[{"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-531":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},1205820,1561,"Chapter 531","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-531",531,"\u003Cp>Old White Bull: I'm heading to Xiamen tomorrow; I'll try to find time to write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reinforcements have arrived?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the killing cries erupted at Mount Shimen and the banks of the Xiaoling River, and the guns and cannons roared, Zu Dashou, Zu Dabi, and the others inside Jinzhou were watching with intense concern. These days, the Qing troops assaulted Jinzhou several times a day, and the defenders inside the city all felt they could hardly hold on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, the Qing troops outside the city, for the first time in a long while, did not launch another assault; instead, from the direction of Mount Shimen, the faint sounds of fierce combat drifted over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zu Dashou and the other Guanning Army generals climbed the thousand-year-old Liao Pagoda at the southwest corner of the city and gazed east toward Mount Shimen. Looking around at the officers beside him, every face was lit with joy — especially when, from the Xiaoling River, came the fiery glow and thick smoke of burning pontoon bridges. Clearly, the reinforcing Ming army had already fought its way to the riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the news spread, soldiers and civilians alike throughout Jinzhou cheered and rejoiced. The Ming army would soon cross the river — the siege of Jinzhou was about to be lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Zu Dashou sighed: \"This is the slave-thieves' treacherous scheme. For a great army to cross the river and reinforce us — it will be difficult.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gazed at the Qing encampments layered thickly for several li outside the city, his heart heavy with worry. Clearly, the slave-thieves were employing the tactic of striking while the enemy is mid-crossing. He could foresee a brutal, bloody battle unfolding on both banks of the Xiaoling River. Could the reinforcing army withstand it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go quickly and report the victory!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zong finally roared at that personal guard, casually tossing him a five-tael silver ingot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The personal guard gleefully accepted it. To gain five taels of silver without the slightest effort — and when the victory report was delivered, there would be reward silver on top of that — truly a cushy assignment. He mounted his horse and galloped swiftly toward the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Tang Zong and the other officers pointed and gestured toward the opposite bank. After the Xiaoling River absorbed the Nüer River, its waters swelled dramatically, forming a broad fan-shaped expanse. In the stretch before them, opposite lay the Shiqiaozi waters and the Baigu River waters. Eastward it reached the foot of Mount Zijing, then turned southeast to flow out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could clearly see that on the opposite bank at that moment, for several li, even over ten li away, to the east and north of Jinzhou, the continuous banners of the Qing army encampments spread everywhere. They had Jinzhou surrounded in tight siege. Along the opposite bank, Qing scout riders of every type were densely arrayed; their own side's every move fell within the enemy's watchful gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, a cold sneer surfaced on Tang Zong's face. He gestured broadly and said: \"According to our army's strategy, after seizing the river valley, we are to immediately establish a fortified camp by the river and dig trenches. Then once more envelop from front and rear, striking Mount Shimen from behind. But war is perilous and battle is fraught with danger — how can we not be cautious? Marshal Ma's forces are abundant; there is no need to rush. Better to set up our camp and trenches first, then talk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers around him praised him highly: Assistant Regional Commander Tang, instead of anticipating victory, first anticipates defeat — he has deeply grasped the subtle essence of military doctrine. Such measures are enough to place our army in an invincible position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, several thousand Miyun troops busied themselves. Along the riverbank, they dug deep trenches, and beside the trenches, they densely arrayed war wagons. Even if the Qing troops suddenly crossed the river, their own side could calmly meet the attack. In some of the mountainous terrain to the rear, troops were likewise densely deployed, digging deep trenches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers toiled until sweat poured like rain. Tang Zong and the other officers came and went, directing the work, having long since cast Ma Ke's unit, bitterly fighting over on the mountain, completely out of their minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supported by mortars and rockets, wave after wave of Shanhai troops surged toward the stockade walls at every point of Mount Shimen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power of the poison shells and lime shells was evident. Though the number of projectiles fired was not large, they caused immense distress to the Qing troops defending the stockade walls. Especially those lime shells — because many Qing troops used wet cloths to cover their faces, when lime met water, it boiled and grew scalding hot, burning some Qing soldiers until they screamed in agony, their flesh finally sloughing off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some lime powder also got into their eyes. The Ming army's lime shells were likewise mixed with pitch, arsenic, and other vicious poisons — the damage done to the eyes can well be imagined. On the battlefield, it was impossible to prepare large quantities of vegetable oil and the like. Behind the stockade walls, armored soldiers and laborers of every banner could be seen everywhere, clutching their eyes and howling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing this opportunity, the Ming troops assaulting the mountain closed in on the stockade walls. But as the Ming troops drew near, the firing of the Shenji Battalion's mortars and rockets finally ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the Qing troops' military discipline was ironclad: without orders, none dared retreat on their own. Because the commanding general had not issued a retreat order, the Qing troops defending the stockade engaged the approaching Ming troops in bloody hand-to-hand combat. Even the auxiliary laborers picked up weapons and joined the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of these laborers were surplus males of the various banners, and they too possessed formidable fighting ability; many of them were also excellent archers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides tangled back and forth before and behind the stockade walls, locked in repeated deadly clashes. The shriek of arrow storms, the crack of firearms, the thunderous roar of \"Ten-Thousand-Man Enemy\" bombs echoed across the sky above Mount Shimen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grinding stalemate of the battle made Ma Ke, directing the fight from the rear, burn with impatience. He had already launched a full-frontal assault and issued heavy rewards — why was progress still so slow? He suddenly recalled that Tang Tong's forces seemed to have already captured the river valley. Why had they not yet launched a pincer attack from the rear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head to look. Tang Tong, who had been beside him half a shichen ago, had already vanished to who knows where.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grabbing a personal soldier, he roared: \"Where is Marshal Tang? Where has he gone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That personal soldier, seeing the twisted expression on his grand commander's face, was terrified and said uneasily: \"It seems the Miyun army captured the river valley, and Grand Commander Tang led his personal guard over there to direct the deployment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ke cursed: \"His mother's — not deploying earlier, not deploying later, but going to deploy now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said viciously: \"You go tell Tang Tong to launch an attack from behind the mountain immediately. Otherwise, I will impeach him before Viceroy Hong!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this personal guard hurried off, Ma Ke thought for a moment, then designated another man: \"You go to Viceroy Hong and have him urge Tang Tong's troops forward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the rear of the great army, Hong Chengchou's brow was tightly furrowed. He watched the Shanhai troops locked in a grinding, bloody battle with the Tatar slaves on Mount Shimen. Just a little more effort and they could seize the stockade walls and capture the mountain ridge — yet there was still no sign of movement from the Miyun army. Earlier, when their victory report arrived, Hong Chengchou and the others had been overjoyed, but they never expected the Miyun troops to simply stop in the river valley, leaving Ma Ke to fight bitterly on this side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the current situation, Wu Sangui's Ningyuan army had not yet moved. But the Shanhai troops were already locked in combat with the Qing soldiers on the mountain; even if the Ningyuan troops reinforced them, they would only be crammed into one spot, with no room to deploy. If the Shanhai troops pulled back and the Ningyuan troops took over, all the bitter fighting Ma Ke's unit had done up to now would be utterly wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, the best course was for Tang Tong to lead his troops in a strike from behind the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when Ma Ke's fast-horse messenger arrived, he immediately dispatched a man to the Miyun army to urge them forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong promptly sent a fast rider back with excuses, yet still made no move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou grew increasingly furious and sent another man to urge them. Tang Tong again hurriedly dispatched a fast rider back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now this messenger knelt on one knee before Hong Chengchou, hands clasped in salute, and spoke with glib eloquence: \"...The great army fought a bloody battle and captured the river valley. However, on the opposite bank, a hundred thousand slave-thieves watch with covetous eyes. Marshal Tang, worried that the slave-thieves might press forward, has ordered the troops to dig extensive trenches and make meticulous preparations, ensuring the slaves have no opportunity to exploit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once our Miyun army has secured its footing, we will immediately envelop and attack Mount Shimen from the rear, annihilate the slaves on the mountain to the last man, and drink deeply of the Tatar slaves' blood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou watched this messenger speak with such smooth assurance, a flash of gloom passing through his eyes. He said flatly: \"You need not say more. Relay this Viceroy's order: the Miyun army is to launch an attack from behind the mountain at once. Those who disobey will be dealt with by military law.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Miyun army messenger paused, then said in a ringing voice: \"Yes, your humble subordinate obeys the order.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mounted his horse and departed hurriedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his departing figure, Qiu Minyang, the Provincial Governor of Liaodong, said indignantly: \"At a time like this, and he still harbors the intention of preserving his own troops.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou withdrew his gaze. After a long while, he too sighed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the Xiaoling River, Tang Tong was laughing and chatting merrily with Tang Zong and a few others. He had a glib tongue and was unstinting with his praise, making the officers of the various battalions within the garrison beam with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the earlier messenger returned. Upon hearing the Regional Commander's order he conveyed, the officers of the Miyun army all wore expressions of displeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zong snorted coldly: \"Marshal Ma boasts of a mighty army, with nearly thirty thousand troops, yet he cannot even capture a few mere mountain ridges.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battalion officers around him all agreed: \"Exactly. Though our Miyun army is small, when it comes to fighting, you still have to look to the brothers of our battalions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong flicked nonexistent dust from his grand scarlet cloak, straightened his helmet, drew his personal sword and regarded his reflection in it, satisfied with his dashing, distinguished image. He said nonchalantly: \"Enough. We are all serving the nation; there is no need to distinguish between you and me. We shall do as Viceroy Hong instructs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zong and the others praised him in unison: \"The Grand Commander's heart is wholly filled with loyalty to the nation. We, your humble commanders, are moved to the depths of our souls in admiration.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong looked toward the opposite riverbank, where the densely packed Qing grand encampments loomed faintly. He bared his teeth in a grimace and said cautiously: \"Sunzi said: 'Warfare is the greatest affair of the state, the field of life and death, the path to survival or destruction — it must be thoroughly examined.'... Have you all made proper preparations against the slaves' defenses?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zong and the others replied: \"Grand Commander, rest assured. Whether on this side of the river or on the other side of the mountain, the brothers have dug deep trenches. Even if the Tatars were a fly, they could never hope to slip through.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong nodded with satisfaction: \"Caution leads to no grave errors. We can forgo claiming merit, but we must do our utmost to avoid mistakes. You must understand, one careless misstep, and it is our own brothers who will be lost. They were all born of fathers and mothers, raised with piss and shit — how hard that is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zong sighed: \"The Grand Commander is truly benevolent, so considerate of his own brothers. For us to be able to follow the Grand Commander is truly a blessing cultivated in our past lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong waved his hand and declared with soaring spirit: \"Alright — attack the mountain! Sweep around from behind the Tatars!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several urgings, near the hour of *wei*, Tang Tong finally led his troops and launched a thunderous assault from behind Mount Shimen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this time the Qing troops on the mountain were already a spent force. The influx of the Miyun army became the last straw that broke the camel's back, and the Qing soldiers at every stockade wall retreated in defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Huang Taiji, who was closely watching the battle from Rufeng Mountain Fortress, also issued the order to withdraw. On Mount Shimen, the clanging sound of gongs signaling retreat rang out. The Qing troops on the mountain withdrew like the tide, all falling back toward Rufeng Mountain to the southwest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ke's Shanhai army seized the opportunity to capture the various mountain ridges. They planted their banners on the peaks, cheering and shouting, savoring the fruits of victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Ma Ke, who had ascended the beacon tower on the ridge, felt little joy in his heart. In this assault on Mount Shimen, the various battalions within the garrison had suffered grievous casualties. By his rough estimate, casualties had reached as high as twenty percent, while the enemy slain were few. On Mount Shimen there were only a few thousand Tartar soldiers, but across the river there were over a hundred thousand. How was this war to be fought?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward Tang Tong in particular, he ground his teeth with hatred. Had that treacherous, fair-faced scoundrel deliberately been depleting his own troops?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing on the beacon tower and gazing down the mountain, he could not help but feel a sense of desolation: \"Alas, public morals are declining with each passing day, and men's hearts are no longer what they once were.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also recalled a saying Wang Dou had once spoken: \"Fear not an opponent godlike in prowess, but fear a teammate piglike in folly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That saying felt so fitting. Why were all the teammates around him piglike in folly?\u003C\u002Fp>",2493,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","b5cdb94174df05f6a612126b475825563d800d438142f4eba385376df5d3fbe1","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-532","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-530",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]