The infiltrators disguised as civilians rewarding the troops were all elite among the Japanese pirates, each a master of killing arts. Their sudden assault caught the defenders in the gate tunnel completely off guard, and in moments the soldiers were hacked apart and scattered in disarray.
“Open the gates! Invite the leaders in! We will have achieved the greatest merit! Every one of us will receive five hundred taels of silver, and on top of that the leaders have granted us first pick of the fattest sheep once the city falls!”
The pirate infiltrators fought their way to the gate, frantically shifted aside more than a dozen bracing beams, pulled back the locking bolts, and forced the great doors open with all their strength.
Creak, creak.
Amid the long groaning of hinges, the city gates slowly swung wide.
“Look! The gates are opening from inside! The infiltrators have succeeded!”
One pirate spotted the movement and leapt about in excitement, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Matsura Shigenobu, already covered in dust and grime, saw the gates opening from within and could not suppress his own surge of excitement. He had never expected this strong city to be so difficult to take. He himself had personally led two charges: the first driven back by boulders, the second forced to retreat by rolling logs. Though uninjured, he had still ended up filthy and dishevelled.
Without something unexpected, they would not capture Songjiang prefectural city any time soon. Unless they unloaded the Frankish cannons from the ships and dragged them here to blast the gates at close range, there was no quick victory in sight.
Now, seeing the gates opened from inside, Matsura Shigenobu could not help praising Xu Hai. “Thanks to Leader Xu planting infiltrators ahead of time, otherwise taking such a huge city would have cost us far more effort.”
“As expected of Xu-san, true heir to Sun Tzu’s art of war. Truly impressive!” Ryūzōji Takaakira also lavished praise without restraint.
Xu Hai gave a modest smile and said a few humble words.
“An opportunity like this will not come again. Order the entire army forward at once! Take Songjiang city and the rewards will be lavish!”
Xu Hai, Matsura Shigenobu, and Ryūzōji Takaakira directed their pirate forces and charged toward the opening gates.
The gates swung wider and wider. When they were halfway open, they suddenly stopped.
From inside came agonised screams. Through the half-open gap the infiltrators could be seen turned into pincushions by arrows.
“Close the gates at once! Do not let the pirates in!”
A fully armoured company armed with crossbows inside the gate tunnel loosed volley after volley, shooting down every infiltrator in the tunnel, then frantically moved to shut the gates again.
By now some pirates outside had already reached the entrance. The defenders pushed the gates closed while continuing to fire arrows.
A dozen or so particularly fierce pirates forced their way through the narrowing gap, swinging their swords in wide arcs and cutting down many defenders. Only after paying with several dozen lives did the gate guards finally manage to close and bar the gates again just before the main pirate force could pour in.
“Those damned pirates fight like madmen. If the lads hadn’t all been armoured, we’d never have stopped them.”
The soldiers gasped for breath, hearts still pounding. They had come within a hair’s breadth of losing the city. Far too close.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! We were so close! So close!”
Matsura Shigenobu roared in fury, yanked an arrow from his great armour, snapped it in two, and gnashed his teeth in rage.
His heavy armour had served him well; the arrow had lodged in the plate but failed to penetrate.
He remained unhurt.
“What a pity!” Ryūzōji Takaakira stared regretfully at the now-closed gates and sighed deeply. So very close. If just a few more pirates had made it inside, the deed would have been done. A heartbreaking near-miss.
“Heh, it seems word of our attack on Songjiang city leaked out. The defenders were clearly prepared,” Xu Hai remarked with a light chuckle.
“General Xu, how can you still laugh at a time like this?” Matsura Shigenobu rounded on him, glaring with ox-like eyes. We failed, and you’re laughing?
“Heh heh, General Matsura, surely you don’t think that in the past few days I made only these preparations?”
Xu Hai smiled faintly, utterly composed and brimming with confidence.
“Could it be Xu-san has other plans in place?” Ryūzōji Takaakira’s eyes lit up as he turned excitedly to Xu Hai.
“Just watch the show.”
Xu Hai’s face wore a mysterious, utterly assured expression.
Inside the city, the soldiers who had retaken the gate slumped to the ground, faces pale with lingering fear. That fight had been far too dangerous. Had they arrived even moments later, the gates would have been lost. If more pirates had forced their way in, even full armour might not have been enough to wrest control back. The pirates were simply too ferocious, too savage, too skilled in battle.
“Brothers, well done! You seized back the gate and performed a great service. His Excellency the Prefect has already recorded your merit. I have been sent on his orders to reinforce the gate. Leave it to us now; you go to the rear, treat your wounds, and rest.”
A hundred-household commander named Wei led several hundred troops over, clasped his fist in salute to the gate-recapturing soldiers, then produced an official document bearing a bright red seal. He displayed it openly for dozens of seconds before tucking it back inside his armour.
“So it is Hundred-Household Wei. Many thanks for bringing the lads to reinforce us. In that last fight we lost many brothers and have many more wounded who urgently need treatment. We will not stand on ceremony then.”
The soldiers who had retaken the gate knew Wei. There were only a handful of hundred-household commanders in the city, and Wei was a favourite of the Prefect. Most troops in the city knew his name, and many had seen his face.
More than sixty of the gate defenders had died, and dozens more were wounded. They desperately needed medical care and rest.
Now that Hundred-Household Wei had arrived with reinforcements and told them to withdraw for treatment, they naturally agreed with both hands.
The gate defenders lifted their fallen comrades and supported the wounded as they headed out of the gate tunnel.
“Brothers, you have all worked hard.” Wei nodded to them in acknowledgement, then turned to his own men. “Quickly help carry the dead and support the wounded. We are all brothers; we help each other today and rely on each other tomorrow.”
His troops obeyed at once and enthusiastically stepped forward to assist, lifting bodies and supporting the injured.
“Thank you, Hundred-Household Wei, for your consideration. Thank you, brothers, for lending a hand.”
The exhausted gate defenders expressed their gratitude repeatedly. They had just fought for their lives and were physically and mentally drained. Having others help carry the dead and wounded moved them deeply, and they thanked Wei and his men again and again.
“No need for thanks between brothers. Helping each other is only natural,” Wei replied with a warm smile and a wave of his hand.
“Exactly, we’re all brothers here. No need to be polite. Today we help you; tomorrow you help us.”
“You’ve just been through a hard fight. You deserve proper rest. Leave carrying and supporting to us.”
Wei’s soldiers were exceptionally warm and eager, crowding forward to help lift and support.
“Thank you, thank you.”
The gate defenders thanked each helper who came forward, deeply touched.
