With the basic strategy established, Jiahe Garrison transitioned into the phase of live-action drills.
The fleet put to sea for exercises every three to five days, familiarizing itself with the near and distant sea conditions, with helmsmen and sail handlers concentrating particularly on learning how different wind directions, wind strengths, and tidal currents affected the ship’s heading.
Using the newly drawn maritime defense map as reference, Pei Shaohuai also went out to sea in person several times to conduct field surveys, until he knew the waters outside Shuang’an Prefecture by heart.
Each time he put out to sea, as Jiahe Island behind him gradually shrank into the distance and the vast expanse of ocean before him steadily grew grander, the deep and dark sea water, the briny sting of the sea wind — all of it filled his heart with a feeling of expansive grandeur, yet at the same time an involuntary stirring of awe.
Vessels like clouds and waves afloat as a wild goose’s feather, before the sails no mountains — only sky.
Even a ship of a thousand liao or two thousand liao was no more than a feather on the open sea, a single leaf of bamboo.
Everything proceeded in orderly fashion.
During this period, Pei Shaohuai met with Wang Chu once more — this time at Wang Chu’s initiative, at the same stone pavilion on Ceng Island.
With the maritime prohibition in effect, the coastal garrison posts had always been stationed on shore, and they had very little experience fighting the Japanese pirates at sea. Wang Chu, as a sea bandit, had tangled with the Japanese pirates on the water many times and had accumulated a certain amount of experience.
To demonstrate his sincerity, Wang Chu proactively shared what he knew, saying, “Wang does not know what Your Excellency already knows and what he does not. It would be simpler to tell Your Excellency everything, and let Your Excellency take what is useful.”
He began with the Japanese pirates’ vessels.
Wang Chu said, “The Japanese pirates typically use the Atakebune as their flagship. It is more than ten zhang in length — about the size of a Da Qing mid-sized ship of five hundred liao — with several tiers of cabin structures built upon the deck, rather resembling the pleasure boats that cruise the riverside at Yangzhou. This ship is burdened with considerable bulk; it is better suited to defense than attack, and is not nimble in navigation. It relies chiefly on sail power, and once the mast is lowered and the sails furled, it relies on oars, making it very slow-moving.”
A single tree does not make a forest. The Japanese pirates were able to run rampant at sea because they naturally had other vessel types at their disposal.
“The most numerous among the Japanese vessels is the Sekibune. This vessel is extremely nimble, capable of carrying several dozen to over a hundred men. When sailing, it is driven by sail; when plundering, it is driven by oar, allowing it to maneuver and weave in any direction without predictability. The Japanese pirates often use the cover of night or sea fog to stealthily approach merchant vessels in their Sekibune, killing the crew and seizing the cargo.”
“Furthermore, this vessel’s bow is fitted with a sharp underwater ram. When engaged in a prolonged battle, they also use the Sekibune’s speed, employing the ram to sink merchant ships.”
Pei Shaohuai took note of this, and pondered: the Sekibune was nimble and maneuverable, which meant this type of vessel was necessarily light and thinly built.
The experience accumulated at the Taicang shipyard told him that a traditional wooden vessel could not simultaneously achieve “sturdy and stable” and “light and nimble” — the two qualities were mutually exclusive.
This meant the Sekibune’s hull was relatively fragile.
Wang Chu continued, “The Japanese pirates also have the Kobaya — similar to a flat-bottomed boat, used for scouting ahead and gathering intelligence on the battle situation. If Your Excellency should encounter such small vessels, do not at any cost alert them.”
“Beyond these three types of vessels, there may also be some Fujian-style ships and Guangdong-style ships — plundered from Da Qing sea merchants.”
The Kobaya scouted ahead; the Atakebune held the main defensive line and served as the command center; the Sekibune maneuvered for plunder. The Japanese pirates had already developed a complete tactical system.
Pei Shaohuai asked, “How are they in close-quarters combat?”
“Boarding combat — they do not fear death.” Wang Chu answered.
With the hulls of two ships pressed side by side, the fighters would use rope ladders to board the enemy vessel and engage in close-quarters blade combat.
“And their firearms?”
Wang Chu had come prepared. He placed a ceramic jar on the stone table. The jar was earthy brown, with a thick, black handle attached at an angle, and compared to Da Qing’s fine porcelain pieces, it was plain and unrefined.
“Has Your Excellency heard of this object before?”
Pei Shaohuai shook his head. He had never studied Japanese ceramic wares.
He examined the shape of the jar — a black handle, a brown body. Pei Shaohuai hesitated slightly and asked, “Is this a chamber pot?”
Seeing Wang Chu’s expression freeze, and realizing the jar was too small for that, Pei Shaohuai knew he had guessed wrong. He gave a small smile to cover his embarrassment and added, “Though surely it isn’t quite that small.”
“This is a Houroku — a type of ceramic vessel the Japanese use for roasting tea.”
“Ah——” The embarrassment on Pei Shaohuai’s face deepened, and he finally understood why Wang Chu’s expression had frozen.
Wang Chu continued his introduction, “The Japanese use the Houroku as a casing, filling it with gunpowder and leaving only a fuse on the outside. They call it the ‘Houroku Ball’ — and this is the most common fire weapon used by the Japanese pirates in boarding combat. They string a series of Houroku Balls together on a rope, ignite them, and throw them onto merchant ships, then use the cover of the smoke and explosions to board and seize the cargo.” He paused to recall, then added, “The destructive power of the Houroku Ball is fairly ordinary; it is the smoke that is truly dense — enough to make a man’s eyes stream and unable to open.”
Was this not simply Da Qing’s own crude grenade, dressed up in a peculiarly ornate name?
Japan produced sulfur in abundance, which suggested they likely had insufficient saltpeter. They must have added more sulfur to the mixture inside the jar, causing the explosion to produce billowing clouds of smoke.
It was more like a smoke grenade than anything else.
After this meeting, Pei Shaohuai had gained a much clearer understanding of how the Japanese pirates conducted their sea raids.
On Ceng Island, the sea wind blew strong. The fine dishes on the table had long since grown cold, and in the wine cups, the liquor stirred in restless waves — mirroring the swells of the sea beyond. Pei Shaohuai lifted his cup and said, “Island Master Wang — to a fruitful cooperation.”
The more he understood, the more precisely he could craft his strategy.
Wang Chu hastily raised his cup as well, and the two cups met in a clear clink before both men drank.
……
Returning from Ceng Island, Pei Shaohuai found it difficult to feel pleased.
Da Qing’s ships and firearms were plainly superior to those of the Japanese pirates in every respect, and yet Da Qing had suffered years of harassment at their hands. This was clear proof that the coastal garrison posts had grown overly lax, their fighting capabilities withered away.
It was something that had to be reformed.
He was glad, at the very least, that Yan Chengzhao had come with him this time. At least these truths would have a way to reach the ears of the Emperor.
……
In the tenth month, frost and sea fog lay heavy; the wind shifted from north to south without warning, and a thousand layers of turbulent waves crashed one upon another.
At last, the minor raiding season of the Japanese pirates had arrived. Morale in Jiahe Garrison ran high; they were on full and heavy alert. Pei Shaohuai came to Jiahe Garrison every single day without fail.
One morning, a small flat-bottomed boat rocked its way to Jiahe Island and docked. The man who stepped off was none other than Old Bao Nine.
Inside the military barracks, Pei Shaohuai broke open the letter. The assembled ship captains turned their eyes toward him as one, waiting for the prefect to issue his orders.
“The Japanese pirate fleet has already set sail from Satsuma Province — approximately fifty to sixty vessels in total, and in all likelihood making straight for the Shuang’an Prefecture area.”
The scale was not small.
The northeast wind had been fierce these past several days, with the ocean current providing additional push. It would take only a matter of days before the fleet arrived in the waters outside Shuang’an Prefecture.
More than ten ship captains rose immediately to their feet, clasping their hands in salute toward Yan Chengzhao, and called out in unison, “We request the Commander to issue his orders!” Month after month of repeated drills had been for the sake of this very battle — what reason was there to shrink from it?
Yan Chengzhao and Pei Shaohuai had worked side by side for months and had long since developed a tacit understanding. Knowing Pei Shaohuai’s strategy thoroughly, he raised his hand and swept it to quiet his men — telling them not to be hasty — before saying, “Summon the eight strategists to meet with us.”
As it happened, the eight old strategists who observed wind and weather also had an urgent matter to report and were already waiting outside the command tent. The moment they were called for, they entered immediately.
The lead strategist’s expression carried a note of anxiety. After paying his respects, he reported, “Commander Yan, Prefect Pei — if we calculate by wind speed, the Japanese pirate fleet likely intends to make landfall at Shuang’an Prefecture on the eighteenth.”
The sea’s tides rise and fall with the moon, swelling from the first and last quarters toward the full and new moon. In the two to three days after the full moon, the tidal swell reaches its most extreme.
It seemed clear that the Japanese pirates intended to ride the northeast wind and the great tide, driving straight forward to press upon the mouth of the Jiulong River with full force. Such wind power and tidal force was more than sufficient to overcome the outward push of the Jiulong River’s current.
But if that had been all, it would not have been enough to unsettle the old strategist. Pei Shaohuai asked, “Are there other circumstances?”
The old strategist nodded. “If our calculations are correct, the eighteenth will bring the highest tide seen in twenty years.”
With the sun and moon aligned in a direct pull, the tide would rise higher and faster, and its force would be all the greater.
In such a tide, even with their sails furled, the Japanese pirate vessels could advance at full speed. It was nothing short of an overwhelming onslaught.
On the other hand, Jiahe Garrison would be sailing against both wind and tide, and would find it extremely difficult to come around behind the Japanese fleet. If they engaged head-on, they would be at a severe disadvantage from the opposing wind and current. Consider: a nimble Sekibune charging at full speed, using its sharp underwater ram to pierce the hull of a Jiahe Garrison ship — the cost-to-damage ratio was simply not worth contemplating.
Pei Shaohuai’s brow furrowed slightly as well. He had not anticipated a once-in-twenty-years great tide. It was fortunate that the strategists had discovered it early enough — there was still time to prepare.
Pei Shaohuai’s furrowed brow was the look of a man deep in thought, working out a countermeasure. To those around him, however, it appeared as though he were troubled with misgivings.
A valiant ship captain stepped forward and said, “Commander, Prefect — what of it if we sail against wind and tide? What of it if it comes to boarding combat and bare blades? Only give the Commander the order, and every one of us will fight to the last man to block the Japanese pirates outside Shuang’an Bay, and not let a single plank of their fleet come near the shore!”
The other captains joined their voices to his.
The fighting spirit in the room surged to new heights once more.
Pei Shaohuai was well aware, of course, that with their larger ships and superior firearms, a head-on engagement was certainly winnable.
But the cost would be too great, the casualties too heavy — that was not the approach he wished to take.
The ships they would be using in this battle were, after all, the merchant vessels of ordinary people. The men at the helms and the sails were crew members from the three clans. He could not allow Shuang’an Prefecture to suffer crippling losses for the sake of a single engagement.
Yan Chengzhao remained as composed as ever. He swept his hand once more to quiet the room, and said in a low, steady voice, “Quiet. Hear what the Prefect has arranged.”
He gave Pei Shaohuai a little more time.
The barracks fell into silence. Every pair of eyes turned to rest on Pei Shaohuai. After about the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, Pei Shaohuai finally rose to his feet and walked to stand before the maritime defense map. His expression had returned to its natural ease, composed and assured.
“The great tide swallows mountains and engulfs the sea — its momentum is fierce and overwhelming. That much is true, it can drive the Japanese ships faster.” He paused. “And yet it can also drive the Japanese ships out of control.”
After all, the Atakebune was sluggish and the Sekibune was thinly built.
What appeared to be a disadvantage was not a complete disadvantage. The tide could be turned — a severe reduction in casualties could be achieved.
“The Japanese pirates are skilled at reading the wind and sea, and skilled at sailing. But they are not as familiar with the waters outside Shuang’an Prefecture as we are. We can find a way to draw the Japanese fleet here.”
The assembled men followed the direction of Pei Shaohuai’s hand, and saw that he was pointing at a place on the maritime defense map called “Fengwei Gorge” — Phoenix Tail Gorge.
It was a sea channel that was wide at the outer entrance and narrowed inward, shaped like the flare of a horn.
The ship captains were somewhat slower to grasp the reasoning, but the old strategists understood it in an instant. The anxiety that had clouded their faces moments ago swept entirely away, and they could not help but exclaim in admiration, “What a brilliant stratagem, Prefect Pei.”
Pei Shaohuai then proceeded to explain the reasoning in detail to the assembled men, and one by one, understanding dawned on their faces, expressions brightening with satisfaction.
All that remained was the question of how to “invite the enemy into the trap.” Using the maritime defense map, Pei Shaohuai continued, “The open sea outside Shuang’an Prefecture appears vast, but in truth, the number of navigable sea lanes is limited. Moreover, with the tides surging violently and vessels racing at uncontrollable speeds, we need only secure these several channel points to the south, and the Japanese pirate fleet will have no choice but to sail westward into Phoenix Tail Gorge.”
“Prefect, the northern flank is still undefended,” someone pointed out.
Yan Chengzhao and Pei Shaohuai exchanged a glance. Yan Chengzhao spoke: “Leave the north to me — I have my own plan.”
Because Wang Chu was guarding the north. If Wang Chu broke his word and let the Japanese fleet slip northward, they would enter the waters of Quanzhou Prefecture, where that region’s garrison posts were also stationed and prepared.
……
Under the cover of night, Pei Shaohuai stood atop a cliff-face rock, before him the long and narrow stretch of Phoenix Tail Gorge.
The opposite side of the gorge was a sea island. Flanked between the island and the cliff-face, the strait had taken shape.
Beneath the darkness, only the blurred silhouette of the island was visible, while the sound of wind and crashing waves was unceasing.
Inside Phoenix Tail Gorge, the waves had already begun to build.
Yan Chengzhao walked over and said, “Reports from up ahead: the Japanese pirate fleet will arrive outside Shuang’an Bay at the latest by tomorrow.”
He paused, then asked, “Is Pei Zhizhou standing here observing, turning over tomorrow’s battle in his mind? Or is there something troubling him?”
In Yan Chengzhao’s view, everything was prepared and ready. There was nothing to worry about — they simply needed to act according to plan.
Pei Shaohuai’s strategy was already remarkably thorough.
Warfare was unpredictable; what military strategist could devise a plan that was perfect in every last detail?
Pei Shaohuai turned, and replied, “There is indeed something troubling me — though it is not tomorrow’s battle.”
He explained, “After tomorrow’s battle, everything that should come will come. That is what gives me cause for concern.”
After the naval battle, once the Japanese pirates’ attempt at disruption had been repelled, Pei Shaohuai was about to officially open the seas to maritime trade, and the resistance from all quarters would emerge one after another, coming into the open.
It was easy to quell a temporary disturbance. It was far harder to resolve a lasting internal threat.
Pei Shaohuai’s tone lightened. “Whatever comes, we have at least taken the first step.”
“Yan’s background is in martial arts — his thinking is not as thorough as Pei Zhizhou’s.” Perhaps there were twists and turns in the reasoning he had not fully worked through. Yan Chengzhao said, “But Yan knows this much: at least on the matter of opening the seas, His Majesty will not suspect Pei Zhizhou. Pei Zhizhou may proceed boldly.”
“If His Majesty wishes to cast suspicion on anyone, he would first cast it on Yan.”
Pei Shaohuai understood what lay beneath those words and said with a smile, “Then this Pei thanks Commander Yan in advance.”
“Of course.” Yan Chengzhao also turned his gaze toward Phoenix Tail Gorge. His tone, ever cold, carried within it a thread of barely contained anticipation. “This night is going on far too long,” he said. “Why won’t dawn come……”