“Dong dong dong~”
A knock on the door interrupted Yun Tianyang’s thoughts. He rubbed his throbbing temples, raised his head, and calmly said, “Come in.”
The door opened, and Bai Shugui walked in.
“Ba Zong, the statistics are out.”
“Read it.”
“Yes.”
Bai Shugui took out a piece of paper and read word for word: “Three squad leaders remain: Zhou Yong, Ji Dalin, and Bai Shugui.”
“Ten team leaders remain, four with light injuries, two with serious injuries.”
“One hundred thirty-seven soldiers remain, forty-one with light injuries, twenty-two with serious injuries. Seventeen of them have completely lost their combat ability, and eight out of ten won't survive.”
According to the Qijia Army, which was the structure of their Jisanxie Southern Camp, twelve men formed a team led by a Team Leader. Four teams formed a squad led by a Squad Leader, also known as a Ba Zong. Four squads combined into a company, led by a Ba Zong, which was Yun Tianyang’s current rank.
This meant that when fully intact, Yun Tianyang should have had two hundred subordinates.
Casualties exceeding fifty percent…
Such a tragic outcome made Bai Shugui’s voice grow increasingly somber, and Yun Tianyang couldn't help but rub his temples again.
The state of the troops was truly dire, even worse than he had imagined.
But this was not surprising; he had led these men to fight their way out of the training ground, then virtually cut through the entire Jizhou City to reach the port, and finally seized a fu boat to sail out to sea.
He was not one to sit idly by. After confirming that those people truly intended to kill them, Yun Tianyang immediately assembled his troops.
Everyone actually disbelieved what Yun Tianyang said. After all, no one would believe that the imperial court would casually slaughter its own troops just to renege on payments. It was too bizarre.
Left with no choice, Yun Tianyang ordered his subordinates to wear cotton armor under their clothes and carry short knives to the training ground, standing in the last row of the formation.
Although everyone was somewhat unconvinced, they all obeyed.
Sure enough, as soon as they were all assembled, a large number of troops emerged from all directions and surrounded them.
Fortunately, Yun Tianyang had made preparations early. He led his men to strike first, charging out in a single rush.
But they were surrounded by enemies; no matter which way they charged, it was a dead end.
Even if they broke through, what then? Who would redress their grievances?
In desperation, Yun Tianyang steeled his heart and led his men directly towards Jizhou City.
Jizhou City was a large city. As their group of “rebel soldiers” surged in, and with Yun Tianyang ordering his men to set fires as they ran, the entire Jizhou City was instantly plunged into chaos.
Thus, taking advantage of the city’s confusion, they fought fiercely, cutting a path straight through Jizhou City, successfully reaching the Jizhou dock, and seizing a large ship to break out of the Ming Dynasty’s territory.
This battle fully demonstrated the Ming Army’s chaotic command and the low combat effectiveness of its soldiers.
When faced with Yun Tianyang’s audacious charge, those so-called elite troops couldn't even withstand a single engagement.
The same went for the Navy’s warships; Yun Tianyang had already sailed away, and the soldiers on those ships hadn't even recovered from the chaos.
However, even in such a vast empire, there were still a few capable individuals.
Two ships followed Yun Tianyang, but fortunately, the seized ship still had cannons. After several exchanges of fire, Yun Tianyang successfully sank one, and the remaining ship was no longer willing to pursue.
After all, with so little money each month, why risk one’s life?
These events, let alone being carried out, were already unbelievable just by being spoken of.
If it weren't for these men being elite soldiers trained according to General Qi Jiguang’s methods, and having been continuously trained by Yun Tianyang for several months using his past life’s military training methods while in Jizhou, gaining a certain level of strict obedience, it would have been impossible for any current army unit to achieve this.
It was laughable to think about. Originally, Yun Tianyang trained these soldiers with the intention of fighting the Jurchens in Liaodong later. Yet, the first target they were used against after being trained was their former comrades.
What a colossal joke.
“According to the regulations and methods I previously set, order the team leaders to separate and treat the lightly and seriously wounded.”
Yun Tianyang said with renewed spirit, “Find a way to boil some water, boil the bandages, and try your best to keep our brothers alive.”
Yun Tianyang naturally understood that even simple healing methods, without medicine, could significantly reduce the mortality rate of wounded soldiers.
“Understood.”
Bai Shugui nodded in agreement, but hesitated as he prepared to leave.
“What’s wrong? Is there anything else?”
“Ba Zong… some words…”
“Just say it. Between us brothers, there’s nothing to hide.”
Yun Tianyang smiled freely, leaned back in his chair, and casually pointed to the stool in front of him, saying, “Sit down and talk.”
“Understood.”
Bai Shugui was an honest man. Since Yun Tianyang told him to sit, he did so without hesitation, plopping down on the chair to Yun Tianyang’s left.
“Ba Zong, what we’re doing now is… reb…”, Bai Shugui stammered, seemingly afraid to utter the word.
“You mean, we are rebelling now, right?”
Yun Tianyang said with a smile, “We’ve already done it. Are you scared now?”
“No, I… I’m just not used to it.”
Bai Shugui shook his head. Since Yun Tianyang had said “rebel,” he breathed a sigh of relief.
As a native Ming, the word “rebel” was simply too heavy for him.
“The brothers below all want to know, where should we go next?”
Bai Shugui sighed deeply, “After all, the Ming… we definitely can’t go back.”
Yes, they couldn’t go back.
From the moment they decided to resist instead of passively waiting for death, they were no longer soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.
They were rebels, insurgents, to be exterminated down to the ninth degree of kinship!
“What are your thoughts?” Yun Tianyang asked, sitting upright and looking into Bai Shugui’s eyes.
He had originally come to ask Yun Tianyang, but now the question was on his own head, and for a moment, Bai Shugui was at a loss.
He was just a low-ranking military officer, always accustomed to following orders.
Although Yun Tianyang had continuously taught him literacy, reading, and arithmetic during the months he was recovering from his injuries, and even how to train soldiers, years of habit still left him unsure how to think for himself.
“I… I don’t know. Ba Zong, you make the decision.”
Looking at the somewhat timid Bai Shugui, Yun Tianyang encouraged him, “It’s alright, it’s just the two of us here. What you say stays between us. Go ahead and speak your mind.”
“Yes, then I will speak.”
Encouraged by Yun Tianyang, Bai Shugui took a deep breath, as if summoning all his courage, and said, “We can’t go back to the Ming, so we can only go overseas.”
“Korea is definitely out. Korea is a vassal of the Ming, and those officials won’t let us off once they know our identities.”
“Japan is also out. Japan and the Ming are at war right now; going there would be suicide.”
“After thinking it over, our only option is to go to the South Seas.”
Bai Shugui blurted out everything he wanted to say, then stared at Yun Tianyang with wide eyes, like a child hoping for parental praise.
“Isn’t that well said?”
Yun Tianyang smiled and reached out, gently patting his shoulder: “Very good. Remember my words: when you encounter problems, think more, you must think more.”
Compared to the thoughtless Zhou Yong and the somewhat elderly Ji Dalin, the Bai Shugui in front of him was the one he thought most highly of.
This young man had a mind, was meticulous, and was serious and practical in his work. Yun Tianyang had always wanted to cultivate him into a true talent.
A talent who could stand on his own.
This young man also lived up to expectations. In just a few months, he transformed from an illiterate who couldn't recognize a single character into a qualified officer who could write some simple reports.
At least, he was qualified in this era.
“Understood.”
Upon receiving Yun Tianyang’s praise, Bai Shugui brightened up completely.
In his heart, the brave, invincible, and knowledgeable Yun Tianyang was not only his superior but also his teacher and elder brother.
He immediately stood up and respectfully said, “Yes, I understand.”
“Alright, no need for such formalities in private.”
Yun Tianyang waved his hand, signaling Bai Shugui not to be so formal.
“The South Seas, huh…”
The South Seas, also known as Southeast Asia.
At this time in the South Seas, the Spanish had already colonized the Philippines, the Dutch, the ‘sea coachmen,’ were already coveting the Spice Islands, and the British were lurking in the shadows, eager to get a share.
Besides these three major powers, there were pirates, local states, and various smaller powers intertwined. To establish a foothold there, relying solely on their more than one hundred crippled soldiers, was it possible?
“Going to the South Seas is a good idea.”
Yun Tianyang slowly said, “But we need to find a place to rest for a while first.”
“Yes, the brothers are not in good shape, and our food and weapons are running low. Even our armor is incomplete.”
Bai Shugui quickly chimed in, “I heard that the South Seas are full of pirates. If we just blindly rush in like this, I’m afraid we won’t fare well.”
“I just checked, our ship only has four small cannons, and not much gunpowder. We won’t be able to fire many shots in a battle before running out. The condition of this ship isn’t very good either. If we encounter a large group of pirates, I’m afraid we won’t even be able to escape.”
Naval warfare, nothing more than strong ships and sharp cannons.
The ship they were on was a genuine Ming fu boat, considered a small overlord in East Asia.
It was 26 meters long, 8 meters wide, with a pointed bottom and wide deck, high bow and stern, and good speed, making it a backbone of the Ming Navy.
However, this ship was already withdrawn from the battlefield, not only damaged everywhere but also lacking complete weaponry, equipment, and even crew.
Relying on such a ship to go to the South Seas would be less painful than simply jumping into the sea.
Anyway, it was all death, wasn’t it?
“Dong dong dong~”
Another knock came. Bai Shugui looked at Yun Tianyang, and after receiving his approval, he quickly got up to open the door.
Ji Dalin, who had gone to inventory the supplies, entered.
“Ba Zong, our food is running low.”
As soon as he entered, Ji Dalin said worriedly, “I checked, even if we ration it, we only have enough for three days. As for fresh water, it’s even less, only enough for two days. There’s no medicine at all. Without medicine, those wounded brothers won’t last many days.”
This was truly adding insult to injury.
“And what else? I saw some cargo on the ship earlier. What were those things?” Yun Tianyang asked with a frown.
When he boarded the ship, he had gone to the cargo hold and seen it piled high with boxes.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t had time to inspect them closely before the pursuing Ming Army rushed onto the dock. He could only lead his men to hold off the enemy, buying time for the ship to set sail.
Ships in this era couldn’t just be started by pressing a button in the captain’s cabin. They had to weigh anchor, hoist sails, and if the wind wasn’t enough, someone had to row. In short, it was very troublesome.
Fortunately, the dock was small, and most of the Ming Army was in disarray. He led a squad of soldiers to barely set up a simple Mandarin Duck Formation at the dock, finally holding off the pursuers’ attack.
But by then, he had been fighting continuously for a day, almost from morning till night, and was already exhausted.
During a Ming Army assault, Yun Tianyang led the last reserve squad to charge. Ultimately, two fists couldn’t defeat four hands. He was slashed in the leg and also received a heavy blow to the head.
Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet at the time, so the blow didn’t kill him, but it did incapacitate him. In the end, it was another squad leader named Chen who risked his life to rescue him from the enemy’s encirclement.
He returned, but the brothers who had followed him off the ship to resist the enemy all died on the dock.
Sigh…
Shaking his head, Yun Tianyang pushed all those thoughts down.
Ji Dalin said with a wry smile, “Those… are all gold…”
“Gold?” Yun Tianyang and Bai Shugui exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes, it’s all gold, estimated to be over one hundred catties.”
Ji Dalin took out his inventory list and placed it in front of Yun Tianyang: “Besides the gold, there’s also a large amount of silver and silk, and some antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. Oh, and a few boxes of raw copper.”
If it were before, Ji Dalin would have been ecstatic to see this gold and treasure, but now?
These things couldn’t be eaten when hungry or drunk when thirsty. If given the chance, Ji Dalin wished all this gold would turn into food and medicine.
“How could there be such things on a warship??”
Yun Tianyang said with a shocked expression, “Did you check? Do you know where these things came from?”
“Not clear. I asked the former sailors on the ship, and they only knew these things were transported from Pyongyang some time ago. As for whose property they were, they didn’t know.”
“Needless to say, it must be bribes accepted by those high officials.”
Bai Shugui said indignantly, “I heard that those Korean aristocrats, in order to curry favor with high-ranking Ming officials, almost every official responsible for the war received large gifts from them. I estimate this ship’s cargo is their gift in return to those high officials.”
Those Koreans couldn’t defeat the Japanese pirates, so they sent these Ming Army soldiers to their deaths.
To achieve this goal, they practically threw money around, giving everything they could to various high officials of the Ming Dynasty.
Even more hateful was that there was clearly money here, yet those high officials were unwilling to pay their military salaries to these fighting generals and soldiers!!!
“Heh heh, I think so too.”
Ji Dalin said with a wry smile, “But what good are these things, no matter how valuable? Where can we sell them to exchange for food and medicine?”
“No matter how good these things are, what good are they if they can’t be sold?”
The conversation returned to the previous question.
Bai Shugui said worriedly, “But where can we rest now?”
Yes, in this vast world, where else could they, these people, go???