[{"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-614":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},1205903,1561,"Chapter 614","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-614",614,"\u003Cp>The Kuixing Pavilion was not far from the pontoon bridge. Very quickly, Gao Jinzhong made out the banners those cavalrymen carried with them — all were square flags, and on each flag, it seemed, were the patterns of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, and in the center, golden sun-and-moon surging waves, replacing the place where each general’s surname should have been embroidered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These flags were all crimson red, giving a feeling of fiery passion. Looking again at those cavalrymen’s uniform eight-petaled iron-tipped helmets, in an instant Gao Jinzhong understood everything, and his face turned ashen pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, we should close the city gates at once and muster the brothers to defend.” ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendants beside him also came to understand, each one terrified. It seemed that Yongning Marquis Wang Dou, following the example of the eastern route’s actions, was about to move against the great merchant houses. Zhangjiakou was the crucial trading hub for all the great houses, and Wang Dou had even dispatched so many elite cavalry here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to his subordinates’ suggestions, Gao Jinzhong only shook his head. He sighed, “It’s too late, and besides…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the city, hoofbeats rumbled like thunder, dust and smoke rolling. An endless stream of cavalry crossed the river, and the vanguard cavalry swiftly swept toward the two city gates. Gao Jinzhong even saw the cannons of the main army behind them — could those be red-barbarian cannons? Gao Jinzhong’s face grew even whiter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said dejectedly, “Do not throw eggs against a rock or make pointless sacrifices. Though we have our benefits, our lives are more important.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made his decision: “Open the city gates wide. Let us welcome the officers and soldiers from the eastern route.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time he ordered: “Also, send men at once to inform the two lords at Wanquan Right Guard City and Longmen Guard City.” ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed and murmured, “This is all I can do…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wen Fangliang reached outside the Yongzhen Gate, the Jia-grade troops of the vanguard and left divisions had already seized control of the two city gates. Gao Jinzhong, wearing a forced smile, welcomed them outside the gate. In that short time, he had also dragged over several gentry representatives, their whole bodies trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang directly presented the official order to him: “By order of the Yongning Marquis Estate, the Viceroy’s Office, and the Provincial Governor’s government office: it has been investigated that Fan Yongdou, Jin Liangyu, Liang Jiabin, Tian Shenglan, Cao Sanxi, and others have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the nation. The evidence is conclusive. By order, these criminals are to be arrested and brought to justice, and their traitorous property confiscated. Garrison Commander Gao, this general expects your cooperation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong nodded and bowed obsequiously: “Yes, yes. This humble official will certainly cooperate, certainly cooperate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he forced himself to remain calm, the dense ranks of armored cavalry troops lined up on both sides atop the city wall before him exerted too much pressure on him, and he could not help his body trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Gao Jinzhong’s eyes, these Jingbian Army soldiers all wore fine-quality iron helmets, with plumes ranging from red to blue. Each wore a lined winter coat with a hood, sleeves reaching the elbow, and a fur collar. The winter coats were warm and thick, with blue-red coloring along the sleeve edges, the front opening, and the hem — pleasing to the eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They also wore leather belts fastened with brass buckles, making them look even more imposing. As they moved, the gleaming armor plates between their arm guards flashed from time to time, dazzling the eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong keenly noticed that on the shoulders of some armored soldiers there was a strip of red velvet, with a small velvet ball picked out on each side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those armored soldiers were already elite enough, but these soldiers with red velvet on their shoulders were even more fierce and stalwart. A casual glare from them was enough to make a man tremble uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong knew that these men were the Jia-grade troops of the Jingbian Army. He sighed inwardly. Looking at their equipment — even the retainers in each battalion, even the officers, did not necessarily have such gear, yet here even an ordinary common soldier possessed it. Combined with their bearing, they truly deserved their reputation as the finest elite troops of the Nine Frontier Garrisons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Gao Jinzhong’s heart turned cold, his subordinates fared no better, each one trembling with fear. Truly, their lord’s decision to open the gates and welcome them had been correct. Even if they had shut the gates and defended, they could not have held out for long against the army before them, and once the city was breached, these eastern-route officers and soldiers would have had every reason to slaughter them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Gao Jinzhong knew his place, Wen Fangliang put away the proclamation with satisfaction. He waved his hand: “The army enters the city!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the soldiers and civilians of Zhangjiakou, the whole series of events happened very suddenly. All of a sudden, the Jingbian Army of the eastern route was at the city walls, then Garrison Commander Gao opened the gates, and then the army entered the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoofbeats thundered. Many merchants and residents either stood dumbly by their doorways or dodged aside in utter terror, watching column after column of Jingbian Army cavalry approach from the far end of the street. They rode several horses abreast, advancing in perfect order, iron hooves striking the bluestone-paved streets in a uniform, rumbling roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The advance of a disciplined army has always carried immense oppressive force, and especially so with these Jingbian troops — uniformly young and able-bodied, uniformly dressed, uniform helmet caps and arm guards, uniform sturdy horses — the oppressive force was even more staggering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They advanced on horseback in silence. The lance soldiers had their lances set in the victory hooks of their saddles; the arquebusiers carried their arquebuses slung across their backs. As they advanced, the entire city gradually fell silent, as if only the torrent of uniform hoofbeats remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within the ranks, a voice shouted loudly: “By order! Troops of the Azure Dragon Battalion of the Jingbian Army, under the command of Yongning Marquis, are arresting traitorous merchants who have sold out the nation. At the hour of Shen, the entire city is under martial law! It is decreed: no loitering in the streets and markets, no gathering of crowds, no attacking government troops. Violators will be killed without mercy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Jingbian Army is a righteous force with strict military discipline. It has never harassed the common people. The people need not panic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the great army continued to pour into the city and the proclamations were repeatedly announced, the people of Zhangjiakou finally came to their senses. Amid wails as if they had lost their parents, they called for sons and daughters, shouted for fathers and mothers, fleeing in utter chaos, each for themselves, and once home, every door was tightly barred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire city suddenly erupted in uproar, then quickly fell silent again, leaving only the sound of uniform hoofbeats advancing. Many people, still in shock, peered through door cracks at the passing army. In every street and alley, there were irrepressible sobs and hushed whispers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, some could not accept this outcome. Panic-stricken, as they urgently mustered family members and household guards, they also gathered into one shared confusion and fury: “What is that dog Gao Jinzhong doing? Why didn’t he shut the gates and hold firm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army advanced to the Bell and Drum Tower. This was already the central area of the city. The streets of Zhangjiakou Fort radiated from the drum tower in four directions as main streets, called respectively Drum Tower East Street, South Street, West Street, and North Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang unceremoniously made the Bell and Drum Tower the temporary headquarters for the battalion command. The battalion’s various officers and the adjutant reported to Wen Fangliang that the army, besides controlling the east and south city gates, had also seized control of the Jade Emperor Pavilion on the northern city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That spot, though it had no city gate, had a hole dug through the city wall to allow pedestrians to pass in and out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been dug after the Longqing Peace Accord, when Han and Mongols began mutual trade, specifically for the convenience of officials going in and out and for merchants conducting business. Not far inside this small gate was an administrative office specifically responsible for frontier trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our army has already assumed the posture of shutting the door and beating the dog. Even if the traitorous merchants’ families are inside the city, they have no road of escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The adjutant concluded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong stood to one side at a loss, listening to the words of these eastern-route officers. They had long had designs on Zhangjiakou, which made his heart even colder. After thinking it over, he said to Wen Fangliang with an ingratiating smile, “General, might this humble official recommend guides to help the great army locate the storehouses of those traitorous merchants?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang glanced at him, then looked at the map of Zhangjiakou hung on the screen. He smiled and said, “That won’t be necessary. This general trusts more in the espionage agents within our Jingbian Army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong’s expression turned awkward. He said, “Yes, yes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang waved a hand to his subordinates: “According to the predetermined plan, begin arresting the criminals and confiscating the traitorous property!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers of the Left Battalion collectively clasped their fists in salute, their armor plates producing a clatter of metallic sounds. They shouted: “We obey your command!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after Zhangjiakou Fort had quieted down, suddenly hoofbeats thundered again, rising from every street and alley. Then came shouts of killing, and the sporadic crack of arquebuses, accompanied by cries, groans, and shrieks, making the many soldiers and civilians inside the fort even more terrified and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Arrest the criminals, confiscate the traitorous property!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squads of the Left Battalion army fanned out in all directions. Guided by Intelligence Division personnel lying in wait inside the fort, they continuously broke down doors and surged in, provoking shrieks everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is one of the Fan family’s warehouses in Zhangjiakou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pointing at a tall warehouse storehouse inside an alley on Wucheng Street, Liu Jun said. At that moment, he was guiding a squad of Jia-grade troops from the Left Division, accompanied by a battalion provost responsible for registering the warehouse seizures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad officer looked at the warehouse before him. By the look of it, it was even a government building — he had not expected it to be occupied by traitorous merchants. Who knew what shady dealings lay behind this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clasped his fists toward Liu Jun: “Much obliged.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold gleam flashed in his eyes. He waved his hand: “Break down the door!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several “ten-thousand-man bombs” were hurled over the wall, blasting those inside into wailing for their parents. At the same time, with a crash, the warehouse gate was rammed open. Some sword-and-shield soldiers surged in first, then the arquebusiers followed, and then the lance soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every man in the Jingbian Army’s Jia-grade troops was highly skilled in sword, spear, and shield techniques. The battalion’s supply train also kept a stock of commonly used weapons and equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering the possibility of street fighting and house-to-house combat, it was naturally impossible to use only long lances and arquebuses, so many of the confiscation troops had switched weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, they found a broad courtyard inside. By the doorway, flesh and blood were a blur; several wounded men lay crying and groaning in pools of blood. Ahead, several clusters of people were staring in terror at the Jingbian Army soldiers who had broken through the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man who looked like a steward suddenly shouted, “The eastern-route bandits want to snatch our livelihood! Fight them to the death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the clerks, household guards, and others beside him, each gnashing their teeth, each clutching clubs, swords, and spears, surged forward with battle cries. Some among them even carried bows and firearms, and their bearing was more fierce — very likely they were local government troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad officer bellowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some sword-and-shield soldiers in the front row crouched down. Then the crackling of arquebuses erupted like popping beans, and thick gunpowder smoke billowed. Some of those charging forward were hit and fell screaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad officer bellowed the command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matchlock soldiers in front withdrew, and those behind continued firing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again the matchlocks roared, and more men fell, groaning in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those men broke and fled, the overseer among them — all of them staggered back toward some large warehouses in the rear, leaving behind wounded men crying on the ground and a number of already dead bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pursue!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad officer swept a hand forward, and at once the saber-and-shield men and the pikemen, weapons in hand, charged ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Spare me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overseer, caught off guard, had tripped and fallen flat on his face; just as he struggled to his feet, he saw a Jingbian Army saber-and-shield man and a pikeman already upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His soul nearly fled his body, and he screamed in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blade flashed — the saber-and-shield man was already hacking straight at his face. The overseer took the slash and let out a heart-rending howl; with strength from who knows where, he seized the blade tightly with both hands. The saber-and-shield man pulled hard but for a moment could not wrench it free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another cold gleam flashed — a pike thrust at him and instantly pierced his lower belly. Bloody froth bubbled from the overseer's mouth, and he writhed in unbearable agony...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very quickly, within this warehouse, every man who dared resist died; the rest fled wildly like wolves and boars, utterly at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All of you, kneel! Those who resist die!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad officer roared the command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those people scrambled to kneel, every one of them wailing in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving a few men to guard them, the squad officer led his troops into the warehouse. They kicked open door after door and saw that inside, the rooms were piled either with bulging hemp sacks or with other bundles and crates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pikes stabbed down. Golden-yellow wheat and millet at once gushed from the gashes, gleaming with an alluring luster. In the various rooms of this warehouse there were also large quantities of salt, tea, candies, silks and satins, cotton cloth, sheepskin boxes, tobacco, and many other trade goods...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dazzling array of trade goods seemed endless. The quartermaster recorded them one by one, and in the end the haul would be entered into a register and turned over to the command headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although wealth and valuables stir the heart, these Jingbian Army soldiers carrying out the seizure were unmoved. First, they were under the quartermaster's supervision; any embezzlement would bring extremely severe punishment afterward — they would lose everything, and their families and friends might even be implicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, in the soldiers' eyes, their merits were clearly more important than these valuables. Going out on a seizure mission still counted toward merit. Word had come that after this operation ended and they had celebrated the Grand General's birthday, the bestowal of farmland beyond the frontier would soon proceed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the Jingbian Army's current momentum, future grants of fields and residences might very well be measured in li. All of it would be based on merit points. If a man was soon to receive a huge sum of a hundred thousand, no one would ruin his own future by being tempted over ten pieces of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides these trade goods, some storerooms also held large quantities of ginseng, sable pelts, medicinal materials, and other goods. Some chests even contained large amounts of gold and silver vessels and porcelain, as well as bloodstained jewelry — by their style, all were of Central Plains design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a doubt, this was the capital the Tatar caitiffs used to buy trade goods from the treacherous merchants; perhaps the treacherous merchants had not yet had time to ship it back to their home regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liaodong furs and medicinal materials were always well received in the Central Plains. Back in the Later Jin era, Nurhaci had used these very trade goods to smuggle weapons and armor in bulk with the treacherous merchants. Without the treacherous merchants' smuggling, could Nurhaci really have built his power from a mere thirteen suits of armor? A joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And these treacherous merchants, for private gain, were utterly deranged. The silver and valuables the Qing soldiers plundered flowed ceaselessly into their hands. Who knows which Han commoner family these pieces of jewelry belonged to? And looking at the bloodstains on the jewelry, those households must already have perished miserably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squad after squad of Jingbian Army troops carrying out seizures and arrests rumbled incessantly through the streets and alleys. Many elite cavalrymen from the Left Battalion also galloped out of the city, heading straight for places like Xiaobaishan and Taipingshan outside the walls, to seize the warehouses and storehouses the treacherous merchants had there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every resident of Zhangjiakou Fort shut their gates tight, waiting in terror and unease for the matter to pass as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many others gnashed their teeth. Even if they were ordinary residents, they too had profited from the smuggling and had made their living from it for generations. They worried whether their road to wealth would be cut off in the future, and whether they would still have any means of making a living from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And within the various residences and warehouses, the treacherous merchants resisted with surprising tenacity. Almost no one meekly surrendered; they always tried to fight back from their last corner. Perhaps they had their reasons — this was to protect their family property and their families. In their hearts, they had no concept of nation or country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Gao Jinzhong not opened the gates, and had the city's merchants not been caught off guard and disorganized, the soldiers and civilians of Zhangjiakou Fort would have shut the gates and held fast before the great army arrived. Perhaps Wen Fangliang's Left Battalion main force could not have taken the city in a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but because Zhangjiakou was a key smuggling hub for Xuanzhen, the local strongmen and most of the soldiers and civilians likewise made their living from it. So after the initial terror, they slowly began to react. Some, ignoring the martial law, sneaked out of their houses to provide help to the various treacherous merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even large numbers of officers and soldiers slipped out of camp to join them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Gao Jinzhong was determined to cooperate with Wen Fangliang, he could not control his profit-blinded subordinates. By this point, many of his subordinates already hated Gao Jinzhong, who had resolved to open the gates, to the marrow of their bones. Even some of the attendants who had been at his side at the time were slowly beginning to regret it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, from the moment the Jingbian Army Left Battalion soldiers began their seizures at the shen hour, the crack of firearms and the shouts of killing within Zhangjiakou Fort never ceased. Yet in the face of absolute force, all their resistance was futile; it only left more and more dead and wounded bodies lying in the streets or inside the warehouses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stench of blood in the air grew thicker and thicker, and the fresh blood they shed congealed in the cold wind into slick red ice, a sight that made one's heart quail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This warehouse may belong to the Cao family, but our Garrison Commander's wife and Lord Lai of Right Guard City both invested money in it — you cannot seize it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid their desperate roars, the reply they got was the sound of volley fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Beiguan Street, a group of local garrison soldiers wearing fox-fur hats, leather jackets and trousers, and felt boots, weapons in hand, tried to block a squad of Left Battalion rear-guard troops about to seize the warehouse in front of them. From the smuggling, they had received their share of the profits every year, so they were not as poor as the officers and soldiers of other military forts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after just a few squads of the unit's musketeers fired one volley at them, killing and wounding a number, they howled and broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching them flee like wolves and boars, a quartermaster beside the squad officer said, \"These officers and soldiers have already become routed troops. Unless they surrender, they must all be put to the sword, lest they, out of fury, kill and set fires, causing chaos within the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad officer nodded and shouted the order: \"First squad, second squad, third squad — mount up and pursue! Leave none alive — cut them all down...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Atop the bell and drum tower, looking at the seizure ledgers constantly being delivered from all quarters, Wen Fangliang nodded with satisfaction. Zhangjiakou truly lived up to its name as a key trade-goods hub for the great houses; the haul was indeed bountiful. And after this series of gains, the Grand General would have ample financial and material resources; the Jingbian Army could expand again. The group he himself belonged to would also grow larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside Wen Fangliang, Gao Jinzhong's face was pale as he watched the beaming Jingbian Army men. He fidgeted restlessly. The intensity of the resistance within the city had far exceeded his expectations. So much blood had been shed, so many people had died — his own future prospects might not be good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, he saw a trusted family retainer from his own residence being brought upstairs by a Jingbian Army soldier, cowering and shrinking. The retainer glanced fearfully at the Jingbian Army officers, then came before him and said in a low voice, \"My lord, the mistress is wailing and making a scene in the residence. We servants cannot calm her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong gritted his teeth. \"That stinking woman — nothing but trouble for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment, then said to Wen Fangliang with an ingratiating smile, \"General Wen, a small matter has arisen in my residence. Might I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang's gaze shifted over Gao Jinzhong's face, making him tremble with fear, then he chuckled and clapped Gao Jinzhong on the shoulder. \"Old Gao, I have taken note of your cooperation. When the Grand General bestows rewards according to merit in the future, there may well be a share for you... Something at home? Go on, go on. Oh, and take a passage permit with you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong took the passage permit, nodding and bowing. \"Many thanks, General. I shall take my leave now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took his attendants and family retainers, descended the tower, and walked along the main street. He saw that the streets were empty and deserted, with only the elite armored soldiers and cavalry of the Left Battalion coming and going ceaselessly. From time to time he spotted bloodstains on the street, and suddenly heard the crack of gunfire nearby. Here and there, some merchant clerks, weeping and wailing for their parents, were being escorted away by Jingbian Army soldiers to some unknown destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not look too much. Along the way, people kept stopping him for inspection; fortunately, he had the passage permit, and the journey, though fraught, was ultimately without mishap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart pounding with fear, he returned to the Garrison Commander's residence. The moment he reached the rear courtyard hall, he heard waves of wailing and felt a surge of irritation and confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he saw an obese woman, her head covered in pearls and kingfisher ornaments, shrieking as she rushed at him. This was his wife, née Lai — the ninth sister of Lai Tianlu, Assistant Regional Commander of Wanquan Right Guard on the Upper West Road of Xuanfu, named Lai Zhucui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You wretched man, opening the gate to invite bandits in, letting in a gang of robbers! Look, look, Gao Jinzhong — our family's warehouses and shops have all been seized!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong looked at this woman and frowned. Before they married, she had been reasonably slender. How had she grown fatter and fatter after marriage, until she killed his appetite? And her jealousy was extreme; the several concubines he had taken had all been tormented to death by her. For her brother's sake, he had swallowed his anger, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said coldly, \"Those are your Lai family's shops and warehouses. They have nothing whatsoever to do with me, Gao Jinzhong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Lai let out a shriek and rushed over to pummel him. \"You heartless wretch! Before we married, you called me Little Cui, sweet-talked me, fawned on me in every way, and curried favor with my brother — that's how you got the Zhangjiakou Garrison Commander post. Now your wings are strong and you can fly on your own? Heartless!...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong was caught off guard, and his face was clawed with several bloody streaks by her. Rage surged from his heart, malice sprang from his gut. With a slap, he suddenly struck Lady Lai across the face, sending her flying sideways with a cry. Some of the maids beside her rushed forward to support her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong pointed at her and roared furiously: \"You wretched woman! If you hadn't brought this up, it would be one thing, but the moment you mention it, I'm filled with rage!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You tell me, you tell me — after marrying you, how much grief have I, Gao Jinzhong, suffered from your Lai family? Even the money and silver in this household are all in your hands... Haha, you even dole out a monthly allowance to me — a measly one tael of silver. Do you take me for some live-in son-in-law, some lowborn wretch?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Lai clutched her face and stared at Gao Jinzhong's ferocious expression, unable to believe that the man before her was the same husband who used to grovel before her. She suddenly flung off the maids and shrieked as she lunged at him: \"Ah! You hit me? I'll fight you to the death, you old hag!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong slapped Lady Lai away again with one blow, then ordered those beside him: \"The Lady has lost her senses. Lock her in her room. Without my permission, no one is to let her out... The situation is urgent right now; we can't all be killed because of her...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he sneered coldly: \"What dogshit Lai Tianlu, Lai Tianmin — they think it's still the old days? Wang Dou will soon enter the garrison town. Whether they'll even keep their lives is hard to say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangjiakou Fort was a key smuggling and trading hub for all the great families. The confiscation of properties inside and outside the fort, and the arrest of caravan managers and others under the names of the great families both within and beyond the fort, continued from the 24th day until the 25th day, when all matters were finally brought to a close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The confiscated wealth, grain, and fodder were beyond counting. The exact amounts were still being urgently tallied by the accompanying camp supervisors and logistics officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fort remained under martial law. No pedestrians were seen on the streets or in the alleys, and all resistance had already vanished like smoke, leaving only thunderbolt-like news spreading in every direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the morning of the 26th, Wen Fangliang received a report from the scouting riders. From the direction of both the Left Guard and the Right Guard, Lai Tianlu's troops were pressing in, each force numbering several thousand. Besides these camp soldiers and guard battalion troops, there were also military households from some military forts, stirred up as well, even mustering women and children, surging toward Zhangjiakou with menacing momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scouting riders also reported that Lai Tianlu's younger brother, Lai Tianmin — the Assistant Regional Commander of the Dushimaying Camp on the northern route at Longmen Guard City — had received word from Zhangjiakou and was mustering troops. Li Jian'e, the Vice Regional Commander of the Lower West Route under the Xuanfu Defense Circuit, and Yang Tianfu, the Vice Regional Commander of the Middle Route under the Xuanfu Inspection Circuit, were allied with the Lai family and might also make a move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even some military households, officers, and generals in the garrison town were stirring restlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They've come this quickly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jinzhong, standing respectfully beside Wen Fangliang, was greatly alarmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the events of the previous day, he had come to terms with things. He had no path of retreat left; he could only follow the Jingbian Army and fight. If they could not hold and withdrew, the fate awaiting him would be utterly miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day before, some officers and garrison soldiers from his camp had secretly left camp to resist the Jingbian Army and were nearly all killed or wounded. Fortunately, these men were not his trusted confidants, so no matter how many casualties, he did not care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Gao Jinzhong was the Garrison Commander of Zhangjiakou, many of the officers and soldiers in the camp were Lai family loyalists or had been bought off by various merchants. He felt almost sidelined within the fort. The deaths of these men were actually a benefit to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So on the 25th, after requesting instructions from Wen Fangliang, he hastily mustered the garrison troops loyal to him and began sweeping the streets and maintaining order in the fort, which did help Wen Fangliang to some extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surviving officers and soldiers were all scared out of their wits and obediently followed Gao Jinzhong's arrangements and orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Their reaction is far too slow. Are Lai Tianlu and the others born in the year of the turtle?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the intelligence, Wen Fangliang paid it no mind and cracked a joke. The officers of the Left Battalion upstairs all burst into hearty laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the 29th, Zhong Xiancai, leading the Jia-grade troops of the Right Guard's White Tiger Battalion, along with Wang Pu's personal general Wang Zheng, arrived outside Datong City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the distance from Yulin Fort to Datong City was over four hundred li, and even with the freezing weather, the Jingbian Army cavalry's marching speed should not have required so much time. They were mainly slowed down by Wang Zheng's troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the troops he led were all elite cavalry from the Datong Garrison camps, their degree of elite sharpness clearly could not compare with the Jingbian Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoa!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai rode a white horse. In the wind and snow, when he reined in his mount, the sturdy horse beneath him let out a neigh and forcefully snorted, its powerful front hooves pawing hard at the frozen ground, thick white vapor billowing from its muzzle and nostrils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they were not far from the East Pass, Zhong Xiancai halted and reined in his horse to observe the majestic Phoenix Mountain city before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Zheng rode beside him. Behind the two of them stretched dense ranks of elite cavalry, their fluttering banners half-hidden, half-visible amid the swirling snowflakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the 4th day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Guangheng, leading the Central Army cavalry battalion, along with Gao Shiyin and Han Chao, each leading their camp's Jia-grade troops, together with Li Yunshu and others, arrived beneath the walls of Taiyuan City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, they had encountered several interceptions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving news of the failed trade war, the various great families had immediately traveled day and night, fleeing from Hunyuan Department back to Taiyuan Prefecture. First, they widely spread public opinion, claiming that if Wang Dou moved against them, he would be making himself the enemy of the entire realm, hoping to make Wang Dou hesitate for fear of wider repercussions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, although Wang Dou had past incidents, the Eastern Route was only a small place. The three great garrisons of Xuan-Da-Shanxi, however — how vast were the interests involved there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prepare for a rainy day, they also mustered their retainers while scattering heavy bribes, desperately pulling in garrison commanders and officials everywhere, promising all kinds of benefits, hoping that if anything happened, they could rely on this mutual alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They even drew in the Prince of Jin from the princely mansion within Taiyuan City. No matter how reckless Wang Dou was, would he dare to move against a Prince of the Blood?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting several days and hearing no movement, the great families all burst into laughter, declaring that Wang Dou was, after all, a cowardly rat who dared not move against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no sooner had they finished laughing than they received word that Wang Dou had actually mobilized his troops — over five thousand strong, all cavalry, accompanied by troops from Datong Garrison and Shanxi Garrison. Stunned, they redoubled their efforts to proclaim Wang Dou's lawlessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, they also received intelligence that the Wang family had already defected. After their fury, there was nothing they could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because the monk might run, but the temple cannot, the great families had no choice but to gather together. After all, they were scattered across Jiexiu, Taigu, Pingyang, and other places. Even if the people were absent, their family properties were there. They had to return to their respective cities, resist stubbornly, and at the same time agree to look after one another and support each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under their vigorous efforts, the Eastern Route army encountered multiple attacks along the way. First, at Pingxing Pass, local officers and soldiers attempted to ambush the marching Jingbian Army and their allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Jingbian Army was no ordinary force. What they valued most was intelligence and scouting. Ahead of the main army galloped the Night Scout warriors, who easily detected their ambush plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guangheng's cavalry battalion deployed only one unit. A single flanking strike routed the thousands of ambushing officers and soldiers, and on the spot, they executed the Pingxing Pass garrison commander responsible for the operation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Dai Department and Xin Department, they also encountered interceptions by officers and soldiers, all of which they routed. The garrison commander of Fanzhi was outwardly respectful but behind their backs intended to lead troops to cut off the rear route of the Jingbian Army heading for Taiyuan Prefecture. He too was routed by the rear-guard troops and executed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether they were disguised as bandits, rebels, horse thieves, or even roving brigands posing as Li Zicheng's troops, along the way they routed countless foes. The great army surged forward without pause and still swiftly reached the walls of Taiyuan City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the 26th, at noon, with the cold wind whistling, Wen Fangliang led the three units of the Left Battalion, drawn up in orderly formation on the open wilderness several li north of Zhangjiakou Fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on intelligence from the scouting riders, Wen Fangliang judged that Lai Tianlu's troops pressing in from the Right Guard direction would reach outside Zhangjiakou sooner. The force coming from the Left Guard would likely arrive in the afternoon, while the military households from various forts following behind might arrive tomorrow or the day after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after urgent consultation, Wen Fangliang decided to first smash this contingent, then deal with the Left Guard force pressing toward the south gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving one unit of Yi-grade troops to defend the city, Wen Fangliang pulled out the remaining three units in full, determined to conclude the battle swiftly with the force of a thunderbolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang's battle formation was arranged with one unit of Yi-grade troops in the center. They dismounted and formed ranks: four hundred arquebusiers in front, four hundred pikemen behind, each divided into four rows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then some cannons were positioned at the very front, with one unit of Jia-grade troops on each flank, all mounted and in formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the telescope, Wen Fangliang saw on the official road and the wilderness ahead clusters of Upper West Route officers and soldiers with motley uniforms and scattered banners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them were infantry, with few cavalry. Their march had no formation to speak of, and even less discipline. Though he could not hear them from so far away, he could vaguely make out the mouths of some men — some were laughing and joking loudly, others were cursing and grumbling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang shook his head. How could an army like this fight for the country?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this moment, they were the Left Battalion's enemies, so naturally, the worse they were, the better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they approached within two li, they still had not formed up or arrayed an effective battle formation. Although they had sent out scouting riders as they advanced, these had been intercepted by the accompanying Night Scouts, so they likely still did not know that the Left Battalion troops had brought Red Barbarian cannons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, because some wind and snow had picked up today, and they had no telescopes, they could not clearly see the situation over here from a distance. So they swaggered along, utterly unaware that disaster was about to befall them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching them draw closer and closer, still swaggering and in utter chaos, Wen Fangliang shook his head again, then barked the order: \"Open fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a red-barbarian cannon from the Left Battalion fired a test shot, the officers and soldiers of the Upper West Road finally began to form ranks. Then they heard the boom of a cannon from the opposite side, and they all started in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next they saw a cannonball howling over, accurately slamming into the crowd of men, blasting apart flesh and severed limbs. As fragments of armor and weapons flew up, the ball bounced across the hard ground, carrying away more thighs, calves, and arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of them screamed in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again they heard booming roars from the opposite side as smoke billowed up and more cannonballs howled over. As the shells kept slamming in, mists of blood erupted everywhere. The crack and snap of shattering bone rang out in a great clamor. Amid hoarse, desperate shrieks, the officers and soldiers of the Upper West Road fell into panicked chaos, utterly at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soul-reaping cannon fire from the opposite side kept shooting. One shell cut a soldier in half at the waist and then hurtled on, toppling the command banner in front of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid howls of terror, the frightened men suddenly heard, from left and right, a rumbling, shaking sound like muffled thunder and a torrential flood. Through the wind and snow, they saw them: two surging tides of iron cavalry, blue and red, thrusting toward both their flanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two iron torrents galloped on without pause, like giant dragons overturning rivers and seas. A killing aura that seemed to shroud heaven and earth shot straight into the clouds. The Upper West Road men were all frozen dumb by these two terrifying, despair-inducing forces; some even forgot to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until one man let out a heart-rending, gut-wrenching cry of despair: \"Ah! The cavalry are here! Run for your lives!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a roar, the Upper West Road troops collapsed in a mass rout. They fled wildly in every direction, each man minding only his own head and not his heels, wishing only that he could sprout a few more legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed someone in the crowd was shouting loudly, trying to stop them, but the Upper West Road men cared only for fleeing with their lives — who would still heed any orders?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then those men had no choice either, and could only flee along with the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The iron cavalry surged forward, hooves striking the icy ground with a heavy clatter, like a soul-reaping drumbeat that made men shiver with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First-Class troops of both divisions spurred their horses in pursuit, intent on carving fear deep into the hearts of these Upper West Road men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted them to know: to stand as an enemy of the Jingbian Army means only a road to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the wind and snow, in the freezing air, the snorting of warhorses mingled together. Seen from afar, the thick white vapor the horses snorted out seemed to gather into coils of white dragons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squad by squad they pursued. Their main targets were those soldiers whose armor and uniforms were relatively intact and who still carried a faint air of fierceness. Judging by their equipment, these were likely troops from Lai Tianlu's reinforcement battalion. Whether Lai Tianlu himself was among them, no one knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though these men were battalion soldiers, under the sudden rout they had utterly no will to fight, knowing only to flee for their lives. Along the way they left behind countless corpses and wounded. The blood that flowed from them seemed to form small rivers in the freezing wind, first steaming with rising heat, then rapidly congealing into streaks of blood-red ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fleeing blindly, many men ran to the banks of the Qingshui River and crossed on the ice, hoping to escape to the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether by some twist of fate or simply their terrible luck, suddenly patches of ice collapsed one after another in the river. Amid shrieks of alarm, many fleeing men and horses plunged into the river water. (To be continued.)\u003C\u002Fp>",6907,"2026-06-03T14:06:10.567Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","6ae9ad081e77984113ad0869e34fb976f30c28869c34c439d4e3f1e1427b6b04","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-615","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-613",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]