“What the Governor says makes sense. A staged defeat would indeed seem suspicious. If a staged defeat won’t work, what about hiding and acting as an ambush force?”
Zhu Ping’an nodded slightly at Zhang Jing’s words and then suggested using the Zhejiang army as an ambush force.
Zhang Jing shook his head. “That won’t do. As the saying goes, ‘once bitten, twice shy.’ After their devastating defeat in northern Zhejiang, the Wokou will be closely monitoring your Zhejiang army’s movements, just as they’re watching the wolf soldiers. They have spies and informants everywhere, both overt and covert. It would be extremely difficult for your Zhejiang army to set up an ambush without being detected. If the Wokou discover your movements, it would alert them, disrupt the entire plan, and affect the bigger picture.”
A staged defeat was out, and an ambush was impractical. For a moment, Zhu Ping’an couldn’t think of any other solutions. He gave a wry smile and shook his head. “Governor, I’m at a loss for how to dispel the Tuolin Wokou’s concerns. Please provide your guidance.”
“This is the critical task I’m entrusting to you,” Zhang Jing said with a smile.
Hearing Zhang Jing steer the conversation to this point, Zhu Ping’an immediately realised that the task Zhang Jing was about to assign must be extraordinary. Otherwise, Zhang Jing wouldn’t have spent so much time laying the groundwork.
“Please give your orders, Governor. Be it a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, a hail of bullets or a rain of arrows, the Zhejiang army will not falter,” Zhu Ping’an said, clasping his hands and requesting his orders.
“Excellent! If everyone were like you, Zihou, how could we fail to crush the Wokou?” Zhang Jing nodded with satisfaction.
Hearing Zhang Jing’s praise, Zhu Ping’an mentally raised the task’s difficulty level by several degrees.
“Zhu Ping’an, Right Vice Minister of the Nanjing Ministry of War and Zhejiang Governor, receive your orders!” Zhang Jing declared with a serious expression.
“Please give your orders, Governor!” Zhu Ping’an stood up.
“I hereby order Zhu Ping’an, Right Vice Minister of the Nanjing Ministry of War and Zhejiang Governor, to return to Shaoxing tomorrow, muster eight thousand Zhejiang troops, hold a military oath ceremony in the city, and then march to Ningbo. You are to clear out the coastal strongholds of the Wokou leader Wang Zhi, monitor the Wokou at Liyang Port, and ensure no mistakes are made!”
Zhang Jing’s voice echoed in the room, resounding like a war drum breaking the silence of a battlefield, stirring the heart and soul.
“What?”
Zhu Ping’an let out an incredulous exclamation.
What? Order me to muster eight thousand Zhejiang troops, march to Ningbo, clear out Wang Zhi’s coastal strongholds, and monitor the Wokou at Liyang Port?!
For a moment, Zhu Ping’an could hardly believe his ears, wondering if he had misheard.
Just as the Wangjiangjing victory was about to unfold, Zhang Jing was sending him off to Ningbo, not only excluding him from the Wangjiangjing campaign but also ordering him to ignite a conflict with Wang Zhi’s Wokou! To confront Wang Zhi’s Wokou head-on!
Compared to Wang Zhi’s Wokou at Liyang Port, the Tuolin Wokou under Xu Hai were like a younger sibling. In terms of numbers, combat strength, and equipment, Xu Hai’s Wokou were far inferior to Wang Zhi’s.
Zhang Jing and his forces were marshalling the entire strength of Jiangnan, bolstered by Shandong spearmen and Guangxi wolf soldiers, to lure Xu Hai’s Wokou into attacking Jiaxing, where they would be encircled and attacked together.
Yet, he was ordering Zhu Ping’an to lead eight thousand Zhejiang troops to openly march and clear out Wang Zhi’s coastal strongholds in Ningbo, engaging Wang Zhi’s Wokou in direct combat?!
And before marching, he was to hold a military oath ceremony in the city? Wasn’t that tantamount to announcing to the world that he was heading to Ningbo to eradicate Wang Zhi’s coastal strongholds? Before the ceremony was even over, Wang Zhi’s spies in the city would have relayed the news to him…
So, the glory goes to you, while I bear the risk?!
If the person before him weren’t Zhang Jing but Yan Shifan, Zhu Ping’an might have understood why such an order was given.
But he hadn’t offended Zhang Jing.
Zhu Ping’an racked his brain but couldn’t fathom why Zhang Jing would issue such an order.
“Zihou, I know this order is hard to believe, but you heard correctly. This is the task I’m entrusting to you,” Zhang Jing said, looking at Zhu Ping’an seriously, enunciating each word.
“Please forgive my impertinence, Governor,” Zhu Ping’an said with a wry smile. “Must I accept this order? It’s not that I’m afraid of battle, but the Zhejiang army is not yet prepared to engage Wang Zhi’s Wokou. First, the newly recruited Zhejiang troops have only trained for a little over a month and are not ready for combat. Second, our supplies are insufficient. In the northern Zhejiang ambush against Xu Hai’s Wokou, we nearly depleted our gunpowder reserves, with only less than twenty percent remaining. Over thirty percent of our firearms were damaged, and our forging capacity can’t keep up. The Zhejiang army heavily relies on gunpowder and firearms; without them, our combat strength is severely diminished. Third, Wang Zhi’s Wokou are numerous and powerful. With the Zhejiang army alone, it’s truly difficult to contend with them…”
“Zihou, I understand your difficulties, but this order must be accepted,” Zhang Jing nodded, standing firm.
It must be accepted.
Zhu Ping’an frowned. The Zhejiang army was not yet prepared to wage war against Wang Zhi’s Wokou.
This was true in terms of both personnel and supplies. Zhu Ping’an was not ready to confront Wang Zhi’s Wokou.
Accepting this order, holding a military oath ceremony in Shaoxing, and setting out to clear Wang Zhi’s coastal strongholds was tantamount to declaring war on Wang Zhi’s Wokou.
If you clear out his coastal strongholds, would he just stand by and watch you dismantle them? Would he not retaliate?
Wouldn’t that mean war?
But the ten thousand Zhejiang recruits had only been training for a month and were not yet a cohesive force, unfit for battle.
If the Zhejiang army couldn’t withstand Wang Zhi’s Wokou’s counterattacks and retaliation, the common people would ultimately suffer.
“Zihou, the Xu Hai Wokou fear your Zhejiang army and harbor concerns. If we don’t dispel their concerns, it will be difficult to lure them to Jiaxing for annihilation. How do we dispel their concerns? If you, Zihou, lead the Zhejiang army, hold a military oath ceremony in Shaoxing, and march to Ningbo to clear Wang Zhi’s coastal strongholds, engaging in battle with Wang Zhi’s Wokou and becoming too occupied to deal with them, then the Tuolin Xu Hai Wokou will no longer worry about your Zhejiang army targeting them. They can then attack Jiaxing without hesitation,” Zhang Jing explained slowly.
Zhang Jing’s reasoning was sound. If Xu Hai’s Wokou were worried about the Zhejiang army turning against them, what if the Zhejiang army were engaged in a war with Wang Zhi’s Wokou?
Wang Zhi’s Wokou were numerous, with battle-hardened fighters. The Zhejiang army, with far fewer troops and many new recruits, would be fully occupied in Ningbo’s battlefield once engaged with Wang Zhi’s Wokou, unable to divert forces to deal with Xu Hai’s Wokou.
This would eliminate Xu Hai’s concerns about the Zhejiang army.
Indeed, this would dispel Xu Hai’s fears and concerns about the Zhejiang army.
But what about me? What about the Zhejiang army? What about the people of Zhejiang? If I go to Ningbo to clear Wang Zhi’s coastal strongholds and start a war with his Wokou, how will it end?
If the Zhejiang army can’t withstand Wang Zhi’s Wokou’s retaliation, the people of Ningbo, or rather southern Zhejiang, will suffer.
Thus, after Zhang Jing issued the order, Zhu Ping’an found himself in a great dilemma, hesitating to accept the task.
