Chapter 1: Huoludun

Wang Dou withdrew his gaze, calculating that after fetching this load of water, today's quota would be considered fulfilled, allowing him to relax a little.

In this world, Wang Dou was only twenty-two years old, much younger than his later counterpart. He was tall and strong, not only proficient in martial arts but also skilled in using weapons such as the spear and the longbow. This brought some comfort to the later Wang Dou, who had long been in a suboptimal state of health. However, it was regrettable that this Wang Dou of the Ming Dynasty, despite his imposing stature and robust physique, had a foolish and timid personality. He was often bullied and did not dare to resist, which made the later Wang Dou, who possessed his current body and memories, lament his misfortune and feel anger at his lack of ambition.

As far as the eye can see, the Dongfang River's water is clear, and both banks are adorned with lush grass and trees. However, beyond the riverbanks, there are large expanses of dry land, where the wind occasionally stirs up clouds of dust. Along both sides of the river, there are fields belonging to military encampments or civilian households. The river meanders northwest, continuously nourishing and irrigating these lands by the riverbank. Nevertheless, due to years of drought, the water level of this river has significantly decreased, exposing considerable stretches of riverbank.

The old practice of the Ming army was to reward the soldiers with a pair of mandarin duck battle jackets every three years. However, at this time, many of the border troops of the Ming dynasty had not changed their uniforms for perhaps ten years. Wang Dou's military uniform was similarly tattered, but despite the numerous patches, it was washed very clean, thanks to the efforts of the child bride in the household, Xie Xiuniang. Her virtue is beyond question.

The Ba'an Prefecture area boasts a superior environment, famously known for the saying "A thousand miles of Sanggan, only rich Zhuolu." Along the banks of the Sanggan River and the Yanghe River, the land is fertile and irrigation is convenient, allowing for the cultivation of rice. Particularly on the southern bank of the Sanggan River, where water channels are widespread, it serves as an important granary for Xuanfu Town. To protect this vital granary from disturbance, a dense network of fire road posts has been established in the area.

Sometimes, in the stillness of the night, Wang Dou would think of his parents and wife and daughter from the future. Upon realizing that he would never see them again in this life, a subtle pain would inevitably arise within him. However, deep down, there was still a faint excitement about his arrival in this world. In the future, he was a person who was unwilling to accept a mundane life, with a great desire for power. Unfortunately, fate played tricks on him, and he never had the opportunity to rise to prominence. Perhaps in this era, he could have a different trajectory in life.

Yang Tong found it rather dull and couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, why are you in such a hurry? Haven't I just lowered the suspension bridge?"

However, in later generations, Wang Dou's character was cautious and calm, so after possessing the body, he did not recklessly engage in any outrageous actions. Instead, he observed the surrounding environment with a cold gaze while recalling the history of the late Ming Dynasty that he was familiar with

Wang Dou carried water on a yoke as he stepped onto the suspension bridge, the two heavy wooden buckets causing the planks beneath his feet to creak. He wore a sullen expression, ignoring the people around him, and directly entered the enclosed area.

This is the scenery of Xuanfuzhen, a border town in the northern region of the Ming Dynasty.

Wang Dou teaches high school history in a certain area of Fujian, and he is particularly well-versed in the history of the late Ming Dynasty. He also possesses profound knowledge in geography, especially in the geographical studies of Hebei and Shanxi. According to his understanding, the history of the late Ming can be described as one of internal strife and external threats, with decades of continuous disasters giving rise to an endless stream of bandits and warfare, ultimately destroying the last vestiges of vitality in the nation. In the end, this vast empire collapsed with a resounding crash, and the fruits of victory were seized by foreign tribes.

In a very chaotic era, it is better to be a peaceful dog than to be a person in a time of turmoil, where human life is as insignificant as grass. Even as a soldier, one cannot guarantee their safety from one day to the next. The more Wang Dou understands this period of history, the more he feels anxious about survival in the future

When Wang Dou possessed the body, he also took over the memories and thoughts of that body, which spared him a great deal of unnecessary trouble. From the memories in his mind, along with his silent observations over the past few days, he generally understood the identity and environment he was in.

On July 23, five days before Wang Dou came into this world, the central army of the Later Jin captured Bao'an Prefecture, resulting in countless military and civilian casualties. The Prefect Yan Shengdou committed suicide to uphold his loyalty. Subsequently, the central army of the Later Jin, led by Aji Ge, retreated to Datong to join forces with Huang Taiji. When Wang Dou arrived in this world, Bao'an Prefecture was still in ruins. According to Wang Dou's understanding of history, although the Later Jin and the majority of the *Tu* *Shu* army were ravaging the Datong area at this time, it would not be until the intercalary eighth month that they would fully retreat beyond the Great Wall, and he still needed to exercise caution.

The persistent drought has caused the wells in the Jingbian Dune, where Wang Dou is located, to run dry. Consequently, the daily water needs of several military personnel and families within the dune have fallen upon him. Just fetching water requires him to make several round trips between the river and the Huolu Dune each day

Wang Dou knew that this person was named Yang Tong, a sycophant who usually followed Chief Zhang Zhongda around, acting with false authority. From time to time, he would take pleasure in mocking Wang Dou. Wang Dou had never had a good impression of him; he ignored him and simply shouted: "Quickly lower the drawbridge"

After walking for more than a mile, in the distance, one could see a slightly raised small hill, on which a tall fire watchtower stood majestically. The tower's height exceeded ten meters, and its entire shape resembled an inverted bowl. One could faintly see the observation hall and the military flags atop it. Surrounding the tower was a horse corral wall extending over thirty meters, with a moat outside it. This was the Jingbian Tower, one of the four fire watchtowers under the jurisdiction of Dongjiazhuang in Shunxiang Fort, which housed seven guards, among whom Wang Dou was one of the tower soldiers.

The Ming Dynasty constructed numerous watchtowers and platforms across the nine borders, typically establishing a watchtower every 3 li and a platform every 5 li. In particularly critical areas, a watchtower was even built every 1 li. The watchtowers near the frontier were referred to as border watchtowers, while those located deeper within were known as fire route watchtowers or connecting fire watchtowers. Each watchtower was manned by 5 to 7 guards, resulting in over 40 various watchtowers and platforms throughout the entire security zone.

At this moment, he was wearing a tattered red padded jacket, the originally vibrant color nearly faded away. The red military cap on his head was also about to fall off on one side, and on his feet were a pair of worn-out red shoes. This was the standard military uniform of the Ming army: the mandarin duck battle jacket

The scenery before me is vastly different from the beauty of the Jiangnan region, with faintly discernible mountains, vast and desolate land, sparsely scattered trees on the plains, and faintly visible fortified villages. As I gaze into the distance, it evokes a sense of desolation and expansiveness.

On the seventh day of the seventh month last month, the Later Jin Khan Hong Taiji, known as Huang Taiji by the Ming people, after leading an army to conquer the Chahar tribe of Mongolia, used the pretext of disturbances caused by the Ming border troops, the killing of his people, and the hiding of fugitives as justification to lead tens of thousands of troops to breach the walls at Shangfang Fortress. Subsequently, they rampaged through the territory of Xuanfu Town, and then besieged the town. The defending soldiers of Xuanfu fired cannons to repel them, and Huang Taiji retreated to the Datong area. Upon receiving the news of the Later Jin army's invasion, the Ming Dynasty was shaken. On the ninth day of the month, the capital was placed under martial law, and at the same time, the Ministry of War urgently ordered General Chen Hongfan of Baoding to guard Juyong, while Governor Ding Kuichu was to defend Zijing, to prevent the Later Jin army from entering the capital region.

As he was nearing home, Wang Dou felt a surge of joy and unconsciously quickened his pace. Soon, he arrived at the moat beside the wall of Jingbiandun. This wall stands approximately four meters high, with a large gate facing south, on which the three characters "Jingbiandun" are inscribed. Above the gate, there is a watchtower equipped with defensive weapons such as stone projectiles, which controls a drawbridge. Normally, the troops stationed at Jingbiandun rely on this drawbridge for their comings and goings.

At Wang Dou's waist, there hung a wooden badge indicating his identity. The front of the badge was inscribed with the six characters "Dun Army Guard Wang Dou," while the left side bore the inscription "Security Guard Brave No. 845." The back was engraved with the words "Anyone from the Dun Army Guard who carries this badge, those without the badge shall be punished according to the law, and those who lend or borrow the badge shall be equally guilty." This badge served as an important credential for Wang Dou's duty at the Jingbian Dun garrison, and losing it would be a grave offense

Ideals remain ideals, while reality is always harsh. At present, I am merely an insignificant foot soldier, a mere pawn in the grand scheme. My previously weak reputation allows anyone to trample over me. Although I appear more intimidating and silent since the spirit of Wang Dou has taken over, until I take concrete action, others still regard me as invisible. The arduous and dirty tasks within the post are still assigned to me first, such as the daily water-fetching work several miles away from the post.

I arrived in this world on the twenty-eighth day of the seventh month in the seventh year of Chongzhen, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten days have passed. It is now the thirteenth day of the eighth month. I am located in the area of Ba'an Prefecture along the East Road of Huilong Path in Xuanfu Town, and my identity is that of an ordinary soldier stationed at Jingbiandun under the jurisdiction of Dongjiazhuang in Shunxiang Fort. In my family, there is an elderly mother and a fiancée who has not yet been married, and her status is that of a child bride.

The Jingbian Dun where Wang Dou is located is merely an ordinary smoke tower, constructed entirely of rammed earth, without any brick enclosure. If it were enclosed in bricks, it would be referred to as a platform. The surrounding horse corral wall extends over 100 meters in length, and the outer moat is even deeper. However, the construction of a platform requires at least 58,000 blue bricks and nearly 100 stones of lime. Given the financial resources of the Ming Dynasty, platforms could only be built in certain important locations. If it were enclosed in bricks, it would be referred to as a platform. The surrounding horse corral wall extends over 100 meters in length, and the outer moat is even deeper. However, the construction of a platform requires at least 58,000 blue bricks and nearly 100 stones of lime. Given the financial resources of the Ming Dynasty, platforms could only be built in certain important locations

Wang Dou was walking eastward while carrying water. His physique could be described as having the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear. Although he was walking several miles with two heavy buckets of water, he still felt no effort at all

Soon, the suspension bridge was lowered, and then the large gate of the hanging building also opened. A cacophony of voices from men and women emerged, and several heads appeared in view, all looking at Wang Dou with smiles. One person even shouted, "Has the big fool Wang returned? Was he not captured by the Tartars?"

He grumbled as he lowered the drawbridge, then shouted into the courtyard: "Wang the Fool has returned, quickly open the gate"

It is also a coincidence that the owner of this body is named Wang Dou as well. However, there is a slight difference: the "Dou" in the name of this Wang Dou from the Ming Dynasty refers to the character for "big and small fights," while the "Dou" in the name of the later Wang Dou signifies "struggle." Although both share the same character "Dou," their meanings are entirely different.

As one travels along, the land is entirely flat. Looking around, the terrain is expansive, and the soil is considered quite good. This Ba'an Prefecture is what would later be known as Zhuolu County, but at this time, Ba'an Prefecture is much larger than the later Zhuolu County. In later times, the new Ba'an, located in Huailai County, along with places such as Dongbali, Xibali, Shacheng, and Sangyuan, all belong to the important fortified towns of Ba'an Prefecture.

With a splash, Wang Dou lifted a bucket of water from the river, breaking the tranquility of the shimmering water surface. He carefully placed the bucket on the shore, then casually washed his face; the cool river water invigorated him. Standing up straight, Wang Dou let out a long breath, gazing into the distance, his eyes instinctively narrowing.

This river is locally known as Dongfang River. It originates from the high mountains to the south of Bao'an Prefecture, flows through Huiyao Fort, Shunxiang Fort, and Dongjiazhuang, and then continues downstream for ten miles before merging into the renowned Sanggan River, at which point it is referred to as Hunhe.

Wang Dou carefully avoided several hidden pitfall traps beside the trench and arrived in front of the main gate, shouting up to the suspended platform: "I am back, quickly lower the drawbridge!"

However, in the area around Shunxiang Fort, due to its proximity to hilly and mountainous regions, irrigation is not very convenient. Coupled with the increasingly large-scale droughts, apart from the fields near the rivers and canals, Wang Dou observed that many originally fertile lands have been left fallow.

Wang Dou was unable to explain the inexplicable events happening to him, nor did he have the opportunity to find someone who could alleviate his confusion, so he could only keep it to himself. However, anyone who experiences such strange occurrences would feel anxious and fearful, and Wang Dou was no exception. Fortunately, in later years, Wang Dou was a person of calm disposition and strong inner qualities. Just a few days later, he accepted the events occurring to him and began to carefully contemplate how to proceed in the future.

Indeed, the individual before us, Wang Dou, although physically a person of the Ming Dynasty, possesses a spirit and soul that do not belong to this world. Instead, they originate from a history teacher in the twenty-first century, aged over thirty. In simple terms, Wang Dou has traversed time and space to inhabit this body. The process is quite mysterious, and the specific circumstances are untraceable. In summary, it is the Wang Dou from the future who has taken possession of the body of an ordinary soldier from the Ming Dynasty.

Beside the water bucket, his long spear was also placed. Wang Dou picked up the spear, and a surge of a visceral connection filled his heart; in this uncertain era, this spear was his greatest assurance of survival. With the spear in his left hand, Wang Dou bent down to lift the water bucket and instinctively glanced around, remaining vigilant of his surroundings. He could not afford to be careless; although most of the Later Jin army had moved towards the Datong area, there were still small groups of cavalry active around the areas of Bao'an Prefecture and Huailai Guard, and he needed to be cautious to avoid encountering them.

After calling out several times, a head lazily poked out from the suspended building after quite a while. Upon seeing it was Wang Dou, the person laughed and said: "Has the big fool Wang returned? You are quite quick at fetching water; did you encounter any Tartars on the way?"

The wind howled as it swept through, stirring up a cloud of dust, causing the clothes on my body to rustle and flutter

... ...

It has been sixteen days since arriving in this world Time passes so quickly

Wang Dou silently thought to himself