[{"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-668":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},1205957,1561,"Chapter 668: The Great Army Marches Beyond the Frontier (Part 2)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-668",668,"\u003Cp>In response to Han Chao's words, Zhao Xuan suddenly said, \"In the past, when our Jingbian Army mobilized, did we not always carry a portion of provisions with the army? With our tight defenses, how could the Tatars possibly seize our army's provisions, and why fear them cutting off our supply lines?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tech geek rarely spoke up, and Wang Dou smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao said, \"Brother Zhao, campaigning beyond the frontier is not like the Central Plains. Indeed, in the past when our Jingbian Army campaigned, we always carried a portion of provisions, but after reaching the objective, there was often resupply, and at worst, using various means, we could still obtain grain and supplies, for the Central Plains is dense with cities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But beyond the frontier, often for a thousand li there is no sign of human habitation, the grasslands stretch boundless, deserts and gobi — where would one go to seek provisions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we cannot find Tatar tribes and have no cattle or sheep as replenishment, the provisions carried with the army can generally only last half a month or a month, and will eventually be eaten up. What then? The only recourse is continuous transport from within the passes. If the provisions fail to arrive, the consequences are unthinkable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan was unconvinced: \"Hmph, with our Jingbian Army's battle strength, before the provisions are eaten up, we would have long since taken Guihua City.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao shook his head: \"What the Tatars are best at is fleeing. For instance, if I were the Tatars of Guihua City, facing the Jingbian Army's great host pressing in, I would resolutely abandon the city, take all the city's baggage with me, and hide and flee somewhere. Thus, even if our army occupies Guihua City, that is only the first step.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Moreover, to sustain the garrison's provisions, we would need even more supply line support. This is no longer a matter of carrying a portion of provisions with the army. The Tatars, on the other hand, can constantly harass the supply route — this is their greatest skill. Han armies of past dynasties campaigning beyond the frontier have often been defeated precisely by this tactic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would they abandon Guihua City?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan was puzzled. According to intelligence, the Tumed people of Guihua City were already half nomadic and half agricultural. As early as the Jiajing reign, Altan Khan had recruited or captured Han people to come and reclaim land. The surrounding area had ten thousand qing of fields and hundreds of linked villages. Around Guihua City, there were many with surnames like Ding, Yun, Rong, and Kang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for the Tumed of Guihua City, this city was practically their holy city. Even though Ligdan Khan and Hong Taiji had repeatedly ravaged it, burning and destroying, they still could not bear to abandon it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hard to say. We must consider this possibility. After all, back then Emperor Shun of Yuan even abandoned Dadu. In their bones, the Tatars are runners!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan had nothing to say. He assumed a contemplative pose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu suddenly said, \"Not only that. Campaigning beyond the frontier, besides provisions, we must also consider the army's drinking water!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said, \"When a massive army goes beyond the frontier, how much drinking water do men and horses need? Logistics must not only transport provisions but also water tanks and leather bags. This further increases the difficulty of supply.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was moved. Indeed, beyond the frontier was not like the Central Plains. In the Central Plains, one could easily find rivers, and even if they dried up, there was always groundwater nearby. But on the grasslands, rivers and lakes were few and often separated by great distances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Men and horses could go several days without food, but could not go a single day without water. The defeat at Tumu Fortress back then was a defeat caused by water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone added their piece, one after another, pointing out various problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Han armies of past dynasties went beyond the frontier, they were often completely in the dark, ignorant of conditions beyond the frontier, unclear on the terrain, and unable to obtain intelligence. After leaving the passes, they often could not tell east from west, south from north, quickly lost their way, either becoming trapped in the boundless grasslands or simply wandering into the desert — a near-certain death sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, throughout the dynasties, except in the early period of an empire, they mostly feared campaigning beyond the frontier like tigers and dared not venture too far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this campaign beyond the frontier, the Jingbian Army already had considerable advantages and a fair understanding of the nearby grasslands, yet after planning, there were still many difficulties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What strategy does the Staff Department have?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the sand table before him, Wang Dou said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...The Staff Department has several strategies. The primary one is to emulate Emperor Chengzu's strategy in his first punitive expedition north of the desert. The army attacking Guihua City will send the feathered cavalry, the newly attached Mongol auxiliaries, and others ahead, carrying a portion of provisions. The B-grade infantry will follow, together with the baggage battalion, transporting grain and drinking water. Depending on the distance, every few days' march, a fortified stockade will be built.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These stockades will not only store provisions but also hold water sources. If the advancing army lacks water or provisions, they can send men back to the rear stockades to fetch grain and water. Of course, each of these stockades must have a garrison force left to defend it. Even if things go badly, the army can still withdraw along the original route.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang explained over the sand table. He said, \"The army going beyond the frontier will naturally depart from Yehuling. The distance to Guihua City is over a thousand li. According to the Staff Department's calculations, a stockade must be established every hundred-some or two hundred li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u002F>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fortunately, near the Xuanzhen frontier, there are already garrison forts like Shacheng. This is our Jingbian Army's advantage. Therefore, as the army goes west, within the former Xinghe Defense Battalion territory, establishing two stockades will suffice. This area has rivers like the Great Qing River, Erlong River, and Dongyang River, enough to establish stockades.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Further west, there is Jining Lake, where one stockade can be established. Further west still, there is Xiashui Lake, where another stockade can be established. Finally, by the Xiaohei River, establish one more stockade. With these five stockades, we can fully control the supply route and guarantee our army's campaign against the caitiffs will not fail!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded. By the road conditions of later eras, the journey from Wanquan or Zhangjiakou out of the pass to Guihua City was less than a thousand li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, at this time, the road conditions could not compare to later eras.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For one thing, when passing through the mountain ridges, there were no tunnels like in later eras, nor any highways, so the distance immediately increased. Thus, piece by piece, the journey from Wanquan to Guihua City reached over a thousand li and was far more difficult to traverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strategy proposed by the Staff Department was feasible. Plan not for victory but first for defeat — these various measures were enough to place the frontier campaign army in an invincible position from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Staff Department originally intended to establish one more stockade by the Dahei River, but in that area, the Great Qing Mountains lie to the north, and to the south there is also a continuous stretch of mountainous terrain with dense vegetation and many meadows. The Tatar caitiffs could hide in the mountains and harass intensively, making it difficult to establish a stockade!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, later, if the army crosses the Dahei River, a stockade can be established in the former Fengzhou territory, not far from Guihua City!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Staff Department's intent in establishing these stockades, besides protecting the supply route, was also to lure the Tatar caitiffs into attacking, so they would shed all their blood beneath the stockade walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Jingbian Army's expansion, the B-grade battalions of each army were basically new recruits. Although they had trained long in the garrison forts and had undergone concentrated drill after entering the camps, without having seen blood, they were still new recruits. Letting some of them experience the atmosphere of war would be good. Engaging in a few low-intensity battles would benefit their growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defending stockades was the best training method, but the only fear was that the Tatar caitiffs would not take the bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, for this campaign beyond the frontier, in the Staff Department's planning, troop strength was very ample.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, Han Chao's Xuanwu Army alone had three battalions of troops, and Zhong Xiancai's Company Commander Army also had three battalions. However, Gao Shiyin's and Wen Fangliang's Zhuque Army and Qinglong Army still had two battalions each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the central army, Sun Sanjie's baggage battalion had been expanded to two battalions, and Xie Yike's vanguard scout battalion had also been filled to a thousand men. Wang Dou's guard battalion had been expanded to a thousand men. Including the cavalry battalion with two battalions, the artillery battalion as one large battalion, plus the Loyalty Battalion and the New Auxiliary Battalion, Wang Dou's total troop strength was roughly sixty thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also the maximum limit of his capacity to maintain troops. Any more would not do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Staff Department's plan for the western front campaign to attack Guihua City was to dispatch one Jingbian Army corps, accompanied by one battalion of Mongol New Auxiliaries, containing about three thousand cavalry, and a portion of the artillery battalion, containing forty Hongyi great cannons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For attacking a single Guihua City, even counting the defenses for the stockades along the route, forty Hongyi great cannons were sufficient. And on the grasslands, unless both sides fought a decisive battle, artillery was of little use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the Jingbian Army's troop strength. In addition, the Datong Army would accompany them. Wang Pu had already communicated with Wang Dou that he would dispatch six thousand troops for the campaign, and the two forces would rendezvous at Jining Lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the eastern front, naturally another corps was needed. Besides this, the Jingbian Army still had three corps remaining, which could be calmly arranged and deployed. Of course, who would be dispatched to each front for the campaign needed to be decided by the Regional Commander, Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After studying the sand table for a long while, everything was clear. Everyone subconsciously straightened their posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of council was also clear and straightforward, giving each army's senior general a sense of the whole picture and as much training in the overall situation as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unlike some Ming army units that deliberately mystified things. After the Regional Commander and senior generals finished planning, they simply issued orders downward. Many people could only know what they themselves were supposed to do, while the rest was vague and unclear, making the entire battle feel muddled. This was another area where the Jingbian Army excelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou pondered for a long time and finally gave the order: \"For this great army's campaign, the western front operations at Guihua City shall be the responsibility of Senior Commandant Han Chao of the Xuanwu Army, with the New Auxiliary Army accompanying. The B-grade battalions within the army may all garrison the stockades along the route and defend the supply line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of joy crossed Han Chao's eyes. He clasped his fists and said loudly, \"I accept the order!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The eastern front shall be the responsibility of Senior Commandant Zhong. Your Company Commander Army may leave one B-grade battalion on the eastern route. The remainder shall assemble at New Yongning City and other places to guard against the eastern caitiffs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu also loudly acknowledged the order, deeply feeling the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded to Zhong Susu. Although the intentions of Jirgalang and the others were unclear, Wang Dou was not worried about the eastern front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mantaoer and other areas were crisscrossed with mountains, unfavorable for cavalry operations. Many garrison forts also blocked key communication routes. If Jirgalang and the others wanted to invade the interior, they would have to eliminate them one by one, attacking each city, stockade, and garrison fort head-on — they would likely smash their heads bloody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jingbian Army's forts were not like the forts elsewhere in the Great Ming. Jirgalang and Dudu were both old and shrewd figures and could not fail to see this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, with the speed of his own cavalry, going to the rescue would not take very long. If they were in the midst of attacking a city and the Jingbian Army's great host came rushing from the rear, striking their back or flank, or even cutting off their rear baggage train, then all would be lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Commandant Gao and Senior Commandant Wen, each leave one B-grade battalion in the garrison town. The feathered cavalry of the remaining two corps, the Loyalty Battalion, plus the central army cavalry battalion and a portion of the artillery battalion, shall all assemble with me at Shacheng, waiting for the right moment to act.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The central army's Senior Commandant Sun's baggage battalion shall be responsible for transporting provisions for the armies everywhere. The vanguard scout battalion shall conduct reconnaissance everywhere!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the generals loudly acknowledged the order, each one stirred with excitement — at last the strategy was set, each man's duties fixed, and war was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang felt a slight regret in his heart; his own battalion of troops was stationed in the garrison town and would get no tempering in this battle. Gao Shiyin also cast an envious glance at Han Chao and cracked a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the two of them, the commanders of each battalion — especially the main commanders of the second-class battalions — instantly pulled long, mournful faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the thunderous expedition beyond the frontier would not fall to them. What rotten luck. But the Jingbian Army's discipline was ironclad, and Wang Dou in particular was a man whose word carried the weight of nine cauldrons — once a matter was decided, there was no overturning it. They could only wait for the next chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such was the broad outline of the plan for the frontier campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the men conferred, several clerks from the Staff Department had been recording beside them the whole time. After the clerks submitted the notes, the Staff Department would refine and perfect them further, and finally Wang Dou would affix his seal and signature and issue them to each unit as an official document. The planning of a military operation thus took final form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed. Gao Shiyin shouted loudly, \"Ha ha! When our great army marches beyond the frontier with such might, the Tatar caitiffs are sure to flee at the mere rumor of our approach!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having received the heavy responsibility of the expedition against Guihua City, Han Chao was in excellent spirits, but his nature had always been calm. After rising to high rank, he had grown even more steady. He smiled faintly and said, \"Brother Gao, the Tatar caitiffs fleeing at the rumor of our approach — that would be no good thing. Best they do not flee, but meet our great army head-on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang quickly composed his mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that in the Grand General's heart, he still did not measure up to Han Chao. The two had originally been neck and neck, and old personal ties were involved, so naturally Han Chao received more care. Yet he himself was also the Director of the Staff Department — it seemed the Grand General was a master at striking a balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned back easily in his chair and said, \"Barring the unexpected, the various operations on the western front will unfold around these walled stockades and strongholds. After all, these stockades are vital grain-route storage points and control the surrounding water sources. Unless they are uprooted, the Tatar caitiffs can hardly claim to have cut our supply lines!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, they will not be willing to fight a pitched battle against our main force; they will only harass us in stealth. Therefore, how to locate their main force is the most critical matter!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao nodded. Wen Fangliang's insight was something he admired. After all, Wen came from a military-official family, while he himself was of humble origin. Although he had advanced greatly since joining the Shunxiang Army, that did not mean Wen Fangliang had regressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between the two of them, one often surpassed the other, then the other surpassed the one — their hidden rivalry was fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, he was responsible for the western-front operations. This was the Grand General's trust in him, and he absolutely could not let anything go wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With full confidence, he declared, \"The grasslands are the Tatar caitiffs' home ground. What these northern caitiff Tatars excel at most is raiding and harassing. But the moment our great army scouts them out and finds their lair, they are dead men.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tactics such as appearing and vanishing like ghosts and long-distance raids are the innate instincts of nomads like the Mongols beyond the frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They mostly subsist on cheese, dried shredded meat, hardtack, and the like. Generally, one man has many horses, and the mounts beneath them are equally hardy and enduring, so they require relatively little in the way of logistics and supply. The tactical flexibility far exceeds that of fishing and hunting peoples like the Manchus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus the operational range of nomadic cavalry is extremely vast. Although the Mongols of today have long since lost the fierce valor of Genghis Khan's armies, if they set about harassing, they still cannot be underestimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this does not mean they have no need for logistical provisions at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, compared to infantry, cavalry require even more massive baggage trains, as well as great quantities of drinking water. Those driving herds of cattle and sheep must gather near some river or lake where the grazing lands are rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their main base camp and their vast herds of cattle and sheep often cluster together in the tens of thousands of head and move slowly. Therefore, given the mobility and elusiveness of cavalry, although a Han army marching beyond the frontier finds it very hard to read the traces and locate their main base camp, once it is found, they are as good as dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Qubing galloped several thousand li and at last found the Xiongnu's lair. To safeguard the women and children of the tribe and the safety of their livestock and baggage, the Xiongnu had to fight a decisive battle with the Han army whether they wanted to or not. In the end, their casualties were catastrophic, and they could only weep without tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yongle Emperor's first three northern expeditions likewise found the remnant Yuan lair. Men like Arughtai had no choice but to face the Ming army in a decisive clash. Otherwise, true to their style of fleeing far away the moment the Ming army left the frontier, they would avoid battle if they could, and only return after the Ming army withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are always traces to follow. By analyzing the direction of the roving cavalry's harassment, their range of movement, the number of troops deployed, the quantity of provisions they carry, and so on, one can deduce the location of their main force and the assembly point of their baggage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is just like Wang Dou's cavalry: if they raid so many hundred li over so many days and nights and appear at places like Mantaoer or Kaiping Garrison, a man with good intelligence and rich experience can still gradually deduce that Wang Dou's main base camp lies in the area of Shacheng and Xinghe Suocheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Provisions and baggage are also gathered there — one must devise every means to strike at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is also the fundamental reason why cavalry can determine tactics but cannot determine strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hongwu Emperor used infantry to defeat cavalry and still drove the Mongols out of the Central Plains. Even though the grasslands are the Tatars' home ground and they range far and wide, even if they abandon Guihua City and flee, as long as they carry out harassing operations, one can always find the location where their main force is hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the nearly twenty thousand cavalry and feathered cavalry that Wang Dou has concentrated at Shacheng will strike straight at the dragon's lair and tear them out by the roots!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This expedition beyond the frontier...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at his subordinate commanders, Wang Dou said slowly, \"must demonstrate the awe-inspiring might of our Jingbian Army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sudden shout, he swept his right arm forward with force: \"We vow to sweep away the barbarian dust and pacify our northern lands!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sweep away the barbarian dust and pacify our northern lands!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, another thunderous roar of assent rose, and the fierce, martial spirit of armored steeds and clashing spears shot straight into the clouds. (To be continued)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Novel Network\u003C\u002Fp>",3545,"2026-06-03T14:06:10.567Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","7f063361ce7e3357677bd992a68a76e3ea69c7c107243db7c856700cc06e16cb","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-669","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-667",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]