The sun sets in the west, the sky is dark, the autumn is rainy in the Jianghuai area, and it is still sunny in the morning. In the afternoon, clouds gather and drizzle falls.

Cui Jun sent a team of ten thousand people to attack the city, and even used black gunpowder, which caused certain dangers to defending the city several times. However, the city had sufficient troops and was filled in time. Under the leadership of Ximen Junyi, the Dahua Army's attack was defeated.

When Cui Jun ordered the withdrawal of troops, only mountains of corpses were left under the city wall, with broken limbs and broken arms, scattered everywhere, blood stained the sand on the ground, and bloody dispersed.

Night fell, inside the military camp outside the city.

Cui Jun looked at a group of low-spirited generals and realized that the situation was going to be.

He did not lead troops alone to fight. As the commander of the three armies, he used to follow the orders of the commander of the latter and just lead troops to fight directly. Strategic thinking was not enough.

After the battle failed, Cui Jun also lost his opinion and asked everyone what suggestions to seize the city.

Deputy General Cheng Lie advised: "General Cui, we are alone and we have insufficient food and grass, so we can only hold on for five days. The defense of Qingliu City is beyond our initial imagination. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Obviously, the Jianghuai Army was prepared for a long time, and I don't know if there are ambushes on the back. It is really not advisable to stay here. It is best to withdraw quickly tonight."

"What, what do you mean is to let this general withdraw his troops?" Cui Jun's face looked a little ugly when he heard this suggestion.

It was not that he had thought about it, but he still had hope for the broken city and gave up like this, and he was really unwilling to accept it.

Another general also bowed and said, "General, in the battle today, there were huge casualties, more than 4,700 people were killed and more than 3,000 disabled. We do not have the main force behind us. Once we are damaged or counterattacked, we will be defeated!"

"You are trying to shake the morale of the army. We are the elite troops of the Central Plains. When we arrive in the Jiangnan area, how can we defeat the mobs here?" Cui Jun was still stubborn.

Just as the argument was taking place, there was a rush of horse hooves outside, and four or five scouts rushed over.

A voice sounded outside: "Where is General Cui? We are the command team sent by General Xu..."

After Cui Jun heard this, he asked Jiang Zuo to go out and bring in the noisy people outside.

"Who are you?"

A team carrying a black brocade box was holding a fist and saying, "The youngest one is the head of the cavalry team under the Zuoyuhou Camp of the Central Army, and they will escort the military order and letters of the general to General Cui." After that, he took out the letter and the military order, and said, "General Xu sent an order to withdraw his troops immediately and not stay in Jiangdu County."

Cui Jun frowned, feeling unwilling, a trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, thinking about whether to kill the consignor, pretending that it had not happened before and continuing to execute his orders.

Deputy General Cheng Lie looked at the team in a mess and was covered in blood and asked, "Did you encounter an ambush on the way?"

"Yes, we have a team of 100 people, but on the way, we found an enemy army, about 30,000 people, who were chased by their patrol guards, and only a few survived."

"On the way, there are 30,000 to 40,000 enemy troops!" Cheng Lie was stunned for a moment, and then realized: "No, this is to block our retreat. We need to withdraw our troops immediately, and we cannot follow the original route, so we will change the route and withdraw!"

Cui Jun also realized the seriousness of the problem at this time and looked embarrassed.

If you don’t leave, you may be blocked, encircled, and fall into a dilemma of siege.

The military camp itself had no food and grass, not enough medicine to carry, abnormal movements of the army, treatment of the wounded, etc., which were all problems. It was impossible to carry out long-term battles of siege. Cui Jun had already known these situations. In addition, the arrival of the military order, other generals and followers heard the seriousness and could not let him go alone.

If Cui Jun was still stubborn at this time, it would likely lead to a mutiny in the army, and it would be hard to say whether he, the chief general, could be saved.

"Okay, then withdraw your troops!" Cui Jun sighed. After returning, there might be punishment and demotion, and helplessness surged in his heart.

When the other generals heard this, they all felt relieved. Once General Cui Jun insisted on his own, they might have differences. Some supportive and some oppose them, which will inevitably lead to changes in the army.

Deputy General Cheng Lie bowed and said, "Since General Cui has decided to withdraw his troops, please give an order immediately. I will continue to order this time. After an hour, withdraw in an orderly manner. In addition, we need to leave behind the rear. Once the Jianghuai army in the city discovers our intention to withdraw, we will definitely pursue and cover up the killing, and the situation will be dangerous."

"What General Cheng said makes sense. It is very important to be responsible for the matter of severing the rear. It is related to the life and death of the army. General Cheng Lie, this matter will be left to you to entrust others to others. I am really worried." Cui Jun said politely on the surface, but he was actually venting his dissatisfaction in his heart.

Since Cheng Lie sent troops, he has always liked to give suggestions, always standing opposite to himself and saying some remarks that affect the morale of the army. In Cui Jun's opinion, this is because he is dissatisfied with the commander general, so at this time, he naturally pushed the boat and tricked the deputy general.

Cheng Lie didn't think so much, and he clasped his fists and said, "Receive the order, Cheng Mouding did his best to block the pursuers and complete the task of cutting off the rear."

Cui Jun nodded, and immediately issued orders to other generals and assistants, agreeing that one month and a month, each Yuhou camp would retreat according to the steps, not to speak out or panic, and maintain its formation. The task conveyed to the soldiers was to strategically transfer, and to go north to sneak attack another Jianghuai army to stabilize the morale of the army.

Otherwise, when you mention retreat, your morale will often be low and collapse. Once you encounter ambush and pursuers again, you will easily collapse.

The generals nodded and turned around and went out to assign tasks.

An hour later, the withdrawal operation began.

The left Yuhou Camp and the right Yuhou Camp were evacuated, but the camp was detained, and most of the rice making equipment were left, and they were lightly equipped and they should be withdrawn from Jiangdu County as soon as possible and return to Zhongli County.

After the marched until dawn, the large army rushed for forty miles. It was getting dark. The scouts sent in the city had discovered the abnormality of the camp. So they approached the camp to check and found out that the Dahua Pioneer Army in the camp had retreated and immediately reported to the garrison Ximen Junyi, the guard in the city.

Ximen Junyi's face changed and she blurted out: "Dahua's army has retreated overnight, and the target is heading north. This is to take a detour back to Zhongli County! No, you have to chase it immediately, and you can't let the fat meat in your mouth be lost again."

Wang Shulan suggested: "Husband, it is urgent to send light cavalry to chase after him, bite his tail, and then the infantry soldiers chased him from behind, and eliminate as much as they can. At the same time, release the letter from the flying eagle to the garrison on the back to intercept him!"

"It makes sense that General Wang Xiongdan's troops were still setting up ambush dozens of miles behind Dahua, and sent people to inform him that they chased him from the flanks and worked together to encircle and suppress this Dahua vanguard army!" Ximen Junyi made a quick decision, made arrangements, and then personally led the cavalry out of the city.
Chapter completed!