[{"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-79":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},1205368,1561,"Chapter 79: Book 3: Defender of Shunxiang Fort, Chapter 79: Demonstration","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-79",79,"\u003Cp>Book 3: Defender of Shunxiang Fort, Chapter 79: Demonstration\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Later Jin army would soon be called Qing soldiers. Their armored troops, besides wearing iron armor, many also wore double-layered cotton armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This cotton armor, whether on the Great Ming or Later Jin side, underwent special processing — soaked in water, then exposed to the sun and dried, making it extremely tough. Many cotton armors were also lined with iron leaves, providing effective protection against blades, spears, bows and arrows, and especially against firearms and fire lances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the Great Ming, Later Jin's cotton armor was even more refined. Ordinary firearms could hardly penetrate their cotton armor, let alone double-layered cotton armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou pondered back and forth. Compared to range, when facing the future Qing soldiers, the power of firearms was more important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instructed Li Maosen to follow his line of thinking and first forge a few sample pieces, then make arrangements after actual drills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, Shunxiang Fort's storehouse had 1,630 jin of wrought iron and 1,357 jin of pig iron. Pig iron could not be used to forge armor plates or blades, only helmets, unless refined into wrought iron. Wang Dou ordered some pig iron kept for forging helmets. The rest would all be refined into wrought iron for forging armor plates, blades, and fire lances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou estimated that the iron materials currently in storage could forge one hundred fire lances, plus produce several furnace-loads of spearheads, or make a few sets of iron armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining iron materials needed would be dealt with after the new year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The formation and drill training for Shunxiang Fort's new army together with the old army had been going on for a month. It was time to teach them weapons and martial skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shunxiang army had over five hundred men in two pickets, with fire lance soldiers and pikemen each making up half. In theory, besides the fire lances and pikes in each soldier's hands, Wang Dou also needed to equip every combat soldier with a suit of armor and a waist saber. He could mass-train cheap troop types on an assembly line, sending them into battle to kill the enemy in a steady stream. However, if he had a batch of good equipment, he could greatly reduce casualties among his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shunxiang Fort had in storage 186 suits of armor, over 300 great sabers and waist sabers combined, and nearly a thousand pikes, but most of the quality was substandard and they all needed to be melted down and reforged. Before the new weapons were forged next year, he would let them make do with these.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou used all the veteran soldiers from the several squads of Jingbian Fort to serve as officers in the new army. Due to a shortage of personnel, he had Han Chao, Han Zhong, and several of Wang Dou's personal guards serve as martial instructors for the new army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ninth day of the twelfth month, the eighth year of Chongzhen, at the Shunxiang Fort training ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou's eight veteran soldier guards stood in a row, braving the bone-piercing cold wind, every man holding his spear and standing solemnly. Beside them, a large crowd of new and old army soldiers watched. Not far ahead were Lin Daofu, the Disciplinary Officer Chi Dacheng, and several old army unit officers like Xu Lu and Wen Fangliang, all holding their breath and standing beside Wang Dou, watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao shouted loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a unified crash, the eight veteran soldiers raised their spears together, turned sideways and raised their hands, assuming an attack posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A drummer beside them fiercely struck the great drum in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao bellowed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately the eight veteran soldiers charged out together. Amid the drumbeats, they formed a line and leveled their spears, charging to the human-shaped wooden targets twenty paces ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They simultaneously shouted: \"Kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spears in their hands thrust out, and the sounds of \"Thwack, thwack!\" rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each man struck the wooden target precisely in the position of the eye, or the throat, or the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the spears were pulled back, the wooden balls at each position had already been lifted onto their spear tips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone on the field was astonished. Many were gaping speechless. At such a distance, every man could pierce the wooden ball on the target — this was truly inconceivable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the indomitable momentum of those veteran soldiers was even more chilling. Xu Lu's heart also turned cold. By his estimation, even his own retainers could not block the fierce spear assault of these veteran soldiers charging in formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd buzzed with discussion. Lin Daofu sighed softly: \"So deadly sharp! I fear no one could withstand even a single exchange of spears.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed to Wang Dou: \"I truly do not know how my lord trained them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Lu and Wen Fangliang also looked at Wang Dou; they too very much wanted to know the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said: \"It is merely practice. In the past when I drilled spearmen at Jingbian Fort, I only taught them the one move of thrusting. After thrusting ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, a million times, anyone can achieve this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These few guards of mine were ordinary military households just last year. After countless repetitions every day, now they possess such deadly spear skills!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only teaching one move?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu said in astonishment: \"When the bandits strike with blades and spears, how do you defend?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said flatly: \"At Jingbian Fort, we have never had the concept of defense. One spear thrust out — either the enemy dies, or I die! No matter how the bandits attack, I only need to thrust, thrust faster than them, and I live. Otherwise, I die!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu was stunned for a long moment, then said: \"But in that case, casualties will be unavoidable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou did not speak. After a moment, he said flatly: \"In war, people always die!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu suddenly shivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Lu and Wen Fangliang exchanged a glance. Both their faces were pale. Such an army was too terrifying — indifferent to life and death, pressing forward irresistibly, staking everything on the mutual casualty ratio. Whoever could hold out to the end would be the victor. And training only one move greatly accelerated the speed of forming an army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could form an army in just a few months, while their own retainers required many years. In a war of attrition, who could outlast them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strengths and weaknesses of Wang Dou's army were equally obvious. To reduce casualties, they needed only good protective armor and to deepen the soldiers' technical proficiency. In battle, as long as they could perform at thirty to fifty percent of what they learned in peacetime, they could sweep all before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the veteran soldiers' demonstration, from this day forward, Shunxiang Fort's new army and old army would be divided together into pikemen and fire lance soldiers, two sections, and begin training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as at Jingbian Fort in the past, the pikemen's spear thrust was likewise broken down into two steps: step one, turn sideways and raise the spear; step two, thrust with force. From then on, they would practice these two movements repeatedly every day until they were drilled to flawless proficiency!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Jingbian Fort, the Shunxiang army had many more men. The scene was even more spectacular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day, Han Chao or Han Zhong would carry a military cudgel, shouting incessantly: \"Raise spears!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Raise spears!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a month of brutal formation and drill training, the Shunxiang soldiers' movements were already uniform and synchronized. Coupled with hundreds of spears thrusting out together each time, the scene was truly magnificent. Lin Daofu and the others watched with unceasing admiration. They discussed privately that based on the Shunxiang army's current military bearing and momentum alone, at the very least in Bao'an Prefecture, they could firmly rank first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During daily practice, each drill instructor walked back and forth carrying a military cudgel. Whoever's posture was off or whose force application was inaccurate would receive a sound beating on the spot, making every man summon his full concentration, not daring to slacken in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every morning, after the massed pikemen practiced together for one double-hour, they could move freely and each practice their own unit's skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pikemen were easy to train; the fire lance soldiers were more troublesome, mainly because qualified fire lances had not yet been forged, and many men had no weapons in hand. Although Shunxiang Fort had some stored bird guns and three-eyed guns, they were basically substandard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou could only wait for news from Li Maosen's side. For the time being, he had each fire lance soldier hold a wooden stick to practice the steps of loading and firing, as well as the related formation drills for shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou had brought five squads of combat soldiers from Jingbian Fort. Each squad originally had four bird gun soldiers. These twenty bird gun soldiers were now all officers in the various squads and pickets of the Shunxiang army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the fire lance soldiers' training, Wang Dou specially pulled out these twenty bird gun soldiers and had them demonstrate fire lance shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the cavalry of the Later Jin army, a distance of sixty paces was probably only enough for one volley from the fire lance soldiers. So Wang Dou had these twenty bird gun soldiers stand in two rows, all resting their fire lances on their shoulders. At this moment, each of them wore an oilcloth ammunition pouch on their back, containing several dozen pre-packaged paper cartridge rounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally speaking, before battle, each soldier’s matchlock fuse was already loaded and the match cord already lit, so this step was basically not considered part of combat firing drill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two ranks of matchlock soldiers were already in position. Compared to flintlock guns, their formation was less tightly packed, because each man’s matchlock trailed a long, lit match cord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take up guns!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A drill instructor beside them barked the order, and the two ranks of matchlock soldiers roared in unison: “Take up guns!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crash, they brought their matchlocks into their hands as one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Open the priming pans!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instructor shouted again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Open the priming pans!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two ranks of matchlock soldiers bellowed together and opened the priming pans in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take powder!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take powder!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a roar, the two ranks of matchlock soldiers each drew a paper cartridge from their ammunition pouch, bit into it, and tore open one end of the paper cartridge with their teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pour powder!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two ranks of matchlock soldiers poured a portion of the powder from the paper cartridge into the priming pan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Close the priming pans!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two ranks of matchlock soldiers again closed the priming pans in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stand guns upright!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sharp sound, the two ranks of matchlock soldiers stood their matchlocks upright on the ground as one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Load!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instructor shouted again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two ranks of matchlock soldiers together stuffed the powder and lead ball from the fixed paper cartridge into the muzzle of the matchlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take ramrods!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sharp sound, the two ranks of matchlock soldiers drew their ramrods in unison, thrust them down the barrel three times to tamp the powder and ball firm, then returned the ramrods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shoulder guns!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crash, the two ranks of matchlock soldiers brought their matchlocks to their shoulders as one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Front rank, prepare!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After each man had loaded his powder and shot, at the instructor’s command, the first rank of matchlock soldiers aimed their matchlocks forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wang Dou’s firing tactics, he intended that after the front rank of arquebusiers fired, they would run off to either side, or the front rank would kneel and both ranks would fire together, or they would simply form a single rank and fire simultaneously to increase firepower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames erupted, smoke billowed, and crackling sounds rang out without cease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another rank of matchlocks spewed a great mass of flame and smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the gunpowder smoke roiling before them and the wood splinters flying from the targets ahead, Lin Daofu, Xu Lu, Wen Fangliang, and the others all turned pale. Wang Dou’s matchlock men were so deadly — how could flesh and blood possibly withstand them? These officers were all hereditary military men of the Great Ming, and in their experience, no Ming army firearm had ever been this lethal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, those twenty matchlock soldiers fired with perfect order and practiced skill. The retainers each man had painstakingly trained, if they faced such matchlock soldiers, would likely lose more than half their number in a single exchange. Once arquebusiers of this scale and ease of training appeared, few armies under heaven could stand against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou nodded with satisfaction as well. He said, “In the future, once qualified matchlocks are produced, all the matchlock men of the Shunxiang Army are to be drilled in this way. The firing of a matchlock is divided into a number of steps, and every step must be engraved on the heart, so as to avoid panic in battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said to Lin Daofu, “My lord Lin, for the training of our Shunxiang Fort’s pikemen and matchlock men going forward, I think it necessary to compile an Infantry Drill Manual. Henceforth, no matter who trains the troops in the fort, they shall follow this procedure. Only thus can our Shunxiang Fort’s pikemen and matchlock soldiers take shape in an unending stream!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Daofu nodded. He sighed inwardly. Before such formidable soldiers, trained in mass batches, no matter how high an individual’s personal martial skill, there would be no place for it in the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thereafter, the Shunxiang Army drilled in this manner every day. Several hundred matchlock soldiers, for now merely using wooden sticks to practice the firing steps of a musket. The several dozen matchlocks brought from Jingbian Fort were also rotated among the men for training, to give them a feel for handling a real gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou estimated that these several dozen matchlocks would soon be worn out and need their barrels replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides practicing pike and matchlock, every Shunxiang soldier also had to practice saber technique — likewise one move with two steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the instructor’s shouted command: “Raise sabers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several hundred men slashed down simultaneously, a uniform flash of blades, an awe-inspiring momentum!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>。\u003C\u002Fp>",2413,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","2f304e00dfe7d720ddc636b8975f50bb8342d5954e70efb2f151ba2a449fd626","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-80","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-78",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]