Riding and Slashing Through Late Ming

Chen Jing opened his eyes and found himself an officer in a border army at the end of the Ming Dynasty. He hadn't even had time to settle in before his first military order hit him: wipe out Gao Yingxiang, the original Chuang King.

Was he supposed to fight to the death? He had barely a hundred starving, half-dead soldiers at his command, while the enemy was a bandit army that had swept across northern Shaanxi, capturing one prefecture and county after another.

Even worse was the land beneath his feet: Shaanxi was in the grip of a severe drought, the earth was barren for thousands of miles, people were eating one another, and the population was starving.

Forget fighting. Even staying alive was a luxury.

But the next second...

[Ding! The Mount & Blade System has successfully awakened]

[The 'Militia' has reached its experience limit. Upgrade options: Ming Border Cavalry / Ming Elite Infantry]

[The 'Ming Elite Infantry' has reached its experience limit. Upgrade option: Divine Engine Battalion Arquebusiers]

Chen Jing looked at the panel that appeared before him and slowly tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

Suppress Gao Yingxiang?

Pacify the bandit armies?

Sweep them all away!

Train elite troops, stockpile provisions, build firearms.

While others farm the land, I build up my fields. While others fight battles, I grind out troops.