At the entrances of Shaoxing City’s markets, teahouses, taverns, and both sides of the city gates, bailiffs bustled about, skillfully brushing on paste and plastering notices everywhere.
“Why so many notices? The whole city, inside and out, is practically surrounded by them!”
“Come on, let’s check it out! Who can read? Read it for us—what do these notices say?”
“Could it be some heinous criminal, a traitor who’s popped up, and the court’s issued a wanted poster? I remember the last time there was this much fuss was ten years ago when that bandit Wang Er Mazi broke out of prison, rebelled, and declared himself king.”
The onlookers, stirred by their love for commotion, swarmed around the notices, forming layers three deep. Everyone was curious about what the notices said. Many speculated it must be about some vile criminal.
Someone mentioned Wang Er Mazi, sparking old memories, and the crowd grew even noisier.
“I know that story! Wang Er Mazi was nabbed for theft and thrown in jail. The prison was damp, dark, and moldy. But one day, he was shocked to find bamboo leaves sprouting from the bamboo bed he slept on. The other prisoners were amazed too, thanking him. After all those years, the bamboo was sprouting leaves—a good omen! They figured it meant Wang Er Mazi was destined for greatness. Though he was in jail now, he’d surely rise to power later. Some troublemakers egged him on, saying the bamboo sprouting was a once-in-a-century sign. ‘If heaven offers and you don’t take it, you’ll face calamity instead.’ They told him to break out, raise a rebellion, and become a king. So, Wang Er Mazi actually led some prisoners to escape, started a revolt, and became a pirate.”
“I know, I know! Back then, the court issued a wanted poster, and the commotion was like today. I still remember the last line of that poster: ‘By imperial decree, whoever reports this thief will be rewarded with 100,000 coins.’ Shame we didn’t have that luck. Wang Er Mazi went on to rebel and grow strong as a pirate, even declaring himself king. But not long after, a general sent by the court crushed him. They say he was shot into a pincushion by arrows—gruesome end.”
“Come on, someone who can read, tell us what’s on this notice! Who’s the new bandit causing trouble?”
The crowd around the notices was louder than a bustling market.
“What wanted poster? Utter nonsense! You illiterate lot, spouting rubbish—how laughable!”
A goatee-bearded old man snorted, scorning the crowd. He pointed at the notice, then at them.
The crowd was about to retort when someone shouted, “That’s Old Master Yang, the scholar from our village! He’s a learned man. Old Master Yang, read it for us—what’s it say?”
Hearing he was a scholar, the crowd held back, swallowing their irritation and flattering Old Master Yang to read the notice.
Basking in the praise, Old Master Yang flicked his sleeves, struck a pose, cleared his throat, and read with dramatic flair:
“Zhu Ping’an, Governor of Zhejiang, to the people of Shaoxing and all of Zhejiang: The Japanese pirates are rampant, their crimes heinous. They kill, burn, rape, and plunder, committing every evil. The people suffer greatly. I, Zhu Ping’an, bear the Emperor’s grace as Governor of Zhejiang. It is my duty to protect this land. Not an inch of soil, island, or sea shall be yielded. To repay the Emperor’s boundless favor and bring peace to the people, tomorrow I will lead a sworn expedition to eradicate the pirates along Zhejiang’s southern coast, restoring tranquility to the land… For every inch of our rivers and mountains, we shed an inch of blood. How can we let the pirates run rampant? I vow to lead ten thousand fierce warriors, charge forth with raised blades, and storm the pirate strongholds!”
After Old Master Yang finished, the crowd was stunned, staring at him in disbelief, wondering if their ears had betrayed them.
A sworn expedition!
The Governor was launching a campaign to crush the pirates in southern Zhejiang!
The pirates in the south? Weren’t those Wang Zhi’s forces, the largest pirate group?
Rumor had it Wang Zhi commanded nearly 100,000 pirates, directly or indirectly.
The Governor’s Zhejiang army was formidable, but they only numbered just over 10,000.
Ten thousand against a hundred thousand—how could they fight that?
Was the Governor going to crush the pirates or get crushed himself?
The people were incredulous, questioning reality itself.
“Old Master Yang, you’re not messing with us, reading it wrong on purpose, are you?”
“Yeah, Yang, fun’s fun, but don’t joke with the Governor’s notice.”
The crowd chattered noisily.
“Mess with you? Why would I? The Governor’s notice is brilliantly written. Listen to this: ‘For every inch of our rivers and mountains, we shed an inch of blood. How can we let the pirates run rampant? I vow to lead ten thousand fierce warriors, charge forth with raised blades, and storm the pirate strongholds.’ If I had even a tenth of the Governor’s literary talent, would I be standing here talking to you? I’d be high in the imperial court, and meeting me would be your greatest honor!”
Old Master Yang bristled at the doubts, glaring and puffing his beard.
“He’s right. ‘For every inch of our rivers and mountains, we shed an inch of blood’—that’s powerful! It’s got my blood boiling. Old Master Yang doesn’t have that kind of skill.”
“Exactly. If he did, would he still be a lifelong scholar at thirty years? He’d be a juren or even a high official by now.”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
So Old Master Yang’s reading was true—the Governor was really launching a sworn expedition tomorrow to crush the southern pirates!
Bold!
Ten thousand against a hundred thousand!
The Governor was truly courageous!
“Our Governor’s got guts. Wang Zhi’s pirates number a hundred thousand. Going against them—isn’t that like an egg hitting a rock?”
Some worried about Zhu Ping’an’s campaign.
“He’s no reckless fool. Back in Suzhou, the Governor had even fewer men—two or three thousand—against Xu Hai’s forty or fifty thousand pirate coalition. He nearly wiped them out. Now his Zhejiang army’s over ten thousand—surely even stronger.”
Others voiced support.
“We’ve suffered from these pirates too long. Who hasn’t lost kin to their atrocities? These damned pirates burn, kill, and loot without restraint. It’s rare for the government to send troops to fight them. Win or lose, it’s commendable. Tomorrow, I’m going to watch the expedition and cheer for the Governor and his soldiers.”
“Absolutely, I’ll cheer too.”
“I’m in!”
The crowd quickly agreed: tomorrow, they’d go watch the expedition and cheer for the army.
