[{"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-574":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},1205863,1561,"Chapter 574: Changling Mountain Meat Grinder (Part Two)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-574",574,"\u003Cp>Old Bai Niu: My mother returned from Xiamen, so I held a welcome dinner for her, which delayed the update a bit. Tomorrow there will be at least two chapters, one at 8 a.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Tatars really have come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Sanjie, along with the camp officers and guards, stood atop the stone wall of the main stronghold gazing out at the wilderness. They saw a dark, dense mass of countless cavalry surging forward — from the farthest edge of the vast, boundless land, they poured in beyond Xingshan Fort several li away, and at the same time charged toward their own Changling Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This stretch of wilderness seemed blanketed by them; no one knew how many men and horses there were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The slave rebels are overwhelming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Sanjie thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked toward his own Changling Mountain defense line. Behind three waves of low walls, squads of musketeers stood in tight formation, ready and waiting. And behind each wave of low walls and trenches, spearmen rested and conserved their strength inside stone huts, awaiting the order to sally forth for close combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their numbers were slightly fewer than the musketeers. Within the supply battalion, the proportion of musketeers was somewhat larger — in every company, a full three platoons were musketeers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this time, the main stronghold on Changling Mountain had long been fully built, all constructed from large, solid mountain stone. The stronghold walls were jagged and uneven, and at regular intervals stood a tower, enabling overlapping fields of fire for multiple strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On an open area of the mountain ridge that overlooked the entire hill, an artillery platform had been built. On it were placed five large-caliber mortars and twenty small-caliber mortars, provided by Fu Yingchong, specifically for firing ash shells and poison shells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Changling Mountain defense line, Hong Chengchou had also supplied Wang Dou with fifty hundred-tube guns, later increased to one hundred. Because the time from when these cannons were delivered until the Qing army's assault was quite long, the artillery battalion of the Jingbian Army had long since thoroughly mastered their firing techniques. Thus, the gunners manning them now were all artillerymen from Zhao Xuan's artillery battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original Ming army gunners were well fed and well treated by Sun Sanjie, and they were perfectly happy to enjoy their leisure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, on the northeast side of the mountain ridge, there were likewise multiple lines of low walls and trenches, winding along the river to the northwest face of the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the northwest side, several stone walls had also been built following the terrain. The entire mountain ridge defense line was as solid as metal, and therefore Changling Mountain had largely replaced Xingshan, becoming an enormous granary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only the Jingbian Army's supplies, but also much of the Ming army's grain and fodder, after being shipped to Bijia Mountain, flowed continuously up to the mountain ridge. Every day, large numbers of accompanying civilian laborers came and went. Because the decisive battle had begun, many civilian laborers had gathered inside the main stronghold — taking refuge while also assisting with some logistical tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Sanjie's supply battalion had five divisions in total, over four thousand men. At present, there were more than three thousand supply soldiers on Changling Mountain, with four divisions assembled. Three of them defended the successive waves of low walls and trenches at the front. The troop disposition followed the principle of each wave being heavier than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He withdrew his gaze from his own defense line and his own soldiers. Although the Qing forces were overwhelming, Sun Sanjie was still full of confidence in victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched as the dust and smoke on the wilderness below the mountain grew thicker, and the thunderous rumble of hooves grew louder. Finally, a mass of yellow and bordered-yellow armor and banners spread to the foot of the mountain. Among them were large numbers of soldiers in varied attire — most wore leather robes and leather hats, but some wore willow-leaf armor or hoop armor, with red-tasseled helmets or queue-guard helmets. These were the Outer Vassal Mongol troops accompanying the army this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the dark, dense sea of people below the mountain, Sun Sanjie could not tell how many had come. Although he saw that the Two Yellow Banners had also detached forces to deal with the various positions at Xingshan, it was certain that they had committed the bulk of their forces to attacking the Changling Mountain defense line. Two enormous woven-gold dragon banners were especially conspicuous — the banner lords of both Yellow Banners had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Sanjie raised his telescope and gazed out. A continuous stream of Qing troops and horses was still arriving in the rear. But after reaching the hilly plains at the foot of the mountain, apart from some scouting riders, the main body of their forces halted and made no move, as if waiting for something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wait went on for a very long time — from the hour of Mao all the way to the hour of Chen, and then on to the hour of Si. Sun Sanjie saw that behind the Two Yellow Banners, yet another dark, dense sea of people was arriving — infantry laborers, escorting numerous pieces of equipment, mostly large shields and the like, somewhat similar to the wooden shields Abatai had used when attacking Shunxiang Fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These wooden shields were crudely made, using only some trees and planks with minimal processing. One could imagine why — coming from places like Baimiao Fort, the distance to Xingshan, Changling Mountain, and the like was considerable. If they wanted to use assault wagons or pointed-tip donkeys, transporting them here would take who knows how many months and years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, given the Qing people's level of technical capability, it was impossible for them to manufacture trench wagons, assault wagons, pointed-tip donkeys, and the like on a large scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the telescope, seeing those mountain-assault implements, Sun Sanjie sneered inwardly. From the mountainside upward, Changling Mountain was full of trenches and traps. Trying to push these wooden shields up was impossible. Apart from human flesh shields, the Tatars below the mountain had no other method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horn calls sounded continuously. The Two Yellow Banners kept assembling in an endless stream. On a hillock two li from the mountain, beneath the fluttering woven-gold dragon banners, the Manchu Two Yellow Banner lords Ashan and Baiyintu gazed constantly toward the mountain ridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside them, also mounted on horseback, stood the Plain Yellow Banner Bayara Banner Commander Tulai, the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Bayara Banner Commander Yangshan, and Baiyintu's younger brother, Gong'adai, who held the rank of Bulwark-General of the State.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also mounted beside them were the Eight Banner Mongol Plain Yellow Banner Gusa Ejen Adai, the Bordered Yellow Banner Gusa Ejen **, as well as the Outer Vassal Mongol Tumed Left and Right Banner lords, Jasak Emubu Chuhuer and Shanba; the Kharchin Right Wing Banner Jasak Gulusiqibu; and the newly appointed Kharchin Left Wing Banner Jasak Ge'erma, among others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Manchu and Mongol Two Yellow Banners, along with the various Outer Vassal Mongol princes, dukes, and ministers — the forces encircling the Ming army's rear at Xingshan and elsewhere — could be said to have mostly gathered here. The troops and horses on other battlefields were merely led by the beile and taiji under each banner. One could say they regarded the Jingbian Army on Changling Mountain with the utmost gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at this ordinary mountain ridge before him, long and narrow from left to right, Baiyintu's eyes showed a look of contempt. His voice boomed like thunder: \"Is His Majesty making a mountain out of a molehill? A mere mountain ridge, and he must assemble the main force of our Two Yellow Banners to attack it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a veteran general from the era of the old chieftain, with extremely senior and hardened qualifications. Therefore, although he was loyal to Huang Taiji, his tone was not particularly respectful, and he spoke rather casually. His younger brother Gong'adai beside him was equally nonchalant — a mere mountain ridge, far too easy to capture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Plain Banner lord Ashan was lean and gaunt, with a rather gloomy expression, and was also a more cautious man. He looked at the mountain ridge and shook his head: \"It won't be that simple. The defenders on the mountain are the Jingbian Army... and this place is the key point for digging trenches and cutting off roads. Even if those slaves dig the trenches all the way to the sea, with this nail here, it still won't sever the connection between Xingshan and Songshan...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered briefly: \"Hmm, let the Outer Vassal Mongol tribes and those aha go first. Probe the troop disposition on the mountain...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Two Yellow Banners accompanying the army this time had a considerable number of aha slaves — Han, Korean, Mongol, and other populations, with Han making up the majority. Because of prior inducements such as banner-raising and land distribution, their enthusiasm for combat was quite high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although there were also many auxiliary soldiers and camp followers in the army, these laborers were mostly Manchus — merely the surplus males under each niru. If a bannerman died or was wounded, they were an important source of replenishment for the banner troops. Men like Ashan were naturally unwilling to easily expend them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Manchu way of warfare was to extensively use cannon fodder. First driven forward were the Han or Han Eight Banners, followed by the Outer Vassal Mongol tribes, then the Mongol Eight Banners, and only finally the Manchu Eight Banners.\u003C\u002Fp>",1608,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","f1f2cc427fa316cbfe95c96ec50133a99795170c5323795ec1d2a8d6445a2ab0","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-575","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-573",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]