In the evening, the rain and snow had long stopped, and a sunset glow appeared on the western horizon, dyeing half the mountain red.
“If they had launched a direct attack earlier, they could have caused us considerable trouble. Now, they’ve missed their chance,” Zhu Ping’an said slowly, inspecting the camp with Liu Dadao by his side, looking at the pirate army setting up camp nearby.
“Why do you say that, my lord?” Liu Dadao asked, puzzled.
“The rain and snow earlier affected our matchlock guns. Although we’ve added weather shields to them, they’re not perfectly sealed and can’t be fired for long in rainy conditions. Now the rain has stopped, and the sunset glow has appeared. As the saying goes, ‘Morning glow, stay indoors; evening glow, travel far.’ With this evening glow, tomorrow will surely be clear, which is greatly advantageous for our Zhejiang army’s firearms,” Zhu Ping’an explained calmly.
During the earlier counter-ambush against the pirate forces, the Zhejiang army’s firearms were affected by the rain and snow. Otherwise, their results would have been even greater. Fortunately, the rain and snow weren’t heavy; if it had been a downpour, Zhu Ping’an would have had to order the Zhejiang army to hold the camp and avoid open battle.
After all, matchlock guns of this era were heavily weather-dependent.
“I see, my lord. Heh, looks like the pirate leaders aren’t much,” Liu Dadao chuckled.
“They’re being cautious. Caution is rarely a mistake, but it can lead to missed opportunities,” Zhu Ping’an said with a faint smile.
“My lord, when should we be cautious, and when should we be bold?” Liu Dadao asked for guidance.
“Know your enemy and know yourself, and fully grasp battlefield information to make the right judgment. Be cautious when caution is needed, and bold when boldness is called for,” Zhu Ping’an said slowly.
“I understand. Thank you for your guidance, my lord,” Liu Dadao said, enlightened, quickly thanking Zhu Ping’an.
“No need for formalities,” Zhu Ping’an waved it off.
As they continued inspecting the camp, they soon arrived at a tent from which various screams emanated.
“Haven’t they confessed yet?” Zhu Ping’an asked curiously. “These pirate captives have tough bones.”
“Sir, they’ve all confessed. But two of them committed heinous crimes—repeatedly raping and murdering women and children, even killing an infant. When the men learned of their atrocities during interrogation, they couldn’t hold back and took turns whipping them to avenge the victims,” a guard soldier reported, somewhat nervously, fearing Zhu Ping’an might punish them.
“Have their confessions been cross-checked for consistency?” Zhu Ping’an asked.
“We interrogated them separately, and their confessions match perfectly,” the guard replied.
“Bring me the confessions. And don’t waste energy—execute those two heinous pirates immediately. As for the other captives, put them in shackles and assign them hard labour. Don’t let them sit idle,” Zhu Ping’an ordered.
“Yes, sir,” the guard replied, relieved, and loudly acknowledged the order.
Zhu Ping’an took the confessions back to the command tent, placed them on the table, and carefully reviewed their contents.
The confessions revealed that the opposing pirate force was composed of two groups: one led by Mao Haifeng, Wang Zhi’s adopted son, with 8,000 men; the other led by a true Japanese named Otomo Sadakawa, with 6,000 men. Together, their combined force of 14,000 served as the pirate vanguard.
At the mention of Mao Haifeng’s name, Zhu Ping’an’s eyes lit up. He was familiar with this figure from *Those Events of the Ming Dynasty*. Mao Haifeng was a key figure in Hu Zongxian’s efforts to persuade Wang Zhi to surrender. It was because Mao Haifeng was deceived by Hu Zongxian that Wang Zhi was ultimately lured ashore. Although Hu Zongxian’s plan was thwarted by Wang Bengu, the Zhejiang inspector at the time, who arrested and executed Wang Zhi, leading to a decade-long catastrophe in Zhejiang, Mao Haifeng remained a critical figure in Wang Zhi’s surrender.
As Wang Zhi’s adopted son, Mao Haifeng was deeply trusted and held significant influence among the pirates.
With such a figure so close, it would be a waste not to make use of him.
To persuade Wang Zhi to surrender, Zhu Ping’an needed to demonstrate strength. A sheep couldn’t tame a wolf, but a lion could. Tomorrow’s clear weather would be the perfect opportunity to test Mao Haifeng and show him the power of the Zhejiang army’s firearms.
A balance of might and mercy was the way to control others.
As for Otomo Sadakawa, Zhu Ping’an didn’t underestimate him after reading his deeds in the confessions. A dispossessed Japanese noble, he had gathered a group of ronin, fought fiercely, and grown into one of Wang Zhi’s top ten lieutenants. His 6,000 pirates, mostly true Japanese, were formidable fighters.
The most striking detail in the confessions was that Otomo Sadakawa commanded an elite 800-man arquebus unit, armed with firearms obtained from Westerners. Otomo, who claimed to be versed in Chinese military strategy, named his units after “Wind,” “Forest,” “Water,” and “Fire.” This arquebus unit, the “Fire” army, was his pride and his sharpest weapon.
According to the confessions, Mao Haifeng and Otomo Sadakawa had contrasting personalities. Mao Haifeng was bold, courageous, and chivalrous, while Otomo Sadakawa was arrogant yet cunning and intelligent. The coalition was led by Mao Haifeng, with Otomo as his deputy, and there was no sign of internal discord.
After reading the confessions twice, Zhu Ping’an set them aside and pondered in the tent for a moment.
Originally, before knowing the pirate leader was Mao Haifeng, Zhu Ping’an had considered sending troops to harass the pirate camp with drums and cannon fire to disrupt their rest and gain an advantage for tomorrow’s battle. But after learning it was Mao Haifeng, he reconsidered and abandoned the plan.
To make use of Mao Haifeng, based on historical accounts and the captives’ confessions, Zhu Ping’an knew he was bold and chivalrous. To win him over, it was best to earn his respect and minimise hostility. Defeating him openly and convincingly tomorrow would be the way.
With this in mind, Zhu Ping’an called out, “Order the battalions to divide into three shifts for rest and vigilance. Increase patrol strength and set up additional hidden sentries outside the camp to prevent a pirate night raid. Also, fetch more water from the river to guard against fire attacks.”
Though he wouldn’t harass the pirates, he still needed to prepare for a potential night attack.
“Yes, sir,” the guards outside received Zhu Ping’an’s orders and went to relay them.
