Chapter Ten

Despite not having high expectations, the condition of the fleet was even worse than Lin Feng had anticipated. The expeditionary force consisted of eight pirate ships and four cargo vessels, all of which were old and rather small; the "large ships" at the front were barely bigger than fishing boats. The state of the fleet filled Lin Feng with guilt—ever since Yang Haisheng and his band of pirates had defected, he had never bothered to inspect this so-called "navy." Now, seeing it, he could only blame his own lack of leadership. Yet there was no room for complaints; from the moment they boarded, everyone had resigned themselves to fate, agreeing that this voyage would be nothing short of a trial of survival.

Nearly every cabin was crammed with people or supplies; the cramped quarters forced Zhao Guangyuan to abandon some of the warhorses and convert part of his cavalry into infantry. Even so, the transport problem remained unsolved. At this difficult juncture, Rick unexpectedly made a name for himself; following his suggestion, the pirates bought large quantities of timber and doors from nearby fishing villages and spent an entire day making oppressive modifications to the cabins, dividing the vertical space into several tiers. The troops then sat in order, each allotted just enough space to seat themselves and move their arms and legs a little. After Lin Feng inspected the arrangements, he found them surprisingly reasonable—meals, sanitation, and ventilation had all been considered. Although it was a tight squeeze, everyone fit. Yet as he surveyed the cramped scene, Lin Feng felt an uncanny sense of familiarity. Puzzled, he questioned his military advisor and discovered that Rick had once worked at an African port and was well-versed in the slave trade; he had a wealth of experience in packing as many people onto a ship as possible. Returning to this line of work, he was naturally at ease.

Fortunately, the majority of the troops harbored no complaints. News that the Qing army intended to exterminate them had spread throughout the ranks; compared to losing their heads, escaping by sea was the better option. Since this was a matter of survival, hardship was to be expected. The unique endurance and resilience of the Chinese people allowed them to silently accept the pain of this voyage.

The Chinese seas of the seventeenth century were desolate beyond compare. After sailing the deep-sea routes for so long, the fleet had not encountered a single other vessel—a curious sight, considering this era was also known as the Age of Exploration, when people across the world took to the seas in search of fortune, while the Chinese remained at home, diligently farming their fields. The saying goes, “The timid starve, the bold are fed,” and Lin Feng now understood this with newfound depth.

Despite smooth sailing, illness and death were still common. The porters recruited in Fuzhou fared somewhat better, being coastal folk and accustomed to boats. The soldiers from Liaodong, however, suffered severe seasickness, vomiting and falling ill in droves, nearly all losing their combat effectiveness. The situation threatened to spiral out of control. Watching his men weaken, Lin Feng grew increasingly anxious; if they did not reach their destination soon, the army would collapse.

According to Yang Haisheng, the operation would be simple. The enemy was clearly unprepared; there would be no resistance. All they needed to do was move at night, land at a desolate and level spot using small boats, and the mission would be accomplished.

Once everything became clear, Lin Feng laughed at himself. He had made a doctrinaire mistake; with only a few thousand men, no horses, no artillery, and precious little supply, there was no need for a base, nor any hope for reinforcements. This was nothing like Normandy. They were gambling with their lives; once ashore, they would dash madly for the capital, burning their bridges behind them—there was no chance for drawn-out battle or sustained warfare.

Thus, on a dark and windy, moonless night, the fleet quietly sailed around Dagukou, sending experienced pirates ashore in small boats near Ninghe to scout ahead. Once they had taken control of the coastal fishing villages, a large-scale landing began. Having been at sea for so long, the troops’ longing for solid ground was overwhelming; no orders were needed, and the landing was executed swiftly. By dawn, all combat units had safely transferred to land and began resting and recovering near the fishing villages.

As the entire army wore Qing uniforms, the villagers were thoroughly deceived, never imagining this was a rebel force. Still, the arrival of thousands of soldiers was a spectacular sight, and the fishermen could not help but panic. To their relief, the troops maintained good discipline and did not harass them. Trembling, the village chief brought some salted fish and pickled radish to offer as tribute to the “royal army,” and both sides parted satisfied. Lin Feng, while distributing silver to aid the villagers, also issued dire threats: any leak of this highly secret military operation would result in the extermination of the culprit’s entire family. Terrified, the village chief went door-to-door, warning everyone not to step outside or utter a word.

Even in wartime, the Aisin Gioro family maintained their extravagant lifestyle. The well water of the capital was bitter, so the court used spring water from Jade Spring Mountain. Each day, eunuchs drove water carts tirelessly, laboring for their masters.

The weather was stifling; the sun had vanished behind the hills, and everything was shrouded in dusk. A city guard yawned and glanced outside the gate. A caravan of carts appeared in the distance, escorted by men in eunuch garb who shouted at the beasts of burden as they approached slowly.

The gate officer poked his head out from the city wall. “You gentlemen eunuchs have worked hard—why so late today?”

A trembling voice answered from the darkness, “We… we… one of our brothers broke his leg fetching water today…” The voice was shrill and quavering, unmistakably that of a eunuch. The officer paid no attention and withdrew his head.

The water carts rumbled slowly into the gate. The guards pressed themselves against the walls to make room, drowsily watching the eunuchs at the rear. Something seemed odd; these eunuchs were unusually burly and fierce-looking, their clothes ill-fitting and nearly bursting at the seams. The lead guard, puzzled, was about to ask a question when a strange scent wafted past his nose—a hint of something burning. He froze. Just then, someone gently patted his shoulder. He turned reflexively to see a bearded “eunuch” grinning menacingly as he embraced him from behind. Suddenly, a cold pain stabbed at his neck; agony shot through his heart and lungs. His mouth gaped open as he instinctively touched his throat, only to see his own blood spurting out, splattering the wall. His strength drained instantly. He struggled to cry out, but no sound came. Amid the chaos, someone kicked him hard, and his lifeless body toppled to the ground.

With a thunderous boom, the water cart packed with gunpowder exploded, shaking the earth and sky. The entire capital seemed to shudder.

All nine city districts were thrown into panic.

As the smoke cleared, a massive crater gaped in the stone pavement, and the once-sturdy city gate was nowhere to be seen. The seamless and impregnable defenses now looked as though someone had knocked out their front teeth, grinning inanely in the darkness.

The gate captain staggered to his feet atop the city wall, blood streaming from every orifice. His mind was blank, yet his soldier’s instincts made him draw his saber. But he was in no condition to fight. Leaning on his weapon, he dragged himself to the parapet and gazed out in bewilderment. To his shock, a vast army had materialized outside the city—countless men surging forward in the night, their numbers like waves crashing against the shore, flooding into the city.

The Qing officer shook his head, slapped his deafened ears, and gave a bitter laugh, thinking he must be hallucinating. But when he looked up again, his legs gave out beneath him, and he toppled from the wall into the darkness below.