The Zhejiang troops’ shouts threw the soldiers on the city wall into chaos. Was General Wang returning in triumph, or was he leading Japanese pirates into the city?! Were the Zhejiang troops sounding a deafening alarm, or fabricating a trap?! Which was the truth?!
In fact, it wasn’t just the soldiers who were thrown into disarray—Prefect Shang and the accompanying officials were equally bewildered.
“Prefect, if General Wang has surrendered to the pirates, then those entering the city right now are pirates! Shouldn’t we issue an order to immediately detain General Wang and all those who’ve entered, to prevent any disaster?”
One official spoke in a panic, trembling all over, urging Prefect Shang to take control of General Wang’s group at once.
“No, Prefect, we can’t act rashly. Right now, it’s just the Zhejiang troops’ word. If General Wang has been falsely accused, wouldn’t that mean making a meritorious soldier bleed, sweat, and then weep, chilling the hearts of the other troops? With the pirate army pressing at our borders, we can’t afford to let our soldiers lose faith and unity.”
Another official quickly offered a differing opinion, opposing the immediate detention of General Wang’s group, lest it wrong an innocent man and demoralise the city’s defenders.
“This won’t do, that won’t do—so what should we do now?” A neutral official threw up his hands helplessly.
Thus, all the officials turned to Prefect Shang. “Prefect, in this situation, at this moment, what should we do?”
“You all make valid points. At present, it’s only the Zhejiang troops’ side of the story. We can’t jump to conclusions based on one account alone, detain General Wang’s group, and risk chilling the soldiers’ hearts…” Prefect Shang looked at the conservative officials and spoke slowly.
“But Prefect, what if what the Zhejiang troops say is true…” The other faction of officials grew anxious.
“Of course, you also make sense. If General Wang has indeed surrendered to the pirates and is leading them into the city, the consequences would be unthinkable. Even if it’s just a possibility, for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of people in the city, we can’t sit idly by and let this happen…” Prefect Shang then turned to this faction, continuing his explanation.
The two groups of officials were momentarily stunned. Prefect, what are you doing here?! What’s the difference between saying this and saying nothing?!
Aren’t you just muddling the waters?!
But the problem was, was this the time to muddle the waters? If they believed the Zhejiang troops, they needed to quickly detain General Wang’s group, or disaster would strike. If they didn’t believe them, they needed to reassure General Wang’s group to stabilise the army’s morale.
You’re the Prefect of Suzhou, the highest authority here—you need to come up with a plan!
As the two factions grumbled inwardly, Prefect Shang issued his order. “The best course now is a balanced one: quickly prepare hot soup and meals, invite General Wang’s group who’ve entered the city to disarm and remove their weapons, and have them eat on the open ground outside the gate. Meanwhile, muster two thousand elite, fully armed troops to protect General Wang’s group, ensuring they can enjoy their hot soup and meals with peace of mind.”
“As for the soldiers outside who haven’t yet entered, ask them to hold off for now. Since the Zhejiang troops have raised concerns, let’s wait until those concerns are resolved before they come in. True gold fears no fire—those who are innocent will remain so, and the pure can’t be blackened. General Wang’s group surely won’t fear a confrontation. For the sake of the hundreds of thousands in the city, I believe they’ll understand.”
After Prefect Shang gave his orders, the officials paused, then collectively gave him a thumbs-up.
Brilliant, brilliant—the Prefect truly lived up to his title, devising such a perfectly balanced middle path.
Having General Wang’s group disarm and enjoy hot soup and meals, while stationing two thousand elite troops to “protect” them, both reassured them and kept them under watch. It was a more flexible approach than outright detaining them.
If the Zhejiang troops were right, two thousand elite troops standing by would easily handle disarmed pirates, rendering them harmless.
If the Zhejiang troops were wrong, there’d be an explanation for it.
As for the soldiers outside who hadn’t yet entered, they’d stay out for now. After confronting the Zhejiang troops and clearing up the misunderstanding, they could come in.
This way, if the Zhejiang troops were right, the risk would be kept outside the city; if they were wrong, the blame could be shifted to them—after all, it was the Zhejiang troops who called you pirates.
With Prefect Shang’s command, the officials and soldiers sprang into action. The deputy general mobilised two thousand fully armed elite troops to descend the wall and “protect” General Wang’s group already inside, while civil officials quickly arranged hot soup, dishes, and pancakes, inviting General Wang’s group to disarm and shed their armour under the pretext of a comfortable meal, to eat on the spot.
While the officials and soldiers on the wall busily carried out Prefect Shang’s orders, the pirates disguised as Ming soldiers outside the city also began to move.
In truth, Xu Hai and his pirates below the wall heard the Zhejiang troops’ shouts almost simultaneously with the soldiers above. At first, only the sharp-eared pirates caught it, but soon more and more of them heard the Zhejiang troops’ cries.
Of Xu Hai’s forces, nearly 40% were true Japanese pirates, while 60% were local fake pirates. The true Japanese couldn’t understand, but the fake ones certainly could.
Xu Hai, a native-born Ming citizen, naturally understood as well.
Moreover, Xu Hai’s hearing was quite good. Though he didn’t catch the Zhejiang troops’ shouts immediately, he heard them soon after.
Upon hearing the shouts, Xu Hai broke out in a cold sweat. Damn that Zhu Ping’an—how did he guess the truth?! That cursed little thief, ruining my plans again—I’d love to tear him to pieces!
The moment he heard the shouts, Xu Hai nearly ordered his men to drop the disguise and turn the deception into a direct assault on the city.
But he quickly suppressed that urge.
There wasn’t enough time!
The Zhejiang troops were too fast—they’d reach the eastern gate in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea at most. Right now, only about eight hundred pirates had entered, the gate wasn’t fully open, and obstacles in the gate passage hadn’t been completely cleared—it could only accommodate four people at a time.
In the span of a cup of tea, Xu Hai had no confidence he could seize the gate and control Prefect Shang and the other officials on the wall.
Due to the Zhejiang troops’ interference, Prefect Shang hadn’t come down from the wall to greet and console General Wang, foiling Xu Hai’s plan to capture the leader first.
Without controlling Prefect Shang and the officials immediately, the Ming soldiers on the wall, under their command, would resist endlessly.
Plus, knowing Zhejiang reinforcements were arriving soon, the Ming troops’ will to resist would be bolstered infinitely.
All this would hinder the pirates’ attempt to take the gate.
After some thought, Xu Hai abandoned that idea.
As for retreating, Xu Hai dismissed that notion instantly as well.
Half his men were already inside the city. It had taken so long to get in—it wouldn’t be quick to get out. And once they retreated, it’d indirectly confirm the Zhejiang troops’ claims, and the Ming soldiers on the wall wouldn’t just watch them leave peacefully.
Moreover, the Zhejiang cavalry were charging towards them—two legs couldn’t outrun four-legged horses.
If they retreated, the Zhejiang cavalry would soon catch up, and if the Ming troops inside the city joined in, they’d be in grave danger. For this deception, Xu Hai had brought only two thousand men.
Now, they could only seek fortune amidst the danger, knowingly facing the tiger head-on.
Anyway, Xu Hai was certain Zhu Ping’an had no evidence—it was all just his guesswork.
Clinging to this point, he could make a strong case. As long as they got inside, they’d close the gate immediately, locking the Zhejiang troops out. Two thousand pirate elites could handle the guards on the wall and secure the gate.
At the same time, they’d fire signal arrows to summon the main pirate army to assault the eastern gate.
In open combat, Xu Hai had absolute confidence he could crush the firearm-reliant Zhejiang troops to dust… Then everything would be under his control.
