Compared to money and provisions, what the Japanese pirates craved most were warships. With enough warships, they could continue to dominate the seas, and plunder even more provisions.

How could the pirates not covet the magnificent fleet of ships that had come on the southern patrol?

Pei Shaohuai thought inwardly: what a treacherous scheme Commandant Lin had devised.

A small portion of the Japanese pirates had deliberately landed at Qiansha Slope to draw the attention of the southern-patrol naval force. If Yan Chengzhao had taken the bait, leading the naval force off their ships to fight the pirates in pitched battle, the warships at the canal wharf would have been left unguarded.

Another portion of the pirates would then slip around under cover of darkness, make their way to the canal wharf under the cover of night, and make off with the warships.

In this way, the pirate leaders would have obtained the ships and returned in triumph. Commandant Lin would have led his troops to hold Taicang Prefecture, killing thousands of enemy fighters and earning military achievements. While the southern-patrol naval force, having failed to guard adequately and allowed the pirates to succeed in taking the ships, would have the blame laid at Yan Chengzhao’s feet as General.

Pei Shaohuai strained to listen to the cannon fire coming from the sea, and felt a surge of quiet satisfaction. By the look of it, Yan Chengzhao had seen through both Commandant Lin and the pirates’ scheme, had prepared well in advance, and was at this very moment engaged in battle with another group of pirates out at sea.

……

Events unfolded exactly as Pei Shaohuai had surmised.

Outside the canal wharf, the pirate leaders led their followers in under cover of nightfall, their ships gliding silently through the darkness. Drawing close to the docked warships, some pirates boarded nimble, flat-bottomed skiffs and paddled them in among the fleet of warships; others slipped into the seawater and swam beneath the hulls of the vessels.

The pirates were highly skilled in the water, moving through it like fish. They intended to sever the iron chains anchoring the warships, causing the vessels to slip free of their moorings.

The pirates were well-versed in the rhythms of the tides, and had timed their plan with precision — it was the end of the month, at the height of the spring tide, and the waters withdrew at midnight. Moreover, the canal wharf was situated at the confluence of the river and the sea, where the river current pushed outward, and once the ships broke free of their anchors, they would slide outward along the tidal undercurrent.

Once the warships had drifted out to sea, the pirates would close in on them one by one and take possession of each vessel.

And yet the pirates had miscalculated.

Yan Chengzhao stood on the lookout platform of the tiger-head treasure ship. The sky above held no moon, and no light burned on the ships. All that could be heard was the occasional slap of waves against the hulls. The naval soldiers were lined up in formation on the decks, fully equipped and ready to move.

A junior officer came to report, keeping his voice low: “General, the frogmen have all swum into range.”

Yan Chengzhao gave the order with perfect calm: “Light the lanterns, move out. Any man who does not fight to the death will be dealt with by military law.”

“Understood.”

A signal flare was fired from the tiger-head treasure ship. The surrounding warships followed in succession, lighting their own signal flares one after another — the flares detonated and burst open in the sky in sequence, like festival fireworks, simultaneously conveying signals and providing illumination.

The warships also lit their lanterns one by one.

By the light, whether it was the dozens of pirate vessels in the distance or the flat-bottomed skiffs and frogmen who had already swum beneath the hulls — all were exposed without exception in an instant.

The southern-patrol naval force gave the pirates no chance to catch their breath. Great nets studded with barbs were cast out across the sea. Soldiers on the ships raised long wooden pikes — the moment a frogman surfaced to breathe, they hurled the pike at him, like spearing fish.

In the darkness of the night, amid the ink-black waters of the sea, the movements of the frogmen gradually fell still.

The pirate vessels in the distance, caught in an ambush by the fleet that Yan Chengzhao had positioned on both flanks, found their retreat cut off. Bombarded by cannon fire with no way to counter it, the ships either burst into flames or sank beneath the sea. They had no capacity to resist.

The pirate leaders acted decisively, immediately ordering their followers to abandon ship and flee. The surviving pirates scrambled onto small flat-bottomed skiffs, weaving and maneuvering nimbly to dodge the cannon fire as they scattered and paddled southward.

The southern-patrol naval force had suffered almost no casualties. Their spirits were high and their momentum fierce as they pressed the pursuit.

A junior officer reported to Yan Chengzhao: “General, the remaining bandits have fled southward on skiffs and have already landed on Little Black Mountain Island.”

“Dispatch ships to surround Little Black Mountain Island, and hold your positions. We will deal with this at daybreak,” Yan Chengzhao ordered.

“Understood.”

……

Meanwhile, on the other front, Commandant Lin had led the Zhenhai Guard to cut off and rout the Japanese pirates who had come ashore, “defending” the city of Taicang and achieving a sweeping victory.

Yet Commandant Lin’s face was dark and grave, his expression concealing a quiet dread. His heart was heavy with worry — the southern-patrol naval force had not sent a single soldier. Had Yan Chengzhao seen through the scheme that he and the pirate leaders had devised?

If that were truly the case, what good was this military achievement of several thousand enemy heads? He was afraid that even with military merit to his name, he would have no life left in which to enjoy it.

Things had come to this point. He could only brace himself and keep up appearances, hoping that the pirate leaders had not been captured — that he would not be given up and exposed — and then there might yet be room to maneuver.

……

After a night of fierce fighting on the outskirts of the city and out at sea, Taicang remained entirely unharmed. The common people let out a collective sigh of relief.

Though he had not taken part in the fighting, Pei Bingyuan had kept watch on the city walls throughout the night, and was utterly exhausted. He ordered the constables and militia to continue rotating patrols both inside and outside the city, to prevent any escaped bandits from slipping in and harming the townspeople.

Only then did he return to the office residence.

Pei Bingyuan had barely washed his face and taken a few mouthfuls of congee when a junior officer from the southern-patrol naval force arrived, bowed in greeting, and said: “With greetings to the Prefect, the General requests your presence.” He then added: “And please also have Young Master Pei come along.”

Pei Bingyuan and Pei Shaohuai exchanged glances — after a night of naval battle, it made sense for Yan Chengzhao as General to want to see Pei Bingyuan, but why would he summon Pei Shaohuai, a young man of letters?

The junior officer explained: “Before his departure, the General heard Minister Zhang of the Ministry of War say that Young Master Pei possesses considerable military talent, and wished to meet him.”

With the authority of Yan Chengzhao’s position as General, if he truly intended any scheme, there was no need to send a courteous invitation. Since he had dispatched someone with such courtesy, there was naturally no intention to cause trouble for the Pei family.

In the carriage, father and son conversed.

Pei Shaohuai took the opportunity to share with his father the conclusions he had reached the previous night. Pei Bingyuan was first astonished, then, after careful analysis, found everything to fit together perfectly. He said: “If what Shaohuai suspects is indeed the case, then this Yan Chengzhao is quite the accomplished young military talent.” There was now hope of dealing with the Zhenhai Guard’s misconduct.

“Yet would a man of such deep cunning, who wages war through calculation and strategy, truly seek to meet me simply on account of a few words from Minister Zhang?” Pei Shaohuai asked, then answered his own question: “I don’t think so… This time, the purpose is likely more to test us than merely to meet.”

To test the abilities and intentions of the Pei family.

Yan Chengzhao was clearly far more adept at thinking ahead and cultivating his reputation than his father.

Pei Bingyuan nodded and said: “Even if it is a test, it is only a test — he would not dare act rashly.”

The two of them boarded the tiger-head treasure ship from the canal wharf and found Yan Chengzhao in the ship’s cabin.

On the walls of the cabin hung a rough sketch of Little Black Mountain Island’s terrain. Also present were several old fishermen from Taicang Prefecture, who were speaking over one another: “The island is all jagged rocky cliffs, steep slopes on every side. Large ships simply cannot dock there — they would easily collide and damage their hulls.”

“The island is thick with tangled undergrowth, so dense you can’t see through it — there is simply no way to clear and cultivate land for crops… The fishermen from the surrounding area only come ashore on that island reluctantly when they are suddenly caught in a violent storm and have no other choice.”

In just a few short remarks, everyone in the cabin had gained a general picture of Little Black Mountain Island.

The fishermen withdrew.

Yan Chengzhao came straight to the point: “The reason I have invited Lord Pei and Young Master Pei here today is twofold — first, to express my gratitude for Lord Pei’s cooperation, and second, to discuss with Lord Pei the matter of mounting an assault on Little Black Mountain Island.”

It turned out that after Pei Bingyuan had transferred the prisoners to Yan Chengzhao that day, Yan Chengzhao had extracted a great deal of information from them — following one thread to the next, he had traced his way to the lair of the water bandits.

After the water bandit leader had been captured, he had harbored deep resentment over the Zhenhai Guard’s “betrayal” of him the previous year. Not only had he confessed to the fact of his collusion with the Zhenhai Guard, he had also revealed the secret dealings between the Zhenhai Guard and the Japanese pirates from across the sea, declaring: “If I, Iron Nine, am to die, then that Commandant Lin Suogui will go down with me!”

The water bandit leader had handed over to Yan Chengzhao the spy he had planted among the Japanese pirates, in hopes that Yan Chengzhao would spare the lives of his wife and children.

The many threads of evidence wove together into a net. Yan Chengzhao had arranged his forces and deployed his troops with calm precision — and from that had come everything that followed.

Pei Bingyuan replied: “General, you are too generous. On behalf of the people of Taicang Prefecture, this official thanks the General for the warning sent in that secret letter. The city was able to prepare defenses in advance, and all the townspeople came through safely.”

The assembly then discussed the matter of dispatching troops to assault Little Black Mountain Island and capture the remaining bandits.

The Vice-General said: “General, the southern-patrol naval force follows your command. At your order, we will take the island and cut down the enemy — why would we fear a few thousand cornered bandits?”

This was not a case of the Vice-General being reckless — it was simply that landing on the island to kill enemies and collect their ears as trophies could be tallied as military achievements, and with the naval force’s numerical advantage and superior position, the soldiers were all eager and ready to press forward.

Battle depends on morale, and with morale running this high, there was no reason to expect anything but victory.

Yan Chengzhao appeared to have his own thoughts on the matter, but did not speak them aloud. Instead, he turned to Pei Shaohuai. His hawk-like eyes appraised him briefly before he asked: “What does Young Master Pei think?”

Pei Shaohuai had devoted himself entirely to his studies. Aside from when he had helped his father devise strategies to fend off the water bandits the previous year, he had never actually involved himself in any military engagements. If he had any views to offer, they were no more than the armchair theorizing of someone who had read about warfare without living it.

He understood that Yan Chengzhao was testing his capabilities, and so he would not show any fear. After a moment of deliberation, he spoke with boldness: “After last night’s great victory over the Japanese pirates, with the ships well-stocked with provisions and supplies, why does the General not first reward the naval force — let the men eat their fill and rest well to restore their strength — and observe what unfolds on the island?”

He then continued: “The island is thick with tangled trees and undergrowth. There is no harm in letting hunger work on them for two or three days. This is what the military strategists call ‘waiting in comfort for the exhausted enemy.'”

The Art of War states: “To wait at ease for the weary, to wait with full bellies for the hungry — this is the management of strength.” Pei Shaohuai believed that since the cornered bandits had already retreated onto the island and were in utter misery, while the naval force rested and recovered their energy — why would there be any difficulty in defeating and killing them?

Pei Shaohuai continued: “The Art of War also states: ‘Do not attack an enemy on high ground; leave a gap when surrounding a force.’ First: Little Black Mountain Island sits high above the surrounding waters — this is precisely what is meant by ‘high ground.’ If the soldiers rush onto the island rashly, they would be fighting an enemy from below, which would cost them several times the effort compared to normal conditions… A victory might still be won, but the casualties would likely be severe, and the outcome would not be worth the price.”

“Second: regarding leaving a gap when surrounding a force — if Little Black Mountain Island is surrounded completely with no way out, the remaining bandits will see that survival is utterly hopeless and may well resort to desperate measures, fighting to the bitter end with no regard for their own lives. It would be better to leave a gap, so that they believe there is still a chance to break through the encirclement. Their fighting spirit will dissipate, and when the remaining bandits scatter and flee frantically through that gap… the General need only station troops in concealment outside the gap. At that moment, they can all be caught in a single net.”

“It is better to attack the enemy’s spirit than to attack the enemy’s strength.”

“I am only a student, without any practical experience in these matters. Everything I have said here comes from what I have read in books on military strategy, and is inevitably shallow. I ask the General to weigh my words with care.”

What he meant by this, in other words, was: since you asked, I have spoken freely. If it proves useful, then this reputation I will gladly accept; if it proves useless, then it is nonetheless you — a General of this stature — who invited a mere student to speak.

Yan Chengzhao’s brows shifted ever so slightly upward. He understood Pei Shaohuai’s suggestion perfectly — and it so happened that what Pei Shaohuai had said aligned exactly with his own thinking.

It was out of consideration for minimizing casualties that Yan Chengzhao had refrained from rashly landing troops on the island to pursue the enemy the previous night.

Zhang Lingyi had clearly not been speaking idly. This descendant of the Pei family showed exceptional promise.

After a brief silence, Yan Chengzhao gave the order: “Issue the order to reward the troops, rest and replenish strength, and leave a gap in the encirclement.” This was his acknowledgment of Pei Shaohuai’s suggestion.

The Vice-General and the other military officers withdrew to continue discussing the specific details of the plan.

Only Yan Chengzhao and the Pei father and son remained in the cabin. Yan Chengzhao said: “Young Master Pei has a fine grasp of strategy.”

“I merely put into words what was already in the General’s mind.”

Yan Chengzhao turned to look at Pei Bingyuan, and his manner softened somewhat. He said with measured restraint: “Yan has indeed made mistakes in the past. However, I have since established a separate residence. Prince Anping’s heir is Prince Anping’s heir, and the household of the Auxiliary General is the household of the Auxiliary General.”

Pei Bingyuan replied: “That is only natural.” He then added: “Though this seems to have little connection to the Earl’s府 in any case.”

Pei Shaohuai silently commended his father’s response.

Cooperation in public matters — yes. Reconciliation in private matters — no.

“That is enough,” Yan Chengzhao replied.