Da Xia water forces defeated the invading enemies for the first time and captured seven large treasure ships, as well as countless landing boats. This battle is known as the Battle of Ya Sea or the Victory of Ya Sea.
This undoubtedly injected a stimulant into the dispirited and panic-stricken people of Fuzhou.
Especially the fishermen along the coast of several counties, they poured onto the streets to celebrate, and the sounds of firecrackers bursting could be heard everywhere on the streets and alleys.
The people of Fuzhou had suffered from the Japanese pirates for a long time, and they desperately longed for a peaceful life.
They had also thought about moving to other places to live, but ultimately couldn't bear to leave their homeland.
This great victory gave them hope, the hope of completely eradicating the Japanese pirates.
When the news reached the capital city, Xia Emperor Jing was very happy. He ordered generous rewards for the meritorious soldiers, and at the same time ordered the Ministry of Public Works to speed up the construction of treasure ships.
In the memorial about the battle, the matter of Jiang Yuqing borrowing ships from the Shen family was emphasized.
Therefore, while rewarding the meritorious soldiers, the emperor did not forget to praise Jiang Yuqing as well, once again praising Jiang Wenyuan in the court for teaching his daughter well.
The ministers were so envious, it was another day of envy and jealousy!
At the same time, Xia Emperor Jing also personally wrote a plaque of "Home of Benevolence and Righteousness" and bestowed it on the Shen family.
When this plaque with a vermilion background and golden lacquer arrived in Fuzhou, Master Shen led his whole family to welcome it on their knees.
This also represented the court's recognition and highest reward of the Shen family as a merchant house.
Shen Yunian never expected that by reluctantly lending a boat as promised, not only did he obtain a priceless treasure that would prolong his life by ten years, but there was also such an unexpected joy.
In his great delight, he donated another 200,000 taels of silver to the Fuzhou water forces, which was extremely generous.
The Japanese pirates suffered such a big loss this time, they certainly would not let it go easily.
The commanders of each major camp secretly heightened their defense readiness.
At the same time, the Fu Zhou prefecture issued defense orders to the villages along the coast of each county, requiring them to patrol and keep watch along the seashore without interruption for twelve hours a day.
In fact, even without the government order, the fishermen would still do the same.
These were valuable experiences summed up after years of fighting against the Japanese pirates and pirates.
It was the villagers on patrol duty from the Niluo Bay village who first noticed something wrong and sounded the alarm gong in the Battle of Ya Sea.
While hiding themselves, the Niluo Bay fishermen also sent people to report to the Ya Mountain water forces camp and surrounding villages that the Japanese pirates had come, urging everyone to protect themselves well.
Thanks to their bravery, they not only saved themselves but also many of their fellow villagers from the surrounding villages.
To commend and encourage them, the magistrate of Yashan County, Jiang Yujiang, specially issued an award order to Niluo Bay, and paid 310 taels from his own pocket as bonus silver to award 10 taels to each household.
The Jiang siblings believed that resisting the Japanese pirates was not only the water forces’ business, but also the business of every ordinary person in Fuzhou. As the saying goes, “if the skin does not exist, what can the hair adhere to”, only when all the ordinary people of Fuzhou unite and fight the enemy together, can the Japanese pirates and pirates be completely annihilated at sea.
Jiang Yuqing had been in Fuzhou for more than two months. The baby in the belly of her sister-in-law Yan Deyin was almost seven months old, only three months away from birth. Plus there was still the huge hidden danger of the Japanese pirates, Jiang Yuqing was very worried about staying here, so she simply stayed in Yashan.
Doctor Qiu upheld the principle of “wherever my little apprentice goes, I will follow”, so he didn’t leave either. After all, practicing medicine and saving people was the same everywhere.
Hearing that Jiang Yuqing was going to stay in Yashan, the one who was happiest was undoubtedly Jiang Yujiang. This meant he had the most reliable support for his wife giving birth.
Three days after Mid-Autumn Festival, the Ministry of Public Works delivered the first large treasure ship to the Fuzhou water forces.
This treasure ship was 44 Zhang long, 18 Zhang wide, twice as big as Da Xia’s current largest treasure ship. It can be called a behemoth.
Not only was it equipped with the most advanced sail control system, it was also equipped with improved remotely launched gunpowder and fire oil. It can be said to be full of black technologies.
On the day the ship was handed over, the commanders of all major camps went there. When they saw this behemoth, everyone was drooling. This was followed by a battle of seizing it.
First, the commanders of Jian Mountain Camp and Zhong Mountain Camp joined forces to kick out Feng Zhan, commander of the Ya Mountain camp.
And scolded loudly: "Surname Feng, you already have eleven big ships, yet you still come to fight with us, how unethical! You’re already full, without even leaving us the soup!”
Two against one, Feng Zhan was no match for them. After being beaten, he stumbled out.
Then these two started intimate fights, beating each other to a pulp. Seeing this, the chief official from the Ministry of Public Works was dumbfounded, and kept retreating to stay away from these ruthless men.
When these two guys had beaten each other with swollen faces and bruises all over, slumping on the ground without the strength to even lift their arms, the Ministry head carefully swallowed his saliva and cautiously said, "Actually, you don't have to fight like this.
This is indeed the first treasure ship, there are two more identical ones coming in three days. Then each of your three major camps will get one ship!"
Feng Zhan hugged his belly and laughed loudly. Let you squeeze me out, I was the real winner in the end!
The Zhong Mountain Camp commander “...” Damn, I fought him for nothing.
The Jian Mountain Camp commander was furious and scolded: "Damn you, why didn't you say so earlier, wanted to laugh at me?"
Struggling to get up, staggering towards him raising his giant fist, wanting to punch him.
Scared, the old man quickly hid behind Feng Zhan, while trying to defend himself stutteringly,
"It’s...not the old man's fault. You didn't even give the old man a chance to speak at all. You started fighting as soon as you arrived, have you no reason?"
Of course, generals who could become generals were not fools. If they really resort to violence, even if they were in the right, they would become in the wrong.
They just wanted to scare the old man, hoping he would explain things clearly next time.
In the end, this first treasure ship went to the Jian Mountain Camp.
On board the giant ship, the Jian Mountain Camp commander struggled to open his eyes that had swollen to just a slit, and stroked the hull, extremely excited in his heart. He felt closer to it than to his own wife.
He gave this ship a simple, straightforward yet domineering name: Annihilate Wa, which the other two camps agreed was not bad.
According to etiquette, such a great joy must be celebrated by treating everyone to a meal.
After receiving the ship, the three generals who had just fought fiercely were shoulder to shoulder again, looking for a small tavern on the pier to eat and drink away.
Seeing this, the Ministry of Public Works chief official’s mouth twitched again. These ruthless men... were actually still quite good!
Three days later, the other two behemoth treasure ships also joined the combat sequences of the Zhong Mountain Camp and Ya Mountain Camp respectively.
The new ship of the Zhong Mountain Camp was named "Annihilate Bandits" and the new ship of the Ya Mountain Camp was named "Annihilate Ghosts".
In naming the ships, the commanders of the three major camps can be said to be of one mind.
After hearing about it, Jiang Yuqing grinned for half a day. Finally she thought, as long as it’s not something absurd like Obliterating Heaven and Earth, it’s pretty good.
In September, the weather in Fuzhou was still warm. That day, Jiang Yuqing went to the seaside with Doctor Qiu to catch seafood with the fishermen, and collected half a bucket full of various seafood.
There were clams, octopuses, razor clams, periwinkles, prawns and her favorite big crabs.
Crabs were the fattest in this season. She could eat two big half-jin crabs in one go.
Crabs had cold nature. If not for Doctor Qiu worrying she would get abdominal pain from eating too much at one go and not allowing her to eat more, she felt she could handle four crabs easily with no problem.
For others, stir fried octopus or making octopus hot plate were pretty good options.
The rest of the seafood could be steamed together in one pot, then dip them into her favorite sauces. That would be so delicious she felt her tongue would fall off.
When they had almost finished collecting, an old fisherman looking at the horizon where the sky met the sea sighed and said, "There'll be another storm coming!"
As soon as Jiang Yuqing heard this, she tensed her nerves and asked, "Old man, about when will it be?"
The old fisherman said, "Soon, in the next two to three days. After the storm, I'm afraid those Japanese pirates will come ashore again!"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuqing was shocked, but also completely believed it.
The fishermen had lived here for generations and fought against the Japanese pirates for years, accumulating a lot of valuable experience regarding the climate and weather patterns.
They said that if there was going to be a storm then there would definitely be a storm, they said the Japanese pirates would come, and it was hard to say if they really would come.
Jiang Yuqing did not dare to take it lightly, and on her way back she directly went around to the Yaoshan camp to tell them about this news.
Feng Zhan was not afraid, saying: "We beat them painfully last time, I was worried they wouldn't come back. If they come, it will be just right to try my new treasure ships!"
Seeing that they were all prepared, Jiang Yuqing was relieved.
Sure enough, the weather changed in the afternoon the next day. It started raining at night, and then the wind gradually strengthened, the violent rain poured down, and the storm raged all night.
In the morning of the next day, the wind gradually weakened, and the rain also decreased accordingly, until the morning of the second day, the wind stopped and the rain stopped, and the clouds cleared.
At this time, the sky was as blue as the sea, and the sea had also shed the turbulent anger of the turbulent waves, and became exceptionally gentle.
But everyone was clear in their hearts that under the surface of this tranquility, a bloody storm was likely lurking.
The entire Fuzhou navy was on high alert, and the county government along the coast ordered the subordinate villages to be prepared to evacuate women and children at any time.
At the same time, young and middle-aged men were organized to patrol the coast without interruption for twelve hours a day. Once the enemy was discovered, the gong would be sounded immediately to warn others, and the nearby navy would be notified in time.
Jiang Yuqing also mobilized sea birds in the air such as terns and seagulls to help spread the word.
As soon as large fleets of ships appear hung with medicated plaster flags or skull flags, they would immediately fly over to tell her.
In order for the birds to accurately distinguish between the two flags, she specifically asked Feng Zhan for the medicated plaster flag and skull flag seized last time for them to look at.
She could not kill with her own hands, could she not spread the word?
It was barely considered hitting the edge of the ball, she didn’t get her hands dirty with blood, the Heaven’s Way wouldn’t be so cruel again!
Soon, on the second day, several seagulls flew back to report that a fleet of fifty-one large ships, hanging medicated plaster flags, was rushing towards Da Xia in a mighty manner.
