Di Ming

Chapter 64 Reinforcements
The soldier closest to the enemy was stunned as he watched his leader being stabbed in the throat by Ding Hongying.

This scene was completely unexpected for him.

this…?
Before he could react and had even raised his weapon, Ding Hongying's second slash was aimed at his neck.

His speed surpassed his, and his movements were as cunning as a snake, resembling the stabbing technique of a 'jumping knife'.

This is a sword technique that Qi Jiguang acquired after mastering the "Xinyou Sword Technique." It allows him to harness the power of his entire body to thrust forward like an arrow, even faster than a direct thrust.

This sword technique has a fixed starting stance, but this stance is rather subtle, appearing similar to a casual sword-holding motion, which is quite deceptive.

"Thud—" Before the soldier could parry, Ding Hongying's long sword pierced his neck.

Only then did the remaining three armored soldiers roar and charge forward with their swords.

"Clang clang..."

"Kill! Die!"

The clang of metal clashing, mixed with shouts, filled the hall, instantly transforming it into a scene of flashing swords.

The three knew that by following their leader in this rebellion, they had no way out.

They could only survive by killing Ding Huogen and his daughter and then seeking refuge with Matsuura Tadanobu. Being a true pirate still meant a life of luxury.

Ding Hongying was only fourteen years old and, being a woman, lacked strength. However, her knife was narrow and light, and she moved with agility and speed. With both hands wielding the knife, her movements were impenetrable.

Moreover, they fought and retreated, changing their footwork to ensure they never gave the three a chance to encircle them.

This is the key to dealing with sieges: never be surrounded by more than two people at the same time.

In terms of footwork, as long as you can avoid being attacked by two or more people at the same time, you can deal with a group of enemies.

At this moment, the three armored soldiers attacked her together, but they were unable to defeat her, because they could not surround her no matter what they did.

It appears as if three people are wielding knives together, but she constantly changes position, so she can actually only deal with a maximum of two people at a time.

The woman's long sword moved like the wind, and her defenses were impeccable. She also had many deceptive tricks up her sleeve, so the three men were unsure of her true intentions and dared not advance rashly.

It was obvious that Ding Hongying's swordsmanship and footwork were far superior to those of the three armored soldiers.

Suddenly, the three of them found themselves in grave danger.

"You two attack her! I'll shoot the arrows!" one of them shouted, about to withdraw from the siege.

He wanted to stand aside and fire arrows, assisting his comrade who was wielding a knife. This was indeed a good tactic.

However, before he could finish speaking, there was a "thud" sound, and one of the soldiers, who was unprotected, was stabbed in the face, screamed and fell backward.

The knife pierced his eye socket, and he was already dead; all he could do was let out a final scream.

With only two enemies remaining, Ding Hongying showed no fear. The two armored soldiers, however, had lost their nerve.

"Pfft-"

Another soldier's neck spurted blood, his weapon clattered to the ground, and he clutched his neck, which he couldn't stop bleeding. He slowly knelt on the ground, his eyes staring in vain, his mouth wide open, desperately trying to breathe.

"Miss, spare my life!" The last man, terrified, knelt down with a thud. "I surrender! Miss..."

"Thud—" Ding Hongying plunged a knife into his neck, and at the same time pulled the knife out, kicked out.

"Colluding with Japanese pirates, betraying Daishan, plotting to murder their commander, they are unrighteous and inhumane, kill them!"

Ding Hongying was panting heavily, and sweat was already beading on her forehead.

She was only fourteen years old after all, and killing several people in a row naturally left her exhausted.

Ding Huogen was stunned as he looked at his daughter, who was displaying such great power.

This isn't just for show, it's not bragging, she really can take on ten men? Has her Xinyou sword technique reached its peak?

After all this time, it turns out I was just prejudiced and underestimated my daughter?

Alas, even one's own daughter can be misjudged, let alone Liu Lianfeng?
No, no, it's not unfair!

Ding Huogen suddenly remembered what Marshal Qi had told him years ago:
"Li Yang, you are a talented general, and even I am no match for your naval skills. It is a pity that you lack the ability to recognize talent and are easily plotted against by villains. You are more than capable as a general, but not enough to be a commander."

Looking back now, that assessment was truly apt.

Qi Shuai really knows me.

Ding Hongying's mother and aunt were also stunned. They knew that this girl had loved martial arts since she was a child, but they never expected that she could kill several armored soldiers!

"Father, how are you?" Ding Hongying finally had time to check her father's wounds, and her face turned pale upon seeing them.

The arrowhead pierced deep into the shoulder blade, which was fine, but not fatal. However, the color around the wound was off.

“It’s a poisoned arrow, coated with arrow poison and snake venom…” Ding Huogen said with difficulty. “I’m beyond saving. The poison has seeped into my marrow, even Hua Tuo is helpless.”

“Husband…” Madam Ding and her aunt were in tears, completely distraught.

Ding Hongying gritted her teeth, "Father will be fine! Father has survived countless brushes with death, one more won't make a difference!"

Ding Huogen felt half of his body go numb, and he gave a bitter laugh:

"It was Marshal Qi who saved me back then, which is why I lived for more than 20 years, and was able to have my family and the Daishan we have today."

"But this time, Commander Qi is not here to save me. Life is unpredictable, so what is there to fear in death? It is only hateful to die at the hands of villains, to die because they are blind to my true nature."

"Cough cough..."

“Hongying, quickly take my command token and go to the shore to see your Uncle Zhang. Tell him to take over as the master of Daishan.”

"The 4,800 soldiers and civilians of Daishan are entrusted to him. He will naturally take care of you... cough cough!"

“Father…” Ding Hongying’s heart was breaking.

"Go quickly! With a formidable enemy at hand, we cannot afford to be leaderless!"

"Yes!" Ding Hongying didn't hesitate any longer, took the command token and rushed out the door.

"Husband!" Madam Ding cried out as she saw that her husband was paralyzed on one side.

Her son died at the hands of Japanese pirates, and now her husband is about to be killed by spies who colluded with the pirates.

……

The Daishan army, which was deployed on the shore, was extremely anxious as they watched the enemy troops about to land, but their commander, Ding Huogen, had not yet appeared.

Why hasn't the general arrived? What happened? The Japanese pirate warships are about to attack! Garrison Commander Zhang Jia could only relay the order: "The general is currently evacuating the sea people and will arrive immediately. For now, all are under my command!"

"Order the warships to be dispatched. Half the men should board the ships, and the other half should remain on shore to operate the cannons. This will be a combined sea and land defense!"

Just as the order was given, Ding Hongying rode up on horseback.

"Uncle Zhang!" Ding Hongying presented the command token, her expression unchanged. "My father fell off his horse in a moment of panic and injured his leg. He will be temporarily in command of the troops, Uncle!"

Zhang Qi was slightly relieved, but when he saw the enemy's seven large ships approaching menacingly, his expression became extremely solemn.

This battle will be tough!

……

On Qushan Island, on the Rooster Crest Terrace, the lights are as bright as day.

Several people were climbing the high platform of the water village to look into the distance.

The man in the center is short and sturdy, wearing a kimono and wooden clogs, with a katana at his waist; it is none other than Matsuura Tadanobu.

Beside him stood a scholar in a white robe, none other than Li Dan.

There was another person, Tian Guisheng, the owner of Qushan Island.

This time, the four-party allied army consisted of 1,400 armored soldiers. Apart from the sixty-year-old Flower Buddha Shi Yongzhen, the other three leaders had all gathered here.

Of course, it was definitely led by the Japanese samurai, Matsuura Tadanobu.

Not only did Matsuura Tadanobu send out the most troops, but almost all of his more than 300 Japanese soldiers also came out.

At this time, all seven warships of the allied forces had set sail, heading straight for Daishan Island, which was five miles away.

There were 1,400 armored soldiers, including more than 300 archers and more than 300 musketeers.

The ship was equipped with fifty or sixty cannons of various kinds, making it quite luxurious. There were as many as twelve cannons weighing over a thousand catties.

According to the secrets leaked by Liu Lianfeng, Daishan Island only had 29 cannons, and only 7 of them were cannons weighing over 1,000 jin (approximately 500 kg).

With Ding Huogen's waterway tactics already leaked and him possibly assassinated by Liu Lianfeng, the advantage in this battle is entirely in my hands!
Despite their confidence, the three island lords, including Matsuura, did not personally lead the expedition but instead remained at Jiguantai, five miles away from the battlefield.

Since the advent of artillery in naval warfare, commanders have rarely been on the front lines, instead directing and supervising battles from the rear.

It's not that I'm afraid of death, but for the sake of the bigger picture.

Because artillery shells have no eyes. The power and range of artillery shells far exceed those of bows and arrows. If the commander-in-chief is hit by an artillery shell, what will happen if the army is leaderless?
Therefore, Matsuura Tadanobu and the other two did not rush off to personally lead their troops.

At this moment, seeing the fleet sail away, Matsuura Tadanobu looked at the bright moon and was inspired to write a poem. He waved his folding fan and recited a waka poem:

"The bright moon shines on the vast sea, and my heart longs to return. The sails are scattered, and the autumn wind lingers. Alas, the warrior's dream lies in the verdant hills."

After finishing his song, Tadanobu Matsuura said self-satisfiedly:

"Li Jun, Tian Jun, life is short, but the dream of heroism is long. We still need to work together and, like Guan Yu and Yue Fei, sacrifice ourselves for a heroic cause."

The Japanese revere tragic heroes, and even deeply love them.

They believe that sorrow is the source of strength and the flower of ultimate beauty. Their appreciation of sorrow is deeply ingrained.

Xiang Yu, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, and Yue Fei are all tragic heroes who hold extremely high status in Japan and are the spiritual idols of samurai. The samurai grand festival invariably includes the worship of Xiang Yu, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, and Yue Fei.

In the eyes of the Japanese, Xiang Yu was the epitome of bravery, Zhuge Liang the epitome of wisdom, Guan Yu the epitome of righteousness, and Yue Fei the epitome of loyalty.

The samurai's ideals of "wisdom, courage, loyalty, and righteousness" are all embodied here.

As for Jin... sorry, that has nothing to do with samurai.

Therefore, Matsuura Tadanobu's words sounded utterly absurd to Li Dan and Tian Guisheng. But to Matsuura himself, they were perfectly normal.

Li Dan rolled his eyes, too lazy to bother with him.

Tian Guisheng flattered, "The ship owner's words are truly those of a hero, and his heart is that of a great man. I admire him greatly."

Just as Matsuura Tadanobu was about to speak, he suddenly saw a familiar medium-sized sand barge sailing towards them under the bright moon.

"Where did this ship come from?" Li Dan frowned and ordered his personal guards to be on guard.

They are in the rear, with only about a hundred personal guards around them, without a large army to protect them, so they need to be careful.

“It’s Mr. Cai.” Matsuura Tadanobu chuckled. “He’s been a regular customer for several years, and I know his ship. Hmm, his goods should be delivered by now.”

Cai Mazi's boat is easy to recognize; its shape is somewhat distinctive. Anyone familiar with it can spot it at a glance.

And by all accounts, Cai Mazi should indeed be here by now.

Once his dozens of Ming slaves arrive, he can gather enough to transport four hundred slaves back to Japan.

“It’s Old Cai’s boat.” Tian Guisheng recognized it too. “Whenever Cai Mazi passes through this area, he usually comes to my island to gamble a few rounds.”

Both Matsuura Tadanobu and Tian Guisheng claimed it was Cai Mazi's ship, so Li Dan lowered his guard.

As soon as the island lord Tian Guisheng raised his flag, the pirates on guard did not stop him and allowed the ship to sail towards Jiguantai.

...

Inside the human traffickers' cabin, Qi Jiguang and Lancha had already taken out the hardest bow.

Niman and Meh, both wearing padded armor, were in charge of maneuvering the sails. The helmsman, Jin Yunniang, took over.

Because of his short stature, Zhu Yin hid behind the gunwale and said:

"Twenty zhang, eighteen zhang, fifteen zhang... At the highest point of the water platform, there are three people standing. The one in the middle must be a Japanese pirate. They have no sense of vigilance."

"Ten zhang, we've entered the blind spot of the cannons."

As soon as Zhu Yin finished speaking, Qi Jiguang and Lan Cha suddenly jumped out of the cabin and aimed at the two people on the water platform ten feet away.

"Whizzing!"

Both Qi Jiguang and Lancha were excellent archers, and both could draw a bow with a draw weight of more than two stones.

With only ten zhang between them and no one on guard, Matsuura Tadanobu and Tadashi Takao, illuminated by the lanterns, had absolutely no chance of escaping unscathed.

As soon as the bowstring snapped, on the water platform ten zhang away, Matsuura Tadanobu and Da Takao were struck in the face by an arrow and fell backward!
P.S.: Tomorrow's reading is the most important... There are no more recommended resources left, and the book has been off the new book list for a month. I can only rely on word-of-mouth recommendations. Thank you, goodnight.

(End of this chapter)