[{"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-853":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},1206142,1561,"Chapter 853: Schemes","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-853",853,"\u003Cp>Wu Sangui returned to his own residence and conferred secretly with Fang Guangchen for a long while. As dawn approached, he finally wrote a letter and dispatched a trusted aide out of the city, heading for Huanxiling, where the Qing army was encamped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifth day of the fourth month, Huanxiling, Weiyuanbao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four or five li east of Shanhai Pass lies a stretch of arched hills, shaped like a wooden club, five or six zhang high, with broad, gentle slopes extending three or four li. This stretch of earthen ridges appears frequently in the travelogues and poetry of contemporaries; it is Huanxiling, and it also bears another name: Qihuangling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One ridge, two names, their moods diametrically opposed. Which name one uses depends solely on the direction the traveler walks — whether entering the pass or leaving it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those entering the pass see Shanhai Pass close before their eyes, their hearts fill with joy, and they call it Huanxiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those leaving the pass feel bleak despair in their hearts, not knowing when they will return to their homeland, and they call it Qihuangling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huanxiling has gentle, curving slopes. Below the ridge stands the Temple of Meng Jiangnu, and the official road passes through, connecting all the way to the pass gate. Weiyuanbao sits atop the ridge. The fort is not large, its perimeter no more than seventy paces, with the main gate facing due south. The walls, however, stand three zhang high, founded on massive stone blocks, with bastions rising at the four corners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fort is commonly called Wuyancheng, also known as Weiyuantai. It serves as a forward outpost for Shanhai Pass, ordinarily garrisoned by a Squad Commander leading troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Weiyuanbao had been occupied by the Qing army. The soldiers defending the fort were all in gleaming helmets and armor, flying-tiger back-banners thrust behind them, their helmet tubes adorned with eagle plumes and otter tails — elite Gabushixian troops, who belonged to the personal guard of the Qing emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The defense command hall was not large, and at this moment it was packed full with Qing sovereign and ministers. Besides Dorgon and Duoduo, there were Gabushixian Gala Angbang Wu Bai, the various officials of the Six Ministries' executive posts, and the Grand Secretaries of the Literary Academy, Ning Wanwo and Fan Wencheng, among others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also gathered in the hall at this time were the various Gushan Ezhen of Han, Mongol, Korean, and Japanese banners attached to the Two Yellow Banners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Dorgon ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, he changed his original Two White Banners into the Two Yellow Banners, just as Hong Taiji had originally administered the Plain White Banner and changed it to the Plain Yellow Banner after his ascension. The Han, Mongol, and other banner colors originally subordinate to the Two White Banners were likewise changed. However, the Eight Banners Korea, Eight Banners Japan, and other banners were formed only after Dorgon's ascension, so they needed no alteration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides these, the hall also held the Qing state's ironclad allies: the Khorchin tribe's Heshuo Tuxietu Prince Badali, Heshuo Zhuoliketu Prince Wu Keshan, Duoluo Batulu Commandery Prince Manzhuxili, Duoluo Zhasaketu Commandery Prince Butaqi, and others gathered together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this campaign, the Khorchin tribe had staked a great deal, mobilizing a total of twenty thousand banner men, including five thousand armored soldiers, who accompanied Dorgon. As for the remaining Outer Vassal Mongol tribes, they followed the route of Abatai and Jirgalang. A coalition of multiple tribes, they numbered roughly ten thousand banner men and three thousand armored soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, after Yoto's death, the Manchu Plain Red Banner had originally been managed on behalf of the Great Beile Daišan. For this expedition, it had been formally handed over to Yoto's son, Luoluohuan. Together with the Manchu Bordered Red Banner lord Dudu, he led the attached Han, Mongol, Korean, and Japanese Two Red Banners, along with accompanying army bondservants, totaling fifty thousand men, who were now tightly besieging Yizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the original Manchu Plain Blue Banner lord was Hooge. Hooge had died in battle during the Song-Jin campaign, and his eldest son, Qizheng'e, was at this time only ten years old. Banner affairs were managed through consultation among the high officials of the Plain Blue Banner. Moreover, with the protection of the highly respected Prince Zheng, Jirgalang, who controlled the Bordered Blue Banner, Dorgon, though covetous, dared not annex it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this campaign, the Manchu Plain Blue Banner also followed Jirgalang's route. The original Manchu Plain Yellow Banner lord Ashan and Bordered Yellow Banner lord Baiyintu, whose banners had changed from Two Yellow to Two White, led some of their attached Han, Mongol, Korean, and Japanese banner troops to keep watch on Jinzhou and Ningyuan. They were not gathered in the defense command hall at this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha, truly Heaven aids me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the command hall, the Qing state's Xuantong Emperor Dorgon was laughing heartily. Gao Hongzhong, the Executive Official of the Ministry of Justice in charge of the barbarian city, continuously relayed news from the Ming capital. He had learned that after Li Chuang seized the Ming capital, within just a few days he could not restrain his nature and began torturing officials and gentry for their wealth, breaking into homes and households. Now not only were the officials and gentry disillusioned, but even the common people of the capital each and every one hated him to the bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon was first astonished, then so elated he could hardly speak. He had originally thought that after Li Zicheng occupied the capital, another powerful imperial dynasty would arise in the Central Plains, and the Great Qing would constantly face the threat of survival or extinction. From the present look of things, that threat had already passed. The so-called Great Shun was no longer the primary object of the Great Qing's worries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand Secretary Ning Wanwo stood to the side, also laughing involuntarily: \"After all, they are but roving bandits. What sign is this of a new dynasty's bearing? The Chuang bandit acting thus is truly courting his own destruction!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bone-deep hatred even flashed through his eyes: \"Poisonously plundering the gentry and officials — this can be called madness and inhumanity. Such a bandit is also the mortal enemy of our Great Qing! In days to come, we must absolutely not let them off; kill every last one we find!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall nodded, their expressions showing shared sentiment. They now counted themselves among the official-gentry landlord class. They dared not imagine, if Li Chuang's power grew, what if in the future he also pursued them for illicit gains to support military funds? They dared not imagine what kind of scene it would be if they themselves were tortured to extract silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also one of the reasons that, historically, Li Chuang and his men were hunted by the Qing troops with no road to heaven and no door to earth. It was not that they did not want to surrender, but that they dared not surrender, could not surrender. When other Ming officials and generals surrendered, they were employed in important positions just as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only their fate was different. Cold treatment and being shelved was already considered good; most who surrendered still could not keep their lives and family fortunes safe. Just like Tian Jianxiu, Zhang Nai, Wu Ruyi, and others — they surrendered to the Qing army, and shortly thereafter were ordered executed by Dorgon, and even their subordinates were slaughtered clean to the last man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, with no other choice, their remnants had to ally with the Southern Ming, which unexpectedly became a case of unintentional planting yielding a grove of willows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng had been pondering something all along. At this moment, a trace of worry appeared in his eyes. He said: \"Your humble servant previously offered three strategies. One strategy was to partition the realm together with the Shun state, even allying with the roving bandits if necessary to jointly oppose Wang Dou. Now it appears the Chuang bandit's reputation has already rotted. Not only do the Ming state's officials and gentry deeply hate him, but even the common people hate him to the bone. Our Great Qing must not become tainted by association with them, lest we ruin our Great Qing's reputation!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. Fan Wencheng had earlier offered three strategies. The third strategy, 'Seize Liaoxi and covertly aid the roving bandits,' had basically succeeded. Had they not tied down Yang Guozhu, Wu Sangui, and the others, Li Chuang and his men would not have seized the capital so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Dorgon increasingly valued Fan Wencheng. He placed great importance on Fan Wencheng's strategic views.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall also agreed with Fan Wencheng's words. Although the Qing state had no good reputation in the Ming, with effort, there were still ways to make some officials, merchants, and gentry turn to their side. If they allied with the roving bandits, that would truly ruin their Great Qing's reputation entirely — something the entire Qing state, high and low, desperately wished to avoid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng continued: \"News has come from the barbarian city that the Ming Crown Prince has already fled into Xuanfu Garrison. With the Crown Prince in hand, Wang Dou is vested with great righteousness. If our Great Qing allies with the roving bandits to attack, it will further increase the ill will of all in the Ming state. This is something our Great Qing must do its utmost to avoid!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon furrowed his brow and mused: \"What does Academician Fan instruct me to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng respectfully said: \"Your Majesty, your humble servant has thought carefully. The only course is to implement the strategy your humble servant previously proposed: when the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman gains. After our Great Qing enters the pass, if we encounter the roving bandits, we should still avoid making enemies of them. Sit back and watch them fight Wang Dou. When both sides are wounded and spent, then in one stroke destroy both those bandits — that would be best.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Wanwo cast a sidelong glance at the high-spirited Fan Wencheng and said coolly: \"I only fear the roving bandits have already lost the people's hearts. Though their troops are numerous, they are no longer a match for Wang Dou. At that time, once Wang Dou annihilates the roving bandits in one stroke, our Great Qing will have to face the Jingbian Army at the height of its sharpness!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall shivered. Judging by the current situation, this scenario was very likely to occur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the pursuit of illicit gains to support military funds, the so-called Great Shun could no longer be considered a formidable enemy of the Great Qing. But Wang Dou, that man...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had resolve, he had ability, and more importantly, Wang Dou had always been hostile to the Great Qing, wishing for nothing more than its swift destruction. The contradiction between the two could not be reconciled — either you die, or I live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng smiled slightly and said: \"Academician Ning's concern is not without reason. Therefore, our Great Qing must covertly aid the roving bandits, but without leaving visible traces. The roving bandits are now in the Ming capital, indulging in pleasure and forgetting home. What kind of man is Wang Dou? How could he fail to seize the opportunity for battle? I expect he will dispatch troops before long! Xuanfu Garrison is not far from the capital. Perhaps Wang Dou will be pressing upon the Ming capital before the roving bandits even react, and they will certainly fight a great battle near the capital!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: \"Therefore, our Great Qing troops must hasten to the Ming capital, draw near the battlefield, and quietly observe the changes. Wang Dou is extremely wary of our Great Qing. Even while fighting a great battle against the bandits, how could he not detach a substantial force for defense? Thus his forces will be divided and weakened. As one side wanes, the other waxes — the roving bandits will surely be able to fight him to mutual exhaustion. Then our Great Qing can freely choose which side to attack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd pondered. Ning Wanwo's reaction was extremely quick, and he soon seized on a flaw in Fan Wencheng's words. He said darkly: \"What if the roving bandits also divide their forces for defense?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was taken aback. Ning Wanwo's point was also possible. If the roving bandits also divided their forces to guard against the Great Qing, then the balance of forces between the two sides would revert to the previous situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng said: \"Our Great Qing can secretly use clever words and sweet talk to soothe and instruct the roving bandits, saying that our Great Qing and Wang Dou are irreconcilable, and that we have come this time to aid the Great Shun in annihilating Wang Dou. Looking at the roving bandits' situation, they have no understanding of our Great Qing whatsoever, perhaps viewing us only as ordinary barbarians beyond the frontier. Observing the roving bandits' earlier defensive deployments — they even wanted to transfer Yang Guozhu, Wu Sangui, and others into the capital, and only used Tang Tong to defend the two passes — one can see this clearly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Wanwo sneered: \"Clever words and sweet talk to soothe and instruct? You mean groveling and bowing, humbly begging to placate them, don't you? Our Great Qing rose in Liaodong. Since the time of Emperor Wu, we have never fought without victory. Since when do we need to humble ourselves before mere roving bandits?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words struck a chord with many in the hall, especially those Manchus, who cast unfriendly glances at Fan Wencheng. Duoduo, sitting to one side, seemed on the verge of erupting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon, however, did not mind. He waved his hand and said: \"As long as we gain real benefit, as long as it advantages our Great Qing, what do a few humble words matter? Think back to when our Great Qing wished to negotiate peace with the Ming state — we were even willing to consider declaring ourselves vassals and paying tribute. A true man can bend and stretch; so too can a state.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng sang praises: \"Your Majesty is sagely and enlightened. For our Great Qing to have such a sovereign is a great blessing for the state.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people in the hall said no more. Compared to the states of the Central Plains, they, as barbarians beyond the frontier, indeed placed little value on such things. Rampant when strong, cowering when weak — that was the true portrait of their existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng finally said: \"This is your humble servant's plan to covertly aid the roving bandits. It will certainly not let the people of the Ming state catch hold of any evidence, yet it can make the roving bandits and Wang Dou fight to mutual exhaustion, and finally allow our Great Qing to reap the fisherman's gain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall pondered. Fan Wencheng's plan had no problems. Although Wang Dou was strong and had always been the Great Qing's foremost formidable enemy, he could not possibly be so strong as to fight one against two, dealing with both the roving bandits and the Great Qing at the same time. Although after the Battle of Jinzhou, the barbarian city had expended countless manpower and resources, they had finally discovered that Wang Dou had expanded his army, his forces seemingly increased to fifty or sixty thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, after all, he only had fifty or sixty thousand men. Even adding some garrison militia and auxiliary troops — akin to the bondservants and slaves within the Qing state — their combat strength was hard to assess. Meanwhile, the combined forces of the Qing and Shun sides reached seven hundred thousand. To say that Wang Dou could simultaneously deal with both the Qing and Shun sides — Dorgon and the others would never believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even regarding Ning Wanwo's worries, many people did not take them seriously. They shared this concern, but only out of consideration for the one-in-a-thousand chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people still believed that the roving bandits would fight Wang Dou to mutual exhaustion, and that their own side should spy from afar and simply pick up the advantage once the final outcome emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching everyone scheme back and forth, the Grand General Who Pacifies the South, Prince Yu Duoduo, grew quite impatient. He abruptly stood up and shouted: \"Why go to such trouble? Let our Great Qing troops march straight on the Ming capital, annihilate the roving bandits, seize all the women, children, and valuables the bandits have looted, and then deal with Wang Dou!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall spoke in unison. Dorgon, frowning, said: \"The roving bandits have been waging war for a long time. Do not underestimate them as you would the Han troops of old. Moreover, they took the Ming capital in just two days — what kind of combat strength is that? Although they are now in the Ming capital pursuing illicit gains to support military funds, losing all popular support, who knows whether their combat strength has diminished? You all must not advance rashly out of formation. This army cannot be lightly attacked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the crowd in the hall and said with a grave expression: \"I will also strictly instruct all princes, beile, beizi, dukes, and ministers: if you face the roving bandits, you must be vigilant and must not be careless or underestimate the enemy. Furthermore, as Academician Fan has said, if we can avoid fighting the roving bandits, we should still avoid it, lest we deplete our forces and give Wang Dou a free advantage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said cautiously: \"Wealth and valuables are a small matter; the survival of the state is the great matter. If both sides are wounded and spent, and Wang Dou exploits the situation instead — our Great Qing only has this much family property; we cannot afford to lose it. We must ensure absolute certainty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: \"Of course, if the roving bandits are arrogant and overbearing, we shall also let them know the might of our Great Qing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Hong Taiji, Dorgon lacked somewhat in grand vision and great strategy, but had more cunning and caution. Historically, after receiving Wu Sangui's letter requesting aid, he feared it was a trap. Even when his main force reached outside Shanhai Pass, he kept his troops stationary, sitting back and watching Wu Sangui and Li Zicheng tear each other apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after repeated observation, confirming that it was indeed not a trap, roughly gauging Li Zicheng's strength, and seeing that Wu Sangui had become extremely desperate — his conditions shifting from borrowing troops to outright surrender — did Dorgon, having obtained everything he wanted, contentedly order the main force to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng was also foolishly dull. Dorgon had been encamped for days at Huanxiling just a few li away, yet he knew nothing of it. Moreover, Tang Tong had previously clashed with the Manchu troops and been utterly routed, but Li Zicheng paid it no heed. The Manchu soldiers, living up to Dorgon's expectations, needed only three rounds of shelling and three battle cries to defeat in one breath the main force of the Shun army, which had seemed invincible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Li Zicheng had brought no more than sixty or seventy thousand men to Shanhai Pass, most of them were his most elite veteran camp soldiers, yet they could not withstand a single blow from the Qing army and held out for less than a quarter of an hour. Dorgon finally breathed a sigh of relief and ordered a relentless pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this incident, one could see Dorgon's caution and greed. Therefore, before the intelligence was clear, Dorgon maintained a high degree of vigilance about engaging the Great Shun army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duoduo, in truth, was also somewhat uneasy in his heart. Although the Ming capital had fallen in two days—partly because the Ming had lost the people's hearts, its fate was exhausted, and the masses longed for a change of dynasty—the fact that the Shun army had also taken the capital in two days still somewhat alarmed Duoduo with their combat strength. After all, their Qing troops had also crossed into the interior many times and knew whether the Ming capital was easy to attack or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he said unconvinced, \"After all the calculations, what if Wang Dou and the roving bandits join forces to deal with our Great Qing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was taken aback; none had considered this possibility. Fan Wencheng, however, chuckled and said with a slight smile, \"Prince Yu need not worry. That is absolutely impossible!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, \"If Wang Dou joined forces with the roving bandits, he would lose all moral legitimacy, and the entire Ming realm would rise against him. He deeply hates our Great Qing, and it is equally impossible for him to ally with us. So, calculating the three sides, he is merely a solitary man alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duoduo fell silent. He had only spoken offhandedly and also knew that such a thing was absolutely impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng finally said, \"Therefore, observing the current situation, our Great Qing troops should enter the pass as quickly as possible. To win the support of Ming officials, it is best to raise the banner of exterminating the roving bandits and avenging your sovereign and father, so as to reduce their will to resist. If we can draw over a large number of former Ming officials and generals, even better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon said with some vexation, \"It is a pity. Previously, I personally wrote letters, but none at Shanhai Pass were willing to surrender to our Great Qing. The terms I offered them were by no means ungenerous. Even Yang Guozhu in Ji Town, and Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen in Yizhou, would not even meet my envoys!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face darkened. \"If they will not surrender, there is nothing but to kill them—especially Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen in Yizhou. During the Battle of Jinzhou, Wang Dou sent troops from Yizhou to cut off our rear. Our Great Qing suffered once at Wang Dou's hands; must we suffer a second time? Let the Ministry of Rites send men once more to demand their surrender. If Cao and Wang still refuse, order Dudu and the others to assault the city with full force!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beile Sahaliyan, who managed the affairs of the Ministry of Rites, and the others hurriedly assented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the main force of the Two Red Banners gathered beneath Yizhou City numbered fifty thousand, while Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen's troops inside Yizhou were no more than four thousand. The city had not yet fallen, partly because Cao and Wang resisted tenaciously, and partly because the besieging Qing army had not yet committed its full strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, a large number of troops from the former Two Yellow Banners were also massed near Jinzhou, giving them an overwhelming advantage in military strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were truly willing to pay the price, Yizhou City would not be difficult to take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having arranged this matter, Dorgon looked toward Gao Hongzhong, the Vice Minister of Justice in charge of Manzi City, and asked, \"How are things progressing on your side in Manzi City?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Hongzhong hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully, \"In reply to Your Majesty, your servant was just about to report on this matter. After the roving bandits seized goods and extorted contributions in the Ming capital, the officials, gentry, scholars, and commoners gnash their teeth in hatred. Now they all detest the roving bandits. According to your servant's intelligence, some officials and nobles place their hopes on Wang Dou and the Ming Crown Prince. However, because Wang Dou has implemented policies in Xuanfu akin to the gentry and commoners paying taxes together, there are also many who are dissatisfied with and wary of Wang Dou.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, \"These people's hopes lie with others. Your servant has received word that Wu Sangui, the Liaodong Regional Commander currently inside Shanhai Pass, harbors other intentions. Recently, he has been in frequent contact with his kinsmen in Jinzhou, Ningyuan, and other places. Following Your Majesty's decree, the troops stationed along the city have not intercepted or killed their messengers... Your servant has also received secret intelligence regarding the matter Wu Sangui is discussing...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the people in the hall and said, \"Borrowing the caitiffs to pacify the bandits!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Borrowing the caitiffs to pacify the bandits?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expressions of everyone in the hall varied. Dorgon was also taken aback, then an irrepressible look of delight spread across his face. He said, \"Is Wu Sangui planning to emulate Emperor Suzong of Tang borrowing troops from the Uyghurs? Indeed, among all the Liaodong generals, only this man has such mixed motives. Recovering the Divine Capital—would that not be a deed of merit for the altars of state? The roving bandits are now like Tang Monk's flesh; everyone wants a bite. It seems his heart has been stirred as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he burst into loud laughter. \"A few days ago, I offered him the rank of prince and marquis, and he did not budge. Now he wants to borrow troops? Truly, Heaven helps me! Haha, all thanks to the roving bandits seizing goods and extorting contributions. Their silver extortion was well done!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just at that moment, a personal guard came to report that a secret messenger was outside seeking an audience, bearing a personal letter from Wu Sangui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile on Dorgon's face grew even brighter. \"As expected, here he comes. Truly, speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives. Heaven helps me indeed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Wu Sangui's messenger came forward and respectfully presented Wu Sangui's personal letter. Dorgon soothed him with gentle words, ordered that the messenger be well taken care of, and then carefully read the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On it was written: \"Sangui submits this memorial to the Emperor of the Northern Dynasty: Sangui was first promoted by our late Emperor, and despite my insignificant ability, I was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of Liaodong Regional Commander. I have long deeply admired Your Majesty's prestige. However, according to the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, intercourse does not cross borders, and therefore I have not dared to make my name known. I trust Your Majesty understands the obligations of a subject.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sangui now guards Liaodong, thinking to firmly hold the eastern frontier and thereby secure the capital. Unexpectedly, the roving bandits, defying Heaven, invaded the palace precincts. With their ragtag mob of thieves and petty criminals, how could they possibly accomplish anything? But the hearts of the people in the capital were not steadfast; a treacherous faction opened the gates and surrendered. The late Emperor met with misfortune, and the Nine Temples are reduced to ashes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now the bandit chieftain wishes to usurp the imperial title, plundering women and valuables. His crimes have reached their zenith, truly akin to the Red Eyebrows, the Green Woodsmen, Huang Chao, and An Lushan. Both Heaven and man are enraged, the people's will has departed, and his defeat can be awaited momentarily!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our nation has accumulated virtue and benevolence; the longing for it has not faded among the imperial clansmen in the provinces. Figures like Duke Wen of Jin or Emperor Guangwu of Han, who would restore the dynasty, may well exist. Near and far, righteous armies have already risen; feathered dispatches crisscross, spread thick as stars across the lands north of the mountains and south of the river. Sangui, having received the state's profound grace, pities the people's suffering. I hold the frontier gate, wishing to raise an army to punish the offenders and comfort the people's hearts!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, the land east of the capital is small, and my forces have not yet assembled. I therefore weep blood and seek aid. Our nation has maintained friendly relations with the Northern Dynasty for over two hundred years. Now, having suffered a national calamity without cause, the Northern Dynasty should feel compassion and remember this. Moreover, rebellious ministers and traitorous sons are not what the Northern Dynasty should tolerate. To eradicate the cruel and eliminate the wicked is great compliance; to rescue from peril and support the tottering is great righteousness; to deliver the people from fire and water is great benevolence; to restore the extinguished and continue the severed is great renown; to seize authority and establish hegemony is great merit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Furthermore, the gold, silk, women, and children amassed by the roving bandits are beyond counting. Once the righteous army arrives, all will belong to Your Majesty—this is also a great profit. For Your Majesty, a peerless hero, to encounter this moment when destroying the withered and rotten is easy, is truly an opportunity hard to come by again. I beg you to heed the loyal and righteous words of a solitary subject from a fallen state, quickly select elite troops, and Sangui will personally lead his own forces to join with them and reach the capital's gates, exterminating the roving bandits within the palace and demonstrating great righteousness to the Central Kingdom. Then, how could our dynasty's recompense to the Northern Dynasty be limited to mere wealth and silk?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading it, Dorgon showed it to everyone, especially the Grand Secretaries accompanying the expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Wanwo knelt down, his face full of smiles, and said, \"Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity that comes but once in a thousand years. We must seize it swiftly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall was also in unanimous agreement. They had been fretting over how to enter the pass, and Wu Sangui's letter was truly like a pillow delivered just as one felt drowsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Wencheng, however, looked thoughtful and asked Dorgon, \"Your Majesty, do you truly intend to agree to Wu Sangui's request to borrow troops?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorgon's face bore a faint, ambiguous smile. He said, \"Entering the pass is certain. However, we cannot let Wu Sangui achieve his goal so easily. And once we have entered the pass...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sneered a few times, and after deliberating in detail with the assembled ministers in the hall, he expressed his intentions and had Fan Wencheng take up the brush to polish the wording. Finally, a letter was written and given to the messenger to take back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter read: \"The Great Mongol Bogd Khan, Emperor of the Great Qing, replies to Wu Sangui: Previously, wishing to cultivate good relations with the Ming, I repeatedly sent letters to the Ming sovereign and ministers. Regardless of the nation's turmoil and the deaths of soldiers and civilians, there was never a single word in reply. Therefore, our nation launched several military campaigns, intending to signal to the Ming officials, soldiers, and civilians that I wished the Ming sovereign to carefully consider and establish friendly relations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, however, such a course will not be repeated. There is only the settling of the state and giving the people rest. I have heard that the roving bandits have captured and seized the capital, and the Ming sovereign has tragically perished. I cannot but be utterly enraged. Therefore, I lead this army of benevolence and righteousness, prepared to sink our boats and break our cauldrons, vowing not to turn back our banners, determined to exterminate the bandits and deliver the people from fire and water.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the Count sent an envoy with a letter, I was deeply pleased and thus led my troops forward. The Count's desire to repay his sovereign's grace and his irreconcilable hatred for the roving bandits is truly the righteousness of a loyal subject. Though the Count previously guarded Liaodong and was my enemy, do not now harbor further doubts because of past causes. In ancient times, Guan Zhong shot Duke Huan of Qi, hitting his belt buckle; later, Duke Huan employed Guan Zhong as his 'Uncle Zhong' and thereby achieved hegemony.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, if the Count leads his forces to submit, he will certainly be enfeoffed with his former lands and promoted to a feudatory prince, following the old precedent of the Nanjing Circuit of the Great Liao. Thus, on one hand, the national vengeance will be achieved, and on the other, your person and family will be preserved, with your descendants enjoying wealth and honor for generations, as enduring as the rivers and mountains...\"\u003C\u002Fp>",5405,"2026-06-03T14:06:27.906Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","a66862b98932b3f81f78e82fa9e01283f77a0d2210bd373538c5fda6c0375bb5","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-854","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-852",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]