The sky hadn’t fully brightened yet, and Suzhou City’s gates had only just creaked open.
Having recently suffered a pirate raid, the gate guards were on high alert, scrutinising everyone to prevent any Japanese pirates from slipping inside.
“Urgent military news! Urgent military news! Clear the way, quick, clear the way!”
A messenger, flag thrust into his back, came galloping in from beyond the city, shouting at the top of his lungs as he barrelled through.
The townsfolk queuing to enter scattered in a hurry, and the gate guards swiftly made way, parting the crowd to let the flagged courier through.
With no obstacles in his path, the messenger soon reached the prefectural office and handed the urgent report to Prefect Shang.
“What?! Xu Hai, the pirate chief we routed from Suzhou, took Jiaxing City with just a few hundred ragged survivors?! Is this for real?! Jiaxing might not be as grand as Suzhou, but it’s not far off! They’ve got two thousand regular troops stationed there—how could a bunch of beaten pirates pull off a con and take it so easily?!”
Prefect Shang read the report, jaw practically hitting the floor, and grilled the messenger in disbelief.
The news was too staggering—almost fantastical. He struggled to believe it could be true.
“Sir, Jiaxing City has fallen to the pirates. Prefect Zhao’s their prisoner now. This intel came straight from a Jinyiwei agent hidden in the city—it’s rock-solid. On my way here, I saw countless refugees fleeing Jiaxing with my own eyes. In about an hour, I reckon a flood of them will hit Suzhou.”
The messenger replied truthfully.
“Right, I’ve got it. You’ve had a hard ride—go rest. Someone, take the messenger to rest and treat him well.”
Prefect Shang nodded, ordering his men to see the weary courier off with proper hospitality.
Once alone, Shang reread the Jiaxing report, a chill of relief mixed with dread creeping up his spine.
For Xu Hai to seize Jiaxing with a mere few hundred broken men showed he wasn’t some run-of-the-mill thug—this was a cunning, capable rogue.
Thinking back to the battle a few days ago, cold sweat beaded on his back. He’d been bloody lucky. Xu Hai had come at Suzhou with over forty thousand pirates. If a few hundred remnants could trick their way into Jiaxing, then without Zi Hou’s clutch intervention, today’s Jiaxing would’ve been yesterday’s Suzhou!
Even Prefect Zhao had ended up a pirate captive.
Sigh.
If not for Zi Hou, the one in chains might’ve been him instead.
If he ever fell into pirate hands, Shang Weichi would rather bite his tongue off than endure such shame!
Zi Hou, you’ve saved my hide again, Shang silently thanked Zhu Ping’an for the umpteenth time.
Calming down, he ordered copies of the report made and sent to Zhu Ping’an and Suzhou’s various offices.
Then he put Suzhou on lockdown—extra troops at the gates, sharp eyes and undercover checks to keep pirates out.
Mindful of the refugees from Jiaxing, he tasked the household department with setting up porridge stations to feed the displaced.
With Zhu Ping’an and the Zhejiang troops holding Suzhou, Shang wasn’t worried about Xu Hai’s pirates doubling back.
They couldn’t beat Zi Hou at their peak—now, with a hastily scraped-together rabble of thousands, they stood even less of a chance.
When the urgent report reached Zhu’s residence, Zhu Ping’an was still fast asleep, arms wrapped around Li Shu.
The past few days of relentless fighting had left him barely a wink of sleep. With the pirates invading Suzhou finally crushed, he could relax and catch some proper rest—especially with the fragrant Li Shu by his side.
He slept like a log, snoring loud enough to rattle the rafters well into late morning.
Though Zhu’s snores were thunderous, Li Shu, nestled in his arms, slept peacefully.
While Zhu had been battling sleeplessly, Li Shu had lain awake at home, fretting over his safety.
Now, with him back and sleeping beside her, she felt at ease and drifted into sweet slumber.
Poor Qin’er, tending to them in the side room, wasn’t so lucky—Zhu’s snoring kept her up all night.
By morning, her dark circles could’ve rivalled a national treasure’s.
“Qin’er, have the master and mistress woken up? Liu Dadao just dropped off a dispatch—says it’s urgent military news from the prefect. He made a point of saying not to panic the master; it’s not about Suzhou, but Jiaxing next door.”
Baozi, the little maid Hua’er, came in holding a letter, whispering to Qin’er.
“Not yet. The mistress and master are still out cold,” Qin’er replied softly.
She didn’t need to say it—Hua’er already knew.
Zhu Ping’an’s earth-shaking snores gave her the answer: the master was still deep in dreamland.
“With snores that loud, the master must’ve knackered himself out fighting these past few days. He doesn’t usually snore like this.”
Hua’er said, her voice tinged with sympathy.
Then, thinking of Li Shu, she added worriedly, “With the master snoring so loud, did the mistress sleep alright? She’s been up nights fretting over him.”
“She’s sleeping soundly—hasn’t stirred yet,” Qin’er answered.
“What? She can sleep through that racket?” Hua’er asked, incredulous.
She knew Li Shu was a light sleeper—needing quiet to rest, disturbed by the slightest noise.
“Maybe with the master back, her heart’s at peace, so she’s sleeping tight,” Qin’er mused.
Hua’er nodded eagerly. “Yeah, that’s it! She was so worried before, barely sleeping. Now he’s here, she’s peaceful—sleeping like a baby.”
“So, this urgent news Liu Dadao brought—should we wake the master?” Hua’er fretted. “They’re sleeping so well—it’d be a shame to rouse them.”
“Liu Dadao said not to worry him—it’s Jiaxing’s problem, not ours. If it’s just Jiaxing, it’s not that pressing. Let them sleep a bit longer.”
Qin’er reasoned.
“Yeah, makes sense. It’s not our mess,” Hua’er agreed with a nod.
Just as they decided to let Zhu sleep on, the bedroom’s snoring cut off.
“Urgent military news? Quick, bring it in!” Zhu Ping’an’s voice called out.
“Oh, oh!” Hua’er winced, wondering if her chatter had woken him.
When Zhu read the report, his first reaction wasn’t much better than Shang’s—his jaw nearly dropped too.
Hard to believe.
But however unbelievable, it was fact. Shang wouldn’t mess up something this big—the report was legit.
Xu Hai!
No wonder he was second only to Wang Zhi in history’s pirate annals! Anyone who made it into the books was no small fry.
Fresh off a thrashing in Suzhou, he’d taken Jiaxing with just four hundred-odd stragglers—and nabbed Prefect Shang to boot!!!
