Following another crack, the entire crossbow rack crashed, breaking from the keel of the crossbow rack, and then shattered into pieces with a clicking sound.
Cato and Surna, who had just escaped not far away, looked at each other, with fear in their eyes. This was the first time they had seen such a powerful force, and it was really not far away from them.
The two looked at each other again, reached a certain tacit understanding in an instant, stood up together, and ran away.
As soon as Cato and Surna ran away, some Jurchen soldiers also ran with them. Even though their original purpose was just to escape further to avoid being injured by Ma Xiaoquan, the Jurchen soldiers didn't think so. Everyone you led ran away.
No matter what your reasons are, you must be scared. The leaders are also scared. There is nothing we, the little soldiers, can't be scared of. We can just run away.
Ma Xiaoquan did not expect that the "power" of his shot could be so great. Seeing the Jurchen soldiers fleeing in all directions, he put down the spear that was not thrown out and exhaled. Only then did he feel the severe pain all over his body.
"Damn, it seems like I overused my ability again."
Yuan suddenly sent a message: "You just know, but compared to the physical strength you spend on controlling fire, it is much less. Ma Xiaoquan, the Jurchen army has begun to retreat. Do you want to pursue it?"
"Chasing? It's not easy for us. Many of our people have died. Forget it, it's not my decision anyway. At least I don't have the energy to chase anymore."
After communicating with Yuan, Ma Xiaoquan sat down on the city wall, looked at the mountains of corpses under the city, and sighed deeply.
...
That evening, the camps of both armies were extremely quiet. During the post-war cleanup, people from both sides sent out teams to collect corpses.
The Ming army used hanging baskets to move the bodies of their dead companions back one by one, while the Jurchen army pulled them to a certain place and gathered them together for burning.
Apart from the bursts of smoke rising from the burning corpses, there was no other movement from the two camps.
In the Jurchen camp, Huang Taiji rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, not knowing what to think about. In front of him, sat the leaders of each tribe.
After several days of fighting, the Jurchen army actually did not get any substantial benefits or progress. In their hearts, they were disappointed with this battle and with Huang Taiji.
"Great Khan..." A certain tribal leader suddenly spoke, breaking the awkward silence, "Great Khan, we'd better withdraw our troops~"
The other tribal leaders looked over in surprise. Although everyone was thinking this, but saying it so bluntly in front of the Great Khan, didn't it obviously make the Great Khan unable to get off the stage?
Huang Taiji raised his head and glanced at the leader, but sighed without speaking.
After a long while, Huang Taiji hummed, "What day is today?"
"As the Khan said, today is the third day of June."
"Is it already June?" Huang Taiji sighed and asked, "How long do we have enough food and grass to last?"
A tribal leader said boldly: "We only have enough for less than ten days... If we continue, I'm afraid we will be in danger."
Huang Taiji thought for a while and said: "If I say to withdraw the troops, what will you think?"
When the leaders of each tribe heard this, they were all stunned. They never thought that the Great Khan would say the word "withdrawal" on his own.
"Sweat..."
Huang Taiji stretched out his hand and said humbly: "I know that if we continue to fight, we will definitely lose miserably, so while we still have some dignity, let's retreat, and it won't be too late to find an opportunity to attack again."
Several leaders took a long breath.
"The great Khan is wise!"
Huang Taiji smiled bitterly and shook his head: "As for the failure of this battle, if there are any insults, just point them at me alone. After all, I am your great khan, and I still have this responsibility.
.”
"Sweat..."
"No need to say more ~ I have already decided, okay, you all go down and make arrangements. Well, we will withdraw our troops on the fifth day of the lunar month."
All the leaders stood up, cupped their hands and said, "No!"
...
In Jinzhou City, Zhao Shujiao was half naked. His arm was shot by a cold arrow. At this moment, he was asking the doctor to help him remove the arrow and bandage it.
Ji Yong was also injured, but his injury was not caused by the Jurchen soldiers, but because he felt that he had become more capable and insisted on rushing to the city wall to fight with a Jurchen soldier who climbed up. However, when the Jurchen soldier roared, Ji Yong
In seconds, he became a coward and accidentally fell off the city wall - and was injured. Of course, everyone knew this kind of thing, but on the surface, they still had to flatter Eunuch Ji.
Praise him for his bravery in killing the enemy.
Ma Xiaoquan came over with a soldier on his back, settled the soldier, raised his hand to Zhao Zhijiao, and said: "General Zhao, how are you? Is the injury serious?"
Zhao Shujiao shook his head: "It's not serious, it's just troublesome. It's a matter of life and death. It's not easy to survive this time. By the way, Mr. Deacon, how is the Jurchen Army doing?"
Ma Xiaoquan said: "It looks like they are going to withdraw their troops."
"There can't be any fraud, right?" Ji Yong interrupted, and then he grinned and screamed.
Ma Xiaoquan glanced at Ji Yong and said with a smile: "It's really different this time. The Jurchens are running out of food and grass, and their casualties are much more than ours. If we continue, I'm afraid we will kill every last soldier."
It's possible that we can't get in, Eunuch Ji, if you were Huang Taiji, what should you do?"
Ji Yong said without thinking: "Then there's no need to say, withdraw~"
"By the way, I can guarantee that Huang Taiji should have already started to retreat."
"Great, then we won this battle?"
"Well, we should have won~" Ma Xiaoquan nodded.
"That's great, that's great~~" Zhao Shujiao flattened his mouth and had the urge to cry, but before he could make the next reaction, Ji Yong burst into tears.
"Damn, it's been so painful. The fight is finally over. We have won. We have lived up to the imperial court's promise to us. Hail the Emperor, Hail the Ming Dynasty..." Ji Yong lay on the bed and shouted.
road.
Ji Yong shouted like this, and the others could only follow him for a while. Anyway, the battle was finally over.
Zhao Shujiao pulled out the arrow from his arm, bandaged it, stood up and walked to Ma Xiaoquan.
"Master Deacon~~" Zhao Shujiao took out a letter from his arms, "You should be able to read this letter now, right?"
The letter was brand new when it was sent. It had been in Zhao Shujiao's pocket for a while, but due to the war, it was already wrinkled.
"Um, okay~~" Ma Xiaoquan took the letter, opened it immediately, looked at it, and burst out laughing.
"Why are you laughing, sir?"
Ma Xiaoquan handed the letter to Zhao Lejiao. Zhao Lejiao took it and looked at it, shaking his head and saying: "Madam is truly passionate about you. I am truly envious~~"
"What, show me, show me?" Ji Yong clamored to read the letter.
Zhao Shujiao glanced at Ma Xiaoquan, Ma Xiaoquan nodded and said he could read it, and then Zhao Shujiao gave the letter to Ji Yong.
Ji Yong took the letter, read it straightly, and said with a smile: "Since good things are coming soon, sir, why don't you go back to Ningyuan now? My wife must be in labor soon, right?"
"Well, that's what I have in mind. I'll leave it to you two for Jinzhou."
Zhao Shujiao and Ji Yong looked at each other, and both raised their hands: "My lord, please!"
...
Ningyuan City, Majia.
"Ouch, ouch, slow down, it hurts, it hurts~" Ma Yuan grinned and shouted in pain.
Qiao Yu rolled his eyes at Ma Yuan and scolded: "Why don't you cry out about pain when fighting? Now you know it hurts?"
Ma Yuan chuckled: "I didn't care about the formation back then, why don't I care about it now, hehe~~"
"Poor~ Ma Yuan, Ma Yuan, you must have learned bad things from the fourth son. You were not such a poor talker before." Qiao Yu said pretending to be dissatisfied.
Ma Yuandao: "If I hadn't been injured, the governor and my father would have asked me to come back to recuperate. Oh, this would make me feel miserable."
"Why are you feeling aggrieved? If something happens to you, what do you want us, mother and son, to do?" Qiao Yu said unhappily.
Ma Yuan chuckled: "The Jurchen army has also withdrawn. The latest report is that Jinzhou has also stopped. It is estimated that in two days, the Jurchen army will really withdraw. This battle is finally over."
"Huh? Do the Jurchen Army really want to withdraw?"
Ma Yuan nodded: "It should be so. They are short of food and grass. If they continue to fight, they will really lose their lives. But we can't relax. After all, soldiers are not afraid of deceit~"
"This is your men's business. Hey, I'm just thinking about it now. Now that the war is over, will the fourth son also come back? Hua Yue is about to give birth to a baby. As a father, if he doesn't come back, what will happen?
I can’t catch up.”
Ma Yuan said, "If it doesn't work out, I'll go to Jinzhou and catch that kid back~"
"What are you causing trouble? Look at how injured you are now, can you still ride a horse?"
Ma Yuan looked down and saw that there were wounds on his thighs and calves, as well as wounds on his arms and body. Not to mention, he really couldn't ride a horse in this state.
"Well, what will happen if the fourth kid doesn't come back?"
"I will definitely come back. I had the courage to write a letter to the fourth son in imitation of Hua Yue's calligraphy, urging him to come back." Qiao Yu nodded.
"You imitate it? Why are you so brave? Are you afraid that your mother will know?"
"Keep your voice down~~" Qiao Yu rolled his eyes at Ma Yuan, "I didn't write anything, so I just said in Hua Yue's tone that he should have a good fight and not worry. Actually, Hua Yue knew that I wrote the letter, so I gave him
She has seen it."
"You women are so..."
"What's wrong? What's wrong with us women? If you make me anxious, I won't give you a child." Qiao Yu pouted.
"Daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law... talk to me if you have something to say, talk to me if you have something to say, hehe... when I get better, let's have another baby."
"Fuck you~" Qiao Yu pushed Ma Yuan, causing him to grin in pain.