The sunset’s glow bathed the land in golden light as Zhu Pingan led the Zhejiang troops, cloaked in that radiance, towing strings of captive pirates back toward Suzhou City.
They took the same route they’d come by. For one, it was the straightest, shortest path back to Suzhou. For another, on the return journey, Zhu Pingan had interrogated the pirate captives and learned of an ambush Xu Hai had set up in the woods behind the riverfront road. By sticking to the original route, they could avoid running into those lurking pirates.
Xu Hai had ordered the ambush party to lie in wait until sundown before pursuing the main pirate force.
The sun was setting now. If they’d taken the riverfront road, they’d likely have collided head-on with the ambushers.
With the Zhejiang army low on gunpowder and burdened with captives, clashing with an ambush would’ve put them at a disadvantage.
So, the original route it was. Along the way, Zhu Pingan sent out scouts in all directions to guard against surprises.
Fortunately, the journey was uneventful, and they reached the outskirts of Suzhou City without incident.
Zhu Pingan knew Suzhou was on edge, jittery as a flock of cranes at the slightest sound—especially after Wang Jian’s betrayal and attempt to trick the city into opening its gates for the pirates. The city’s nerves were frayed, and Prefect Shang’s approach to defense was one of high tension, prioritizing safety over glory. So, Zhu Pingan had sent messengers ahead to report the battle’s outcome and announce the army’s imminent arrival.
More than that, when they were still two *li* from the city, Zhu Pingan ordered his troops to slow their pace.
At one *li* out, he had them slow even further.
“We’re returning victorious—how come no one from the city’s lining the streets to welcome us?”
“And forget the townsfolk not coming out—why haven’t the Zhejiang troops we left in the city come to greet us? Even if they didn’t, where’s Er Shunzi and his crew? Where are they at?”
Liu Dadao and the others frowned, eyeing the tightly shut city gates and the empty stretch before them.
Er Shunzi was the squad leader of the messengers Zhu Pingan had sent ahead to report the victory.
“Er Shunzi and his team were probably brought into the city to verify the authenticity of our battle report,” Zhu Pingan reasoned.
“What?! The city doubts us?! They’ve got Er Shunzi under control?! We’re out here spilling blood, and this is how they treat us?!” Liu Dadao and the others bristled at the city’s actions.
“Heh, don’t gripe about it. They’ve learned from experience. Wang Jian’s ‘triumphant return’ was too similar to our situation now. He defected to the pirates and nearly tricked his way in. If we hadn’t arrived in time to save the day, Suzhou would’ve fallen. It’s only natural they’re wiser after that scare. If they hadn’t learned a damn thing, I’d be the one pissed off,” Zhu Pingan said with a light chuckle, calming his troops’ frustrations.
After soothing their tempers, Zhu Pingan led the Zhejiang army forward, stopping about an arrow’s shot from the city walls. He raised his right arm, and his troops halted.
The sight of the Zhejiang army’s arrival sent the city walls into a frenzy.
“Lord Zhu and his men are back victorious!”
“Look, they’ve got tons of captives behind them—three or five hundred, maybe? Lord Zhu’s won another big one!”
“Three or five hundred? Just half an hour ago, I was sweeping near the arrow tower when Lord Zhu’s messenger came to report. Didn’t Prefect Shang bring him inside? I overheard a bit outside—Lord Zhu pulled off a massive victory this time. The pirates retreated with over ten thousand men, and Lord Zhu’s crew nearly wiped them out. Only a few hundred escaped, and they even captured a pirate chief named Chen Dong alive!”
“Lord Zhu’s unreal—a top scholar who can lead troops like that? Truly a heaven-sent talent!”
The guards atop the walls buzzed with excitement as they watched the Zhejiang troops ride in, dragging strings of bedraggled pirate captives. Praise flowed freely.
“Wait a sec—doesn’t this scene feel a little familiar?” one guard suddenly muttered, swallowing hard. His hand trembled as he pointed at the army below.
“What do you mean, ‘familiar’? What’re you getting at? Don’t leave us hanging—spit it out!”
“Familiar how? What’s on your mind? Speak up already—quit farting around!”
The others prodded him impatiently.
“I mean Wang Jian—er, Wang the Traitor! When he defected to the pirates and tried to trick the city, wasn’t it just like this?! He left with a thousand men to chase the pirates and came back with sixteen hundred, claiming six hundred captives. Now, Lord Zhu’s Zhejiang troops went out with over nine hundred and returned with thirteen hundred, bringing back four hundred captives. Doesn’t that feel eerily similar to Wang Jian’s stunt? I’d hate for history to repeat itself a hundred times over, but what if it does…?”
The guard swallowed again, his voice quaking.
“Damn, now that you mention it, it *does* feel familiar. Why’s my back getting chills?”
“You’re saying Lord Zhu might’ve gone over to the pirates too, to trick the city?!”
“Holy crap, don’t jinx it—that’s terrifying! Are the pirates coming back?! If Lord Zhu’s defected too, we’ve got no fighters left in the city. If they make a comeback, we’re screwed!”
The other guards, hearing this, stared at the Zhejiang troops and their captive pirates below. Cold sweat trickled down their spines.
The pirates’ ruthless cunning and that brutal battle at the walls were a nightmare etched into every guard’s memory. They never wanted to face those savages again.
Ferocious, unrelenting, killing without blinking—the pirates hacked through them like chopping vegetables. One swing could shatter their swords, sending heads rolling and rivers of blood flowing. Just closing their eyes brought back the horrors.
“Ahem, Lord Zhu’s case is different from Wang Jian’s. Wang Jian had six hundred pirates posing as captives—Lord Zhu’s only got about four hundred,” one guard said, grasping for differences.
“Lord Zhu’s a top scholar—he wouldn’t be dumb enough to copy Wang Jian’s exact playbook. The slight difference in captive numbers might just be a trick to throw us off,” another countered with a conspiracy-laden tone.
“Hm, makes sense,” several nodded.
“Wait, no—that’s off. Even if the numbers differ a bit, the pattern’s the same—practically identical. Lord Zhu’s a scholar; he wouldn’t be so stupid as to mimic Wang Jian’s scheme outright, would he?!”
Someone raised a doubt.
“That’s exactly what makes Lord Zhu brilliant. You know the saying: the most dangerous place is the safest. We all think he wouldn’t copy Wang Jian’s trick—so he does it anyway,” another rebutted, doubling down on the conspiracy.
“Mm-hmm, that tracks. The most dangerous spot’s the safest,” a chorus of guards nodded vigorously.
