The afterglow of the setting sun was like golden light. Zhu Ping'an led the Zhejiang army, covered in golden light, and led a string of captured Japanese pirates towards Suzhou City.
They took the same route they had come from. Firstly, this road was a straight line and the shortest route back to Suzhou City; secondly, on the way back, Zhu Ping'an had someone interrogate the Japanese pirates and learned that the Japanese pirates had ambushed them in the woods behind Yanhe Avenue. Taking the original route back would avoid running into the ambushed Japanese pirates.
Xu Hai ordered the Japanese pirates who were lying in ambush in the rear to remain there until the sun set before they could chase the main force of Japanese pirates.
The sun was setting at this time. If we took the road along the river, there was a high probability that we would run into the ambushing Japanese pirates.
The Zhejiang army was short of gunpowder and was carrying prisoners, so if they ran into the ambushing Japanese pirates, they would not be able to gain any advantage.
Therefore, they returned along the same route. Zhu Ping'an also sent out many scouts to guard against any accidents.
Fortunately, we had a safe journey and arrived safely at the city of Suzhou.
Zhu Ping'an knew that Suzhou City was in a state of panic, especially after Wang Jian surrendered to the Japanese pirates and robbed the city. The situation was even more sensitive. Prefect Shang was also extremely nervous about defending the city and would rather do nothing than make no mistakes. So he sent people to Suzhou City early to report the results of the battle and inform them of the imminent arrival of the army.
Not only that, when they were still two miles away from Suzhou City, Zhu Ping'an ordered his soldiers to slow down.
When they were only one mile away from Suzhou City, Zhu Ping'an ordered his soldiers to slow down further.
"We have returned victoriously, why don't we see the people of the city lining the streets to welcome us?"
"Also, it's fine if the people in the city didn't come to greet us, but why didn't the Zhejiang Army that we stayed in the city come to greet us? It's fine if they didn't come, but why didn't Er Shunzi and his men come to greet us? Where are they?"
Liu Dadao and others frowned as they looked at the closed gates of Suzhou City with no one at the gate to greet them.
Er Shunzi and his men were the sentinels of the post that Zhu Ping'an had sent in advance to report the results of the battle to Suzhou City.
"Er Shunzi and the others should have been invited into the city to verify the authenticity of our victory." Zhu Ping'an thought of the reason.
"Ah?! People in the city suspect us?! Er Shunzi is under their control?! What are the people in the city doing? We are fighting bloody battles outside, but they treat us like this?!" After hearing this, Liu Dadao and others couldn't help but be very dissatisfied with what the people in the city did.
"Haha, stop complaining. This is a lesson for the city. Wang Jian's previous 'victorious return' situation is very similar to our current one. Wang Jian surrendered to the Japanese pirates and almost succeeded in robbing the city. If we hadn't arrived in time to rescue them, Suzhou City would have fallen into the hands of the Japanese pirates. Isn't it natural for them to learn from their mistakes now? If they don't learn from their mistakes, I'll be angry instead."
Zhu Ping'an smiled disapprovingly and calmed the emotions of his soldiers.
After a brief appeasement, Zhu Ping'an led the Zhejiang army forward. When they were about an arrow's distance away from Suzhou City, he raised his right arm and his soldiers stopped.
Seeing the Zhejiang army coming, the people on the city wall were in an uproar.
"Master Zhu and his men have returned victoriously."
"Look, there are still many prisoners behind us, about three to five hundred. Lord Zhu and his men have won another victory."
"There are more than three or five hundred Japanese pirates. Just two quarters of an hour ago, when I went to the Arrow Tower to clean up, the messenger sent by Lord Zhu came to report the results of the battle. Wasn't he invited into the city by Prefect Shang? I heard a few words outside. Lord Zhu and his men won a super victory this time. When the Japanese pirates retreated, there were still tens of thousands of them. Lord Zhu and his men killed them all. Only a few hundred Japanese pirates escaped. There was also a Japanese chieftain named Chen Dong, who was also captured alive by Lord Zhu."
"Lord Zhu is truly amazing. He is the top scholar in the imperial examination and can lead troops in battle. He is truly a talent sent from heaven."
The defenders on the city wall were excited when they saw the Zhejiang army riding horses with a string of extremely miserable Japanese pirates tied behind their horses, and they did not hesitate to praise them.
"Hey, wait, don't you think this scene looks familiar?" One of the defenders suddenly remembered General Wang. He swallowed his saliva in fear and pointed at the Zhejiang army outside the city with trembling fingers.
"What? Does this scene look familiar? What are you talking about? Why are you only speaking halfway? It's not smooth at all."
"What do you mean by familiar or not? What are you thinking about? Just say it. If you have something to say, fart now!"
The people around urged impatiently.
"That's General Wang, but wasn't it the same when the traitor Wang surrendered to the Japanese pirates and took the Japanese pirates to rob the city?! Wang and his 1,000 troops went out of the city to chase the Japanese pirates, and came back with more than 1,600 people, claiming to have brought back more than 600 prisoners... Well, now, Lord Zhu and his Zhejiang troops went with more than 900 people, and came back with more than 1,300 people, and brought back more than 400 prisoners. Compared with Wang's scene at that time, isn't it a little familiar?! Of course, I don't want the past to happen again, but what if it happens..."
The guard swallowed again and spoke with a trembling voice.
"Fuck, you know what, this scene is really familiar. Why do I feel a chill down my spine?"
"You mean to say that Lord Zhu has also surrendered to the Japanese pirates and is coming to defraud the city?!"
"Fuck, stop talking nonsense, it's so scary, are the Japanese pirates coming again?! If Lord Zhu also surrenders to the Japanese pirates, then there will be no one in our city who can fight? If the Japanese pirates come back, it will be dangerous."
After hearing this, the surrounding defenders looked at the Zhejiang troops outside the city and the strings of Japanese pirate captives behind them, and they broke out in cold sweats.
The Japanese pirates were brutal and treacherous. The battle that attacked the city was a nightmare that the defenders would never forget. They didn't want to face the Japanese pirates again.
The cruel, fierce, and ruthless Japanese pirates killed people without blinking an eye. They chopped down the defenders like cutting melons and vegetables. With one stroke, they could cut off their swords. The heads of the defenders rolled down and the blood flowed like a river. If you close your eyes, you will have nightmares...
"Hehe, the situation here between Lord Zhu and Wang Jian is different. During Wang Jian's time, there were 600 Japanese pirates disguised as prisoners, but now here with Lord Zhu, there are only about 400 prisoners." Some defenders tried to find differences.
"Lord Zhu is the top scholar in the imperial examination. How could he be as stupid as Wang Jian? The different number of captives might be a trick to confuse us." Someone said conspiratorially.
"Yeah, that makes sense." Many people nodded.
"Oh, that's not right. Although the number of prisoners is slightly different, the tactics are the same. They are almost identical. Lord Zhu is the top scholar. He wouldn't be so stupid as to copy Wang Jian's tactics, right?!"
Someone else raised doubts.
"This is the strength of Lord Zhu. As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place. We all thought Lord Zhu would not be stupid enough to copy Wang Jian's routine, but he copied Wang Jian's routine..."
Soon someone refuted it with a conspiracy theory.
"Yeah, that makes sense. The most dangerous place is the safest place." Many people nodded immediately.