At the hour of Chou, when the night was deep and the people were still, even the birds were silent, Zhu Ping'an was still working at his desk in his study, drafting official documents.
While Zhu Ping'an was writing at his desk, Taiping County, sixty miles away from Jingnan County, was engulfed in flames.
This group of Japanese pirates was none other than Heihachiro and his subordinates, who had suffered heavy losses in Jingnan County.
Jiang Men, the leader of the Hungry Wolf League, divided the two counties of Jingnan and Taiping to Heihachiro. After Heihachiro suffered a bloody defeat in Jingnan County, he had to give up Jingnan, a tough nut to crack, and led the remaining more than a thousand Japanese pirates under his command to attack Taiping County.
Taiping County is located in the northwest of Jingnan County. The two counties are neighbors and are not far apart. The distance between the two county towns is only about 60 to 70 miles. The news that the Japanese pirates were burning, killing, looting, and besieging Jingnan County was spread to Taiping within a short time. People in Taiping County sympathized with the tragic experience of their old neighbor, but were also glad that Taiping County was not close to the sea, otherwise they would be the ones suffering from the Japanese pirates today.
Of course, after hearing the news that Jingnan was attacked by Japanese pirates, Taiping County also panicked, but the panic was not too serious.
After all, the Japanese pirates are now in Jingnan. It is you who are in trouble, not me.
As for whether the Japanese pirates will come to Taiping County, it is another matter. Our Taiping County is not by the sea, and the number of encounters with Japanese pirates is very small. This time, the Japanese pirates are probably the same as in the past, they will rob Jingnan and other coastal counties and then flee far away overseas.
In addition, even if the Japanese pirates come to Taiping County, we have time to prepare. The Japanese pirates are now besieging Jingnan County. It will take time to break through Jingnan County. Even if they break through Jingnan County, they will have to burn, kill and loot in Jingnan County for a day or two.
Therefore, under this psychological effect, the panic in Taiping County was not too serious. Although some people hurriedly packed up their things and fled with their children after hearing the news that the Japanese pirates looted Jingnan, most people were still calm and waited until tomorrow or the day after to inquire about the news before packing up and fleeing.
In fact, not only the common people, but even the Taiping County Government did not pay great attention to it at the first time.
After receiving the news that the Japanese pirates had plundered Jingnan, the Taiping County government also began to take precautions. It issued a notice to inform Jingnan of the Japanese pirates, notified the people in the area to be careful of the Japanese pirates, ordered all the yamen runners who were out on official business to return to the county government and wait for orders, notified the soldiers stationed in the county to be vigilant and take precautions, and sent people to notify and mobilize the militiamen and archers under the Taiping County government’s barracks to return to the county to guard against the Japanese pirates...
However, although Taiping County also took some actions, it did not pay enough attention and failed to supervise and implement them in a timely manner.
No one in Taiping County expected the Japanese pirates to arrive so quickly.
Taiping County, which was half-prepared and half-hearted, suffered a disaster all of a sudden.
When Heihachiro and his group of Japanese pirates suffered heavy losses in Jingnan and retreated from Jingnan overnight and turned to attack Taiping County, Taiping County was still asleep and was caught off guard by the evil Japanese pirates.
Blood!
struggle!
despair!
cry!
As soon as they entered Taiping County and encountered the first village, the Japanese pirates began to burn, kill, loot, and rape women, committing all kinds of atrocities. They vented the injuries and bad luck they had suffered in Jingnan in Taiping County.
One village after another was ravaged by the Japanese pirates and burned into a sea of fire, a tragedy like hell on earth...
Before Taiping County could react, Heihachiro had already led the Japanese pirates to successively break through the villages and towns under the jurisdiction of Taiping County, and headed straight for Taiping County, burning, killing, looting, murdering women and children, stealing money and food, and burning houses along the way.
As soon as the day broke, the Japanese pirates had already burned, killed and looted along the way, and drove away more than a thousand young and strong civilians with their butcher knives. They arrived at the city of Taiping County and surrounded the county.
The then magistrate of Taiping County was named Wang Fengming, styled Suqing, from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and was 47 years old. When the Japanese pirates were approaching the city, Magistrate Wang was having breakfast, and when he heard that the Japanese pirates were approaching the city, his chopsticks fell to the ground.
"What nonsense! When the news came yesterday, weren't the Japanese pirates still besieging Jingnan County? How come they are now at the gates of Taiping County?!"
After Magistrate Wang recovered from his shock, his first reaction was that his subordinates had lied about military intelligence. He slammed the table and scolded them.
"Your Excellency, how dare I speak nonsense in front of you? The Japanese pirates are really approaching the city. If you don't believe me, come out and listen."
The officer who reported the news shook his head repeatedly, pointed outside the house and said to Magistrate Wang.
Magistrate Wang looked at the officer and saw that he did not seem to be lying. Just as she said, he did not dare to lie in front of her, so he stood up and left the table. The officer hurriedly took two quick steps to help Magistrate Wang open the curtain. Magistrate Wang walked out and walked to the center of the courtyard. Sure enough, there was a faint sound of shouting and killing outside.
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Wang's pupils instantly dilated, his face turned pale, and cold sweat ran down his back.
"Damn it! Why did the Japanese pirates suddenly come? Quick, quick, notify Xiahou County Magistrate and summon all the yamen runners to go up to the city wall with me!"
Magistrate Wang paced around the courtyard like an ant on hot pot. Finally, he gritted his teeth and shouted orders to the officers.
"Your Excellency, when I came to report the news, I heard that County Magistrate Xiahou had rushed to the city wall as soon as he got the news." The officer replied.
"Then quickly go and gather the officers, not leaving any one behind, gather them all and follow me to the city wall."
When Magistrate Wang heard that County Magistrate Xiahou had rushed to the city wall, he nodded and hurriedly ordered the officers to quickly gather the yamen runners.
Soon, Magistrate Wang led more than 80 yamen runners who had been hastily summoned to the city wall of Taiping County.
On the city wall, County Magistrate Xiahou was arranging defenses, dispersing eighty-six soldiers stationed in the county garrison and one hundred and twenty-eight militiamen and archers summoned from the barracks on the four sides of the city wall.
"Meet the County Master."
Upon hearing the news, Xiahou County Magistrate rushed to the steps of the city wall to greet County Magistrate Wang.
"No need to be so polite, County Magistrate Xiahou. What's the situation outside the city?" County Magistrate Wang asked, waving his hand.
"There are more than a thousand Japanese pirates, who have taken more than a thousand civilians with them, and have surrounded our Taiping County."
Xiahou County Magistrate bowed and replied.
"Wha...what, more than two thousand?!"
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Wang’s face suddenly turned pale, and his voice trembled.
"Half of them are civilians who were coerced." Xiahou County Magistrate corrected.
"More than a thousand Japanese pirates are no small matter. Besides, many of them were converted from the common people."
Magistrate Wang shook his head, took two quick steps, came to the edge of the parapet and looked out.
Outside, there was billowing smoke and dust. The Japanese pirates with shaved heads and bare feet looked murderous and ferocious. The Japanese swords and other weapons in their hands were still dripping with blood. Outside the city, the Japanese pirates were everywhere in the mountains and plains, and there were so many that you couldn't see the end of them at a glance.
The ferocious and fierce Japanese pirates surrounded the county town, shouting and howling like ghosts and wolves, and the sound of killing was deafening.
"The Japanese pirates are so powerful that Taiping County is difficult to defend. It is better to abandon the city and leave."
Magistrate Wang withdrew his gaze from the Japanese pirates outside the city with a pale face, glanced at his own side, shook his head, and whispered to County Magistrate Xiahou.