Daming talker

Chapter 707: Compare the goods and throw them away (ask for monthly ticket)
At this point, Ju Jingren knew that he had no choice but to persuade Kato Kiyomasa to surrender, but he would die with a clear conscience.

He then asked with a sad face, "Tian Shuai, can you tell me why I must go to Jizhou City to persuade Kato to surrender?"

Lin Tailai glanced at Ju Jingren. What other reason could there be? It was just a matter of trying to find a date. Let Ju Jingren stir it a few times. If there is any chemical reaction, it will be a bonus.

As long as I am willing, there will be no shortage of traitors on my side, and I won't feel sorry for wasting you, Ju Jingren.

While thinking, he replied: "At this time, Kato Kiyomasa retreated and defended, just like hiding in a hard tortoise shell, making it impossible for anyone to attack.

So this department just wanted to use all the methods we can to see if we can find a way out. It's the same reason why we sent you to persuade them to surrender. We didn't expect you to play a role in the first place."

Then Lin Tailai changed the subject and encouraged him, saying, "But just now I saw that you are so eloquent and good at persuading people. It would be a pity if you didn't use this mouth to become a lobbyist!
Therefore, we have higher expectations of you. Please give full play to your talents and strive to break the current deadlock!

The headquarters is here, preparing fine wine and waiting for your safe return!"

Ju Jingren really wanted to retort, if you want to talk eloquently and mislead people, Tianshuai, you are not bad at all.

But after thinking about it, he could only make one request: "Before I go to persuade them to surrender, I beg you to deploy the heavy artillery and bombard Jizhou City to boost my morale."

"That's fine." Lin Tailai agreed. "We don't keep useless soldiers in the Ming Dynasty! This department promises that if you can come back alive, you will be the chairman of the Hamgyong Province Maintenance Association in the future!"

Since you are sending people to "die", you must give them some benefits, otherwise why would they devote their whole heart to it?
The next day, Lin Tailai ordered the rollout of dozens of "heavy artillery" weighing more than 100 kilograms, in preparation for bombarding Jizhou City.

Compared with the more than 300 heavy artillery pieces of Li Rusong’s Corps, the dozens of guns here are indeed not enough, but there is no other way, we can’t carry so many.

According to the original history, Kato Kiyomasa could calmly retreat to Anbyon, the southernmost tip of South Hamgyong Province, and observe the situation there.

Then, seeing that the Ming army's initial offensive was swift, after the Battle of Pyeongyang, the Ming army temporarily stopped advancing, and Kato Kiyomasa's corps successfully withdrew to Seoul.

However, in this time and space, Lin Tianshuai moved too quickly and unexpectedly carried out a large-scale penetration, taking seven days to reach the east coast from the west coast through the complex mountainous area.

Then they closed the door and attacked the dog, directly cutting off the retreat route of Kato Kiyomasa's troops that had penetrated deep into Hamgyong Province, and quickly annihilated Naoshige Nabeshige's troops.

At this time, Kato Kiyomasa could only gather all the 10,000 Japanese soldiers under his direct command, and hide in Jizhou to defend it to avoid being defeated one by one.

After the preparations were completed, Lin Tianshuai gave an order and dozens of artillery pieces began bombarding.

Although it was not as loud as the more than 300 artillery pieces that attacked Pyongyang, the concentrated bombardment also gave the Japanese soldiers on the city walls a slight sense of earth-shaking shock.

The Japanese soldiers had never seen heavy artillery, let alone the scene of heavy artillery being used in a concentrated manner. With Japan's smelting technology and resources, it was indeed impossible to use the tactics of heavy artillery clusters.

Even the main general Kato Kiyomasa was alarmed by the bombardment. He went up to the top of the city wall to take a look, but was then persuaded to go down.

Perhaps everyone felt that Lord Kato, who was over 1.8 meters tall, more than a foot taller than an "ordinary person", was too conspicuous standing on the top of the city wall, and they were worried that he would become a target of the Ming army.

After the bombardment, Ju Jingren ran to the foot of the city and shouted, demanding to enter the city to negotiate.

Thanks to his familiar face, Ju Jingren was not killed directly. Shobayashi Hayato, a retainer of Kato who was patrolling on the city wall, reported to his lord Kato Kiyomasa and asked for instructions.

At this time, Kato Kiyomasa was talking to his retainers about the heavy artillery outside the city. After all, it was the first time for them to see a scene of heavy artillery bombardment.

Upon hearing that Ju Jingren came to negotiate, the retainer Iida Kyujiro said angrily: "The Nabeshima clan is completely destroyed, but this Ju Jingren is unharmed. He must have surrendered to the Ming army again! He actually dared to bark at our army. We might as well kill him as a warning!"

However, another retainer, Morimoto Rikishi, advised: "We don't know much about the Ming army, so why not let Ju Jingren in first and try to get intelligence about the Ming army from him, and then execute him later."

Kato Kiyomasa, who was sitting in the middle, nodded and ordered, "Bring Ju Jingren here!"

Then the Japanese soldiers in the city lowered a hanging basket, pulled Ju Jingren from outside the city to the top of the city wall, tied him up and took him to Kato's main camp in the city.

After entering the city, Ju Jingren was not idle. He kept observing the conditions on both sides of the road. After walking for a while, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

He could already tell that there were probably no residents in this small city at this time.

As for where the original residents of the city went, it is chilling to think about it. You know, Kato Kiyomasa's troops have always been known for killing civilians.

Then Ju Jingren was tied to the bottom of the stairs, where he saw Kato Kiyomasa sitting in the main room above, with a screen behind him that he had gotten from somewhere.

When he betrayed the two princes of the Joseon Dynasty and first met Kato Kiyomasa, Ju Jingren was also amazed at the height, majesty and power of this Japanese pirate.

However, in recent days, I have seen Lin Tianshuai too much, and when I saw Kato Kiyomasa again, I suddenly felt that this person was just so-so.

Compared with Lin Tianshuai, Kato Kiyomasa is obviously smaller in both length and thickness, and is visibly thinner.

But before he could see more clearly, Ju Jingren was pinned to the ground and asked to answer.

Iida Kyujiro, one of the three great retainers of Kato, stood up and shouted at Ju Jingren, "My master has been very kind to you and entrusted you with the governance of Hamheung. How dare you surrender to the enemy!"

Ju Jingren responded loudly and angrily, "I advised Naoshige Kobe not to launch a night attack, but he insisted on doing so and ended up in defeat!
I was captured because of this, but as a Korean, what could I do? "

Anyway, whether he persuaded Naoshige Nabeshima or not, there is no evidence now! As long as he can justify his innocence, it will sound credible!

Iida Kujiro looked at Kato Masayoshi and sat down again.

"What are you doing here?" Kato Kiyomasa asked in person in a menacing manner.

Ju Jingren replied: "I came to persuade Lord Qingzheng to surrender!"

Kato Kiyomasa seemed angry, and he drew his sword and pointed it at Ju Jingren, shouting, "How dare you humiliate me with such outrageous words? I am going to kill you to commemorate the father and son of Guodao!"

Facing the edge of a knife, Ju Jingren only felt exhausted. He felt that he was living on thin ice and his head might fall off at any time.

Sometimes I just want to die, so I won’t be so tired.

But his stubborn will to survive still made him shout, "It was Marshal Lin Tian of the Ming Dynasty who sent me here. It was also Marshal Lin Tian of the Ming Dynasty who wanted to persuade Lord Qingzheng to surrender. I was just spreading the word!"

The subtext is that the person who used "persuasion to surrender" to humiliate you was Lin Tianshuai, not him, the traitor to the court!

Although Kato Kiyomasa was very brave, he was not a reckless man. Hearing this, he put away his sword and asked, "Since you mentioned Lin Tailai, can you tell me more about what kind of person he is?"

I hadn't originally intended to kill Ju Jingren right now, as I was still hoping to get some useful information out of him.

Ju Jingren quickly introduced: "Lin Tianshuai is the general of the Ming army entering North Korea! He is also the first poet of the Ming Dynasty, the leader of the literary world, and the first warrior of the Ming Dynasty.

I wonder if you have ever heard of the imperial examination? It is a series of examinations from the bottom up. Lin Tianshuai was the top scholar in both the civil and military examinations.

In a word, Lin Tianshuai can be said to be a fierce general in armor and a nobleman without armor." Is there such a person in the world? Kato Kiyomasa was slightly stunned. Isn't this the kind of person that his lord Hideyoshi wants to be the most?

But Lord Hideyoshi could only pretend to be a noble at best. There was no hope for him to be a powerful general, and he couldn't even pretend to be one.

Thinking of something, Kato Kiyomasa interrupted and asked, "I heard that in the Battle of Hamhung, the Ming State had an invincible general named Ichiban Cheng. Could it be Lin Tailai himself?"

Although all the Japanese soldiers in Hamheung were wiped out, there were still a few who escaped, so Kato Kiyomasa had some understanding of the situation of the Battle of Hamheung.

It is said that when the general of the Ming army appeared during the day, he looked like a flashy nobleman, very boastful and frivolous, which made Naoshige Kobe unable to resist launching a night attack. Then in the early morning, a fierce general who killed people like cutting grass climbed up the city and broke through the gate.

Could it be that the ostentatious minister in the daytime and the brave general who climbed the city wall in the early morning are actually the same person?

Ju Jingren did not deny it and replied, "That's right."

Hearing this answer, the retainers of Kato who were listening on both sides changed color.

It's like the weaklings in the country suddenly transformed into the bloody devil of killing. This scene is weird no matter how you think about it.

Seeing these Japanese people being shocked by Tianshuai, Ju Jingren added a very crucial introduction at the right time:

"This Lin Tianshuai is tall and strong. He was famous for his bravery when he was young. His spear skills are outstanding. Now he can lead a large army at such a young age."

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Hearing this, all the retainers suddenly looked at Lord Kato at the same time.

If you only hear words like tall and strong, famous for his bravery at a young age, outstanding marksmanship, and commanding a large army at a young age, you would think they are talking about your own lord.

Kato Kiyomasa became famous for his "Kengatake Seven Spears" when he was twenty years old, and he is only thirty-one or thirty-two years old now.

Even Kato Kiyomasa himself couldn't help but make a comparison in his mind.

Another retainer, Morimoto Rikishi, asked curiously, "What position does Lin Tailai hold in the Ming Kingdom? What power does he have?"

The systems of the Ming Dynasty and Japan are too different. With Ju Jingren's knowledge, it is difficult to explain clearly to the Japanese in front of him what Lin Tianshuai's status is in the Ming Dynasty.

He recalled some boastful words he had heard from the interpreter Cui Wukui, and replied in an awkward manner: "Lin Tianshuai's strength is roughly equivalent to your country's 500,000 to 1 million dan of wealth, but it's hard to calculate the exact amount.

One third of the Jiangnan region, the most prosperous and wealthy area in Ming Dynasty, is Lin Tianshuai’s territory.”

All of Kato's retainers took a deep breath. Although they were also people who became famous at a young age for their outstanding marksmanship, their lord Kato currently had a territory of only 190,000 koku.

Their positions in this war were incomparable. Kato Kiyomasa was only the commander-in-chief of the Second Corps, while Lin Tailai was the general-in-chief of the Ming army.

They originally thought that Lord Kato, who "started from scratch" and became a daimyo in his twenties, was a rare genius. However, when compared with Lin Tailai on the opposite side, it seemed that the effect of "comparing goods is worth throwing away" appeared.

Kato Kiyomasa had a stern face and was extremely unhappy. He wished he could teach Lin Tailai a lesson.

He was arrogant and didn't accept it. The reason why the surname Lin had a high ceiling was just because he was born in the Ming Dynasty, which had a bigger stage.
Anyway, Kato Kiyomasa didn't want to talk about Lin Tianshuai anymore, so he forced a new topic and asked, "How many soldiers are there outside the city?"

Ju Jingren replied: "The total number of troops is said to be 50,000, but in reality there are only 30,000, and they are all elite.

I don’t know if Lord Qingzheng saw the artillery bombardment scene just now. That was only a part of it. There are at least hundreds of artillery pieces that have not been deployed.

This is the strength of the Ming army outside the city, and Lord Qingzheng is trapped in an isolated city with no way out and no reinforcements. He can't see any prospect of victory at all."

"Baga! How dare you disrupt our army's morale!" Iida Kyujiro jumped out again and shouted, "If the Ming army is really sure, they should just attack the city. Why would they send you to persuade them to surrender?

In Hamheung Prefecture, when did the Ming army ever give our soldiers a chance to surrender? "

Ju Jingren replied: "We haven't attacked the city yet, it's just because Marshal Lin cherishes his soldiers and doesn't want them to suffer too many casualties.

After all, this is for the Kingdom of Korea, not the Ming Kingdom itself; moreover, the Ming army is on an expedition to a foreign country, and it is difficult to replenish troops, and Lin Tianshuai is trying his best to avoid more casualties. "

The implication is that if the Ming army attacks the city at all costs, they will still be able to capture it.

Kato Kiyomasa said: “If Lin Tailai really has sympathy for his soldiers, I can completely give up Hamgyong Province and count it as his recovery.

However, the Ming army wanted to lift its offensive on Jizhou, open up the passage to the south, and allow our army to leave Hamgyong Province intact.

In this way, he can recover Hamgyong Province without losing a single soldier. Isn't that wonderful?"

Ju Jingren declined politely, "That's not right. Marshal Lin Tian will not be able to explain himself to all parties. He will also be considered as a coward and will damage Marshal Lin Tian's reputation."

Kato Kiyomasa snorted coldly, "Then there is no point in talking any more. Our army will defend the city and fight to the death.

Furthermore, considering that the Ming army of tens of thousands of people was advancing so quickly, they probably would not have carried much food rations with them, and it was temporarily impossible to collect food locally.

I wonder how long the Ming army can hold out with limited food and fodder?"

Ju Jingren asked in return: "Even if the Ming army outside the city retreats, where can Qingzhenggong, who is trapped in North Hamgyong Province, go? He still can't retreat to the south."

Kato Kiyomasa was so excited that he went a little crazy and shouted, "Even if there are 30,000 Ming troops, if we kill 1,000 a day, we will finish them in 30 days!"

Ju Jingren did not take Kato Kiyomasa's boasting seriously, and said, "Actually, I have a suggestion in private, and I hope Mr. Kiyomasa will consider it."

"Just say it straight!" Kato Kiyomasa said impatiently.

Ju Jingren was secretly happy. He had been laying the groundwork for a long time, secretly comparing Lin Tianshuai and Kato and constantly provoking Kato. Now it was finally time to close the net.

So he took the opportunity to say, "Lin Tianshuai has always prided himself on his bravery. Would Lord Qingzheng consider challenging him in a duel?"

Kato Kiyomasa was very surprised and was stunned. What era is this? Are there still military commanders fighting one-on-one? Only such a joke can be found in stories!
Ju Jingren tried his best to deceive people by saying, "Don't you think this form is very retro and elegant?

Moreover, in the current situation, one side is at a disadvantage and sees no hope in defending the city, while the other side has limited food and grass and is unwilling to suffer casualties.

So using the main general to fight in a one-on-one duel to solve the problem may seem very naive, but it is actually a very reasonable choice for both sides of you!
What's more, facing such a pretentious person like Lin Tianshuai, doesn't Lord Qingzheng want to personally destroy his prestige and humiliate him?

As long as you can defeat Lin Tianshuai, Lord Qingzheng will immediately become truly famous throughout the world, and your fame will spread throughout the Ming Dynasty!"

Kato Kiyomasa: “.”

Damn it! I was actually tempted to duel with Lin Tailai.

(End of this chapter)