Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 306 Zheng Zhilong's End

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When the violent explosions at the city gates rang out, Zheng Zhilong knew the city was doomed. Without hesitation, he ordered Tong Taro and his men to cover his escape. He didn't return to the government office—that would be suicide; the Qiongzhou garrison would surely search the office immediately after the city fell—but instead detoured to the west gate, the opposite direction from the breached east gate. On the way, he ordered his men to set the city ablaze.

Upon receiving orders, the garrison remaining in the city hastily lit torches and threw them everywhere, quickly setting the city's government offices and granaries ablaze. They then burned several civilian houses before fleeing in panic. Because there was no prior plan to burn the city, and no firewood or cooking oil had been stockpiled, the fire was not initially large. However, Zheng Zhilong had always treated the city as his stronghold, and the granaries were filled with large quantities of flammable goods such as sugar, cloth, and silk, which quickly ignited the fire.

If Li Fu, the general manager of the merchant guild, were present, he would surely be filled with regret, because after capturing Suocheng, everything here was the spoils of war of the Qiongzhou Camp. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a mountain of gold, silver, grain and silk. It would be such a pity to burn it all to ashes.

Seeing their defeat, the routed soldiers took advantage of the chaos to loot and rape women throughout the city. The city of Zhongzuosuo had just fallen, and chaos reigned within, with cries of despair filling the air.

As Shi Ying led his men toward the government office, the anticipated street fighting did not occur. The Zheng army within the city had already collapsed, and those remaining were scattered soldiers who intended to take the opportunity to burn, kill, and rape women. Upon seeing that the barbarians had entered the city, they hurriedly packed up their looted valuables and fled.

Shi Ying ignored the others and stormed headed straight for the city government office. The streets were deserted, save for the scattered corpses of civilians and their belongings. Fires had broken out in many parts of the city, and smoke filled the air. Occasionally, a few ghostly figures would flash by in the streets and alleys. The First Battalion quickly arrived at the government office.

The main hall of the Zhongzuo Garrison was deserted, and ceremonial items and regalia were scattered in disarray. Some buildings were on fire. Shi Ying ordered his soldiers to search the area, but they found no trace of Zheng Zhilong.

At this moment, Xu Yifan led the Second Battalion to arrive. After briefly inquiring about the situation of Shi Ying's search, he concluded that Zheng Zhilong had fled directly, and the direction must have been the West Gate.

"The city is bordered by the sea to the south and mountains to the north. We attacked from the east gate, and he would not seek his own death, so he can only escape to the west gate."

Shi Ying glanced at the surrounding flames and hesitated for a moment. "It's said that the city is piled high with gold, silver, raw silk, sugar, and other valuable goods. The general certainly doesn't want this place to be burned to the ground..."

Xu Yifan understood his meaning. If Zheng Zhilong was to be killed, it would be best to preserve the spoils of war in Suocheng as well, as the Qiongzhou camp needed these valuables. After a moment's thought, he suggested, "Why don't we split up? You go after Zheng Zhilong, and I'll stay behind to clean up the mess."

Shi Ying nodded: "That's very good." He then mustered his men and headed towards the west gate.

Xu Yifan dispatched some soldiers to various parts of the city to annihilate the fleeing soldiers, while simultaneously ordering his men to shout: "All garrison leaders in the city, report to the yamen immediately! Anyone who fails to do so within half an hour will have their entire garrison slaughtered!"

Under the deterrent effect of the soldiers of the Second Battalion, the fleeing soldiers who had committed atrocities were either killed or scattered like birds and beasts, and order was slowly restored in the city. After hearing the threat of a massacre, the village chiefs who had been hiding at home knew that they had no other choice, and they all gathered in the garrison office with gloomy faces.

Xu Yifan coldly reprimanded, "Enough with the nonsense. You organize the firefighting, and I will guarantee your safety. Anyone who dares to disobey or loot will be punished along with the entire unit, without mercy!"

The village leaders shuddered and reluctantly agreed.

Although many fires broke out within the city, none were large, and the fires were quickly brought under control after the local militia organized the people to fight them. Soldiers from the Qiongzhou garrison stood around the granaries, armed with rifles, monitoring the people to see if they were stealing valuables while fighting the fires, and also guarding against any escaped soldiers who might try to harass them.

The two granaries that were first ignited were engulfed in flames and were almost completely destroyed, beyond saving. The sugar, raw silk, silk fabrics, and various other goods inside were all consumed by the fire. The sweet aroma of burning sugar mixed with the acrid smell of burning raw silk, creating a nauseating stench. Packages of porcelain crackled and shattered in the inferno.

"What a pity." Xu Yifan shook his head, thinking that Zheng Zhilong really had the qualities of a ruthless hero. Seeing that things were hopeless, he didn't cling to the gold and silver of Suocheng like a stingy old man. Instead, he burned it all without batting an eye. He really had the guts.

After identifying the direction of pursuit, Shi Ying led the First Battalion in a single-minded pursuit. Soon after exiting the West Gate, they spotted Zheng Zhilong surrounded by Japanese soldiers along the coastal road.

Although Shi Ying wasted some time searching the government office in vain, Zheng Zhilong had also spent considerable effort shaking off the fleeing soldiers who were now not only lacking the courage to resist but also becoming a burden. In the end, he was caught. Zheng Zhilong thought resentfully that if he had just half an hour more to reach Gulangyu Island and escape by sea, the Qiongzhou garrison would never be able to catch him again.

Knowing the enemy was formidable, Tong Taro understood that without a capable and daring general to act as a rearguard, the enemy could easily catch up and capture a general. He immediately summoned a trusted subordinate and ordered him to lead fifty soldiers as the rearguard, while the others escorted Zheng Zhilong forward.

With the credit for killing Zheng Zhilong within reach, Shi Ying's eyes gleamed with fervor. As he ran, he ordered, "All men, cease firing, fix bayonets! Do not stop until Zheng Zhilong is dead!" The enemy was clearly planning to sacrifice a pawn to save the king; stopping to reload and fire would give Zheng Zhilong time to escape. The only option was a direct bayonet charge.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of the First Battalion roared and charged forward with their bayonets fixed. In the blink of an eye, the fifty Japanese soldiers were overwhelmed by the crowd, their bayonets forming a pincushion, unable to hold back for even a moment.

"Damn Qiongzhou Camp!" Zheng Zhilong turned around and saw this scene. He slowed down unintentionally and cursed inwardly. He did not expect that Qiongzhou Camp was so good at naval battles, firearms, and even close combat. They were simply superior to the Zheng family in every aspect. How could he fight against this group?

Tong Taro rushed over, grabbed Zheng Zhilong, and ran: "General, run! Don't give up until the very last moment!"

Zheng Zhilong gripped his arm tightly: "If we can't escape this calamity, don't worry about me. Try to leave on your own. The thieves' target is me, so you'll have a chance to escape then."

Totaro was shocked: "General?"

Zheng Zhilong said dejectedly, "Life is like dew, it will eventually disappear... I rose from the ashes in my youth, and by the time I was thirty I had built this career, so I can say that my life has not been in vain... I only worry about Fusong..."

Tōtarō understood and said, "This humble servant will swear to follow the young master to the death and protect him with utmost care!"

The Japanese guard consisted of only about three hundred men, how could they possibly withstand the nearly one thousand ferocious soldiers of the First Battalion? They were quickly overtaken...