"Bah, just take the credit if you want to, and make it sound so righteous..."
Prefect Liu and Captain Xu cursed in their hearts but looked understanding on the surface.
It would be fine if they didn't encounter them, but since they did, they couldn't take all the credit for destroying the Japanese pirates, they could only share it. So, Prefect Liu and Captain Xu joined forces and attacked the building occupied by Naoko Kojima and his gang of Japanese pirates.
Of course, there are rules for sharing. There are rules for who gets the most credit and who gets the lion's share.
The two of them couldn't help but have their own thoughts about this.
"Prefect Liu, why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken? This group of Japanese pirates only has about 150 people. I have 1,000 soldiers, which is enough to destroy this group of Japanese pirates. Prefect Liu can just take the troops and stay in the rear."
As they joined forces to attack the Japanese pirates, Captain Xu said to Prefect Liu with confidence that he wanted Prefect Liu to stay in the rear while he led the garrison troops to wipe out the Japanese pirates. In this way, he could take the credit and make the greatest contribution.
"Captain Xu, even a lion hunting a rabbit needs to use all its strength, let alone the Japanese pirates. This time, we must use all our strength to wipe out the Japanese pirates in Funing Town and achieve our goal in one battle. We cannot give the Japanese pirates even the slightest opportunity to take advantage of us!"
Prefect Liu shook his head slightly and said to Captain Xu earnestly, insisting that they go forward together to suppress the Japanese.
Haha, little brother, you want to take the credit, but how is that possible
"What Magistrate Liu said is very true. It was I who was careless." Captain Xu saw that Magistrate Liu was unmoved, so he had to clasp his fists and say.
At this time in the Ming Dynasty, civil officials were valued more than military officials. Besides, Prefect Liu's official position was higher than that of Captain Xu, so Captain Xu naturally did not dare to force it.
Soon, Magistrate Liu and Captain Xu led their troops to the wooden building occupied by the Japanese pirates and stopped within the range of their bows and crossbows.
The Japanese pirates were very close, and the courtyard wall was not high. Standing on a high place, the situation in the courtyard could be seen clearly.
Captain Xu rode his horse around for half a circle, observed carefully, and said to Governor Liu with a smile on his face, "Governor Liu, the intelligence report is true. There are indeed only about 150 Japanese pirates in the courtyard."
"Good! The time, the place, and the people are all on our side. This time we will make these evil pirates die here!"
Prefect Liu clenched his fist and waved it, speaking with confidence.
While Magistrate Liu and Captain Xu were observing the Japanese pirates, Naoya Nabeshima and Sanbanro Matsuura were also observing the Ming army outside in the courtyard.
"There are about 2,000 Ming troops outside. Judging from their weapons and attire, they should be two groups of Ming troops. The overall armor rate is less than 10%. Most of their weapons are bows and arrows, swords, and spears. There are very few iron cannons, and there is not a single cannon..."
While observing, Matsuura Sanbanro carefully recorded the equipment and personnel situation of the Ming army on paper.
"Haha, Sanfanlang, look, my joke just now turned out to be true. There are actually quite a few old men in the Ming army. Hahaha, they have old arms and legs. No wonder they reacted so slowly..."
When Naoshima Kojima noticed that there were many old and weak soldiers among the Ming army outside, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Well, you are indeed a straight man general. You are very observant. It is true. At least 30 to 40 percent of the Ming army are old and weak. It is unbelievable that the army of the Celestial Empire is so weak."
Matsuura Sanbanrou nodded, wrote this down on the paper and marked the key points.
"Isn't this a good thing?!" Nao Nabeshima looked at Matsuura Sanbanrou with a smile.
"Hey! What a great news!" Matsuura Sanbanrou couldn't help but laugh along with Naoko Nabeshima. After laughing a few times, he said to Naoko Nabeshima, "General Naoko, it looks like you guys need to hold back a bit later."
"Haha, it seems like I need to use more strength, so as not to scare these old guys away..."
Naoko Nabeshima laughed wildly.
Outside the courtyard, Prefect Liu and Captain Xu saw Naoko Nabeshima and Sanbanrou Matsuura chatting and laughing from afar, and they couldn't help but get angry. The armor of these two Japanese pirates was obviously more luxurious than other Japanese pirates. They were Japanese chieftains at first glance. In front of our two thousand troops, these two Japanese chieftains with only more than a hundred soldiers dared to chat and laugh. They really didn't know how to write the word death! The two immediately dispatched troops and set about attacking the Japanese pirates.
"Captain Xu, the courtyard occupied by the Japanese pirates is to the east of the Qishui River, which is nearly ten meters wide and three meters deep. The Japanese pirates have no boats and cannot fly across the Qishui River. However, to be on the safe side, you and I should each send a hundred people to guard the east wall and the river bank to prevent the Japanese pirates from jumping into the river and risking their lives! There are walls on the west and north, and we will send 300 soldiers to each side to make a feint attack to tie down the Japanese pirates' forces; there is a gate on the south, and we will put all the remaining soldiers into the main attack from the south gate, break through the gate, enter the courtyard, and wipe out the Japanese pirates entrenched here! Report to the emperor for his kindness, and avenge the villagers of Funing Town who were harmed! Captain Xu, what do you think?"
Prefect Liu held a high position and was a civil servant, so his status was incomparable to that of Captain Xu. Therefore, he took the dominant position and arranged the deployment of troops to attack the Japanese pirates. He only symbolically sought Captain Xu's opinion at the end.
"Prefect Liu has taken everything into consideration. I have no objection!" Captain Xu clasped his fists and said.
"Okay, let's start the attack without further ado!" Prefect Liu nodded with satisfaction and gave the order.
"promise!"
Captain Xu clasped his fists.
Soon, the Ming army followed the orders of Governor Liu and divided into four groups. They guarded the east side, made feint attacks on the northwest sides, and the main force of more than 1,200 soldiers rushed towards the gate of the courtyard occupied by the Japanese pirates from the south.
Seeing the Ming army rushing over, Naoko Kojima excitedly picked up his Japanese sword and rushed out while shouting to the pirates in the courtyard, "You bastards, the Ming army is coming to kill us. I will take you to see how strong they are. If they are weaklings, then hold back and don't scare them away!"
"Hi!"
The melee Japanese pirates in the courtyard raised their weapons and followed Naoko Nabeshima to rush out.
Matsuura Sanbanro did not go into battle, as he had a more important task: to observe the actual combat effectiveness of the Ming army.
"Good, it's good that you came out. I was worried that the Japanese pirates would defend the wall, but I didn't expect them to come out. They are really courting death!"
When Prefect Liu saw the Japanese pirates rushing out of the courtyard, he couldn't help but smile. If the Japanese pirates defended the wall, he would have to spend more effort. However, the Japanese pirates were stupid. They gave up the advantage of the courtyard wall and ran out to die. Haha, since you came out to die, we will not show mercy!
"Haha, the Japanese pirates know that they have committed heinous crimes, so they come out to die!" Prefect Liu took the opportunity to boost morale.
"Kill! Kill all the Japanese pirates! Don't leave any alive!" Captain Xu also shouted to boost morale.
"Kill! Kill all the pirates!"
The morale of the Ming army was greatly boosted, and they rushed forward shouting and killing.
"die!"
The Japanese pirates, led by Naoio Nabeshima, also came shouting and killing.
The war is about to begin!