“I do indeed have an important task to entrust to you and the Zhejiang army. Whether we succeed in annihilating the Wokou at Tuolin in this battle depends on you.”
Zhang Jing poured another cup of tea for Zhu Ping’an, set down the teapot, and spoke to him with a solemn expression.
Zhu Ping’an accepted the cup with both hands, his face serious as he declared, “Please give your orders, Governor. No matter the task, Ping’an and the Zhejiang army will not disappoint you. Use me in the first battle, and I will ensure victory.”
“Haha, excellent, excellent! ‘Use me in the first battle, and I will ensure victory!’ Truly a young man, full of vigor, fearless, and brimming with confidence!”
Zhang Jing paused for a second, his expression momentarily unnatural upon hearing Zhu Ping’an’s declaration, before breaking into a smile and offering praise.
Zhu Ping’an, ever observant, noticed the subtle change in Zhang Jing’s expression, which made him narrow his eyes slightly.
Why did Zhang Jing show an unnatural expression? Was he about to assign him a dangerous and arduous task?
Danger? What was there to fear? Crisis meant both danger and opportunity. The greater the danger and difficulty, the greater the opportunity.
As long as he prepared thoroughly and had the Zhejiang army at his command, Zhu Ping’an wasn’t afraid of danger.
“Please give your orders, Governor,” Zhu Ping’an said eagerly.
“No rush. Before I assign you the task, Zihou, let’s discuss the Tuolin Wokou again,” Zhang Jing said with a smile. “Zihou, do you think my arrangements will successfully lure the Tuolin Wokou to Jiaxing?”
The key to the Tuolin campaign was whether they could draw the Tuolin Wokou to Jiaxing and annihilate them in one fell swoop.
It was a reasonable question for Zhang Jing to ask.
Zhu Ping’an, with his knowledge of history, responded immediately and with certainty, “The Wokou will definitely come!”
“Oh? Zihou, you’re so confident? On what grounds?” Zhang Jing, intrigued by Zhu Ping’an’s conviction, asked curiously.
“In response to the Governor, I am certain the Wokou will attack Jiaxing for three reasons,” Zhu Ping’an said, holding up three fingers.
“Oh? I’d love to hear the details, Zihou,” Zhang Jing nodded with interest.
“First: The Wokou have occupied Tuolin for months, plundering relentlessly. Songjiang Prefecture has suffered greatly, and its wealth has been nearly exhausted by their burning, killing, and looting. Further plundering in Songjiang yields little profit, so the Wokou will inevitably seek to raid elsewhere. Recently, my scouts have reported that the Tuolin Wokou’s plundering range has been expanding outward, indicating that raiding beyond Songjiang is their inevitable choice.”
Zhu Ping’an took a sip of tea, set down the cup, and spoke slowly.
Zhang Jing nodded slowly as he listened.
Indeed, the Tuolin Wokou were like locusts. Having occupied Songjiang for months, they had ravaged it day and night, looting towns and villages multiple times until there was nothing left to take.
To gain better spoils, they had to move outward and plunder elsewhere—it was the inevitable choice for the Tuolin Wokou.
“If the Tuolin Wokou are to plunder beyond Songjiang, their potential targets can be deduced. Surrounding Songjiang, the closest, militarily viable, and lucrative locations are Suzhou to the northwest, Jiaxing to the southwest, and, up the river, Changzhou, Yangzhou, and Yingtian, as well as Hangzhou and Shaoxing along the coastal route. Considering distance, profit, and ease of advance and retreat, Suzhou and Jiaxing are their best targets. These two are closest to their base, accessible by both water and land, allowing for easy advance and retreat, whether after a successful raid or in case of a setback. Other locations rely too heavily on waterways, and if their water routes are blocked or their ships destroyed, retreat becomes problematic, posing too great a risk for them.”
“Thus, their optimal choices are Suzhou and Jiaxing. Comparing the two, while Suzhou is wealthy, the Wokou have no insiders there and have previously suffered heavy losses at Suzhou’s walls, leaving them with a psychological shadow. A forceful siege would result in significant casualties, with no guarantee of success. Jiaxing, however, is different. They have insiders in Jiaxing. When they previously occupied the city, they likely left behind some Wokou agents before withdrawing, and with Jiaxing’s prefect, Zhao Chong, guarding the south gate as their ally, Jiaxing is practically theirs for the taking. Although they’ve raided Jiaxing once before, the city has since regained its prosperity, with ample grain, salt, and military supplies. One raid could sustain them for years. Given all this, their best choice is Jiaxing.”
Zhu Ping’an slowly explained the first reason for his certainty that the Wokou would attack Jiaxing.
Zhang Jing nodded, signaling Zhu Ping’an to continue.
“Second, a few days ago, I ambushed the Tuolin Wokou in northern Zhejiang, severely damaging their morale and causing significant losses. The Tuolin Wokou will be eager to regain face and restore their prestige to attract more Wokou to join them. Where they stumbled, they’ll want to rise again. Jiaxing, located in northern Zhejiang, is an ideal place for them to reclaim their reputation.”
Zhu Ping’an provided another reason.
“Hmm, that makes sense,” Zhang Jing nodded slightly.
“Third, during my ambush in northern Zhejiang, we captured several Wokou. Interrogations revealed that Xu Hai has allied with the daimyo of Hizen Province in Japan, the Matsuura and Ryuzoji families. These two daimyo are expected to arrive soon with over ten thousand true Wokou. These Wokou aren’t crossing the sea for a holiday; their goal is to plunder wealth. Once these ten thousand reinforcements arrive, Xu Hai will lead them in a massive raid. With their strengthened forces, the Tuolin Wokou’s ambitions will grow, and they’ll target a major city. Jiaxing is their ideal choice.”
Zhu Ping’an calmly presented his third reason, noting that the Wokou reinforcements would soon arrive and act immediately.
“Hmm, well-reasoned and substantiated,” Zhang Jing nodded in approval after listening, but then his tone shifted. “However, these reasons alone aren’t enough.”
“Please enlighten me, Governor,” Zhu Ping’an said, clasping his hands respectfully.
“I am in Jiaxing. The Governor’s Office is in Jiaxing. Xu Hai cannot resist this temptation,” Zhang Jing said slowly. “Xu Hai is an extremely bold and ambitious man, unwilling to remain in Wang Zhi’s shadow. Capturing Jiaxing, razing the Governor’s Office, and taking me, Zhang Jing, alive would elevate his reputation to unparalleled heights, surpassing Wang Zhi. With such prestige, he could attract more Wokou to join him, bolstering his power and overtaking Wang Zhi.”
By personally placing himself as bait in Jiaxing, how could Xu Hai resist the temptation of destroying the Governor’s Office and capturing Zhang Jing?
“The Governor’s words are absolutely correct. With these four reasons, the Tuolin Wokou are certain to attack Jiaxing!” Zhu Ping’an seized the moment to offer a well-timed compliment.
