The Japanese pirates suffered catastrophic losses, while the Zhejiang army emerged unscathed. It seemed exaggerated, like a scripted drama, but this was reality.
In this era, firearms were a dimensional strike against cold weapons.
This wasn’t just true in the Ming Dynasty. Even centuries later, in the late Qing Dynasty, the same held true—take the Battle of Baliqiao, for example. Twenty to thirty thousand elite Qing infantry and cavalry faced an Anglo-French force of eight thousand. In that battle, the Qing army displayed rare courage, neither fleeing nor hesitating. They charged fearlessly toward the Anglo-French positions, shouting battle cries, intent on breaking through and slaughtering their enemies. Yet, the Qing had limited muskets, relying mostly on spears and broadswords, driven by raw passion.
But against an Anglo-French army equipped with flintlock muskets, smoothbore cannons, rifled cannons, and rifled rifles, the Qing’s fearless charge was a farce in the face of dense cannon fire and a hail of bullets.
In that battle, the Qing lost thousands, while the Anglo-French? A mere five casualties—two British, three French.
This staggering casualty ratio left the Anglo-French commander, French General Montauban, bereft of a pension. After the war, upon returning to France, Emperor Napoleon III named him “Count of Baliqiao” and proposed a 50,000-franc annual pension in parliament. But the majority of parliamentarians fiercely opposed it, deeming the Battle of Baliqiao a laughable skirmish where only five men were lost, unworthy of such a lavish reward.
This was the dimensional dominance of firearms over cold weapons.
Though firearms in this era were rudimentary—lacking rifling, still using matchlocks—they were an absolute game-changer against cold weapons.
From their elevated position above the valley, the Zhejiang troops mechanically loaded gunpowder, aimed at the pirates below, fired, and repeated.
The pirates in the valley were like living targets, falling in droves under the relentless musket fire.
The valley became a graveyard of pirate corpses, their cries for parents echoing.
“Run! Run!” The pirates scrambled toward the valley’s exit, shoving and slashing at each other in their desperation.
Above, Liu Mu watched as the pirates trampled over one another, fleeing toward the valley’s mouth. In moments, several had escaped. Seeing this, Liu Mu hurriedly suggested to Zhu Ping’an, “Young Master, some pirates are escaping through the valley’s mouth. Should we roll down boulders to block it, trapping them all inside, leaving none to flee?”
“The valley’s mouth was left open deliberately,” Zhu Ping’an said with a smile.
“What? You left it open on purpose?” Liu Mu was stunned, puzzled. “Why give them a way out? These pirates are steeped in sin—why not kill them all?”
“Mu, do you know the principle of ‘surround on three sides, leave one open’? That’s what we’re doing today. If we sealed the valley’s mouth, leaving them no hope of escape, the cornered pirates would fight like trapped beasts, resisting fiercely, launching a desperate counterattack. They’d fight to the death, aiming to take us down with them. This valley’s height isn’t great—only about ten metres—and it’s not steep enough. If the pirates sacrificed some men, they could climb up. Once they did, our firearms would lose their advantage. Moreover, our Zhejiang troops include not just you veterans but fifteen hundred new recruits. These recruits can fire from above, but expecting them to engage in close combat with pirates would be asking too much.”
“So, I deliberately left the valley’s mouth unsealed, giving the pirates a sliver of hope. With that hope, which of these disorganised, undisciplined pirates would risk death climbing up to fight us, creating a chance for others to survive? They’re selfish to the core. Given a path to escape, would they choose to fight desperately or flee for their lives?”
Zhu Ping’an looked at Liu Mu, explaining calmly.
This expedition included not only veteran Zhejiang troops but also new recruits. The reasons for bringing new recruits were twofold: first, the veterans alone were insufficient for three-front warfare, and the ten thousand new recruits addressed this shortfall; second, to train the recruits. Nothing forged soldiers faster than real combat. The baptism of blood and iron would transform new recruits into veterans rapidly.
Of course, the recruits, with only a month of drilling, weren’t ready for close combat. The goal was to train them, not expend them, so their survival was paramount.
Ambushing the pirates from above the valley required only loading gunpowder, aiming, and firing in a cycle—an ideal setup for recruits to gain experience while minimising casualties.
“They’d choose to flee,” Liu Mu answered without hesitation.
“As they flee, we can shoot them down from above, calmly, without risking losses. As for those who escape the valley, they’re merely scattered fugitives. How can they outrun our organised cavalry pursuit?” Zhu Ping’an smiled faintly, continuing.
“Young Master, you’re brilliant. I understand now,” Liu Mu said, clasping his fists in admiration.
Above the valley, veteran Zhejiang soldiers led the recruits in firing, the *bang bang bang* of muskets resounding continuously.
“Bite open the oilpaper packet—your spit won’t affect the shot. Pour the powder, and don’t forget to ram it a few times with the rod…”
“When firing, keep your eyes away from the touchhole, or the powder smoke will sting them.”
Combat differed from drills. Veterans taught recruits practical tips for loading and aiming muskets in battle.
Under their guidance, the recruits grew more adept and faster, their accuracy improving.
Initially, some recruits were timid, firing their first shots to kill. Seeing pirates’ heads shattered by their bullets, the bloody sight made some vomit.
“Well done! Worthy of soldiers I trained, though you’re still a bit behind me—I’ve already taken out three pirates!”
With the veterans’ banter, the recruits’ fear faded, and they adapted to the battlefield’s gore.
In the valley, the pirates frantically fled toward the exit. Everyone wanted to escape, crowding the valley’s mouth. To secure their chance, they pushed, slashed, and trampled each other.
The pirates bottlenecked at the exit, making it so the Zhejiang troops above didn’t even need to aim. Firing into the crowd guaranteed hits, and each Tiger Crouching Cannon shot cleared a swath.
The fiercer the Zhejiang army’s fire, the more desperate the pirates’ scrambling and trampling became. Soon, the valley’s mouth was piled high with pirate corpses, blood flowing like a river.
