Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 110 The Confusion of Military Strategists During the Transition Between Cold and Hot Weapons at the End of the Ming Dynasty
At Jingshan Training Ground, two thousand White-Spear Soldiers were conducting drills under the command of Qin Liangyu. The soldiers advanced and retreated in orderly fashion at orders, their spears forming a dense forest, their movements as swift as the wind.

After several rounds of charging back and forth, the formation transformed into a fish-scale formation. Soldiers held rattan shields, arranged densely side by side, their shields interlocking like fish scales, with long poles protruding from the gaps, forming a three-tiered array: the front row knelt with shields and spears, the middle row half-squatted, and the back row stood, creating a multi-layered defense.

Then the formation changed again, spreading out like a hedgehog, and long-range weapons such as javelins, crossbows, flying stones, and bamboo-pole rockets flew out, shattering the straw targets used in the exercise.

The drill was completed perfectly, and these White-Pole Guards lived up to the emperor's favor; they were undoubtedly top-notch soldiers. However, Qin Liangyu's brow remained tightly furrowed. The White-Pole Guard commanders, seeing this, dared not even breathe too loudly. Don't let the old lady's usual amiable demeanor fool you; when she's angry, she can make someone cry.

This group of people had all been raised under Qin Liangyu's watchful eye, their power and influence having been suppressed for so long. They didn't know what they had done wrong; they felt they had performed to the best of their ability during the rehearsal, even better than they had back in their hometown of Shizhu.

After all, besides guarding the palace, they are currently staying in Jingshan, training every three days with a small exercise and every seven days with a large exercise. They are well-fed and cared for and don't have to work in the fields. Apart from not being as good as before in actual combat, their martial arts and military formations should be stronger.

In truth, Qin Liangyu was well aware that this White-Spear Army was already one of the strongest armies in the world. But what could she do? She had once proudly declared, "The heavy cavalry of the Jurchens cannot be subdued by anyone but my White-Spear Army," but the recent battle at the border wall had already proven that there were better solutions for dealing with cavalry.

Of course, she could argue that the firearms of the wagon camp were too expensive and not as cost-effective as those of the White-Spear Guards, but the fundamental problem was not how to deal with cavalry, but that: if heavily armored cavalry could not stop the firearms, her White-Spear Guards would not be able to stop them either!
In the bloody battle of Hunhe, her brother led three thousand White-Spear Soldiers, killing two to three thousand who fell from their horses, and even routing the Jurchen's elite "Bayala" guards. The Jurchen soldiers' arrows flew like locusts, but most hit their shields, resulting in very few casualties. However, even though they managed to defeat the cavalry with infantry, their defenses were eventually torn apart by the Jurchen's artillery.

Rattan shields could not stop muskets, let alone the cannons of the barbarians; cavalry were helpless against artillery fire, and infantry were even more powerless against artillery bombardment. After her brother's death in battle, she personally led three thousand men, carrying provisions with her, to continue fighting. When she passed the Hun River, she wanted to collect the bodies of her brother and the soldiers from her hometown, but all she found were pieces of flesh scattered all over the ground.

Amidst the mangled corpses stripped of their armor, she searched for a long time but couldn't find her brother. From that moment on, she knew that the era of their White-Clad Soldiers had truly come to an end.

Qin Liangyu did try to incorporate firearms into the White-Spear Soldiers. The imperial court had allocated them several hundred Lumi muskets, and they had also made their own simple bamboo tube muskets, but the actual results were not ideal.

During the battles against the She'an rebels, the soldiers were not familiar with the use of firearms. Firearms were not as convenient and reliable as bows and crossbows. There were even instances where soldiers were killed by the enemy because their comrades could not light the fire in time. In anger, the soldiers broke the gun barrels and still threw javelins and charged with knives.

She knew that the White-Clad Soldiers didn't need firearms, but rather methods to counter them—like the Jurchen shield carts, or powerful enough cannons to engage the enemy in firefights and prevent them from getting close. But if they did all that, would the White-Clad Soldiers still be the White-Clad Soldiers?! How could they utilize their speed advantage and the advantage of their gun formations?!

In her essay "On Defending Shizhu," she wrote, "Our land is not in the northern deserts, and horses are not reliable; only infantry can rely on the terrain to subdue the enemy." But could her White-Spear Army only remain in the southwest, entangled with those rebels? How could she avenge herself then?! She was unwilling to accept this.

Qin Liangyu, a woman who had spent her life on the battlefield, was unusually lost. Although frustrated, she did not take her anger out on her subordinates. After disbanding the White-Spear Guard, she entered the palace through the Shenwu Gate in the north of the city, carrying her token as usual. After the war, she returned the seal of the General Who Conquers the Barbarians and resigned from her position as Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Garrison. In the short ten days or so that she was away on campaign, her acting position as Left Censor-in-Chief was also replaced.

She now only has the position of Commander of the White-Pole Guard, which has made her much more relaxed. Zhu Youjian didn't really intend to take away the old lady's power; he just saw that she was unhappy as the Left Censor-in-Chief, so he relieved her of that post. The old lady is quite old; although according to the original history, she lived to the second year of the Yongli reign, who knows if this reckless behavior might kill her prematurely? There aren't many military generals in their prime in the entire Ming Dynasty right now, and Zhu Youjian cherishes Qin Liangyu dearly.

Besides her military rank and noble title, Qin Liangyu also held the title of a first-rank imperial consort. Imperial consorts could enter and leave the palace relatively easily, chatting with the nobles. Qin Liangyu frequently visited the palace, and the people there gradually became accustomed to her presence, simply bowing respectfully when they saw her, without finding anything amiss.

Qin Liangyu can now move freely in the palace without even being accompanied by eunuchs. The emperor has shown her great trust, even to the point of being somewhat casual. When she enters the palace, it's as if she's coming home.

However, upon returning from this campaign, she noticed something different upon entering the palace: a group of young women had suddenly appeared, dressed in luxurious attire, clearly not newly recruited maids. They spotted Qin Liangyu and cast curious yet timid glances at her.

Zhu Youjian felt that the palace was too small, and it was unfair to keep all these girls confined there. If their movements were also restricted, how unbearable would their lives be? They didn't even have cell phones to use. Therefore, Zhu Youjian allowed the concubines in the harem to roam freely within the palace and encouraged them to socialize with each other.

Although there was an unavoidable bias and some favoritism towards them, he tried his best to treat them equally in terms of material life. They shouldn't even think about being too extravagant, as Zhu Youjian had already sold off most of the gold and silver jewelry in the palace. However, he could still satisfy their basic needs for good food and drink.

Upon seeing this, Qin Liangyu frowned. It wasn't that she had any problem with the group of young women, but rather that she was worried about her adopted apprentice. As a subject, she shouldn't resent the emperor, but this... this was too absurd.

Qin Liangyu shook her head, thinking, "Since ancient times, there have been many wise and virtuous rulers, but few who can remain loyal to one cause until the end. Your Majesty is young and promising; could it be that this small victory has made you complacent? No, I must advise Your Majesty!"

The East Warm Pavilion of Qianqing Palace was Zhu Youjian's bedroom. Sun Shiwan lived on the second floor of the East Warm Pavilion. Sometimes Zhu Youjian would sneak upstairs, and sometimes he would call Shiwan down. She was the only concubine who lived in Qianqing Palace for an extended period of time. Even Empress Zhou, who shared Kunning Palace with Zhang Yan, couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

"Teacher?!" Sun Shiwan heard footsteps coming from the pavilion. She thought it was the emperor, but it turned out to be her teacher. She quickly got up to greet him, but because of her large belly, it was a little difficult for her to sit up.

Qin Liangyu quickly stepped forward to support him, saying with some reproach, "You're pregnant, how can you live in the attic? The stairs are narrow and steep, it's so dangerous!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Shiwan lowered her head slightly and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Actually, I was staying downstairs with His Majesty these days. I only came up to retrieve something because I left it in the attic. Besides, I'm only six months pregnant, it's still very early. I can run and jump now, I can wield a spear, and I don't find going up and down stairs difficult. Wasn't it you who told me to move around more?"

(End of this chapter)