weaving

Chapter 1553 The guy surnamed Han is too indecisive
The fifth day, night.

Taking advantage of the Jurchens' temporary retreat, Yang Mingqi sent his soldiers and the Jining garrison to secretly leave the city and lay landmines and other objects within a hundred paces of the city wall to prevent the Jurchens from attacking the city again the next day.

They laid hundreds of landmines and wooden cannons, and placed 500 catties of sesame oil, thousands of bundles of straw, and 80 cotton quilts wrapped around gunpowder on the city wall. This was to prevent the enemy from digging into the city and to burn or blow up their siege equipment such as ladders and siege towers.

In addition, Yang Mingqi also ordered Chang Guangjun, the garrison commander of Jining, to organize the garrison and local militia, selecting strong and healthy men to form teams of fifty, specifically responsible for pushing and attacking the siege ladders.

A total of 28 teams, comprising 1,400 men, were organized to specialize in attacking ladders. Half of them were assigned to the north of the city, seven to the west, three to the south, and four more were stationed within the city as reserves to support all sides at any time.

Han Guangcang, the prefect of Jining, was also very satisfied with the performance of the soldiers of the Yongyi Army led by Yang Mingqi.

He knew very well that if it weren't for Yang Mingqi and his men defending the city, the northern part of the city would have been breached by the enemy long ago, and Jining City would have fallen long ago.

At this moment, Han Guangcang, contrary to his usual behavior, had completely accepted Luo Rucai and his Cao camp, without any further doubt or resentment.

On one hand, he ordered the officials, gentry, and common people in the city to slaughter pigs and sheep, cook meals, and send them to the city walls to reward the brave soldiers and civilians who risked their lives to defend the city today. On the other hand, he also held a banquet in his mansion to entertain Yang Mingqi.

At the same time, Han Guangcang also sent a trusted servant with a letter he personally wrote to Luo Rucai's camp outside the East City. In the letter, he not only expressed his apologies but also warmly invited Luo Rucai and his generals to come into the city for a chat.

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Luo Rucai was initially furious that Han Guangcang refused his troops entry into the city. He even cursed and shouted, "Once we drive back the Tartars, we'll definitely kill that old dog Han Guangcang to vent our anger."

Despite his anger, Luo Rucai was not a reckless person; his cunning was second to none.

Moreover, with Chief Strategist Ji Gui gently comforting and persuading him, Luo Rucai still appeared very angry on the surface and directly refused Han Guangcang's invitation in front of the visitor.

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And in Jining City...

Yang Mingqi also declined Han Guangcang's invitation, citing the city's tense defenses and the need to guard against enemy raids under cover of night, and his reluctance to leave without permission.

It's not hard to guess that Luo Rucai refused to enter the city to meet Han Guangcang because he was still angry, while Yang Mingqi must have been afraid to go to Han Guangcang's banquet alone because Luo Rucai was still outside the city, lest he make his commander uncomfortable.

How could Han Guangcang, who was able to become the prefect of Jining, not understand the intricacies of the situation?
However, it was already dark, and the city gates could not be opened again under any circumstances, not even the east gate. Opening and closing the city gates at night was inherently risky, especially in wartime.

Even with Luo Rucai's several thousand elite cavalry stationed outside the east gate, there was no guarantee that there would be no danger.

Han Guangcang immediately gave orders to prepare four generous gifts, as well as some live pigs and sheep, and grain and fodder. He planned to personally go out of the east city tomorrow to Luo Rucai's camp to reward the troops.

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The sixth day of the month, early morning.

Prefect Han Guangcang braved the biting cold wind and climbed to the top of Jining City.

"General Yang, we will have to rely on your might today," Han Guangcang said politely.

Yang Mingqi simply smiled and said, "This humble general has received the military orders from the Earl of Yongning and my Commander Cao, and will do my utmost to ensure the safety of Jining. If Prefect Han really wants to express his gratitude, he should go out of the city to meet my Commander Cao in person to express his thanks."

His words were very apt, fully demonstrating his sincerity in upholding Jining while also elevating Luo Rucai's status, placing him second only to Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning.

"Of course, of course," Han Guangcang said with a smile. "To be honest, General, I was also planning to go out of the city to visit Commander Luo. Last night, I ordered people to prepare grain, pigs, and sheep for the troops to enjoy when we leave the city." As he spoke, he came to the crenellations of the city wall and said with a worried expression, "But... I'm worried that the enemy will attack the city, so I came to the city first to see if the supplies for defending the city are sufficient."

Yang Mingqi had only one opinion about Han Guangcang—that his commander Luo Rucai should be refused entry into the city to garrison. He had no other opinions or thoughts.

Overall, Yang Mingqi's opinion of Han Guangcang was acceptable, after all, Han Guangcang, as the prefect of Jining, was quite responsible in the matter of defending the city.

On the one hand, he organized the gentry to contribute money, grain, and manpower, and on the other hand, he mobilized the officials under the prefectural government to go to the city and each take charge of a section of the city wall to defend it. In this way, everyone took responsibility and kept their word, which really boosted the confidence of the soldiers and civilians defending the city.

"Prefect Han, please don't worry," Yang Mingqi reassured him. "With me here, everything will be fine in the North City."

"Good, good, good." Han Guangcang exclaimed repeatedly, and laughed, "In that case, I have no worries."

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When Han Guangcang arrived at the East City Martial Arts Hall, Luo Rucai, the commander of the army, happened to be absent.

Ji Gui's explanation was that "Commander Cao personally went to investigate the movements of the enemy in order to determine the defense strategy for Jining."

Although Ji Gui was only a strategist who did not command troops, he was already the second most important person in Cao Cao's camp. This was not because Luo Rucai listened to him, but because Ji Gui himself was indeed a strategist.

As the leader of an army, it's not enough to just be good at fighting.

He also had to take care of the entire family's food, drink, toileting, and sleeping needs, guide them on the right path, set a good example, and keep them on the right track. Apart from Luo Rucai, who had been tempered through countless crises, no one else had such abilities.

Therefore, people like Wang Long, Yang Mingqi, Yang Shengzu, and Yang Chengzhu can only lead a battalion and are only good at charging into battle. If they were to take Luo Rucai's position, they would not only be unable to command respect, but they themselves have not cultivated such abilities.

Ji Gui, however, was quite different. He was knowledgeable and thoughtful, and could come up with ideas at many crucial moments, most of which were extremely correct. This was the main reason why Luo Rucai trusted him.

Ji Gui gave Han Guangcang a very warm welcome and expressed his sincere gratitude for the provisions, pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks that Han Guangcang brought to the army.

He explicitly told Han Guangcang that Cao's camp had come to protect Jining City from falling into the hands of the enemy.

Ji Gui told Han Guangcang to rest assured, as he had several thousand infantry and cavalry on their way. He was not afraid of a mere ten thousand or so enemy soldiers, or even another ten thousand.

Han Guangcang also had a very good impression of Ji Gui. Accompanied by Ji Gui, he first visited Cao's army camp and then chatted with him over tea. However, after waiting for nearly two hours, Luo Rucai still hadn't returned.

Finally, Han Guangcang, the prefect of Jining, had no choice but to take his leave and return to the city.

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"Damn it, this guy surnamed Han is such a dragger," Luo Rucai muttered, sitting in the commander's tent.

Ji Gui, however, smiled and said, "General, this also proves Han Guangcang's sincerity in coming to pay his respects to you."

Luo Rucai was taken aback at first, but then burst into laughter...

"But, Lao Ji... what's wrong with the Tartars today?"

Ji Gui stroked his sparse beard and said, "The Tartar bandits are gathering in increasing numbers and manufacturing weapons. I'm afraid we'll have to fight for several more days!"