The rearguard Japanese pirates stared at the tightly shut city gates, plunging into despair and madness. Xu Hai’s promises had all become a joke. Bullshit about withdrawing into the city in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. The gates were closed. How the hell were they supposed to withdraw into the city!!
The hundred taels of silver and women that Xu Hai had promised were even more utter nonsense!
Faithless and unrighteous, may he die a horrible death. Crossing the river and tearing down the bridge, may he die a horrible death. The rearguard pirates cursed wildly in despair and frenzy.
They frantically rammed the city gates, smashing until their heads were broken and bleeding. They hacked at the gates with their swords until the blades were curled and chipped. They cursed madly, begged, wailed until their voices were hoarse. They tried every means possible, but it was all in vain.
The city gates remained tightly shut, still tightly shut.
“We’re dead, dead. We’re going to die. We’re done for!”
“That bastard Xu Hai betrayed us. He shut us out of the city, giving us no way to live. The damned soldiers won’t give us a way to live either. No one will give us a way to live. If we’re going to die, we’ll drag someone down with us! Fight the soldiers!”
“Fight! Fight them! The dog soldiers won’t let us live, so we’ll fight them to the death!”
Like cornered beasts, the rearguard pirates bared their teeth and turned around. Their eyes bloodshot, they waved their Japanese swords madly, intending to fight the Zhejiang Army to the bitter end.
They wanted to fight Xu Hai to the death too, but with Xu Hai having closed the city gates, they couldn’t get in. They couldn’t fight him, so they could only fight the Zhejiang Army. After all, the Zhejiang Army was outside the city and wanted their lives.
“No one gives us a way to live, so let’s all die together!”
The rearguard pirates trapped outside the gates waved their Japanese swords and charged madly towards the Zhejiang Army’s formation.
“Pass the order. Shout for them to kneel and surrender, and they will not be killed!”
Seeing the frenzied pirates charging over, Zhu Ping’an quickly ordered the messengers.
Kneel and surrender now, and they would not be killed for the moment. As for later, once all the pirates were captured, they would be tried. According to their crimes, those who deserved death would be executed, those who deserved imprisonment would be jailed. They would not be let off lightly.
“The lord commands: shout that those who kneel and surrender will not be killed!” The messengers swiftly relayed Zhu Ping’an’s order to the front line.
“Those who kneel and surrender will not be killed!”
“Those who kneel and surrender will not be killed!”
“Those who kneel and surrender will not be killed!”
As the Zhejiang Army soldiers advanced in wave-like, orderly formations, they shouted loudly at the pirates charging towards death. The shouts of the Zhejiang Army thundered like thunder, crashing into the pirates’ ears.
“Holy shit?!!! Good heavens, what are the dog soldiers shouting? Kneel and surrender and they won’t kill us?! They’re shouting that those who kneel and surrender won’t be killed! There’s a way to live.”
“We don’t have to die. The soldiers are offering surrender without death. Damn it, let’s surrender. It was that bastard Xu Hai who betrayed us first. He promised that after rearguard for the time of one cup of tea, we could withdraw into the city, but damn him, he betrayed us. While we fought desperately in the rear, he actually closed the gates!”
“He started it, so don’t blame us for finishing it. Surrender. The soldiers have offered no death for surrender. We can live.”
“Surrender, surrender, surrender…”
Hearing the shouts from the Zhejiang Army, the pirates who had been prepared to fight desperately and take one enemy with them discovered there was still a chance to live. Charge the Zhejiang Army formation and be killed, or kneel and surrender and survive. This was not even a choice. There was only one answer. Thud, thud. The pirates threw down their weapons one after another and knelt to surrender.
In an instant, pirates were kneeling all over the ground. Who would choose death when they could live?
“Haha, these pirates look just like crops covering the fields. Hahahaha, it’s harvest time.”
Seeing the rearguard pirates kneeling everywhere, like rice stalks bowing their heads in the cold wind, the Zhejiang Army soldiers could not help bursting into laughter.
Soon, the Zhejiang Army soldiers bound the hands of the kneeling surrendered pirates with ropes, stringing them together in lines.
Zhu Ping’an ordered a count of the captives. In total, this action captured five hundred and sixty-three pirates.
“Escort them to the rear camp and guard them strictly. If there is any unusual movement, attempt to escape, or other improper behaviour, kill without mercy!”
Zhu Ping’an ordered the captives to be taken to the rear camp, assigning a sentry of soldiers to watch them closely, granting them authority to kill without pardon!
“Young master, the gates of Songjiang Prefecture City have been closed by the pirates who withdrew inside. We have no battering ram and cannot break them down. Shall we pile up gunpowder and blow the gates open?” Liu Dagang returned from the gates and reported to Zhu Ping’an.
Zhu Ping’an looked up at the defending troops on the city walls and could not help frowning. Were the Songjiang Prefecture defenders puppets, or had the pirates scared them witless?! There was no longer any movement of pirates inside the gate tunnel, yet the defenders on the walls still dared not come down to open the gates for the Zhejiang Army!
“Shout to the defenders on the walls, order them to come down quickly and open the gates. If they delay the opportunity to pursue the pirates, this official will hold them accountable!”
Zhu Ping’an ordered expressionlessly. “If the defenders on the walls show no response, then pile up gunpowder and blow the gates open!”
“Yes, sir!”
Liu Dagang saluted and accepted the order.
Soon, the Zhejiang Army soldiers shouted up to the defenders on the walls to open the gates. While shouting, they began piling gunpowder at the gate. If the defenders did not open the gates in time, they would blow them open with explosives.
“General, quickly send men down to open the gates and welcome the reinforcements into the city.” One defender on the walls, hearing the shouts, said to the commanding general.
“Are you mad? The pirates are still watching us below. If we dare go down the walls, they will attack the battlements. Can you hold off the pirates’ assault?! If the pirates take the walls, do we have any way to live…”
Someone immediately objected.
“Most of the pirates have gone into the city. Only fewer than a hundred remain at the gates. Open the gates to welcome the reinforcements in, and the reinforcements will annihilate the damned pirates. That is the only way we can be safe. Otherwise, if the reinforcements are kept outside, the pirates in the city will kill us sooner or later.”
“The reinforcements outside are piling gunpowder at the gates. They have shouted that if we do not open the gates, they will have no choice but to blow them open with explosives, and they will hold us accountable for delaying the battle opportunity!”
The defenders on the walls were divided in opinion.
Everyone looked towards the commanding general. After hesitating a moment, the general made his decision. “Open the gates!”
“Brother reinforcements, don’t blow the gates. We are coming down to open them! Don’t blow the gates. We are coming down to open them.” The defenders on the walls hurriedly shouted down to the Zhejiang Army outside. Then a squad of defenders headed down the walls.
The nearby watching pirates made a feint to charge, frightening the descending defenders like startled rabbits. Many soldiers turned and ran back.
“Hahahaha, cowards!”
The watching pirates mocked them for a bit, then turned and withdrew into the city.
Only when they saw the watching pirates leave did the defenders breathe a sigh of relief. They directed the men to hurry down the walls.
Finally, the city gates creaked open.
These cowards had wasted so much time. Garrison troops truly were unfit for battle. Zhu Ping’an frowned in dissatisfaction, then directed the Zhejiang Army to form up and enter the city quickly.
