I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 218 Encountering and Killing Japanese Pirates, Until All of Qi's troops are Killed or All the Japanese Pirates are Brought to Justice
Several days later, thirty miles west of Taizhou City.

One hundred grooms led two hundred Yunnan horses slowly forward. The felt bags on the horses were bulging, filled with the finest Suzhou and Hangzhou silks.

High-quality silk was a hard currency in the Ming Dynasty, let alone overseas.
It is said that in the mid-Jiajing period, a viscount from Sibania dispatched eight large sailing ships to the East. The fleet stopped in Japan and purchased four thousand bolts of smuggled silk from the Ming Dynasty.

The fleet commander was very experienced. Instead of loading the four thousand bolts of silk onto one ship, he distributed them across eight large sailing ships, each carrying five hundred bolts.

On their way back home, they encountered a great storm, and seven of their eight large sailing ships sank.

Logically speaking, with seven out of eight ships sunk, only five hundred of the four thousand bolts of silk purchased at a high price reached the port of Barcelona. That viscount must have lost so much he wouldn't even recognize his own mother.

However, it does not.

The viscount sold five hundred bolts of silk. After deducting the cost of the lost seven large sailing ships, he still made a profit of two times the initial investment.

In Europe, Ming Dynasty silk was equivalent to gold. European nobles, both high and low, who relieved themselves anywhere in the palace, regarded silk as a symbol of status and dignity.

Of course, Ming Dynasty tea, porcelain, and all other goods also sold well in Europe.

It was the strong demand from Europeans for Ming Dynasty goods that created the entire commercial chain of Ming Dynasty smugglers – Japanese pirates – European ocean-going fleets.

But the Japanese pirates were inherently beasts, morally bankrupt and devoid of any semblance of civilization. They believed that robbery was a faster way to make money than buying.

Thus, these beasts began small-scale raids along the coast during the Yongle era, which escalated into large-scale Japanese pirate raids during the Jiajing era.

Closer to home.

The head groom suddenly noticed a group of people dressed in strange clothes and carrying muskets, knives, guns, and bows and arrows in front of him.

One of the leaders seemed to have a pot lid on his head with two cow horns on it, and he was holding a large honey-sucking fan (a symbol of the legion).

The groom shouted, "Oh no! Japanese pirates! Folks, fire the cannons!"

Lin Shisan had previously instructed them to flee immediately upon encountering Japanese pirates and not to worry about the goods on horseback.

The Japanese pirates were indeed beasts. The unarmed grooms had already abandoned their horses and goods. Even the most despicable bandits of the Ming Dynasty only sought wealth, not murder.

The Japanese pirates, however, took pleasure in killing.

This group of Japanese pirates numbered about five hundred, and their leader was named Takato Ichiro.

Takato Ichiro was originally just a foot soldier in Japan, a cannon fodder. His arrival in the Ming Dynasty, where he burned, killed, and looted, transformed him into a pirate leader with five hundred men under his command.

This fellow actually imitated the Japanese feudal lords and daimyo, creating a fan for his army.

The little bastard waved his legionary fan and commanded, "Musketeers and bows and arrows, shoot!"

"Bang bang bang," "whoosh whoosh whoosh," gunshots and arrows flew toward the unarmed grooms, and more than a dozen unlucky grooms were shot dead on the spot.

Takato Ichiro led a group of Japanese pirates to the two hundred Yunnan horses. He hurriedly used his Japanese sword to cut open the tarpaulin bags.

Five brand-new bolts of Suzhou and Hangzhou silk immediately slid out of the tarpaulin bag.

Takato Ichiro was overjoyed: "Yoshi! Don't rush me!"

If you cut open the lintel bag on the other side of the Yunnan horse, you'll find it still contains top-quality silk.

The little bastards ripped open the tarpaulin bags on the other Yunnan horses, and they were all filled with top-quality silk!
These two thousand bolts of silk were enough for Takato Ichiro to claim a small piece of land in Japan, build a tiny city the size of a booger, and become a lord.

Takato Ichiro's eyes lit up with excitement: "I told you all long ago, come with me to plunder the Ming Dynasty, and you'll be rolling in wealth!"

A little idiot asked, "Takafuji-kun, are we still going to pursue those Ming people?"

Takato Ichiro decisively said, "No, take this batch of silk back to the coast immediately, board the ship and return home! Gentlemen, as long as this batch of silk is successfully transported back to the country, we will all be rich!"

More than 500 little bastards decisively retreated to the coast of Taizhou and boarded three foreign ships.

Takato Ichiro's joy didn't last long.

Not long after they boarded the ship, they encountered the fleet of the notorious Japanese pirate, Mikami Sakatora.

Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp, and shrimp eat gravel.

Mikami Sakatora ordered the interception of Takato Ichiro's three ships and demanded to board them for inspection.

This inspection revealed that Takato Ichiro's ship was carrying two thousand bolts of fine silk from Suzhou and Hangzhou!
Mikami-saka Torato arrested Takato Ichiro and tortured him severely. The torture eventually revealed that the silk had not been purchased from Ming Dynasty smugglers, but rather looted near Taizhou.

Mikami Sakatora was a minor feudal lord in Japan who lost his territory after a defeat in war.

He did indeed have a group of elders, senior officials, officials in charge, and regional leaders. He immediately summoned them for a meeting.

Mikami Sakatora said, "That lucky fool, Takato, managed to seize two thousand bolts of fine silk from the vicinity of Taizhou without lifting a finger. What do you all think?"

The eldest son of the family, Ogawa Ohjiri, spoke first: "This proves that the information we purchased was accurate. These two thousand bolts of fine silk are the evidence."

"The Ming Dynasty does indeed intend to conduct large-scale trade with the Portuguese in Taizhou."

Mikami's subordinate, Nianji, chimed in: "That's right. Our spies in several prefectures in eastern Zhejiang have also sent word that several thousand ponies are transporting a large quantity of goods to Taizhou recently."

Aka, the dark-skinned general under Mikami Sakatora, said, "My lord, let's stop waiting! Let's land in Taizhou! All troops, attack! The treasure worth four million taels of silver is ours!"

Ogawa Hayashiri, however, raised an objection: "As far as I know, Hojo Koji in Nanjing is a bastard who actually sold this important intelligence to more than a dozen factions."

"They will land in Taizhou just the same way. At that time, we will be caught up in a chaotic battle with them!"

Jun Dao Tun Bai offered a plan: "Why not use the Lord's prestige to summon them to discuss and form an alliance to plunder together? After the plunder is successful, we can use our powerful fleet at sea to force them to return the goods."

Mikami Sakatora shouted repeatedly, "Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

It must be said that Mikami Sakatora did indeed wield some influence among the Japanese pirates. Although he couldn't compare to Wang Zhi back then, he was still a formidable figure.

A group of Japanese pirates held a beastly gathering on Chuanhu Island in Zhoushan.

This group of bastards finally agreed to land together in Taizhou and plunder it. After the robbery was successful, the spoils would be distributed according to their troop strength.

The popular novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" from the Ming Dynasty has been introduced to Japan for many years and is regarded as the "number one military book in the world" by the culturally backward Japan.

These idiots even came up with a feint attack.

They chose to anchor their ships at the Xiangshan estuary, then landed at Xifengling, southeast of Fenghua, with their troops pointing directly north of Ninghai. This was merely a feint; their true target was Taizhou.

On April 19th of the 40th year of the Jiajing reign (1561), more than 28,000 Japanese pirates landed at Xifengling in Fenghua.

This was the main force of all the major Japanese pirates along the Zhejiang coast. The remaining few dozen smaller groups of pirates, numbering about ten thousand, were not qualified to land and divide the spoils of Taizhou.

If all 28,000 men are annihilated, the Japanese pirate threat in Zhejiang province can be completely quelled.

Lin Shisan had already completed the Yunnan horse strategy. Instead of returning to Nanjing, he went to Hangzhou.

The Governor-General's Office of Zhejiang and Zhili.

Hu Zongxian, Xu Wei, and Lin Shisan stood in front of a huge map.

Hu Zongxian said, "The Japanese pirates have started playing military tactics with us. They even know how to use feints! Fortunately, we were the ones who threw out the bait, and we know their true intentions."

"Otherwise, we would have really fallen for their trick."

Lin Shisan asked, "How does General Qi plan to respond? Are they going to wait in Taizhou to see if he can win?"

Xu Wei chimed in, "No. General Qi plans to feign cooperation with the Japanese pirates, leading his main force to Ninghai to create the illusion that Taizhou has been caught in a trap and is now undefended." "Once the Japanese pirates lower their guard and attack Taizhou, Qi's troops will return to Taizhou. The original words in Qi's military report are: 'Upon reaching Taizhou, we will kill any Japanese pirates we encounter, until all of Qi's troops are wiped out or all the Japanese pirates are brought to justice!'"

Lin Shisan exclaimed in admiration, "What a spirit!"

Hu Zongxian walked away from the map and said to Xu Wei, "Find me a copy of Wen Cheng Gong's 'Instructions for Practical Living.' I want to study in seclusion. No one is allowed to enter my study without important military reports."

Hu Zongxian spent several years creating all the conditions for Qi Jiguang to win the battles. Next, Hu Zongxian will completely delegate command to Qi Jiguang.

It all depends on Qi Jiguang!
Xu Wei and Lin Shisan left the study and went to the living room to drink tea and chat.

Xu Wei was an eccentric scholar who spoke his mind: "If everything goes smoothly this time, the main force of the Japanese pirates along the Zhejiang coast will be annihilated. The remaining small groups of Japanese pirates are not a concern."

"The major Japanese pirates have all died in Taizhou. The smaller pirates may turn to raid Fujian. But that is not a concern. The Japanese pirates will be wiped out in just one or two years."

"The day the Japanese pirates are completely quelled in a year or two will be the day Hu Zongxian is put in shackles and goes to Beijing to face his death!"

Lin Shisan replied, "No, that won't happen. If the Japanese pirates are quelled, Minister Hu will be the greatest contributor to the fight against them. Even if the Yan faction falls, His Majesty will definitely retain Minister Hu."

Xu Wei gave a wry smile: "I'll teach you three things. First: Don't underestimate the shamelessness of scholars."

"Secondly: Do not underestimate the ignorance of the common people."

"Third point: Never underestimate the cruelty of the imperial court."

"After the Japanese pirates were quelled, the court could not tolerate the meritorious official Hu Zongxian. All the important figures in the court needed was a disgraced official like Hu Zongxian!"

"Alas, what I admire most about Ruzhen is that he is willing to do what he knows is impossible for the sake of the people."

"Knowing full well that he would die after suppressing the Japanese pirates, he still devoted all his energy to suppressing them."

"Ruzhen once told me that everyone has their own value in this world. His only value in this world is to quell the Japanese pirates in the southeast for the Ming Dynasty!"

Xu Wei's words were truly thought-provoking.

Lin Shisan was deeply shocked but remained silent.

Say what?

What kind of court is this! Loyal and capable ministers who truly served the country could not escape the fate of being trapped in an unpredictable situation.

Factional strife, moral injustice, and the reversal of right and wrong—what use is such a court, with so many loyal ministers and generals protecting it?

After a moment, Lin Shisan comforted himself: Perhaps, those loyal ministers and generals were not protecting the corrupt court, but the lives of the people of the Ming Dynasty!
From the moment the Japanese pirates landed on April 19th, for five whole days, Hu Zongxian did not step out of his study. Only his servants entered three times a day to bring him white porridge and pickled vegetables, and to change his chamber pot.

April 23, Ninghai. Qi Jiguang's main camp.

The Japanese pirates' temporary camp was just ten miles away.

On his way back to Taizhou, Qi Jiguang and his troops encountered this group of 3,000 Japanese pirates. The two sides decided to set up camp and prepare for battle on the spot.

Qi Jiguang summoned his three thousand soldiers and addressed them. He pointed towards the direction of the Japanese pirate camp: "Gentlemen, the Japanese pirates are right there!"

From then on, "The Japanese pirates are there" became the most concise, effective, and solemn pre-battle mobilization phrase for Qi Jiguang's army.

Even years after Qi Jiguang's death, these words still echoed along the Yalu River and soared into the clouds above Changbai Mountain. Of course, that's a story for later.

Two days later, a fast horse galloped into Hangzhou.

The red-feathered messenger on horseback shouted: "Great victory! Great victory! Great victory at Ninghai!"

The red-feathered messenger galloped all the way to the Governor-General's residence in Zhejiang and Zhili.

Hu Zongxian was in his study, repeatedly reading Yangming's "Instructions for Practical Living." Just then, he heard a loud shout: "Great Victory at Ninghai!"

Hu Zongxian pushed open the door. He saw hundreds of officials and clerks from the Zhejiang-Zhili Governor's Office kneeling in a row.

Xu Wei announced loudly, "Reporting to Minister Hu, a victory has arrived from Ninghai. On the 23rd of this month, Qi Jiguang's troops encountered the Japanese pirate group Honda Naotaka in Ninghai on their return journey and annihilated more than 3,000 of Honda Naotaka's men!"

Lin Shisan keenly noticed that Hu Zongxian showed no excitement whatsoever upon hearing the good news.

Hu Zongxian anxiously asked Xu Wei, "What about casualties? How many men did Qi's troops lose?"

The Japanese pirates who landed numbered 28,000, while Qi Jiguang's troops numbered only 3,000. Although the Battle of Ninghai was won, a Pyrrhic victory would have made little difference to the defeat.

Xu Wei replied, "Reporting to Minister Hu, Qi's troops suffered two dead and four seriously wounded in battle."

Hu Zongxian was utterly astonished and nearly fell over.

Lin Shisan was quick-witted and caught Hu Zongxian.

Hu Zongxian asked, "How much? Say it again!"

Xu Wei's tone betrayed his excitement: "Two of Qi's troops were killed in battle, and four were seriously wounded."

Qi Jiguang and his Zhejiang troops represent the pinnacle of casualty ratio and victory rate in the history of Chinese warfare.

In terms of casualty ratio, Qi Jiguang's troops often achieved a terrifying ratio of one to one hundred.

In terms of victory rate, since Qi Jiguang recruited soldiers and built an army in Yiwu, he fought more than a hundred battles, large and small, on land and water over more than ten years and never suffered a defeat.

In the entire history of China, Qi Jiguang was an exceptional figure as a general.

Getting back to the main point, Hu Zongxian fainted.

Years of relentless toil caused him to suffer from liver yang hyperactivity and blood qi instability. Even Li Shizhen, a renowned physician, was helpless in treating Hu Zongxian's illness.

Lin Shisan quickly pinched his philtrum and fed him water.

Hu Zongxian recovered: "Say it again, casualties in Qi's troops?"

Lin Shisan said from the side, "My Minister Hu, Commander Qi has won a great victory. Two were killed and four were seriously wounded. Three thousand Japanese pirates were wiped out!"

Hu Zongxian exclaimed in admiration, "Qi Jiguang is truly a divine general!"

In the days that followed, good news kept pouring in.

The Great Victory at Taozhu!

A resounding victory in the jumping event!

A great victory at Xinhe!

A resounding victory on Flower Street!

Great victory in Daejeon!

A resounding victory at Lishui!

Great victory at Chuzhou!

The superiors have achieved a great victory!
Qi Jiguang's troops won nine battles in nine battles near Taizhou, which is known in history as the "Great Victory of Taizhou"!
On the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign (1551), the news of victory delivered by the Red-feathered messenger once again resounded throughout Hangzhou.

Of the 28,000 Japanese pirates who landed in Taizhou, 25,000 were annihilated. The remaining enemy forces retreated to the sea, where they were intercepted by the naval forces of Lu Tang and Tang Yaochen. Countless others drowned.

A great achievement for all ages!

(End of this chapter)