Without Wang Bing's 5,000 men, the local Mingzhou militia and civilian guards would be incredibly lucky to hold the city for even a day!
"I know what you're thinking. If I'm not mistaken, you're cursing me right now!"
Han Mo spoke as he refilled Wang Bing's bowl of rice.
"Of course, it's a good idea, but the problem is that the soldiers in Mingzhou City are all incompetent. Relying on them to defend the city is no different than us opening the gates and surrendering!"
Wang Bing said with a wry smile as he accepted the rice bowl from Han Mo.
"They can't do it alone, but if you can lend me 100 elites and also give me those Manichaean spies you captured last night, I guarantee they can hold Mingzhou City for at least three days!"
After a moment of silence, Han Mo stated with conviction.
"My Lord, a soldier's word is his bond!"
After hearing Han Mo's words, Wang Bing put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked seriously at Han Mo's face.
"I am willing to sign a military order!"
"If you can truly lead your men to defend Mingzhou City for three days, I will ensure that these 30,000 rebels will have no return!"
Seeing Han Mo's confidence, Wang Bing also said seriously.
"Then it's settled. You will temporarily be in charge of consolidating the city defenses. Five days from now, before the rebel army launches a large-scale attack, I will come to take over the defenses!"
"It's settled!"
"It's settled!"
As Han Mo spoke, he reached out and clapped hands with Wang Bing three times.
"You can take the men with you later, and all those prisoners belong to you as well!"
"There's no rush for that. Tomorrow morning, have them all brought to the grand parade ground within the city!"
"Alright, it shall be as you wish!"
Calling them prisoners was a bit of a stretch, as most of them were actually nearby villagers who had been incited by the Manichaeans and had attempted to assassinate Wang Bing during the chaos last night.
The outcome, as expected, was obvious. These people, who had been farmers holding hoes not long ago, were now surrounded by a large army. To attempt to assassinate Wang Bing was no different than walking into their own deaths.
Despite their willingness to sacrifice their lives and throw themselves into the fight, the vast disparity in strength meant that they were all captured before they even got close to Wang Bing.
The Shengjie Army, on the other hand, only suffered three to five lightly wounded soldiers, while the rest were unharmed.
Originally, these people should have been sent to the prefectural yamen. However, due to the current special circumstances, they were directly confined in Wang Bing's military camp.
Wang Bing had been at a loss as to how to deal with them. Since Han Mo was willing to take them off his hands, he was happy to oblige.
"Very well, Mr. Shao and I have drafted a simple plan for you. You can consider it carefully! It's time to make the necessary preparations for the coming days!"
As Han Mo spoke, he took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Wang Bing.
"Then I thank you, my Lord!"
After tucking the envelope into his embrace, Wang Bing picked up his bowl and chopsticks again and began to eat heartily.
"If anyone should be thanking, it should be me. Do you have any difficulties on your end?"
Han Mo smiled, poured him another cup of tea, and then asked.
"The main difficulty is the soldiers' pay. The month is almost over, but the court's military pay, and the rewards for our last victory..."
Wang Bing's face showed a wry smile as he spoke. He had a clear understanding of Mingzhou City's situation.
"I will take care of the military pay. Within three days, I will have 150,000 strings of copper coins delivered to you!"
"Thank you, my Lord! If that's the case, then I truly have no other issues!"
Wang Bing was overjoyed to hear Han Mo say that.
"Enough, why are we discussing this?"
After Wang Bing had finished eating and drinking, Han Mo took a carriage and returned to the post station with his men.
"Have Commander Han find me in a moment!"
After getting off the carriage, Han Mo instructed Jiang Yan.
"Yes, sir!"
Although Jiang Yan didn't know what Han Mo wanted Han Shizhong for, he quickly agreed.
"My Lord, you were looking for me?"
A moment later, after Han Mo had just changed his clothes, Han Shizhong arrived in front of him with an excited expression.
"I do have something I want to discuss with you, but I'm not sure if you have the courage for it!"
After sizing up Han Shizhong, Han Mo asked again.
"I am willing to die for you, my Lord!"
Han Shizhong knelt on one knee without a second thought.
"No, I don't need you to die for me. I will give you 5,000 able-bodied men, five days, and 200,000 strings of copper coins. In five days, I want you to take over the entire defense of Mingzhou and hold it for at least three days. Do you dare to accept this order?"
"I... I..."
After hearing Han Mo's words, Han Shizhong's eyes widened.
For him, this was a monumental opportunity, but at the same time, the risks were immense.
5,000 able-bodied men, five days to form an army, it was pure fantasy!
Killing was no simple matter, and many people suffered various after-effects after seeing blood.
Some even panicked and ended up killing their own comrades.
Others would simply drop their weapons and weep on the ground.
Han Shizhong, having served in the army for a long time, was no stranger to such things.
However, despite years in the army, he had only managed to achieve the rank of a minor commander.
If he could seize this opportunity, he might be able to achieve a formal rank after this battle.
"You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to consider. If you don't dare, I will have to give this task to someone else. Think carefully, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If this succeeds, I can't guarantee anything else, but at least a seventh-rank official position is assured!"
Although Han Mo knew that his actions were somewhat like forcing growth, he couldn't think of anyone else around him who could shoulder such a responsibility at this moment.
"My Lord, your subordinate is willing to try!"
After a brief moment of thought, Han Shizhong gritted his teeth and cupped his hands in salute to Han Mo.
"Good! It's rare to see such courage. Here are my humble suggestions, you can refer to them!"