The battle of Funing Town to suppress the Japanese pirates became a joke. Prefect Liu and Captain Xu gathered more than 2,000 soldiers and horses, plus more than 800 reinforcements later, a total of 3,000 soldiers, while the Japanese pirates only had 150 people. It was a typical case of using the majority to defeat the minority. However, the result was shocking: no Japanese pirates were killed, only more than ten were slightly injured, while the Ming army had 644 deaths, and the number of minor and serious injuries was countless! The chief commander of the Ming army, Prefect Liu, vomited blood and fainted, and the second commander, Captain Xu, was still in shock, as if he had lost his father... ...
Nao Nabeshima and Sanbanro Matsuura led the Japanese pirates to easily crush the Ming army outside the east wall, killing a large number of Ming soldiers who were bleeding and crying for their parents, and then crossed the Qishui River on a raft with arrogant laughter.
Watching the Japanese pirates cross the river to the east, the more than 1,000 surviving Ming soldiers, especially those who had faced the Japanese pirates directly, such as the survivors outside the east wall, wanted to beat drums and gongs to see the Japanese pirates off. Watching the Japanese pirates disappear on the other side of the river, the Ming army seemed to have sent away the plague god, and they suddenly felt that they had survived a disaster, escaped from death, and saved their lives.
Thank God, these Japanese pirates who killed people without blinking an eye and chopped people like slaughtering chickens have finally left!
We are saved!
The Ming army shed tears...
The night was pitch black, and one could not see one's hand in front of one's face. After Naoyo Nabeshima and Sanbanro Matsuura led the Japanese pirates across the Qishui River, they disappeared from the sight of the Ming army.
Prefect Liu vomited blood and fainted, and the command of the Ming army fell into the hands of Captain Xu. Captain Xu was still in shock and deeply afraid of the lethality of the Japanese pirates. He did not dare to order the Ming army to cross the river to chase and kill the Japanese pirates.
"There are official roads and country roads on the other side of the Qishui River, as well as woods, low mountains and hills. The terrain is extremely complex. It is late at night now, and it is difficult to find any traces, and it is difficult to track down the whereabouts of the Japanese pirates. If we are not prepared, it is easy for the Japanese pirates to take advantage of us. It is better to wait until tomorrow morning and send a large force to track down the Japanese pirates."
Captain Xu found a plausible excuse and ordered the Ming army to rest where they were and cross the river to hunt down the Japanese pirates the next morning.
"Your Excellency is wise!"
Upon hearing this, all the generals breathed a sigh of relief and praised Captain Xu for his wisdom. They were also scared by the Japanese pirates. The Japanese pirates were too cruel. In today's battle, one centurion died, three generals died, and eight small flags died! They were all afraid that they would be the next one to be killed. When they heard Captain Xu's order to keep the troops still and pursue the Japanese pirates tomorrow, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
The Japanese pirates came from afar just to plunder wealth. Funing had been robbed once and there was no property left. The Japanese pirates would definitely not come back after crossing the river. They would definitely be safe tonight, but the Japanese pirates would have gone far away overnight and they would definitely not be able to catch up. Of course, even if they could catch up with the Japanese pirates, they "would" not be able to catch up.
Therefore, all the generals wanted to raise ten thousand hands to warmly support Captain Xu's wise decision.
When the Ming army received the order to rest tonight and continue chasing the Japanese pirates tomorrow morning, they all raised their hands in agreement.
There is a wilderness to the east of the Qishui River. Half a mile ahead is an official road that leads north directly to Hangzhou Prefecture. Connected to the official road are several country roads that lead to nearby villages and towns. Not far away is a dense forest and low mountains and hills. Countless villages are scattered on the edges of the dense forest and low mountains and hills.
Whether it is a dense forest or low mountains and hills, they are all suitable for hiding. Once you enter them, it will be difficult to find your trace and whereabouts.
If the Japanese pirates hid in dense forests or low mountains and hills, it would be like a fish entering the sea, and it would be difficult to find any trace of them.
However, the Japanese pirates did not choose to hide in dense forests or low mountains and hills, but walked on the official road in a swagger.
"Are you sure this official road leads directly to Hangzhou Prefecture?" Matsuura Sanbanro confirmed to the Japanese pirates who had followed Xu Hai.
"Yes. When I followed Xu Hai to land in Shangyu to plunder the Ming Dynasty, Xu Hai pointed to this official road and said so." The Japanese pirate confirmed.
"Yoshi!" Matsuura Sanbanro nodded with satisfaction, turned around and suggested to Nabeshima Nao, "General Nao, how about we travel at night and find a secluded village to rest after entering Hangzhou Prefecture?!"
"As Sanfanlang said! I can't wait to see the prosperous Suhu area of Ming Dynasty!"
Nao Nabeshima licked the blood of the Ming army on his face, smiled and nodded.
Suddenly, a group of Japanese pirates marched northward along the official road, heading directly for Hangzhou Prefecture.
At this moment, about ten miles north of the official road, there was also a large group of people holding torches and hurrying on their way.
This is the group of retired censor Qian Jing who has returned to his hometown in glory.
Qian Jing retired as the Censor-in-Chief, a seventh-rank official and an old colleague of Hu Zongxian.
Qian Jing's hometown is Qiaotoubao Town, Shaoxing Prefecture, which is close to Shangyu County, just five miles north of Shangyu. Old Censor Qian is sixty years old this year. He is a representative of late bloomers. He passed the imperial examination at the age of forty-nine and the imperial examination at the age of fifty-three. He was appointed as a local county magistrate. Like Hu Zongxian, he followed the career path of the censor. However, after all, Qian Jing was old, and he reached retirement age before he was promoted from censor, and his career was fixed at the seventh-rank supervisory censor.
Of course, he was lucky. Although the Censor-in-Chief was only a seventh-rank official, he was a powerful figure in the officialdom. Therefore, he was very successful in his post as the Censor-in-Chief, which did not let down his decades of hard study. When he left home to take up the post, he was alone. When he returned home, he had five wives and concubines, three children, and a group of doormen, gardeners, maids, cooks, and servants, totaling sixty or seventy people.
Of course, his entourage was huge, and included not only his wives, concubines, children, servants, etc., but also fifty escort officers sent by outgoing local officials and more than eighty escort officers sent by officials along the way to make friends. When passing through Yingtian, his colleague Hu Zongxian heard about it and not only warmly entertained the old Censor Qian, but also, in view of the frequent attacks by Japanese pirates in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas recently, for the sake of the old Censor Qian's safety, he insisted on sending a hundred soldiers to escort the old Censor Qian despite the old Censor Qian's refusal. When leaving, he also reminded the old Censor Qian to travel during the day and not at night.
Ahem, it wasn’t because it was safe and grand, it was just because Hu Zongxian was so enthusiastic that he couldn’t refuse, so the old censor Qian had no choice but to accept Hu Zongxian’s kindness.
The old censor Qian rode in a sedan chair, accompanied by his beautiful wife and concubines, his children, a group of servants, 130 escort officers, and 100 soldiers...
This is what it means to return home in glory!
Old Censor Qian followed Hu Zongxian's advice all the way. After all, he was old and the officials along the way were enthusiastic. Old Censor Qian traveled during the day and rested at night to recuperate. However, when he arrived at his doorstep, he was eager to go home, so he walked at night and would reach his hometown around two o'clock.
He couldn't wait to go home, so on this last day, Censor Qian walked all night.