given up. In the high command’s stratagems, the warriors’ stubborn defense was utterly meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this time the Ming army seemed to have steeled its resolve. Even if the warriors fought to the death, with the enemy so many and themselves so few, they could not hold out for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, the Ming army’s poison shells and rockets kept firing over at intervals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Ming troops were surging forward like a tide and were already not far away, the Qing soldiers guarding the stockade walls dared not leave their posts to take cover, fearing the Ming troops would exploit the gap and pour in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those accursed poison shells and lime shells exploded ceaselessly before and behind the stockade walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange, thick smoke grew denser and denser. Even though the men covered their mouths and noses with damp cloths, once the dense smoke seeped in, they still coughed uncontrollably. After prolonged exposure, their vision swam with dizziness and their heads ached as if about to split, throwing the Qing troops defending the mountain into mounting panic. The Korean soldiers in particular were already howling and scattering in chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also some lime shells: when they burst, lime dust filled the air. The men could cover their mouths and noses, but if they covered their eyes, how could they fight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some soldiers guarding the stockade, when they happened to be enveloped by the white lime dust billowing from an explosion, could do nothing but clutch their eyes and shriek in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, when the Ming army fired mortars and rockets while their own troops were assaulting the mountain, incidents of friendly fire were not few. The mortars were not so bad — few shells burst directly above the Ming troops, and even if the poison smoke spread in the air, by the time it reached the ground its potency was greatly diminished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key problem was some of the rockets. Perhaps due to quality issues, or perhaps because they had been stored too long and the gunpowder had absorbed moisture, after being launched some of the Divine Machine Battalion’s rockets did not fly into the sky but instead twisted and careened wildly, shooting down quite a few of the friendly troops charging and shouting ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet on the whole, the seemingly boundless Ming army still came shouting and charging toward Mount Shimen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing so many Ming troops below the mountain, Jin Haonan, the Korean Army’s Assistant Regional Commander beside Ajige Nikan, was like an ant on a hot pan, merely muttering, “What to do, what to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Ma Ke’s troops were locked in fierce battle with the Qing soldiers, Tang Tong’s Miyun Army was likewise advancing along the western bank of the Lesser Ling River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the grueling mountain assault, their advance was far smoother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This long, narrow river-valley zone, though in some places the hills rose and fell and the official road twisted and turned, was on the whole a gentle, soft river valley. In some stretches, the terrain was broad, with considerable distance between the mountains and the river, suitable for the movement of large war-chariot formations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temperament of their commander Tang Tong also influenced the officers and men of every battalion in the garrison. On the march, these Miyun troops were all quite prudent and cautious — not seeking merit, but only seeking to avoid fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They advanced with extreme care, yet along the way they encountered not many Tartar troops. Another trait of the Miyun Army’s style was a fondness for concentrating superior forces to annihilate small numbers of the enemy — to put it simply, they liked to fight many against few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many Qing troops they encountered — fifty men, a hundred men — they would always mass at least three thousand or more troops to surround and pummel them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such a cautious attitude, and given this kind of terrain where the enemy’s forces could not deploy widely — even if they used cavalry, there was little room to maneuver — though their advance was slow, they achieved considerable results. Along the way, officers and men of every battalion reported victories to their commander Tang Tong at intervals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes one head taken, sometimes five heads taken — tidings of victory came in an unbroken stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This also made Tang Tong’s face shine with pride, and he was quite self-satisfied before Ma Ke and Wu Sangui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fierce battle of the Eastern Route Army erupted in front of the Waterman Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eastern side of this place, a pontoon bridge stretched directly to the opposite bank, leading to the Lesser Ling River Fort not far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hundred paces in front of the Waterman Camp stockade, a deep trench had been dug, cutting off passage along the official road. Between the stockade wall and the trench, passage was by a drawbridge raised and lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defending the stockade and trench were several hundred armored soldiers from various Manchu banners and Korean troops, plus some two thousand-odd laborers and the like — making this the place where the enemy’s troop strength was thickest on this expedition. Not only that, to the left of the stockade was Mount Shimen, its slopes gentle; the Qing troops on the mountain could potentially charge down to reinforce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Tang Tong came to reinforce, he claimed over ten thousand crack troops. His actual strength was over eight thousand. For this battle, aside from a thousand men left to guard the camp, the rest mostly went into battle. Among them, three thousand were mounted and foot soldiers of his main-force battalion; the remainder were divided into two battalions, one under an Assistant Regional Commander and one under a Mobile Corps Commander, both surnamed Tang — they were Tang Tong’s clan kin, so the Miyun Army was still very cohesive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Tartar forces ahead so thick, the officers leading the Left and Right Battalions at the front dared not be negligent and urgently requested reinforcements from the main-force battalion. They had been waiting under the scorching sun until the main-force battalion, led by Tang Zong — whom Tang Tong personally commanded — arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Tang Zong arrived and saw the Tartar troops opposite so thick, he too was extremely cautious. After the three battalion officers had a long discussion, they concentrated over three hundred war chariots and cannon carts from all the battalions, loaded with large numbers of Frankish breech-loaders and Hundred-Son Guns, and deployed them to defend the front and the left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These war chariots and cannons were arrayed layer upon layer, with the soldiers of each battalion sheltering among them, pressing the fight step by careful step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hundred-odd paces from the stockade wall, the Miyun Army’s cannons roared in unison. A great number of Frankish breech-loaders and Hundred-Son Guns sprayed massive gouts of flame and smoke toward the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cautious and prudent people are good at exploiting their own strengths, and armies are the same. The Miyun Army perhaps knew that in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, they were far inferior to the Tartar soldiers, so they greatly leveraged the power of their own war chariots and cannons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Frankish breech-loaders fired rapidly. Although their shot was not large — mostly a few taels, or one or two catties — the cannonballs shrieked over like hailstones. Amid crashes like thunderclaps, earth and stone flew from the stockade walls, and the Qing troops behind the walls were all left battered and wretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The violent concussive force felt as though it would rupture one’s internal organs, and many men’s eardrums throbbed with raw pain from the shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This shrieking of cannonballs came volley after volley, as the layered war chariots pushed forward again and again. The cannons on each war chariot and cannon cart had been firing from the si hour, when the two sides first engaged, all the way to the noon hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout this long stretch of time, the Qing soldiers on the other side of the trench and stockade wall could only take hits without being able to strike back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrain also allowed them no other method to use — it was truly suffocating beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At mid-noon, the Qing troops of the Sailor Camp finally received the order to withdraw. Several thousand Miyun troops watched them retreat in silence. Before leaving, these Qing soldiers also burned the pontoon bridge from the Sailor Camp to Xiaolinghe Fort. The several thousand Miyun troops still stood in neat formation; not a single man acted rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Qing soldiers had gone far, the various Tang Zong commanders still maintained a cautious attitude and did not pursue. Under the cover of dense war wagons, they pressed forward along the bank of the Xiaoling River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thereafter only small-scale skirmishes remained. At the hour of Wei, the various Tang Zong commanders, surrounded by countless soldiers, watched in silence as some Qing soldiers burned a massive pontoon bridge at the confluence of the Xiaoling River and the Baigu River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only this pontoon bridge — upstream from this bridge there were still many pontoon bridges, all billowing thick smoke, their flames illuminating the sky. If Tang Zong and the others had urgently dispatched troops to seize them, they might have been able to capture a few pontoon bridges. But they only watched in silence, not firing a single cannon, not loosing a single arrow, waiting until all these pontoon bridges had finished burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The several thousand Miyun troops let out a collective sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around at the faces before and beside him, all brimming with high spirits, Tang Zong burst into hearty laughter and ordered a personal guard beside him: \"Our division has fought a bloody battle, repeatedly grappling with the slaves in combat. Relying on His Majesty's great fortune, Grand Commandant Hong's strategic planning from his tent, and Grand Commander Tang's calm command, we have finally seized the Sailor Camp, seized the banks of the Baigu River, and fulfilled our division's pre-battle strategic plan. This battle — a great victory!\" To be continued. Welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the latest and fastest chapters, please log in. Reading is a kind of enjoyment; we suggest you bookmark this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For more complete txt novels, please download at\u003C\u002Fp>",4633,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","afa4a768f99d79157a56f7e950b5273f38cc6b0a45d4a28eb15eb0e9d0033e20","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-531","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-529",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]