“Urgent report: General Li Fengshi led three thousand Shandong spearmen to rescue Magistrate Jiang of Jiangyin, who was besieged in the county office. They then joined forces with Magistrate Jiang’s troops to pursue the Japanese pirates. Unexpectedly, they were ambushed at the Kuti River Bridge. The three thousand Shandong spearmen were nearly wiped out, with only three hundred escaping. Deputy General Guo Tianzhen, Captain Zhang Cunxu, and Captain Wang Zhimian perished on the spot. General Li Fengshi, gravely wounded, fought desperately to break Magistrate Jiang out of the encirclement. As they escaped, Magistrate Jiang was struck by an arrow in the back and fell unconscious, his fate unknown. The pirates, seizing the victory, reoccupied Jiangyin County. The people of Jiangyin suffered two occupations by the pirates in a single day.”
Zhu Ping’an received this urgent report from the Zhejiang scouts in the evening. The events in Jiangyin County had been a rollercoaster: the pirates breached the city, reinforcements reclaimed it, the pursuit followed, the army was annihilated, and the city fell again. It was truly lamentable.
The poor people of Jiangyin, twice subjected to the pirates’ clutches in one day—what despair they must feel.
And those three thousand Shandong spearmen.
Governor Zhang Jing had gone to great lengths to muster six thousand Shandong spearmen from Shandong, and this battle cost nearly half of them.
Governor Zhang’s wrath would surely be immense.
Just days ago, Zhang had declared that generals like Li Fengshi and Yu Dayou, who commanded guest troops, were not subject to the command of local governors. Any attempt to deploy them required Zhang Jing’s explicit approval.
Li Fengshi’s decision to lead his three thousand Shandong spearmen to rescue Jiangyin County was certainly not ordered by Zhang Jing.
Zhu Ping’an was clear: Zhang Jing’s orders to Li Fengshi and others were to train their troops, familiarise themselves with the guest soldiers, and conduct rigorous drills to ensure they were ready to take on the critical task of eradicating the pirates.
Zhang Jing had already devised a plan to eliminate Xu Hai and his pirate band. He was waiting for the Shandong spearmen and Guangxi wolf soldiers to be fully integrated before executing it. At this critical juncture, Zhang would never have sent Li Fengshi to rescue Jiangyin County.
Thus, if Li Fengshi hadn’t acted on his own initiative (which was 99% unlikely), then it must have been Southern Zhili Governor Tu Dashan who, behind Zhang Jing’s back, ordered Li Fengshi to act.
Zhu Ping’an recalled that during a recent meeting Zhang Jing held with local governors and generals, Li Fengshi had been seated behind Tu Dashan, and the two had whispered to each other. Upon investigation, Zhu learned that Tu Dashan was Li Fengshi’s former superior when Tu had been a governor, and Li had served under him.
This connection allowed Tu Dashan to bypass Zhang Jing and command Li Fengshi’s troops.
But no one could have foreseen that this rescue mission to Jiangyin County would end in such a catastrophic defeat. Not only was Jiangyin County reoccupied by the pirates, but the three thousand Shandong spearmen were almost entirely lost.
This defeat would likely keep Southern Zhili Governor Tu Dashan awake at night.
Governor Zhang Jing would be furious and would undoubtedly hold those responsible accountable. Zhao Wenhua, ever eager to exploit such opportunities, would certainly seize this chance to make a fuss.
But this wasn’t the worst of it. The most severe consequence was that this defeat would embolden the pirate scourge in Southern Zhili, making them even more rampant and lawless. The poor commoners would suffer the most.
“Sigh…”
Zhu Ping’an couldn’t help but sigh.
Not only Southern Zhili—emboldened by this victory, the pirates would likely make further moves, possibly targeting Zhejiang.
Jiaxing Prefecture, where Zhang Jing was stationed, was well-defended with ample troops and generals, so the pirates were unlikely to challenge it. But Jiaxing Prefecture included counties like Jiashan, Pinghu, Tongxiang, Haiyan, and Haining, as well as numerous villages and towns.
Then there were the wealthy Hangzhou Prefecture and the coastal prefectures of Shaoxing and Ningbo, convenient for the pirates’ hit-and-run raids…
There were too many places to defend, and Zhu Ping’an had too few troops at his disposal. The ten thousand new recruits he’d mustered had only been training for a week, their skills barely surpassing those of basic military drills. They were far from ready for the battlefield.
As the saying goes, “A thief can strike any day, but you can’t guard against them every day.” If only the ten thousand Zhejiang recruits were fully trained, Zhu Ping’an might even consider leading an expedition to crush the pirates’ stronghold…
“Go to the barracks and check on the recruits’ training. See how they’re progressing and how long until they’re combat-ready.” Thinking of the recruits, Zhu Ping’an couldn’t sit still. He stood, ready to head to the barracks to inspect the Zhejiang troops’ training and assess their readiness.
Before Zhu Ping’an could leave the yamen, as he reached the front courtyard, he saw Liu Mu hurriedly approaching with two masked, slender commoners.
“Young Master, these two commoners say they have an urgent matter to report to you,” Liu Mu said, quickening his pace as he saw Zhu Ping’an about to leave.
“We have an urgent matter to report to Lord Zhu, the Zhejiang Governor. We’ll speak to no one but Lord Zhu,” the two commoners said warily, resolute in speaking only to Zhu Ping’an.
“I am Zhu Ping’an, the Zhejiang Governor, the genuine article. Here’s my waist token. What urgent matter do you have? You can tell me now,” Zhu Ping’an said warmly, showing them his official token to prove his identity.
“Lord Zhu, it’s really Lord Zhu! We have an urgent matter to report, but it’s for your ears only,” the two commoners said excitedly, confirming Zhu’s identity but glancing at Liu Mu with some hesitation.
“I must ensure the Young Master’s safety. The pirates have tried to assassinate him multiple times. I won’t give them any opportunity,” Liu Mu said to the pair.
A gentleman doesn’t stand under a crumbling wall, and Zhu Ping’an wasn’t one to gamble with his life. Seeing the commoners’ insistence on speaking to him alone, he silently recited “Glorify the Ancestors” and glanced at the aura above their heads.
In his vision, both had white aura pillars floating above them…
“No worries, Mu Ge’er. I believe they mean no harm. Step back and keep watch. Don’t let anyone approach,” Zhu Ping’an said reassuringly to Liu Mu, comforted by the colour of their auras.
This was one of Zhu Ping’an’s developed uses of aura perception, almost like a radar. The colour of someone’s aura could reveal their intent or malice. Both had the white aura of ordinary civilians, with no other colours, indicating no ill intent.
This was far more reliable than any security check. If Qin Shi Huang had this ability, Jing Ke wouldn’t have even gotten close with his map before being apprehended.
“Young Master, even though they have household registration and guarantor documents, we can’t rule out the possibility of collusion with the pirates. The pirates have tried to assassinate you multiple times. Letting them be alone with you is too dangerous,” Liu Mu said with concern.
“Alright, search them to see if they’re carrying any weapons. That should put your mind at ease,” Zhu Ping’an suggested as a compromise.
The two commoners nodded in agreement. After a few seconds of thought, Liu Mu also nodded.
