Ming Dynasty: He was ordered to give lectures in prison, but Lao Zhu eavesdropped and made people nu

Chapter 696: Ming Tactics to Suppress Japanese Pirates
In the tent of the Ningbo Front Command, General Hu Guang was leaning over a huge coastal defense map, his finger slowly moving along the coastline. Outside the tent came the sound of waves hitting the shore, intertwined with the shouts of soldiers training in the camp. The general in his early forties had a resolute face, his brows were engraved with the traces of years of fighting, and his eagle eyes were piercing.

"Report--" A messenger lifted the curtain and walked in quickly, kneeling on one knee, "General, scouts have discovered a fleet of Japanese pirates on the sea thirty miles away, about twenty ships, heading towards Ningbo."

Hu Guang stood up straight, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes. He turned to the deputy general Zhang Yong standing beside him and said, "As expected, this group of Japanese pirates wanted to rob the granary just after the autumn harvest." He pointed to a bay on the map and said, "Send the order to the Shenji Camp to ambush at Yingzui Cliff as planned. When the Japanese pirates come ashore, they will fire at my command."

"I obey your command!" Zhang Yong clasped his fists and accepted the order, then turned around and strode out of the tent.

Hu Guang walked out of the tent and saw several black spots in the distance where the sea and sky met. He took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze and tightened his sword at his waist. Since the third year of Hongwu, Japanese pirates have been constantly invading the southeast coast, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil. As the chief general appointed by Zhu Yuanzhang to fight against the Japanese pirates, Hu Guang knew that this battle was of great importance.

"General, all the battalions are in place as planned." Staff officer Li Yan came quickly to report, "The artillery of the Shenji Battalion has been debugged, and the cavalry battalion is lying in ambush on both sides of the woods, waiting for the Japanese pirates to fall into the trap."

Hu Guang nodded, his eyes burning with anger: "Tell the soldiers, today we will make sure the Japanese pirates never return!"

On the sea, more than 20 Japanese pirate warships were sailing through the waves. On the leading flagship, the Japanese pirate leader Yamamoto Musashi stood at the bow, greedily looking at the approaching coastline. This warrior with a face full of flesh was wearing simple armor and had two Japanese swords of different lengths on his waist.

"Lord Yamamoto, Ningbo is just ahead." A one-eyed ronin reported flatteringly, "I heard that the granaries there are full of newly harvested rice, as well as silk and porcelain."

Yamamoto Musashi drew his sword with a fierce smile: "The people of the Ming Dynasty are weak and can be bullied. Today we will not only rob food, but also take some slaves back! Let the men prepare to go ashore. As usual, kill anyone you see and burn any house you see!"

The Japanese pirate fleet gradually approached the coast. After confirming that there were no Ming army guarding the area, hundreds of Japanese pirates cheered and jumped off the boat, waving all kinds of weapons and rushing towards the fishing village on the shore. However, when they rushed into the village, they found that there was no one there, not even a chicken or a dog.

"Something's wrong," Yamamoto Musashi frowned, and suddenly heard a low horn sound coming from a distance.

"Boom--" A deafening roar broke the brief silence, followed by a series of explosions. A huge fireball fell from the sky and landed among the Japanese pirates, instantly blowing more than a dozen of them to pieces.

"It's a punishment from heaven! The Ming people have some magic!" The Japanese pirates were terrified and in chaos. They had never seen such a terrible weapon before - the "Thunder Cannon" newly developed by the Ming army was used in actual combat for the first time. The iron shells were filled with gunpowder and exploded as soon as they hit the ground, with amazing power.

Hu Guang stood on the command platform on the Eagle's Beak Cliff, observing the battlefield calmly. Seeing the Japanese pirates in chaos, he raised the red flag: "Shenjiying, second round of volleys!"

Another round of deafening cannon fire, more fireballs whizzed towards the pirates. This time the shells landed near the pirate fleet, two warships were directly hit, wood chips flew everywhere, and flames shot up into the sky.

"Cavalry attack!" Hu Guang changed the blue flag. The Ming cavalry ambushed in the woods on both sides surged out like a tide, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and the long spears flashed coldly in the sun.

The Japanese pirates were completely panicked, some knelt down and begged for mercy, while others turned and fled. Yamamoto Musashi tried to organize a resistance with all his might, but facing the charge of the Ming army's iron cavalry, the Japanese pirates' formation collapsed instantly.

"The general has a brilliant plan!" Li Yan said excitedly, "The Japanese pirates have been completely defeated!"

Hu Guang shook his head: "No, this is just the beginning. Pass the order down, according to the strategy of 'surround three sides and leave one side open', deliberately leave a gap in the east, and force the Japanese pirates to flee to the swamp."

The battle situation was just as Hu Guang expected. Seeing that there were no Ming troops blocking them in the east, the Japanese pirates fled there one after another. Little did they know that beneath the seemingly peaceful grassland was a bottomless swamp. Soon, the Japanese pirates running in the front fell into the quagmire, and the more they struggled, the faster they sank. "Help!" Screams came one after another, and the Japanese pirates behind them could not stop and fell into the swamp one after another. Seeing that the situation was not good, Yamamoto Musashi turned to the north with dozens of his confidants to break out.

Hu Guang saw this scene through the telescope and immediately ordered: "Zhang Yong, bring a team of elite soldiers to follow me! We must not let the bandit leader escape!"

Hu Guang personally led 300 elite soldiers to chase in the direction of Yamamoto Musashi's escape. They passed through a bamboo forest and finally intercepted the remaining enemy in an open area.

"General Hu Guang of the Ming Dynasty is here! The Japanese pirates shall die!" Hu Guang shouted loudly and rode his horse straight to Yamamoto Musashi.

Seeing that his retreat was cut off, Yamamoto Musashi became ferocious and drew his two swords to fight. The two men clashed in front of the battle formation, with swords flashing and sparks flying. Hu Guang's swordsmanship was steady and powerful, and his moves were directed at the vital points; Yamamoto was flexible and varied, and his two swords cooperated in a cunning way.

"Ming people, do you think you win like this?" Yamamoto Musashi grinned and suddenly shot out a hidden weapon from his sleeve.

Hu Guang was prepared, dodged sideways, and stabbed Yamamoto in the shoulder with his backhanded sword. The pirate leader cried out in pain and staggered back. Hu Guang seized the opportunity, rode forward, and cut off Yamamoto Musashi's head with a sword.

"The leader of the bandits has been killed! The rest will be spared if you surrender!" Hu Guang held up Yamamoto's head. Seeing that their leader was dead, the remaining pirates knelt down and surrendered.

As the sun sets, the smoke on the battlefield gradually dissipates. The Ming soldiers begin to clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and take prisoners. Hu Guang stands on a high place, looking at the land that has just experienced the baptism of blood and fire, feeling both relieved and heavy in his heart.

"General, we won a great victory!" Zhang Yong ran over to report excitedly, "We beheaded more than 400 people and captured more than 200 people. Only a few Japanese pirates escaped by boat. Our casualties were less than 100!"

Hu Guang nodded and said: "Send a fast horse to Nanjing as soon as possible to report the victory. In addition, interrogate the prisoners carefully and make sure to find out the location of the Japanese pirates' lair."

That night, the lights in Ningbo were bright, and the people spontaneously rewarded the soldiers. However, Hu Guang was in the camp discussing the next move with his generals.

"According to the prisoners' confessions, the Japanese pirates mainly occupied Tsushima Island and Iki Island." Li Yan pointed to the sea chart and said, "The reason why they were able to succeed repeatedly is because we were always on the defensive."

Hu Guang pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up and said, "In this case, we will take the initiative to attack! Pass my order to reorganize the navy and prepare to cross the sea to attack the Japanese pirates' lair!"

All the generals were excited when they heard this. Zhang Yong said excitedly: "General, it should have been done long ago! Let those Japanese pirates also have a taste of what it feels like to have their homes destroyed!"

At the same time, in the Nanjing Imperial Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang was reviewing memorials. When the military report of the Ningbo victory was delivered to him, the founding emperor was very pleased.

"Good! Hu Guang is worthy of being my loyal minister!" Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and walked to the huge map hanging in the center of the hall. "Issue an order to appoint Hu Guang as the general to fight against the Japanese pirates, commanding a 50,000-man army and sea, and must completely wipe out the Japanese pirates!"

(End of this chapter)