“I have breached five or six cities of Great Ming already. Though they are a bit larger than our cities in Hizen, not by much. I reckon Songjiang Prefecture City cannot be that grand either. Besides, your Great Ming’s official troops are utterly useless, not even as good as weaklings. With just this Japanese sword in my hand and my valiant warriors under me, forget Songjiang Prefecture City. Even your Great Ming Emperor’s imperial capital, I could slaughter through and breach it.”
Matsuura Motoyasu dismissed the concern. In his view, Great Ming’s cities were only somewhat larger than those in Hizen, but not excessively so. What could Songjiang Prefecture City be like to warrant such caution.
Xu Hai smiled faintly and said nothing.
On the high platform, the three men drank freely like old friends. In the field below, the Japanese pirates revelled to the utmost, especially the true Japanese who had crossed the sea.
Back in their Japan, things were a mess of brains splattered everywhere. They lived day to day in peril, eating worse than beasts and still going hungry. They quenched thirst with cold water and wrapped belts around empty stomachs to stave off hunger.
Japan produced plenty of rice, but only daimyo and nobles could eat it. Even samurai got full rice meals only in battle. Normally, they made do with coarse grains and wild vegetables. As for common folk, the rice they grew went as tribute to the daimyo. They subsisted on wild wheat, millet, greens, roots, tree bark, and cold water. That was why the people joined the army. Enlistment meant not starving twice a day.
Now with the great chaos in Japan, farming and production were hit hard. Even soldiers ate coarse grains and greens with water to fill their bellies. For the common Japanese, not starving was a blessing.
How different it was after coming to Great Ming. Every meal was rice until full, eat a bowl, pour another. And crucially, there was meat, meat, meat. They stuffed themselves with it. Meat was so delicious, a hundred, a thousand times better than rice. They nearly swallowed their tongues.
In Japan, aside from daimyo and nobles, who could eat meat. Not even pork, mutton, or beef. They could not get fish.
Great Ming was simply paradise. With Japanese swords in hand, lop off Ming heads, loot their gold, silver, jewels, rice, livestock. Of course, their women too. Then came fragrant rice, gleaming gold and silver, beef and mutton wafting for miles, and weeping, struggling women.
In just these few days in Great Ming, the gold, silver, and jewels they looted would keep their families fed and clothed for years.
Paradise, truly paradise. No, even paradise could not compare.
They heard they would soon attack a larger, richer city. This one was ten, a hundred times wealthier than the ones they had hit lately. That was perfect. Breaching it meant ten, a hundred times the loot. Returning home, their families could live well.
Clothes and food without worry for life. Perfect. Utterly perfect.
Tonight, I must polish my Japanese sword well. It will carve out that worry-free life. Ming people are weak like chickens, but they have bones. A dull blade would not cut well.
The Japanese pirates ate meat, drank wine, toyed with women, dreaming of fine lives. Their hearts brimmed with delight.
Thus, after another day of feasting on big fish and meat, Xu Hai said confidently to Matsuura Motoyasu that they could now lead troops to attack Songjiang Prefecture City. He had already sent grease, armour, and such into the city.
“At the time, with just one signal, the part of our lads lurking inside will start killing and setting fires everywhere, drawing the Ming troops’ attention and luring them into the city centre. Then we launch the assault and succeed. Meanwhile, the other part of our lads inside will seize the chance to help us take the gates. Inside and out together…”
Xu Hai laid out his entire plan, telling it to Matsuura Motoyasu and Ryuzoji Taka.
“Yo xi, General Xu’s plan is good. Very good. With traitors inside to cooperate, breaching Songjiang Prefecture City will be like taking something from a bag.”
Ryuzoji Taka nodded after hearing it, patted Xu Hai’s shoulder in approval, and grinned confidently.
“Superfluous effort. Even without inside help, with my warriors’ bravery and the sharpness of our Japanese swords, breaching Songjiang Prefecture City would still be easy as pie.” Matsuura Motoyasu curled his lip dismissively.
“Lord Matsuura, as the saying goes, those who plan ahead thrive, those who do not waste away. Planning in advance to save some warriors is a great good.”
Ryuzoji Taka said to Matsuura Motoyasu.
“Yo xi, you have a point.” Though Matsuura Motoyasu dismissed it, he respected Ryuzoji Taka somewhat and nodded in agreement.
“This time, we three each lead two thousand troops, jointly marching on Songjiang Prefecture City, taking it in one go.”
Xu Hai said to the two.
Ryuzoji Taka and Matsuura Motoyasu naturally had no objections. They were unfamiliar with Ming roads and relied on guides like Xu Hai for operations. They just handled the killing and looting.
Soon, Xu Hai, Ryuzoji Taka, and Matsuura Motoyasu each mustered two thousand Japanese pirates, totalling six thousand, poised to strike.
“Brilliant. Finally marching on Songjiang Prefecture City. They say the women inside are all juicy and tender, the gold and silver jewels piled like mountains.”
“Kill the Ming dogs, loot their silver, their wives and mothers…”
“Kill. Hear their pleas before death, rob the wealth they hoarded a lifetime. Pure bliss…”
The selected Japanese pirates were excited like wolves leaving their den, eyes gleaming, howling eagerly.
“Brothers, this time our target is Songjiang Prefecture City. Long time since we hit a prefecture city. Inside, countless gold and silver jewels, silks piled like mountains, women beyond number, juicy with a squeeze. Once we breach, gold and silver, silks, juicy women, all yours. As much as you can carry, as many as you can tie down. First come, first served.”
“Gold and silver, silks, juicy women, all waiting inside the city. Whether you get them depends on your skill.”
Xu Hai roused the Japanese pirates like giving them a shot of blood.
“Awoo awoo awoo… Breach the city! Breach the city! Breach the city!”
“Kill! Smash Songjiang Prefecture City, loot it clean! Gold and silver, silks, juicy women, mine, mine, all mine!”
The Japanese pirates were whipped into a frenzy, drool pooling on the ground, waving weapons and howling.
“Very good, march out!”
Seeing the Japanese pirates properly stirred, Xu Hai waved his hand grandly. The six thousand set off, eyes red, teeth bared, murderous aura thick, heading for Songjiang Prefecture City.
On this expedition, they vowed not to return without breaching Songjiang Prefecture.
They brimmed with confidence.
