Cao Youwan returned to the barracks, and all the generals with yellow faces and thin muscles gathered around him.
"General, have the Tatar army not retreated yet? Have your Majesty's reinforcements not arrived yet?"
Yang Daquan was upset and couldn't wait to ask.
"General, the city is running out of food. If we stay any longer, we will die sooner or later. After eight months of guarding, no one cares about us. We are afraid that we have been abandoned. We have a destiny, and we can only rely on ourselves!"
Another officer, Sun Du, was listless and dissatisfied in his tone.
Sun Du's words surprised Cao Youwan.
The Mongolian army has not yet retreated, but its morale is already unstable.
"Sun Du, what do you want to do? Do you want to surrender to the enemy?"
Cao Youwan's face was stern, his eyes were cold and stern, and he stared at Sun Du.
At this time, if Yu Jie was here, he would be able to appease the soldiers' morale better than himself.
In full view of everyone, Sun Du's face quickly turned red. He avoided Cao Youwan's gaze and turned his head away, still speaking rudely.
"General Cao, my brothers have been through life and death. Half of them are dead. Where are the reinforcements? Can't you just complain? If Your Majesty had saved us, he would have come long ago instead of making us wait stupidly!"
At the critical moment of life and death, the hopelessness of the future and the fear of death caused Sun Du's mentality to collapse.
Sun Du's words made the officers and soldiers in the hall fall silent, and then another general became angry.
"General Cao, did your Majesty tell you when he will come to rescue us? Is there any news from outside? Where are the reinforcements?"
The silent officers raised their heads and looked at Cao Youwan.
"Sun Du, Wang Xiuwu, the Tatar army has not retreated, are you afraid?"
Cao Youwan's eyes widened. He looked around at the generals and smiled coldly.
"Your Majesty has ordered us to stay until the end of June, and it's not yet there. Why are you so anxious? Do you want to resist the order?"
All the generals were shocked and saluted with clasped fists.
"The general will not dare!"
The emperor's imperial edict and military orders are like mountains, and there are only twenty days left to stick to them. Who dares to disobey them?
At the end of June, with only twenty days left, they were confident of defending the city.
Sun Du, Wang Xiuwu and other generals looked ugly and stopped saying anything.
"Don't you dare? Then let me tell you, tonight I will lead three thousand soldiers out of the city and attack the Tatar military camp. If any of you dare not go, you can stand up now and stay to defend the city."
Cao Youwan's eyes were cold and stern. Among the generals, many blushed, and some lowered their gazes, not daring to look at Cao Youwan.
Cao Youwan saw it clearly and was secretly frightened. It seems that when ammunition and food are exhausted, the military morale is already uneasy.
Was he too arbitrary when he took the initiative to allow Li Deren to leave the city to attack the Mongolian camp?
"General, I think that since His Majesty ordered us to hold on until the end of June, there is no need to go out of the city to fight the Tatars. Now that we are short of ammunition, going out of the city to attack the Tatar camp will be more dangerous than necessary. It is completely unnecessary. "
It was Sun Du again, who spoke unhurriedly.
"General Cao, our brothers don't have many firearms. It's too risky to go out of the city for a sneak attack. General, think twice. Besides, it's only twenty days until the end of the month. Maybe His Majesty has already sent troops, so we'd better be patient for a few more days."
Zhang Zhongxia was silent for a long time and finally spoke.
At that time, when the Mongolian army withdrew, its morale was still there, so it was the best time to go out of the city for a sneak attack. Now that the camp is full of wounded soldiers and morale is low, it is not a good time for a sneak attack.
"The enemy is strong and we are weak. General Cao will think twice."
Wang Xiuwu clasped his fists and saluted, also opposing the sneak attack out of the city.
Cao Youwan nodded, glanced at the general in the hall, and spoke calmly.
"Sun Du, Zhang Zhongxia, and Wang Xiuwu, the three of you will stay to defend the city. Are there any others you want to stay?"
The words have been spoken and will not be forced. Only by working together can we be sure of defeating the enemy.
"General, death by starvation is death. You can still fight for it when you leave the city. I, Huang Xi, will accompany you!"
Immediately, officer Huang Xi stood up with a red face.
"General, you are too underestimated! Isn't it just a matter of losing your head? You are afraid of a ball! Besides, the official family respects the brothers and will definitely take care of their families. I, Yang Daquan, will go with you and I will be the vanguard. !”
Officer Yang Daquan also said it viciously.
"General, aren't you just risking your life? Give the order!"
"General, I, Cao Shixiong, only obey your orders!"
Most of the officers in the hall enthusiastically asked for orders, and everyone was furious.
"General, the military order is like a mountain. I am willing to fight with the army. However, I still say what I said. Now we have missed the best opportunity to attack the Tatar military camp. After this battle, life or death will be uncertain. I will say this."
Unlike Sun Du and others who were timid, Zhang Zhongxia still insisted on his own point of view.
What he didn't know was that most of the Mongolian troops outside the city had withdrawn, and the Song army had already crossed the Yellow River. Even if the Song army leaves the city to attack the Mongolian camp at this moment, there will not be much risk.
Looking at Wang Xiuwu and Sun Du, they remained silent, obviously unwilling to go out of the city to fight.
"Brothers, listen to me."
The military morale seemed to be available, Cao Youwan nodded gently to calm everyone down.
"You have to risk your life, but you have to come back as soon as possible. Your Majesty said that the end of June, and there are still twenty days left. If you stay until the end of June, you will be a hero, and your Majesty will definitely send troops to save us. Think about it, your Majesty is our Song Dynasty The Emperor is also the principal of the Martial Arts Hall, and he keeps his word, so how can he not keep his words?"
Cao Youwan said loudly and impassionedly.
"Brothers, we are all cultivated by the emperor, and the emperor's kindness is immense. If we let down the emperor, wouldn't we be bullying our masters and destroying our ancestors, and the emperor would make everyone in the world laugh at him. When the time comes, where will the emperor's face be? Our family, Aren’t you going to be scolded to death?”
"General, give the order. We brothers at the Jinling Martial Arts Hall cannot afford to be embarrassed like this!"
Cao Shixiong said it loudly, his face flushed.
"General, give the order. Even if we die, we can't embarrass the emperor! The emperor treats virtuous corporals, loves his soldiers as sons, and treats his brothers well. We can't embarrass him!"
Yang Daquan also turned red and was filled with indignation.
The generals were so impassioned that Sun Du and others remained silent and stepped aside.
Following the indifferent attitude of the crowd, they all feel that they are already outsiders.
Zhang Zhongxia originally wanted to persuade him, but he held back for fear of chilling the morale of the soldiers.
Cao Youwan was short-tempered and stubborn. Even ten oxen could not pull back what he had decided. A sneak attack on the Mongolian camp would be fine. There are still some firearms, so why not the whole army is wiped out?
"Brothers, bring the rest of the thunder. Concentrate all the ammunition, bring the artillery, attack the Tatar camp tonight, and hit it hard!"
Cao Youwan decisively issued a military order.
Instead of starving to death in the city, it is better to fight. No matter what, we cannot lose the face of Da Song.
"It's all at the general's discretion!"
All the generals clasped their fists together and saluted solemnly.
Cao Youwan nodded, walked past the generals one by one, and returned to the main seat.
"Brothers, go down and get ready."
All the generals left one after another, and Cao Youwan sat alone on a chair, his eyes dull.
"Serve the country with loyalty and sacrifice one's life! Your Majesty, I will not let you down! It's not that I am incompetent, but that I have no choice but to do anything!"
Cao Youwan pulled out the dagger from his waist and stared at it in a daze.
"Soldier Soul", a symbol of the military, was given by the emperor personally at the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall and is extremely precious.
Could it be said that once the attack on the Mongolian camp failed, he would use this "kill one's life" sword to end his own life?
The reason why he was willing to lead his troops out of the city and attack the Mongolian camp was because he had no hope of defending the city and wanted to die on the battlefield and be wrapped in horse leather?
Where are the emperor's reinforcements?
There were tears in Cao Youwan's eyes, and the sun shone on him through the broken window. Tiredness and hunger attacked each other, and before he knew it, Cao Youwan fell asleep.
"Report!"
The sergeant rushed in to report, rolling and crawling, waking up Cao Youwan from his sleep.
"Don't you know the rules in the army? Why are you panicking! Say it!"
Cao Youwan's face turned serious and he sat up straight.
He also took back the dagger placed on the table and put it back into the scabbard on his waist.
"General... army, Tatar... Tatar army..."
The sergeant was out of breath and panting.
"What happened? Did the Tatar army attack the city?"
Cao Youwan said coldly and stood up.
The Mongol army was attacking the city, and it was just the right time for a quick and fierce battle to put an end to it.
"General... no! The Tatar... army is coming from the south! They are heading north boundlessly. The Tatar army outside the city is packing up their tents, as if they are about to retreat!"
The sergeant was sweating profusely and could not hide the ecstasy on his face.
"What?"
Cao Youwan's heart was beating wildly and his face turned red.
"General, the Tatar army has gathered together and seems to be retreating!"
The sergeant finally came to his senses and spoke out loud.
"Lead the way, go out and have a look!"
Cao Youwan strode forward, impatient, and the sergeant quickly followed.
After leaving the lobby, the courtyard was full of confused officers. Cao Youwan nodded and took the lead. The officers couldn't wait to follow.
Sun Du and the others looked at each other and followed the others.
Outside Lingzhou City, the Mongolian army all over the mountains and plains came from the south. They followed the east bank of the Yellow River and passed the Mongolian army camp outside Lingzhou City. With flags flying, they meandered towards the north, one after another, in an endless stream. , without even stopping at all.
The Mongolian army camp outside Lingzhou City set up camp one after another, quickly packed up, formed an army of their own, and followed behind, leaving a mess all over the wilderness.
"Tatars... are they retreating?"
"They're not going to attack Zhongxing Mansion, are they?"
"It looks like the Tatars have lost the battle?"
The Mongolian army outside the city had finished cleaning up. For more than an hour, they did not raise their heads and were listless. They did not seem to be worried about a sneak attack by the Lingzhou defenders. The Lingzhou troops watched from the top of the city. Everyone was surprised, but no one felt bored.
"General, there are only three to four thousand Tatar cavalry outside the city. If I had known this, I would have taken my brothers out of the city and killed him hard!"
Cao Shixiong looked carefully and shouted in surprise.
"These thieves! It turns out there are only so many of them! It's too shameful to pretend to be gods and ghosts!"
Huang Xi's face was radiant and he let out a sigh of relief.
The Mongolian military camps outside the city were densely packed. I thought they were at least tens of thousands. Who knew that when I saw them today, I was completely frightened.
"As long as the artillery is complete and the ammunition is sufficient, even if there are tens of thousands of Tatar troops, what is there to fear?"
Yang Daquan's face glowed red, and all the confidence and ambition in his body came back in an instant.
The generals rejoiced, and Cao Youwan clung to the city wall to watch, his heart pounding, and his eyes regained their radiance.
How could the mighty Emperor of the Song Dynasty, the principal of the Jinling Martial Arts Hall, and the leader of millions of soldiers and civilians of the Song Dynasty, leave thousands of soldiers alone?
Thinking of his self-defeating mood just now, Cao Youwan blushed and secretly felt lucky.
It is the duty of soldiers to obey military orders. Everything learned in the Jinling Martial Arts Hall has been learned in the dog's belly.
I, too, did not believe in the emperor, and was successfully led into the ditch by the two troublemakers, Li Deren and Ning Zining.
"General Cao, the Tatar army has retreated. Look at this..."
The shit stirrer got onto the city wall for unknown reasons. Li Deren looked rosy and asked Cao Youwan softly.
The Mongolian army will not withdraw without reason. It seems that something must have happened.
"Your Highness, the Tatar army has retreated, numbering at least 30,000 to 40,000. There should not be many Tatar soldiers in the south. Why not send scouts to the south to investigate. If my prediction is correct, I, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, have already marched to the Yellow River with my own troops! "
Zhang Zhongxia looked at the sky outside the city and the south and said calmly.
"Yes, yes! Zhang Zhongxia is right! It must be me, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, who leads the army to march north!"
Cao Youwan's heart was beating wildly. In his excitement, his resentment towards Li Deren, a pig teammate, had already flown to the sky.
The Tatar army retreated, and the emperor must have sent troops to rescue them.
"It should be more than just sending the army north. There should have been several battles between Song and Mongolia. The Tatar army did not take any advantage, so they chose to withdraw. It is very likely that the two sides have already negotiated a peace."
Yang Daquan followed and added urgently.
There is no such thing as pie in the sky, and the Mongolian army will not retreat easily unless there is external force.
"Okay, okay! General, there is no Tatar army on the west bank of the Yellow River. Send someone to investigate immediately. You must be careful!"
Li Deren nodded repeatedly, feeling flustered.
The conflict with the reinforcements of the Song Dynasty was resolved earlier, and the siege of Lingzhou City was resolved earlier.
