Because of his intention to pledge himself to Zhu Ping’an, Yu Dayou had hurried from Zhenhai to Shaoxing yesterday upon hearing of Zhu Ping’an’s imminent arrival. However, he waited for the Administrative Commissioner and others to pay their respects first and refrained from interrupting when Zhu Ping’an’s father-in-law and his entourage arrived. Thus, he came early this morning to pay his visit.
From the moment Zhu Ping’an ordered breakfast to be prepared for him, Yu Dayou felt his choice was correct. This kind of care and attention was an experience he had never encountered in his previous visits to superiors.
“Lord Zhu, I’ve trained in martial arts since childhood and have a large appetite. Though I’ve already had breakfast, this meal is no trouble at all,” Yu Dayou said, deeply moved.
“No need, General Yu. Too much is as bad as too little—overstuffing oneself isn’t pleasant. Since you’ve already eaten, we’ll set this breakfast aside for my lunch. The chef’s skills are quite good, and I’ll enjoy it later,” Zhu Ping’an said with a smile, waving his hand.
“Thank you for your care, Lord Zhu. I haven’t yet congratulated you on your promotion. Knowing your expertise with firearms, I recently engaged pirates at sea. Though we suffered some losses, we sank a pirate ship and killed several red-haired barbarian pirates. From one of them, I recovered a miniature firelock pistol, which I now present to you for self-defence—a humble gift to celebrate your promotion,” Yu Dayou said, offering an exquisite box. Inside was a miniature Western firelock pistol, barely qualifying as a handgun.
The pistol was about forty centimetres long, heavier than a modern handgun but far more compact than a standard firelock, easily concealed in a sleeve or tucked into a waistband.
Its craftsmanship was exquisite, with vine patterns inlaid on the barrel and gilded reliefs on the body, along with a wolf’s head emblem—perhaps the family crest of its original owner.
In the Ming Dynasty, this pistol was advanced. It wasn’t ignited by a matchlock but used a wheel-lock mechanism, though it wasn’t yet a flintlock. The wheel-lock, resembling a clockwork mechanism, was a step forward.
This was likely a wheel-lock pistol from the European transition between matchlock and flintlock firearms. Its main components were a grinding wheel and flint. The firing mechanism worked by winding the wheel while cocking the flint holder. When the trigger was pulled, the flint struck the rapidly spinning wheel, creating sparks to ignite the priming powder, which then triggered the main charge to fire the projectile. Compared to matchlocks, wheel-lock pistols were an improvement, eliminating the need for a burning match and increasing practicality.
However, their craftsmanship was complex and precise, with numerous parts, making production laborious and expensive. Only royalty and certain nobles could afford them, using them for hunting, self-defence, or ostentation. The emblem on this pistol confirmed its elite origins.
This pistol could be studied by Ou Zhige and his team, potentially inspiring new ideas and aiding their development of flintlock firearms.
With this in mind, Zhu Ping’an didn’t stand on ceremony. He accepted the wheel-lock pistol from Yu Dayou’s hands and clasped his hands in thanks. “Thank you, General Yu. This will be useful for the Zhejiang Armament Camp’s firearm research. I’ll shamelessly accept it.”
“You’re too kind, Lord Zhu. It’s my honour,” Yu Dayou replied, clasping his fists in return.
“A few months ago, at the Sea Sacrifice Ceremony, we fought side by side—a memory still vivid. Now, we can fight together again. General Yu, as a seasoned commander, I’ll be relying heavily on you for Zhejiang’s military affairs,” Zhu Ping’an said, pouring a cup of tea for Yu Dayou with a smile.
“The word ‘rely’ is too much for me,” Yu Dayou said with a wry smile, then continued earnestly, “During the Sea Sacrifice Ceremony, the pirates launched a surprise night attack, aiming to disrupt the event. Without you, Lord Zhu, it would have been a bloodbath and a laughingstock across the realm. I was caught off guard by the pirates’ assault, but you stepped forward, turning defeat into victory. And the recent Suzhou victory was entirely your doing. If anyone is to be relied upon, it’s you. With you leading Zhejiang, I’m certain it will be transformed.”
Zhu Ping’an hadn’t expected Yu Dayou to be so eloquent, sounding more like a scholar than a general. Then he recalled that Yu Dayou had passed the Xiucai examination at fifteen but never advanced further, eventually inheriting his family’s hereditary Baihu position.
That explained it.
But if Yu Dayou was both martially skilled and literate, and so articulate, why had he historically been so unpopular with superiors, often suppressed?
Zhu Ping’an couldn’t quite figure it out.
No matter. As the saying goes, a horse’s strength is proven over a long journey, and a person’s heart is revealed over time. As Zhejiang’s Governor, with Yu Dayou as the Regional Commander of Ningbo and Taizhou, there would be plenty of time to understand him and uncover the historical truth. “General Yu, I’ve been away from Zhejiang for some time and am not fully aware of the current situation. Could you brief me on the pirate threat in Zhejiang?” Zhu Ping’an asked.
“Of course. The pirates in our territory are primarily under Wang Zhi’s command. He’s a formidable force, with seventy to eighty thousand pirates under him, using Ligang as their base. He colludes with Japanese pirates, causing great harm. Beyond Wang Zhi, there are over a dozen smaller pirate groups, with forces ranging from hundreds to thousands, not under Wang Zhi’s control. Though their numbers are smaller, their brutality often surpasses his. Additionally, Xu Hai and Ma Ye’s pirates, based in Tuolin, Southern Zhili, also pose a significant threat to Zhejiang. Besides capturing Jiaxing, the counties and towns in northern Zhejiang bordering Southern Zhili have suffered greatly.”
“A few months ago, after Wang Zhi’s attempt to extort merchants through piracy failed, he launched a frenzied retaliation. He directed his pirates, allied with other groups, and colluded with Japanese lords, bringing tens of thousands of Japanese pirates in over a thousand ships. They landed in Zhoushan, Xiangshan, and other areas, plundering Taizhou, Wenzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing, capturing forts, slaughtering and abducting residents, and committing all manner of atrocities. Zhejiang is engulfed in flames, with signal fires everywhere. Several counties have been overrun, and Taizhou nearly fell.”
“Every day, pirates raid villages and towns, especially along Zhejiang’s coast, where there’s hardly a moment of peace,” Yu Dayou detailed, describing the dire pirate situation in Zhejiang.
“I knew Zhejiang’s pirate problem was severe, but I didn’t realise it was this bad,” Zhu Ping’an said, sighing.
“It’s likely to get worse in a few days,” Yu Dayou added.
“Worse in a few days?” Zhu Ping’an was taken aback.
“Lord Zhu, yesterday one of my men reported that a large fleet of pirate ships was spotted sailing from Japan towards Songjiang Prefecture. Based on the number and size of the ships, this fleet likely carries over ten thousand pirates, undoubtedly Japanese pirates colluding with Xu Hai and Ma Ye in Tuolin.”
“From my understanding of pirates, after crossing the sea, they’ll rest for a few days before launching large-scale raids.”
“Tuolin’s Xu Hai and his pirates typically strike in all directions. Southern Zhili will bear the brunt, but Zhejiang’s northern villages and cities bordering Songjiang Prefecture won’t escape their plunder either,” Yu Dayou explained.
