Daming talker

Chapter 710: After the Military comes Politics

When Kato Kiyomasa's body was tied to a high wooden frame and displayed in front of the Japanese soldiers defending the city, their morale collapsed.

There was already no hope for them as they were trapped in an isolated city. The chief general who they relied on as their spiritual support died suddenly and his body was left hanging. The mood of despair and helplessness spread quickly.

Although Kato Kiyomasa has always trained his soldiers like wild beasts, wild beasts will also feel fear, and their reactions may even be greater.

According to the logic of wild animals, when they are desperate, they often slaughter the weaker ones.

But at this time there were no civilians in Jizhou City. Apart from 10,000 Japanese soldiers, there were only 2,000 Korean traitors "fake soldiers", some family members, and two captured Korean princes and related ministers.

At the beginning, Kato Kiyomasa allowed these two thousand "fake soldiers" to stay because he did not have enough troops.

The leader of the "fake army" was Han Kezhen, the former commander of the Northern Military Commander of Hamgyong Province. After being defeated and captured, he surrendered to Kato Kiyomasa. He and Gu Jingren were considered the two major traitors in the civil and military affairs of Hamgyong Province.

With their morale completely collapsed, some Japanese soldiers who had lost their minds raised their butcher knives and killed the treacherous Korean troops.

But at this time, in order to save their lives and their families, the traitors actually showed a little fighting power. After paying the price of hundreds of casualties, they held on to the camp.

After all, compared to the desperate Japanese soldiers who had nowhere to go, the traitors still had hope and faith in their hearts.

I heard that the Tianbing Company was able to take in Lord Ju Jingren, and I also heard that Lord Ju Jingren became the military advisor of the Tianbing Company.

Therefore, as long as they hold on and persist until they surrender to the heavenly soldiers, these traitors may still have a chance to survive.

Under the guidance of Kato Kiyomasa's corpse, the south gate of Yoshizuya was quickly breached, and Shobayashi Hayato, one of the three heroes of the Kato family, died in battle at the city gate.

The Ming army was now familiar with the route. After breaking into the city, they quickly blocked all the city gates and prepared to use the great fire technique.

Ma Gui, commander of the Second Corps, briefly checked the flammable materials, and then discussed with Dong Yiyuan of the Third Corps to split the troops into two groups to "deliver warmth" in the city.

At this moment, a Japanese general suddenly appeared not far away with an interpreter, shouting that he wanted to surrender.

Ma Gui's general Baisai recognized the Japanese general and pointed at him with gritted teeth, saying, "The Japanese general who came to the camp to negotiate earlier is this man. His name is Morimoto Rikishi!"

At that time, Morimoto Rikishi came to negotiate on the orders of Kato, and was received by the tall Baisai who pretended to be Lin Jinglie, so he recognized him.

At that time, Morimoto Wakashi was arrogant and deliberately provocative, which made Baisai so angry that he almost started to chop people.

Ma Gui was a little embarrassed and muttered, "Didn't they say that the Japanese soldiers would resist to the end and would not surrender after they broke into the city?"

It is easier and more convenient to burn them to death directly, but accepting surrender is much more troublesome. General Ma’s thinking mode is gradually becoming like that of Lin Jinglie.

At this time, the interpreter shouted again: "Limhae-kun and Sunhwa-kun, the two princes of Korea, as well as Sunbin and their attendants, are all in the city. We are willing to return them to the heavenly soldiers!"

Hearing this, Dong Yiyuan said to Ma Gui: "It is not up to us to decide whether to accept the surrender. Let's report back to the military commander first."

Ma Gui nodded. When it comes to the affairs of the prince of North Korea, it is not a purely military issue. He cannot shoulder such political responsibility, so he can only ask General Lin for instructions.

Lin Jinglüe, who completed the "beheading the general" achievement, did not directly participate in the siege, but set up a temporary tent outside the city to rest in the upwind direction.

After hearing the news that the Japanese general was asking for surrender, Lin Tailai was sure that the two princes of Korea were now in Jizhou City, and he felt a little conflicted.

It’s not that we are afraid that the Japanese soldiers will pretend to surrender. There is no point in them pretending to surrender now.

Originally, we could have avoided thinking so much and just used the old method of setting fire to the whole place, but the Japanese brought the prince of Korea to surrender, which made things difficult.

Of course, Lin Tianshuai didn’t care about the life or death of the North Korean prince. Even if both of them perished, at most he would be impeached again.

However, Imhaegun was the eldest son of the King of Joseon, and he was not favored and was not appointed as the crown prince. Therefore, his value as a political pawn was very great.

This person is a perfect excuse to interfere in North Korea's internal affairs. It would be a pity if he were to be "burned together with his fellow North Koreans".

However, if we accept the surrender of nearly 10,000 Japanese soldiers, the follow-up actions will be very difficult to deal with. We really don’t have enough food to feed so many surrendered soldiers.

As for accepting surrender first and then finding an opportunity to kill them all, this is also a very troublesome thing.

"Killing the surrendered" has never had a good reputation since ancient times. There is no need to bear this reputation. From the perspective of interests, it is not worth the loss.

Moreover, if the "killing the surrendered" incident gets out, the Japanese soldiers they encounter in the future will probably fight to the death rather than surrender, which is not a good thing in the long run.

Lin Tianshuai was still thinking that when conditions permitted, he would capture tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers to serve as laborers for mining. How could they take prisoners if they fought to the death and refused to surrender?

Political issues have always been more difficult to decide than military issues. Just as Lin Tianshuai was hesitating, the North Korean traitor Ju Jingren, who had already been appointed as the chairman of the Hamgyong Province Maintenance Association, was peeking outside the tent again.

"Let him go if there's any problem!" Lin Tailai scolded impatiently.

Ju Jingren quickly said, "Just now, a few local soldiers in the city contacted me. They said that there are 4,000 dan of grain in the city!"

Lin Tailai secretly sighed that Ju Jingren was indeed a smart talent who knew exactly what Lin Jinglie was most interested in.

Four thousand shi! When Lin Tianshuai heard this number, he was a little excited.

If there were an extra 4,000 dan of military rations, the 30,000 troops he brought to Hamgyong Province could survive for at least another 20 days, giving him more room for strategic maneuver.

Before this, Lin Tianshuai had never thought that one day he would be so excited about obtaining several thousand stones of grain.

In Suzhou, the Lin Group controlled the Jinong Granary in the city, which had an annual grain storage of about 100,000 dan. When did Lin take the 4,000 dan seriously?
But in Hamgyong Province, which is considered a remote border province of the Joseon capital and has just experienced war, 4,000 shi of grain is so precious.

With the "four thousand shi of grain" as a weight, the balance in Lin Tianshuai's heart finally tilted to one side.

It would be fine if the prince of Korea were to perish along with him, but if there is a chance, the 4,000 shi of grain should be preserved as much as possible.

"Pass the order to accept the surrender of the Japanese soldiers! But let the Japanese soldiers send the captured Korean princes and ministers here first!" After Lin Tailai made the decision, he immediately gave the order.

Ju Jingren couldn't help but remind her, "There is also a Shunpin."

Lin Tailai didn't care and added casually: "Oh, there is also a Shunpin. Ju Jingren, you will be responsible for receiving her."

Ju Jingren: “.”

Tianshuai, are you serious? Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself to death?
These people were kidnapped by me and handed over to the Japanese pirates. This is my biggest dark history!

Now I am asked to bring these people back face to face, how can I still save my face?

Lin Tailai urged without question: "Go! Your appearance is to let some people know who has the final say here!" Now Lin Tianshuai is increasingly finding that the indicator on Ju Jingren, the traitor, is of great significance.

By using Ju Jingren, one can express some profound meanings that are not convenient to express publicly.

Smart people would be able to understand Lin Tailai's intention when they see him employing the traitor Gu Jingren. It is the subtle intention of not wanting to return the ruling power of the recovered areas to the small court of the Joseon Dynasty.

After sending Ju Jingren to do his work, Lin Tianshuai continued to give orders: "Five miles east of the city, there is a mountain called Changde Mountain. All the surrendered soldiers should lay down their weapons, leave the city, and set up camp at Changde Mountain!"

It seems that this order is very normal. It is impossible for nearly 10,000 surrendered soldiers to still gather in the city, so it is only natural to arrange another camp.

After accepting the surrender of the Japanese soldiers, the Battle of Kilju in Hamgyong Province basically ended smoothly. This was the third large-scale battle that Lin Tianshuai personally commanded after entering North Korea.

After conquering Pyongyang in one day and one night and Hamhung in two days and one night, Lin Tianshuai conquered Jizhou in three days and wiped out the enemy.

In this battle, the Ming army directly killed more than a thousand enemies and captured more than eight thousand enemies.

Kato Kiyomasa, the commander-in-chief of the Second Corps of the Japanese Army, a close confidant of the Japanese Kanpaku, and the first daimyo of the Kumamoto Domain in Higo Province, was killed on the battlefield by Lin Tailai himself, literally "by his own hands".

After three battles in the two northern routes, Lin Tianshuai had already annihilated more than 37,000 Japanese soldiers.

It is also worth mentioning that Jizhou City did not suffer from the "war" like Pyongyang City and Hamhung City, and was preserved relatively intact.

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Therefore, Lin Tianshuai, who shines like the sun, saved the people of the peninsula from disaster, rebuilt the vassal state and whose achievements are as majestic as Changbai Mountain, and whose kindness can never be repaid, no longer has to camp in the upwind area outside the city, but can live safely in the houses inside the city.

(Note: At this time, the Changbai Mountain mentioned by the North Korean state refers to the Changbai Mountain in Gyeongseong, Hamgyong Province, which is the highest peak in Hamgyong Province, not the Changbai Mountain at the border between China and North Korea in later generations.

Because King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty was born in Hamgyong Province, the Changbai Mountain in Gyeongseong has been given a certain political color. There is a poem by the Koreans that goes: "The mountain came from Changbai Mountain, where King Taejo was born."
The local chief official at the state level in the Kingdom of Korea was called the governor. After Lin Tianshuai entered the city, he set up the headquarters of the Jinglüe Shogunate in the former governor's office.

After taking a comfortable hot bath in a small wooden tub, Lin Tailai felt greatly relaxed both physically and mentally. The only regret was that there was no person of the opposite sex to help him bathe.

Crossing the 400-mile mountainous area from the west coast to the east coast and attacking Hamhung Province alone did involve certain risks.

Although Lin Tailai always appeared calm and composed in front of others, he was actually walking on thin ice in his heart, fearing that he would sacrifice more than 30,000 troops because of his own wrong decisions.

Now that the Japanese Second Corps in Hamgyong Province has been completely wiped out, Lin Tianshuai can finally relax for a while.

Although most of Hamgyong Province has not been touched, it is just a matter of "issuing an order to conquer" and there is no need to send troops at all.

Nowadays, all the cities are still guarded by the traitors who have surrendered to the Japanese pirates, but with Ju Jingren, the "golden horse bone", the traitors in each city should understand who to choose as the new master.

If you don't rebel against the wise and brave Tianshuai, who shines like the sun and is as majestic as Mount Changbai, are you waiting to be liquidated by the small court of the Li Dynasty?

Just when Lin Tailai was thinking about how to improve the food today, Ma Gui came in again to ask for instructions.

"There were originally 2,000 Korean soldiers in the city who had defected to the Japanese pirates. They did not want to be sent to the prisoner camp like the Japanese soldiers, and they clamored to serve the army.

Han Kezhen, the general of this group of Korean puppet troops, is now outside the camp, kneeling for a long time and asking for an audience.

At this moment, there are quite a lot of people who want to see Lin Tianshuai. Ju Jingren and the eldest prince of the King of Korea, Linhaijun, both want to come and pay a visit.

Lin Tailai was too lazy to entertain them in batches, so he simply called them all in to meet them.

So Ju Jingren, who sold the prince to the Japanese pirates, the eldest prince Linhaijun, and Han Kezhen, the puppet army general who surrendered to the Japanese pirates, gathered together, and the atmosphere in the room seemed a little awkward.

Lin Tianshuai doesn't care about it. As long as he doesn't feel embarrassed, then others will be embarrassed.

In Lin Tianshuai's eyes, all the people were the same, regardless of their status, but he still gave a seat to the 20-year-old Linhai Jun, after all, he was the eldest prince of the Kingdom of Korea.

Han Kezhen, who was the most behind in "progress", knelt on the ground and begged, "I can also work for Tianshuai like Ju Jingren!"

Lin Tianshuai frowned and said, "The headquarters does not keep useless people! Kato can use you because he is short of soldiers and major generals, but the headquarters does not lack soldiers and generals, so there is no need for you."

Han Kezhen quickly explained: "I was used by Kato not because I was loyal to him, but because Kato stole my two daughters to sleep with him.

If Tianshuai doesn't mind, I can give my two daughters to Tianshuai to relieve his fatigue!"

Lin Tailai: "."

What kind of people are these? You don’t know how many weird people there are until you visit the Peninsula.

Did you give your two daughters to Kato Kiyomasa, or did Kato Kiyomasa snatch them away? It's hard to say, isn't it?
But it has been dry for more than a month, and now that I have relaxed, I do feel a little hungry.
Ju Jingren suddenly jumped out and shouted, "Han Kezhen, what nonsense are you talking about! How can Tianshuai accept such an unclean woman who was humiliated by thieves?"

Then he said to Lin Tailai: "Tianshuai, don't be deceived by Han Kezhen! I will introduce a more outstanding woman to Tianshuai right away. She must be a hundred times more outstanding than Han Kezhen's two daughters!"

Han Kezhen could no longer bear it and started swearing at Ju Jingren in Korean. Ju Jingren also kept talking back and started swearing at him on the spot.

It seems that the two traitors, Wen and Wu of Hamgyong Province, have had a grudge against each other for a long time.

Lin Tianshuai covered his face. Is it possible that he can only rely on these insects to govern North Korea?
Zhang Wen, the left guardian standing nearby, shouted, "Enough! Silence!"

Han Kezhen kowtowed with tears in his eyes and said, "I don't know what usefulness means, and I don't know how to be useful.

I just know that from now on I will let Tianshuai use me, and I will do whatever Tianshuai asks me to do. It is the greatest honor to be Tianshuai's dog."

Shit! Lin Tianshuai was shocked. With this realization, if he didn’t accept it and treated it as a dog, he would be unworthy of this famous saying.

Lin Tailai then instructed Han Kezhen, "There is something that I cannot do personally, but I can delegate it to you.

If you do well, you will be the commander-in-chief of the Hamgyong Province Loyalty and National Salvation Army!"

Ju Jingren taunted, “Some stray dogs run around without knowing who their masters are.”

The Joseon prince Lin Haijun, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stood up, snorted coldly, and walked away.

Maybe it was because the young people were a little too hot-tempered, or maybe they didn't want to see the ugly faces of the two traitors again.

Lin Tailai looked at Lin Haijun's back, then turned to Ju Jingren and said, "Your behavior just now was a bit deliberate, are you trying to deliberately anger Lin Haijun?

Then, if Lin Haijun behaves rudely in front of the main department, will the main department have a bad impression of Lin Haijun? "

A few drops of cold sweat broke out on Ju Jingren's forehead. He didn't expect that the mighty Tianshuai would be so sensitive to political struggles!

(End of this chapter)