[{"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-871":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},1206160,1561,"Chapter 871: Inside Agent","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-871",871,"\u003Cp>(To the book friend who returned south, the chaotic times should end. The so-called roving bandits breaking the old order and eliminating landlords and local bullies is a false proposition. The true powerful and evil bullies are all fortifying their strongholds to protect themselves; ninety-nine percent of those who die are ordinary commoners. Proportionally speaking, after the chaotic times end, the power of the powerful families will be even greater. The reason it is not apparent is simply that too many people died and too much land was left empty. The commoners of the new dynasty have land only because originally there were a hundred of them, and now ninety-nine are dead — competition is no longer fierce.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu, Kong San, and Batiao came out of the Jianji Hall and descended the steps. Kong San said flatly, \"Not a bad performance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu said with a grin, \"It's all thanks to Master Kong's fine teaching.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked toward the Meridian Gate, where their horses were tethered, but many people were already galloping across the square, and their horses were stopped just below these steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked, suddenly the sound of horse hooves rose beside them, and a harsh voice like fingernails scraping an iron plate greeted them: \"Master Hu, Master Kong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu, Kong San, and Batiao turned around — it was Count Wuyang, Jin Youniu. He had dismounted, and beside him a stout, burly man also dismounted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Youniu came over laughing heartily, but the stout man beside him stopped where he was, seemingly watching the surroundings with casual indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu called out, \"Master Jin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Youniu strode over, his face full of coarse flesh and his thick, powerful frame giving an overwhelming sense of pressure. He was smiling as he spoke, yet from a distance he extended his hand, forming it into a strange fist shape. Kong San went forward to meet him, making the same fist shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two struck fists once. A look of agitation flashed through Jin Youniu's eyes. He raised his head to look at the sky and said, \"This sky is so dark.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong San said, \"It will brighten soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Youniu's eyes suddenly reddened, and his voice even caught a little. Suppressing his emotions, he said, \"I, Da Niu, thought I was the only one in this camp.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong San said, \"Our brothers number in the thousands upon thousands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was low and flat as he spoke, yet it held an indescribable excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Youniu nodded forcefully. He looked at Old Hu and Kong San and said sincerely, \"It's a pity that though we're in the same camp, I've never had the chance to share a proper drink with Master Hu and Master Kong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu likewise felt hot tears about to burst forth. He had always thought that people like himself were alone; it turned out there were still many brothers in the bandit camp. He laughed heartily and said, \"There will be a chance. When that time comes, I, Old Hu, will certainly drink Master Jin under the table.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Youniu laughed loudly and said, \"Absolutely, absolutely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They gazed at each other, waves of heat surging through their hearts, and finally said their farewells: \"We're about to go to the battlefield. Take care.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take care.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan passed by at that moment and saw them bidding farewell with such high spirits. He thought to himself, \"Heroes cherish heroes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With passion coursing through their veins, Old Hu and the others parted ways. Outside the Meridian Gate, they mounted their horses and rode out of the palace city and the imperial city, then out through the inner city's Chongwen Gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their Mountain Patrol Camp was encamped in the area around Chongwen Gate and Dongbian Gate. In the overall defensive layout of the Chuang camp, the old camp was stationed in the inner city or along the inner city area. Then the outer camp and the outer-outer camp were crammed into the outer city or various places in the capital's outskirts, with many more troops distributed in Tongzhou, Liangxiang, Fangshan, and other places.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Men like Liu Zeqing, Qiu Lei, and Liu Liangzuo were respectively garrisoned at Changping, Shunyi, and similar locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu and the others rode on. All along the way, the streets and markets were desolate. The commoners either dodged and hid, or cast looks of incomparable hatred from the shadows. Old Hu sighed inwardly, \"When we first entered the city, the commoners lined the streets to welcome us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching everything before his eyes, he felt it was all illusory, without any sense of solidity. A gust of wind, a bout of rain, and these troops spread throughout the capital would vanish like smoke and clouds. Fortunately, he had a way out, and moreover, he was not in league with those roving bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Old Hu and the others entered their own mansion. When the Chuang camp entered the capital, all the officers and soldiers let their horses run wild into people's homes. Old Hu, without any politeness, seized this luxurious mansion near Chongwen Gate, which seemed to have originally belonged to some ennobled count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mansion was spacious, with numerous rooms. Their trusted guards, personal cavalry squads, and specially developed peripheral personnel all lived in the mansion, making it quite bustling with activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They went straight into the main hall. Old Hu leaned back comfortably in his large chair and said, \"Our Mountain Patrol Camp has five thousand men, most with horses. The Chuang King says we are to reach Qinghe Station in three days — it's only thirty li from there. But do we need to rush over so early?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong San said, \"The earlier the better. Tomorrow, you take one or two thousand cavalry and go ahead with the Chuang King to grab a good spot near the water. I'll bring the remaining troops later. Right now, military discipline is slack, and the soldiers are scattered among civilian homes. Getting the camp in order is not something that can be done in a short while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the other divisions of the Chuang camp, the bulk of the Mountain Patrol Camp was also dispersed among the civilian houses along the city walls at Chongwen Gate, Dongbian Gate, and other places. Only their trusted troops lived in the mansion or on nearby streets. Assembling them was no simple matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu said, \"Fine. In a bit, I'll have Batiao pass the order for those brats to assemble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they were talking, the cook, Old Sun, came running up into the hall, his face wreathed in smiles. \"The two masters are back? I hear we're going on campaign. Shall I prepare a table of food and wine to give you masters a proper send-off?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a Shanxi man, plump and fat, with the look of a proper chef, and his speech was full of \"we folks.\" He claimed to be a relative of Old Hu and had come to join him after entering the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Old Hu, no matter how hard he thought, could not recall ever having a relative from Shanxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Old Sun come running, Kong San shot Batiao a look. Batiao understood and personally stood guard at the door while the few of them entered the secret chamber in the side room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside, Old Sun's bowing and scraping demeanor vanished. His back straightened, and his entire being exuded authority and presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly drew a scroll tube from his bosom, pulled out a paper, unfolded it, and his expression turned solemn: \"Decree of the Grand General.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Kong San and Old Hu dropped to one knee, bowed their heads, and said in a low, sharp voice, \"Your subordinates receive the order.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Sun slowly read aloud: \"To Hu Tiande, Kong Sanyang, and others: The decisive battle is imminent. The destruction of the bandits lies in this moment. You and your undercover soldiers must act according to circumstances, turn your arms and strike, and collapse the bandit camp. All bandit leaders and bandit commanders, Quan General and Zhi General, and the Chuang bandits and their ilk — you must capture them, you must kill them. This is of the utmost urgency. This order: Intelligence Chief Wen Daxing, Staff Chief Wen Fangliang, Grand General of the Campaign against the Caitiffs, Wang Dou.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu and Kong San shouted, \"Your subordinates accept the order!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They received the decree, which bore the signatures and seals of the Intelligence Department, the Staff Department, and Grand General Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading it, they burned it. At the same time, their hearts surged with excitement — so their names were not only on the desks of the Intelligence Department and the Staff Department, but also on the desk of the Grand General.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After proclaiming the decree, the liaison Old Sun became a cook again. He looked at Old Hu and Kong San, his eyes reddening slightly, and said softly, \"Blades and arrows have no eyes. You must be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he said loudly, \"You want roast chicken? No chicken left. I'll go prepare roast duck instead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He called out as he went out. Old Hu was still vigorously rubbing his own cheeks. He stared wide-eyed and muttered, \"According to what the decree says, if we collapse the bandit camp and capture or kill a few Zhi General, or even the Chuang bandit himself, what reward do you think the Grand General will bestow?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong San, also still stirred, answered offhandedly, \"Township Chief at the very least.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu said in shock, \"Township Chief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His greatest ideal was to return to Xuanfu Garrison and become a Village Chief. Now, to be at least appointed Township Chief — for a moment, this made him quite stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Kong San and said, \"We two brothers will still stick together when we go back. I'll be Township Chief, and you be County Chief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong San said, \"No, you be County Chief, and I'll be Township Chief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since entering the fourth month, the hatred of the capital's commoners toward the roving bandits had sunk ever deeper into their marrow. They deeply regretted their present days and yearned for and longed for the Ming dynasty they had once cursed countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eighth day of the fourth month, someone posted a private notice on West Chang'an Street. Although Liu Zongmin ordered the nearby residents slaughtered, the sentiment had already spread like sparks setting a prairie ablaze. They passed on rumors to one another, especially news of the movements over at Xuanfu Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things like: the Crown Prince had already fled to Xuanfu Garrison; the Grand General of the Campaign against the Caitiffs had been enfeoffed as a Duke and had already begun full mobilization; Grand General Wang Dou had dispatched his troops and was heading toward Juyong Pass; several hundred thousand Jingbian Army troops had already emerged from Juyong Pass and had now occupied Changping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the commoners of the capital, they longed for the Ming army's arrival as never before, especially given how bitter their present days were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several hundred thousand roving bandits were plundering back and forth in the capital. Not only was every family's wealth and silver scraped clean, but even the grain and rice many needed to survive had been completely looted. Some commoners had already starved to death, yet those roving bandits still indulged in debauchery, seeking their own pleasure, utterly indifferent to whether people like them lived or died — this only fueled the raging flames of anger in everyone's hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bagu was also one of those consumed by bone-deep hatred. After her daughter was snatched away, aside from daily inquiries about Niannu's whereabouts, she spent her time in the backyard sharpening her kitchen cleaver. Recently, she had become even more furtive, disappearing from time to time; even Zhang Shouyin did not know where she went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when she returned, she would always bring a small bag of grain. Zhang Shouyin toiled at hard labor in the Mountain Patrol Camp, yet the rations he received were not as much as the grain she brought back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shouyin also dared not ask her where the grain came from. Yang Bagu was now extremely cold toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, Yang Bagu returned brimming with joy. The moment she saw Zhang Shouyin, she pulled him to the backyard and said mysteriously, \"Do you know? The Jingbian Army has come to attack. They say Grand General Wang Dou has already reached Changping, and soon the roving bandits will be completely annihilated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeqing had returned in crushing defeat to Deshengmen, and that afternoon the movements of the Shun army at Deshengmen, Xizhimen, Dongzhimen, Andingmen and elsewhere could not be hidden from anyone; Zhang Shouyin had more or less heard some of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now hearing Yang Bagu speak like this, his spirits lifted and he said in a low voice, \"Is it true?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bagu's face lit up as she said, \"Of course, it's all over the capital, and besides…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced left and right, then stared hard at Zhang Shouyin and said, \"Are you going to save your daughter or not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shouyin: \"Of course I want to…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bagu said, \"Good. Tonight you'll come with me to the gathering.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening Zhang Shouyin followed Yang Bagu to the gathering, which turned out to be at the home of the local ward chief; it was packed solid with neighbors, every face resolute and reverent. In the center stood an altar table, and on it was a grinning, teeth-bared human head — it was Shopkeeper Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shouyin drew a sharp inward breath. This was rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew more or less that the neighbors had been holding gatherings, and it seemed some local toughs had gone to report it to the nearby Mountain Patrol camp, and then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then those toughs disappeared, and the gatherings continued. From the look of things now, the scheme was no small matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking again, Bagu clearly wielded considerable influence and had become a core leader among the neighbors. Watching them sit together, everything they said was about \"killing the bandits,\" and then they reverently welcomed the leader of their organization — who turned out to be one of the four armored soldiers beside Regional Commander Fu Yingchong, the one with the cold, ruthless face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That armored soldier's sharp gaze swept across Zhang Shouyin's face as he welcomed this new brother's joining, and then confirmed to everyone that the Jingbian Army had mobilized and captured Changping and other places, drawing waves of low, excited cheers from the neighbors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold-faced armored soldier rallied the crowd, declaring that the roving bandits' final days were near, that the Grand General was coming, and that everyone would soon have good days again — setting every heart ablaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally he said, \"According to reliable intelligence, the roving bandits will march north in full force, leaving only a few bandit troops to hold the capital. The imperial army will soon attack. We shall quietly await the moment. At that time, a rocket will serve as the signal. The moment the rocket is fired, we rush out from the streets and alleys and fight fiercely to kill the bandits.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They raised incense and swore an oath, and then someone bound hand and foot, his mouth firmly gagged, was shoved forward. Zhang Shouyin looked — it was one of the ward's constables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time each ward had fifty constables, mostly local idlers serving as guides, helping the roving bandits track down hidden stores of officials and commoners. Now this constable was pushed out, terrified beyond measure, writhing desperately, making muffled sounds through his gag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold-faced armored soldier said, \"Kill this man, and from now on we are all sisters and brothers bound by life and death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He threw a dagger onto the ground. The neighbors looked around at each other. Yang Bagu abruptly rose, pulled Zhang Shouyin forward, picked up the dagger, and plunged it straight into the constable's heart. Then she pulled it out dripping with blood, placed it in Zhang Shouyin's hand, and stared hard at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shouyin was torn inside, but then he remembered the roving bandits entering the city, how his own daughter Niannu had been taken away. He steeled his heart and stabbed the dagger into the constable's body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every neighbor came up in turn, staining their hands with blood. They looked at one another, all feeling that the bond between them had become profoundly different, and many faces broke into smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the gathering, the armored soldier distributed rice. As an active core member, Yang Bagu received a small bag of rice, about two sheng, and a ceramic jar of meat. Zhang Shouyin also received one sheng of rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the neighbors dispersed, the cold-faced armored soldier left the ward chief's residence, twisting and turning through the alleys, and soon entered a residence near Dongbianmen. He went in through a side gate, where a figure stood silently in the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at that familiar figure, the cold-faced armored soldier knelt in salute, dropping to one knee, and said in a low, firm voice, \"Intelligence Division agent Tang Yanji, reporting to my lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man said flatly, \"Come over. You're the last one from this sector.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Yanji followed the figure into the main courtyard, where a vast crowd of people stood in darkness. Then the man drew a scroll case from his bosom, pulled out a paper from within, and declared in a low voice, \"The Grand General's decree.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together with Tang Yanji, every person dropped to one knee and shouted, \"Your subordinate officers await orders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man slowly read aloud: \"…When the great army enters the city, you must coordinate to open the city gates and exterminate every bandit soldier within the city… Further, when flanking troops move north, you must close the city gates and assist the defending soldiers. The million people of the capital shall strive as one in defense, and not a single roving bandit shall be allowed to set foot inside the city…\"\u003C\u002Fp>",3016,"2026-06-03T14:06:27.906Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","3ff51a48d6f3779959eaf44937e731e80226adfdf832cd02da45473be6ec1f43","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-872","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-870",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]