Chapter 330: Great Victory and Aftermath

Over the course of a single night, the emotions of the people in Shanghai County swung wildly. It wasn’t until dawn, when the night watchman rang the copper gong everywhere, announcing the defeat of the Japanese pirates and the great victory, that those who had stayed awake all night, full of vigilance, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Despite their bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep, the people opened their doors or stepped outside. Though it was still early, the streets were already crowded with people. Neighbors who knew each other spoke to one another, and even those who didn’t knew each other greeted each other. Even long-time enemies forgot their petty disputes in this moment of survival after the disaster.

When they heard that the retreating Japanese pirates had left countless corpses in the southeast, the crowd erupted in excitement. Thousands rushed in that direction. Upon arriving, they saw the bodies in strange costumes piled up—dozens of them. After asking the dozens of soldiers stationed nearby, even those who had doubts truly believed the pirates had retreated, and everyone joined in loud cheers.

Someone threw a stone first, and soon others followed suit. Standing on a small hill nearby, Zhang Yue watched as stones and dirt rained down on the corpses like a storm—a truly spectacular sight.

“Die well!”
“Damn those bastards!”
“See if you dare come here to kill again!”

Though Zhang Yue only caught fragments of these shouts, he could clearly feel the joy among everyone. Looking at the exhausted soldiers guarding the city, he noticed many of them standing straighter, their bloodshot eyes filled with indescribable pride. Even Qin Baihu, who had a deep cut on his face, showed the same pride. Of course, some faces also showed a hint of sadness. Zhang Chao, who had seen many such scenes in Jinxiang Guard, simply watched with a smile, feeling an urge to join the crowd and throw stones as well.

“Captain Zhang, the county magistrate is here!”

It was not until he heard such a voice that Zhang Chao turned around and casually brushed off the dust on his clothes. After meeting, he took a close look at Zhang Shouyue before nodding and saying, “This time, when the Japanese pirates attacked Songjiang Prefecture, Shanghai County was hit the hardest. Fortunately, you, as the county magistrate, handled the situation well and ensured the safety of all the people in the city. Although several coastal villages suffered damage, it wasn’t a disaster overall. You don’t need to worry about what happens next—General Zhang has already led ships to patrol the seas and hunt down the pirates, clearing out the islands along the coast. The pirates will soon have nowhere to hide.”
The emperor had finally sent people to patrol the seas and hunt pirates!
This was undoubtedly the best news for Zhang Shouyue. With this campaign, the pirates wouldn’t invade for at least three to five years, allowing the people to live in peace and safety. Of course, his own future and life would also be secured. Glancing at Zhang Yue, he didn’t dare compete for credit with the Jinyiwei officials, so he quickly said to Zhang Chao, “Captain Zhang, the fact that Shanghai County was able to remain intact this time is not really due to my efforts. It’s all thanks to this Jinyiwei official who arrived in time and commanded things so effectively.”
The Jinyiwei official? Zhang Chao gave Zhang Yue a strange look but naturally didn’t expose his lie. He agreed readily, saying he would report it all together later. However, the other soldiers present had seen the two of them laughing heartily when they first met. Now, seeing them act so formally, they began to wonder. It wasn’t until Zhang Shouyue left with Zhang Yue and Zhang Chao that they started discussing it among themselves, eventually deciding to keep it to themselves.
Their troops, who had defended the city, had now become heroes in the eyes of the people. Why worry about other trivial matters? Besides, Zhang Yue had promised to reward and comfort them generously once they returned. Their efforts in this battle hadn’t been in vain.
Hearing that Zhang Shouyue had already sent people to the Xilai Inn on Wu Xiang Old Street to clean up the mess from the previous night, Zhang Yue quickly sent the Shanghai county magistrate back to the county government office. He wanted to talk more with Zhang Chao, but in the end, he just patted his shoulder firmly as usual and said, “Brother, you have military orders to follow, and I have imperial orders. We can talk only when we return. In short, take care of yourself—don’t charge too far ahead in battle!”

“I only killed four or five people in an entire night, and once we leave this village, there won’t be any more such places. It will be peaceful from here on out; this was just to satisfy my urge to kill! The supervisor accompanying us this time is Eunuch Yang Qing. My father was worried that people would gossip about me staying on the ship, so he sent me to patrol the various guard posts along the coast. Who would have thought we’d run into those Japanese pirates last night?” Facing Zhang Yue’s fierce attack, Zhang Chao remained completely unfazed, smiling carelessly. “I’m going to clean up those corpses outside the East Gate right now. You do your own thing; we can talk about anything when we get back!”

The two brothers had always had a very close relationship. At that moment, they instinctively slapped each other’s cheeks firmly before parting ways without looking back. After meeting Hu Qi and the child-faced guard Tian Fang, Zhang Yue immediately mounted his horse and headed toward Wu Xiang Old Street. Along the way, he encountered countless crowds cheering joyfully; some even brought out firecrackers prepared for the New Year, the crackling noise conveying boundless happiness.

When he finally reached Wu Xiang Old Street, he found it packed with people so tightly that it was impossible to ride a horse in. It wasn’t until he asked a passerby that he learned everyone had come for the corpses of those “Japanese pirates.” Although he knew most of the people he had killed weren’t real pirates, seeing everyone so outraged, he didn’t dare explain anything. He could only take a detour through the back door of another alley.

Fan Gouer, who was busy in the main hall, noticed movement at the back door and immediately stood up, looking over warily. But as soon as he recognized the person, his rosy complexion turned pale. Seeing Zhang Yue walk in, he opened his mouth several times but couldn’t utter a word. He could only watch as Zhang Yue went straight into the small courtyard and soon came out again with a gloomy expression.

“Where are my men?”

“M-Master, this… this morning, word… word spread about the… the corpses here…”

The more anxious Fan Gou was, the more slurred his speech became. Finally mustering up courage, he left Zhang Yue behind and rushed to the counter to pour himself a large bowl of water, drinking it all at once before dashing back. Only then could his tongue function properly again. “The boss was worried that too many onlookers might disturb those three ladies, so he sent someone to inform the Yang family. Later, the third son-in-law of the Yang family sent a carriage to pick them up, and your three guards escorted them to the Yang family’s compound… Oh, they also took away the only survivor. That merchant surnamed Ma said he knew the Yang family from before and went with them as well, while Prince Wang simply paid his bill and left.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yue frowned. But seeing the overwhelming crowd at the entrance and the constant noise, he felt relieved. After all, the Yang family’s compound must be quieter and safer at this time. Learning that the boss, Chu Yun, was dealing with the crowd who wanted to see the scene of last night’s fight, he casually untied a money bag full of gold coins and silver coins from his waist, not bothering to count them, and handed it to Fan Gou. “Tell your boss that I almost got him into trouble by staying here this time. Thank him on my behalf.”

Fan Gou held the heavy money bag until Zhang Yue and his men left before realizing what to do. After thinking for a moment, he took out a silver coin and put it in his belt, then rushed back to the front. Ignoring the boss’s loud chatter about last night’s fierce battle, he went up and relayed Zhang Yue’s message, then handed over the money bag.

Even Chu Yun, who had lived most of his life, never expected to meet such a reasonable and kind-hearted nobleman. His hands trembled as he took the money bag. Under everyone’s gaze, he unsealed it and saw many silver coins and rolled up gold coins inside, which filled him with excitement. He then spread the few bits and pieces he had heard from the officials, exaggerating Zhang Yue and his group as if they were heavenly soldiers.

But these were naturally not things Zhang Yue cared about at the moment. Although he had promised rewards, the government certainly couldn’t provide them. So he had originally planned to visit the Yang family—after all, private merchants at sea were often the same as pirates, and he strongly suspected that the second son of the Yang family might be involved. This disaster had nearly affected the entire city, and he had to get an explanation from the Yang family.

After arriving at the Yang family’s mansion in a flash, he learned that Lingxi Amber and Qiuhen were both in the west wing room of the Bamboo Garden, so he hurried over as quickly as he could. As soon as he pushed aside the curtain and entered, a fragrant breeze hit him, and looking down, he saw it was Qiuhen. Before he could say anything, two figures approached from either side, leaving him stunned. He immediately stretched out his arms and hugged all three of them tightly.

Having waited all night, Qiuhen’s eyes were already swollen beyond recognition. Biting her lip, she raised her head and said slowly, “Amber must have written countless ‘fortune’ characters throughout the night. Sister Lingxi made a vow to fast. At that time, I only wished I were a man… Young master, you’re finally back!”

Seeing Lingxi, usually calm and composed, be overjoyed, and Amber, usually quiet, with tears in her eyes, along with Qiuhen’s words, Zhang Yue felt a heavy weight in his heart. He tried to say something, but his throat was so tight he couldn’t utter a word. The three faces before him gradually transformed into those of his parents and relatives, his wife Du Wan, and countless others who cared about him. The first time he had killed someone with a sword, he hadn’t felt much fear, but now he experienced an indescribable terror.

Life and death… truly just an instant.

Half an hour later, after dressing his wounds and sending the three women to bed, he quietly left the west wing room. There, he saw Fang Qing and Fang Rui waiting for him in the cold wind. Although both shared the surname Fang, they were completely different people, so he frowned at this combination.

When Fang Rui saw Zhang Yue come out, he examined him from head to toe before smiling and saying, “As expected, good people are rewarded—you have great fortune. Even in such a crisis, you manage to turn misfortune into good fortune. You’re truly different from someone like me who’s always unlucky. I just want to warn you to be careful. You’ve already angered too many people. If it weren’t for the person behind me who still has hopes for you, I wouldn’t have been able to stop that idiot, the second son of the Yang family, from sending people after you. With those men involved, you might not even escape unscathed this time. This incident originated in Ningbo Prefecture. If I’m not wrong, even the pirates were probably lured there on purpose. As for my master’s business with the Yang family, it’s just changing from smuggling to legitimate trade. I only care about money; I don’t mind who from the Yang family takes charge in the future. You can deal with the Yang family however you want. I’m heading to Ningbo soon. If you want to get me as well, it’ll be easy.”

Watching Fang Rui bow and leave gracefully, Zhang Yue remained silent for a long time before finally speaking to Fang Qing, “Although this can be considered a great victory, the garrison suffered heavy losses, and the villages by the sea also endured significant casualties. I’ve already asked County Magistrate Zhang to submit a request to build city walls. It’s unacceptable for a county to go over a hundred years without city walls. Since the Yang family is a prominent clan in Songjiang Prefecture, they should set an example not only in providing compensation and rewards but also in building the city walls. This isn’t up for discussion—you should understand!”

Although Fang Qing had dealt with Zhang Yue many times and knew well that this seemingly gentle and amiable young nobleman was not someone easy to influence, he was momentarily startled by the cold gaze before him. He had heard everything Fang Rui said, and the information revealed was enough to fill him with fear. The imperial court was always extremely harsh toward private merchants; if smuggling ships were caught during anti-piracy patrols, everyone on board would be executed. Moreover, his second uncle might even be colluding with pirates. Even without such serious charges, it would be too easy to deal with the wealthy locals.

Just in these three years, how much money had his father-in-law spent trying to avoid being relocated to Beijing as a wealthy household? Thinking of this, he quickly abandoned any lingering sense of luck and bowed, agreeing, “As long as my lord gives clear instructions, the entire Yang family will follow them.”

“Very good,” Zhang Yue said, not surprised by Fang Qing’s response. He then raised three fingers. “First, the Yang family should organize the wealthy households in Shanghai County to donate silver to the government under the guise of charity, to compensate the soldiers who died or were injured in the battle against pirates. Each victim from the garrison will receive 100 taels of silver as compensation, and those injured will receive 50 taels. For those who are too severely injured to serve in the army, you must arrange livelihoods for them for the rest of their lives. Second, the Yang family may have made mistakes in the past, but they must not make any more. Your father-in-law needs to clean house—your second uncle must confess everything he knows. Third, once the imperial court gives approval, donate grain and money to start building the city walls immediately.”