Fortunately, this policy of relocating the border and prohibiting the sea was equivalent to a scorched-earth policy, which did not relax the defense against Japanese pirates, but instead strengthened the construction of coastal defenses. As a result, when Japanese pirates went ashore, they not only came up empty-handed, but they were also likely to be attacked.
The retreat of the people for thirty miles resulted in the abandonment of a large amount of farmland, but there was nothing that could be done. For the sake of future peace, such a sacrifice was worthwhile.
Ding Tong's main purpose in coming here was to borrow troops from Li Guang. Because 70,000 soldiers from Shuixian Village were involved in the construction of the irrigation canal, there were only 30,000 troops in the military camp.
Li Guang assembled 30,000 troops, led by Gu Huai, and headed to the coastal areas to cooperate with the Panzhou Lake naval forces in carrying out the task of suppressing bandits.
In a few months, the canal will be completed, at which time 70,000 troops will be sent to the coastal areas to participate in the fight against Japanese pirates.
The soldiers of Narcissus Village are well-trained and far superior to the navy in land combat. These 30,000 soldiers will be a nightmare for the Japanese pirates when they go to the battlefield.
Gu Huai led an army of 30,000 to Qianzhou, a region severely affected by bandits, where even the local government was ravaged by Japanese pirates.
Due to Ding Tong's insufficient troops and the weak naval and land combat capabilities, he was unable to effectively control this area, which allowed the Japanese pirates to become even more rampant, effectively making this place their stronghold.
Just then, Ding Tong told Gu Huai that Niuji Town was just ahead and they couldn't go any further, or they would be discovered by the Japanese pirates.
Gu Huai immediately ordered the army to halt its advance, as he wanted to know the specific situation in Niuji Town.
Ding Tong took out a map, which allowed him to understand the general situation of the area.
Niuji Town is an important town in Qianzhou. The town has a special geographical location, divided into two parts, one half on land and the other half at sea.
The part in the sea is an island, which is very large. There is a high point in the middle of the island, from which you can see all around.
The land portion of Niuji Town is strategically located, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Because it is backed by the sea, it can be quickly evacuated by sea should an attack occur.
Knowing this, the Japanese bandits turned Niuji Town into their stronghold. A year ago, the bandits gathered several hundred men and burned, killed, and looted in Niuji Town and the surrounding villages, turning the place into a living hell.
The people here have all escaped, and the Japanese pirates have finally gotten their wish. Although the government sent troops to clear out the area, they were no match for the Japanese pirates. Not only did they fail to drive the pirates away, but they also suffered heavy losses.
The government dared not attack the Japanese pirates anymore; if this continued, Haizhou might be lost.
Gradually, the Japanese bandits grew stronger and more rampant in the area, and now several thousand of them are stationed in Niuji Town.
Later, Ding Tong led his troops to attack Niuji Town, using both land and water routes. However, the Japanese pirates were well-prepared, and Ding Tong failed to capture Niuji Town.
However, this battle was not entirely useless; at least it dampened the arrogance of the Japanese bandits.
Upon learning of the situation, Gu Huai was furious. These Japanese pirates were too arrogant. This was the territory of the Great Northern Dynasty. How could they be allowed to commit such atrocities?
Today, your Grandpa Gu has arrived, and the day of your demise has come for you Japanese bandits.
Next, Gu Huai ordered his soldiers to rest on the spot and await further orders. The generals began to study countermeasures, striving to capture Niuji Town in one fell swoop and eliminate all the Japanese pirates.
After careful consideration, they came up with a plan to wipe out the Japanese pirates and began to act separately.
High on the island of Niuji Town, the Japanese bandits' signalmen were closely monitoring everything around them. No movement, whether on land or at sea, could escape their eyes.
At this time, the sun was still high in the sky when the signalman suddenly spotted a convoy in the distance. There were several hundred people escorting vehicles loaded with goods, hurrying on their way towards Qianzhou City.
This convoy is quite large, with at least two or three hundred vehicles, and judging from the situation, it is likely transporting grain.
During this period, due to the relocation of the border and the ban on sea travel, the Japanese pirates also had a hard time. There were several thousand Japanese pirates in Niuji Town, and the cost of food alone was a considerable expense every day. If they just sat around eating away their resources, they would eventually run out of food.
This discovery delighted the Japanese bandit signalman, who quickly relayed this important information to the bandit leader.
The leaders were overjoyed upon hearing the news; so much grain would be enough to feed them for a while.
To ensure everything went smoothly, the leader of the Japanese bandits personally led his men to seize the grain. He led two thousand Japanese bandits and set off immediately to catch up with the convoy.
The two thousand Japanese bandits were basically half of the bandits stationed in Niuji Town. At this time, there was not much time left before sunset. They had to seize the grain and return to Niuji Town before dark.
The Japanese bandits quickly left Niuji Town. After chasing for a while, they spotted a grain convoy ahead. The leader was overjoyed and ordered two thousand bandits to give chase.
The convoy seemed to realize they were being chased and began to speed up, desperately trying to escape. Due to the excessive speed, several vehicles overturned, scattering bags of rice all over the ground.
Soon the Japanese bandits caught up and, seeing the rice bags scattered on the ground, used their knives to cut them open, revealing the white rice inside.
"Quickly chase them! Don't let them escape! Seize the grain!" The Japanese bandit leader immediately perked up and shouted.
All the Japanese bandits, as if injected with adrenaline, began to chase desperately, and the distance between them and the convoy was getting shorter and shorter. It seemed that they would catch up with it soon.
The Japanese pirates were overjoyed, shouting as they chased after the enemy, saying that all the grain in front of them was already theirs.
What's puzzling is that the convoy ahead is so close, just a step away, yet they just can't catch up.
The sun had already set, and it was getting dark. The Japanese bandit leader was getting impatient. This was a piece of fat meat that was already in his mouth, and he couldn't let it slip away no matter what.
In reality, danger was closing in on these Japanese bandits step by step, and what awaited them was a death without a burial place.
The light grew dimmer, and the figures ahead gradually blurred. The Japanese bandits knew that even if they intercepted the convoy now, it would be dark by the time they returned. But they were unwilling to give up like this.
Just then, the convoy in front suddenly disappeared without a trace, which startled the Japanese bandits. They quickly stopped, rubbed their eyes, and looked again carefully. There was indeed nothing in front of them; the convoy had vanished without a trace.
This was truly bizarre; it was the first time they had ever encountered such a situation. Just as the Japanese pirates were completely baffled, countless torches appeared around them, illuminating everything clearly.
The Japanese bandits were terrified, realizing they were surrounded. They sensed something was terribly wrong and prepared to flee.
Surrounded by people, with no way to escape, they were in a panic when the sound of crossbows rang out all around them, and countless crossbow bolts flew towards them.
With a series of screams, the two thousand Japanese bandits were all shot dead.
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