“Mount up, move out! By the Lord’s command, no stopping for horses or men until we reach the Governor’s Office!”
Soon, the Zhejiang army set off again. Thirty-six severed heads of Japanese pirates were hung on the saddles, swaying with the galloping hooves, dripping blood.
Behind them, thirty-six headless pirate corpses were piled on a pyre, engulfed in roaring flames…
Riding without pause, Zhu Ping’an and his entourage finally arrived outside Jiaxing city gates before the sun set.
“Sir, those are the famous Jiaxing Three Pagodas,” the messenger pointed to three tall towers in the west, introducing them to Zhu Ping’an.
“Why were these three pagodas built by the canal outside the city? Is there a story behind them?” Zhu Ping’an asked curiously.
“These pagodas were first built in the Tang Dynasty. The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal passes through here, and there’s a deep pool called White Dragon Pool. Its waters are perpetually dark and turbulent, causing many ships to capsize or sink when passing through. A high monk passing by claimed a white dragon lurked in the pool, stirring winds and causing havoc. The people believed him, so they filled the pool with earth and built three pagodas to suppress it. That’s the origin of the Jiaxing Three Pagodas,” the messenger explained.
Zhu Ping’an nodded, even wondering if Wu Cheng’en, when writing about the Little White Dragon, had been inspired by this tale.
“Jiaxing’s Prefect Zhao, when he supposedly lowered himself down the city wall to escape, hid in these three temples before seeking aid from the former Zhejiang Inspector Li Tianchong…” the messenger added.
Zhu Ping’an’s eyes lit up. He called over Liu Daqiang and whispered, “Send men to watch the three pagodas. There might be people linked to the pirates hiding there. Don’t alert them.”
“Understood,” Liu Daqiang nodded.
Prefect Zhao Chong was on Zhu Ping’an’s list of suspects. Zhao hadn’t been captured by pirates—he’d lowered himself down the wall to flee. The three temples might have been deceived by Zhao to cover for him, or they could be complicit, actively shielding him.
Zhu Ping’an had a gut feeling that keeping an eye on this would yield results.
“Sir, the Governor-General has ordered in advance that, to avoid disturbing the city’s residents and to bolster defenses against pirates, the accompanying Zhejiang troops must be stationed at the military camp outside the city. You may bring ten guards into the city,” the messenger informed Zhu Ping’an before entering.
Zhu Ping’an had no objections. He wasn’t here to seize power with troops. Whether the Zhejiang army was stationed inside or outside the city made no difference.
Besides, it was standard practice to house visiting troops in camps outside to avoid disturbing civilians.
Though Jiaxing’s Prefect Zhao Chong had colluded with the pirates, Governor-General Zhang Jing had relocated his office here, taking full control of Jiaxing’s defenses. As long as Zhang Jing was in charge, Zhao Chong couldn’t stir up much trouble.
Zhu Ping’an led Liu Daqiang and ten others, following the messenger toward Jiaxing’s city gate. On their saddles, each man had about three gruesome pirate heads, with blood occasionally dripping to the ground.
“Good heavens, what army is this? Why are there so many heads on their saddles? This… this is too brutal. Cutting off so many heads in broad daylight?” a bystander exclaimed in panic.
“Did you see clearly? Did you notice?”
“See clearly? The sight of those heads scared half my soul away. Who’d dare look closely?”
“You lot are making a fuss over nothing. Those heads belong to Japanese pirates! Didn’t you see some of those heads have the pirates’ shaved hairstyles? Those aren’t fresh cuts—they’re at least six months old. I’m a master barber; I’d never mistake that.”
“What? Pirate heads?! Mother of mercy, you’re right—look closely, they *are* pirate heads! Folks, those are pirate heads!”
“Heavens have eyes! My family of eighteen was slaughtered by pirates. Thank you, General, for avenging us!”
As Zhu Ping’an’s group approached the gate, the pirate heads on their saddles caused a stir. Once people realized they were pirate heads, word spread quickly, and cheers erupted.
Soon, a well-informed merchant recognized Zhu Ping’an, and the crowd learned that the new Inspector Zhu Ping’an had led the Zhejiang army to slay these pirates.
“The Inspector has arrived! Zhejiang is saved!”
“Lord Zhu is mighty! The Zhejiang army is mighty!”
The onlookers cheered and followed, applauding.
“Dear townsfolk, I have urgent business to meet the Governor-General. Please clear the way,” Zhu Ping’an said apologetically, cupping his hands.
He quickly led Liu Daqiang and the others through the gate, heading straight for the Governor’s Office.
Inside the city, Zhu Ping’an noticed traces of pirate raids—knife marks and scorch marks on the walls of wealthy estates.
“The Governor-General’s Office is set up in the Jiaxing Prefecture Office, sharing the same premises,” the messenger said, leading Zhu Ping’an into the Governor’s Office.
At the office, the messenger went to announce their arrival, asking Zhu Ping’an to wait in a guest room while directing attendants to take Liu Daqiang and the others to the stables to settle the horses and register the pirate heads.
Soon, the messenger returned. “Sir, the Governor-General summons you.”
Zhu Ping’an followed the messenger to meet Zhang Jing. Just as they reached the door, it was flung open forcefully.
A figure stormed out, one foot outside, the other still inside, head turned back, shouting furiously, “Lord Zhang, I’m here by imperial decree to oversee the army! I’ve urged you to deploy troops—you delayed the day before, yesterday, and today again! Are you colluding with the pirates? Are you deliberately letting them ravage our Ming citizens? Are you giving them a chance to grow stronger? Are you fostering pirates to bolster your own power?!”
It was Zhao Wenhua.
Zhu Ping’an narrowed his eyes. Zhao Wenhua had chased Zhang Jing to Jiaxing to press for troop deployment.
“Lord Zhao, don’t slander me. When the time comes to deploy, I will. Please leave. What follows concerns military secrets, not suitable for an outsider like you to overhear,” Zhang Jing’s calm voice came from within.
“You! Hmph, just you wait!” Zhao Wenhua spat angrily, turning to leave.
“Master Zhao,” Zhu Ping’an greeted, cupping his hands. Though he had little respect for Zhao Wenhua, formalities had to be observed.
“Oh, Zihou, go in. They’re waiting for you,” Zhao Wenhua said, nodding, unsurprised by Zhu Ping’an’s presence.
“Lord Zhu,” another figure emerged behind Zhao Wenhua—Hu Zongxian, who cupped his hands in greeting.
“Lord Hu,” Zhu Ping’an returned the gesture.
“Zihou, we’ll visit you in Shaoxing another day,” Zhao Wenhua said, then beckoned to Hu Zongxian. “Meilin, let’s go.”
“I’ll await Master Zhao’s visit anytime,” Zhu Ping’an replied courteously.
Zhao Wenhua nodded, satisfied, and strode off with Hu Zongxian, muttering threats about Zhang Jing as they left.
