[{"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-779":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},1206068,1561,"Chapter 779: Fort Master Hu","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-779",779,"\u003Cp>Old White Ox: Three million words — history turns a new page.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late second month of the sixteenth year of Chongzhen, Henan, Kaifeng Prefecture, within Tongxu County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was mid-spring, when all things revive and mountain flowers bloom in riotous color — the perfect time for spring plowing. Yet this year Henan was still parched everywhere, the disaster severe far and wide. The common folk died in droves or fled; the land was littered with white bones, already ruined beyond recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, even if the drought eased, Henan could not recover in the short term, for order had collapsed everywhere. Refugees and bandit gangs were as numerous as ox hairs — how could the common folk stop and settle down to farm in peace? This is the terror of the saying: not scarcity but insecurity is the true calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The parched ground was thick with dust, a glaring white expanse as far as the eye could see. On every visible tree, the bark had been stripped clean by the starving; every visible grass root had been dug up by the refugees. Between heaven and earth, only a withered yellow seemed to remain. A casual gust of wind would raise a skyful of dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a grove of elm trees. The bark had been stripped at least up to waist height, exposing the stark white trunks. Weeds twisted around the trees and spread into the distance, with a few corpses and white bones lying among them. Suddenly, a sound like a cracked gong came from the other side of the grove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Great King sent me to patrol the hills, yo — patrolled the north hill, patrolled the south hill, yo — patrolled the east hill, killed some travelers, patrolled the west hill, watched the sun go down. Our Great King has three heads and six arms, yo — I, his lackey, snatched a young lass and slung her on my back. Pity the fat meat at my lips I dare not swallow — when will I ever rise and be a Great King, yo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came a burst of robust, unison singing: \"One day I'll be a mountain king — be a king and never patrol the hills. I'll send my lackeys to snatch the world — snatch the budding maids, snatch the twice-eight beauties, snatch the twice-eight, then snatch the young wives, snatch the young wives, then snatch the older dames — yi ya yi ya yo, yi ya yi ya yo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unison singing rang out: \"Yi ya yi ya yo, yi ya yi ya yo…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The song surged like a sea of passion, and with it a troop of men rounded into view. Among them, over three hundred rode horses; the rest were foot soldiers. Every one of them was dressed in rags, all wrapped in red headscarves. A tattered banner fluttered in the wind, crookedly scrawled with three characters: \"Mountain Patrol Army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside it fluttered an even more ragged banner, inscribed with the four characters \"Uphold Heaven's Way.\" The characters for \"Heaven\" and \"Way\" already had several small holes torn through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet though these men were dressed in rags, their spirit was high. Only a small portion showed the sallow complexion of hunger, and every man bore a weapon — either a broadsword or a long spear. There were even two squads of fifty infantry each carrying matchlock muskets, and all of them were able-bodied young men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a rare sight among the armed bands in this area, and even in the surrounding regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their marching formation was also quite orderly. As they walked, they sang at the top of their lungs with exuberant delight, the song remarkably uniform and impassioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leading the troop at this moment were three stout fellows. One had a face full of cross-grained flesh and a rough, bold bearing. He wore a large sheepskin coat, carried a bow case and quiver at his waist, and also wore a saber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another had a peculiar look — a pig's nose, high brows, and one side of his face larger than the other, a face that left a deep impression at a single glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, such features, in the ancient way of speaking, were called a face of unusual aspect, or a countenance of primitive simplicity. He wore a cotton-padded jacket and a felt hat, carried a matchlock musket slung over his shoulder, and also wore a saber at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third man was tall and large, his complexion slightly pale. He wore a long, dark-blue padded cotton coat and a six-panel cap. By all rights his bearing was dignified, but the two rat-whiskers on his upper lip ruined the image, making him look like a shifty-eyed, ratty private secretary. A short musket was tucked into his broad cloth waist sash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were precisely Kong San, Old Hu, and Huang Weijie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three had come down to Tongxu in Henan in the tenth month of the previous year. They first infiltrated a small bandit gang, surviving by mutual bloodshed and internecine slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, every part of Henan had sunk into utter chaos. The power of the government offices had long since vanished. Throughout the countryside, either powerful families fortified stockades to protect themselves, or clusters of refugees and famine victims gathered in dens. It could be said that petty bandits were as numerous as hairs, and bandit gangs as thick as clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no longer any well-off households with the strength to defend themselves; everyone gathered in clusters. In such a chaotic environment, of course there was no question of anyone settling down to farm in peace. To survive, one had to raid others and seize their food and clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if countless miniature Three Kingdoms had formed across Henan — big fish eating small fish, small fish eating tiny shrimp. Only survival, no humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on their own skills, the three quickly stood out like cranes among chickens in this bandit gang. Old Hu, in particular, gave full play to his talent for backstabbing superiors: during a bloody clash with another gang, he shot that minor chieftain dead with a single arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After retreating to their own little stronghold, with the gang leaderless, and with the support of Kong San and Huang Weijie, Old Hu smoothly assumed the position of Fort Master. Kong San and Huang Weijie became Second Fort Master and Third Fort Master respectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three divided the work and cooperated. Kong San drilled the troops and also selected an elite and reliable force as personal guards. Huang Weijie took charge of logistics. Old Hu commanded the overall situation — after all, he looked the most like a grand Fort Master. Outsiders took one look at him and were convinced; he was a born leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of the eleventh month, the three set the policy of \"Uphold Heaven's Way, Protect the Land and Pacify the People,\" and also fixed the name \"Mountain Patrol Army.\" They vigorously suppressed bandits within Tongxu County, gradually eliminating the gangs and petty bandits in the area, plundering their gains and strengthening their own forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While plundering, they also distributed some grain to relieve the starving refugees. They quickly made a name for themselves. Many famine victims came flocking to join them, and Old Hu's sobriquet \"Earth-Shaking Dragon\" swiftly spread far and wide across Tongxu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The common folk throughout the county spread the word: a band of righteous outlaws had appeared in Tongxu, much like the Little Yuan Camp in Suizhou at the time — they did not kill indiscriminately, only plundered wealth and gathered followers. Even the local Magistrate Fei held them in considerable regard and even intended to offer amnesty and grant them an official post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering that they were walking the path of bandits, and that accepting amnesty would make subsequent work difficult to carry out, Old Hu, Kong San, and the others refused. However, they maintained a tacit understanding of mutual non-aggression, and from time to time could go to the county seat to purchase certain goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, because they only suppressed bandits and eliminated gangs large and small, the few relatively wealthy and well-fortified stockades within Tongxu also regarded this force with goodwill. Gradually, as Old Hu and his men grew ever stronger, these stockades became willing to lend them grain and pay protection fees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These stockades were all gatherings of local great families. Their walls were high and thick, their defenses tight, and within them gathered people of the same clan and surname, so their cohesion was strong. To attack such a stronghold was exceedingly difficult. Since they were willing to foster good relations, Old Hu and the others were naturally happy to oblige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the New Year, Old Hu's forces swelled further. They already had nearly a thousand infantry and over a hundred mounted troops, all able-bodied young men. To possess such power within a mere county was, of course, remarkable — and this was also the result of support from the Intelligence Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A steady stream of aid arrived from Kaifeng and other places — things like grain, iron stock, sabers, long spears, some three-barreled hand cannons, matchlock muskets, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although these weapons — the matchlock muskets, for instance, were the crude kind without a proper flash pan mechanism, with bores of varying sizes, incapable of using pre-made paper cartridges — they still counted as fine equipment. For a band of outlaws to possess such weapons was, of course, like adding wings to a tiger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the eyes of everyone in the fort, the three Fort Masters were men of great ability, with far-reaching connections and wide networks. They always managed to procure all sorts of supplies the fort needed, allowing their own strength to grow continuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this support was not unconditional. Gathering women and children and sending them to the Protectorate was one of their \"primary businesses.\" At present, in many parts of Henan, whether government or bandit, everyone was engaged in this \"trade.\" In the Tongxu area, the \"business\" was even larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this unending stream of support, from the start of the year the \"Mountain Patrol Army\" extended its tentacles beyond the county borders, and its forces grew ever more numerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the course of these bloody clashes, the hardened bandits and vicious outlaws recruited from various places were also steadily expended. For example, all those familiar faces from the early days of the little stronghold had completely vanished, replaced by a constant stream of new men — precisely the personnel the three Fort Masters desired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless bloody struggles inevitably brought danger. The three could be considered blessed with great fortune and hardy lives, to still be alive now. Of course, large and small wounds on their bodies were unavoidable. Life and death were fated; the three had long since come to terms with that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the three of them were all cracking wide, lewd grins, each with a thievish, ratty look — not a trace of the Intelligence Department elite they truly were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, hanging from Old Hu's saddle were several fluttering chickens and ducks. Behind Kong San's horse, a fat pig was trussed up, squealing incessantly. Behind Huang Weijie's horse was a nanny goat struggling desperately. Their subordinates, too, were carrying rice on their shoulders and loads on their poles, all laughing merrily — the very picture of a band of outlaws just returning from looting and pillaging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men could not help but be elated. The day before, under the leadership of the three Fort Masters, their \"Mountain Patrol Army\" had fought a major battle against the \"Sky-Collapsing\" force within Weishi County, routing the two-thousand-strong \"Sky-Collapsing\" gang and sending them fleeing like wolves and stampeding boars. On the spot, they had captured over two hundred weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also over sixty dan of grain, more than a thousand taels of fine silver, along with colored satin, mountain pongee, cotton cloth, pigs, sheep, wine, and much else — how could that not delight anyone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this battle, the mighty name of the Grand Fort Master \"Earth-Shaking Dragon\" would surely spread far and wide not only within Tongxu County, but also through Weishi, Fugou, and Taikang counties. As subordinates, having a powerful backer meant a better chance of surviving this chaotic age, did it not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in truth, the defeat of \"Sky-Collapsing\" was inevitable. Their own side looked small in number, but they were an elite force. Their mounted troops alone numbered three hundred and fifty riders. Although most of the men rode donkeys, mules, or inferior horses, there were still fifty riders with fine warhorses — these were the Grand Fort Master's personal guards, led by Second Fort Master Master Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their side also had fifteen hundred infantry. Although only a thousand had been deployed this time, their sharpest unit, the matchlock squad, had taken the field. One hundred muskets fired in a single volley, and \"Sky-Collapsing\" was routed in the very first clash. After twenty-some casualties, over two thousand able-bodied men scattered in a single roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Kong then led the personal guards in a charge, with the remaining mounted troops following. The total defeat of \"Sky-Collapsing\" was immediate. He shrank back into his lair and dared not venture out again. Even better, this battle netted over a thousand women and children who could not flee in time — a huge source of wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their fort, the primary businesses were now: first, \"human trafficking\"; second, \"weapons processing\"; third, \"collecting protection fees.\" As for the fort folk's idle-time activity of planting wheat and beans nearby — that was merely a sideline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These thousand-plus women and children would be distributed to the unmarried men in the fort, and the remainder sent to Kaifeng Prefecture city, where they could be exchanged for a great deal of needed supplies. Hmm, the only thing to be wary of was the \"Arrow-Shattering Sky\" gang from Chenliu. They had long been eyeing their own side's \"business\" with envy. On this return march, they had to be careful of them blocking the road to seize the spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That bunch were scoundrels — they had already sold off their own wives and children, and now went everywhere plundering women and children to trade for resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning with full loads, every man of the \"Mountain Patrol Army\" was in high spirits, their \"army song\" ringing out loud and clear. Only the women and children of \"Sky-Collapsing's\" camp, trailing behind, wore worried, miserable faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This \"Earth-Shaking Dragon's\" Mountain Patrol Army was fine in every other respect, except they were fond of \"human trafficking.\" Word was that those women and children who were rounded up were sent to Shanxi to enjoy a life of ease — no one knew if it was true or false. The uncertainty of the future left them anxious and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rounding this grove of trees, suddenly a mounted scout from the personal guard, responsible for reconnaissance, came galloping back with an urgent report: \"Arrow-Shattering Sky has sortied with his entire force. They are waiting not far ahead, their numbers feared to be over three thousand.\" (To be continued...)\u003C\u002Fp>",2531,"2026-06-03T14:06:10.567Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","16efcbb4e4d2390b16c3c6e4dc89c227dad19b0f89641664124755591cda8589","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-780","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-778",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]