Just as Zhu Ping’an had predicted, once their reinforcements arrived, the Japanese pirates wasted no time preparing to assault the city. Ladders were hauled to the forefront, battering rams were brought forward, and the pirate leaders scurried about, organizing their forces. They selected the vanguard, distributing armor to them, and gathered their archers. The siege was imminent.
The sight of over 20,000 Japanese pirates was terrifying, a dark, oppressive mass like storm clouds pressing against the city. Apart from the Zhejiang troops, the defenders on the wall—including Prefect Shang and others—were pale with fear, their breaths nearly stifled.
A few hundred pirates attacking earlier had already chilled them to the bone; now, facing more than 20,000 was beyond comprehension.
Today’s battle had taught them a harsh lesson. The earlier minor assaults were mere child’s play. During the previous attack, the pirates had admitted—while striking at the defenders’ morale—that those initial waves weren’t even real pirates. They were civilians captured and forced to die as decoys, meant to lull the defenders into overconfidence and lure them out of the city to pursue.
And General Wang, that fool, had fallen right into the trap. He chased the pirates, got captured, and, to save his own skin, defected. He even helped the pirates trick their way through the gates, leading and covering their entry…
Thinking back on it sent shivers down their spines. They’d come so close—so close—to the pirates’ sinister plot succeeding.
Thankfully, Lord Zhu and the Zhejiang troops had descended like divine soldiers, saving Suzhou City. Otherwise, the consequences would’ve been unthinkable.
Speaking of General Wang…
At this moment, he was still alive below the walls. Say what you will, the man had a stubborn life. He’d been shot several times by arquebuses early on and trampled countless times during the melee at the gate, yet he was still breathing—even shouting for help. Truly, a scourge that lives a thousand years.
“Prefect Shang, save me! I was coerced, forced into it! My heart remains loyal to the empire!” General Wang lay on the ground, blood streaming from his nose and mouth, pitifully reaching toward the wall, begging for rescue.
“You, surnamed Wang! You betrayed your lord for personal gain, defected to the pirates—unworthy as a subject! You led them to trick their way into the city, endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands—unworthy as a son of man! For these two grave sins, even dying a thousand times wouldn’t be enough. And you have the gall to beg for help? I wish I could tear you, a lordless, people-less dog of a traitor, into a thousand pieces!” Prefect Shang roared, his fury erupting as he heard Wang still daring to plead for mercy.
“I was forced…” General Wang shamelessly tried to argue.
“You could’ve chosen to die loyally for His Majesty—then your wife and children would’ve been granted wealth and honor after your death. At the very least, once inside, you had plenty of chances to warn the city. But no, you chose to sell out your master for glory. You deserve worse than death—your name will stink for ten thousand years!” Prefect Shang scoffed at his excuses.
Seeing no help from the city, General Wang instantly switched tactics, turning to the pirates preparing their assault. “King Xu, noble warriors, I’m one of yours! I guided you, helped you trick the gates open! And you all heard—I didn’t warn the city once I was inside. I’m loyal to your army! Please, great kings, save me! Suzhou’s defenses are all in my head—you’ll need me to take the city. I’ll serve you like a loyal dog…”
To survive, General Wang groveled before the pirates, abandoning all shred of dignity.
“Even if it’s just to buy my bones with a thousand gold, save me! Otherwise, how will Ming generals dare defect to your side in the future?” he shouted again.
Xu Hai, hearing this, nodded thoughtfully. Fair point—Wang still had use. He couldn’t die yet.
“Go, bring him back. Have the local healer look at him—stop the bleeding, treat his wounds,” Xu Hai ordered his men to retrieve Wang.
“Utterly shameless! Archers, ready your strongest bows and crossbows! Zi Hou, deploy your arquebusiers too—target that wretch Wang. If he won’t die with dignity, we’ll make him. No more disgrace to his ancestors!” Prefect Shang commanded in a rage.
Such a traitorous dog didn’t deserve pity. Zhu Ping’an agreed wholeheartedly and immediately ordered his men to take aim with their arquebuses.
In an instant, a hail of arrows and bullets flew. Not only was General Wang dispatched, but the two pirates sent to retrieve him also fell as casualties.
“Baka!” The pirates roared in fury, their anger boiling over.
“The men are riled up—perfect timing for an assault. Order the attack,” Ma Ye and Chen Dong urged Xu Hai.
“Attack!” Xu Hai nodded decisively. He knew this assault was doomed to fail, but the arrow was notched—he had no choice. Besides, a failed siege wasn’t entirely bad. At least he could shift some of the blame for Suzhou’s攻略 failure onto Ma Ye and Chen Dong, making them share the burden rather than carrying it alone.
Thus, under Xu Hai’s command, the pirate army launched their assault.
A sea of pirates swarmed forward, hauling ladders toward the walls. Hundreds of burly pirates carried battering rams toward the gate, while thousands of archers fired volleys at the battlements, covering the ladder teams and ram bearers.
“What are you all standing there for? Shoot! Aim at the pirates attacking the walls!” Prefect Shang yelled.
“Idiots, why are you hiding? No bows? Then grab rocks and hurl them at the pirates!”
“Where’s the reinforcements from the other gates? Deputy, send someone to check why the other gates haven’t sent aid yet! Take my orders—tell them to dispatch troops immediately, or I’ll hold them accountable!”
As the pirates began their assault, chaos erupted on the walls. Prefect Shang scrambled to direct the defenders, his commands disjointed and haphazard, shouting whatever came to mind without a clear plan. Zhu Ping’an watched, shaking his head.
To counter Shang’s disorganized leadership, Zhu Ping’an stepped in, directing the Zhejiang troops to focus on the pirates’ concentrated archers.
Massed firepower—a thousand arquebuses firing in unison—suppressed the enemy bowmen.
The pirate archers had been causing significant casualties among the defenders, forcing them to hesitate and providing cover for the ladder teams and battering rams.
They were the primary threat and had to be neutralized first. Otherwise, the defenders couldn’t fight freely.
With the advantage of height and the wall’s protection, the Zhejiang troops held a massive edge over the pirate archers below.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
Amid clouds of gunsmoke, the pirate archers fell one after another. In moments, nearly a third were wiped out, while their arrows barely scratched the Zhejiang troops.
As the Zhejiang arquebuses roared, the pirate archers suffered devastating losses, beaten down until they could hardly retaliate.
The pressure on the defenders eased significantly, their casualties dropping sharply.
