The sun hung high in the sky, and the biting cold wind had finally ceased its rampage. The disorganized, undisciplined Japanese pirates had at last finished packing their belongings and loading their supplies. Under the command of their various leaders, they broke camp and began a slow retreat southward.
Seeing the pirates finally withdraw, the defenders on the city walls couldn’t contain their joy, erupting into cheers and leaps of excitement.
“Hahaha! The pirates are running like whipped dogs with their tails between their legs! We’ve won, we’ve won…”
“The pirates are fleeing! We drove them off! Dad, Mom, your Iron Egg didn’t disgrace you…”
“Victory! We’re victorious!”
The defenders shouted and jumped, some leaping three feet into the air, venting the thrill surging in their hearts.
In their excitement, several soldiers even dropped their trousers on the wall, urinating toward the retreating pirates’ backs while hurling taunts. “You damned pirate bastards, don’t run! Got the guts to turn around and fight your grandpa for three hundred more rounds? If I take even one step back, I lose!”
Amid the defenders’ fervor, Prefect Shang approached Zhu Ping’an once more, attempting again to dissuade him from his plan to leave the city. “Zihou, the pirates have suffered heavy losses and are slinking back to their Tuolin lair in disgrace. We’ve already secured a great victory—you’re undeniably the greatest contributor. There’s really no need to take the risk of going out there.”
Zhu Ping’an bowed to Prefect Shang, his expression grave and resolute. “Lord Shang, Suzhou may be safe now, but what about the other places? As long as a single pirate remains alive on our Ming soil, our people suffer another day of misery. This is a rare opportunity. If I don’t deliver a parting gift to these pirates, I’ll spend the rest of my life restless, unable to face the elders and kin of the Ming.”
Prefect Shang listened, and his admiration for Zhu Ping’an deepened, tinged with a hint of shame. He gave a deep bow. “I’ve been shallow, misjudging you, Zihou. You’re not leaving the city for glory, but for the sake of the common people. I curse my lack of military acumen—otherwise, I’d join you to deliver that gift to the pirates myself.”
“Lord Shang, you’re too kind,” Zhu Ping’an said quickly, stepping forward to help the prefect up.
“I won’t say much more, but Zihou, you must understand the saying: ‘As long as the green hills remain, there’ll be no shortage of firewood.’ Whether you accept it or not, people aren’t equal in this world. Some lives are weighty as Mount Tai, others light as a feather—and yours is one of Mount Tai’s caliber. As the saying goes, ‘A thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a good general is rare.’ You’re a rare talent, skilled in both letters and arms—capable of topping the civil exams and stabilizing the realm. I’ve lived fifty years and never seen your like in our dynasty.”
“Take that scoundrel Qiu Luan—makes my teeth itch with hate. He somehow climbed to Grand Tutor, Grand Guardian, and Tutor to the Crown Prince?! The Gengxu Incident two years ago was his mess. As Governor of Datong, instead of serving the nation, he resorted to crooked schemes, bribing the northern barbarian Altan with a fortune to spare Datong and attack elsewhere. That’s how Altan breached Gubeikou, raided the capital region, and triggered the Gengxu Incident, shaming our Ming! Having his corpse exhumed and desecrated after death was too good for him!”
“And then there’s Ding Rukui, the Minister of War—his death was no injustice either. In charge of the capital’s defenses, he listened to Yan Song’s nonsense: ‘Defeats on the frontier can be covered up, but losses near the capital can’t.’ Claiming Altan was just a looting bandit who’d leave once sated, he ordered the generals to stand by and do nothing, letting Altan burn and pillage outside the city for eight straight days and nights…”
Prefect Shang went on, railing against several notorious martial officials of the court, each name sparking a fresh wave of gritted teeth.
“I’m old, and I’ve rambled too much. Zihou, you get my point. You’re a rare scholar-general in this dynasty. With the pirate scourge plaguing Jiangnan, we need someone like you to help His Majesty restore order here.”
“Others are either useless at letters or, like me, hopeless at war. It’s a blessing you’ve come to Jiangnan—it gives an old man like me hope. So, Zihou, you must realize the heavy burden on your shoulders. Your life is worth its weight in gold. Better to return without glory than not return at all.”
“The pirate menace in Jiangnan has left the people in dire straits—they’re longing for someone to save them from this hell. I’m a useless fool, all heart and no strength. But you, Zihou—you’ve got both heart and ability. I don’t know what the future holds, but I hope you’ll do what you can.”
Like a chatterbox, Prefect Shang held Zhu Ping’an’s arm, pouring out words urging him to value his life.
Zhu Ping’an found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
The pirates continued their slow retreat, scattered like cattle and sheep across a field, their figures dotting the hills and plains as they withdrew.
Disarrayed and without formation—let alone a proper line—they hauled their belongings in haphazard clumps, trudging south in a disorderly mess.
From the city wall, Zhu Ping’an calmly observed the chaotic retreat, with Liu Mu, Liu Dadao, and others standing ready behind him.
Inside the city, over eight hundred Zhejiang troops, clad in full cotton armor, stood in disciplined ranks. Each soldier had a mule saddled and ready.
Everything was prepared—just awaiting Zhu Ping’an’s command.
“No wonder Zihou wants to send the pirates a parting gift,” Prefect Shang mused, standing beside him and gazing at the retreating rabble. “These pirates are just ruthless thugs—strong individually but utterly disorganized, a bunch of scattered riffraff. I may not know military strategy, but even I can see flaws in their retreat. If you chased them now, you’d surely…”
“Heh, Lord Shang,” Zhu Ping’an chuckled, shaking his head, “if I led troops out now, I’d be walking into the same trap as that traitor Wang.”
“What?!”
Prefect Shang gasped, sucking in a cold breath, staring at Zhu Ping’an in disbelief.
“The pirates are using an old trick, feigning weakness to lure us out, just like they did with Wang. Lord Shang, recall their initial assault on Suzhou—their ranks weren’t perfect, but they weren’t this chaotic, riddled with such obvious gaps. And if you look closely, you’ll see that amid their outward disorder, there’s an inner order. Scattered among the mess are dozens of disciplined pirate units, subtly forming an encirclement.”
Zhu Ping’an smiled faintly, pointing at the retreating figures as he explained to Prefect Shang.
“What?! So that’s it…” After a moment of careful observation, Prefect Shang’s eyes widened in realization, cold sweat trickling down his back.
