Chapter Sixty-Two: First Encounter with Pirates

The next morning, after Zhang Qianfang awoke, he went straight to find Zhang Lijie, the son of Zhang Liangcai. He had asked his wife the previous day and learned that Zhang Lijie had recently resigned after a conflict with the shopkeeper and had been sulking at home ever since.

The moment Zhang Lijie saw Zhang Qianfang, he leapt up and exclaimed, “Young master, you’re back!”

Zhang Qianfang gently tapped him on the head and said, “What’s this? It’s only been two years and you’re already so formal? Didn’t you used to call me ‘brother’? Now tell me, what happened at the shop?”

Seeing that Zhang Qianfang was just as he remembered, Zhang Lijie felt at ease and recounted the matter. He had been working as a clerk in the Zhang family’s shop, learning bookkeeping under Manager Wang. Agile, quick-witted, and good-looking, he caught the eye of the manager’s daughter. Knowing Zhang Lijie’s close ties with the Zhang family and that he would likely succeed him, Manager Wang approved of the match. However, Zhang Lijie was ambitious and unimpressed by the manager’s daughter, which soured his relationship with Manager Wang and eventually led to his resignation.

Zhang Qianfang patted him on the shoulder and said, “So that’s all it was. Well then, are you interested in going to sea with me?”

Zhang Lijie was overjoyed. He had never wanted to be just a shopkeeper; the chance to sail was exactly what he desired. Zhang Qianfang told him to first inform his father, and that he would discuss the details with his uncle upon returning.

He then visited his uncle, Yang Tiansheng, bringing gifts. After inquiring about his return, Yang Tiansheng said straightforwardly, “Since you only have one ship for now, join my fleet. It’s better to have company and look out for each other.”

Yang Tiansheng was a prominent merchant in Jinjiang, regularly trading with Nagasaki in Japan. With his uncle’s fleet, Zhang Qianfang could quickly familiarize himself with maritime trade. Grateful, he agreed to join the Yang family’s fleet, and they set a departure date.

Two days later, Zhang Qianfang brought Zhang Lijie to the Quanzhou base to meet the crew. As it happened, the fleet was short a bookkeeper, making Zhang Lijie’s expertise a perfect fit.

Zhang Qianfang introduced his men to Zhang Lijie one by one, then said, “Xiao Jie, we’re not ordinary sailors—we’re a military force. So, you must consider yourself a soldier as well. Learn to use firearms from Brother Shen first; later, you’ll also manage the accounts.”

For most, this was their first ocean voyage, and nerves were high. There were six ships in total, led by Yang Dali, a subordinate of Yang Tiansheng. Yang Dali first paid his respects to the young master, then briefed Zhang Qianfang on the essentials of sea navigation. He and Shen Congjing discussed the basics of maritime signaling, and soon the fleet set sail.

The ships sailed in a line, with Zhang Qianfang’s vessel third—clear evidence of Yang Dali’s care for the young master. Zhang Qianfang instructed his men to become familiar with ocean navigation. Although they felt it was not much different from their journey to Quanzhou, they soon realized the disparity. Before, they had always sailed close to shore, with land constantly in sight; now, they were surrounded by endless ocean, which left them feeling adrift and uneasy.

Zhang Qianfang assigned Shen Congjing and Zhang Lijie to study signal flag communication at sea. Yang Dali’s system was rudimentary, only able to convey basic messages. Yet Zhu Youjiao had once spoken to him about the importance of signaling at sea, insisting on a complete set of flag codes to express intentions clearly.

After several days, the crew grew accustomed to life at sea, and their pallor faded. Zhang Qianfang began training them as he once did in the capital’s garrison: running, jumping, aiming, and stabbing drills on deck. Marksmanship was emphasized—each person practiced aiming a hundred times daily. Though they had no gunpowder yet, the fundamentals had to be mastered.

Yang Dali signaled that they would reach Nagasaki in two days and urged all ships to be wary of safety. When Shen Congjing relayed this, Zhang Qianfang was puzzled. “What does ‘safety’ mean?” he asked. Shen Congjing shook his head, equally uncertain.

They soon understood. When a large ship appeared on the horizon, Yang Dali signaled the fleet to be on guard and ordered the first three ships to attack. Only then did Zhang Qianfang realize that “safety” referred to others, for now they themselves were pirates.

As the third ship, they were in the attacking line. The crew was excited, shouting encouragement to one another. Yang Dali’s lead ship had already drawn close to the target, and the crack of firearms could be heard. The enemy ship seemed resigned and slowed down.

The second ship closed in, but the men on Zhang Qianfang’s ship were disappointed—they worried the fight would be over before they arrived. Suddenly, a volley of gunfire rang out.

“There’s a problem! Ready arms, stay alert, and approach with caution!” Shen Congjing called.

Zhang Qianfang understood as well—Yang Dali’s ship had only a few firearms; the gunfire had to be from the enemy. Sure enough, the second ship signaled: “Enemy firepower overwhelming, request support.”

Now close to the enemy, Zhang Qianfang could see Yang Dali’s ship had been boarded, its crew suffering heavy casualties. The enemy was preparing to loot. The second ship drew near and another volley of gunfire erupted—it was a trap, the realization dawning on everyone.

At a distance of just over a hundred paces, the situation was clear: most of the crews of the first and second ships lay sprawled on deck, while the enemy’s deck was crowded with sailors brandishing matchlock guns. Shen Congjing cursed, “Damn it, the robbers have met real pirates.” The truth was obvious—the ship disguised as a merchant vessel was actually a raider.

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Qianfang ordered his men to line up on the side nearest the enemy, firearms ready. At his command, “Fire!” a volley felled many on the enemy deck. They quickly reloaded, and a second round swept the opposition as they drew nearer.

“Javelins!” Zhang Qianfang shouted.

A few men at the rear—his specially chosen experts—hurled their javelins with deadly accuracy, pinning several pirates to the deck.

“First team, change weapons! Second team, stand guard!” Zhang Qianfang commanded. The front line passed their firearms back and drew their sabers, while those at the rear took aim, firing whenever they saw an opening and felling their foes.