[{"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-669":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},1205958,1561,"Chapter 669: The Great Army Marches Beyond the Frontier (Part 2)","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-669",669,"\u003Cp>After the council on the twenty-first, the Border Pacification Army entered its final expedition preparations, and supplies of every kind converged in an endless stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Han Chao's Xuanwu Army, the three battalions on campaign, Sun Sanjie's supply battalion, those transporting grain on the western route, and also Zhong Xiancai's White Tiger Army, the two battalions going beyond the frontier — all the firearms soldiers in these units completely exchanged their weapons for self-igniting firelocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Border Pacification Army's military production capacity was strong, manufacturing flintlock guns was somewhat more complex than matchlock guns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That energy-storing copper plate in particular had no small technical content. Even with the Military Logistics Department's full effort, they could only equip these units entirely with flintlock guns; by the Logistics Department's estimate, equipping the whole army with self-igniting firelocks would have to wait until early next year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, priority was given to the above several units, which were the first to be fully equipped with flintlock guns at the battalion level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Official documents of every kind went back and forth; Wang Dou communicated frequently with Wang Pu, with the Datong Provincial Governor, with his father-in-law Ji Shiwei, with Zhu Zhifeng, Du Xun, and others, urging them to find ways to contribute a portion of grain and fodder as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Border Pacification Army was going to war for the welfare of the common people of the three garrisons of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi; once the barbarian dust was swept away and no more Tatar raiders came plundering, the people could live in peace — naturally, everyone needed to contribute effort, and wealthy households were further encouraged to donate grain and goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In return, they could receive merit points, as well as titles of various grades such as Philanthropist, Community Worthies, and Army-Support Model — titles that brought not only fame but also tangible benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Zheng Jinglun and Lai Mancheng, for example: because they were rated as First-Class Army-Support Models, they were not only permitted to wear swords but also rewarded with merit points. After redeeming land, Lai Mancheng actually discovered a gold mine — word of it spread like wildfire far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, they could also frequently get close to the Marquis of Yongning, sharing a lunch or dinner with him and so on. In all kinds of urgently profitable trades, they could also participate with priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, for people from various circles in the Eastern Route or Xuanfu Garrison to raise their closeness to the Shogunate, the usual way was to donate money and goods to the Hall of Philanthropy managed by the Compassionate Mother Xie Xiuniang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mission of this Hall of Philanthropy was to comfort widowers, widows, orphans, the childless, and the gravely ill; they regularly visited elderly widowers and widows, the children of the orphan camp, and the refugees in the various shelters. Or they would visit the schoolchildren in the various garrison village schools. At lunchtime, they would give them an egg or something of the sort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, the Great Ming's equivalent function was the establishment of reserve granaries, to be used in times of famine. Normally, the grain supplies and so on also relied on private donations, and there were special commendation regulations — for example, those among the people who contributed grain might be rewarded with the title of Righteous Citizen, permitted to see officials without kneeling, or granted honorary caps and sashes and titular offices, or appointed as clerks, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only, by the late Ming, who still donated? The reserve granaries in every city stood empty, and fewer and fewer people opened gruel kitchens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A very large portion of the funding for the orphan camps, shelters, and the like established by the Shogunate also came from donations to the Hall of Philanthropy. Therefore, Xie Xiuniang, in the Eastern Route and now in Xuanfu Garrison, usually appeared in the image of the infinitely merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin. Compared to the sharply polarized assessments of Wang Dou, she received unanimous praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even hostile camps did not dare to speak much against her openly, for fear that when they went out, people would point at their noses and curse them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the money and grain were donated to the Hall of Philanthropy, the donors also had no fear of being suspected of currying favor with the people, and they could obtain all kinds of ideal titles — both fame and profit; why not gladly do it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people, upon arriving in Xuanfu, sighed with emotion that in Xuanfu Garrison, those who did good were many, and there was quite an ancient sage-like air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the most generous treatment came when the Border Pacification Army went to war: those who donated military grain and the like could possess Army-Support Model titles of various grades and could also obtain merit points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, such opportunities were not many, and they also required a minimum donation of one hundred dan of grain. Yet compared to the future returns, the astute donors could still calculate this account clearly. Thus, led by the Three Jin Trading Houses, merchants and wealthy households eagerly donated money and goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the Shogunate's Information Department and its subordinate Xuanzhen Times also intensified their propaganda efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...From the Xuande reign onward, the northern barbarians have successively invaded and plundered the frontier; the border people have suffered grievously, endured untold torment, their livers and brains smeared the ground, fathers and sons, husbands and wives unable to protect one another...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...In the third year of Jiajing, third month, day yisi, the barbarians launched a great invasion, twenty thousand cavalry raiding Datong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the seventh year of Jiajing, tenth month, day xinchou, fifty thousand barbarian cavalry entered Xuanfu from Dabaiyangbian...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the twentieth year of Jiajing, first month, day yiwei, thirty thousand barbarian cavalry entered Jingping from Datong Pinglu, attacking Lianhuayu... In the eighth month, day jiazi, Anda with seventy to eighty thousand cavalry invaded Shanxi's Shiling Pass, Taiyuan, Pingding, Shouyang, Meng County, Zhending, Zijing, and Jingxing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...In the twenty-fourth year of Jiajing, intercalary first month, day jichou, tens of thousands of barbarian cavalry raided the Datong Forward Guard; in the ninth month, day bingxu, tens of thousands of cavalry raided the Datong Central Route...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u002F>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On the fourth day of the first month of the thirty-first year of Jiajing, Anda first came to offer forty horses as tribute and bartered for four hundred horses, but at night he actually led his horde to seize back the bartered horses, invading Datong and wantonly plundering people, livestock, and property... On the ninth day of the second month, he again invaded Datong, plundering Dayong, Weilu, and other forts...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the thirty-third year of Jiajing, eighth month, day yihai, over a hundred thousand barbarian cavalry again divided into routes and plundered Datong Pinglu Guard and other places... In the first year of Longqing, ninth month, day yimao, the northern barbarians under Anda, tens of thousands of cavalry, invaded Datong Jingping, Shanxi Pianguan, Laoyingbao, Lupijiao, and other places...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...These countless invasions and plunderings are what Heaven, Earth, gods, and men all abhor. The Border Pacification Army under the command of the Marquis of Yongning, with righteousness and no turning back, shall assemble troops to quell the horde of villains, to exterminate the various barbarians, and thereby pacify the frontier!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A great river, its waves are wide; the wind blows the fragrance of rice flowers across both banks...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chorus of the orphan camp children in every city and every fort pierced straight into the human soul, making hearts tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout Xuanfu Garrison, especially on the streets of the Eastern Route cities, many appeared dancing with swords and singing loudly. Wen Jinghe, Zhong Ding, and others of the Lingyun Society wept tears and wrote letters in blood; groups of youths stood with swords on the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The harsh wind blows frost, the sea grass withers; sinew and shaft are tough and hard, the barbarian horses are proud. The Han house has three hundred thousand warriors, and the general also commands the Huo Piaoyao...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Houren's face was flushed red from drinking; he raised his cup and pounded the tabletop forcefully with his scabbard. Inside this restaurant in Baoanzhou City, on every floor, above and below, it was packed densely with people just like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiangqing had already found a position as an accountant in the prefectural city. Seeing that Zhou Shixiong today seemed like a changed man, and the entire restaurant was in a frenzy, he felt a little fear, and also a little excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He listened as people sang again, to the accompaniment of loud and orderly pounding of scabbards and sword sheaths: \"...The shooting star, the white feather, is thrust at the waist; the sword-flower, the autumn lotus, gleams from the scabbard. Heaven's troops shine on the snow, descending on the Jade Pass; the barbarian arrows are like sand, shooting through golden armor. Cloud-dragons and wind-tigers all whirl and clash; when Venus enters the moon, the foe can be crushed. The foe can be crushed, the yak-tail banners destroyed; we shall trample the bowels of the Hu and wade through the blood of the Hu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the entire restaurant erupted in a roaring, shouting chorus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hang the Hu upon the blue heavens; bury the Hu beside the Purple Wall. The barbarian people — the Han way shall flourish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are they still subjects of our Great Ming?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people sent from outside to be stationed in Xuanfu were secretly alarmed. Even the undercover agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard within the garrison felt terror in their hearts. People said the Hu sons were fierce and tough, that every woman, child, old and young could fight, yet their ferocious spirit, compared to these people of Xuanfu Garrison, was several grades lower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever they saw them, they thought of the violent Qin — rejoicing at the prospect of war, carrying a severed head in one hand, gripping a sword or saber in the other, fresh blood dripping from it. Merit points — that was the goal they pursued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this the 'enlightening the people's wisdom' that the Marquis of Yongning spoke of? The result he wanted?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Chuanting watched the seething crowd below the building, the cold gleam of swords and sabers dazzling his eyes. Compared to the numbness and apathy of the common people in many places, here it was always boiling and impassioned. The density of educated people here was also the highest in the Great Ming. Young scholars, moreover, made up the greater part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in the Eastern Route, every city, every walled town, every garrison village had a school; all children of suitable age were required to attend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were exempt from tuition fees and were also provided with clothing and meals. They studied the Six Arts of the gentleman: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics, as well as the distinction between Hua and Yi, and all kinds of knowledge. Thus, to outsiders, the people of Xuanfu Garrison always possessed a special temperament — confident and spirited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Sun Chuanting felt that if the populace of Xuanfu Garrison were to appear in the cities of other parts of the Great Ming, the dynasty would find them hard to rule, and the local authorities would find them hard to govern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To say nothing else, the streams of people before his eyes carrying swords and sabers, each of whom had also studied martial arts — how could the government office runners and local militias of other places be their match? If any incident occurred and the two sides clashed, the only outcome would be a rout and a humiliating escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here, to say nothing of the garrisoned troops, even the Constable Bureau was powerful. Every constable, besides a waist saber and iron ruler, also carried a bird gun or a hand cannon. In terms of suppressive force, they held the absolute upper hand. Coupled with the extremely strong sense of discipline among the Eastern Route populace, no incidents were seen to occur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only, as more and more people obtained gun permits, perhaps in the future, most households in the entire Xuanfu Garrison would possess bird guns. Then what would the constables do — carry war chariots, Soaring Hawk cannons, hundred-shot cannons? Frankish cannons, red-barbarian great cannons? This thought flashed through Sun Chuanting's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Marquis of Yongning spends vast sums to enlighten the people's wisdom. Though the Sage spoke of teaching without distinction, I do not know whether this is good or bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A staff officer said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fellow Han people — they are no longer the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Chuanting thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was also paying attention to the various cities. He felt that in Xuanfu Garrison, a kind of ideological trend had already emerged — a simple, rudimentary nationalist ideological trend. Looking across the entire world, perhaps at this moment only Spain had a faint embryonic form of the nation-state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Observing history, only nation-states were qualified to step into the ranks of the early modern and modern eras. When would a nation-state appear in the East?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Majestic is the Lord on High, who watches over our Imperial Ming. The great mandate has been gathered; the root is firm, the branches flourish. What is that root? It nurtures virtue in the Spring Palace. What are those branches? They pacify the vassal states. May the blessing extend a hundred generations, may the grace cover all living beings. For a thousand autumns, for ten thousand years, forever behold its fulfillment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A great chorus of hundreds of thousands of voices resounded through the clouds. On the first day of the eighth month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the sky was high, the air crisp, with a slight chill. At the great parade ground of Xuanfu Garrison City, a dark mass of heads stretched densely, one square formation after another seeming to extend to the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the melody of \"Heaven Favors the Imperial Ming,\" the Sun-and-Moon Wave Banner, fluttering in the wind, slowly rose into the sky. Everyone performed the salute; one by one, they drew their swords and raised them before their chests, a dense forest of cold light glittering. Wang Dou likewise performed the sword salute, raised his sword, and sang loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>God, the August Heavenly Thearch — origin of all things, lord of all gods, the ultimate mystery, the ultimate majesty. The Son of Heaven, his authority divinely bestowed, receives the Mandate of Heaven, to endure and prosper forever, bearing the will of the high heavens and the appointment of the August Heavenly Thearch to rule the great earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After careful thought, Wang Dou decided to designate the \"Heaven-Favored August Ming\" as the garrison song of Xuanfu Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third year of the Hongwu reign, the Great Ming established various musical compositions and pieces. Because there were too many outstanding pieces, the \"Heaven-Favored August Ming\" was used only as banquet music. But Wang Dou believed this song was worthy of serving as the Great Ming's national anthem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grand military review was underway. One square formation after another marched in orderly fashion. The stomp of military boots, the hunting waves of banners, surged like a vast, roaring sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The August Ming ascends the throne, reaching back to the glories of Yu and Tang. The rivers run clear and the seas are calm, goods abound and the people are well...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the grand strains of the \"Blazing Essence Opens Fortune\" musical piece, one square formation after another passed the parade platform. Each time they passed below, they drew their sabers in salute. On the platform, Wang Dou and the others likewise raised their swords from time to time in return salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the platform, Ji Shiwei, Zhu Zhifeng, Du Xun, and the others had their eyes opened wide. Each of them was awed by the vast scene before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tidal wave of cheers rose up — it was the military academy cadet square formations approaching, divided into three formations by age. Marching at the very front was Wang Dou's son, Wang Zheng, personally holding aloft a Sun-and-Moon banner. The banner danced like fiery crimson waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the formation, the sons of various generals — Han Hou, Han Si, Gao Dexiang, and others — each kept their small faces taut as they marched in unison. On this expedition beyond the frontier, they too would accompany the army to observe and learn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students of the Military Academy had always carried an air of mystery. In particular, with the young generals and the sons and nephews of the great commanders appearing in person, the common people did not stint their cheers. Following the cadence of their military boots, the roars rose like mountain tsunamis, as the crowd pushed and shouted with all their might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou, in full battle dress, rode his horse forward. He passed one square formation after another — a vast, dark sea of humanity. Countless eyes moved as his horse moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Salute the Grand General!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten thousand victories!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Salute!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten thousand victories!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Salute the Grand General!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jingbian Army on the parade ground, and the countless common people, shouted with fanatical fervor. Toward Wang Dou's direction, they raised their swords and sabers in dense array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cheers were like a tsunami, the fanaticism spreading like a plague. Countless people were intoxicated as if drunk or entranced. Wang Dou merely watched all this with cool composure and rode on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the Jingbian Army square formations advanced forward in unison, crossing the parade ground and marching directly out beyond the frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On that day, the great army set out to chastise the invaders. The splendor of armored soldiers, warhorses, chariots, and banners blazed across the rivers and plains.\u003C\u002Fp>",2984,"2026-06-03T14:06:10.567Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","7f5e484ed29570ea23d1dfce3c17600b21bfc0c03aed1a3c1b00323caaddbbd2","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-670","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-668",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]