“Since there's still plenty of time, why don't we play another round?” Han Mo asked after declaring his resolve.
“Forget it, I never want to play chess with you again in my life!” Shao Bowen said, shaking his head like a rattle drum. Although he had a good impression of Han Mo, and Han Mo indeed possessed a captivating aura, he found Han Mo's unconventional approach to chess and everything else, even resorting to underhanded tactics, incredibly annoying.
“So stingy, what's the big deal about another game of chess?” Han Mo couldn't help but roll his eyes as Shao Bowen fled like he was escaping a disaster. That guy was truly petty!
“Brother, you've been staying up for days. How about you rest early today?” Liang Hongyu asked softly as she pushed the door open after Shao Bowen had left.
“You're right. Tonight, I really should get a good night's sleep. After tonight, things will be difficult!” Han Mo said, stretching lazily. After a simple wash-up attended by Liang Hongyu, he slowly made his way to his bedroom.
“My Lord, General Wang is here!” By noon the next day, just as Han Mo finished his lunch, a servant reported Wang Bing's arrival.
“Please show him in!” Han Mo's heart was undeniably tense as the final step was imminent, but he knew that at this point, nervousness was useless. He could only force himself to appear calm in front of Wang Bing.
“General Wang, how are your preparations coming along?” Most of Wang Bing's soldiers were northerners, and traveling by boat was quite a challenge for them. However, there was no other way. The only good news was that the weather had been favorable these past few days. The sea hadn't been too rough, and the ships provided were all over a thousand tons. As long as the soldiers didn't see the water, they should be fine even when fully loaded.
“My Lord, rest assured. I've gotten a good understanding of the surrounding waters these past few days. There are indeed several islands nearby that are very suitable for hiding troops. Although most of our brothers are not proficient swimmers, just sitting on a boat for a few hours should be manageable!” Wang Bing spoke in a deliberately lowered voice, even though no one else was in the room.
“You don't need to tell me where specifically, nor does anyone else. You can announce it once we're on the ship,” Han Mo interrupted him just as Wang Bing was about to reveal the entire plan.
“Yes, my Lord!”
“Remember, three days from now, at the stroke of midnight!”
“My Lord, don’t worry. As long as you can hold out for three days, I guarantee not a single one of those thirty thousand rebels will escape!”
“Good! My identity is too sensitive, so I won't be escorting you tonight. I'll be at the grand parade ground to draw everyone's attention!”
“My Lord, rest assured, your subordinate will not fail this trust!”
“I'll toast you with tea, in place of wine!” Han Mo said, reaching out to pour Wang Bing a cup of tea.
“A toast to my Lord!”
“Be careful with everything!”
With the plan about to be implemented, Wang Bing couldn't stay any longer. After a brief exchange, he departed hastily. After finishing his official duties and seeing that it was already dark, Han Mo, along with all the officials, big and small, from Mingzhou City, headed to the grand parade ground. Although the parade ground was quite crowded at this hour, the atmosphere was somber and tense. It was completely different from a few days ago. Now, they stood ramrod straight. Other than the crackling of burning torches, all that could be heard was the whistling wind.
“Five days are up. Do you have confidence in them?” Han Mo asked as he patted Han Shizhong on the shoulder.
“If it's just a defensive battle, these men should be fine. However, they are on the battlefield for the first time, so I'm afraid their performance will be…” Han Shizhong lowered his head helplessly as he spoke. These men had never personally experienced battle or shed blood, so Han Shizhong was still unsure of their performance.
“Don't they just lack a reassuring presence? I'll provide it for you tonight!” Han Mo said confidently, leading Li Yueyang to the high platform beside the three-zhang-tall stone tablet erected near the parade ground.
“My brothers, the rebel vanguard is just outside the city. Their main force, all thirty thousand rebels, will be ready to attack the city by tomorrow morning at the latest. I ask you, are you afraid?” Han Mo asked loudly after surveying the crowd.
Upon hearing Han Mo’s words, many of the soldiers’ eyes immediately showed hesitation, while some already displayed fear. Although still in formation, they were starting to look around nervously.
“My Lord…” Seeing the fear in the soldiers' eyes, Li Yueyang, standing behind Han Mo, quickly tried to caution him. After all, with the battle imminent, if their morale was destroyed at this moment, what was the point of fighting the battle…
“I know many of you are afraid. Some have spread rumors that these rebels are impervious to blades and spears, while others say they have three heads and six arms, and that their generals are demons escaped from hell who can snatch souls from a hundred paces away. Am I right?” Han Mo ignored Li Yueyang’s reminder and continued speaking. While these men initially showed fear, some in the crowd began to smile when Han Mo mentioned demons and creatures with multiple limbs. After all, such claims were too absurd. Although superstition was prevalent in this era, such overly fantastical tales were hard for most to believe.
“Now, I tell you, all of that is nonsense! Do you remember this stone tablet? Do you remember those rebels who were shot to death like hedgehogs? What are they? They are a mob! So what if they have numbers? I ask you, since the founding of our Great Song, have you ever heard of a general losing a defensive battle?” Han Mo's words quieted the crowd once more.
“That’s right, perhaps some will say that Hangzhou City was lost not long ago! But why? Because the Governor of Hangzhou abandoned the city and fled. While all the soldiers in the city were fighting valiantly, he took his family and escaped, leading to the fall of Hangzhou!”
“And today, I assure you that from myself to all the officials, big and small, of Mingzhou City, we will stand or fall with the city! From now on, all officials, big and small, of Mingzhou will set up tents here in the grand parade ground and stand guard day and night! From now on, this is the Mingzhou yamen, and this is our battlefield!”
“Our parents, wives, children, sisters, and brothers are all in this Mingzhou City. Today, the enemy wants to plunder our property, kill our parents, ravish our sisters, and oppress our brothers! Soldiers of the Great Song, on behalf of our Great Song Emperor in Bianliang, I ask you, do you agree?” As Han Mo’s voice rose, the entire parade ground erupted!
“No!”
“No!”
“No!”
“Good! Since that is the case, then put on your armor, take up your swords, follow your generals, and with our lives, defend our families! As long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we fall!”
“City stands, we stand! City falls, we fall!”
“City stands, we stand! City falls, we fall!”
“City stands, we stand! City falls, we fall!”