The atmosphere in Kong Youde's big tent was very depressing, and everyone in the tent had solemn expressions. Only the occasional "crackling" sound was made by the lit candles. Kong Youde stared at Mao Chenglu with an arm hanging on his chest with a gloomy face and said: "Today's siege battle, most of the main force went out, but in the end they came back defeated. You are the main siege general and you have nothing to do with it. What else do you have to say?" "You want to say something?" Listening to Kong Youde's tone, it seemed that he wanted to put all the blame for the failure of the siege on himself and punish himself heavily. Mao Chenglu's face turned pale, half because of pain and half out of anger. These people gathered together temporarily because of their interests, and Kong Youde was just the leader recommended by everyone. Mao Chenglu is also an old man who has been in the oil pan countless times. How can he let Kong Youde pour dirty water on him casually? Seeing that all his personal guards were behind the battle, Mao Chenglu said to Kong Youde: "Marshal Kong's words are too heavy for the general to bear. Today's attack on the city is not without the efforts of our soldiers, and the general's command and dispatch can be considered appropriate." , once defeated the Wengcheng of Pingdu City and dealt a severe blow to the defenders. " He stared at Kong Youde and continued: "The problem lies with Sun Darong. He led the chariot battalion to attack the opponent's city gate, but ignored the defenders at the top of the city. , but the defenders at the top of the city were caught off guard with explosives, which directly caused the siege soldiers to flee, which in turn affected my soldiers who attacked the city wall. Although the general had something to do with the failure of the siege, it is not my fault. Please look into it, Commander-in-Chief Mao Chenglu. The blame for the failure of the siege was entirely placed on the rebel leader Sun Darong, who had been killed by a gunpowder package. There was no evidence of his death anyway, even if Kong Youde wanted to seize the clue to scare the monkeys. But there was no place to start. Kong Youde obviously expected that Mao Chenglu would not give in easily, and he also realized that he could not force the opponent too much. If we really take everything seriously, I'm afraid these people would have fallen apart long ago. Don¡¯t look at Kong Youde¡¯s gloomy appearance. In fact, he is at a loss now. The rebels lost their troops in today's battle, which made him realize that Pingdu City is like a hard bone. Even if the big teeth are broken, it is difficult to break it. Its toughness is comparable to Laizhou City. He hesitates whether to continue. To continue the attack. The ultimate purpose of leading the rebels out was to rob Qiancaitun and Dengzhou City for food and grass in order to prepare for the confrontation with the official army. Now half of his army was dragged into Laizhou City. If he personally led this group, he would be defeated again. The city held on. The entire army's food and supplies would have no source of supply. This is definitely not feasible. He questioned Mao Chenglu, both to intimidate the other party and to inquire. The meaning of evasion in Mao Chenglu's words was very obvious, but he finally gave himself a step down. Kong Youde's tone slowed down and he said: "Sun Darong underestimated the enemy and was greedy for merit. He drove his soldiers to attack the city without taking good defense, and was taken advantage of by the city gate guards. This was indeed the source of our army's defeat. Now that General Sun Darong has been killed in battle, he cannot be held responsible for his crimes. But as the commander who led the troops to attack the city wall, General Mao cannot be exempted." Kong Youde stared at the pale Mao Chenglu and said in a different tone: "But now is the time to employ people on the battlefield, so I give my permission. General Mao has committed a crime and continues to lead his soldiers." Mao Chenglu felt his heart pounding for a long time, and quickly bowed and said: "Thank you for your decision, general. I will be grateful to you. Commander, at your service!" Kong Youde forced out a smile and said: "General Mao is injured, so there is no need to be polite. Our army failed to attack the city today and suffered heavy losses. Chen Guangfu has made no progress in attacking Xiaohuakou. I sent someone here to ask for reinforcements. The situation in all aspects is now unfavorable to me. The front of our army is blocked by Pingdu City, and the defenders of Xiaohuakou behind us are blocking our advance and retreat. I would like to ask all the generals to tell me. What measures should the army take next to deal with the situation at hand? " Cao Shaozhong has always been frightened and even more humiliated. Two thousand cavalry faced the opponent's 1,700 heavy infantry. Not only did they not take any advantage, but they were defeated by the opponent's firearms. After Kong Youde finished speaking, Cao Shaozhong said: "The defenders of the city rely entirely on their powerful firearms. The general thought that the defenders would not have too many such explosives. Our army will continue to attack the city tomorrow to induce the opponent to use up these firearms, and then We can take the city." Mao Chenglu shook his head and sighed: "How can you be sure that the defenders won't have too many explosives like this? On the contrary, I think it is not difficult for the opponent to make such explosives. This thing is like a rocket car. The sacred fire flying crow is filled with gunpowder and can explode when the gunpowder wire is ignited. As long as there is enough gunpowder, it can be produced in large quantities. This thing is used to defend the city wall and is the nemesis of the siege army. " He turned to Kong Youde and said: "Besides, our army lacks large-scale siege facilities, and the Western artillery has been destroyed. It is undoubtedly a fantasy to capture the city in a short time just relying on the existing simple siege facilities. It is not advisable to besiege the city for a long time, and no one can Know the imperial court?When will we come for encirclement and suppression? " Kong Youde asked casually: "General Mao means to give up attacking this city? " Mao Chenglu nodded and said: "Yes, the current plan is to withdraw our troops and leave this place of trouble. We can get rich rewards by finding another city with weak defense. Why waste the lives of soldiers here! " Another rebel general present also nodded and said: "After today's disastrous defeat, most of the soldiers under his command have low morale, and the forced attack on the city will only increase casualties. The general also believes that it is better to retreat as soon as possible. " Kong Youde was a little unwilling. The wealthy people in Pingdu City had heard about it for a long time. He was full of confidence and led his troops to conquer Pingdu City and make a fortune. Who would have thought that he would hit a big nail But Mao Chenglu was right, his men The soldiers had lost their spirit, the siege equipment was rudimentary, and the Western artillery was destroyed by the opponent. At this time, it was really not worth the gain to let the soldiers attack the city. After weighing it with his eyes closed, Kong Youde slowly opened his triangular eyes and said: "Our army has been raising food and wages for a long time. Confrontation with the imperial court is the top priority, so we cannot delay any more in this small city of Pingdu. Therefore, I decided to lead my troops to evacuate this place, and let the clowns in Pingdu City act arrogantly for a while. I will try again later to avenge the shame. . " All the generals in the tent knew that this was Kong Youde who had agreed to withdraw troops from Pingdu City. These words were just to find a way out for themselves, so they all agreed with Kong Youde's decision. Kong Youde's complexion improved slightly. He continued: "It can't be further delayed. , I decided to start evacuating overnight. This can avoid the harassment of Pingdu City guards. " Mao Chenglu's mentality returned to normal. They are all grasshoppers on a rope. No one can do without each other. Since Kong Youde said that he would not pursue his fault and adopt his correct suggestions, he was obliged to make suggestions. Weiwei bowed to Kong Youde and said: "Our army is retreating, and there are complicated arrangements for soldiers, supplies, and baggage. It may arouse the suspicion of the defending army, and then send troops to pursue them. Now there are still some obstacles on the only way for our army to retreat." There was a garrison blocking the way. Therefore, the army only had to make an illusion of retreat, but secretly prepared for the retreat. "Don't worry, General Mao. These commanders will make arrangements." Mao Chenglu asked again: "The general is willing to lead his troops to Xiaohuakou overnight to assist Chen Guangfu in capturing Xiaohuakou and clear the way for the army to retreat." Kong Youde was very satisfied with Mao Chenglu. With his cooperation, he narrowed his triangular eyes slightly and said with a smile: "I am trying to take advantage of General Mao. I am appointing you as the vanguard to make all the soldiers under my command have a good meal. They will go to Xiaohuakou to join Chen Guangfu overnight and strive to win the battle in our army." Annihilate the defenders on the mountain before most of them arrive." Mao Chenglu bowed and said, "I will obey the order." Kong Youde nodded. His eyes turned to Cao Shaozhong and said: "Shaozhong, you lead two thousand cavalry to stay behind the camp to prevent the defenders from pursuing you. Only when our Chinese army is completely undisturbed can you lead your troops to evacuate." "General, obey the order!" Cao Shaozhong only felt that My heart skipped a beat. This is an opportunity. If the defending army dares to use infantry to pursue the enemy again, he will definitely lead his cavalry to teach the opponent an unforgettable lesson. He felt that he had found a way to restrain the opponent's explosives. Kong Youde glanced at him and said: "I sent you to lead the cavalry to break the rear to protect me and the smooth transfer of logistics and supplies. You are not allowed to provoke war at will." Cao Shaozhong bowed and saluted: "Marshal, please rest assured, I will not cause any trouble in my humble position. "In the grass two miles away from the rebel camp. There are more than a dozen soldiers from the Enemy Hunting Division lying nearby, monitoring the movements of the rebel camp. One of the lurking soldiers whispered: "Jiang Boss, these rebels seem to have become more honest after today's lesson. We have not seen the rebels send out reconnaissance cavalry since we lurked tonight." Another cavalryman said: "Yes, why do I feel that the rebel camp is so quiet? Could the rebels be preparing to escape overnight?" Jiang Yu lay down in the grass, gently spit out a piece of grass he was biting, and waved his hand gently. : "Go to the back camp of the rebel camp to explore and see what tricks the rebels are playing? Dazhu, you go take care of the war horses and keep your distance from us." After speaking, he took the lead and touched the rebel camp with a stick. At that time, Jiang Yu led more than a dozen of his men to lurk in the direction of the rear gate of the rebel camp. From a distance, he saw the shadows of people inside the camp, who seemed to be carrying and unloading supplies. Several war horses galloped past the camp from time to time. Jiang Yu and others quickly lurked in the grass, raised their heads to investigate carefully, and through the camp gate barrier, they saw the torches in the rebel camp were brightly lit. Suddenly, the gate of the rebel camp opened wide, and groups of rebel soldiers filed out. Camp Jiang Yu spat out the grass in his mouth and cursed in a low voice: "You bastard wants to run away! Let's retreat!" At this time, in the courtyard of Chen Lilan, the garrison of Pingdu City, Feng Jian looked at the room next door with a tired look on his face. The eldest son Feng Ning still had a high fever, and Chen Lilan leaned into Feng Jian's arms with tears on his face.??Dreamland. During the day, they repelled the siege of Kong Youde's rebels, seized countless weapons and armor, and even captured more than a thousand rebels. Chen Suowen and Fang Zengwei, the two chief civil servants in Pingdu City, were naturally overjoyed. Chen Suowen was better. , he has great confidence in Feng Jian. Fang Zengwei really felt incredible. He just hoped that Feng Jian's men could defend the city. The ferocity of Kong Youde's rebels had long been spread. Unexpectedly, after the battle, Feng Jian and his men not only repelled the rebels' attack, but also Such great results have been achieved. Zhao Shougang and Fan Li and his 1,700 soldiers became heroes in the hearts of the people of Pingdu City. When they returned in triumph, they were welcomed by the people of Pingdu after hearing the good news of victory. Many soldiers had their arms stuffed with eggs. Many older girls looked at these heroes on the battlefield and expressed their friendship affectionately. Chen Suowen and Fang Zengwei hosted a banquet to invite Feng Jian and the meritorious officers of the Zhenshan Camp to celebrate. Fang Zengwei was so happy that he was able to repel and capture so many rebels. As the parent officer of Pingdu City, he was naturally the first to contribute. Therefore, he repeatedly expressed during the banquet that he would report this good news to the court immediately, and that the achievements of Feng Jian and his men must not be buried. Feng Jian has been worried about his son Feng Ning, and after finally dealing with the officials in Pingdu City, Feng Jian confessed to Chen Suowen and rushed back to the house as soon as possible. ! (To be continued)