Though the Zhejiang army’s trench trap cost the Japanese pirates over a hundred men, aside from those skewered like candied hawthorns at the bottom, the other pirates were exhilarated, seasoned warriors, they knew this was the Zhejiang army’s final struggle, once past this trench, the Zhejiang army would be theirs to slaughter!
Besides, it was just a mere three-metre-wide, two-metre-deep trench, not that hard to handle.
The Japanese pirates had breached countless county towns, every trench before those was wider and deeper than this, some even had multiple layers, this little ditch before the Zhejiang position was trivial to them.
“This trench is barely two metres deep, you few, jump in carefully, chop off the spearheads, clear a space, toss in some shields, prop them slantwise at the bottom, we’ll step on them to leap over.”
A seasoned squad leader among the pirate vanguard shouted, pointing at three pirates, instructing them to carefully avoid the spearheads, jump in, hack off a patch of spears, clear a two-metre-wide path, then had shields thrown down, hastily rigging a slanted ramp for the pirates to climb out.
Nearby pirates followed suit, soon rigging a dozen such shield ramps across the trench.
Of course, the Zhejiang army wouldn’t just watch the pirates deal with the trench unhindered, during this time, they fired two volleys, claiming many pirate lives, especially targeting those in the trench clearing spearheads and setting shields, costing the pirates two batches of men before the ramps were ready.
Meanwhile, seizing the chance, the Zhejiang soldiers who’d fired reloaded their muskets and spare barrels with ammunition.
“Brothers, kill, charge, chop these musket-firing turtles to bits!”
The pirates who’d built the ramps roared ferociously, leaping up the slanted shield paths in one bound.
A dozen ramps became the pirates’ assault channels.
The Zhejiang position hugged the Grand Canal, the front space was narrow, the pirates’ numbers couldn’t fully spread out, now limited to these dozen ramps, their formation stretched even tighter, the two thousand-plus pirate vanguard stretched fifty to sixty metres along the Zhejiang front, like a menacing giant python.
Seeing the Zhejiang army’s final defence—the trench—pierced by a dozen bloody paths, the reinforcing pirates surged with excitement, like sharks scenting blood, they pushed their pace to the max, charging forward frantically.
In a few breaths, they linked up with the vanguard, the pirate line stretching a hundred thirty or forty metres long.
About a hundred metres before the Zhejiang position, once a makeshift dock, the ground widened slightly, here the pirates massed heavily, nearly half their force concentrated.
From above or afar, the six or seven thousand charging pirates resembled a giant python bloated from swallowing a massive meal, the hundred-metre mark before the Zhejiang line its swollen belly.
“Baka! Baka! Move aside, move aside, all of you, let this supervisor charge up!”
Beitiao Dao San, arriving with his retainers and guards, reached the python’s tail, brandishing his Japanese blade, shouting and barging a path through, his killing intent blazing as he surged forward.
The pirates knew this pirate leader’s temper, they hurriedly cleared the way, Beitiao Dao San and his retinue ploughed ahead like wild boars.
Despite the Zhejiang army’s fierce firearms, their numbers were limited, while the pirates were legion, though restricted to a dozen shield ramps, their flow was relentless, many fell, but plenty breached the Zhejiang front, slashing and stabbing at the soldiers behind the wall.
“Hahaha, it’s settled, the Zhejiang army’s finished!”
Xu Hai and the other pirate leaders at the rear, seeing this, exchanged glances, bursting into smug laughter.
A victorious joy permeated the entire pirate army.
In contrast to the pirates’ triumph, a heavy, oppressive air hung over Suzhou city in the distance.
By now, the sky was half-light, half-dark, visibility much improved from the battle’s start, from the high city walls, they could faintly see the fierce combat at Fengqiao camp.
Now, they saw the second wave of pirates storming the Zhejiang front, the third wave of reinforcements merging triumphantly with them, the attacking pirates stretched over a hundred metres, swarming like ants, too many to count.
Not to mention, the main pirate force at the rear was slowly advancing toward the Zhejiang camp.
Faintly visible amid the pirate army, clusters of bloodthirsty pirates broke off, charging the Zhejiang position.
The dense mass of pirates roared like a relentless war chariot, crushing toward the Zhejiang line, which seemed like a mantis foolishly raising its arms against a cart, the outcome already sealed.
“Sigh, the Zhejiang army’s done…”
“I thought they’d hold out longer, didn’t expect it to end so soon…”
As the overwhelming pirates reached the Zhejiang front, sighs and groans rose from the city walls.
“They’re only two thousand strong, beating back one wave was a feat, this wave’s too numerous, four or five thousand at first, then another four or five thousand in support, holding out this long has far exceeded expectations.”
Hearing complaints about the Zhejiang army’s quick fall, someone defended them, sparking nods of agreement.
“Sigh, strange, strange, look, the Zhejiang position’s about to be overrun, why hasn’t Zhu Ping’an and his men ridden away? If they don’t flee now, it’ll be too late…”
Someone on the wall noticed not a single Zhejiang soldier was escaping on horseback, voicing surprise.
“Right, not one’s running, don’t they have over a thousand horses?! Keep the green hills, and firewood won’t run out, retreat a step, and the sky’s wide open, Zhu Ping’an isn’t planning to go down with the position, is he?”
Others noticed too, shaking their heads.
“When Zhu Ping’an demanded we open the gates for the people below, he said they’d fight the pirates to the death, the pirates would have to step over their corpses first, I didn’t think he meant it literally, but he’s truly blocking them with his life…”
Someone murmured.
“What’s this about giving up?! A true man acts with purpose and restraint! This is the bearing of a Ming Dynasty official! We should do the same, Suzhou city stands, we stand, if it falls, our corpses remain!” Prefect Shang Weichi couldn’t hold back, rebuking angrily.
“Yes, yes…”
The officials nodded outwardly, but inwardly scoffed, they weren’t about to throw away their lives.
“What a pity…”
Someone started it, soon a wave of sighs swept the walls, even Shang Weichi joined in.
Watching the ant-like swarm of pirates flood the Zhejiang position, everyone mourned as if at a memorial.
Barring a miracle, tonight, much paper money would be scattered beyond the walls to honour Zhu Ping’an and the Zhejiang army’s spirits…
“Kill, charge!”
“Silver and women, just ahead!”
“Kill them all, death awaits…”
The countless pirates roared savagely, surging forward relentlessly, eager to unleash a bloodbath.
“It’s done, the Zhejiang army’s finished, time for breakfast!”
Xu Hai and the pirate leaders at the rear, watching their men press on, grinned like blooming flowers.
Then, a sudden upheaval struck!
“Boom!”
A deafening explosion roared out, a thunderous blast like a million tonnes, shaking the earth like a landslide, a massive black fiery pit erupted a hundred metres before the Zhejiang line, hurling up a seven- or eight-metre-high mushroom cloud of earth, stone, and smoke.
In an instant, the ground quaked like a dragon rolling over, even distant Suzhou city seemed to tremble.
