[{"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-869":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},1206158,1561,"Chapter 869: Proclaiming Emperor","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-869",869,"\u003Cp>After Li Zicheng entered the capital, he delayed in proclaiming himself emperor. Unofficial histories say that the eyes of a usurper cannot open upon such matters — whenever the bandit Li entered the great hall, either the hall shook or the ground caved in. If not that, then he suffered dizziness and headaches, and even the carved dragons on the golden dais came alive, seeking to devour this wretch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, although the bandit Li frequently convened court assemblies on the third, sixth, and ninth days, he was long unable to properly face south and proclaim himself emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The actual outcome, however, stemmed from Li Chuang’s insufficient authority and his failure to reach consensus with his subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, eunuchs who had surrendered to the bandits came out of the palace and secretly said that although the bandit Li was the chief, there were always over twenty men who all contended with him as equals, refusing to defer. All matters were deliberated by the multitude together, and at that time, Marquis Ru, Liu Zongmin, was the most brazen. In other words, although Li Zicheng occupied the capital, he lacked the authority and prestige of an emperor, and therefore could not carry out the ascension rites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His situation at that time was rather similar to that of Washington in former years. The cause of this can be traced back to the period of the old Chuang King, Gao Yingxiang. At that time, the various bandits all recommended Gao Yingxiang as chief, but in reality, the leaders of each band and each unit, regardless of whether they had many or few troops, were all equal regardless of size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was akin to creating a martial arts league master, yet one who could not place himself above the various sects. Moreover, they gathered when it suited them and dispersed when it did not, coming and going with great freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The principle they practiced among themselves was also one of democratic consultation. When matters arose, everyone deliberated together. Their relationship was more one of allies, not one of superior and subordinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So now, when Li Zicheng wanted to ascend the throne and establish autocracy, how could each man be sincerely convinced? Once you become emperor, don’t I become your subject, required to kowtow to you? How could that be possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zongmin openly declared, “I and he were both mounted bandits together — why should I bow to him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The various bandits all said, “For a mounted bandit to bow to a mounted bandit — who is willing to bend the knee?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the various generals were torturing and plundering the innocent, stirring public resentment to a boiling point, Li Zicheng tried to remonstrate with Liu Zongmin. Liu Zongmin actually replied, “The authority of the emperor goes to you; the authority of torture and plunder goes to me. Let there be no further troublesome words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The implication of his words was: you manage the affairs of the emperor, I manage the affairs of extorting silver. We each have different divisions of labor, but we are still equals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His subordinates refused to acknowledge his imperial authority, and Li Zicheng could do nothing about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for the civil officials under Li Chuang’s command, they ardently hoped Li Zicheng would ascend the throne. The various surrendered officials in the capital, great and small, also hoped Li Zicheng would ascend — those with merit sought hereditary titles, and those with crimes hoped for a lucky amnesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niu Jinxing used this opportunity to broadly form his own private faction. Starting from the twenty-second day of the third month, he had already urged the ascension seven times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also staged the affairs that every dynasty’s ascension required, such as forging a box, inscribing within it the reign title Yongchang with the year, month, and day, secretly placing it within the imperial palace, and having someone chance upon it, falsely calling it a talismanic mandate. He also disguised several foreign monks, claiming they were from a certain country in the Western Regions, who came to offer congratulations knowing a new Son of Heaven was ascending, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no matter how much the civil officials stirred about, as long as the military men under his command had not reached a consensus, Li Zicheng’s dream of ascending as emperor still could not proceed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding all this, Li Zicheng was vexed and troubled. When he first entered the capital, the state treasury and inner vaults yielded no silver or grain, his subordinates could not be rewarded, and military morale wavered. Thus, Li Zicheng ordered the pursuit of illicit wealth to subsidize military pay, instantly plunging the populace of the capital into dire misery, and public resentment boiled over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even deep within the palace, he had the heart-pounding, flesh-quivering sensation of sitting atop a volcano.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many years had it been since he last felt this way?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In days past, wherever he passed, the people lined the roads to welcome him, vying to open their gates and surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to ballads like “When the Chuang King comes, no grain is levied,” it felt exceptionally ironic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention the torture and plunder of the capital officials — because the grand ascension ceremony was long delayed, the hopes of the surrendered Ming officials to be rewarded based on merit were also utterly shattered. They sought opportunities to flee in secret one after another, and hearts grew estranged both within and without.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes when Li Zicheng met with Ming officials, he seemed to feel in their eyes the words “a monkey wearing a cap,” which caused him anguish, as if he had become the object of everyone’s ridicule and jest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also the slackening of military morale at this time. Because of the plundering of the common people, even many ordinary soldiers carried heavy wealth on their persons: “Those with laden waists had over a thousand taels, and even the least had no less than three or four hundred in gold. Every man harbored thoughts of wealth, contentment, and laxity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Li Zicheng grew increasingly uneasy in his heart. He pondered how to change all this, and in the end, he felt he had to “get moving.” He had encountered a similar situation back in Huguang, and ultimately broke free of it only after attacking Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, to keep his subordinates’ fighting spirit perpetually vigorous, they had to keep moving and could not stay long in one place. Even when they were on the run, when survival was uncertain from dawn to dusk, when they were being chased and beaten by others — that was precisely when his subordinates’ fighting spirit was most vigorous, and when the ranks were most united from top to bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he could not abandon the capital, but he could set his subordinates in motion, so as to spare them from idleness in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The insufficiency of grain and rice in the capital was also a major reason for Li Zicheng’s worry. During the pursuit of illicit wealth to subsidize military pay, not only were the common people of the capital robbed of their silver and coin, but many families also had their grain and rice plundered. Increasingly, news arrived of common people starving to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long ago, Li Zicheng sent men to inventory the Lumi Granary, the Guanglu Temple granary at Datong Bridge, and other granaries, and discovered that the stored rice and grain would not last much longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the grain and rice in the capital were completely consumed, what would his several hundred thousand troops eat? What would they drink?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So setting his subordinates in motion became a necessity, and it also conveniently served to divert the conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng had also already selected the target: Xuanfu Garrison and Shanxi Province. Those areas happened to be prosperous, and after being conquered, they could supply his great army with food and drink for a very long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what to do once the local supplies were eaten up, that was not something he, Li Zicheng, would consider. In any case, once Xuanfu Garrison was eaten up, they would go to Shanxi Province; once Shanxi Province was eaten up, they would go to Shaanxi Province; once Shaanxi Province was eaten up, they would go to Sichuan Province; once Sichuan Province was eaten up, they would go to Huguang and Jiangnan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what the future held, at least the grain and rice they seized could supply his subordinates with food and drink for a very long stretch of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Zicheng was making these calculations, news of Liu Zeqing’s defeat arrived. Li Zicheng was greatly alarmed and urgently summoned the various officials and generals under his command to deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Righteous Marquis, Li Yan, rode his horse along Qipan Street. In days past, this place gathered all manner of goods and was incomparably bustling, but now the street was deathly still, utterly devoid of the clamor of former times. Occasionally he spotted a few commoners, and when their gazes turned toward him, they were filled with bone-deep hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan felt an indescribable sensation in his heart. Back when he pledged allegiance to Li Zicheng and composed all sorts of ballads for him, they had achieved brilliant results — he had never imagined it would come to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled the four memorials of remonstrance he had submitted upon first entering the capital, which addressed four matters:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, that the Chuang King should temporarily reside in public quarters, and only after the six palaces had been cleared should he be welcomed by the hundred officials into the imperial palace. Second, that the pursuit of illicit wealth should be divided into three grades and not handled with a single sweeping measure. Third, that the troops of each battalion must not borrow or occupy civilian residences, and should withdraw outside the city to guard the stockades, awaiting orders for deployment. Fourth, that the ascension should be carried out early to pacify the various surrendered officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the Chuang King merely approved three characters: “Noted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequent events proved that each of the four opinions he had submitted struck precisely at the crux of the matter. It was a pity the Chuang King did not adopt them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As matters had developed to this point, they had completely departed from his original intentions. Gazing at everything around him, he sighed inwardly: “My lord is a Son of Heaven on horseback.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rode his horse through the Great Ming Gate. If the Chuang King ascended the throne, it should be renamed the Great Shun Gate, but since the Chuang King had long been unable to take the throne, this Great Ming Gate remained the Great Ming Gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entered the imperial city and headed toward the Chengtian Gate of the palace city. At this time, various generals kept galloping in, whooping and shouting wildly, treating the imperial palace as if it were a horse pasture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entering Chengtian Gate, Li Yan saw the Qi Marquis, Yang Shaofan. This man had originally been calm and placid, concealing his depths, but after entering the capital, he too had grown arrogant and forgetful of himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Chuang established his state in Shandong, he enfeoffed the various generals on a grand scale. In general, Quan General and Zhi General were enfeoffed as marquises, and Guoyi General and below were enfeoffed as counts, viscounts, and barons respectively. At that time, there were nine men enfeoffed as marquises: Ru Marquis Liu Zongmin, Ze Marquis Tian Jianxiu, Bo Marquis Li Guo, Qi Marquis Yang Shaofan, Mian Marquis Yuan Zongdi, Ci Marquis Liu Fangliang, Righteous Marquis Li Yan, Huai Marquis Liu Xiyao, and Yue Marquis Gao Yigong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also the Taiping Count Hu Tiande, the Wenshui Count Liu Zeqing, the Taoyuan Count Liu Liangzuo, and others — marquises, counts, viscounts, and barons numbering nearly two hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Shaofan’s musket battalion had repeatedly achieved great merit, so although his troops were not as numerous as those of other Zhi General, he was likewise enfeoffed as a marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan had devised strategies and rendered outstanding service; he was also the Deputy Quan General of the Five Battalions, and so was enfeoffed as the Righteous Marquis. Of course, each battalion was controlled by its own Zhi General, and above him was the Quan General Liu Zongmin, so in reality his power was very limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan greeted Yang Shaofan, who nodded slightly, his expression haughty and cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan sighed inwardly. After entering the capital, everyone had changed. Though Yang Shaofan now wore an air of reserve and coldness, if he were to face the Ru Marquis Liu Zongmin, whose power and influence were overwhelming, he would certainly adopt an entirely different expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the great general Hu Tiande came over and greeted Li Yan, Yang Shaofan, and the others in a hearty manner. He loved socializing and was never stingy with gold, silver, or wealth, and therefore had very good relations with all the officials and generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fought with fierce courage, and the Mountain Patrol Battalion under his command was exceptionally sharp. Therefore, after Li Chuang established his state in Shandong, he was enfeoffed as the Taiping Count, and the subordinate generals under his command, such as Kong San and Batiaoren, were also enfeoffed as the Ningling Viscount and the Linqu Baron respectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan saw that Hu Tiande’s subordinate Kong San was smiling and cupping his fist toward him in greeting. He hurriedly returned the courtesy, though he always felt that this capable subordinate of the Taiping Count gave off an inscrutably profound air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They rode their horses through Duanmen and Wumen. Originally, at the very least after reaching Chengtian Gate, the various generals should not have been allowed to ride. The Forbidden City, as a heavily restricted palace ground, did not permit riding unless one was an elderly and highly venerated minister who, having obtained the emperor’s special permission, could ride within the Forbidden City as a mark of favor and honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or for those even more aged, or those for whom riding was inconvenient, they could be granted the favor of riding in a shoulder sedan, carried by two men into the inner offices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, with Li Chuang occupying the capital, the various generals swaggered about on horseback within the palace city, clearly revealing Li Chuang’s insufficient prestige in the hearts of his generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reached the Jianji Hall, yet those galloping in still streamed without end — many even rode straight to the steps below the great hall before swaggering down from their horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan watched and could only shake his head, sighing inwardly with lament. At least he and Hu Tiande and the others, upon reaching the Meridian Gate, had all dismounted and proceeded on foot, preserving their respect for the King of Great Shun. These officers and generals were utterly out of line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd entered the Jianji Hall. Ever since the Huangji Hall burned down, all deliberations and ceremonies had been held here. Entering the vast hall, they saw it packed dark with people — Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, Gu Junen, Song Qijiao, Zhang Linran, and others; these were the civil officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the military officers: Liu Zongmin, Li Guo, Yuan Zongdi, Liu Xiyao, Liu Fangliang, Gao Yigong, Tian Jianxiu, Liu Rukui, Liu Guochang, Liu Zhong, Wang Liangzhi, Chen Jin, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They clamored and hubbubbed in a boiling din, and every man had a seat, spreading out along both sides of the dragon throne — looking for all the world like a mountain stronghold's Loyalty Assembly Hall, lacking only a statue of Lord Guan placed behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng sat high upon the throne, still wearing his blue cotton arrow-robe and red-tasseled felt hat. He watched the bickering officials below, a helpless look flickering in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at Li Zicheng on the dragon throne, Li Yan knew not why, but the words \"he does not look like a ruler of men\" flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw the chief eunuch manager Wang Dehua standing meekly beside the dragon throne, not uttering a sound. Whether it was his imagination or not, he saw Wang Dehua glance once at those below, a hint of contempt hidden in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There too was the ashen-faced defender of Changping, Count of Wenshui Liu Zeqing, standing beside the crimson steps like a wooden chicken, his whole body seemingly still trembling without cease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan saluted Li Zicheng. Li Zicheng waved a hand, and Li Yan went to take his own seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that everyone had assembled, Li Zicheng cleared his throat and said: \"The Count of Wenshui reports that today the Jingbian Army suddenly sortied in great force. They struck Changping City at the hour of the dragon. The Count of Wenshui led his troops out to give battle, but caught off guard, he was routed by the Jingbian Army's cavalry. Changping City is now lost, and it may not be long before the Jingbian Army arrives at the city walls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stir ran through everyone in the hall. They knew only that the King had summoned them to discuss urgent military intelligence, seemingly connected to Changping, but the specifics were unclear. They had never imagined that Liu Zeqing had suffered a crushing defeat and even lost Changping City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Changping was abandoned and the Jingbian Army occupied the city, they would indeed press toward the capital very soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zongmin abruptly stood. He strode over beside Liu Zeqing, glared at him, and said: \"Struck at the dragon hour, and now it's the noon hour. This old man remembers you and Qiu Lei together had twenty thousand troops. Your mother's hair — how long did you fight them? How many troops did they send against you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeqing had always harbored a fearful heart toward this Chief Sentinel Master Liu. In the past, with troops in hand, he had some backbone, but now with only a hundred-odd horsemen left, a bare-stripped count, he saw Liu Zongmin glaring at him, fierce light flashing as if about to devour a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fearful in his heart, he involuntarily stepped back and said in a trembling voice: \"In reply to the Marquis of Ru, your humble general now recalls that the Jingbian Army's vanguard this time was estimated at ten thousand men... all elite cavalry. Moreover, it was led by the Ming state's fierce general You Shiwei. Your humble general has seen him before... He used a decoy tactic, sending only three thousand riders outside the city, while the remaining seven thousand all lay in ambush. Thus your humble general, caught in haste, was utterly routed by him, barely escaping with a hundred-odd riders. The Count of Guangshan, Qiu Lei, is missing, whereabouts unknown...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zongmin rubbed his own face. If that were so, Liu Zeqing's crushing defeat when caught off guard was understandable. Though the old-battalion generals were vague about how many troops the outer battalions had, they still paid attention to how many cavalry each man commanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zongmin also knew that although Liu Zeqing and Qiu Lei together had twenty thousand troops, their cavalry and retainers within numbered no more than three thousand. If the Jingbian Army had deployed ten thousand cavalry, attacked suddenly, and added an ambush, it was entirely possible that Liu Zeqing, caught unprepared, had been routed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that the commander was You Shiwei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He certainly knew of You Shiwei — after all, they were all from that Shaanxi region, and Yulin was not far from Mizhi and such places. His fame had long spread far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered: \"Since when did You Shiwei take orders from Wang Dou? And since when did Wang Dou have so many cavalry?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The General of the Left Battalion, Marquis of Ci Liu Fangliang, had likewise indulged in wine and women since entering the capital, but his foundation remained. Sitting in his seat, a contemplative look flashed in his eyes, as if recalling his earliest experiences clashing with Wang Dou. He suddenly remembered something: \"That doesn't add up. Count of Wenshui, even if you were defeated, you could still have withdrawn into the city. Did you not say you had formed your line only one li outside the west gate?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned to look at Liu Zeqing. They too had thought of this question. Indeed, fighting with the city at one's back, even if the battle went poorly, one could quickly retreat into the city. The infantry aside, his and Qiu Lei's cavalry could basically have been preserved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeqing said fearfully: \"Your humble general wished to retreat as well, then hold the city and alert the capital for reinforcements. But just at that moment, a great mob of rioters inside Changping City suddenly rose in revolt. They collaborated from within, opened the city gates, and your humble general was powerless to reverse the tide.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many in the hall rose to their feet. Liu Fangliang too lost all trace of that composed expression, exclaiming in great alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men looked at one another, seeing the fear and panic in each other's eyes. What they themselves excelled at most was using internal collaborators, then seizing cities through them. Throughout history, at least nine out of ten city assaults had been won this way; truly storming a city by hard fighting was rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Jingbian Army had also learned this set of tricks, and now the capital's populace was indeed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeqing cried out further: \"Your humble general has also recalled — when You Shiwei faced me in battle, he also said that the Crown Prince had already established a regency in Xuanfu, and had sent proclamations everywhere, and that the General Who Subdues the Caitiffs, the Grand Regional Commander Wang Dou, was dispatching two hundred thousand troops to come... to come and jointly exterminate... bidding us to surrender at once...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another shockwave ran through everyone in the hall: \"Two hundred thousand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chancellor Niu Jinxing abruptly stood and declared decisively: \"It is undoubtedly a nominal claim!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: \"Wang Dou is merely a mere Regional Commander. Even if the Ming Crown Prince fled to Xuanfu Garrison and appointed him some General Who Subdues the Caitiffs, some Grand Regional Commander, he is still a Regional Commander. How many men can he have under his command? At most twenty to thirty thousand, no more. Moreover, the Count of Wenshui just said the Crown Prince sent proclamations everywhere — this also explains why You Shiwei appeared among the Ming army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued: \"Our Great Shun captured the capital on the eighteenth of last month. It is estimated that the Ming Crown Prince fled to Xuanfu Garrison at the end of last month. He then sent proclamations to the remnant Ming territories and only dispatched troops in recent days. In this short span, how many troops could be gathered? At most, various officials and generals assembled some retainers and cavalry, and then Wang Dou ordered them to serve as the vanguard, capturing Changping City in one vigorous stroke and creating a great show of force. Yet in reality, this official estimates their troops number at most forty to fifty thousand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng looked toward Yang Shaofan and said: \"The Marquis of Qi has said he once visited Xuanfu Garrison. How many troops do you estimate Wang Dou has?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall turned to Yang Shaofan. Their intelligence on Wang Dou had always been utterly blind. The Chuang Army and Shun Army had sent spies to Xuanfu Garrison, but however many they sent, that many died. Thus everything about Wang Dou and the situation in Xuanfu Garrison had always been a mystery to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Shaofan's expression was somewhat dazed. In the twelfth year of Chongzhen, he had once visited Xuanfu Garrison, and it had left a deep impression on him. Yet when he tried to put it into words, he found himself unable to describe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: \"In the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, your humble general fought alongside Wang Dou in the Song-Jin Campaign. At that time, he dispatched fifteen thousand troops. Your humble general estimated he then had twenty thousand troops, though he also trained a fair number of garrison laborers in his territory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng let out a relieved breath, and Niu Jinxing also smiled scornfully. He said: \"Twenty thousand. Three years ago Wang Dou had twenty thousand troops, and now he has two hundred thousand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sneered: \"The garrison troops of the guard battalions throughout the Ming realm also claim to have training — and what is the result? He may have conscripted over a hundred thousand garrison civilians as supply troops and laborers, but can such men be counted among the army?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: \"This official will grant him thirty or forty thousand men, infantry and cavalry combined. Then, under the Crown Prince's authority, he summons troops from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and other places, gathering another twenty thousand infantry and cavalry, making fifty to sixty thousand in the end. Add a hundred fifty to sixty thousand civilian laborers — oh, indeed, that makes a two-hundred-thousand-strong army!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall burst into loud laughter, their hearts set at ease. The fall of Changping had indeed startled them, and hearing Liu Zeqing relay that the Jingbian Army numbered two hundred thousand had further shocked them greatly. But now, thinking it over, it was nothing more than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, when a great army went to war, who did not make nominal claims?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their righteous army — oh, now it was Great Shun — no matter how many men they actually deployed, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, fifty thousand, they uniformly claimed it was a million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jingbian Army claimed two hundred thousand — how much water was mixed into that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By their estimate, Niu Jinxing might even have spoken too generously. Claiming two hundred thousand, if there were forty to fifty thousand actual troops within, that would already be quite good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if forty to fifty thousand combat troops...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among them were many elite forces. According to what Liu Zeqing said, the force that took Changping City was likely only the vanguard, and nearly ten thousand elite cavalry had already appeared. Their main body would soon emerge in an endless stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changping City was not far from the capital — merely sixty or seventy li. If not dealt with urgently, perhaps the day after tomorrow, or even tomorrow, the Jingbian Army would be at the city walls. This would be an immensely severe blow to the newborn Great Shun regime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zicheng looked hopefully toward Liu Zongmin, Yuan Zongdi, Liu Fangliang, Liu Xiyao, and the others, hoping they would volunteer to lead troops out to battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zongmin had been standing beside Liu Zeqing the whole time, glaring at him with his ox-like eyes and making him fidget restlessly. He pretended not to see the look Li Zicheng cast his way. How delightful it was in the capital? Every day he dallied with courtesans in pleasure — such days could be described as ********.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to going out of the city to fight, he far preferred staying in the capital. He still had many beauties he had not yet enjoyed — where was the leisure to go out and fight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Zongdi, Liu Fangliang, Liu Xiyao, and the others either raised their heads to study the ceiling or lowered them to examine the floor. Even Li Zicheng's brother-in-law Gao Yigong and his nephew Li Guo turned their heads away. They too had no desire to lead troops out to war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The look of disappointment in Li Zicheng's eyes grew thicker. Niu Jinxing stared in astonishment at the military officers, each with their own expression. He said hesitantly: \"Perhaps this official could dispatch an envoy, wielding a three-inch glib tongue, to subdue the enemy without fighting. Presumably that Wang Dou also knows...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan suddenly rose and said: \"Great King, Wang Dou comes with fierce momentum, and his troop strength is yet unclear. Your humble general believes it would be better to firmly defend the city and wait at ease for the exhausted foe...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, someone suddenly burst into loud laughter. Li Yan turned to look — it was the Count of Taiping, the great general of the Mountain-Patrol Battalion Hu Tiande. He heard him say: \"Mister Li, your humble general greatly admires your learning. But when it comes to marching and fighting...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head: \"Our Great Shun has five to six hundred thousand troops, while that Wang Dou claims two hundred thousand, with an actual count of at most fifty to sixty thousand. Sixty thousand against fifty to sixty thousand, and we are to shrink back cowering within the city? If word of this got out, where would our Great Shun's face be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall showed expressions of heartfelt agreement, and Li Zicheng also nodded in approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Tiande continued: \"Think how our Great Shun rose from righteous arms, attacked Henan, struck Shaanxi, struck Huguang, struck Shandong — sweeping all before us like splitting bamboo, taking the capital in two days. Wherever our banners pointed, the masses of wretches scattered like ashes and smoke. Even if Wang Dou comes with fierce momentum, so what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He roared: \"Our Great Shun could take the capital in two days, and can likewise annihilate the Jingbian Army in two days!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the hall cheered, loudly applauding Hu Tiande's words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guo's face showed pride; the Mountain Patrol Battalion was under his command, and Hu Tiande's words reflected well on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of appreciation also appeared in Li Zicheng's eyes. In his Dashun camp, he needed such heroic and fierce generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Yangbo, Jin Youniu, shouted, \"Master Hu is a true man! Big Ox here backs you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was covered in fleshy bulges, his appearance ferocious, and his voice when speaking was especially grating, like fingernails scraping across an iron plate. Nevertheless, he was a rare fierce general in the Chuang camp, who, like Hu Tiande, had risen step by step. His battalion was called the Golden Ox Battalion, currently under the command of General Liu Fangliang of the Left Battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, many counts and viscounts from various battalions in the hall voiced their support for Hu Tiande, applauding and cheering his heroic spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>",5078,"2026-06-03T14:06:27.906Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","6579250aab74cae736f59c172e40f3d53ebd713c8a3847d233c45cc33be0e838","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-870","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-868",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]