After General Wang claimed the heads of the old man and the young boy, his soldiers swept through the nearby pirates, adding another fifty heads to their tally.
Looking ahead, about three hundred meters away, another group of fleeing pirates could be seen.
This time, without even a glance from General Wang, his troops surged forward to attack the pirates on their own.
The cavalry, relying on their horses’ speed, closed in on the fleeing pirates, while the infantry flanked them, crushing them in one swift strike.
The coordination between cavalry and infantry grew increasingly seamless.
General Wang watched his troops work in perfect harmony, especially noting the growing number of pirate heads dangling from saddles and waists, his grin never fading, already envisioning himself rising three ranks.
By then, he wouldn’t have to bow to Prefect Shang anymore, though military ranks were often hollow, even a few ranks higher wouldn’t give him much clout before civil officials, his spine still wouldn’t straighten, but after a three-rank promotion, he’d likely be transferred, no longer serving in Suzhou Prefecture, perhaps even maneuvering into a post at the Nanjing Ministry of War.
Plus, while military officials ranked below their civil counterparts, it was easier to secure titles and legacies for one’s family.
In the Ming Dynasty, only military merit could earn a noble title, with this sortie yielding so many pirate heads, he could secure a hereditary hundred-household title, and if the haul grew larger, maybe even his second son could snag one too.
Heh, then he’d be the most distinguished member of the old Wang family, come New Year, he’d claim the seat of honor.
General Wang daydreamed gleefully, leading his troops to chase the scattered pirates, wave after wave.
Every five or six hundred meters, they’d encounter another group of fleeing pirates, ranging from ten to twenty or thirty strong.
General Wang and his men relentlessly pursued, slaughtering them all and taking their heads.
Each head was worth fifty taels of silver!
It was like picking up money off the ground, every five or six hundred meters yielding a pile of silver, no step wasted.
Who’d complain about too much silver or too high a rank?
The smoother the chase, the greater the harvest, General Wang and his soldiers grew more excited, spirits soaring, refreshed and ambitious, unknowingly chasing over ten li from the city.
From the city outskirts to open plains, then into sparse woods and dotted villages, they drifted further from Suzhou.
Ahead, another group of pirates appeared, fleeing in panic, darting into the next village and vanishing.
“Hahaha, another bunch up ahead, sixty or seventy strong, a big catch!”
The soldiers burst into laughter at the sight of the sixty or seventy pirates disappearing into the village ahead.
The last few groups had only ten or so, this one was worth five or six of those—a real prize.
“Kill!”
The soldiers roared with excitement, charging into the village without pause, General Wang, not to be outdone, followed under the protection of his elite cavalry.
This village was large, called Lingshui Juren Village, named for a scholar it once produced, its strength evident in its simple village layout, complete with crude mud walls and a gate made of tall wooden stakes.
But clearly, the village had evacuated upon hearing of the pirate raid.
Now abandoned, the gate stood wide open, the village eerily silent, not even a chirp of insects or birds.
In the village center was a plaza with a massive Paulownia tree tree, before it a memorial arch honoring the scholar.
As General Wang and his troops stormed in, they spotted the vanished pirates lined up beneath the Paulownia tree tree.
“Hahaha, these pirates know they can’t escape, so they’ve given up, smart move, not bad, not bad.”
“Heh, since you’re so cooperative, we’ll grant you a quick end.”
The soldiers, seeing the pirates stop running, were overjoyed, laughing heartily, pleased with their compliance.
“Another sixty or seventy heads, hahaha…” General Wang stroked his beard and chuckled at the sight.
As General Wang and his troops fully entered the village, the pirates under the Paulownia tree tree grinned wide.
“Laughing your damn heads off, don’t you know you’re about to die?!”
“Smiling at death’s door, heh, probably scared stupid.”
“Makes sense, with heads hanging from our saddles and waists, fierce as the old Qin’s tiger-wolf army, anyone seeing us like this would be scared witless.”
The soldiers jeered at the grinning pirates, assuming their tiger-wolf demeanor had broken them.
“Something’s off?” A flicker of unease stirred in General Wang, he reined in his horse, falling back a step.
The lead pirate under the Paulownia tree tree raised his Japanese sword high, slashing it down, shouting, “Shut the gate!”
The words barely landed when a creaking “ga-zhi ga-zhi” sounded, the village gate slamming shut from outside, locked tight, braced with beams.
Then, like mushrooms after rain, the mud walls sprouted countless pirates, rooftops teeming with more, heads bobbing, a rough count revealing thousands.
The pirates, perched above, aimed muskets and longbows down at General Wang and his men.
“Holy hell, sweet mother, where’d all these pirates come from?!”
“No, something’s wrong! We’ve walked into an ambush?!”
“This is a trap! Damn it, damn it, we’re screwed, we’ve fallen into their trap!”
Only now did the soldiers realize the situation had flipped, they’d gone from hunters to prey.
General Wang’s wide grin withered, tears welled but wouldn’t fall, the excitement on his face now cold sweat down his back.
Gone were his dreams of rising three ranks, replaced by regret—regret for ignoring Zhu Ping’an’s warning, for dismissing Prefect Shang’s advice, for chasing the pirates out of the city.
Now, it was crystal clear.
Damn it!
Just as Zhu Ping’an had warned, the pirates had feigned defeat, luring them out to chase, then setting an ambush!
Now, General Wang drowned in regret, guts twisting green, wishing he could slap himself senseless.
