"Boss, Mr. Shao is back. What do you think..."
"The master just fell asleep. He hasn't blinked for a day and a night. Why don't we have Mr. Shao wait a while?"
As soon as Han Mo had just settled down, he suddenly heard Jiang Yan and his subordinate speaking in hushed tones outside the tent.
"What happened?"
Yawning, Han Mo sat up again.
"Young master, Mr. Shao is back!"
Hearing Han Mo's question, Jiang Yan didn't dare to delay any longer and quickly replied in a low voice.
"Please invite him in!"
Shao Bowen had finally returned. Han Mo was eager to know the results of his mission.
After a long yawn, Han Mo reached for a cup of cool tea from the table and drank it down. He immediately felt much more refreshed.
"You've worked hard, sir. How was the harvest this trip?"
A moment later, Shao Bowen, his face beaming with a triumphant smile, finally entered Han Mo's tent.
"The master has calculated everything to this extent. If I let them escape, wouldn't that be a great disservice to the master?"
Hearing Han Mo's question, Shao Bowen said with a smile.
"Did you capture Pu Kaishan?"
Compared to the Pu family's zealots, Han Mo was more concerned about whether Pu Kaishan had been apprehended.
After all, Pu Kaishan's importance was undeniable compared to others.
If they could catch him red-handed this time, the rest would be much simpler.
Once they could solidify this case, the siege of Mingzhou would be lifted, and the Pu family's doom would follow.
"Bring him in!"
This was the main culprit, and Shao Bowen naturally couldn't let him escape.
With his command, several soldiers immediately pushed the bound Pu Kaishan in.
"Shopkeeper Pu, how have you been?"
Seeing Pu Kaishan, the stone that had been weighing on Han Mo's heart was finally lifted.
Everything was ready; now they just needed the final push.
Once the issue of the rebels outside the city was resolved, things would be much easier.
He hadn't even expected Pu Kaishan to be so audacious.
He had initially thought dealing with the Pu family would require some effort, but unexpectedly, this fellow had practically delivered himself.
With his actions, the Pu family's crime of colluding with rebels was thoroughly confirmed.
Once the imperial appointment arrived, Han Mo could legitimately send men to raid the Pu family.
Although there would still be some twists and turns later, at this point, the Pu family's defeat was sealed.
"Victory and defeat are determined by the winner and loser. If you want to kill me, do it. Why all the nonsense? Han, if you have the guts, kill me now. Otherwise, when I escape, I'll kill all your ancestors for eighteen generations!"
Looking at the smile on Han Mo's face, Pu Kaishan wished he could gnaw him to death.
"As expected, those who are not of our kind have different intentions. Take him away and ensure he's well guarded. Make sure he doesn't die!"
Han Mo paid no mind to Pu Kaishan's threatening words. In any case, this fellow was as good as dead, and Han Mo couldn't be bothered to argue with him further.
"Master, the matter concerning the Pu family should be able to conclude. I suggest we mobilize the civilians to defend the city. If we can hold on for two more days, these rebels will be scattered like smoke!"
Even Shao Bowen himself hadn't expected Han Shizhong to be so capable. With only 6,000 new recruits who had never even seen battle, he had managed to withstand the fierce assault of 30,000 rebels.
Although only a day and a night had passed, this feat alone was enough to earn his admiration.
"I don't think it's necessary for now. This is intelligence just received from the city walls. The rebel forces have split up!"
Although the shouts of battle on the city walls remained intense, Han Mo's heart was already feeling more confident.
"Is that Xin Xingzong arriving?"
After reading the letter Han Mo handed him, Shao Bowen tentatively asked.
"Besides this reason, I can't think of any other. This old fellow clearly wants to take advantage of us. But it doesn't matter. Even if he doesn't move, doesn't he still tie down 5,000 enemy troops for us?"
Having captured Pu Kaishan, Han Mo's mood had greatly improved. At this moment, he even had the leisure to joke.
"Master, you're right. I think you should indeed give him credit for this matter afterward!"
Shao Bowen also chimed in with opportune words.
"Credit will certainly be given, but if he wants a piece of the pie, it won't be that easy!"
This guy's orders were clearly to relieve Mingzhou, yet he had already arrived at the city's gates and was still delaying. This was clearly a move to watch Han Mo make a fool of himself.
The two already had old grievances, and now with this new one, how could Han Mo let him off easily?
In this world, if one faced things seriously, even threads could be discarded.
Just like at this moment, on the walls of Mingzhou City, thousands of soldiers were fighting with their lives on the line.
And the civilians who had rushed over, although unable to directly ascend the walls, were spontaneously helping the defenders by transporting supplies to the battlements.
Due to the scarcity of the arsenal, they hadn't prepared many rolling logs or boulders.
After the initial supply was exhausted, the civilians in the city began to dismantle their own houses and move stones to the city walls.
After overcoming the initial fear, these soldiers, who were once green, had all transformed into seasoned veterans.
They could calmly deal with the rebel soldiers who kept jumping over the city walls.
Despite the constant shouts of battle on the vast city walls, everything maintained the basic order.
Soldiers fell continuously, and new ones replaced them. From the moment the war began, human lives seemed to have truly become like grass.
Fresh lives were lost one after another under arrow shafts. Both the attacking rebels and the defending Song army were now weary forces.
Both sides were fighting on sheer willpower. Although Han Shizhong and his men held the advantage of terrain, facing the rebels' endless siege weapons, even Han Shizhong found it difficult to cope...
"General, the rebel offensive is too fierce. We should request reinforcements from the master! We've fought so hard, the Shengjie Army should come out by now!"
The reinforcements from the previous night were almost completely depleted by evening the next day.
Han Shizhong's personal guards began to implore him, but Han Shizhong stubbornly shook his head again.
No one knew better than him what the situation was within the city.
The 3,000 Shengjie troops had already left the city and were now hidden amidst the waves of the sea. Han Mo had no reinforcements to spare for him.
The rebel offensive grew fiercer, and Han Shizhong had virtually no one left to deploy. Seeing his army's morale plummeting.
Han Shizhong knew in his heart that his soldiers' stamina was nearing its limit. If they couldn't break the rebels' arrogant momentum, Mingzhou City might fall before long.
"Someone, beat the drums! This general will personally lead the Vanguard and the Death Battalions out to charge!"