Di Ming

Chapter 66 Reunion

Upon seeing Matsuura Tadanobu's head, the Japanese pirates' will to fight crumbled.

Of the three Japanese pirate warships, two suffered heavy losses and were still filling with seawater, while only one remained unattacked.

Ignoring the other two ships, the Japanese ship quickly changed its sails and rudder, trying to escape, but it was too late.

The warships from Peach Blossom Island began to besiege the Japanese ship again.

The pirate ships on Qushan Island and the monk-pirate ships on Yangshan Island were completely bewildered.

The pirates on both ships had no idea why Peach Blossom Island would suddenly attack the Japanese.

Wasn't it agreed that it would be a coalition to divide up the population, money, and food of Daishan Island?

Why are they fighting amongst themselves?
Could this be Li Dan's treacherous scheme, colluding with Ding Huogen to work together from the inside and outside?
With this in mind, the pirates on both warships had no intention of continuing the fight, nor of rescuing the Japanese pirates. Instead, they immediately ordered a retreat and return to port.

Zhang Jia and the others on the shore watched this scene in disbelief.

What's going on? This doesn't seem like a performance. The two Japanese ships that were attacked have suffered heavy casualties, are on fire, and are listing.

Could it be that the pirates of Peach Blossom Island had a change of heart and switched sides at the last minute?
But whatever the reason, now is a great opportunity to launch a full-scale attack!

"Uncle!" Ding Hongying exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. "Heaven is helping Mount Dai! It's time to take the initiative!"

Zhang Cha waved his command flag, and the bugle call and drumbeats for boarding the ships and attacking sounded at the same time.

The morale of the Daishan army was immediately boosted.

This moment reveals the quality of the Daishan Army.

Their reaction was swift yet never chaotic. Under the command of their squad leaders and captains, the soldiers quickly boarded the ships, and the heavy cannons were pulled up and pushed down the slides, quickly getting onto the ships.

By the time the three warships from Daishan Island set sail, the two enemy ships had already escaped two miles away.

The Daishan army's sailing skills were far superior to those of the two enemy ships. The sailors were able to maneuver the sails flexibly according to changes in the sea wind, making the most of the wind power.

Therefore, the three warships were faster than the fleeing ships, and the distance gradually closed until they were within the range of the artillery fire.

For a navy, the ability to handle sails and helm is a very important component of its combat strength.

The ability to adjust sails and rudder flexibly, quickly, accurately, and correctly results in higher speed and greater maneuverability.

Ding Huogen was a genius at "adapting to changing circumstances." The Daishan pirates he trained were the strongest naval force in Zhoushan.

"Boom!" The three warships opened fire at the same time, concentrating their firepower on the monk pirates' "Buddha ship".

The artillery skills of the Daishan soldiers were already far superior to those of the monk bandits, and with three against one, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

The three ships concentrated their firepower, and the "Buddha ship" was quickly hit, from which the screams of the "monks" could be heard.

When the distance closed to half a mile, the monks and bandits on the Buddhist boat suffered heavy losses, and the "Buddha boat" began to take on water and the canvas caught fire.

The cannons of Daishan were far less powerful than the cannons of the Westerners, and they were not designed to deal with Western sailing warships. However, they still posed a significant threat to Eastern warships.

Seeing the "Buddha Ship" tilting and the remaining monks and bandits chanting sutras on board, Zhang Jia didn't bother to stop and directly pursued the Qushan pirates' warship.

They quickly caught up with the Qushan pirates, and the three warships lined up again to bombard the Qushan pirates' warships together.

After several rounds of bombardment, the masts and sails of the Qushan warships caught fire, and seawater poured in. Seeing that the island was not far away, many pirates simply took off their padded armor and jumped into the sea.

Arrows rained down from the Daishan warships, striking the pirates in the water who had lost their armor.

Zhang Cha ordered, "Before the two enemy ships sink, immediately board them and seize their cannons, armor, and weapons!"

The messenger signaled with flags, and the two warships approached the enemy ship that had not yet sunk. They quickly built the bridge, hooked the two ships together, and, braving the flames on the ship, went to move the enemy's cannons.

"No, it's too hot!"

"Quickly pour water! We must take the Franco machine gun with us!"

After a flurry of activity, the soldiers from Daishan managed to move the enemy ships' cannons, armor, and weapons onto their own ships before the enemy ships sank completely.

Zhang Cha's flagship, on the other hand, returned directly to help the "allies" of Peach Blossom Island deal with the last Japanese pirate warship.

At this time, the two Japanese pirate warships had already sunk into the sea, while the remaining Japanese pirates on board climbed onto the last Japanese pirate warship.

The Japanese ship was attacked from both sides by two Peach Blossom Island warships, and had to fight and retreat.

Instead of retreating to their stronghold on Shuangyu Island, they fled directly northeast, apparently intending to escape back to Japan.

However, the Japanese ship was still intercepted by Zhang Cha's warships.

"Boom boom boom—" The cannons, general cannons, tiger crouch cannons, and rockets on the three warships fired at the same time, and the Japanese ships suffered heavy casualties immediately.

"Kill them!" The Japanese pirate captain frantically brandished his command sword. "Gentlemen, the time has come for us to serve our country with our lives!"

"Let's meet again in the next life, Banjae!"

"A contest to see who's stingiest!"

"idiot!"

"The decisive battle at Gaixia, the ultimate annihilation at Maicheng, this is the moment!"

The hysterical shouts of the Japanese pirates were like the roars of wild beasts before their death.

On this last Japanese pirate warship, there were still more than a hundred real Japanese pirates and more than a hundred Chinese pirates, and three hundred still wearing armor.

But resistance was futile.

"Boom!" A shell slammed into the deck, and a group of Japanese pirates, including the captain, were torn to pieces.

Tonight is the night when the gates of hell are wide open. I thought I would send the Daishan army to the gates of hell, but I never expected that they would be the ones to enter the gates of hell.

On Li Dan's flagship not far away, Li Dan looked at the Japanese pirate warships trapped in a desperate situation, his expression bitter and complicated.

After this battle, Daishan will become the overlord of Zhoushan.

No one in the entire Zhoushan Islands can restrain the Daishan Army.

Qi Jiguang watched the Japanese pirate warships slowly sink, his expression indifferent.

Instead of showing joy, he appeared quite melancholy.

These are the Japanese pirates who occupied Shuangyu Island.

Shuangyu Island is only a dozen miles by sea from the mainland!
Right under the nose of Ningbo Prefecture!
The island, which we fought so hard to reclaim, was abandoned and then occupied by Japanese pirates and other pirates.

The islanders were enslaved.

The imperial court is utterly incompetent!

Watching the Japanese pirates suffer a terrible fate, Zhu Yin felt a mixture of satisfaction and gloom.

This damned government really needs a new leader.

What kind of mess have you made of the Ming Dynasty?
Is this still the Ming Dynasty that drove out the Tartars and was known for its martial prowess?

Is it still the Ming Dynasty, where all nations paid tribute and its power extended to the four seas?

Decades ago, Portuguese colonists occupied Zhoushan, opened a port on Shuangyu Island, established a municipal government, built churches and schools, and operated it entirely as a colony.

Later, Zhu Wan finally managed to get it back, but you guys accused her of crimes and imprisoned her, forcing her to commit suicide on trumped-up charges!

Yu Dayou fought valiantly, yet his merits went unrewarded. He was dismissed from office multiple times, imprisoned, and convicted, ultimately dying with regrets.

Qi Shaobao had rendered meritorious service to the country, but as a result, he was dismissed from his post, stripped of his salary, and died in poverty and illness.

More than a decade later, the Spanish massacred Chinese in Luzon, committing the Dalun Mountain Massacre, and you turned a blind eye to it.

Surrounded by enemies from the East, the West, and the Jurchens, you indulge in revelry and debauchery for your own selfish gain, singing and dancing on leaky boats and drinking heavily under burning houses.

We lost Liaodong, and we lost the Three Xuan and Six Wei...

What right do you bunch of wicked and stupid good-for-nothings have to sit there so high and mighty?

As long as I, Zhu Yin, live, I will not let you traitors live in peace.

...

About half an hour later, the entire battlefield returned to calm.

The victorious Daishan army immediately sent people to Li Dan's flagship to express their gratitude.

The man sent was a battalion commander named Lin Pei, who was over forty years old and had a lean build.

As soon as he boarded the ship, before he could even greet Li Dan or exchange words, he couldn't help but look at the man behind Li Dan. This man had a face as rugged as a stone sculpture, piercing eyes, and a tall and robust figure; it was none other than Qi Jiguang, who had already removed his armor.

Lin Pei blinked, his expression slowly changing from astonishment to surprise.

He took two steps forward, carefully examining the old general's face, then suddenly took two steps back.

"Your Excellency, are you... are you Commander Qi?"

His voice trembled slightly, filled with surprise and doubt.

"Lin Pei, you've gotten old," Qi Jiguang said with a sigh. "You were only fifteen when you joined the army, weren't you?"

"General!" Lin Pei had no more doubts, and tears welled up in his eyes instantly. "It really is the General... Waaah! Your humble servant greets the General!"

"Twenty years... I've finally seen the Commander-in-Chief again..."

Lin Pei burst into tears, like a child.

He joined Qi Jiguang's army at the age of fifteen and became a personal guard under the commander. He rose from a soldier to a lieutenant and was sent to serve under Qi Jiguang for eight years!

Over the years, he has faced life and death many times, and many of his comrades and old friends have passed away, but the one he misses most is his former master, Qi Jiguang.

To my utter surprise, I actually met my former master today.

"Little Lin, get up!" Qi Jiguang helped Lin Pei up. "You've all worked hard these years. I didn't take good care of you. Those treacherous officials forced you to drift at sea."

Lin Pei wiped away his tears, "I can die in peace now that I have seen the Commander-in-Chief. The Commander-in-Chief is a Rat and is fifty-nine years old this year, yet he is still so healthy. I am very gratified."

He wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well that Li Dan's sudden shift from enemy to friend, and the killings of Matsuura Tadanobu and Da Takao, were the work of the Marshal.
The commander must have controlled Li Dan to achieve such a great victory tonight.

The commander-in-chief hadn't seen them for twenty years, but upon their reunion, he resolved the crisis at Daishan and decisively defeated the Japanese pirates.

Such a hero, who else in the world besides the Great Marshal could there be?

……

Soon, all the soldiers of the Daishan Army learned of Qi Jiguang's return.

It wasn't until Zhang Jia and others came to Qi Jiguang in person that they believed it was true.

"Commander!"

"My men!"

"My lord, sob sob..."

When a large group of people saw the elderly Qi Jiguang, they all knelt on the ground, tears welling up in their eyes.

Even soldiers who had never seen Qi Jiguang knelt down together.

Looking at the group of familiar yet unfamiliar former subordinates before him, Qi Jiguang was filled with immense excitement.

I couldn't help but shed tears.

It's been twenty years; it seems like he was with them in a previous life.

"Zhang Jia? How come you look older than me?"

"Cao Xin, how did you lose an arm?"

"Oh, Wang Huaizhen, are you really Wang Huaizhen? The scar on your face makes me almost not recognize you."

"It is your humble servant." Wang Huaizhen's face was covered in tears. "The commander-in-chief has not mistaken me for someone else. I am Huaizhen."

In an instant, everyone shed tears, hundreds of people wept together, as if they were children seeing their parents.

"I never imagined I'd see the Commander-in-Chief again in this lifetime..."

"General, the court is unjust; it is not that we want to go to sea to become pirates!"

"Please, Commander-in-Chief, punish me and subject me to military law..."

Zhu Yin, Ning Caiwei, and the others behind them couldn't help but shed tears upon seeing this.

Even though the Jurchens like Lancha couldn't understand Chinese, they still knew the meaning.

It's unbelievable that there are such loyal subordinates among the Han people.

Ding Hongying looked at Qi Jiguang with immense admiration.

Is this Grandpa Qi? He truly lives up to the great hero and valiant man that my father and uncles spoke of!

He learned it himself from Grandpa Qi Shuai's "Xin You Knife Technique," so Grandpa Qi Shuai was his grandmaster?

Ding Hongying suddenly had a brilliant idea.

"Get up, get up!" Qi Jiguang helped Zhang Jia and the others to their feet. "We should be happy about today's great victory..."

He suddenly paused, "Zhang Jia, Huai Zhen, and Li Yang? Aren't they generals? Why aren't they at the front lines in such a great battle?"

Just as Zhang Jia was about to say that Ding Huogen had fallen from his horse and was injured, Ding Hongying quickly said:
"Grandmaster! Grandmaster, my father has been struck by Liu Lianfeng's poisoned arrow and is on the verge of death, sob sob..."

This time, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

I'm crying for my father!

"What?! Li Yang has been hit by a poisoned arrow?!" Qi Jiguang's expression changed, completely ignoring the woman calling him his grandmaster. "Take me there quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jia and the others' joy at their great victory vanished instantly, and they immediately surrounded Qi Jiguang and headed to Mopan Mountain.

Zhu Yin, Ning Caiwei, and the others quickly followed.

"Sister," Ning Caiwei asked softly, "can a poisoned arrow be cured?"

Ning Qingchen couldn't speak yet, and could only stare at her sister with disdain.

Haven't you seen a doctor?
My sister doesn't even know what kind of poison she's been given. If she did, could it be cured?

My sister is a doctor, not a goddess!
Seeing the baby's disdainful look, Ning Caiwei could only roll her eyes and stop asking.

Damn it, now you'll be begging me for help.

Zhu Yin took Ning Qingchen from Ning Caiwei's arms, trembling as he whispered:
"Qingchen, in ancient times, poisoned arrows were generally made from poisoned wood, snake venom, or soaked in feces and rotting corpses."

Ning Qingchen felt comfortable from his shaking, so she nodded and then shook her head.

It means that it may be cured, or it may not be cured.

She has a multivalent antitoxin serum, but although it has a broad spectrum, it is not a cure-all; it can only neutralize some toxins.

When the composition of the toxin is unknown, it all comes down to luck.

If you're unlucky, there's no solution.

However, as long as the toxins in the patient's body are not too rare, they will generally have a neutralizing effect.

I'm at least 60% sure. But the illness can't be delayed for too long.

...

When everyone saw Ding Huogen, he was already unconscious, his jaw clenched.

"Liyang!" Qi Jiguang shook Ding Huogen. "It's me! I'm the one who ordered you to wake up! The Japanese pirates have arrived!"

"My men!" Zhang Cha and the others cried out in alarm.

"Father! Wake up! Father! Waaah..." Ding Hongying, like a female knight-errant, wept uncontrollably.

Qi Jiguang was utterly helpless at this moment; he couldn't save Ding Huogen.

They arrived too late, and Li Yang fell victim to the villain's scheme.

"Father!" a clear, childlike voice suddenly said, "Father, do you still remember the Taoist priest who gave me medicine?"

"The medicine that cured my father was given to me by that Taoist priest."

"Among the medicines he sent, there was a special antidote, and there was only one dose left."

"If Father and everyone else trust me, I can try this last dose of antidote."

What? Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the nine-year-old boy behind them.

But then they saw that Zhu Yin was holding a strange-looking needle!
P.S.: I'm not feeling well today, so this is all I can update, a little over 9 words. I'll try to update more tomorrow. Thank you to all the readers who have been following my work. I'm going to eat now, I'm starving. Goodnight. Available for purchase on September 1st.

(End of this chapter)