The Ming Dynasty sand ship of Hakata Port was anchored at the dock for three days, and Wu Shun, a sailor who accompanied the ship, found a good place when he went ashore to purchase supplies. It was an inn where you could bathe in a wooden barrel, and it was called Nitta.

A man who spoke a little Chinese at the inn said that the inn was originally in Namba (Osaka), but that they had migrated to Hakata ten years ago because the Kamakura Princess's army had raised troops in Sakai Castle and the war had spread to nearby Namba Kyo.

In short, the inn is wonderful, and they are willing to accept the copper coins of the Ming Dynasty, which are of good quality and low price. Wu Shun slipped here at every opportunity.

Three days later, two samurai came from Hakata Castle and told the people on the ship that the men on the ship would return to the ship tomorrow morning and set sail, and asked the people on the ship to pack their belongings in advance, gather the crew, and get ready.

is about to leave here, and the only place that sailor Wu Shun is reluctant to give up is the Xintian Inn. So he slipped out quietly at night, and took the copper coins to the inn to be happy.

Unexpectedly, the good night was short, and Wu Shun slept until dawn after a night's leisure. He hurriedly dressed himself and went out to the docks.

Before he had reached the place, he saw many of the people running in the opposite direction, and they scattered. After a while, suddenly there was a "boom" on the beach, and the fire rose into the sky. Wu Shun saw it clearly, only to see a burning ship, Xiang Ming Army's sand boat moored at the dock, approached, and after a while, they collided together, and the fire immediately spread to the sand boat.

The sea was full of small boats, and they drew their bows and arrows at the people in the sand boats. A few people climbed onto the pier, but there was also a group of Japanese soldiers waiting on land, and samurai with Japanese swords and soldiers wearing bamboo hats rushed up.

Wu Shun was so frightened that his legs became weak, and he was stunned for a while, completely unaware of what was going on. But what he saw in front of him made him realize that this place was already very dangerous. Wu Shun saw a small forest nearby, and immediately ran in.

Fear gripped Wu Shun's body, and he found a dirt pit and got some branches to hide himself in. He thought hard inside, but a sailor could not have figured out why.

Two days later, Wu Shun was hungry and thirsty, especially the lack of water to drink made it unbearable for him. So in the evening he crawled out of the pit and went outside to find some water to drink.

Lights were lit on the ships on the seashore, and there were fires between the houses on the docks. Wu Shun carefully groped for a long time, and finally found a small stream, lying on the ground and drinking a belly of water.

Just then, a lantern moved in this direction. Wu Shun lay on the ground and didn't dare to move. After a while, the lantern stopped, and the sound of water came from the stream, and it seemed that someone was taking a break by the stream.

Then came the voices of talking, and they did not understand what they were saying; However, Wu Shun could tell that it was Korean. Wu Soon knew neither Japanese nor Korean, but he had heard both and was able to distinguish them.

North Koreans on the docks? Wu Soon realized that there might be North Korean ships on the docks, and that the North Koreans should return to North Korea in the near future. Compared to the way the Japanese treated the Ming ships two days ago, Wu Shun felt that the Koreans might be safer. Almost everyone knows that the Korean state has long been a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

Wu quietly followed the two people to the dock and saw them get on a wooden boat. Wu Shun hid nearby and waited for a long time, and when he found an opportunity for no one, he quietly climbed onto the deck of the wooden ship, and then slipped through an entrance to the cargo hold below while the sailors on duty were not paying attention.

He found a barrel to shelter him and slept against the planks of the ship's wall.

The next day the ship lifted anchor, for the cabin was undulating and rocking. Wu Shun hid inside for two days, hunger made him dizzy, and the most unbearable thing was still that there was no water to drink. So in the evening, he came out from behind a barrel again and looked around for fresh water.

After a while, there was a sudden "swish", and when Wu Shun looked up, he saw a figure pulling out a knife and staring at him. Wu Shun was motionless for a while, and then said, "Water." ”

The man looked at Wu Shun for a moment and said, "You...... Wait. With that, he turned around and walked quickly.

After waiting for a while, the North Korean came down with another person and carried a lantern. The newcomer, dressed in a robe and wearing a large black hat on his head, looked like a man of status, and handed over a piece of bread and a gourd. Wu Shun's eyes widened, and he immediately devoured it.

"Slow down, slow down." The man in the big hat said in Chinese.

Wu Shun quickly finished eating the cake, and then kept pouring water to swallow the food that was blocked in his throat. The big hat asked again, "A few days ago, the big Ming boat was burned on the dock. Are you Han Chinese on that boat? ”

Wu Shun gasped for breath for a while, and suddenly choked up.

The big hat glanced at the North Korean next to him, but said nothing.

Wu Shun opened his mouth and said, "Ask your lord to send me to Tsushima Island." ”

Big Hat hesitated.

Seeing this, Wu Shun panicked inexplicably. Will this big hat be afraid of getting into trouble, and simply kill himself and throw himself into the sea without realizing it? However, there is also a North Korean next to the big hat, and these two people may not fully trust each other, and it is a big crime to kill people.

Wu Shun thought for a while and said, "When the lord arrives near Tsushima Port, give me a small boat, and I will row back to the port." When I saw someone, I said that I had secretly boarded a North Korean ship and went to Korea and received help from good local people before being sent to Tsushima Island. ”

When the big hat heard this, his face was surprised, and he asked, "What is your official position?" ”

Wu Shun said: "The last general is Wu Shun, the general of the Ming Jing camp, and there are 500 brothers under him. ”

Hearing this, the big hat said, "We will send the general to Tsushima Island." But to grieve the general, continue to hide for a day. There were a lot of people on board, and we didn't want to make a fuss. ”

Wu Shun hugged his fists and said, "Thank you so much." ”

The North Korean ship docked at the port of Tsushima Island and quietly sent Wu Shun to the dock at night.

After the two Ming army sergeants on duty at the dock took over Wu Shun, they immediately rode Wu Shun on horseback to escort Wu Shun to the Ming army's fort. At this time, it was night, but the Ming army was thousands of good families, and personally met Wu Shun at the government office.

After a while, a eunuch and two civil officials also arrived. Wu Shun cried and recounted what he had seen and heard in Hakata Port a few days ago, and at the request of the eunuch, he even recounted it twice in a row.

A civil official said: "I have long advised Qian Xingren not to go to Japan easily, but he doesn't believe it!" We have just captured Tsushima Island and killed the Zong clan, even if there is righteousness, how can the people of Japan not be angry? ”

The eunuch Zhou Quan cried and said with a sad face: "Yao Fang is also in Boduo, how can our family explain to Concubine Xian Niangniang now?" ”

"There are only more than 500 people in Tsushima Fort, we can't do anything about this matter, we should immediately report to the imperial court." Tomorrow, we will prepare a boat and send Wu Shun to Beijing by sea. At the same time, he sent people to Korea and reported to the imperial court by land. ”

A civil official wrote in silence, wrote two pieces of paper, and then said to Wu Shun: "Look at it, if there is no objection, you will sign it." ”

Wu Shun said: "I can't read. ”

The civil official said: "Then go straight to the handprint." ”

…… The sailor Wu Shunyu reported what he had seen and heard, and he was sent away. And a few people in the government office were still sitting next to the oil lamps, all with solemn expressions.

The eunuch Zhou Quan muttered: "Yao Fang knows a Japanese military attache named Ouchi Katsu, and he also arranged eyeliner in the temple in Kyushu, saying that the Ouchi clan has been married to the shogunate and should not have much hostility towards the Ming Dynasty, what is going on?" If we knew this, our family should have kept Yao Fang. ”

The civil official next to him said: "How come this official doesn't know about this?" ”

Zhou Quandao: "Only the Jinyi Guard and the people who guard the North Department of the Imperial Division know, and our family has also heard about it." ”

Wan Liang frowned and said, "Japan is going to war against the Ming Dynasty?" ”

"The situation is not very clear now, judging from Wu Shun's confession, Japan has been hostile to the Ming Dynasty. We'd better be prepared. Zhou Quandao, "There are 500 soldiers in Tunpu, can you hold it?" ”

Wan Liang said: "We have enough firearms and ammunition, and it is difficult for the Japanese army to attack, but there is not enough food and grass." If we're besieged for a long time and cut off supplies by sea, we're in a bit of a bad situation. There are not many warships left, only a few Monchong and sentinel ships. At present, our army should send sentinel ships day and night to inquire about the movement of the sea in the east, and once a large number of Japanese warships are discovered, the ships in the port should withdraw from the port of Tsushima and go to Korea for refuge, so as to avoid a certain defeat in a naval war; The land division relied on the tunbao for defense. ”

A civil official said: "We write this chapter like this, and we only know that the ship was besieged and burned, and we don't know anything else?" ”

Several people were silent.

The civil official said: "There are still some Japanese on Tsushima Island, why don't we pick two people and go to Hakata Port with letters, and let the Ouchi clan write back to explain the matter?" ”

Zhou Quan shook his head and said: "The Japanese can't do this kind of thing at all, they are also afraid of being killed by the samurai, and it is very likely that the letter will not be delivered to the Ouchi clan." Besides, it happened in the port of Hakata, and if the Japanese want to explain it, they don't need to rush it; If you don't want to explain, it's useless to send a letter. ”

Wan Liang and the two civil officials listened and nodded in agreement. Wan Liang said: "For today's plan, the only way is to hold Tsushima Island and wait for the imperial court to respond." ”

Zhou Quandao: "The two roads of water and land are reported, and we will set off immediately tomorrow morning." ”

After dawn, the group left the fort and came to the dock by the sea, where the people on and off a Mong rush boat were busy transporting buckets of fresh water onto the ship. The eunuch Zhou Quan said a few words to the sailor Wu Shun, then said goodbye to each other and watched Wu Shun get on the ship.

The waves crashed against the seashore in the wind, and there was a sound of "whoosh". Originally, Zhou Quan felt that this island was very lonely, surrounded by uninhabited mountains and forests, and the vast and boundless sea, as if it had been forgotten. Everything is still the same, but it makes people feel different at this time. The endless sea water rushes onto the beach, and it seems to be turbulent in the wind and waves.