Yu Tongyuan and Ma Sanbao had every reason to be proud, for they had the backing of the Ming Dynasty and commanded elite troops and state-of-the-art weaponry. Dealing with these seemingly powerful pirates was a crushing victory; they had nothing to worry about.
For Chen Zuyi and his pirate group, this truly is the end of the world.
As the Ming Dynasty fleet began to encircle them, the pirates were now trapped. Some did manage to escape, but they were clearly too cowardly to continue and were now simply fleeing for their lives, lamenting that their ships were too slow and fearing capture by government troops.
In this situation, let alone coming back to provide support, it would be a good thing if they didn't kick someone when they're down.
Chen Zuyi knew his pirates all too well. They would swarm him when there was something to gain, but scatter and flee when it came to survival. If it weren't for his usual prestige and methods, he wouldn't have been able to subdue these unruly men.
Now that disaster is imminent, some ships are hiding behind their companions, watching them fall into the water without any intention of rescuing them. In order to break out of the encirclement, some large ships will even run over their companions in the sea, or even ram and capsize the small boats in their path.
These days, everyone's only thinking about survival; where's the morality and righteousness? Loyalty and brotherhood are just empty words spoken during drinking and merrymaking; who really takes those sentiments seriously?
They had originally planned to feign surrender and launch a surprise attack, but now it seems that the Ming Dynasty eunuch had no good intentions from the start!
Terrified, Chen Zuyi knew his end was near. His ship was large, and he could usually swagger around. But now he couldn't escape. He couldn't outrun the Ming Dynasty's sentry ships, nor could he withstand the overhead fire from the tall Fujian ships.
Pirate ships were burned or their pirates shot dead. Even when a few valiant pirates managed to defeat the Ming army, they were only a small minority. Most pirates were utterly helpless, defeated, killed, or forced to surrender on their ships...
This is how the Ming Dynasty's army reaped military merits—it's that simple. These pirates who wreaked havoc and ruled as kings seem to be nothing more than yesterday's news. Perhaps some remnants might survive by sheer luck, but they might no longer have the courage to oppose the Ming Dynasty, nor the ability to wield such power again.
Although this may seem like an unfair war, there is never any fairness in war.
The Ming Dynasty's army was more powerful, and their weapons were more advanced, which is why they were able to suppress pirates.
If the Ming army hadn't been strong enough, the pirates might have boarded the ships, and these seemingly ferocious pirates might have been wielding their knives and slaughtering the Ming soldiers.
The truth is that simple: might makes right. On the battlefield, there's really no room for morality or ethics. The strong survive and reap the rewards and glory, while the fate of the defeated is essentially sealed: they become military merits, their heads earning them the victor's glory.
Ping An was somewhat agitated. Looking at the large ship not far away, he shouted, "Don't burn that ship! Capture the bandit leader!"
Chen Zuyi was just a bandit, at most a big one, and Ping An probably didn't take him seriously. But capturing this bandit leader who ruled and dominated Southeast Asia and even established his own authority was something that could be presented as a prisoner.
Although it's not a great achievement, and His Majesty is unlikely to present the captive at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, or even bother to meet such a bandit leader, capturing such a notorious thief would still be a merit.
Sometimes, the dead are more useful than the living. The captured bandit leader was taken to Yingtian Prefecture for execution, which would certainly make His Majesty happier.
This is also the best warning: so-called great thieves are nothing in the face of the Ming Dynasty's royal army.
He Ping'an wasn't the only soldier with similar thoughts, and killing Chen Zuyi was certainly a merit. However, in this war that was destined for a great victory, it would be even better if things could be done perfectly.
Looking at the fiery red before him, and seeing his men wailing and terrified, Chen Zuyi, the usually cunning pirate captain, was now completely bewildered. He knew his chances of escaping were extremely slim, but he still made a last-ditch effort, clinging to a sliver of hope.
But he lost his chance the next moment when his trusted confidant, who had usually treated him well, suddenly restrained him.
"We've surrendered! We've surrendered!"
"Bandit leader Chen Zuyi has been captured by us!"
Surrendering shouldn't be done casually. Preserving one's life is the most important thing, but if one surrenders with some means of advancement, it might not just be about preserving one's life, but also about having the opportunity to gain wealth and honor.
The most valuable person on this ship right now is undoubtedly Chen Zuyi. He is the pirate leader, someone the Ming army is determined to capture or kill. Offering him up to the Ming army now might just secure their survival.
As for whether Chen Zuyi treated them well in the past, it depends on the situation. They had helped Chen Zuyi plunder quite a bit before, just eating, drinking, having fun, and bullying him. They never thought they would actually risk their lives for him, or that they would perish at sea with him!
Don't try to reason with pirates about morality. If they had any, they wouldn't be committing atrocities like burning, killing, and looting on the high seas. These people have no morality at all; they are just a bunch of lawless bandits.
Chen Zuyi was cursing and struggling, but it seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Now he was just a stray dog, a stepping stone for some people, a merit in the eyes of others.
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