Chapter Thirty-Five: Mr. Dong Shi

  The Demon King Maru has finally arrived.

  The 26 warships were all brought by Kokūmaru, and for this former pirate king, the Battle of Penghu... or rather, this couldn't even be called a battle in Kokūmaru's heart... This would be his best chance to revive his reputation.

  "Uncle, Penghu has arrived." Li Zihu said with a hint of excitement on the side.

  "Order all troops to land, and dye Penghu red with blood!" Kaito Minamoto said with a fierce killing intent.

  "Uncle." Li Zihu was somewhat uneasy: "Are we going to leave some people on the boat?"

  "Guī Wáng Wán laughed and said, 'Besides Liu Xiang, who else dares to move my fleet? Moreover, Mr. Dong is on the main ship, if there's any situation, he will naturally send a message.'"

  "Uncle is really wise." Li Zihu said with his mouth, but his eyes were rolling around in all directions.

  Nor did he know why, but towards Dong Shi, this foster father whom he trusted more than anyone else, he always had some doubts...

  "Smooth sailing for the big king!"

  Behind him came the voice of Mr. Dongshi, Wei Jide. Guī Wáng Wán burst out laughing: "Mr. Dongshi, just watch me blood-wash Penghu and revive my reputation as the Ghost King!"

  "Land on the island! Kill!"

  ......

  Hong Diao-yuan stood calmly there with the island's military and civilians.

  Brothers, with swords and guns in hand, they have never felt so truly that they are indeed officials and soldiers of the great Ming dynasty.

  The fishermen of Penghu also held "weapons" in their hands, which were fish forks, flat crowbars and wooden sticks... They had never truly felt that they were really the children of the Great Ming.

  Hong Diao Yuan gripped the knife tightly in his hand, he saw the pirates coming, saw the pirates landing on the island, and then he shouted loudly:

  "Flag!"

  A large banner unfolded in Lao Ji's hands, with a single character written on it:

  Bright!

  Bright and clear!

  Kiwamaru and his men stopped in their tracks. What does this mean? What do they want to do? Are these soldiers who don't look like soldiers, and timid fishermen actually going to resist?

  "Hong Diao Yuan, are you still thinking of resisting me?" The Ghost King Maru walked to the front of hundreds of pirates and said with a fierce aura: "Don't you know that I am the Ghost King Maru?"

  "I know, of course I know you are the infamous Ghost King Maru......" Hong Diao Yuan muttered in a very low voice, then suddenly raised his head and shouted loudly: "Ghost King Maru, don't you know that I am Hong Diao Yuan, the commander-in-chief of the Great Ming Penghu? You, a small pirate, how dare you trespass on the territory of the Great Ming! You, a small Japanese bandit, how dare you look straight at the Great Ming Penghu!"

  The Demon King was stunned, and all the pirates were stunned.

  Is this Hong Diao Yuan? The Hong Diao Yuan who is always so timid and afraid of trouble in my impression?

  The Demon King's eyes gleamed with a fierce light: "Hong Diao Yuan, you killed my disciple. Today, I will offer the blood of all Penghu to sacrifice him! If you put down your weapon, I'll spare your corpse!"

  "He made me put down my weapons, he made me put down my weapons." Hong Diao Yuan pointed at Gui Wang Maru and said it twice, suddenly slapping his thigh and bursting into laughter, laughing so hard that tears almost came out. While slapping his thigh and stomping his feet, he laughed uncontrollably: "This Japanese pirate actually made me put down my weapons! Who does he think he is? The Governor or the Commander-in-Chief? He's gone mad, he's gone mad! This Japanese pirate actually made the Great Ming's General Hong Diao Yuan put down his weapons!"

  The military and civilians burst into loud laughter.

  When the people have no fear of death, what is the use of threatening them with it?

  Guī Wáng Wán was really stunned this time. What's wrong with Hóng Tiáo Yuán? Has he gone mad? Not only did he dare to resist himself, but he even dared to humiliate himself?

  Is the entire Penghu going crazy?

  Hong Diao Yuan suddenly stopped laughing, with his sword across his chest: "Gui Wang Wan, I know we can't beat you, but today I'll let you know that my Great Ming has countless heroes who can't be killed! The Great Ming is not just one Qi General, the Great Ming has thousands and millions of Qi Generals!"

  The King of Demons finally knew that the military and civilians in Penghu would never be bullied again this time, they really wanted to resist.

  The more it is like this, the more we must kill every single one in front of us, and strangle all thoughts of resistance in their cradle.

  The Demon King Maru raised his hand, and when it came down, it was the greatest disaster that had befallen Penghu.

  Hong Diao Yuan and all the soldiers and civilians around and behind him tightly grasped their weapons, staring nervously at Gui Wang Wan's hand. They also knew that when this hand came down, it would be the moment that decided the fate of the entire Penghu...

  ......

  "Please."

  Mr. Dongshi raised his wine glass and said to the three pirates who stayed on the main ship.

  Three pirates were unexpectedly invited by Mr. Dong to drink, and they all felt greatly honored, hastily raising their cups and drinking them dry. Putting down the cup, one of the pirates said:

  "Sir, I..."

  No sooner had the words left his mouth than he clutched at his throat and let out a pained gurgle.

  Then "thud, thud" three times, and the three pirates rolled down to the ground together.

  Mr. Dong stood up, calmly glanced at the three corpses, then took out a torch and a package that had been prepared long ago, left here, and came to the lower hold.

  Mr. Dong opened a wooden barrel filled with gunpowder. Then he opened the package he was carrying, took out a set of clothes and carefully changed into them.

  This is the official uniform of the Ming dynasty that he has never discarded!

  Mr Dong wearing his official uniform, knelt down facing north, first kowtowed three times, then cupped his hands and said:

  "I, Wei Jide, the Minister of Rites of the Great Ming Dynasty, was sent on a mission to Vietnam in the third year of Tianqi, but unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy. I have thought about it three times and still cannot come up with a plan, my heart is cold and I am mixed among the pirates. I deserve ten thousand deaths for not being able to repay the emperor's kindness, nor die for righteousness in times of difficulty. I am disloyal and unrighteous, unfilial and unkind, and my crimes are deserving of death! Now, the Japanese pirate ship has invaded Penghu, I have no strength to stop them, all I can do is sacrifice myself once, burn their main ship, disrupt their military morale, perhaps it can slightly lift the siege of Penghu, and slightly alleviate my guilt. I wish for the prosperity of our Great Ming Dynasty forever! Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!"

  After finishing speaking, he "thudded" and knocked his head several times, knocking out blood.

  Then he slowly stood up, let out a mournful cry: "Your Majesty, I'm leaving! The people of the Great Ming should learn from General Qi, not Wei Zhide! Gui Wangwan, you will also follow me sooner or later!"

  After finishing speaking, he lit the fuse and pressed it down towards the full barrel of gunpowder...

  Wei Jide, also known as Dongshi, was a jinshi in the Tianqi era. In the third year, he was sent on a mission to Bohai and fell into enemy hands but did not die for his principles. In the sixth year of Chongzhen, he blew up the pirate ship of Guiwang Wan and died.

  His life was stained, and the days he spent by Guī Wáng Wán's side were also criticized. However, in the end, he still used his death to redeem his already tarnished reputation.

  As for what kind of person he is, that's up to individual interpretation.