Under the stars and moon at the fourth watch of the night, the Japanese ships arrive amidst the cawing of crows.
In the depth of winter, at the fourth watch, the night is as dark as ink, so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face, seemingly darker than the third watch.
“Splash, splash, splash…”
In the darkness, Japanese ships appear on the river surface. The Japanese pirates in the cabins, bare-armed, silently chant as they vigorously row, breaking the water and propelling the ships swiftly forward. The ships’ masts hang lanterns to guide the following vessels.
One after another, the Japanese ships resemble black serpents with crimson eyes, swiftly moving towards Suzhou along the river.
The commotion from the ships disturbs a group of crows dozing on the branches by the shore. They flap their wings and soar into the sky, flying over the ships, emitting a series of mournful and hoarse “caw—caw—” sounds.
“Hehe, Mr. Xu is indeed wise. We boarded the ships at the second watch, reached Taicang Harbor by the third watch, and by the fourth watch, we are already at the doorstep of Suzhou. In the deep of winter, with such darkness and the cold wind rising, the Ming people are still sound asleep. When they wake from their dreams, they won’t greet the dawn but us, descending like divine soldiers.”
Hojo Dozan stands at the bow, gazing into the pitch-black night, envisioning the scene of their divine descent and Suzhou trembling in fear. He can’t help but chuckle, praising Xu Hai, the mastermind behind this strategy.
“Not at all, not at all…” Xu Hai modestly demurs.
“Hojo, do you know what this hour is called in our Great Ming?” Mayama asks hoarsely.
“Isn’t it the fourth watch?” Hojo Dozan is momentarily puzzled.
“In our Great Ming, the fourth watch is called ‘the hour of the wild chicken,’ also known as ‘the time for thieves and robbers.’ It’s when people are in their deepest sleep, and in this pitch darkness, it’s the perfect time for thievery and mischief, ideal for our mission. As the saying goes, the first watch is for people, the second for the gong, the third for ghosts, the fourth for thieves, and the fifth for the rooster. The fourth watch is indeed our time!” Mayama licks his lips, staring towards Suzhou, his voice raspy.
“We are not thieves; we are pirates, fiercer and more formidable than thieves. Thieves fear people, but people fear us pirates. We, the Wokou, are the pirates among pirates!”
Hojo Dozan shakes his head, smugly stating.
“Hehe, Hojo, in our Great Ming, ‘pirate’ is not a commendable title; it’s one that warrants the extermination of one’s clan.”
Chen Dong chuckles, shaking his head.
“To exterminate our clans, they’d have to catch us first. Hehe, it’s not that I look down on the Ming troops, but after so many encounters with them, those weaklings wanting to exterminate our clans? It’s more like we’d exterminate theirs.”
Hojo Dozan sneers dismissively.
“Hojo, don’t underestimate the Ming troops. Not all of them are as weak as those we’ve faced before. Some time ago, during Zhao Wenhua’s sea sacrifice, Wang Zhi sent people to sabotage it, and we also sent our men. The result? Out of over five hundred, less than ten returned; the rest were annihilated. Those who escaped reported that several Ming troops were unlike the others; they didn’t collapse upon being ambushed. Especially a group of Zhejiang troops with fierce firearms, which led to Nakamura Koji’s plan to ambush the central army failing…”
Xu Hai shakes his head, cautioning Hojo Dozan.
“Hehe, that’s because the King of Hui misjudged his men, entrusting Nakamura Koji with command. Nakamura Koji is just a bastard; what capability does he have? If I were in command, the outcome would have been different.”
Hojo Dozan dismissively shakes his head, then adds, “Moreover, during the sea sacrifice, to avoid exposing our movements, we couldn’t send a large force. Together with the King of Hui, we only sent over five hundred men, while the Ming troops present numbered twenty thousand, not including their navy and the troops lying in ambush nearby. Five hundred against twenty thousand, plus an incompetent commander, it’s no wonder they failed.”
“Nakamura Koji rested here for three days before the sea sacrifice. During those three days, I interacted with him frequently and observed his behavior. He’s not incompetent,” Xu Hai shakes his head.
“Hehe, just another armchair strategist, all talk but no action.”
Hojo Dozan remains unconvinced.
Hojo Dozan hails from the Hojo clan, a powerful family in the Kanto region of Japan, which dominates almost the entire Kanto area.
Although Hojo Dozan is just a bastard son from a collateral branch of the Hojo clan, he is still a legitimate member of the Hojo family. He inherently looks down on Nakamura Koji, a bastard, considering bastards as mere house slaves.
Just a lowly house slave!
Moreover, during his rest at Tuolin, Nakamura Koji was arrogant and disrespectful towards Hojo Dozan, which greatly displeased him. Upon hearing of Nakamura Koji’s death, Hojo Dozan even got drunk in celebration.
“Hojo, we’ve also found out that the Zhejiang troops, who caused Nakamura’s failure at the sea sacrifice, are now stationed at the Fengqiao camp outside Suzhou. Their firearms are formidable,” Xu Hai warns again.
“The Zhejiang troops are only two thousand strong. No matter how fierce their firearms are, they’re only effective at a distance and cumbersome to reload. Once engaged in close combat, their firearms are just sticks,” Hojo Dozan dismisses.
“Besides, times have changed. During the sea sacrifice, we only sent over five hundred men against their twenty thousand, outnumbered. Now, we have over thirty thousand troops, while the Zhejiang troops are only two thousand, and Suzhou city’s troops are less than ten thousand. The numerical advantage is ours. Not to mention, we’re launching a night raid while they’re still asleep. Hehe, sleeping people can’t be considered people; they’re just lambs waiting to be slaughtered.”
Hojo Dozan is brimming with confidence.
“Anyway, don’t let your guard down,” Xu Hai says, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Xu. I’m not one to underestimate the enemy. I wield my sword with full force against every Ming person.”
Hojo Dozan declares proudly.
Xu Hai slightly twitches the corner of his mouth, saying no more. He turns to his subordinates behind him and orders, “We’re close. After the river bends ahead, Suzhou city will be within reach, just thirty miles away. Pass the order: keep quiet, no noise, don’t alert the enemy. Don’t waste time plundering nearby towns; we head straight for Suzhou city! Suzhou city has mountains of gold and jewels waiting for us to take, countless fair-skinned, beautiful women with big breasts and wide hips waiting for us to enjoy…”
“As you command,” the subordinates acknowledge and depart.
Suzhou city, here we come!
Gold, silver, and jewels, here we come! Fair-skinned beauties, here we come!
Hojo Dozan, Mayama, Chen Dong, and the others gaze towards Suzhou city, their eyes filled with excitement.
Xu Hai is also thrilled. Capturing Suzhou city would make their band of pirates the most dazzling among the Wokou!
Their fame would rival that of Wang Zhi.
Even Wang Zhi has never captured such a massive city!
By then, the number of bandits and pirates flocking to their stronghold at Tuolin would multiply, and competing with Wang Zhi would be within their grasp.
