On the dangerous peaks on both sides of the Yue Shan Valley valley, five thousand soldiers lay in ambush in the dense forest, not daring to move despite being bitten by insects. The strict military discipline of You Ji General He Bingwen was well known.
Although General He was demoted to Guangxi, from a dignified General he was demoted to a lowly Baihu, he was disheartened by this blow, but he was born in the army, he had spent many years fighting in the bitter cold of the frontier fortress, he had long been accustomed to the strict execution of orders and prohibitions, obeying discipline. Therefore, although he did not deliberately govern the army, the officers and men under his command were also strict, the military discipline was strict.
The military discipline of the Wei Suo troops was corrupt and rotten beyond belief. After He Bingwen became the military warfare officer, those rebellious and unruly troops with complicated moral conduct, under his strict military discipline, had no choice but to behave themselves. No one dared to disobey his military orders. His troops were indeed the most disciplined and powerful in all of Fujian. This was also the reason why Ruan Dawen and the others wanted to murder the imperial envoy and had no choice but to use his troops.
In the underbrush, under the cover of the trees and wormwood that was half a person tall, the cannons and fighting stones were already set up and covered with fresh grass. The soldiers' heads and bodies were covered with branches and grass. From the foot of the mountain, they looked like they were under the shade of the trees and nothing out of the ordinary could be seen.
The soldiers formed a horizontal line and stretched far into the distance. The soldiers mainly used strong crossbows. Even though they had undergone He You Ji's strict training, the number of soldiers who could draw a bow with both hands were as few as the morning stars. However, these bows could be drawn with both feet and they could easily shoot arrows from the top of the mountain to cut off the enemy's path of retreat.
Logically, with this kind of arrangement, as long as the Wokou did not notice beforehand, then no matter how brave they were, they could stand at the bottom of the valley and let the cannons, the stones, and the sharp arrows rain down on them. They would not be able to survive. Furthermore, if they heard the cannons from upstream, they only needed to open the dikes and the abundant river water from the recent rainstorms to fill the valley. This ambush could be said to be foolproof. Thinking of this, He Bingwen and Wen Xin relaxed.
Sweat flowed down his cheeks, and there were even two pieces of grass on his face. He did not feel uncomfortable, and only pulled at his collar to get some air. Although there was no scorching sun in the forest, it was airtight, and his sweat had already soaked through his clothes.
The fighting power of the Jiangnan army was far too weak, allowing a group of noisy little fools to strut around. He Bingwen, who had once led the border army and Bayan Khan's generals, Bodarmo and Dalin Dada, in bloody battles, found it hard to imagine what would happen to these Wokou pirates, who didn't have enough equipment and supplies and were fighting alone, if they were to encounter the border army troops he led.
Unfortunately, the Wokou pirates' goal was only to plunder money. It was impossible for them to gain a foothold in the Great Ming's territory. Moreover, the Tatars were eyeing the Central Plains like a tiger watching its prey. The capital was at the foot of Mount Yan, so the imperial court could not possibly deploy the border troops to Jiangnan. Therefore, the small Wokou pirates were able to wreak havoc in the six coastal provinces, creating a foul atmosphere everywhere.
"I heard that under benefactor Sir Yang's command, from Shandong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang to the south, reports of victory are coming in one after another. Now, only Fujian has suffered consecutive defeats. This time, Official Ruan is finally unyielding and dares to send troops to fight against the Wokou. I must win this battle. I must fight beautifully and wipe out all the Wokou! If Official Ruan can summon the courage to fight and change the situation in Fujian against the Wokou, then I can help Sir Yang resolve his worries. I have repaid benefactor for saving my life. "
Thinking of this, He Bingwen turned his head to look at the navy generals that Zhou Hong had sent. Because they found it too hot, not only had they taken off their armor, but they had also taken off their military uniforms. They were sitting in the grass at the back, quietly chatting.
He Bingwen smiled disdainfully. These generals could not even endure hardship and could not set an example. One could imagine the morale of their troops. Zhou Hong had sent them here to fight for merit for the navy. If they wanted to fight, then they wanted to fight. If I hadn't been greedy and rash, how could I have fallen into the Tatars' ambush? There was no one in court. It was better to keep a low profile.
He couldn't help but think of what Official Ruan and Prefectural Magistrate Wang had said to him before sending troops.
Official Ruan said, "Bingwen, our Fujian has suffered consecutive defeats. If this continues, I'm afraid the Governor-General will blame me for not being able to command the battle. But you also know that our navy is not very good and we can't count on them.
Today, there is a group of Wokou pirates who have looted Jinhua. There are many of them, more than three thousand. They put on the uniforms of the officers and soldiers they seized from the Jinhua treasury and openly headed south.
Because they have fake pirates in the army who are familiar with the Han language and military system, their disguises are very lifelike. They actually managed to deceive the officers and soldiers of the prefectures and counties along the way. When they entered the Immortal Cloud Ancient Road, they forced their way through because they did not have the spy document to clear the pass. They killed the officers and soldiers guarding the pass. A clever soldier pretended to be dead and deceived them. That was how they managed to get ahead of them and get the news.
Bingwen, this is a good opportunity. The Wokou pirates still don't know their tracks have been exposed. If we can take this opportunity to annihilate this group of Wokou pirates, we can also explain ourselves to the Governor-General. This official has thought about it and only by sending you can I be at ease. After this matter is completed, this official will recommend you to be Quanzhou's Senior General and You Ji General. What do you think? "
Official Ruan had just finished speaking when Prefectural Magistrate Wang was already beaming with joy. He cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations General He, Official Ruan is determined to win this battle and specially allocated eight 'thunderbolt cannons' to help you succeed in this battle. Hehehe, General has made the greatest contribution to Fujian. Your future is more than just a Senior General position. If you follow Official Ruan, sooner or later you will become a high-ranking military official.
That's right, my little sister has always admired General He's prestige. She often says that out of the forty thousand officers and soldiers in Fuzhou, the only great general who can support heaven and earth is you, He You Ji! I heard that General He is currently alone and has not remarried. When you return in triumph, this official would like to ask Official Ruan to be a matchmaker for my sister. Our two families will become Qin-Jin friends. I hope General He will not mind. "
Miss Yiren of the Wang family? He Bingwen immediately shuddered at the thought of her. His body immediately cooled down.
Prefectural Magistrate Wang's little sister, Wang Yiren, was 21 years old this year. It was said that she was extremely beautiful. She had married before, but unfortunately her husband's family was short-lived. Now she had been living with her maiden family and had not married again. Normally, with He Bingwen's age and Prefectural Magistrate Wang's status, being able to remarry such a young and beautiful lady from a respectable family would be considered a suitable match.
The problem was that men were very popular in Fujian. Therefore, there were many women who formed 'handkerchief friends'. It was said that this lady was very close to the young ladies and madams of some large families. They formed 'handkerchief friends' with each other. According to age, she was ranked ninth among the group of women. She was known as Little Ninth Sister.
He Bingwen came from the north. The customs of the north were relatively simple. He really could not accept a woman who often pretended to be a woman of the same sex as his wife. Because of this lady's behavior, he could only politely decline Prefectural Magistrate Wang.
But … He thought of his flatly refusal at that time and Prefectural Magistrate Wang's ugly expression. He could not help but hesitate. His excuse was tactful enough, but why did his expression look so ugly? It seemed that Official Ruan was also a little unhappy …
"Let's not think so much. I just need to fight this battle well! As long as I fight this battle well and make a great contribution to Official Ruan, I believe that he will not make things difficult for me. "He Bingwen thought of this and spat out the grass in his hand. He slowly stood up and looked towards the gorge.
In the distance, a group of soldiers walked out from the depths of the gorge. Although the ancient road in the gorge was not very wide, it was very flat. There were low weeds growing on the flat dirt road. When a large group of people and horses advanced, it could be seen clearly.
He Bingwen's spirits rose and he shouted in a low voice, "Keep your spirits up, the Wokou pirates are coming!"
The surrounding soldiers immediately became nervous. The few navy officers who were sitting under the trees in the shade didn't have time to put on their armor. They hurriedly raised their swords and rushed over. Using the swaying trees as cover, they looked into the gorge.
The group of horses and carriages advanced, the wheels rumbling and the horses neighing. But because of the overgrown branches on both sides of the gorge, the army stopped and rolled up their banners.
He Bingwen laughed coldly, this group of Wokou pirates were really good at disguising themselves. The soldiers who were clearing the path had dazzling swords and spears. Their formation was very strict. If he didn't know who they were, even if he met them face to face, he would have been fooled.
Captain Yan Hudi of the navy impatiently said, "Quick, ignite the cannons, hit the rocks, hit the rocks. Archers, get ready!"
"Creak, creak, creak." The sound of bowstrings was terrifying. Wolf tooth arrows were nocked on the bowstrings. With such heavy arrows, even if the enemy was wearing heavy armor, they would definitely be able to penetrate their bodies. Like a sickle cutting through grass, a large number of people and horses would fall in an instant.
"Everyone stop!" He Bingwen shouted in a low voice, "Bastards, they are still far away. If we fire the cannons now, the Wokou pirates behind them will definitely escape into the forest. It will be difficult to catch them then. Wait for the Wokou pirates to leave the gorge, then listen to my orders. Anyone who disobeys will be executed! "
He Bingwen's military discipline was very strict. When the soldiers heard his orders, they immediately loosened their bowstrings and waited for orders. Yan Hudi's face turned red as he angrily said, "Official He, Official Ruan has given you such an important task. How can you be so afraid of the enemy? If we wait until they reach the gorge and then attack, what will we do if someone manages to escape? "
He Bingwen rolled his eyes, "What a bunch of idiots who blindly give out orders. Back at Chicken Cry Inn, Eunuch Liu and Imperial Messenger Ye also said the same thing. However, as the commander, if something really happens, the one who will suffer is father. This bunch of idiots can't be bothered with them. Once we win the battle and have military merits to reap, they won't bother with them."
Thinking up to this point, He Bingwen's face darkened and he gave a huff. Turning his head, he ordered in a low voice, "No one make a sound. Wait for the Wokou pirates to approach. The cannons take a long time to reload. I want these first eight cannons to throw the Wokou pirates into chaos! "
Yan Hudi was a little anxious. Zhou Hong's secret order was for them to keep an eye on He Bingwen. The Ministry of Intelligence wanted him to be the first to fire the cannons. The imperial envoy's guard of honor was different from that of a normal army. If the Ming army at the foot of the mountain approached and He Bingwen saw through them, what would they do? Listening to the admiral's words, this person didn't seem to be completely reliable.
Jing Li was also Zhou Hong's confidant. Out of the generals present, he had the highest rank. Seeing Yan Hudi being choked back by He Bingwen, he folded his hands behind his back and coldly said, "He You Ji, this official has the responsibility of supervising the battle. I order you to fire the cannons immediately. Otherwise, you will be punished according to military law!"
He Bingwen slowly rose, his eyes slightly narrowing. In a cold voice, he replied, "Jing daren, the administrative envoy's order is to annihilate all the Wokou pirates. This battle is under my command. Whether to fight or not is your responsibility as the supervising envoy. When to fight is my responsibility, there is no need to worry!"
Jing Li's fingers moved behind his back. With a "cha", two generals unsheathed their swords. Just as the gleaming blades were halfway out, the six archers in front of He Bingwen suddenly raised their bows and aimed their arrows at them. The two men froze halfway out of their swords.
He Bingwen was enraged, "These navy generals can't fight a battle, but they are very arrogant in their internal conflicts. They actually want to use their swords against me." He took a step forward and sternly said, "In this place, I am the commander. How this battle is fought is up to me! Military orders must be obeyed. This is not child's play. If you want to fight an indiscriminate battle, wait until we return to Fuzhou. I will definitely accompany you! "
The two sides were in a stalemate. Yan Hudi saw that the front of the Ming army had already arrived at the foot of the mountain and hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Everyone is here to complete Ruan daren's orders. Why must you fight each other? The Wokou pirates have already reached the foot of the mountain. General He, quickly give the order! "
He Bingwen huffed coldly and turned his face to look. He saw that the front group of about a thousand soldiers had already reached the mouth of the valley. However, the middle troops did not follow the front group closely. The two groups were separated by half a li. If the cannons were fired at the front group, the Wokou in the middle troops would not have time to react. They could quickly retreat into the depths of the ancient road or immediately hide in the dense forest on both sides. There were not many soldiers lying in ambush there, so it would be difficult to achieve the effect of completely annihilating the enemy.
He Bingwen nervously calculated. If he waited for the middle troops to arrive, the one thousand Wokou pirates at the front group would definitely be able to escape before the flood arrived. With their battle power, they could immediately become a group that could cause trouble. It would be very difficult to follow and eliminate them. If they completely annihilated the front group of Wokou pirates and used the flood to block the mouth of the valley, the Wokou pirates could only turn around and leave. This ancient road was the only passage between Zhejiang and Fujian. Even if they had enough rations for the entire army to go back and forth, the Zhejiang military would definitely have received the news and chased after them.
Thinking of this, He Bingwen sternly said, "Quick, the first cannon on the left, aim the muzzle at the mouth of the valley and fire immediately. The other cannons, aim at the front group of Wokou pirates. Once the first cannon fires, the other cannons, rocks, and arrows all fire at the same time. We must completely annihilate this group of enemies that are scouting ahead! "
Jing Li, Yan Hudi, and the others heard this and looked at each other. A sinister smile appeared on their faces. The two generals behind them also sheathed their swords and took half a step back.
He Bingwen's soldiers were indeed well-trained. With his order, a few soldiers immediately rushed over and tore off the grass covering the cannons. They slowly moved the muzzle towards the mouth of the valley and lit the fuse. A terrifying "chi chi" sound was heard as a line of sparks flew towards the muzzle of the cannons …
* * *
The eastern city gate of Fuzhou was heavily guarded. Two rows of soldiers with spears and swords stood half a li away. The commoners that were living outside of the city were chased far away and were not allowed to approach. A civil official wearing a quail patched uniform and a military official wearing a seahorse patched uniform stood outside the city gate and looked into the distance.
In the distance, a group of people on horses came over. All of them were warriors dressed in short clothes and had swords at their waists. They looked like escorts from an escort agency. Walking at the front was a tall and burly man with a full beard. His wide mouth, thick eyes, and sturdy body made him stand in front of the relatively delicate southerners.
The young man next to him was much more pleasing to the eye. He had a smiling face, a handsome face, a slender body, and a long and narrow blade at his waist.
When the "quail" and "seahorse" saw the thirty or so people approaching, they hurriedly went forward and smiled apologetically, saying, "You two, uh … how should I address you two?"
The young warrior politely put his hands on his knees and performed a standard Wokou etiquette, saying, "I am Sasaki Harusuke."
The bearded man looked at the two officials with disdain and said in stiff Chinese, "I am Kuma Miyamoto. Where is your administrative envoy? Why didn't he come to greet me? "
When the two officials heard that this scary man's surname was Miyamoto, they guessed that he might be related to the Wokou pirate Miyamoto Hiroshi in Fujian. They hurriedly said, "Ah! Gentlemen warriors, please come in quickly. Our governor is waiting for you at the top of the city wall. "
Kuma Miyamoto snorted with dissatisfaction and swaggered forward. Sasaki was still good-tempered and accompanied him with a smile. A group of warriors walked to the city gate. The "quail" respectfully said, "Mr. Samurai, please go to the gate tower. Uh … your people …"
"Ha ha ha ha …" Kuma Miyamoto laughed and pointed at his nose, scolding, "Bastard! Of course my people have to go in with me, huh? You have so many soldiers, are you afraid of the few of us? "
"This …" The civil official looked extremely awkward. The military official stood on tiptoe and looked into the distance. Seeing that there was no one behind them, he felt relieved and said, "Please come in, please come in. Please invite the noble warriors into the city!"
Kuma Miyamoto pushed him away and entered the city gate. He said to the thirty warriors who came with him, "Stay here. We will come down soon." Then he waved to Sasaki and went straight to the gate tower without waiting for the Ming officials to lead the way.
The thirty warriors all sat cross-legged on the ground. In order to deceive people, they all wore narrow swords of the Central Plains. At this time, they all put their swords on their knees as if there was no one else around. This action made the Ming Army respect and fear them. Hundreds of officers and soldiers did not dare to come close.
The military official hurriedly shouted to the officers and soldiers outside the city, "Hurry, all go back to the city, pull up the drawbridge, and close the gate!"
On the gate tower, Ruan Dawen and Zhou Hong were looking at each other in panic. Ruan Dawen said angrily, "Bastard, bastard, Miyamoto Hiroshi is really greedy. I gave him six warships and sixty thousand taels of silver. Until now, we still lack three thousand taels of silver. When Yang Ling dies, we don't know how much money we will have to spend to bribe him. He actually came to ask for money again. I really wish … wish …"
"Your Excellency, where there is life, there is hope. The one who is biting us is only Yang Ling. He has many political enemies in the court. As long as he dies, the party he suppressed in the court will take the opportunity to attack him. His accomplices will fight with each other for the few positions he left. Who will care about us? At worst, we can change places and continue to be an official. In a year or two, we will get back the money we spent.
Your Excellency, a little impatience will spoil the great plan. Miyamoto Hiroshi is invading the city with irresistible force. Can we defend Fuzhou City? Furthermore, he now has six warships and dozens of cannons. It is like adding wings to a tiger. If we really anger him, his army will come back and massacre the city. Will we be able to keep our heads and the lives of our families? "Zhou Hong hurriedly comforted him.
"Hmph!" Ruan Dawen looked at Zhou Hong and then at Di Qingshan. He angrily sat back in his chair.
At this moment, a soldier outside shouted, "Report! Your Excellency, the guests have arrived. "
Ruan Dawen was shocked and couldn't help but stand up. Zhou Hong shushed him and hurriedly smiled apologetically and went out to welcome them. The two Wokou men entered the gate tower and arrogantly looked at the three highest officials of Fuzhou City. Without waiting for an invitation, they swaggered to their seats.
Both sides exchanged names. The bearded Wokou man laughed and said in a stiff voice, "You guys, have the food that our Lord wants been prepared?"
Ruan Dawen suppressed his anger and said, "Mr. Miyamoto, in order to avoid conflict, I took the risk to give you six warships and 60,000 taels of silver. You promised to let go of Fuzhou and gradually move to Guangdong. How can you go back on your words and ask for food from me again? I don't have mountains of gold and silver here."
"Bastard!" Kumaji Miyamoto slammed the table and jumped up in anger.
Sasaki Harusuke hurriedly tried to smooth things over. He smiled and said in fluent Mandarin, "Your Excellency Ruan, our Lord really appreciates your care for us. Originally, we didn't want to disturb you, but … you know, we have no place to buy food even if we have money. Thousands of warriors need to eat. What should we do?
Hahaha, rest assured. Our Lord has instructed us to prepare to move to Penghu and Yizhou with warships and silver. We will find a place to settle down. We will definitely not offend the places that Your Excellency is in charge of.
However, we still need rations along the way. As long as Your Excellency gives us another thousand loads of rations, our army will immediately leave Fujian. Hahahaha, Your Excellency, you can report this to the imperial court. The chaos in Fujian has been completely pacified. You were the first to pacify the territory of the six provinces. This first achievement will be rewarded handsomely. We will take what we need and each will get what we want, hmm? "
"You will leave Fujian for a thousand loads of rations?" Ruan Dawen was pleasantly surprised. Right now, the six provinces were all under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Envoy Governor-General Yang Ling. There were Wokou pirates everywhere. If the imperial envoy died in an ambush in his own war zone, although the imperial court couldn't pin all the blame on him, a punishment and demotion would be unavoidable. At that time, he would have to spend more of his private money.
If he was given a thousand loads of rations, he could send off this jinx. Secondly, if the imperial envoy died in an ambush, he would have achieved a great victory and pacified the entire Fujian province. At that time, who would dare to hold him accountable? Among the officials of the six provinces who fought against the Wokou pirates, he had done the most meritorious service. Perhaps … perhaps the vacant position of the Imperial Envoy Governor-General would be conveniently given to him by the emperor.
Thinking of this, Ruan Dawen's anger turned to joy. He hurriedly asked, "Is this true? You … you only need to collect a thousand loads of rations and immediately move out of Fujian? "
Kumamoto Miyamoto roared, "You don't believe us? We samurai don't say one thing! "
When Ruan Dawen heard this boorish man's words, he was even more convinced. He hurriedly called Di Qingshan over and instructed him to find the prefectural magistrate, Wang Feiling, and quickly order the soldiers to escort a thousand loads of rations over. It was fair and just to waste rice on the battlefield. These thousand loads of rations could be written down as having been given to the frontline soldiers. They could simply say that it was given to Governor-General Yang's thousand men who had all died in battle. That way, there would be no evidence. This was practically an opportunity sent to them by the heavens.
When Di Qingshan heard Ruan Dawen's plan, he couldn't help but be overjoyed. He repeatedly agreed and left.
Zhou Hong smiled apologetically and said, "Mr. Miyamoto, Mr. Sasaki, uh … you have a grain transport boat parked by the river, right? When the soldiers arrive later, I'll have to trouble you to pretend to be the soldiers who have been transferred here to escort the rations. I'll send my bodyguards to escort you to the river. I hope you'll keep your promise and leave Fujian as soon as possible. "
Miyamoto and Sasaki repeatedly agreed. After an hour, the soldiers escorted the rations carts to the eastern part of the city. Ruan Dawen hurried out and pretended to say to the soldiers and soldiers, "The war at the front is tense. Now the Quanzhou Guards Office has sent people to transport the rations. You must quickly send the rations to the grain transport boat by the river. There's no delay …"
Before he finished speaking, a shiny steel knife was already on his neck. Ruan Dawen turned his head in horror and saw the bearded Kumamoto Miyamoto. He couldn't help but be shocked and said, "You … What are you doing? I've already paid the rations according to the agreement. If you dare to touch me, don't even think about leaving Fuzhou. "
Zhou Hong, who was standing next to him, was also fiercely stabbed by Sasaki with the hilt of the knife. He squatted on the ground in pain. Magistrate Wang and Imperial Messenger Di, who had just walked up the city gate tower, were surprised and at a loss.
Sasaki kicked Zhou Hong over and stepped hard on his neck with the tip of his shoe. He shouted to the people below the city gate, "Don't move. The Hangzhou Navy's Captain Han Wu has been ordered to rob!"
As soon as his voice fell, 30 soldiers sitting cross-legged under the city gate suddenly jumped up and quickly guarded the main roads leading to the city gate tower on both sides. They held their knives in their right hands and raised their left hands. The heavy black arrows in their sleeves were clearly Plum Blossom Crossbow bolts.
Magistrate Wang trembled all over and said with a pale face, "You are the Hangzhou Navy? Were … were ordered to … rob? "
"Yes!" Han Wu took out a yellow silk cloth from his pocket and shook it in the wind. He shouted sternly, "Ruan Dawen, Di Qingshan, Zhou Hong, and Wang Feiling colluded with the enemy and supported the enemy. They should be executed! As soldiers, you should obey orders. His Majesty will not pursue this matter. Immediately put down your weapons and wait for punishment! "
When the soldiers under the city gate saw that the four lords were all in the hands of the enemy, they had long panicked. What's more, there were 2,000 strong people under the city gate to transport the rations. Who dared to rebel under the watchful eyes of so many people? One obediently put down his weapon. Immediately a group of people scrambled to throw down their swords and spears. Suddenly there were swords, spears, spears, and shields on the ground.
Han Wu smiled at Ruan Dawen and said, "I am ordered to rob your head. Lord Ruan, please accept the order!"
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