[{"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-597":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},1205886,1561,"Chapter 597: Wait and See","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-597",597,"\u003Cp>Lao Bainiu: Two updates today, another chapter around midnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteenth day of the eleventh month, fourteenth year of Chongzhen, the hour of the Dragon, outside Zhaoyangmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the north wind, layer upon layer of fine snowflakes drifted down from the sky, the snow falling heavier and heavier, as if it meant to shroud this land of the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the wind and snow, the sun-moon wave-tide banners fluttered fiercely, and faintly visible, rank upon rank of armored soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou raised his eyes to the sky — this damned weather, these past years the temperature had grown more and more freakish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tugged the reins, stilling the restlessness of the fine horse beneath him, then turned his head to look at those beside him: the great army was breaking camp and returning, and many from the capital had come to see them off — officials from the Grand Secretariat and the Six Ministries, capital nobles and dignitaries, and a dark, dense press of capital commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever anyone privately thought of Wang Dou, on the surface the rites and decorum of Great Ming’s officers were beyond reproach; after everyone had spoken auspicious words, Count of Xiangcheng Li Guozhen laughed heartily and said, “Escort a gentleman a thousand li, yet a parting must come at last — Marquis of Yongning, take care all the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou thanked everyone, then said with a smile to Fu Yingchong, lately a man of the hour in the capital, “Brother Fu, the matter between my subordinate officer Han Kaixi and your esteemed niece — I must trouble you to take much pains over it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Yingchong was wrapped in thick furs, hat and robe, bundled up like a zongzi; he breathed out cold air, his two enormous tiger teeth strikingly conspicuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said repeatedly, “Marquis of Yongning, set your mind at ease, leave this matter entirely to your humble brother. I have also seen Squad Commander Han; he and my family’s niece are a perfect match of talent and beauty, a couple made in heaven. Your humble brother will certainly help bring this fine match about — heh heh heh heh heh heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The affair of Han Kaixi had soon been broadcast by the two big mouths Wu Dingguo and Liu Lie until everyone knew. As he walked through the camp, he kept seeing his brothers performing it with voice and expression. First a female voice soliloquizing: “Ah, I dwell at the Yangtze’s head, my lord dwells at the Yangtze’s tail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Day after day I long for my lord but do not see him, yet we drink the same Yangtze water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When will this water cease? When will this longing end?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In unison: “Only may your heart be like my heart, and surely it will not fail this yearning love!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching one great strapping fellow after another strike coy, mincing maidenly poses made one’s hair stand on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter soon reached the ears of Company Commander Tian Qiming, a hearty and warm-hearted man, who then gossipingly passed it on to Battalion Commander Zhong Xiancai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai was even more zealous about his subordinates’ affairs, naturally wishing every soldier under him a happy marriage. Hearing that the girl’s family was eminent, and though he had confidence in the Jingbian Army, to prevent any mishap in the happy event, and seeing that Han Kaixi was handsome and quick-witted, he took the opportunity to recognize him as a sworn younger brother, and then came to petition Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou, hearing of it, was also quite interested and at once sent someone to contact Fu Yingchong; Fu Yingchong was likewise very interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the young woman Han Kaixi had encountered was the daughter of Fu Yingchong’s maternal cousin. Given Fu Yingchong’s present glory and honor, with imperial favor at its height, and his clan’s momentum surging, he need only speak a word to his cousin and the happy event would surely succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, privately, Fu Yingchong wished in every respect to strengthen his ties with Wang Dou, and a marriage alliance with Wang Dou’s subordinates could not be better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where his niece’s happiness was concerned, he had naturally made inquiries. Han Kaixi was now a Squad Commander in the Jingbian Army, and by military merit would soon become a Platoon Leader. A Platoon Leader in the Jingbian Army was not comparable to other Ming units — a mere Platoon Leader was at least equivalent in honor to a Company Commander or Squad Commander in an outside army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was only his military rank. Fu Yingchong had some understanding of the Jingbian Army and knew that by Han Kaixi’s merits, he would soon be allotted over a hundred mu of good fields, mountain land, and pasture. With fields, gardens, and homestead in hand, once his niece married over, she would certainly enjoy a comfortable life and would not suffer hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the present Eastern Circuit had long been called a paradise — peaceful, prosperous, secure, and contented. Many officers and officials had already secretly migrated there. Even many civil officials, who on the surface hated Wang Dou to the bone and cursed him roundly, in private likewise secretly sent servants to purchase fields and houses there, hoping for a residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The looming tide of a chaotic age had already made many keen-nosed people anxious. Where they currently lived, no matter how wealthy their own families or how many household guards and retainers they had, what sense of security could there be? Relocating to the Eastern Circuit to dwell in peace had already become a fashionable choice for many wealthy households.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the more so since Han Kaixi was still young, and he was the sworn younger brother of Zhong Xiancai, the Marquis of Yongning’s trusted general, with broad prospects ahead. Therefore Fu Yingchong was very pleased to see this happy event brought about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He calculated: the twenty-ninth of this month would be the Marquis of Yongning’s thirtieth birthday; when he went to offer congratulations, he could discuss this matter in greater detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking with Fu Yingchong, Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, and Tang Tong also took their leave of Wang Dou. Their garrisons lay to the northeast or north of the capital, on different routes. Although they had received the edict to march south as soon as possible, they still needed to return to their garrisons to make preparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take care!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take care!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bidding each other farewell, Wang Dou looked at the two great generals, thought for a moment, and said, “The roving bandits are not what they once were. On this march south, you two elder brothers must be careful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, “If you two elder brothers march south and pass through the Zhuozhou area, you may receive there five thousand Eastern Circuit bird guns and three hundred thousand rounds of powerful cartridge and shot. I will make it clear to my officers beforehand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also said to Tang Tong, “The same for Brother Tang — at that time you may have two thousand bird guns and one hundred thousand rounds of powerful cartridge and shot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, and Tang Tong were all overjoyed. Cao Bianjiao said gravely, “Many thanks, Marquis of Yongning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Tingchen beamed with delight and laughed heartily. “Brother Wang is so generous — as your elder brother, I won’t stand on ceremony.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong thumped his chest till it boomed. “The Marquis of Yongning shows me such great kindness — your humble brother will spare his words of gratitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, “That place of mine, Miyun, has nothing much else, just plenty of marble. If the Marquis of Yongning has need, however much you want, your humble brother will have men haul as much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Until we meet again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four men clasped hands together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Until we meet again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou then took his leave of Wu Sangui and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Until we meet again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the army, Chen Sheng and Ju Yiwu also bade farewell to Tian Dayang, a soldier of the Divine Machine Battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After arriving in the capital, both had become godfathers to Tian Dayang’s five children. Thanks to military rewards and the silver taels Chen Sheng and the other had given him, the once-destitute Tian Dayang’s life had improved considerably, and his relations with Chen Sheng and the others had grown closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Farewell — at last, going home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike’s heart was also full of mixed feelings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This campaign had brought both joy and sorrow. What saddened him was that many familiar faces were gone, including some friends he had made. The day he went out scouting, he had talked cheerfully with the garrison commander of Daxing Fort. But when the Two Yellow Banner Tatars raided Xingshan, Daxing Fort fell, and they all gave their lives for the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou gazed out: before his eyes snowflakes danced, heaven and earth a swirl of shattered jade and tangled jade — at this moment the snow was falling thick and fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked again at Yang Guozhu and Wang Pu; both nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned his head to gaze back through the wind and snow at the majestic capital. Wang Dou thought to himself, “When will I see this city again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted, “Pass the order — withdraw the army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the cheers of the capital’s commoners, a martial song rang out, bold and spirited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you not seen, Han Zhongjun, in his youth bound his captive and begged for the long cord?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you not seen, Ban Dingyuan, in the far frontier his light cavalry spurred the clouds of war?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A man should hold perilous duty dear — how can he let the scholar’s cap ruin this life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much more when the nation’s might is piled like eggs, and feathered dispatches race without pause!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cast aside the brush I once held, don the armor of my wartime pride — one call to comrades in the hundred thousands, singing war songs we march together to the army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One call to comrades in the hundred thousands, singing war songs we march together to the army!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The singing grew more distant, and at last they were all swallowed up in the wind and snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sixteenth day of the eleventh month, in the capital, at Chessboard Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the crowded teahouses and wineshops everywhere, patrons were still relishing with keen interest the grand spectacle of the various garrison border troops, especially the Jingbian Army, returning home in triumph. At noon, when every wineshop was packed to bursting, the streets were thronged with pedestrians; the fine weather that day only swelled the crowds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, from a wineshop above, a voice rang out: \"Shocking news! The merchants of Xuan-Da and Shanxi are colluding with the slaves and betraying the nation!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The evidence is here — every major house is implicated. Truly horrifying to behold! An exclusive revelation — come quickly and see!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the voice spoke, the man flung out his hand, and sheet after sheet of paper pamphlets drifted down like snowflakes. In an instant the street was in chaos as passersby scrambled for them; even throngs of tea drinkers and wine patrons rushed over to snatch and read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this scene repeated itself incessantly in every bustling quarter of the Four-Nine City. For a time, the capital once again seethed with excitement...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the hour of xu, near Chongwenmen Avenue, in a grand mansion with its own workshop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twelfth month was approaching; outside, the winter chill cut like a blade, and swirling snowflakes again filled the sky above the capital. Yet inside the study it remained as warm as spring. The newly appointed Minister of Personnel, Zheng Sanjun, sat silently in his official's chair of yellow rosewood, cushioned with thick, warm padding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat quietly. On the sandalwood desk before him rested a cup of tea, untouched for so long that the liquid within had long since gone cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former Minister of Personnel, Li Rixuan, sat to his side. The tea before him was equally cold, and his eyes merely stared icily at Zheng Sanjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does Brother Yongzhang still have nothing to say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rixuan spoke slowly; though his tone was calm, the words themselves concealed a fury he could not entirely mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zheng Sanjun before him could be considered a veteran of officialdom — a native of Jiande in Chizhou. In the first year of Chongzhen, he had served as Minister of Revenue in Nanjing while concurrently overseeing Ministry of Personnel affairs. In the first month of the eighth year, he became Minister of Justice, with the additional title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. In the eleventh year of Chongzhen, when thieves tunneled through the Ministry of Works wall, Sanjun proposed a light sentence; the Emperor, enraged, stripped him of his office. Court officials petitioned for his pardon, and he was merely allowed to pay a redemption fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a cautious man by nature, especially after being dismissed from office and then making a comeback. Yet caught within the game, one often could not act freely — just like the calamity in the eleventh year of Chongzhen. He had intended to pass a heavy sentence, but the pleas for leniency from all sides made him hesitate, and in the end he brought disaster upon himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You and I may count this as a contest between gentlemen — whoever rises or falls, it is all for the Great Ming and the nation. Only...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thunderous bang, he slammed his hand heavily on the table before him. The two teacups clattered and danced unceasingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice and expression turned fierce: \"What exactly is Wang Dou trying to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He has just thrown the capital into utter chaos, and now, back on the Eastern Route, he wants to move against the gentry and merchants of Xuan-Da?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His palm slapped the table with sharp cracks: \"Does he still have any regard for the dynasty, for His Majesty? Apart from not openly crying rebellion, how does this act differ in any way from treason?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rixuan blazed with fury. Zheng Sanjun's face was equally ashen. He tilted his head slightly back, his eyes seeming to close but not quite, and still uttered not a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rixuan grew more and more agitated as he spoke, until finally his voice turned hoarse and strained: \"The ancestral institutions — the Exalted Emperor granted privileges to the gentry. That is the very foundation of the dynasty. Wang Dou acts with reckless impunity. Does he mean to tear up the roots of the gentry under Heaven? In this old man's view, he is more hateful than the Chuang bandits and the Tatar slaves. He would not only destroy our Great Ming, but destroy all under Heaven itself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an equally thunderous crash, Zheng Sanjun slammed the table and rose. His face livid, he stared at Li Rixuan, panting heavily. After a long while, his expression eased, and he sighed: \"Brother Huibo speaks too severely. The Marquis of Yongning is loyal to the nation with all his heart. You must not, under any circumstances, make reckless speculations and criticisms, lest you once again provoke a great upheaval and place His Majesty in an unjust position.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rixuan merely sneered: \"A great upheaval? At present, the military men hold overwhelming power, with Wang Dou as the linchpin — they even breathe in unison. In this humble official's view, sooner or later they will bring about a great upheaval, even breed the scourge of the Five Dynasties' warlords. Brother Yongzhang, one must repair the roof before the rain...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, within the Forbidden City, the Chongzhen Emperor examined the collected evidence of the Shanxi merchants' crimes, his expression equally grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Wang Dou's intent, he was about to move against Xuan-Da again. Was he so audacious that he did not fear provoking a backlash from the landlords, gentry, merchants, ennobled nobles, and military officers across all of Great Ming? He should know that when he had slaughtered the Eastern Route until rivers of blood flowed, that was only a small area. If he truly expanded this to Xuan-Da and Shanxi, did he really think others would tolerate it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, after listening to Wang Dehua's whispered report, he drew a sharp breath: \"What? After the deed is done, he will give Us one million taels of silver?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chongzhen Emperor had heard something of it — during the time the Jingbian Army and others were in the capital, the Eastern Route under Wang Dou's jurisdiction was engaged in a fierce commercial war with the major merchants of Shanxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether a mere Eastern Route could contend against the reinforcements streaming in endlessly from all of Shanxi and even elsewhere — not only the capital's high and low, but even the Chongzhen Emperor himself, was waiting to see.\u003C\u002Fp>",2811,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","0d4bd2a0fb9c75301aac92fa37f562af61761327141f150f415e049998d8c49a","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-598","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-596",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]