The crowd dismounted and carried the enemies to the waterside. Just then, the great catfish, Shanshan, arrived. With food already served, it was quite a pleasant scene.
However, I kept observing the enemy camp. Since the eagle had also perished under random gunfire, nothing was sent back to report. Thus, the enemy camp remained quiet. After the great catfish finished its meal, we climbed onto its back and, using the same method, reached Wusan City without incident.
Upon closer inspection, the side of Wusan City near the river was also guarded by high walls with the city gate firmly shut. The riverbank was narrow, leaving no landing spot even if the enemy attacked from across the river. It indeed required no defense.
We landed, but the city gate remained closed. A large basket was lowered from above, lifting us up.
Once we reached the city gate tower, I looked back at the water. The great catfish was still in the distance, its head partially visible, watching me. After a moment's thought, I pointed towards the opposite bank and signaled it to roam there, waiting for us to feed it. I didn't want it to return upstream because I feared the enemy might retaliate against this large vessel. During our crossing, the enemy had seen its form, realizing it was a giant fish, not a boat.
The commandant of Wusan City introduced herself as Zheng Baobao, a woman who was also quite beautiful. I felt as though I had heard this name in history before, but couldn't recall it immediately.
Zheng Baobao frankly admitted that the city's troop strength was insufficient, consisting only of new recruits, and lacked defensive equipment. If the enemy launched a full assault, she doubted they could hold for even half an hour. However, the city had a large reserve of warships, capable of transporting the populace for an evacuation by water, downstream towards Wuer City.
"What about the city's residents?" I asked. Although the city wasn't large, judging by its appearance, there were three to five thousand civilians.
"War, you see..." Zheng Baobao sighed. "The primary objective is to preserve our fighting force."
"How many people can your city's warships transport at once?" I inquired, having noticed the wooden ships. They were located inside the city walls near the water, not on land, but rather a channel leading into the city, forming something akin to a moat. Eight warships were neatly arranged in this moat.
"A thousand people," Zheng Baobao replied.
"Is the opposite bank controlled by our forces or the enemy?" I asked again. Instead of moving downstream, a faster route to the opposite bank seemed more practical.
"The opposite side is the Black Crystal Forest, where spirits frequently roam. It is uninhabited. My lord, do you intend to transfer the city's residents to the other side?"
"Is it feasible?" I asked.
Zheng Baobao shook her head and pointed outside the city. "My lord, please observe. While the enemy lacks warships, they have brought a large quantity of timber, especially planks, which can be assembled into warships at any time. I suspect they did this deliberately, feigning a lack of crossing tools to lure us across. Once we reach the Black Crystal Forest, they will quickly assemble warships, cross the river, and attack. At that point, without the protection of our city walls, we will be at their mercy."
As we spoke, we had moved from the riverside wall to the flanking wall. I looked down at the enemy camp but found no readily available materials for building warships, only numerous wooden encampments.
Zheng Baobao, sensing my doubt, whispered, "I previously served in the North Sea Navy and am quite familiar with naval affairs."
"Then what was your profession in life?" I seized the opportunity to ask.
"Uh, well..." Zheng Baobao scratched her head. "I dare not hide it from my lord. In life, I was a pirate."
No wonder her name sounded so familiar. I remembered a rather famous female pirate in the late Qing Dynasty named Zheng Baobao, who even assisted the Qing navy in fighting foreign fleets. She was a patriotic pirate.
"So, if we evacuate, there is only one chance, correct?" I asked.
Zheng Baobao nodded. "Exactly. There is only one chance to move downstream. Our ships are reasonably fast, and even if they quickly assemble warships, they cannot catch up. However, returning again would be too late."
It seemed there was no hope for a breakout.