Chapter 1029: A World Where Only Pirates Get Hurt
Cui Weihua had just boarded his flagship when the pirate ships were already closing in.
A vast fleet of pirate ships, at least several dozen, big and small.
The largest were junks, comparable in size to Cui Weihua's flagship, the Cangshan. The smallest were barely bigger than rowboats.
Cui Weihua commanded four hundred Zhejiang soldiers and one thousand and three sailors, with seven Cangshan ships, thirty sand ships, five paddle boats, and sixteen tiger boats.
However, his main force was stationed on Chongming Island. The vessels at his disposal now, big and small combined, numbered only about a dozen—less than half the pirate fleet.
Seeing this sight, a sinking feeling clenched Cui Weihua's heart.
But even with things looking dire, he had to fight!
If he, a Military Preparations Commissioner, were to flee from pirates, what kind of example would that set? How could he ever face anyone again with the name "Weihua" (meaning "protecting China")?
"Engage!" Cui Weihua roared. "All forces, engage Liu Xiang's pirates!"
Cui Weihua cursed, "Damn it!"
There was nothing for it. Such was the caliber of the Ming soldiers back then; you couldn't help but be "impressed."
The remaining ships, with no choice, braced themselves and entered the fray.
Both sides had cannons, but not many—only two or three each, concentrated on their flagships. They boomed a few symbolic shots, barely enough to warm up the engagement.
Soon after, dozens of ships clashed together, and the muskets began firing in earnest.
Both sides were equipped with old smoothbore firearms; without firing in formation, they had virtually no power. The bullets flew erratically upon leaving the barrel, necessitating close range for any effectiveness. From a distance, they were little more than a scare tactic.
Firing at close range inevitably led to boarding actions.
As the battle commenced, the imperial navy quickly found itself at a disadvantage.
Liu Xiang's pirates howled, leaping onto the government ships.
Blades flashed wildly, and Ming soldiers were constantly cut down, collapsing onto the decks.
With a loud crash, a pirate junk grappled with Cui Weihua's Cangshan ship. A large group of pirates surged across from the opposing vessel, blades swinging, engaging Cui Weihua's men in a bloody melee.
Cui Weihua's heart sank; he knew they were doomed.
On shore, the common folk watched anxiously, muttering, "The imperial soldiers are no match! Is our Nanhui Market about to be plundered?"
Just as the situation grew dire, the "harbor pilots" stationed by Gao Family Village in Nanhui Market, led by the reformed pirate Dao Ke, rushed out of their houses.
These "harbor pilots" were all former pirates undergoing labor reform, each a capable fighter. They launched several small boats, howling as they paddled towards the center of the battle.
Some yelled as they paddled, "Let's earn some merit! My labor reform sentence can be shortened!"
"Careful not to get killed!"
"If you're afraid of death, why be a pirate?"
"But we aren't pirates anymore!"
"No, we still are! We're labor reform pirates now, but still pirates!"
Astonishingly, this group's fighting prowess surpassed that of the imperial soldiers. They swarmed to Cui Weihua's Cangshan ship, flung grappling hooks, and climbed aboard. Once on deck, they immediately joined Cui Weihua's men against Liu Xiang's pirates.
On the deck, both sides clashed, a flurry of hacking blades and flashing steel creating a tumultuous scene.
With this new force joining the fray, Cui Weihua's flagship miraculously held steady.
Cui Weihua had, effectively, snatched his life back from the jaws of death.
At that moment, the people on shore suddenly erupted in cheers. From the northern horizon, Gao Family Village's river-sea vessels had appeared. These ships, sailing without sails or oars yet moving with inexplicable speed, were instantly recognizable.
The moment these ships arrived, morale surged among all three groups: the imperial soldiers, the labor reform pirates, and the common folk.
Even the pirates, seeing these strange vessels, grew excited, howling with laughter. "Here come the real targets!" they cried. "Haha, perfect! It's you we want to fight!"
Dozens of pirate ships abandoned the "useless" imperial soldiers and turned to attack Gao Family Village's vessels.
They soon realized, however, that they had chosen the wrong opponents.
Circular portholes immediately opened along the hulls of the river-sea vessels, and the barrels of large stainless steel cannons extended from within.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A single volley of cannon fire instantly left the pirates disoriented and reeling.
Then came Gao Family Village's classic one-two punch: muskets and hand grenades. In short order, the pirates were routed, abandoning several ships and their crews to become prisoners, joining the ranks of the labor reform army. The rest of their vessels fled towards the open sea.
Once the battle was over, Gao Family Village's ships slowly glided towards the shore of Nanhui Market.
Cui Weihua's ship also pulled alongside, and he shouted, "What's going on with these Liu Xiang pirates?"
From one of Gao Family Village's ships emerged a young man, a short-term trainee from the Yellow Pole Military Academy. From a distance, he cupped a fist in greeting to Cui Weihua. "The Liu Xiang pirate syndicate had a slight disagreement with us," he explained. "This was likely their act of retaliation."
Cui Weihua thought to himself: *The last time your grand fleet passed Chongming Island, I wondered who you were off to rough up in the Southeast Seas. I never imagined you'd provoke Liu Xiang! This is utterly disastrous. If Liu Xiang keeps attacking and stirring up trouble here, and your ships aren't around, what am I supposed to use to defend this place?*
"Master Cui, there's no need to worry," the trainee said. "Since Liu Xiang has caused trouble here, we will formulate appropriate defense plans. We'll soon dispatch dedicated warships to patrol these waters."
Hearing this, Cui Weihua finally felt a measure of relief.
With the immediate crisis averted, he finally had the presence of mind to consider his own predicament. *Weak! So incredibly weak!* As the Military Preparations Commissioner for Suzhou and Songjiang, his duty was to ensure his troops were well-trained. But with the imperial navy in such a pathetic state, what was he to do?
"Master Cui," the trainee continued, "during the recent battle, we captured eight of Liu Xiang's pirate vessels: one junk and seven slightly smaller ships. We'd like to present all these ships to you. This way, your forces will be considerably bolstered."
Cui Weihua was overjoyed. "More ships for me?"
Gao Family Village had gifted him six pirate ships last time, and now, unexpectedly, another eight...
*Damn it,* he thought. *I'm the Military Preparations Commissioner for Suzhou and Songjiang, yet my entire strategy for boosting our combat power relies on others preparing it for me? Something feels fundamentally wrong here.*
He couldn't resist asking again, "Tell me, what exactly have you been doing on that island? Provoking pirates, hiring workers—you've caused quite a stir. I've questioned these workers, but none of them will speak."
The Yellow Pole Military Academy trainee chuckled. "Master Cui, nothing much is happening on the island. The Emperor has forbidden us from speaking of it, so perhaps it's best you don't inquire further. In short, as you've seen, we're fighting pirates and even providing you with ships—we're helping you. If you were to fully uncover every detail, it might become rather inconvenient for us to continue offering our assistance."
Cui Weihua quickly clamped his mouth shut.
*Right,* he conceded. *When you accept favors, you'd best keep your mouth shut.*
Gao Family Village's ships docked, and the process of unloading and loading began. Merchants swarmed out again, ferrying all sorts of goods on and off the vessels, smiles gracing every face.
The two impoverished men from Suzhou now saw their chance. They joined the bustling crowd, surged onto a cargo ship, and sat down obediently, ready to travel to the island for work.
Everything appeared so harmonious and natural.
It was a world where only pirates got hurt!
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