“Just now, Zhao Wenhua came to press for troop deployment, as you all saw. Whether you are a governor, prefect, or county magistrate, as parents and officials of the people, you bear the responsibility to protect the land and ensure the people’s safety. What needs to be done, I need not elaborate, do I? I’m not asking you to eradicate the Japanese pirates in your jurisdictions—that’s unrealistic. But you must at least hold the towns and, at the very minimum, ensure the county seats are not lost. As for the villages, decide whether to defend them based on your capabilities. I won’t hold you accountable for that, but you must do everything in your power to protect the people—whether by warning them to stay vigilant, evacuating villagers to the county seats for safety, or other measures.”
Finally, Zhang Jing assigned a task to Zhu Ping’an, the other governors, prefects, and officials: to protect the land and ensure the people’s safety.
As soon as Zhang Jing finished speaking, a murmur of unrest rippled through the room.
Zhang Jing’s task seemed light—merely to hold the county seats, with the option to abandon remote villages or even towns.
But anyone who had read recent battle reports knew how heavy this task was. Every few days, news arrived of county seats being overrun by Japanese pirates.
Though the pirates, after sacking a county seat, would plunder and then withdraw without occupying it for long, a loss was a loss. Retaking it later didn’t erase the fact it had been lost.
And another thing: Zhao Wenhua had pressured Zhang Jing to deploy troops… and now Zhang Jing was passing that pressure onto them.
The task was daunting.
But…
“Lu Tang, Tang Kewan, Yu Dayou, Li Fengshi, and Zou Jifang are responsible only for defending their garrisons. They will not participate in defending other areas for now. Their current priority is to integrate and train their local troops with the guest soldiers. The Shandong spearmen and Guangxi wolf soldiers have just arrived. They must intensify joint training, familiarise themselves with the guest soldiers, and gain control over them, making them as responsive as their own limbs. In the future, when facing the enemy, the wolf soldiers and other guest troops will serve as a sharp blade piercing the pirates’ heart. For now, training is like sharpening the blade—only a sharpened blade can pierce the pirates’ heart.”
Zhang Jing added this remark quietly, snuffing out the fledgling hopes of the officials before they could take root.
The murmurs in the room grew louder.
The officials had hoped to rely on the guest soldiers and wolf soldiers for support. Though the task was heavy, assigning guest soldiers to help defend the county seats could make it manageable. But Zhang Jing’s words dashed those hopes.
Naturally, their objections multiplied, and their discontent grew.
You’ve shifted the pressure onto us and taken back the most elite generals and forces. You’re not even giving us the Shandong spearmen or Guangxi wolf soldiers!
This is too much.
“You are responsible for holding your ground. Holding it is a great achievement. Suppressing and annihilating the pirates is my responsibility. Rest assured, your merits will be rewarded. Gentlemen, His Majesty is watching us, and millions of people are watching us. I’m counting on you.”
Zhang Jing stood, bowing deeply to the assembly.
With Zhang Jing acting thus, what more could they say? They could only stand, return the gesture, and reluctantly accept the task.
By the time they left the Governor-General’s yamen, it was already night.
The heads of the Japanese pirates had been verified, confirmed, and recorded. There was no doubt they were pirates, and Zhang Jing had already ordered a report drafted to the capital to claim the merit.
It was too late to travel back that night. Fortunately, the yamen officials had arranged lodging for Zhu Ping’an and other officials who had come from afar. Zhu Ping’an’s group was led to their resting place.
It was a two-courtyard residence. The original owners had been killed by pirates during Xu Hai’s raid on Jiaxing a month earlier.
Traces of sword slashes and fire remained in the residence, and even the threshold stone bore bloodstains that hadn’t been fully washed away.
Sleeping in such a place, Zhu Ping’an felt a profound sense of responsibility.
If he couldn’t protect the land and ensure the people’s safety, countless homes like this would suffer, and countless people would die with unresolved grievances.
That night, the oil lamp in his room burned for most of the night before going out.
The next day, before dawn, while Jiaxing city still slumbered with only a handful of peddlers and porters about, Zhu Ping’an led his group to the Governor-General’s yamen to bid farewell to Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing was already up, studying a map of Jiangnan in his study.
On the map, Jiaxing was heavily circled.
“Ping’an pays respects to the Governor-General and comes to take his leave,” Zhu Ping’an entered the study, bowing in farewell.
“No rush, no rush. Zihou, you’re up so early—you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Join me for a meal before you go,” Zhang Jing waved a hand, inviting Zhu Ping’an to stay for breakfast, and promptly ordered a servant to bring the meal.
“Thank you, Governor-General. I’ll respectfully accept,” Zhu Ping’an thanked him.
Soon, the servant brought breakfast to the table: a simple meal of two bowls of rice porridge, two eggs, four steamed buns, and two small dishes—one of cold tofu skin with shredded radish, the other of vinegar-stir-fried mung bean sprouts.
“Plain fare, Zihou. Don’t mind it. Please, sit,” Zhang Jing smiled, inviting Zhu Ping’an to join him.
Zhu Ping’an sat and thanked him, and the two chatted while eating.
“Zihou, do you know why I moved the Governor-General’s headquarters to Jiaxing?” Zhang Jing asked, peeling an egg, testing Zhu Ping’an.
“Jiaxing is positioned between the pirate bands of Tuolin’s Xu Hai and Lishui’s Wang Zhi. It’s about two hundred li from Xu Hai’s pirates and four hundred li from Wang Zhi’s. Neither is too far. By stationing in Jiaxing, the Governor-General can centrally command operations against both pirate groups, with swift communication and orders,” Zhu Ping’an set down his chopsticks and replied.
“Well said. Zihou, you truly understand military matters. Jiaxing’s position between the two major pirate groups is a key reason I chose it,” Zhang Jing nodded in approval, but then his tone shifted. “However, that’s only one reason.”
“Do you know the other?” Zhang Jing asked.
“I’d like to hear more,” Zhu Ping’an shook his head, bowing to Zhang Jing for enlightenment.
“I intend to use myself as bait to lure the pirates into a trap, then surround and annihilate them,” Zhang Jing said, gazing out the window with a look of resolute determination.
Zhang Jing’s words filled Zhu Ping’an with respect. To use himself as bait to draw in the pirates and wipe them out—this courage and responsibility were truly admirable.
“Xu Hai is audacious. From his actions, whether attacking Suzhou or Jiaxing, beyond plundering wealth, he seeks to build his reputation to attract more pirates to his cause. Wang Zhi has been active lately, directing his pirates to raid and pillage, likely to pressure the authorities into opening ports for trade. Whether it’s Xu Hai or Wang Zhi, once they learn I’ve moved my camp to Jiaxing, they won’t miss this rare opportunity. If the pirates besiege Jiaxing and capture me, Xu Hai’s prestige among the pirates will be unmatched. If Wang Zhi’s forces besiege Jiaxing and take me, he’ll have a bargaining chip to pressure the court!”
Zhang Jing explained slowly.
Zhu Ping’an nodded. Zhang Jing’s reasoning was sound. According to historical records, Zhang Jing’s next major victory would occur at Wangjiangjing, north of Jiaxing city.
