Chapter 87

At this moment, the highly respected General Yu Dayou was extremely troubled. During the invasion by the Japanese pirates, he should have led the troops into battle, but he could not, because he was currently under impeachment by the military commissioner and was suspended from duty pending investigation.

In the Fuzhou provincial governor's office, located in Fuxing Lane, which was originally the office of the educational commissioner, adjacent to the Antai River, the provincial college was on the other side of the river. The Jiajing court established the Fujian provincial governor to defend against the Japanese pirates, with the title of Governor of Fujian and Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs.

Under the eaves of the governor's office, the guards stood proudly with their hands on their waists.

Inside the hall, the newly appointed Fujian provincial governor, Liu Yaohui, sat in the main seat, listening to the military reports. Liu Yaohui was from Huguang and had been dismissed from office for impeaching Hu Zongxian. He was later reinstated for his success in suppressing the Yao rebellion. Apart from their shared dislike of Hu Zongxian, Liu Yaohui and Yu Dayou had nothing in common.

Liu Yaohui sat in the main seat, while the civil and military officials sat on either side, clearly divided.

Among the military officials, General Yu Dayou, the commander-in-chief, was the highest-ranking, followed by the commander of the garrison, the commander of the guard, the Fujian road general, and the guerrilla commander.

Among the civil officials, the head of the left censorate, Wan Siqian, was the first. He was a graduate of the legendary imperial examination class of Jiajing 26th year. As the magistrate of Jiading County, he had once led over ten thousand volunteers to repel the Japanese pirates, showing both bravery and strategy. He now leaned back in his official chair, listening to the military reports while quietly sipping tea.

Except for Wan Siqian, the other officials were not so calm. They all sat stiffly, barely touching the edges of their chairs.

Next to Wan Siqian was the deputy educational commissioner, Hu Ding, the imperial inspector, Shang Weizheng, and the corpulent Fuzhou prefect, Chen Nan, who sat with a worried look on his face. The Japanese pirates' raids within the territory would certainly affect his annual performance evaluation.

Also looking grim were the magistrates of Houguan County, Zhou Yixian, and Min County, He Nanru. The Japanese pirates' arrival had the greatest impact on local officials like them.

There were also officials from the Qing Army, the military commissioner, and the maritime patrol, but they will not be detailed here. Another important figure was the eunuch commander, who sat alone in a corner with a sinister expression. Although he held great power, his status as a eunuch made it difficult for him to interact with the civil officials. However, such a significant military meeting could not proceed without his presence.

After hearing the reports on the Japanese pirates, everyone understood the root cause of this disaster. It was all due to Yin Zhengmao.

Who was Yin Zhengmao? He was the current governor-general of Liangguang, a contemporary of the chief grand secretary, Zhang Juzheng, and a graduate of the legendary imperial examination class of Jiajing 26th year.

Yin Zhengmao had a distinct personality: he was both greedy and capable in battle. During the Longqing period, the Yao rebellion in Liangguang was severe. The then chief grand secretary, Gao Gong, recommended Yin Zhengmao, but all the officials opposed it, saying it was absolutely unacceptable because he was too greedy. Gao Gong said, "It doesn't matter. I will give Yin Zhengmao a million taels of silver. Even if he swallows half of it, he can still help me pacify Liangguang."

Gao Gong's implication was that other mediocre officials, even if they were not greedy, would not be able to handle the situation. In the end, Yin Zhengmao's appointment as governor-general of Liangguang proved Gao Gong's judgment correct, and he used Yu Dayou to suppress the Yao rebellion.

However, Yin Zhengmao was too proactive. After suppressing the Yao rebellion, most people would have rested, but he went on to tackle the coastal Japanese pirates. He first gathered over two hundred warships and more than a hundred civilian ships, capturing and killing the pirate leader, Zeng Yiben.

After Zeng Yiben's death, Yin Zhengmao defeated his subordinate, Lin Daogan, forcing the Japanese pirates along the coast of Liangguang to flee. Some followed Lin Daogan south to Vietnam, where they established a new base. Others moved north to join another subordinate of Zeng Yiben, Lin Feng.

After the two groups of Japanese pirates joined forces, Lin Feng's power grew significantly. Last year, he launched a surprise attack on Luxia Harbor, leading to Yu Dayou's impeachment and nearly his dismissal. To make up for the loss, the central Fujian road general, Hu Shouren, was dispatched with three thousand Yiwu soldiers to defend Funing Prefecture. They won several battles against the Japanese pirates, but Lin Feng was using a feint. This year, taking advantage of the lax defenses in central Fujian after the New Year, he led over sixty warships and more than five thousand Japanese pirates from Magong Island to attack central Fujian.

This was the cause of the current Japanese pirate disaster, and it was clear that the blame lay with Yin Zhengmao's overreach.

Liu Yaohui, looking at the military reports, frowned and said, "Although our garrison is large, the only troops capable of engaging in field battles are Hu Shouren's three thousand Zhejiang soldiers. Should we recall the Zhejiang soldiers?"

"Governor Liu, you may not know," said Wan Siqian, "Hu Shouren's three thousand Zhejiang soldiers have just arrived in Funing Prefecture. If we recall them hastily, they will be exhausted from the journey. Moreover, the main force of the Japanese pirates is unclear. We cannot act rashly. Besides, Hu Shouren has already discovered the enemy. If we recall him, what will happen if the Japanese pirates attack Funing Prefecture again?"

Wan Siqian, as the head of the left censorate, appeared to be a high-ranking official, but in reality, he was constrained by the governor's authority. Therefore, he had to oppose Liu Yaohui's actions to avoid responsibility if something went wrong, and to appear prescient.

Liu Yaohui, who was very calculating, smiled and said, "Governor Wan is right. If we do not recall the Zhejiang soldiers, there must be other strategies to repel the enemy. I am all ears."

Wan Siqian, feeling cornered, cursed inwardly. He did not want to offer any real suggestions, but he could easily dodge the issue. He then began to quote from ancient texts, "The strategy to repel the Japanese pirates: war is a dangerous instrument, battle is an act of rebellion, and conflict is the last resort..."

Wan Siqian spoke at length, but after listening patiently, everyone realized that he had said nothing substantial.

Wan Siqian shamelessly added, "Governor, if we follow my advice, we will surely defeat the enemy."

Although Wan Siqian had said nothing, the officials praised him, "Governor Wan, truly a wise suggestion! A wise suggestion!"

Liu Yaohui, used to such flattery, asked, "Do any of you have other suggestions?"

Fuzhou Prefect Chen Nan, responsible for the safety and welfare of the people, carefully considered and said, "The Japanese pirates have invaded our territory. Although Lin Feng does not have the courage to attack the provincial capital, he will surely ravage the countryside. Even though General Hu is not here, we must send troops to repel the Japanese pirates. Ideally, we should eliminate them, but at the very least, we should drive Lin Feng out of the territory."

Liu Yaohui nodded and said, "Prefect Chen, your words are reasonable. What do the generals think?"

The generals were silent for a moment. The three garrisons were now in a state of decay. During the Hongwu period, the three garrisons had 19,000 soldiers, but now only 6,000 remained.

A garrison commander then said, "Your Excellency, apart from the naval forces, the city garrison has not seen battle for a long time. Their equipment is outdated, and they are only capable of defending the city, not engaging in field battles."

The decay of the garrison forces was well-known. The naval forces were still capable of fighting, but the city garrison lacked both equipment and morale. Even Liu Yaohui knew that the garrison soldiers were impoverished and on the brink of starvation.

Liu Yaohui said gently, "You only need to defend the city. However, the west, east, and south gates are crowded with civilians. You must open the gates and let them in, but be cautious of Japanese pirates trying to slip in and avoid harming the civilians."

The garrison commander pitifully pleaded, "The provincial capital has seven gates, and I am unable to manage them all. Please, Your Excellency, send more able-bodied men."

Liu Yaohui, powerless, said, "Discuss this with the commander of the garrison and the Qing Army commissioner."

Liu Yaohui thought about it. Chen Nan was right; defending the city was not enough. Lin Feng, even with several times more men, would not dare to attack the city. Therefore, the priority was to repel the enemy.

The garrison forces were not reliable, so Liu Yaohui placed his hopes on the local militia under the command of the commander-in-chief. These local soldiers, recruited by the local counties, were still capable of defending their territory. Liu Yaohui asked Yu Dayou, but the commander-in-chief, Yu Dayou, remained silent with a dark expression, as he was currently suspended from duty and seemed unwilling to cooperate.

Since Yu Dayou did not speak, a camp commander responded, "The soldiers are capable of fighting, but only one camp and two patrols are stationed in the city, and their numbers are too few. Moreover, they have not been paid for two months, and their morale is low."

Liu Yaohui, furious, turned to the military commissioner and asked, "What about the soldiers' pay? How did I instruct you before?"

PS: Today is the third day of the Three Rivers. I humbly request your recommendations and Three Rivers votes.

[Page break for advertisement]

[End of page break for advertisement]