To the east of the fishing village stronghold, a group of elite Japanese pirates clustered around a Japanese pirate clad in heavy armour, standing on a high hillock, staring intently at the battlefield ahead.
This man was Takeda Toshikawa, the Japanese pirate chieftain of Yoshiya Village. He was the village head of Yoshiya Village, that is, the village chief, and also what they called the family head.
Yoshiya Village was originally called Beidian Village, a fishing village. After the Ming Dynasty strictly implemented the maritime ban, Beidian Village was relocated inland.
Beidian Village fell into disrepair. More than twenty years ago, Takeda Toshikawa’s father, Takeda Zhangzhi, led a group of Japanese pirates to plunder the Ming coastal areas. They discovered this abandoned village and occupied it, using it as a base up to the present day.
Five years ago, Takeda Zhangzhi fell from his horse and died during a raid. Takeda Toshikawa then took over from his father, becoming the village head and Japanese pirate chieftain of Yoshiya Village.
Yesterday, a Japanese pirate fleeing from Meiling in panic lost his way and escaped to Yoshiya Village. He was captured by Takeda Toshikawa’s subordinate Japanese pirates. Takeda Toshikawa learned that Zhu Ping’an and Mao Haifeng’s allied forces were eliminating coastal Japanese pirate strongholds. He decided to strike first, allying with two nearby Japanese pirate groups. They assembled three thousand Japanese pirates and launched a surprise attack on Zhu Ping’an and Mao Haifeng’s allied forces under the cover of night, aiming to eliminate the threat in one fell swoop.
“Baka yarou, that damned Zhu Ping’an. I didn’t expect the Zhejiang army under his command to be so strictly guarded. We avoided the scouts, avoided the patrols, avoided the sentries, but unexpectedly there were still hidden sentries, causing our night assault on the Zhejiang army camp to fall short. Can they only night assault others, and others cannot night assault them?!”
Takeda Toshikawa saw that his subordinate Japanese pirates were still unable to breach the Zhejiang army camp, firmly blocked outside the Zhejiang army camp. He could not help but curse Zhu Ping’an loudly.
“Achoo.”
Zhu Ping’an, who was observing the battlefield, suddenly sneezed. Perhaps the wind had picked up; he accordingly pulled his clothes tighter for warmth.
“Family head, although we have not yet breached the Zhejiang army camp, please look, family head. Mao Haifeng’s camp has already been breached by nearly half. Our people are killing and setting fires in their camp. Half of their tents have been set ablaze by us. Listen to the cries of agony coming from their camp. They are already fleeing out of the camp in disarray. Add a bit more effort, and Mao Haifeng’s forces will be completely defeated. Then drive their routed troops towards the Zhejiang army camp, using Mao Haifeng’s routed troops to overrun the Zhejiang army camp, and in turn wipe out the Zhejiang army as well, thoroughly eliminating the threat.”
A thin Japanese pirate beside Takeda Toshikawa held a fan in his hand, pointing at the battlefield as he advised Takeda Toshikawa.
Takeda Toshikawa squinted his eyes and watched for a moment, then nodded. “Matsushita Saburo, your analysis coincides with mine. Then transfer three hundred men from in front of the Zhejiang army camp and order them to attack Mao Haifeng’s camp.”
“Hai! Family head is wise.” Matsushita Saburo bowed and shouted hai.
Thus, Matsushita Saburo waved his folding fan and issued orders to the battlefield.
Soon, three hundred Yoshiya Village Japanese pirates detached from the battlefield in front of the Zhejiang army camp and charged towards Mao Haifeng’s camp.
This movement by the Yoshiya Village Japanese pirates was discovered by Zhu Ping’an at the first moment. Although it was night, although the Yoshiya Village Japanese pirates lowered their flags and extinguished their drums without lighting torches, quietly transferring troops, Zhu Ping’an had been paying close attention to the battlefield. In his eyes with the qi yun perspective open, there were no secrets on the battlefield.
Seeing the Japanese pirates transfer about three hundred troops to attack Mao Haifeng’s camp, it seemed the Japanese pirates wanted to use Mao Haifeng’s camp as a breakthrough point, to breach Mao Haifeng’s camp in one go and drive the routed troops to impact our army’s camp.
In this way, the Japanese pirates attacking our army’s camp would not be many anymore.
“Xia Laoqi, you lead one battalion of troops, lower flags and silence drums, quietly detour to the woods in front of the village, and launch a fierce attack on the enemy from behind, striking them from both front and rear.”
Zhu Ping’an summoned Xia Laoqi and ordered him to lead troops to quietly detour to the enemy’s rear for a fierce attack, taking advantage of the enemy’s reduced forces to claim their lives.
Next, Zhu Ping’an summoned Zhang Hu, pointed to the high hillock east of the village, and ordered him, “Zhang Hu, don’t always say this official favours Dado and the others. Here’s an opportunity for you. Do you still remember that high hillock east of the village? It’s elevated and overlooks the entire situation. Standing up there, one can see the whole battlefield. I suspect the enemy commander is stationed there directing operations. You lead three hundred men to quietly sneak over. If there are people on the hillock, capture them for me, dead or alive!”
In Zhu Ping’an’s perspective, there was a small cluster of qi yun pillars swaying on the high hillock east of the village. There must be Japanese pirates there.
With intense fighting on both east and west sides, the Japanese pirates observing from the sidelines here at this time were very likely the Japanese pirate command layer.
Therefore, Zhu Ping’an ordered Zhang Hu to lead troops for a surprise attack, to see if they could achieve merit.
“Thank you, sir. I guarantee to complete the task!” Zhang Hu heard he was being sent to capture the Japanese chieftain and grinned excitedly.
“Remember, sneak over quietly; don’t alert them! Otherwise, if the duck in hand flies away, you’ll be held accountable!”
Zhu Ping’an reminded Zhang Hu again.
“Sir, rest assured. As long as there are people on the hillock, I guarantee they won’t escape!” Zhang Hu patted his chest with a resounding thud.
War is like a game of chess between two sides, with moves back and forth, you play a piece, I place one; who will emerge victorious remains to be seen.
The fishing village stronghold was not large; the troop movements of both sides soon showed results.
The three hundred Yoshiya Village Japanese pirates were quickly transferred from in front of the Zhejiang army camp to in front of Mao Haifeng’s camp, launching a fierce attack inward.
“Sugoi, our reinforcements have arrived. All die die!”
The Yoshiya Village Japanese pirates, who already held the upper hand, had their morale greatly boosted, charging forward with overwhelming momentum, killing Mao Haifeng’s forces with heads rolling.
Mao Haifeng’s Japanese pirates, who were already crying out in agony, saw the Japanese pirates’ reinforcements arrive; their morale collapsed even further, leading to utter defeat.
“Damn it! Assemble! Anyone who runs again will be killed without mercy! Hold the line for me! The ones in black clothes are the enemy; counterattack for me! Look at the Zhejiang army; not only did they hold their own camp, but they also sent people to aid us!”
Mao Haifeng, with dishevelled hair and disarrayed clothes, slashed to death a fleeing subordinate Japanese pirate with one stroke, gnashing his teeth in curses.
While cursing, Mao Haifeng gathered the routed Japanese pirates under his command and led them in a counterattack against the tide.
However, the effect was not great. He only gathered three or four hundred men under him. Mao Haifeng’s subordinate Japanese pirates lacked organisation and discipline. At the critical moment of life and death, most Japanese pirates were fleeing in chaos, crying out; only a few fierce ones were fighting individually.
It was fortunate that Chen Dacheng led the Zhejiang army to aid them, holding off the surprise-attacking Yoshiya Village Japanese pirates’ fierce assault. At the moment when the building was about to collapse, they propped up a pillar, giving Mao Haifeng’s forces a chance to catch their breath. Otherwise, Mao Haifeng’s camp would have already crumbled by now.
Now it was a chaotic melee with you in me and me in you; it was also midnight, so the Zhejiang army’s firearm advantage was hard to utilise. Chen Dacheng led the Zhejiang army mostly in formation, engaging in bayonet fights, only firing when opportunities arose.
Mao Haifeng’s forces had collapsed too severely; Chen Dacheng could not turn the tide for the moment and could only hold on bitterly.
