Shaoxing City was home to many temples, but the Qidao Temple on Qidao Street stood apart from all others. What made it unique? Unlike other temples, it didn’t enshrine Taoist immortals, Buddhist bodhisattvas, or the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Instead, it venerated the military banner—the *daqi*—hence its name, Qidao Temple. In ancient times, and even today, the military banner was the soul of an army. Capturing the enemy’s flag or killing their general could often lead to the collapse of their forces.
Beyond the military banner, the temple also housed corresponding deities: the “Flag Leader General,” “Six Banner General,” “Five Directional Flag Gods,” “Supreme Deity of Warships,” “God of Drums, Horns, and Cannons,” “God of Bows, Crossbows, Flying Spears, and Stones,” and “Gods of the Front and Rear Formations, Wuchang, and Others”—seven deities in total. The purpose of building the Qidao Temple and worshipping these flag gods was to seek their protection for the army’s banners, ensuring victory in battle.
Following local customs, the Zhejiang army’s banner under Zhu Ping’an’s command was placed in the temple for worship as soon as he took charge of Zhejiang. Dedicated temple priests regularly burned incense, offered sacrifices, and presented tributes to the banner and flag gods.
At dawn, as the sun rose, a massive crowd gathered before the Qidao Temple, with countless men, women, and children streaming in from all directions. On the open ground in front of the temple, Zhu Ping’an, dressed in military attire, led a disciplined formation of 800 elite Zhejiang soldiers, marching slowly toward the temple.
“Halt!”
“Turn right!”
The Zhejiang army’s precise movements left the onlookers in awe, much like modern spectators witnessing a grand military parade at Tiananmen Square. The crowd gasped, jaws dropping, with many muttering exclamations of amazement. The synchronized steps and strict discipline inspired a universal sentiment: “What a mighty force!” The people’s confidence surged.
“Our Governor is a top scholar; he never fights unprepared. Every battle against the pirates, he wins. This time will be no different.”
“Look at how formidable the Zhejiang army is! Back then, with just 2,000 men, our Governor nearly wiped out 40,000 pirates. Now he’s got over 10,000 of these soldiers!”
“Yesterday, when I heard the Governor was launching a campaign against Wang Zhi, I was terrified all night, fearing he’d lose and Wang Zhi would retaliate against Shaoxing in a rage. But seeing the Zhejiang army now, I’m not afraid anymore. Even if they can’t beat Wang Zhi, this mighty force can protect us.”
“We’ve waited years for this. It’s rare for the government to take the fight to the pirates. Win or lose, they’re doing good.”
The crowd watched the parade, their confidence in the upcoming campaign growing as they spoke.
After the parade, Zhu Ping’an walked slowly to a temporary platform, faced north to bow to Emperor Jiajing, then turned to the Qidao Temple to pay respects to the flag gods. He began reading the sacrificial oration:
“Today, the pirates of southern Zhejiang commit heinous crimes, killing, burning, raping, and plundering without restraint. The people suffer greatly. I, Zhu Ping’an, as Governor of Zhejiang, am duty-bound to protect this land and its people…”
Though called a sacrificial oration, it doubled as a declaration of war, explaining to the Zhejiang army and the people why this campaign was necessary and what they were fighting for.
“With justice against injustice, we will surely win!”
“With righteousness against lawlessness, we will surely win!”
“With the imperial court against pirates, we will surely win!”
Zhu Ping’an concluded with six resounding declarations of victory, prompting the Zhejiang soldiers and onlookers to chant “Victory!” in unison. For miles around the Qidao Temple, the air was filled with triumphant cheers.
Among the crowd, several groups with ulterior motives observed the scene with cold detachment. One group consisted of three men in Jiaxing Prefecture uniforms: one was a confidant of Jiaxing Prefect Zhao Chong, while the other two were pirates sent by Xu Hai to Zhao Chong’s side.
“No wonder Zhu Ping’an rushed back from Jiaxing—he’s declaring war on Wang Zhi!” one of Xu Hai’s pirates muttered, stroking his chin.
“Is Zhu Ping’an mad? Who does he think he is, daring to challenge Lord Wang Zhi? Wang Zhi commands 100,000 men. How many does Zhu Ping’an have? He’s got the courage of a bear and a leopard!” The other pirate scoffed, sneering at Zhu Ping’an as he read the oration.
“This is great news! The more inflated Zhu Ping’an gets, the better. When our leader moves on Jiaxing and Zhang Jing, we won’t have to worry about Zhu Ping’an’s Zhejiang army interfering,” the first pirate said with a smile, visibly relieved.
Now they understood why Zhu Ping’an had hurried back from Jiaxing—to wage war on Wang Zhi. This was a major advantage for Xu Hai’s pirate faction.
“Exactly. Zhu Ping’an taking on Wang Zhi frees us from worrying about the Zhejiang army. With Wang Zhi’s strength, Zhu Ping’an’s not exactly walking to his death, but he’s definitely biting off more than he can chew,” the second pirate nodded vigorously.
“If Zhu Ping’an can’t beat Wang Zhi, he’ll likely call for reinforcements from Zhang Jing, weakening Jiaxing’s defenses. That’ll make it easier for us to strike Jiaxing and Zhang Jing,” the first pirate added, nodding in agreement.
“We can report back to Leader Xu Hai,” the second pirate said. “He’s waiting for our update.”
“Let’s send the message back first—have Zhao’s confidant deliver it. We’ll stay one more day. Leader Xu Hai has warned us many times: Zhu Ping’an is cunning. We need to see with our own eyes that he’s leading the Zhejiang army to southern Zhejiang before we report to Xu Hai in person,” the first pirate said cautiously.
He worried Zhu Ping’an might be putting on a show, claiming to attack Wang Zhi but not actually deploying, tricking them. If they moved on Jiaxing and Zhang Jing, Zhu Ping’an could swoop in with his army to disrupt their plans. Until Zhu Ping’an marched, his claim of attacking Wang Zhi couldn’t be taken seriously. Only seeing him lead the Zhejiang army south would confirm it.
“You’re right. Zhu Ping’an’s too sly. We’ve suffered at his hands more than once. We’ll only report to Leader Xu Hai after we’ve seen Zhu Ping’an march to southern Zhejiang with our own eyes. That’s the only way to be sure,” the second pirate agreed, nodding enthusiastically.
Having been burned by Zhu Ping’an too many times, they had a psychological shadow. They wouldn’t rest easy until they confirmed his departure for the south.
