The sudden upheaval at the city gate enraged Xu Hai, the Zhejiang army’s eruption caught him off guard, he was a step too slow to react. By the time he realized the Zhejiang army’s intent, it was already too late, the orderly and deafening volleys of gunfire sang a dirge for the inner circle of Japanese pirates.
In less than ten breaths, the brothers who had rushed out from the city lay neatly sprawled on the ground, thoroughly finished.
As for the Zhejiang army, after clearing the Japanese pirates at the gate, they swiftly stormed into the city.
Though the Zhejiang army had been formed for less than half a year, discipline was their cornerstone, their most frequent drills were formation and marching. From the moment they joined, they practiced standing at attention, at ease, and marching in step, even now, formation drills remained a daily requirement. Despite the narrow gate allowing only eight men abreast, the Zhejiang army entered in precise ranks, moving at astonishing speed.
Compared to the Japanese pirate’s earlier pace of entry, the Zhejiang army was like a high-speed train, the Japanese pirates mere clunky old locomotives.
“Damn it, we can’t let the Zhejiang army enter the city! Engage them, bite them to death, don’t give them a chance to close the gate!” Xu Hai gnashed his teeth, staring at the pile of Japanese pirates corpses and the Zhejiang army pouring in, he waved his blade and shouted in a frenzy.
Xu Hai was desperate!
If the Zhejiang army entered, they’d surely close the gate immediately, once that happened, their plot to take Suzhou would collapse entirely, a total failure. When reinforcements arrived, even a frontal assault wouldn’t breach Suzhou, they had no heavy siege equipment.
If this attempt failed, it would be a thunderbolt from a clear sky for him.
Originally, after seizing Tuolin’s stronghold with Japanese pirates flocking to him from all directions, his power had surged, Xu Hai’s rise was assured. This campaign against Suzhou was his critical chance to transform from a serpent into a dragon.
Success would mean his transformation complete, he could stand toe-to-toe with Prince Hui, Wang Zhi, becoming one of the two pillars of the Japanese pirates.
Then, he could draw nearly half the world’s Japanese pirates under his banner.
Advance, and he could plunder the Ming’s wealth, people, and land, perhaps even aim for the divine throne itself; retreat, and he could claim an overseas barbarian land, declaring himself king—Luzon, or the chaotic mess of Japan.
Damn it, damn it, victory was within reach, only to be thwarted by that wretched Zhu Pingan, a villain deserving a thousand cuts!
If this assault on Suzhou failed, his momentum would not only stall, it’d be far worse, the higher you climb, the harder you fall!
This campaign had been launched with such fanfare, failure would make him a laughingstock among the Japanese pirates.
First, they’d planned a sneak attack on Suzhou, traveling day and night by water and land, only to be spotted, with beacons lit against them.
Then, before even reaching Suzhou’s walls, they were ambushed by the Zhejiang army at Fengqiao Camp, suffering heavy losses, thousands of elite Japanese pirates blown sky-high by buried explosives, a staggering eight thousand lost there.
Now, at Suzhou’s gates, his supposedly brilliant plan—luring the snake from its hole, crossing the sea under disguise, borrowing a shell to enter—had been seen through by that accursed Zhu Pingan, leading to yet more devastating casualties…
If Xu Hai could take Suzhou, none of this would matter, these setbacks would only highlight his triumph, Zhu Pingan would become a stepping stone, proving Xu Hai’s resilience, his unyielding will, his destiny unstoppable, a man fit for greatness.
But if he failed to take Suzhou, it’d be an indelible stain on his life, a joke among the Japanese pirates, he’d become Zhu Pingan’s foil, this battle propelling that wretch to fame across the Ming, hailed as a peerless talent in both letters and war.
And Xu Hai? Forget drawing more Japanese pirates to his cause, even his Tuolin base would falter.
Japanese pirates were pragmatic, these desperados staked their lives for gold, silver, jewels, and women, they followed him because he could lead them to conquer and plunder.
A leader who couldn’t deliver victories and loot wasn’t a leader they’d respect…
This campaign’s staggering losses without taking Suzhou would cripple his reputation, shaking his authority.
Such an outcome was unbearable, so he had to seize this final chance.
“Reinforcements are almost here, hold them off, don’t let them enter smoothly, afterward, I’ll reward each of you with a hundred taels of gold, a thousand taels of silver, and ten beauties, I swear it on my blood, from now on, you’re all my brothers in flesh and bone!”
As the Japanese pirates launched a desperate counterattack, Xu Hai went all in with lavish promises, truly betting everything, he slashed his left hand with his blade, blood dripping as he smeared it across his face, swearing a blood oath to his men.
The blood oath and rewards drove the Japanese pirates into a frenzy, their eyes red, howling as they charged the Zhejiang army fearlessly.
Their desperate assault caused chaos for the Zhejiang army, disrupting the rear ranks, several soldiers were engulfed by the Japanese pirates swarm and overwhelmed.
“Liu Mu, Ruo Feng, take five hundred men from the rear and hold the line with me! Everyone else, get into the city now!” Zhu Pingan shouted at the critical moment, moving against the flow to join Liu Mu and Ruo Feng in covering the retreat.
With these wolves snapping at their heels, entering the city wouldn’t be easy without someone holding them back.
“Young Master, get inside, Ruo Feng and I can handle the rear!” Liu Mu shook his head urgently.
“Sir, don’t worry, Old Ruo and Brother Mu are enough! Not one Japanese pirates brat will get past us!” Ruo Feng echoed, trying to dissuade Zhu Pingan.
“Young Master, I’ll cover the rear!” Liu Dadao, already inside, yelled, ready to rush out and take Zhu Pingan’s place.
“Nonsense! Liu Dadao, get back in there! You’re disrupting the entry order! Do you want to help the Japanese pirates?” Zhu Pingan’s face darkened as he shouted, ordering him back.
“Take the men already inside, assist Prefect Shang in wiping out the Japanese pirates attacking the walls, once they’re dealt with, urge Prefect Shang to send archers and gunners to strike the Japanese pirates outside, focus on the gate, make sure they don’t dare tangle here!”
“This is an order! It’s about the survival of our Zhejiang army and Suzhou’s hundreds of thousands of people! Move fast, no mistakes!” Zhu Pingan bellowed, his face stern, commanding Liu Dadao to aid Prefect Shang.
“Young Master…” Liu Dadao hesitated.
“Go now!” Zhu Pingan shouted again, his face like thunder.
“Yes, sir!” Liu Dadao gritted his teeth, turned, pointed at the soldiers already inside, and roared, “Follow me, you bastards! Let’s slaughter these sons of bitches!”
