[{"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-65":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},1205354,1561,"Chapter 65: Struggle","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-65",65,"\u003Cp>The bodies of Du Zhen and his men were not discovered until several days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, bandits had been running rampant in Baoan Department, and the local people dared not casually go out. The official road leading to Wujiagou was especially deserted, devoid of any human trace. From the twenty-seventh onward, the bodies of Du Zhen and his men lay on the road, and no one noticed them all the while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not until three days later, when Du Zhen's newly taken concubine waited bitterly at Wujiagou—until even her son's one-month celebration feast had passed—that she still saw no sign of Du Zhen. Not only that, but her own brother Wu Shan and the others were also nowhere to be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That concubine lost all face before her parents and fellow villagers. After weeping and cursing for several hours, she finally sent a servant to Shunxiang Fort to see what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, when that servant reached the official road a few li from Fangjiagou, he was shocked to see the corpses of Du Zhen and his men. Over ten bodies lay strewn across the ground in utter disorder, blood everywhere—the scene was clearly one of extreme brutality. By now, their corpses were covered with flies, swarming and buzzing back and forth in droves, and the stench of decay was nauseating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant was scared out of his wits. Scrambling and stumbling, he fled back to Wujiagou to tell Du Zhen's concubine this shocking news. In an instant, it struck the concubine like a bolt from the blue, and she fainted dead away on the spot. Her household was thrown into utter chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news also spread at once throughout Wujiagou, and everyone was stunned speechless. This was no trivial matter. The local village head took a few able-bodied young men and, steeling their courage, went to investigate. They preliminarily concluded it was the work of bandits, and then hurriedly sent someone to Shunxiang Fort to report the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the whole of Shunxiang Fort was thrown into an uproar. Lin Daofu, the Vice Battalion Commander of Shunxiang Fort, and Chi Dacheng, the Fort Judge, along with other officers great and small, also rushed to the scene to inspect it. Judging by the scene and the method, everyone unanimously concluded it was the work of bandits. In particular, on the way, the group had encountered several bands of bandits who sought to seize their horses and armor, which further solidified this deduction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The acting Garrison Commander had been murdered—this was a major incident. What was even more hateful was that not only were Du Zhen and his men left exposed in the wilderness, but their horses and armor had all been plundered, and even the money and silver on their persons had been completely stripped. For a dignified acting Garrison Commander to meet such an end was truly lamentable and tragic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone gnashed their teeth in hatred for the bandits. After collecting and encoffining the bodies of Du Zhen and his men, they quickly dispatched someone to the department city to inform the Defense Command Officer, Xu Zucheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the news, Xu Zucheng turned pale with shock and was speechless for a long time. He had never imagined that just after his trusted aide Xu Zhongjun had died, his successor Du Zhen would also be murdered. Why was he always beset by such calamities? Thinking of his sorrows, Xu Zucheng could not help but shed tears again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the bodies of Du Zhen and his men were transported back to Shunxiang Fort, Zhang Gui, upon hearing the news, also rushed to Shunxiang Fort that very night. Seeing Du Zhen's body, Zhang Gui's expression was very strange. Then, he burst into loud wailing, and as he caressed the corpse, he repeatedly said, \"Sir Du has met a tragic end, cut down in his prime—how truly grievous this is!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wailed and sobbed, his cries shaking heaven and earth, truly enough to make any listener weep and any onlooker heartbroken!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Du family, old and young, were already grieved enough, but stirred by Zhang Gui's weeping and the scene before them, they began wailing loudly again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Gui wept for an entire hour and still refused to rise. In the end, it took everyone pulling and dragging him to get him up. Seeing him act this way, not only were the Du family, old and young, deeply moved, but even bystanders secretly nodded in approval. Zhang Gui's loyalty and righteous courage truly went without saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exterminating the bandits and avenging Sir Du Zhen would be the next step; for now, the most pressing matter was handling the funeral affairs of the acting Garrison Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after the spirit tablet of the former Garrison Commander Xu Zhongjun had been set up, the officers of Shunxiang Fort, great and small, had to set up Du Zhen's mourning hall next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the question of who should take charge of Du Zhen's funeral affairs also involved a fierce struggle. Logically speaking, after Du Zhen's death, the Assistant Guard Commander and Vice Battalion Commander Lin Daofu was now the ranking officer in Shunxiang Fort, so it stood to reason that he should be responsible for Du Zhen's funeral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Gui also fought his way in with all his might. His official rank was sufficient, and he had many supporters within the fort and in the local area. In particular, the Du family, old and young, had an extremely good impression of him. In the end, the two jointly formed a funeral committee and managed Du Zhen's funeral affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the mourning hall was set up, Xu Zucheng, the Defense Command Officer of Baoan Department, came again to shed tears before the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing even Xu Zucheng shed tears, all the officers in the fort, great and small, could not help but weep. Wang Dou also stood beside the grief-stricken Zhang Gui, silently shedding tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After paying respects at Du Zhen's mourning hall, the most urgent matter at hand was who would succeed to the post of Garrison Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soldiers and civilians inside and outside the fort were all muttering that Shunxiang Fort had lost two Defense Officers in a row—could there be a problem with the local feng shui? But those who had hopes of obtaining this post could not be bothered to ponder that question, and each launched into a series of open and secret struggles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, the one with the highest support was the Dongjiazhuang Unit Commander and Vice Battalion Commander, Zhang Gui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And also Lin Daofu, the Vice Battalion Commander of Shunxiang Fort and the Assistant Guard Commander who oversaw all matters of drill, troop inspection, patrol and arrest, and defense preparation within the fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu did not have many supporters; his most powerful supporter within the fort was the Fort Judge Chi Dacheng. However, his advantage was that he had served as Assistant Guard Commander for many years and was extremely experienced in managing the fort's affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Gui's strength lay in his extremely wide network of connections and his many supporters within the fort and in the local area. In particular, Xu Lu, formerly Xu Zhongjun's personal attendant from Shunxiang Fort, supported him. Also supporting him were Wang Dou, the Tunzhang of Jingbian Fort; Chang Zhengwei, the Unit Commander of Huiyao Fort; and Zhong Dayong, the Deputy Unit Commander—a clear advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, Zhang Gui worked hard to win people over, promising all sorts of benefits. But how could Lin Daofu, the perennial number three of Shunxiang Fort, be willing to let things rest? After being the deputy for so many years, how could he not harbor thoughts of becoming the principal? The two simply raced each other in lobbying everywhere, and Yang Dongmin, the personal officer beside Xu Zucheng, was a key target of their efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for who should succeed as the next Garrison Commander of Shunxiang Fort, the Defense Command Officer Xu Zucheng also had a headache. In his view, neither Zhang Gui nor Lin Daofu was his ideal candidate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Xu Zucheng had not failed to consider Wang Dou. This fellow was good—loyal, fierce, and outstanding in ability. The pity was that Wang Dou's seniority was too shallow and his official rank too low. The post of Garrison Commander required at least a selection from among Principal and Vice Battalion Commanders or Guard Assistant Commanders. Wang Dou, a mere Platoon Leader, simply did not meet the qualifications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Xu Zucheng merely had Lin Daofu temporarily act as the Garrison Commander of Shunxiang Fort. However, he delayed issuing the formal appointment, and so the open and secret struggle for this post continued unabated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time soon reached the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth month. By now, Cold Dew had passed, and the autumn sowing and plowing for the military households of Jingbian Fort had long been completed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this day, Gao Shiyin and Zheng Xiaoyun, the third younger sister of Madam Zheng of the \"Wanshenghe\" grain shop, were swiftly married. It had been less than two months since the two had met. In truth, Zheng Jinglun was not very agreeable to his niece marrying Gao Shiyin, because Gao Shiyin was a military householder. If his niece married him and bore children, they would also suffer as military householders for generations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the mid-Ming period, although it had become more common for surplus males of military households to engage in commerce or take the imperial examinations—during the Wanli era, as many as eighty-seven military-registered examinees attained Metropolitan Graduate status, accounting for over a quarter of all candidates; Wu Dui, the Minister of War during the Jiajing reign, came from a military household; and the renowned Senior Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng also came from a military household—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>on the whole, the reputation of Great Ming military households in various places was not very good. Military service was burdensome, and few could rise above it. Over several centuries, one only heard of Great Ming military householders deserting, never of anyone voluntarily joining them. Of course, the military householders of Jingbian Fort did not count; they were a special case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Zheng Jinglun had such worries. However, upon hearing that Gao Shiyin had already bedded the girl—the raw rice was already cooked—the matter had to be settled whether one liked it or not, and unwillingness had to become willingness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for her third younger sister marrying Gao Shiyin, Madam Zheng held a blessing attitude. Because the wedding was arranged so suddenly, it was impossible for the Zheng family, old and young, to rush from Weizhou to Baoan Department, so Zheng Jinglun and Madam Zheng attended the wedding as Zheng Xiaoyun's elder relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Gao Shiyin's side, this fellow was an orphan. He was Wang Dou's subordinate, so arranging his marriage became Wang Dou's bounden duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was not very familiar with Great Ming wedding customs. Fortunately, he had his mother, whose experience was rich. Wang Dou had his mother, Madam Zhong, handle the three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts on his behalf. In addition, Madam Tao, Madam Liu, and others in the fort also helped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rushing the arrangements in this way, they finally managed to hold Gao Shiyin's wedding on the ninth day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, the entire Jingbian Fort was filled with joy, decorated with lanterns and streamers. Drinking wedding wine and teasing the newlyweds in the bridal chamber made for a very lively day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wedding wine was to be drunk for several days in a row, and the next day, Jingbian Fort continued to bustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near noon, Wang Dou suddenly received an urgent report: a large band of bandits was heading straight for Jingbian Fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they entered the ninth month, more and more bandits were flowing into various parts of Baoan Department. They ranged from dozens to hundreds, and finally reached nearly a thousand per band. Every part of Baoan was on alert. According to Han Chao's reconnaissance, these bandits mostly flowed into the department from Weizhou, Shengshunchuan City, and other places, and their speech mostly carried accents from the Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on Wang Dou's understanding of history and his own reading of the court gazettes, in the sixth month, the Grand Coordinator Hong Chengchou had assembled his forces at Ruzhou, joining with Deng Qi, You Zhaiwen, Zuo Liangyu, Tang Jiuzhou, Cao Wenzhao, and other commanders, and had repeatedly defeated many peasant army units. By the eighth month, Lu Xiangsheng had been appointed Regional Commander of military affairs across five provinces, and the Ming army's momentum was strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed these bandits flowing into the territory were the remnants of those routed peasant armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large band of roving bandits was coming, numbering in the hundreds. It looked like the wedding wine could no longer be drunk. Wang Dou loudly ordered Jingbian Fort to be on alert, and at the same time, he urgently led the fort's officers, great and small, up onto the fort walls to observe.\u003C\u002Fp>",2184,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","4115a94eae6595adaf3971707bd3ad57d712549a36150dd9813941d753e36105","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-66","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-64",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]