[{"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-67":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},1205356,1561,"Chapter 67: Dressed as an Elephant","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-67",67,"\u003Cp>September 20, the eighth year of the Chongzhen reign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near the bandit main camp on the Hun River, a great battle between government troops and roving bandits was on the verge of erupting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from the 12th, military forts throughout Baoanzhou began suppressing the bandits within their territory. After many days of back-and-forth skirmishes, those bandits banded together, and a final decisive battle became inevitable. From fleeing at the sight of government troops before to now daring to face them head-on, one could see that the roving bandits' combat strength had undergone a great change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits' main camp was set up near Yizhuang, a place nestled against hills and beside water — an ideal spot to pitch camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, several li from the camp stockade, the government troops of Baoanzhou had already advanced in force and deployed a battle formation: the traditional Great Ming three-tier formation. The front was the main force, with left and right wings, plus a central army and a reserve. Thus they could support each other, attack or defend, and the reserves could maneuver to provide support as the situation demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the central army position, a conspicuous great banner flew high. Garrison Commander Xu Zucheng, clad in armor, stroked his beard with boundless confidence and said, \"Today our great army masses together — we shall certainly catch all those bandits in one net!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Xu Zucheng speak thus, his personal general Yang Dongmin, Shunxiang Fort Vice Battalion Commander Zhang Gui, Garrison Commander Yang Zhichang of Wubao, and Zhangjiabao Unit Commander Shi Min all fawned, \"With Your Excellency taking the field, those bandits will surely be reduced to ashes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this campaign to exterminate the roving bandits, Garrison Commander Xu Zucheng had issued orders to assemble troops. From the major forts under Baoanzhou's jurisdiction — Shunxiang Fort, Wubao, and Zhangjiabao — government troops were successively drawn out to come fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shunxiang Fort had a paper strength of over three hundred men; it drew one hundred and fifty. Its subordinate Dongjiazhuang and Huiyao Fort, with a paper strength of fifty each, each drew twenty men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wubao had a paper strength of over four hundred men; it drew two hundred. Its subordinate Erbao, Qibao, and Luanzhuang Fort each drew thirty men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangjiabao had a paper strength of one hundred men; it drew fifty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding the five hundred soldiers drawn from the prefectural city, the total force was an army of over one thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every past instance of government troops fighting roving bandits, a few hundred had often routed several thousand, and several thousand had routed tens of thousands. This time there were one thousand government troops, while the roving bandits numbered a mere three thousand-odd. One thousand against three thousand — how could they possibly lose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder everyone was brimming with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Gui, Yang Zhichang, and the others, being Vice Battalion Commanders, were qualified to attend Xu Zucheng's side. Hearing their words, Xu Zucheng nodded and smiled continuously. Only Shunxiang Fort Vice Battalion Commander and Acting Garrison Commander Lin Daofu did not voice any flattery, merely fixing his gaze to carefully observe the situation within the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him like this, Xu Zucheng glanced at him without betraying any expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his eyes and looked out: the soldiers of his own army's formation stood solemnly; the army was a sea of red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Ming military uniforms were divided into red and yellow. Even on armor, the two colors of red lacquer were often decorated. Because military uniforms favored red, Great Ming military households were also called \"red registers.\" Of course, the armor of the frontier troops was somewhat plainer than that of the capital battalions, lacking their brilliant colors, and the helmet tops rarely had decorative plumes or feathers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Xu Zucheng's battle formation arrangement this time, he placed the bulk of Shunxiang Fort's soldiers on the left wing, the bulk of Wubao's soldiers on the right wing, and the bulk of the prefectural city and Zhangjiabao soldiers in the central army's rear wing. Each wing was likewise divided into front, left, right, center, and rear pickets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure to exterminate the bandits was immense, so this time Xu Zucheng had no intention of holding back his strength. He assigned seventy of his own retainers and placed them solely at the forward picket position of the main front. In addition, each fort likewise selected some elite retainers to fight in the forward picket. Wang Dou, leading his five squads of combat troops totaling seventy-two men, was also positioned at the forward picket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst a sea of red and yellow, Wang Dou's five squads of combat troops, uniformly clad in gray iron armor, were exceptionally eye-catching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Ming military uniforms and iron armor were also graded. Generally, the lowest-ranking soldiers wore pure cloth uniforms, red in color, called \"mandarin duck battle jackets.\" Next were soldiers wearing cloth armor — that is, military coats studded with iron plates and copper nails. Then came cotton armor, used against firearms; then leather armor; then iron armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among Xu Zucheng's retainers beside Wang Dou's troops, they uniformly wore water-polished iron helmets with cap-like chain mail, or high-bowl-style six-petal bright iron helmets, all with iron leaf neck guards. On their bodies they wore either round-collared, front-opening armor or red-cloth iron armor, the cloth showing through the armor plates all red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their armor was, of course, the best within the entire Baoanzhou territory. Yet these garrison troops were still far inferior to the combat battalions of the frontier garrisons. Among the combat troops led by those Mobile Corps Commanders, Assistant Regional Commanders, Regional Commanders, and Provincial Governors in each battalion, their combat troops' armor was even better, each unit's reputation more illustrious than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The iron armor worn by Wang Dou's combat troops could be considered armor without any brand name — there was not even lacquer on it. Yet although this iron armor was rough and ugly in appearance, it excelled in being imposing, thick, and solid — absolutely practical for personal defense in battle. In quality, it was not inferior to the armor of any combat battalion, and was even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this campaign in which Garrison Commander Xu Zucheng drew troops from each fort to suppress the bandits, Wang Dou had also volunteered, leading seven squads of troops to assist in the fight: five squads of combat troops and two squads of logistics troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although those two squads of logistics troops were all able-bodied young men, they did not even have mandarin duck battle jackets; the clothes they wore made them look like beggars. Only those five squads of combat troops looked decent — each man fierce and sturdy, and most of them had armor. Coupled with Wang Dou's own ferocity, Xu Zucheng also placed high hopes on him, so he had Wang Dou lead the five squads of combat troops and position them at the forward picket. As for those two squads of logistics troops, they were placed in the rear wing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the appearance of Jingbian Fort's soldiers was not particularly outstanding, in terms of military bearing and strict discipline, they were first-rate among all the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now it was already late October by the later solar calendar, well past the Frost Descent. In previous years, the weather would have long turned cold, but at present the temperature was still high. Beside Wang Dou, those retainers of Xu Zucheng, under the blazing sun, all showed expressions of impatience; their ranks were arrayed crookedly, and the several officers also lacked any proper bearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although every one of them was stout of body, well-equipped, and appeared to possess excellent individual skills — after all, they were retainers from the Garrison Commander's own side, with ample rations and pay and good training; it would be strange if their personal quality were not high. Yet evidently, these men still clung to the army's old-fashioned mindset of valuing individual martial prowess, disdaining formation coordination and organization. Looking at their formation and battle array, Wang Dou secretly shook his head. No matter how strong these men's personal martial ability was, it was probably just brute courage, unlikely to achieve great things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, the Jingbian Fort soldiers all stood in formation, their military bearing strict and disciplined. Even under the blazing sun, their ranks remained utterly unbroken. Sweat streamed down many faces, yet no one moved to wipe it away; they simply stood solemnly at attention, holding their blades and spears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jingbian Fort's military discipline was extremely strict, especially the brutal formation drills. The slightest misalignment and a round of military canings would follow. Over a long period like this, the concept of orderly and uniform ranks had been driven deep into everyone's bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they had only a few squads of troops, the formation formed by these few small squads already emanated an aura of lethal solemnity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This drew the retainers of Xu Zucheng and the retainers of the various forts beside them to constantly size them up with astonished eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※※※\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old White Bull:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh, had something to do this afternoon, didn't write much for this chapter, but the time came, so I'm updating first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There will be another chapter tonight. Not going premium today; after finishing the second volume tonight, it will go premium tomorrow, hehe.\u003C\u002Fp>",1553,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","4e773ef3008975ef63d0926486279673787aa990905719222b92410044974b2e","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-68","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-66",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]