[{"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-714":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},1206003,1561,"Chapter 714: Intelligence","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-714",714,"\u003Cp>Wang Dou held this intelligence report and read it; the assembled generals also passed it around to read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wen Daxing, Ambassador of the Intelligence Division of the Imperial Ming Xuanfu Garrison, respectfully submits this report concerning the grave defeat of the Earl of Jingnan and the Earl of Ningnan at Guide, the loss of troops and officers, and the surging threat of bandits in the Central Plains. On the seventh day of the ninth month of the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, at the hour of Wei, the Bandit Intelligence Section received a scout report from Xia Yizhen, an operative infiltrated within the bandit camps: On the twenty-first day of the eighth month, the bandits Li Zicheng, Luo Rucai, and He Yilong combined their forces, a million strong, and near Guide Prefecture, twenty-five li from Xiayi, completely encircled the two Earls of Jingnan and Ningnan and struck fiercely. Starving soldiers surged like a tide, and the two garrisons could not hold. At the hour of Wu, the bandits used a hundred heavy Frankish cannons to fire in unison, and the government troops collapsed in defeat. Apart from the cavalry units, not one in ten of the new army survived. When my section followed the massed bandit cavalry in pursuit, we only heard that the Earl of Jingnan, after being covered by the Earl of Ningnan, fled toward Guide. Commander Cao's remaining force was barely a thousand cavalry, Commander Wang's just over two thousand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attached below was Xia Yizhen's more detailed handwritten scout report; one could see the handwriting was hasty, and a few traces of blood still remained on it. The Intelligence Division had annotated it: \"Note: This operative's cover identity was a cavalryman in the bandit Chuang's right camp. The bandits' five-camp patrols were extremely tight. Xia Yizhen was careless while out and his tracks were exposed; he fought to the death and died for the nation. This division has already provided for his family and visited his orphaned children according to regulations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below was a follow-up scout report from another intelligence operative infiltrated in Guide, Zheng Wenzhi: \"On the evening of the twenty-second day of the eighth month, I proceeded to Mamuji as agreed five days prior to meet Xia Yizhen. When handing over the intelligence, Xia Yizhen's expression was hurried. He said: 'Damn their ancestors, the bandits are watching us turncoats more and more closely. I can't stay long, I have to get back quickly.' Suddenly, over ten bandit cavalrymen followed their tracks and arrived. Xia Yizhen fought to the death. I barely escaped by luck, and fortunately the intelligence was not lost. May Soldier Xia's heroic spirit endure forever, and may the sun and moon forever shine upon our Ming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Wenzhi filled in the blanks below Xia Yizhen's intelligence: \"...On the twenty-third, Cao and Wang fled to Guide Prefecture. Cao Bianjiao had only 1,100 cavalry left from his main battalion; Wang Tingchen had 2,300 cavalry left from his main battalion. There were also about 400 men from the two garrisons' new armies who had broken through. Of the two garrisons' southern expedition force of over ten thousand, fewer than four thousand infantry and cavalry remained; the rest were killed in action or missing...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this intelligence report was sent off, in the following days, Zheng Wenzhi also wrote a series of scouting observations from inside Guide Prefecture. First, the great defeat of Cao and Wang shook the entire prefecture. Guide Prefect Li Zhenjia intensified the city's defenses day and night to guard against a bandit attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, on the third day of the ninth month, when the bandits passed through Guide Prefecture with their camps strung out for dozens of li, they made no move against the prefectural city, nor did they pay any attention to Cao and Wang inside. They headed directly for Kaifeng Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that after their defeat, the two Earls were quite despondent and made no move against the bandits outside the city either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This intelligence report also contained individual observation reports from several scouts infiltrated in Henan, as well as an intelligence sample from the Xuanfu Garrison Military Observation Mission stationed in Kaifeng Prefecture. The reporting person was Mission Ambassador and Staff Division Advisor Wen Shiyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Around the hour of You on the eighteenth day of the eighth month, a messenger from the Earl of Ningnan, Wang Tingchen, suddenly arrived seeking reinforcements. He said that his Yutian and Zunhua garrisons had been ambushed en route to Yongcheng. The Earl of Ningnan had led his main battalion to break out first, intending to use it for reinforcement and support. The Earl of Jingnan, Cao Bianjiao, led his Yutian Garrison main battalion, new army battalion, and the Zunhua Garrison new army battalion, seven thousand men in total, back toward Xiayi. The messenger said that when his garrison's troops broke through, tens of thousands of bandit cavalry had already encircled them, and bandit infantry and starving civilians were surging forward in an endless torrent. The Earl of Jingnan was in imminent danger and requested emergency support from Kaifeng Prefecture...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What my section observed at that time was that Kaifeng City was in a state of panic. From Regional Commander Ding Qirui, Viceroy Yang Wenyue, Provincial Governor Gao Mingheng, Regional Inspector Su Jing, to Regional Commanders Hu Dawei, Chen Yongfu, Zuo Liangyu, Yang Dezheng, and Fang Guoan — all were shaken. The people of Kaifeng were terrified, and all gates were shut... During the council, Hu Dawei spoke of rescue; Chen Yongfu remained silent; Zuo Liangyu feigned sleep; Yang Dezheng and Fang Guoan could not agree. Ding Qirui was indecisive. At the hour of Xu in the evening, Viceroy Ding consulted me for discussion. I spoke with fervor and conviction, forcefully laying out the stakes, and strongly advocated for a rescue...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...On the twenty-first day of the eighth month, Hu Dawei, Chen Yongfu, and Jiang Mingwu combined five thousand cavalry and set out for Guide. They hurried back on the twenty-third — Chen Yongfu at the hour of Si in the morning, Hu Dawei and Jiang Mingwu at the hour of Shen in the afternoon. All reported that the Earl of Jingnan had suffered a great defeat, that the bandits had massed a million strong, and that the three garrisons dared not advance...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the intelligence report, Wen Shiyan offered some of his own judgments and observations, which caught Wang Dou's attention and were also highlighted and analyzed by the Intelligence Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The bandits' tactics are outstanding; they excel at using ambushes. Cao and Wang underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly. It is regrettable that they suffered this defeat. Our army must take this as a warning: when intelligence is unclear, we absolutely must not advance...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The bandits have a large cavalry force. When infantry and cavalry coordinate, it is difficult for government troops to break through. If we wish to annihilate the bandits, we must first annihilate their mounted bandits...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The bandits place great importance on firearms. Every time they take a city, they first collect cannons. Their cannon fire is fierce, and the government troops of the Central Plains are instead at a disadvantage. According to intelligence gathered from all sides, Cao and Wang's defeat was also due to the cannon fire of the bandit Chuang. Against the bandits' Frankish cannons, our red-barbarian cannons can overcome them. We must manufacture many cannons...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In Central Plains operations, government troops struggle to maintain logistics, while the bandits turn the tables and act as hosts. This time, to lighten their baggage and fight with mobility, Cao and Wang left their Frankish cannons, crouching-tiger cannons, and other artillery in Kaifeng City without bringing them. Our border defense army must adhere to the principle of carrying a month's rations on our person, preferring to march slowly but never leaving our cannons behind...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With Cao and Wang's defeat, the soldiers and civilians of Kaifeng are in panic, and the bandits' arrogance blazes to the heavens. The strategic situation in the Central Plains may change. The Staff Division must formulate plans to respond!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is also heard that after Cao and Wang fled in defeat to Guide Prefecture, they lost all their senior commanders. Are they dead, captured, or surrendered? If any senior commander has surrendered to the bandits, who might it be? In addition to further investigation by the Intelligence Division, the Staff Division must devise countermeasures for each individual based on their character!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Shiyan's intelligence reports continued until the beginning of the ninth month, confirming that the main bandit force was pressing toward Kaifeng Prefecture. However, there were no further follow-ups after that; presumably they had not yet arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these times of chaos and turmoil, with bandits and refugees roaming everywhere, transmitting intelligence was extremely difficult. Moreover, the Great Ming's postal relay stations had fallen into disrepair, and many resources were hard to mobilize. Over such long distances, in an era without telegraphs or telephones, expecting to receive recent intelligence quickly was truly asking too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Intelligence Division also collected reactions from the capital. Originally, when news arrived that Han Chao had led the Xuanwu Army to capture Guihua City — a great victory beyond the frontier — the capital was elated and the common people rejoiced. But after the news of Cao and Wang arrived, the court and the public were shaken, and the streets were in an uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could have imagined that the two garrisons' new armies, which had once fought bloody battles against the slaves in Liaodong, would actually be wiped out. Truly, public opinion was in an uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to a young eunuch in the capital who was friendly with a certain intelligence operative, His Majesty wept bitterly in the palace that day and cried out: \"Ancestors above...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this intelligence report, the Intelligence Division also excerpted parts of the Chongzhen Emperor's urgent edict ordering Kaifeng Prefecture to tighten its defenses, as well as fragments of urgent dispatches from the Ministry of War. Finally, there was the division's summary and analysis. Many of their views coincided with what Wen Shiyan had recounted. Wen Daxing indicated that follow-up reports would be delivered continuously as intelligence from all sides was compiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Wen Daxing wrote: \"The war situation in the Central Plains is as above. Salute to the Grand General, and salute to the tens of thousands of officers and soldiers campaigning beyond the frontier. May the sun and moon never set, forever shining upon our Ming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading it several times, Wang Dou finally let out a sigh. The faces of all the generals were grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guangheng, the commander of the cavalry camp, said with anguish: \"In the thirteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, I followed the Grand General in striking hard at the bandits. After the Battle of Luoyang, the bandit Chuang suffered an even greater defeat; his forces were either dead or wounded. I never imagined that now the bandit threat would blaze up again, and that the two Grand Commanders would be surrounded and suffer such a crushing defeat. What has become of the Great Ming?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao said: \"The reasons for the defeat are written very clearly in the intelligence. The Earl of Jingnan and the Earl of Ningnan advanced deep into enemy territory alone, their provisions ran out, and in addition the bandits had a large cavalry force and also used cannons. That is why they suffered this defeat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Diaoyang also agreed: \"Although the new armies under the two Grand Commanders had outstanding combat strength, their cavalry was only slightly better than the bandits' mounted troops. I heard the bandits had tens of thousands of cavalry. When Commander Cao broke through, the bandit cavalry clung tightly to him, and in the end their starving civilians surrounded him. He fought hard but was defeated!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin muttered: \"What I don't understand is why the bandits can never be completely wiped out. The bandit Chuang suffers a great defeat time and again, yet time and again he rises again. How does his million-strong army come together so easily?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang's face bore a profound expression: \"The Grand General has said that the people follow the bandits mostly out of hunger and cold, and soldiers follow the bandits mostly because of lack of pay. The bandits repeatedly revive and are not destroyed because the court has no grain and cannot properly settle the starving people. So when the bandit Chuang rises again, the starving people are willing to be stirred up by them. If Li Chuang's case had occurred in the early or middle period of our dynasty, he would only have needed to lose once and would have long since had no place to be buried. Back when our Shunxiang Army defeated the bandit Chuang, if we had grain in hand, Henan would have long been pacified.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Advisor Qin Yi said lightly from the side: \"In suppressing bandits, the most important thing is civil administration; military affairs are only supplementary. If you have no grain in hand and cannot pull the bottom out from under the bandits' pot, then government troops coming and going are merely running themselves ragged! The defeat of the Earl of Jingnan and the Earl of Ningnan was unexpected, yet also within reason!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guangheng suddenly shouted: \"Are we just going to let Li Chuang rampage and run wild?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clasped his fists toward Wang Dou and said: \"Grand General, I am willing to lead the cavalry camp straight to Henan and strike the bandits hard!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Preposterous!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao and Wen Fangliang shouted in unison, then sighed and both fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin looked at Li Guangheng: \"Old Li, it seems you'd better stick to just managing battles. From now on, don't meddle in matters of military strategy — that will get people killed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He roared at Li Guangheng: \"I may be a rough man, but I still know the importance of provisions and baggage. You think leading the cavalry camp into a satisfying fight is all there is to it, but you don't realize how much work the brothers behind the lines silently do... Your camp is full of warhorses — do you know how much grain, rice, and fodder they eat in a day? If you go running off to Henan, how will the logistics keep up? Count on the local government offices? Even the Grand General wouldn't dare hope for that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted: \"And another thing — that bandit Chuang is used to running. When you get to Henan, he won't fight you; he'll just flee, flee for thousands of li. Are you going to chase him for thousands of li too? And then have the rear supply lines transport provisions for thousands of li as well?... If logistics can't hold up and there's no grain or fodder, are you telling our border defense army brothers to drink the northwest wind? They're human too, not made of iron — they all need to eat and drink. You speak so glibly, but what regard do you have for the safety of our officers and soldiers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yike interjected from the side: \"That's true. Back then, when the government troops pursued Zhang Xianzhong, that bastard ran all the way from Huguang to Sichuan, and then ran back again. If the Grand General hadn't set an ambush at Xiangyang, who knows when we would have wiped out the Xian bandit. Even now, remnants like Luo Rucai, Li Dingguo, and Sun Kewang are still left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin continued to roar: \"Also, the Great Ming isn't ours alone. We're not an emergency rescue team, always running east, south, west, and north. Doesn't the army need rest and reorganization? The brothers just finished fighting the eastern Tatars and the northern Tatars, and now they have to run off to fight the bandits again — we already fought them before... And after fighting the bandits, where do we go next? This is like a monkey show, spinning in circles without end. Besides, you say go to Henan — are you going to request a transfer order, or just go like that? Going without orders is tantamount to rebellion. Even if we don't care about reputation and no one dares to control us, sneaking around like that makes us look like thieves. We're soldiers, not thieves!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao burst out with a roar: \"No more arguing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Fangliang saw the rather pained expression on Wang Dou's face and also said softly: \"Everyone, stop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin apologized to Li Guangheng: \"Sorry, Old Li. I've been feeling upset and spoke too harshly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guangheng snorted but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Pu's expression shifted uncertainly at the side. To avoid suspicion, he had voluntarily refrained from looking at the core intelligence of the border defense army like that just now. But from listening to everyone's conversation, he naturally knew about the matter of Cao and Wang. In his heart, he only felt relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought: \"Why fight the bandits? It's a thankless task. I'd better stay put in Datong and live a peaceful, stable life... Of course, if I'm with the border defense army, it doesn't matter who we fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with this Central Plains war intelligence, the Intelligence Division also had several other intelligence reports. Dudu was leading the Manchu-Mongol army toward Liaoxi. What surprised all parties was that Wu Sangui, the Regional Commander of Liaodong, seemed to be beaten utterly without the ability to fight back. Many forts and towns in Liaoxi were breached, beacon fires blazed everywhere, and Dudu plundered to his heart's content. After Jirgalang joined him, Wu Sangui sent urgent appeals for help one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai, the senior commander of the White Tiger Army, also confirmed this. When Dudu went east, Zhong Xiancai had the responsibility of guarding Xuanfu Garrison and did not move. However, when Jirgalang led several thousand elite Manchu cavalry back toward Liaodong, Zhong Xiancai seized an opportunity, suddenly raided hundreds of li to launch a flank attack. Jirgalang lost several hundred cavalry; the rest fled headlong in a wild rush, not daring to look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiancai did not pursue further, only sending some night scouts to reconnoiter, who transmitted back a series of intelligence reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading this Liaoxi war intelligence, Gao Shiyin remarked: \"Has Wu Sangui turned into a pewter spearhead that looks like silver?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Pu also let out a cold snort of laughter. He had always found Wu Sangui an eyesore. That fellow's sense of superiority was ingrained in his bones, even more so than his own. Thinking back to last year in Liaodong... what a piece of work!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou, however, was deep in thought. In the end, warlords were prone to corruption. Wu Sangui had gone bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move was a case of the drunkard's true intent not being the wine — it was about the Liaodong military tax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when Liaodong was in crisis could the court not cut the Liaodong military tax, and might even invest more. Faced with a year of court disputes over the Liaodong military tax, Wu Sangui had made his move. But this move was far too insidious, disregarding the suffering of soldiers and civilians alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou remembered that historically, before the Battle of Songshan, Wu Sangui could also be considered a hot-blooded youth. After the Ming army's great defeat at Songshan, when Zu Dashou was captured and Wu Sangui defended Ningyuan alone, bearing responsibility for all Liaodong affairs — it was from that point, needing to shoulder the interests of the entire Liaodong clique, that he perhaps gradually transformed into a warlord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Wu Sangui had taken control of Liaodong even earlier, bearing the interests of the Wu family, the Zu family, and other Liaodong garrison officers, this transformation had perhaps come even sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warlords… bring ruin to the nation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also news from Liaodong that caught Wang Dou’s attention: shortly after the Jingbian Army marched beyond the frontier, Dorgon ordered Duoduo and Abatai to lead twenty thousand troops in an invasion of Korea, sweeping all before them with a momentum that threatened to extinguish that kingdom entirely…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, a single stone stirs a thousand waves; the butterfly’s wings flutter, and on every side winds and clouds shift and change. Wang Dou gazed up at the clouded sky, merely pondering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army set out on the march, passing a mountain peak where the clouds hung heavy, the winds treacherous, and the gale fierce and biting. Gazing at the majestic mountain scenery, Gao Shiyin suddenly sighed with deep emotion: “Ah, Great Qingshan, O Great Qingshan, how many joys and sorrows, partings and reunions of Han and Hu sons and daughters have you witnessed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou, deep in thought, nearly tumbled from his horse. (To be continued..)\u003C\u002Fp>",3466,"2026-06-03T14:06:10.567Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","435dc83a6db2aabde94524233d4da31140e7607565a2dbbe5c06352276dffaa4","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-715","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-713",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]