[{"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-80":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},1205369,1561,"Chapter 80","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-80",80,"\u003Cp>Volume Three: Garrison Commander of Shunxiang Fort, Chapter Eighty: Motivation\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, Wang Dou, together with Lin Daofu and other officers in the fort, had Clerk Feng Dachang lead a group of clerks to compile a \"Shunxiang Fort Infantry Drill Manual,\" refining certain training outlines. Together with the original military discipline regulations and the like, they copied out a thick volume of military regulation documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, these documents would be copied into several volumes and issued to every Picket Officer, Squad Leader, and Armor Leader. Compared to the soldiers, every officer was required to memorize these manuals by heart, also within a three-month deadline. The entire manual had to be memorized thoroughly; when the time came, they would be spot-checked, and anyone who recited a single item incorrectly, even an officer, would be served the same military rod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made everyone complain bitterly. Not to mention the soldiers, these officers were basically all illiterate. Making them memorize the manuals by heart was truly tormenting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this point, however, Wang Dou left no room for negotiation. In the current Great Ming army, technical branches such as firearms and artillery were already widespread, but the officer class was generally illiterate and ignorant, lacking the ability to utilize the weapons and regulations in their hands. Even the most advanced weapons placed in their hands yielded half the result with twice the effort. Wang Dou would not permit such a situation to appear in his own army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To implement strict discipline and training in the army, memorizing every kind of regulation was paramount. In ancient times, how many officers had the opportunity or the inclination to flip through military texts? Warfare relied entirely on personal experience and family heritage, which was why ancient times placed such heavy emphasis on good generals. In modern armies, however, officers must understand regulations and fight strictly according to them, forming a system. Even if a battle is lost, the foundation remains intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou recognized this point, and with his strict demands, every afternoon became the time when the officers of the Shunxiang Army frowned as they listened to Wang Dou and others explain the regulation documents. No matter how dazed and muddled they were, they had to pull themselves together and listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twentieth day of the twelfth month of the eighth year of Chongzhen, Wang Dou also organized a mixed formation training exercise for the pikemen and arquebusiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the formation, the picket served as the combat unit, with pikemen in the center and arquebusiers on both flanks, arranged in several columns of deep horizontal lines. In Wang Dou's plan, in the future, one or two layers of arquebusiers would be deployed in front of the central pikemen, or some cannons would be placed there, while the remaining arquebusiers would be concentrated on the wings. The Later Jin cavalry excelled at attacking from the wings, and this could effectively prevent them from breaking through on the flanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there were cannons directly to the front, they could greatly strike the enemy's frontal assault force. Finally, the pikemen would engage in close combat with the Later Jin troops, trading their own cheap pikemen for the lives of the enemy's battle-hardened sword-and-shield soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there were heavy cannons, some could likewise be deployed on the wings to destroy the enemy's flanking attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, a contingent of cavalry was needed, deployed on the wings or in the central army position, to serve as a reconnaissance and post-battle pursuit force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this mixed formation training, Wang Dou set a regulation for combined drills once every half month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the New Year fast approaching, Wang Dou prepared to implement, after the New Year, the soldier martial skill ranking system originally carried out at Jingbian Fort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the original four grades of Upper, Middle, Lower, and Unqualified, this time Wang Dou prepared to fully emulate the Qi Family Army and implement a nine-grade skill system in the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upper three grades, Middle three grades, Lower three grades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each grade would have different treatment, rewards, and punishments, with examinations every two months and promotions or demotions not fixed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for the Upper three grades, for the remaining six Middle and Lower grades, anyone whose examination showed their original grade or a regression would be punished, to prevent soldiers from becoming lazy and losing the will to improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even for the Upper three grades, anyone who regressed would likewise be punished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Shunxiang Army, due to mixed training, had not yet delineated treatment grades. Their daily training, aside from eating their fill of coarse grains, all included the same two taels of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the skill grades were delineated, soldiers with Upper-grade martial skills could eat four taels of meat per day, and when facing the Armor Leader or Squad Leader in their own unit, they would also be exempt from kneeling. In the future, for their promotions, this skill ability would also serve as an important criterion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this would cost Wang Dou a great deal of silver and meat in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, without martial skill grades in the army, each soldier received two taels of meat per day; eight soldiers meant one catty of meat. At this time, a pig raised for a year only grew to one hundred forty catties, yielding about eighty catties of meat. These five or six hundred soldiers would consume nearly one of Wang Dou's pigs or sheep in a single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pigs raised at Jingbian Fort would not be fully grown until the middle of next year. Most of these pigs and sheep had to be purchased from outside. Although the local price of pigs and sheep in Baoanzhou had dropped rapidly, for Wang Dou, it was still a very large expense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also grain. Five or six hundred soldiers consumed over one dan of rice and flour per day. Day after day, this was no small sum either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Wang Dou had a stockpile of several thousand taels of silver and had also obtained over three hundred dan of grain from the prefectural city, he still had to calculate carefully before spending. Perhaps after that iron mine started operating next year, he could sell iron outside to make money, and then go out to suppress bandits a few times, seizing a few thousand taels of silver and over a thousand dan of rice and wheat in one raid, which could then ease his predicament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, an incident occurred on the Shunxiang Fort training ground that gave Wang Dou pause for deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soldier from Han Zhong's Left Picket, First Armor, came into conflict with several soldiers from the Second Armor. Private fights were strictly forbidden in Wang Dou's army; regardless of who was right or wrong, all were severely punished. In the end, the Garrison Judge Chi Dacheng sentenced these several soldiers each to a severe punishment of thirty military rods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Wang Dou summoned these soldiers for questioning, but the matter turned out to be beyond his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier from the First Armor was named Wu Zhengchun, around twenty-five years old, small, thin, and unremarkable. According to his unit's Squad Leader, this man was usually taciturn and did not fit in well with others. The three soldiers from the Second Armor were named Shen Shiqi, Shi Datai, and Ceng Jiuyi; each was tall and burly, with a face full of fierce flesh. One look told you they were not to be trifled with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In particular, Wang Dou also discerned a hidden detail: Wu Zhengchun and Shen Shiqi were neighbors and had both fallen for the same woman. However, Shen Shiqi's family circumstances were slightly better, and he also had an overbearing personality, while Wu Zhengchun's father had died early, leaving only a widow, making life inevitably difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, this woman threw herself into Shen Shiqi's embrace, leaving Wu Zhengchun alone to weep silently. After that, he became even more taciturn, shrinking back and yielding in all matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From childhood to adulthood, Wu Zhengchun had grown up being bullied by Shen Shiqi. Coupled with his victory in this campaign for the woman, Shen Shiqi inevitably looked down on Wu Zhengchun even more. Now that the Shunxiang Army's training was grueling, Shen Shiqi always felt irritable inside and had no outlet to vent, so he would occasionally amuse himself by picking on Wu Zhengchun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, he and his close friends in the unit, Shi Datai and Ceng Jiuyi, went together to pick on Wu Zhengchun, even starting to push and shove him. Wu Zhengchun did not dare fight back and fled, covering his head. However, during their scuffling, they were discovered by the Discipline Corps and brought before the Garrison Judge Chi Dacheng. According to military discipline, each was sentenced to thirty military rods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Wu Zhengchun, Shen Shiqi, Shi Datai, and Ceng Jiuyi stood before Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhengchun looked utterly dejected. Although Shen Shiqi and the other two were rubbing their backsides and grimacing in pain, they still held their heads high, looking at Wu Zhengchun with disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Wu Zhengchun's demeanor, Han Chao, Han Zhong, and the others beside Wang Dou also frowned. In the army, the strong were respected; someone like Wu Zhengchun, who looked like a cowardly weakling, would not be liked by anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was also angered by the sight. He detested cowardly people most in his life. He sternly shouted at Wu Zhengchun: \"Private fights are strictly forbidden in the army, but since you were being bullied, why did you not dare to resist?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhengchun mumbled unintelligibly, glanced at Wang Dou, then hurriedly lowered his head again, unable to utter a complete sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou frowned, then turned to Shen Shiqi beside him and shouted: \"You are all brothers in the army. Why did you bully him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi coughed and said: \"My lord, this small one knows he was wrong. Lord Chi has already punished this small one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he rubbed his backside again; those thirty military rods were not so easy to bear. Then he glanced contemptuously at Wu Zhengchun: \"My lord, who told him to be useless? If this small one doesn't bully him, others will too. If one day he can beat this small one into heartfelt submission, what harm would it be for this small one to kowtow to him a few times?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou shouted: \"Private fights are strictly forbidden in the army. You will never have a day to fight each other.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered for a long moment, then said: \"At the beginning of next year, our Shunxiang Army will grade soldier skills. If you want to compete, you can do so then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He coldly swept his gaze over Wu Zhengchun: \"Wu Zhengchun, do you have the confidence to surpass Soldier Shen by a head in next year's soldier skill examination?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi's eyes lit up. He glanced at Wu Zhengchun and snorted disdainfully. Shi Datai and Ceng Jiuyi beside him also looked at Wu Zhengchun with mocking eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhengchun only stood there dumbstruck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou bellowed: \"A mere woman makes you so utterly dejected! What man of honor fears having no wife? If you have ambition, what harm is it if I even introduce a wife to you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhengchun suddenly burst into loud sobs. This cry was truly earth-shattering, as if all his grievances and sufferings were being discharged in this wailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily to Wang Dou. When he raised his head, his expression had turned resolute. He said: \"My lord has shown great kindness. In the future skill examination, this small one will definitely surpass Soldier Shen by a head and defeat him openly and honorably.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said loudly: \"Good! Now that is a soldier of mine, Wang Dou. A true man must fight for his pride.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said to Shen Shiqi: \"If you can achieve good results in the future examination, I, Wang Dou, will certainly treat everyone equally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shiqi clasped his fists and saluted Wang Dou: \"This small one will certainly work hard and not fail my lord's high expectations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was brimming with confidence, not believing he would ever lose to someone he had always looked down upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wu Zhengchun and the others withdrew, Han Chao, Han Zhong, Lin Daofu, Xu Lu, and the others all discussed who might win in next year's examination among these few. The general consensus was not optimistic about Wu Zhengchun. That fellow was too cowardly. As the saying goes, it is easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change one's nature; how could he change just like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Wang Dou was deep in thought. From the matter of Wu Zhengchun and the others, he perceived a problem. During this period, the Shunxiang Army's training was grueling, and many soldiers were inwardly repressed with no outlet to vent. Over time, problems would inevitably arise. It seemed he had to establish some relevant psychological guidance personnel to soothe their inner hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Wang Dou had also heard enough during this time: many soldiers did not understand why the training had to be so arduous. In their view, the Shunxiang Army was already considered elite. And after they finished training, what would they do in the future? Many soldiers were inwardly lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do we fight? Why do we toil so bitterly? This was the question in the hearts of the Shunxiang Army, from officers down to the common soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time for Wang Dou to answer them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※※※\u003C\u002Fp>",2284,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","6819f25c36e9404a185b0824d4a36f68b56fc22ec5f9bc100d70e8464db44ac2","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-81","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-79",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]