[{"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-756":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},1206045,1561,"Chapter 756: Bandit Chaos — Undercurrents","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-756",756,"\u003Cp>Luoyang had been an imperial capital for a thousand years, yet after the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, it had suffered the ravages of war time and again; whether inside the city or beyond its walls, everything lay in shattered ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After winter set in, this land grew even more desolate — everywhere broken wells and crumbling walls, heaps of rubble and debris; when the cold wind blew, patches of withered grass swayed within, mingled with bleached bones and skeletal remains; few travelers passed along the roads, and every trace of cooking smoke had ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the southern bank of the Luo River, however, many banners and tents were spread out, mostly inscribed with characters such as \"Luo,\" \"He,\" and \"Sun\"; an old crow came flapping over with rasping caws and perched atop a ruined temple, fixing its reddened eyes on the bandit leaders feasting and drinking boisterously beneath the broken tiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drink!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ha ha ha ha, truly satisfying!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the music of strings and pipes and the gentle singing and dancing, a crowd of burly men were gorging and swilling, punctuated now and then by their wild roars of laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Rucai, sporting a pair of thin rat-whisker mustaches and dressed like a wealthy merchant, sat in the host's seat; beside him was his key strategist, Yuan Gui, a man from Shandong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the old chiefs of the five Ge and Left camps: the Old Hui Hui Ma Shouying, Ge Liyan He Yilong, Left Golden King He Jin, Change-the-World King Liu Xiyao, Chaos-World King Lin Yangcheng, and others; also present at the same table were Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo from the Xian camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Rucai's nephew Wang Long and his personal commander Yang Shengzu also gathered with the various chiefs' subordinate officers at several tables, though his officer Li Rugui had already gone south with the main horse and foot army of the Chuang camp to campaign in Runing Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Battle of Zhuxianzhen, Li Zicheng adopted Li Dingguo's strategy and decided to first destroy Wang Qiaonian, then attack Runing Prefecture; however, seeing that the government troops at Kaifeng were cowed, Li Zicheng slightly revised his military plan and pursued both objectives simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, along with his senior generals Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Gao Yigong, and others, led the bulk of the elite cavalry, together with the mounted troops under each chief, in a thunderous raid on Henan Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining mounted troops, along with most of the starving foot soldiers, were led by Li Guo, Yuan Zongdi, and others, together with the bulk of the foot soldiers and famine refugees under each chief, and headed for Runing Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the Shaanxi government troops had been soundly defeated by them, Wang Qiaonian was dead, and He Renlong, Zheng Jiadong, Niu Chenghu, and the rest had fled, the land of Qin was like a ripe peach, just waiting for the foot-soldier army to return from Runing Prefecture so they could storm Tongguan, fight their way into Shaanxi, and return home in silken robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While in Henan Prefecture, the various chiefs spent every day gathered in Luo Rucai's camp, drinking and eating in great gulps and mouthfuls; before each man, delicacies were piled high as mountains, and with the spirited feasting, singing, and dancing, they were utterly beside themselves with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Rucai was addicted to sensual pleasures; wherever his forces went, he would select the most beautiful young women, keeping several hundred in his rear chambers and maintaining several troupes of female musicians — to say nothing of his several hundred wives and concubines, each outstanding in allure; even the female musicians singing and dancing in the hall at that moment were each gorgeously arrayed and quite lovely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These bandit leaders were all coarse, vicious wolves; watching these alluring dancing beauties, how many of them could keep their hearts still? Abandoning all restraint and loudly jeering and flirting was mere routine; Left Golden King He Jin was drooling, and when he saw one female musician dance near him, he suddenly lunged and seized her in his arms, bellowing, \"Pretty thing, come into my embrace!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the woman's shrieks, Chaos-World King Lin Yangcheng slapped his thigh and laughed: \"Old He can't hold back — he's not going to whip it out and do her right here on the floor, is he?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits roared with laughter again; He Jin kissed her fiercely on the neck and panted hoarsely, \"I'm not so starved that I'd eat anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he kissed, he bit, and spots of fresh blood appeared on the woman's neck — a shocking, horrifying sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She forced a smile, enduring the pain, not daring to offer the slightest resistance; the remaining female musicians, too, continued their singing and dancing with terror in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, He Jin pulled the woman into his arms, his right hand roaming up and down, and rasped to Luo Rucai: \"Master Cao, I've taken a fancy to this one — give me your word.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, several pretty young women were attending Luo Rucai all at once: two kneading his shoulders, two tapping his legs, and one more sitting in his lap, from time to time popping tasty morsels and fine drink into his mouth — he never had to lift a finger himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swallowing another mouthful of meat, Luo Rucai waved dismissively and said in his Shaanxi dialect tinged with a Yan'an accent: \"What's a mere woman? If Master He fancies her, just take her away. Old Luo here may not have much else, but beautiful women and girls in my tents — I've got plenty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even told the assembled bandits: \"Any chief who fancies one, just pick her and take her — Old Luo won't so much as furrow his brow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd cheered, and for a moment the hall was filled with cries of: \"Master Cao is magnanimous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Cao is generous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Cao is truly a model for us all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the grand chief of the five Ge and Left camps, He Yilong was of course entertained by Luo Rucai as an honored guest; at that moment, he too had two women feeding him wine and meat and tapping his legs and kneading his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flushed with wine and warmth, he said with some feeling: \"Master Cao's style — now this suits my taste. Balls to it all — living like King Chuang, in coarse clothes and poor food, begrudging even a single chicken — then why the hell are we risking our heads and rebelling in the first place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin and Liu Xiyao heartily agreed; Liu Xiyao said: \"We rebel for the joy of rampaging across the land! Eating meat by the bowlful, weighing gold with a steelyard, and toying with the wives and daughters of officials and gentry — living like King Chuang, what savor is there in that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, the Ge and Left men had been associating frequently with Luo Rucai; although Luo Rucai's troops were not as numerous as those of the various chiefs, he was resourceful and cunning, his conduct suited their tastes, and his generosity with wealth went without saying — he was never stingy with fine food and drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, with Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo of the Xian camp as close to Luo Rucai as left and right hands, the various chiefs had been mingling with him often of late, and there were faint signs of them looking to him as their leader; He Yilong, in particular, had become thick as thieves with Luo Rucai, calling him brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Kewang's eyes flickered; he gripped his wine cup and said pointedly: \"How can crude fellows like us compare with King Chuang? King Chuang is a man of grand ambition, and now his troops are strong and his followers many…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall fell quiet; only the howling of the cold wind could be heard, pouring in ceaselessly through every gap in the ruined temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Rucai's face darkened; he waved glumly and dismissed all the singing and dancing entertainers. Lately, Li Zicheng had grown increasingly autocratic, even beginning to treat these equal allies with arrogance, ordering them about — how could that sit well with Luo Rucai and the others?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the days of Gao Chuangwang, all the camps had been comrades-in-arms on equal footing: stay if it suited, leave if it didn't, preserving full democracy and freedom. What was this now — were Luo Rucai and the others supposed to be Li Zicheng's subordinates?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yilong's face, too, was grim; he cursed and grumbled, deeply dissatisfied with Li Chuang. When they had attacked Cao and Wang, the Ge and Left camps had suffered heavy losses, yet when it came to dividing the spoils, Li Zicheng took the absolute lion's share.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same had happened after the Battle of Zhuxianzhen: of the tens of thousands of surrendered Ming troops and thousands of cavalry — especially the new-model troops among them — a very large portion was taken by Li Chuang, and that was not all. Baggage and provisions, cannons and equipment, large numbers of horses and mules — in everything, Li Zicheng took the bulk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Chuang army had borne the brunt of every battle, then such a division of spoils might be acceptable… but that was not the case; if Luo Rucai had been in charge, he would never have been so shameless in his taking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was even more intolerable to He Yilong and the others was Li Chuang's attitude of treating them like subordinates!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who were they? They were the leaders of their own camps, each with seniority as old as Li Chuang's when they first rose up. In all their dealings, each ran his own operation, each had his own views. How could they swallow their pride and let someone else order them about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Kewang's words could not help but stir He Yilong's pent-up grievances, and he burst out cursing: \"Balls to it — just bringing this up makes my blood boil! We're not some household's servants or slaves — King Chuang's conduct is too disheartening!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yangcheng was equally indignant: \"King Chuang has broken the rules.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Rucai's face was dark; he still said nothing, merely gripping his wine cup and pondering something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not end there; observing everyone's expressions, Sun Kewang added, seemingly offhandedly: \"The righteous army's next step is to attack Shaanxi. If Shaanxi is taken, King Chuang will grow even more powerful… heh heh, I fear by then we'll be even less in King Chuang's eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Dingguo, having pondered in silence, followed his elder brother's lead and also remarked, as if very casually: \"My only fear is that when the time comes, the Chuang camp will harbor thoughts of annexation — what if they take a fancy to our troops?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A jolt of alarm shot through the hall, and everyone's expression changed; He Yilong abruptly turned to Luo Rucai: \"Master Cao, you are full of stratagems — we beg you to devise a plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The roving bandits are already so powerful that they are hard to control. Yet among their allied camps, with all their petty scheming and squabbling, how could there be no rifts? Your unworthy student is willing to watch for cracks and sow discord — with my tongue, to set the bandits scheming against one another, to rupture their very heart and core; the bandits' transformation will surely arise from within!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaifeng city lay shrouded under drifting snow; in a side room of the Provincial Governor's government office, Henan Provincial Governor Gao Mingheng stood with his hands behind his back, watching the snowflakes outside, while behind him a certain scholar surnamed Chen was delivering an impassioned speech, volunteering to enter the bandit camp and carry out a stratagem of sowing discord, to incite a fiery internal clash and chaos among the bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Mingheng listened, and after a long while sighed: \"To enter the tiger's den — this is a matter of nine deaths and one life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Confucius said, 'Achieve benevolence'; Mencius said, 'Choose righteousness'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar bowed deeply and declared with lofty spirit: \"If I can make the bandits turn on one another and save our Great Ming, why should we begrudge this body?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Mingheng pondered in silence for a long time, then said: \"So be it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wielded his brush and splashed ink, writing a letter — a forged \"reply\" to Luo Rucai, which read: \"Your secret letter was received earlier, and I am already aware of its contents. Moreover, during the battle, I observed that your cannon muzzles were aimed upward and did not harm our troops — ample proof of your sincerity. I have simultaneously submitted a memorial; your enfeoffment and appointment should be imminent…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the letter in his hand, he said: \"This draft, I, the Provincial Governor, will send a death-sworn agent to deliver, ensuring that it deliberately falls into the hands of the Chuang bandits — it will surely lend you a helping hand!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ocean waves, carrying the tide, surged in one after another, crashing against the rocks as if to emit a roar that would rend heaven and shatter earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the raging sea, the breakers pounding the reefs and from time to time spraying up plumes of foam, both Duoduo and Abatai paled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment they were located inside Busan Harbor, the easternmost port of the Joseon kingdom. Besides the harbor, there was also a small fortress. Of course, after growing accustomed to the towering walled cities of the Central Plains, they all dismissed such a low, dilapidated little fortress with utter contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now stationed within Joseon territory, aside from requisitioning grain and fodder, they were busy organizing the Joseon Eight Banners. Following the will of Emperor Xuantong, Dorgon, they incorporated all of Joseon's naval forces into the Joseon Eight Banners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the help of these Joseon \"traitors,\" the Great Qing's eastern expedition army found it much easier to pacify Joseon. Naturally, the price was that the entire kingdom of Joseon was shrouded in a living hell. After all, Joseon was a small and weak country; after Abatai and his men plundered it, who knew how many would freeze or starve to death this winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The luxurious gold-woven dragon banner stood tall, dense ranks of Bayara guards gathered close, and around the harbor, swarms of Joseon people toiled like ants. The men all wore wide-brimmed hats, though the material and shape varied according to their status, and on their feet they wore high-waisted shoes with white cloth socks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the men, multitudes of women were also being whipped as they labored together to build the harbor. At this time, their attire was somewhat more presentable, for it was fashionable among Joseon \"women\" to wear \"breast\"-\"baring\" garments. Abatai, seeing this as an affront to public decency, issued an order banning it, much to Dodo's regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Emperor intended to invade Japan after the army had conquered Joseon, the two Tartar generals ordered the renovation of Busan Harbor. The two men even came to the seaside, gazing out toward the opposite shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The might of the great sea has always terrified those unfamiliar with the ocean. Watching the surging, tempestuous waves on the surface, both Dodo and Abatai turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abatai had also inquired with the Joseon navy and learned that from Busan to the opposite coast of Japan, excluding Tsushima Island, it was only a little over four hundred li. Yet these few hundred li of sea were enough to fill one with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Qing's iron cavalry gallops unchallenged on land, but once on the sea...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abatai pondered inwardly: \"Back then, when the Great Yuan attacked Japan, why did they fail?\" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m. to read.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>〖Fast updates ∷ Pure text ∷〗\u003C\u002Fp>",2668,"2026-06-03T14:06:10.567Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","a20de03756c290c94d5abbea949467167057317cd3648bd751c3c5d6184ffbab","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-757","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-755",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]