[{"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-850":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},1206139,1561,"Chapter 850: The Deception","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-850",850,"\u003Cp>News of the asset-seizure campaign had actually reached Shanhai Pass by the end of the third month. The capital was six hundred li from Shanhai Pass — close, yet far. A slow journey took over ten days; a fast horse riding day and night could cover the distance in just two or three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the news reached Shanhai Pass, Wu Sangui, Liu Zhaoji, Fan Zhiwan, Li Yutian, and the others were all shocked and uncertain, unable to believe their ears. But as more reports arrived, confirming the matter was true, every civil official and military officer at Shanhai Pass was instantly seized with terror and dread, at a loss for what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Count of Dingxi Tang Tong, who was already at Shanhai Pass, having surrendered even earlier and now bearing the task of persuading others to surrender, felt shock and unease, his heart a complete blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the second day of the fourth month, Count of Pingxi Wu Sangui stood on the Zhen Dong Tower, staring blankly into space. Shanhai Pass was immensely grand — a composite dragon-and-phoenix fortress defense line. Beyond the main pass city, it linked seven fortresses: Dongluo City, Xiluo City, Nanyi City, Beiyi City, Weiyuan City, and Ninghai City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the pass city was connected to the Great Wall itself, encompassing sections such as the Pass City Wall, the Nanyi Wall, the Beiyi Wall, the Old Dragon Head Wall, the Jiaoshan Wall, the Sandao Pass Wall, and the Jiumenkou Wall (Yipianshi), stretching over fifty li in total length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pass city sat in the middle of the plain. Its eastern wall served both as the eastern face of the pass city and as part of the Great Wall — one structure with two functions. At this moment, Wu Sangui stood at the eastern gate's arrow tower, the \"Zhen Dong Tower,\" also known as the \"First Pass Under Heaven Arrow Tower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui drew his telescope and gazed out. He looked beyond the arrow tower for a long time. Through the barbican, he could see the Dongluo City opposite — the first defensive screen for the pass city's eastern gate and the first entry passage into the pass. Its walls stretched over five hundred zhang in circumference, curving slightly in an arc. Its western wall merged with the pass city's eastern wall and the Great Wall into one; its southeastern wall connected to the pass city's eastern gate, with the junction guarded by the Linlü Tower and the Muying Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking further through Dongluo City, he could see Qing army encampments spread out several li away, especially atop Huanxiling, where banners and flags fluttered in abundance. Wu Sangui gazed in that direction for a long time. He had once seen the yellow dragon canopy of the slave chieftain Dorgon appear above Weiyuan Fort; perhaps the mobile camp of the Qing Emperor was now stationed among those mountain ridges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking further toward Jiaoshan in the northwest, he saw massive jagged rocks like a dragon's head bearing horns. On the northeastern side of the Jiaoshan Wall, across Changshoushan and the steep ridges of Yanshan, dense Qing encampments likewise clustered thickly — the vast camps and banners seemed to stretch beyond sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui watched for a long time, worried and lost. Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out. Wu Sangui turned his head and saw one of his personal guards rushing toward him urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Viceroy's headquarters, Wu Sangui had just stepped into the main hall when he heard the delighted and hearty voice of Count of Dongping and Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Liu Zhaoji ring out: \"Ha ha, this is truly wonderful news! The Crown Prince is safe and sound — Heaven truly protects our Great Ming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui froze for a moment, then his heart surged with joy: \"The Crown Prince is safe and sound?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entered the main hall and saw Liu Zhaoji's tall, sturdy figure standing there, laughing heartily as he waved a letter in his hand, his face brimming with extreme delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Viceroy of Jiliao Fan Zhiwan and Pass Defense Provincial Governor Li Yutian sat whispering to each other, though both wore expressions of joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also one person sitting awkwardly — none other than the former Miyun Regional Commander and Count of Dingxi, Tang Tong, who had already defected to the Dashun regime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wu Sangui enter, everyone looked his way. Liu Zhaoji strode over and called out: \"Changbo, come quickly and see! This is a letter sent by Marshal Yang. It says the Crown Prince has been received into Xuanfu by the Marquis of Yongning. Our Great Ming's destiny is not yet exhausted — ha ha ha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui first saluted Liu Zhaoji, Fan Zhiwan, and Li Yutian with steady composure: \"Marshal Liu, Your Excellencies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His manner was courteous, his etiquette thorough — every gesture displayed the bearing of a scion of a great house. Fan Zhiwan and Li Yutian both showed gentle smiles, while a flash of envy crossed Tang Tong's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wu Sangui took the letter Liu Zhaoji handed him and read it carefully, his hands trembling involuntarily: \"...On the twenty-eighth day of last month, the Crown Prince was rescued by righteous men and fled into Xuanfu Garrison. Now the Marquis of Yongning Wang Dou, Viceroy of Xuanda Ji Shiwei, former Minister of War Chen Xinjia, and Garrison Eunuch Du Xun have received him and settled him in. Is... is this news reliable?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhaoji laughed heartily: \"This is a personal letter from the Marquis of Yongning to Marshal Yang, and Marshal Yang urgently informed us. How could it not be reliable?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed loudly: \"The Crown Prince is safe. No doubt before long he and the Marquis of Yongning will raise troops to launch a punitive expedition — the bandits' final days are at hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan and Li Yutian both stroked their beards and smiled. Tang Tong's face alternated between pale and flushed, especially when he heard the words \"bandits.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forced a dry laugh and said: \"Marshal Liu, Marshal Wu, Your Excellencies — we are now subjects of the Dashun dynasty. This term 'bandits'...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhaoji shouted sternly: \"Dashun? What Dashun? The Dashun that tortures and extorts officials and gentry? The Dashun that breaks down doors house by house to seize wealth? The Dashun that brutally plunders women and money? I, Liu Zhaoji, pledged allegiance to a new dynasty to protect the realm and its people, not to let bandits break down doors and pillage house by house!... These bandits are skilled at sweet talk and deceiving the common folk, but bandits are bandits after all. In just a few days, they couldn't help revealing their true nature. Despicable! I was nearly deceived by these bandits!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gazes Fan Zhiwan and Li Yutian directed at Tang Tong were also somewhat cold. Ever since learning of the asset-seizure campaign, and especially hearing that many officials and nobles had been tortured to death, they had drawn a clear line in their hearts between themselves and Dashun. Now, hearing that the Crown Prince was still safe, they were even more irreconcilably opposed to the bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could not imagine such an outcome: one day declaring their loyalty, and the very next day being dragged off to be tortured, then beaten to death along with their families — both lives and wealth utterly destroyed. The mere thought sent chills down their spines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yutian said coolly: \"Torturing and extorting gentry and commoners, plundering money and women — is this the manner of a new dynasty? They are still bandits! The name 'Dashun' shall never be spoken again!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan also said with a genial smile: \"The Count of Dingxi has received imperial grace for generations; the late Emperor's kindness was as weighty as a mountain. Now our Great Ming's destiny is not yet exhausted, and men yearn to show their loyalty. The Count of Dingxi should make plans early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong fidgeted restlessly. At first, he had been full of swagger, strutting proudly before Wu Sangui, Liu Zhaoji, Fan Zhiwan, and the others. Now his momentum had shriveled considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the news of the asset-seizure campaign arrived from the capital and other places, he too secretly regretted his actions, feeling that this Dashun dynasty was unreliable and that his earlier decision had been rash. A fine bird chooses its tree to perch on — clearly, this Dashun was no ideal tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he still clung to a sliver of hope. He forced a dry laugh: \"If it truly turns out that the Shun state has incurred heaven's wrath and the people's resentment, then I, Tang Tong, will naturally forsake darkness for light and pledge loyalty anew to our Great Ming. It's just... could this news be mistaken? We should investigate further.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhaoji sneered. Fan Zhiwan and Li Yutian also pondered. Tang Tong's words had some merit — rumors were often unreliable. Could the news from the capital be exaggerated and untrue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the asset-seizure campaign and the plundering of the common people were too horrifying to believe. No wise sovereign, no newly rising dynasty, would commit such a foolish act. Indeed, it was better to investigate further, to avoid having to make another agonizing choice of fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan in particular was a greedy and cowardly man; aside from amassing wealth, he valued harmony above all else. If trouble could be avoided, it was best to avoid it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui had been sitting quietly all along, lost in thought. Just as he was about to speak, hurried footsteps rang out again — a servant from the Viceroy's residence rushed in urgently, bringing important news for everyone in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? Someone from the Count of Pingxi's household has escaped from the capital, and among them is a close friend?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan and the others abruptly rose to their feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several people were led into the council hall. Wu Sangui looked at them hesitantly. One man, supported by two servants of the Wu household, could barely walk and looked extremely familiar — it seemed to be...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was another person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Changbo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Tingxian.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man turned out to be his good friend Fang Guangchen, courtesy name Tingxian, son of the former Minister of Rites Fang Yizao. Back when Fang Yizao, as Grand Secretary, had served as Provincial Governor in Liaodong, Wu Sangui had studied under his tutelage and had formed a sworn, unreserved friendship with his son Fang Guangchen. Now here he stood before him, travel-worn and weary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After greeting him, Fang Guangchen stepped aside, revealing the man being supported in the middle. This man was covered in wounds, his hands and feet trembling; without support, he would surely have collapsed on the ground. Wu Sangui stared, the face growing more and more familiar, until he jolted in recognition — this disfigured man was none other than his eldest brother, Wu Sanfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sanfeng trembled and shivered, large tears rolling down his face. His lips quivered, and he suddenly threw himself at Wu Sangui's feet, crying out in anguish: \"Brother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clutched Wu Sangui's feet, wailing with heart-rending grief, his voice like a cuckoo weeping blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui knelt down, his voice trembling: \"Eldest Brother, you... how did you end up like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could scarcely recognize the man before him. Just looking at his hands and feet, he knew how much inhuman torture he had endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sanfeng wailed: \"Yingqi... Yingqi is gone. And your sister-in-law and the others — all dead!... Crushed to death alive...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui said: \"Crushed... crushed to death... Then... then what about Father?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sanfeng wailed: \"Father is near death too — they subjected him to the branding torture...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui suddenly staggered, his face ashen pale. He murmured: \"How dare they... how could they dare...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He murmured on, unable to understand. He was a key frontier general — even if Li Zicheng and Liu Zongmin had no regard for the monk, they should have had regard for the Buddha. They should not have laid hands on his family. How could they be so utterly heedless? What were they thinking, to be so recklessly unrestrained?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly let out a roar, a sound of utter anguish, filled with boundless venomous hatred. Seeing his ferocious expression, the hall fell deathly silent. Not only were Fan Zhiwan and Li Yutian frozen with terror, but even Liu Zhaoji sat sighing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I swear I will not live under the same sky as these bandits!\" Amid his furious roar, Wu Sangui suddenly drew his sharp sword and with one stroke cleaved the table and chairs before him. Hearing the maddened voice from his lips, Tang Tong unconsciously shrank his body, trying to avoid drawing Wu Sangui's attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly Wu Sangui remembered something and pointed his sword at him. Tang Tong scrambled to his feet in fright, one hand on his own sword, and said in a panic: \"Marshal Wu, I have already forsaken darkness for light and pledged loyalty anew to the Great Ming. I am not on the bandits' side — do not misunderstand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cursed even louder: \"Despicable bandits! I, Tang Tong, swear I will not live under the same sky as those wretches!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan, Li Yutian, and the others also hurriedly tried to dissuade him. Wu Sangui only said coldly: \"I ask you — after you defected to the bandits, the bandit Chuang said that the defense of Shanhai Pass, Jizhen, and other places would be under your charge, and also said that we were to lead our troops to the capital. So, have any bandit commanders subsequently arrived to take over the defense of the border walls at Jizhen, Shanhai Pass, and other places?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Tong thought for a moment, then shook his head: \"It seems not!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan and the others all turned pale with shock. Liu Zhaoji suddenly stood up and shouted at Tang Tong, \"Just you, Tang Tong — you think you can hold these two passes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan murmured, \"What kind of logic are they following?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Zhiwan had not thought much about it at the time, but now that Wu Sangui raised the question, it struck him with sudden horror how utterly absurd this was. Outside the pass were several hundred thousand Tartars; even with so many capable ministers and fierce generals stationed here, the difficulties were immense. What virtue or ability did Tang Tong possess that made him superior to Yang Guozhu, Wu Sangui, Liu Zhaoji, and the rest?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the Chuang bandit thinking? Or did he imagine that beyond this pass wall it had always been peaceful and untroubled, that those several hundred thousand Tartars had never existed in this world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui sheathed his sword. In his heart he was perfectly clear: no matter how absurd and preposterous the Chuang bandits' actions were, one thing he could be certain of — this business of amnesty and recruitment was nothing but a swindle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their goal was simply to lure him and the others into the capital, so that they would be the fish on the chopping block while others held the knife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui dared not imagine what it would be like to be tortured and extorted. The mere thought of such a scene sent an indescribable terror surging through his mind, and finally a fear and horror unlike any he had ever known seized his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he had not walked into the trap himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately.\u003C\u002Fp>",2584,"2026-06-03T14:06:27.906Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","80b73e8c8e27eb2772b9e3c619eefb37358c041132d504f134d2fcf398664c14","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-851","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-849",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]