[{"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-839":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},1206128,1561,"Chapter 839: Troops at the Gates","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-839",839,"\u003Cp>On the twenty-first day of the second month, the capital was struck by sudden severe cold and heavy snow, freezing countless people to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the roving bandits were sweeping through Great Ming Prefecture and the various parts of Shunde Prefecture, and within the capital, reckless talk was strictly forbidden. The Chongzhen Emperor issued instructions to the ministries: securing the borders and pacifying the people depended entirely on scrutinizing officials. The provincial governors were to rigorously evaluate their subordinate officials; only those who were clean, prudent, upright, and genuinely cherished by the people would be permitted to remain in office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He further instructed the Ministry of Personnel: \"I am mindful that Henan and Chu are devastated, and the prefectures and counties need capable administrators. Let each governor and inspector select their own candidates, without restricting to regular examination graduates, various streams, licentiates, or commoners. Anyone with talent to manage crises shall be appointed accordingly. Those who can champion righteousness, raise troops, and recover a prefecture or county shall be immediately appointed as Department Magistrate or County Magistrate. Meritorious service shall be richly rewarded; I shall not be stingy with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dispatched ten eunuchs from the inner palace to supervise the various garrisons, and also ordered the cities around the metropolitan area to recruit and train local militia and prepare their city defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-second, Count Taikang Zhang Guojin contributed ten thousand taels of silver and was promoted to the rank of Marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-sixth, the Viceroy of Ji-Liao, Fan Zhiwan, reported urgent barbarian affairs. The military section copied it out, and the Minister of War, Chen Xinjia, memorialized. The imperial rescript read: \"The barbarian situation is unfathomable; strictly order accurate reconnaissance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-eighth, the Minister of War, Chen Xinjia, requested in person to resign, and it was granted. Previously, Xinjia, worried about the roving bandits, had repeatedly requested to summon the Marquis of Yongning, Wang Dou, but His Majesty would not listen, hence his request to leave. He was granted fifty taels of travel expenses and sent back by post-horse relay, heading west into Xuanfu and Shanxi. Zhang Jinyan was promoted to Minister of War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-ninth, the Ministry of War memorialized, based on a patrol report from Ji Garrison Regional Commander Yang Guozhu: the previously dispatched picket Squad Commander Kang Youde, at a place called Yutulikenjiaer, observed enemy campfires stretching over thirty li. Fearing the enemy might invade, they humbly beseech strict orders for the utmost vigilance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial rescript read: \"The slave chieftain is pressing close to the boundary ridges and various passes. We must urgently reorganize troops and horses to prepare resources for support, rush to the border walls to bolster the show of reinforcement, and still order accurate reconnaissance and careful preparation to guard against unexpected dangers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Xianghan of the Works Section said: \"The slave bandits again show signs of entering the passes. Ningyuan is close, Lengkou is pressing. We must not show weakness. Yet to transfer troops south for campaigns — how can that be called a clever strategy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandit threat was extremely urgent. Court officials had originally intended to transfer Yang Guozhu and Wu Sangui for reinforcement, but this was then abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the thirtieth, the Minister of War, Zhang Jinyan, submitted a memorial stating: \"Today, provisions and pay are cut off, soldiers and horses are depleted. The viceroys and governors all wish to shirk their perilous burdens. If we suddenly add ten inner-court officials, not only will resources be insufficient, but authority will also be divided and constrained, instead giving the viceroys and governors an excuse.\" His Majesty did not listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the first day of the third month, Li Jiantai and others again requested that His Majesty move the capital south, and also proposed that the Eastern Palace supervise and govern Nanjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty glanced at it abruptly and said angrily: \"What have all you officials been saying in normal times? Now that the state is in such straits, there is not one loyal minister or righteous man to share the court's burdens, yet you plot like this. That a ruler should die on the altars of his state is the orthodox principle from ancient times to the present. My will is set; speak no more of this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the second day, the people of Xianghe rioted, burning and looting official and civilian residences until nothing remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire capital was in uproar, with rumors that the bandits would arrive any moment. Yet the court officials, high and low, deceived one another. The central government spent all day in meetings and group litigation, strutting about smugly as if in peacetime. His Majesty ordered the ministries, courts, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Eastern Depot's apprehending officials to scrutinize evildoers, strictly enforce the mutual responsibility system, post patrols in the alleys, prohibit nighttime travel, and inspect the granaries, storehouses, and fodder yards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fifth day, Section Official Han Ruyu memorialized about the bandits' forged edict for the Yongchang first year. The Chongzhen Emperor said: \"The capital's defenses are more than sufficient, and relief troops are gathering from all sides. What difficulty is there in setting a date for their annihilation? Anyone who dares spread false rumors to confuse the masses or secretly sends their family out of the city — the apprehending officials shall immediately impeach and execute them according to law.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, he inspected the capital's defenses and reviewed the troops at the Xuanwumen parade ground. Seeing that the capital battalions were merely for show, he was greatly pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the seventh day, he ordered Count Xiangcheng Li Guozhen to take command of the city's defense, and ordered the inner-court eunuchs and various officials to divide responsibility for the nine gates, with one noble and two vice-ministers at each gate. Initially, they discussed recruiting militia. Grand Secretary Wei Zaode said: \"The people fear the bandits. If one man flees, the whole cause is lost.\" His Majesty agreed and forbade civilians from ascending the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also instructed civil and military officials to contribute aid. A yellow silk register was set up to solicit contributions from all officials. Even serious frontier criminals were all permitted to redeem themselves through contributions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the tenth day, he ordered the nobles, imperial in-laws, and powerful eunuchs to assist with military funds. The imperial in-law Count Retainer Zhou Kui was promoted to Marquis. The eunuch Xu Gao was sent to proclaim the edict seeking aid, stating that none were more bound by shared fortunes than the imperial in-laws, who should take the lead, contributing from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand taels, coordinating efforts to prepare for emergencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kui said: \"How could this old minister have so much gold?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Gao tearfully exhorted him repeatedly, but Zhou Kui firmly refused. Xu Gao rose angrily: \"If an old imperial relative is this miserly, the great cause is lost. What use is hoarding vast property?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kui had no choice but to memorialize a contribution of ten thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eleventh day of the third month, the roving bandits captured Xiongxian, Wen'an, and Jinghai. Tang Tong and Wang Pu were summoned to lead their troops into the capital for its defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the commanderies and counties south of the capital collapsed at the mere rumor of the bandits. Generals and officials either surrendered or fled. Only Zhending and Baoding held out firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Military dispatches arrived repeatedly. In the Grand Secretariat, some frowned at each other, while others chatted and laughed as usual. Fan Jingwen several times raised the proposal to move the capital south, but Fang and Wei considered it inciting panic and forcefully stopped any mention of it. The head of military, Zhang Jinyan, made no other arrangements, merely posting notices along the streets, setting up cannons and troops, encamping at various alley entrances, and hanging curtains on the city walls — all just to await the bandits' arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twelfth day, the false General of Authority Liu Zongmin sent a placard to the capital stating: \"We are set to enter the city on the eighteenth and will temporarily collect it at the Youzhou Guild Hall.\" The capital was greatly shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The false King of Shun, Li Zicheng, issued traveling placards to all commanderies and counties, saying: \"Notify the village people: do not panic. When our troops arrive, all transactions will be fair, and we absolutely will not rape, defile, rob, or plunder. Upon the first cannon shot, the principal officials must come to receive us; upon the second, the local gentry officials; upon the third, the common people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Count Dingxi Tang Tong was at this time stationed in Miyun Garrison. After the Jinzhou campaign in the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, Tang Tong had been enfeoffed as a Count. These past two years, he had lived quite comfortably in Miyun. He avoided all manner of military campaigns whenever possible, and in his spare time, engaged in trade with the Eastern Route, New Yongning City, and other places. Though not extravagantly wealthy, his modest life was quite pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this peaceful life was shattered. The capital was less than two hundred li from Miyun; a relay horse could cover it in a day. So when the Emperor summoned Tang Tong to enter the capital for its defense on the eleventh, what lay before Tang Tong was a difficult choice that would determine the turning point of his fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong at this time had over eight thousand troops. Besides the three thousand horse and foot soldiers of his main battalion, the remaining two battalions were all composed of his Tang clan relatives, so the Miyun army had always been united. Such a momentous decision affecting their fate could not be made by Tang Tong alone. Therefore, besides his personal general Tang Zong, the commanders of the two battalions also rushed to the Count's mansion to discuss this important matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong was glib and cautious by nature, which influenced his subordinates to act with extreme care in everything, striving to consider all aspects. So when Tang Tong laid out the matter, each person's heart was tangled in indecision. They also understood that they had to make a choice quickly; after all, the roving bandits were sweeping all before them and would soon strike the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final result of the discussion: surrender to the Great Shun state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw it very clearly: the capital absolutely could not withstand the Great Shun army's assault. Great Shun was sweeping through every region like crushing dry weeds and rotten wood. They had swept into Shandong with irresistible force, and now they were sweeping into the metropolitan area with the same momentum. If they threw their own few thousand men into the fray, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a cart — merely a futile sacrifice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to be a hero who knows the times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, with the capital clearly about to fall and the Great Ming clearly about to perish, they actually had another choice: flee west and defect to the Marquis of Yongning, Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as the personal general Tang Zong aptly put it, Wang Dou was merely a Marquis — what could he offer their lord? Could he possibly enfeoff their lord as a Marquis, or even a Prince? He could give nothing! But with Great Shun, everything was possible. After all, a new dynasty brings a new atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also admitted that the Marquis of Yongning was very strong, but in the face of the grand momentum, with the righteous army's power sweeping the realm, so many famous ministers and important generals had fallen before their blades. Presumably, the Marquis of Yongning would at most just hold out bitterly for a time. It was even possible that Xuanfu would fall, the Protectorate would be lost, and he would become a captive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words struck a chord in Tang Tong's heart. He thought that if he went to join Wang Dou, he indeed would gain no benefits. His troops might even be broken up and thrown into that so-called Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion. Just thinking about it made his hair stand on end. Without his troops, what would he, Tang Tong, amount to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also recalled his past interactions with Wang Dou and was startled to realize that their relationship was merely superficial, even marked by considerable friction. If it were someone like Yang Guozhu, Wang Dou might value him, but as for himself...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong even faintly sensed that Wang Dou somewhat looked down on him, which left a bitter taste in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it. If people like Liu Liangzuo and Liu Zeqing could surrender, why couldn't he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, being a man long accustomed to caution, he thought for a moment and then said: \"Perhaps we should first follow the Emperor's edict and move our troops to Gu'an to take a look. If the Great Shun army is truly that strong, then we can surrender without delay. This concerns the lives and fortunes of several thousand brothers; we must be careful and cautious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words dispelled the last trace of worry in the hearts of those around him. Tang Zong and the others praised in unison: \"The Grand Commander is indeed meticulous in thought and wholeheartedly considers the brothers. That we, your humble generals, can follow the Grand Commander is truly a blessing cultivated in our past lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong waved his hand and said with restrained pride: \"War is a perilous affair. If we can avoid fighting, it's best not to fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the capital to Datong, the post stations were generally complete, and especially after entering Xuanfu, the roads were even easier to travel. Seven hundred li, with relay horses rushing over two hundred li a day — a message sent from the capital on the eleventh arrived in Datong on the fourteenth. At this time, Count Dingxing Wang Pu received the Emperor's edict summoning him to the throne's aid, ordering him to immediately lead his troops into the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So he's finally remembered me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving the imperial edict, Wang Pu merely curled his lip. He had someone attend to the messenger but was in no hurry to lead his troops into the capital for its defense. Instead, he sent someone to summon his trusted confidant, Chief of Staff Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was quite a while before Chief of Staff Tian hurried over. It turned out that after the Jinzhou campaign, Wang Pu had focused on economic development, particularly enamored with cash crops like tobacco. Many fields in Datong, Fengzhen, and other places had been converted from wheat to tobacco, to satisfy the ever-growing demand of smokers in Xuanfu and the Protectorate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This led his subordinates to follow suit. They were either in the fields, or in shops and tobacco stores, spending less and less time in the military camps. This Chief of Staff Tian had also disappeared to who knows where, and it took a long time to find him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief of Staff Tian arrived in a rush. He still wore his goatee, but compared to before, his complexion was much ruddier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, Wang Pu had also put on considerable weight over these two years. The two small mustaches beside his lips were glossy and shining. Datong's economy had been booming these past two years, and Count Dingxing had unknowingly grown a bit plump, somewhat losing his formerly debonair image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wang Pu explained the matter of the throne-aid edict, he leisurely savored his fragrant tea and said slowly: \"Chief of Staff Tian, what is your view?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief of Staff Tian habitually located the map and sand table in the main hall. He observed them for a long time, but what he said was completely unrelated: \"Has the Grand Commander inquired whether the Emperor also issued an edict to the Marquis of Yongning?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Pu's eyes lit up: \"A single word awakens the dreamer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set down his teacup and said with a chuckle: \"That's it then. If the Marquis of Yongning sends troops, we send troops. If the Marquis of Yongning doesn't send troops, we won't either!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief of Staff Tian merely stroked his beard with a restrained smile. At that moment, a guard came to report that the Provincial Governor of Datong, Wei Jingyuan, had requested an audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Pu couldn't help frowning: \"That smiling tiger is here again — so annoying…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the thirteenth day of the third month, Bazhou and Tianjin fell. His Majesty issued an edict blaming himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong entered the guard with eight thousand men. The eunuch Du Zhizhi was ordered to assist in defending Gu'an. Tang Tong was rewarded with forty taels of silver and two sets of bright red python-embroidered silk. For his eight thousand eighty-two officers and soldiers, the inner treasury issued four thousand five hundred taels of silver — five qian per soldier. Tang Tong was received in audience by His Majesty, who comforted and encouraged him repeatedly, speaking of joint defense and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fourteenth, the Shuntian Provincial Governor Yang E abandoned his post during an inspection tour, changed clothes, and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fifteenth, Gu'an fell. Tang Tong and Du Zhizhi surrendered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That same day, Wu Sangui urgently led several thousand elite cavalry from Ningyuan into Shanhai Pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eleventh, the slave-bandit grand army, which had until then held its forces back or only launched minor attacks on various cities, suddenly assaulted Shanhai Pass and various points in Jizhen fiercely. Jizhen held out fairly well, but Shanhai Pass was thinly manned. Apart from local militias, guard battalion troops, and some garrison soldiers, the only combat-ready force was the Shanhai Pass Regional Commander, Count of Dongping Liu Zhaoji, with a few thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet compared to the vast and boundless Tatar army outside the pass, these few men at Shanhai Pass were still far too few, causing the Ji-Liao Viceroy Fan Zhiwan, then in the pass city, constant anxiety. He could not bear the risk of Shanhai Pass falling, and there were no troops nearby to draw upon. Marquis of Jibei Yang Guozhu's side was even less able to spare any. So he had no choice but to seek help from Wu Sangui at Ningyuan, sending urgent appeals several times a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, Wu Sangui and the Liaodong Provincial Governor Qiu Minyang were stationed in Ningyuan city. The messengers pleading for aid came desperately, weeping blood and wailing in grief, which moved both Wu Sangui and Qiu Minyang deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sending troops out of the city to rescue carried great risk, and Wu Sangui's forces were actually not many either. The direct-line Liao generals of the Wu and Zu families combined numbered only thirty thousand men, and they were scattered across Jinzhou, Ningyuan, and other places. His own elite Wu family retainers numbered only two thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If these core troops suffered losses…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet if they did not go to the rescue and Shanhai Pass were breached, they would lose contact with the interior and their own rear route would be cut off — a risk Wu Sangui and the others equally could not bear. After all, they knew that times had changed. The bandits were now marching north toward the capital, and there would likely be no more grand campaigns to relieve Liaodong. If the rear route was severed, it would truly be severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after days of discussion with Qiu Minyang, they finally decided that Qiu Minyang would remain to hold Ningyuan, while Wu Sangui himself would lead three thousand elite cavalry in a desperate dash into Shanhai Pass to relieve it…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the bloody battle, Wu Sangui's face bore a stern, cold expression, his bearing imposing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mounted on his horse, he was more steady and composed than before, the bearing of a scion of a great family fully evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet compared to years past, the lines on his face had increased greatly, marked by wind, frost, snow, and rain. Bearing the interests of the Wu family, the Zu family, and other military houses — even the interests of the entire Liaodong bloc — how could he be without burden? Worn by mental strain and toil, he had aged rapidly since the Battle of Jinzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now mounted on his horse, though he showed no outward sign, inwardly he was deeply agitated, worried about the situation. He knew the bandits were sweeping all before them and had nearly reached the foot of the capital. How long the capital could hold out, he had no confidence. And now the Tatars were seizing the chance to loot and plunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui had long served in the Liaodong army and naturally understood their strategy. First, they would desperately tie down himself and Yang Guozhu and the others, preventing them from reinforcing the capital. Second, if the defenses of Shanhai Pass and Jizhen were empty, they would not mind seizing the pass walls and then digging in, laying down chess pieces for future campaigns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bandits and Tatars alike — each came with fierce momentum and ill intent, making Wu Sangui feel even more troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was especially worried about the capital. After all, if the Great Ming fell, would there still be the several million taels of Liaodong military tax each year?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the capital were breached, where should he himself go? What would become of the entire Liaodong military establishment thereafter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, he felt a sense of bewilderment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sixteenth, a report arrived from Wang Pu, stating he had fallen from his horse and was injured. His Majesty rewarded him with forty taels for medicine expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, the Jingbian Army took over the city defenses of Juyong Pass, Zijing Pass, and other locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, gazing toward Tongzhou, the firelight lit up the sky. It was the bandits enforcing a night curfew against looting, while dispatching troops to seize Tongzhou's grain stores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits were about to arrive at the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>",3667,"2026-06-03T14:06:27.906Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","815b1096d642e8150be35d1a37d8121c64c5a6ea6024a4f67c7ef99690edaf7d","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-840","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-838",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]