The sky is getting brighter. The Liao did take advantage of the last offensive before dawn, but they still declared defeat in the midst of vigilant arrows.

The two markets in the south and north of the city were all scorched black, leaving only wisps of green smoke on the ruined walls blowing in the wind. The Liao's initial offensive was launched from here, but now there are no corpses in sight, and they may have also been burned to black coal, or they may have been evacuated smoothly after the fire started. The latter is far more likely than the former, otherwise there would have been a large number of bodies suffocating to death in open spaces such as courtyards and roads.

Han Gang turned around and smiled at Huang Shang, "It seems that Mian Zhong guessed correctly." ”

At that time, Huang Shang and the other two generals guessed that the Liao people used the buildings outside the city to sneak into the city, but it was just a tactic to attack the east and the west, and now it seems that there is nothing wrong.

"It's the same if you guess it or not." Huang Sheng smiled bitterly and shook his head. There is no point in guessing right or wrong. The defensive measures in the city were originally planned to deal with the attack on the whole front, how could it be affected by the strategy of the Liao?

But in this night, more than one-third of the arrows in Taigu City's reserves were consumed, and nearly one-tenth of the bows and crossbows were damaged. With the same scale of garrison, the city can only support it for two more days at most, and then it will be necessary to fight with human lives.

However, it is impossible for the Liao people to attack twice or three times at the same level as last night. As long as you look outside, it is clear that the Liao people have suffered hundreds of casualties.

Most of these people are dressed in armor, and now that the Liao army has not yet been fully ironarmed, they must all be the elite under Xiao Shisan. Although it is small compared to the overall force, it is definitely a loss of nerves and bones. And there are those who are injured but still have the strength and luck to climb back, and there will only be more of them than those lying under the city.

At this time, there was some commotion at the head of the city, and soon someone came to report that a group of cavalry had come from the camp of the Liao army, and they wanted to drag the corpses and the seriously wounded back.

No one could see a worried look on their faces, but everyone was smiling, which was completely muddy.

"Xiao Shumi is confused, right?"

"It's better if you're crazy."

But Tian Yu was sober: "No matter how confused Xiao Shisan is, he will not give such an order." Most of them were tribal troops who came to save their families. ”

After a while, the city came to report again, saying that a flurry of arrows from the city had driven them away again, and that more than a dozen people had been left behind. Then there was no more sound.

By noon, Han Gang had inspected the defenders of the four walls of the city, and had gone to the hospital to visit the wounded soldiers who had been wounded last night - basically all accidents, only one of them had been hit by a stray arrow—and finally there was movement outside the city again. The cavalry of the Liao army began to approach the city gates, and there were four city gates, and the total number was almost seven or eight thousand.

The cavalry did not go around the city, but stopped quietly more than a mile from the city. But that was not a sign that the Liao army would continue to attack, but a retreat.

From the top of the city, you can see even without binoculars that the Liao troops stationed outside the city are leaving their temporary villages in large numbers from the direction of the city, and marching towards the horizon in groups.

As the Liao people went more and more and farther away, more and more people learned about the movements of the Liao army. The cheers gradually rose and could not be contained. And it spread throughout the walls, and throughout the city.

"Withdrawn, withdrawn! Liaogou withdrew! ”

Above and below the city, the officers and soldiers and the people were all cheering. Whether it is a dignitary or a small person, whether it is a monk or a commoner, they are all ecstatic.

Tens of thousands of Liao divisions besieged the city, although it was only for one day, but the pressure of preparing to defend against the enemy before was like a dark cloud over everyone's heads. Now that the clouds have cleared, how can we not be ecstatic.

However, compared to the louder and louder cheers of the soldiers and civilians in the city, Han Gang's expression did not change at all, his eyebrows gradually twisted, and the staff and subordinates around him gradually cooled down because of the calm expression of this control envoy.

"Don't celebrate too early. As long as there is still a soldier left in Hedong, it is not the time to cheer victory. Han Gang's low voice poured a basin of ice water on the heads of his subordinates, "Whether the Liao thief is going south or north, this must be found out first!" ”

Under Han Gang's coercion, the members of the Envoy Division put away their joyful hearts and began to discuss in a low voice:

"Xiao 13 used cavalry to isolate the news, most of them were soldiers who intended to come from the south!"

"But the direction of the thief's movement seems to be north."

"What if it's a trap?"

Han Gang listened to the discussion of his staff, and Zhilu Dao would soon have a deliberated manuscript in front of him, which was mainly based on the previous plan for the Liao people to go south, and revised it.

However, Han Gang didn't actually think so, with his understanding of the Liao army, the morale and loss of troops after the first battle last night made it difficult for Xiao Shisan to take a huge risk to conduct a large-scale decisive battle.

And the thieves have all grabbed a lot of money, who will fight again? If they hadn't thought that Taigu City could be broken in one drum, and there was countless gold and silver in the city, they wouldn't have been so desperate last night.

But anything can happen on the battle array, and it is not impossible for the Liao people to go south.

So now it's up to Zhang Kai, I hope he won't let himself down.

……………………

The Liao army is retreating.

After returning to the riverside green space where the horses were raised, they got on their horses and prepared to set off for the north.

There was a somewhat chaotic scene in front of Xiao Shisan's eyes, and the face of the dignified privy envoy became more and more gloomy.

"Privy, in fact, there is still a chance." After carefully observing Xiao Shisan's expression, a staff member finally made a decision.

Xiao 13 asked rhetorically with a calm face, "What chance?" ”

"Reinforcements. Reinforcements from the Song people! ”

Originally, Taigu County was a trap, and Han Gang used himself as a trap for bait. This point, many people below Xiao 13 have seen it.

But if it weren't for the fact that the bait itself was too delicious, and the hook looked fragile, Xiao Shisan would not have gambled on it, but unfortunately he failed. However, since he failed, he did not plan to add bets and try to turn the tables, which would only result in more and more losses until he lost all his capital.

It is now a huge mistake to infer the city defense of Taigu County from Daizhou, Shilingguan, and Yuci County. But until now, Xiao Shisan couldn't figure out when Han Gang had transferred so many generals in Taigu City. From dozens of probes from different sources, and even from captives captured at different times, he received almost the same reward—it was impossible for the number of troops in Taigu County to exceed five thousand. If it weren't for that, Xiao 13 would not have chosen to attack Taigu City anyway.

"The Song people's reinforcements walked eight miles in one day, you tell me, what do they think?!"

I have long known that the road is a trap, I jumped once, and I finally climbed up, do I have to jump to a deeper place a second time?!

If someone else was the coach of Hedong, Xiao 13 might still gamble again, but now it was Han Gang who was sitting in the city, and he had just shown his ability, how could Xiao 13 still be stupid.

“…… Maybe Song Jiang is as timid as a mouse! ”

"General Song, who is in charge of the reinforcements, thinks that his head has been on his neck for too long, is he going to change places? How could the emperor and empress of the Song Kingdom tolerate a military general who put the crown prince in danger? ”

Han Gang's current life is hanging with the crown prince of the Song Kingdom. Although the thirty-year-old Zaifu may be dangerous in the future, with Han Gang's current reputation among all the people in the world, he may even become a figure like Shang's father, but as long as the crown prince of the Southern Dynasty still needs him as a Han Bodhisattva, the emperor and empress of the Southern Dynasty will never want to see him hurt in any way.

Xiao 13 believed that the generals of the Southern Dynasty could understand this. However, after Taigu County was besieged, the reinforcements advanced at a snail-like pace. To say that this was not Han Gang's prior order, how could it be. Besieging the city and sending reinforcements is indeed a good trick, but Xiao Shisan no longer has the illusion that he can succeed this time.

Retreat first, and leave before the losses become greater. If the sky wants to prosper Liao, let the Song army catch up, in this way, a reversal in the field battle is by no means a blank dream.

……………………

Ulu stared at the Chinese army not far away.

Under the banner, there is the main person responsible for this battle.

There were a total of 300 and 5 people, including himself, and only more than 230 returned, less than eighty percent, and everyone who came back was injured. Even Ulu himself had a bandage around his neck that bound the wound - which he also received from Daiju.

Obviously, the Song people outside Taigu City had already made preparations, but Xiao Shisan still insisted on attacking Taigu City.

These thousands of comrades who died in battle were killed by Xiao Shisan's lowly greed. Otherwise, it would have been long ago necessary to return to Datong Mansion with the harvest obtained from the grass valley. Why return to the North now full of disappointment and despair.

Ulu looked down at the jujube red horse under his crotch, and under the saddle, even the backbone could almost be seen clearly. Shriveled and thin, the image of a good horse that is the envy of the whole family is completely gone. This one is not bad, Ulu has taken three of them south, and the other two are only worse.

The spring war horse is weak, after a winter, the fat accumulated on the war horse has been consumed, and in the spring without raising but rushing south, there have been a large number of slightly weaker war horses who died on the side of the road. Now it has been useful for a few days, and it has taken hundreds of miles to walk an unjust road, which is equivalent to losing another batch of war horses.

Even so, it can be said to be a victory just by the gains made along the way. But a few more times such a victory, and there are not many good war horses left in Daliao.

Uru's hand clenched the scabbard tightly, and his eyes were full of anger and rebelliousness as he threw himself at Xiao Thirteen.

"Uru! Don't make a fuss! ”

An anxious shout came from behind him, but it came earlier than a hand that reached over and grasped the reins of Uru's mount.

Uru twisted his head, and a pair of round eyes like copper bells stared at Hu Ligai with fierce light.

Old Hu Ligai didn't let go, "Bow your head, bow your head!" ”

Ulu is afraid that Lao Hu Ligai's voice will be too loud and attract the attention of others, so he should not lower his head.

"The more this time, the more Xiao Shisan wants to kill. failed to defeat Taigu City, and now if he wants to establish power, he can only fall from you. Don't give him a chance! Don't you see that everyone else is as good as their grandson? ”

Ulu almost turned his face, where could he really kill Xiao Thirteen, he wasn't crazy yet! Ulu lowered his voice and said angrily, "You can't think of it?!" How could I possibly do such a thing! ”

"Of course you can think of it, but if you glare at him more, you will put more points on the knife in your neck. Isn't it? If he really cuts you out, the whole clan will be finished, and you can't take the slightest risk! ”

Lao Hu Ligai tightened the reins of Ulu more and more, and the corner of his eye was still glancing in the direction of the Chinese army, for fear that Xiao Shisan would notice Ulu's untamed eyes, and become angry and angry.

The two armies of the palace and the leather room, Xiao 13 couldn't move; Not to mention the nobles of the fifth hospital, the sixth hospital, and the second room; Even if someone from a big tribe is a little offended, Xiao 13 will definitely just treat it as if he didn't see it; And the small tribe is as insignificant as fart. The most dangerous thing is that of a medium-sized tribe like them, which is not too numerous and not too much. On the way back, they still followed the Chinese army, which was walking on the blade.

Leaving early while the loss is not too big is a good job. What is really wrong is that I still didn't understand the number of Song troops in Taigu City, and it was also because the opponent was too strong. Thinking about this, Lao Huligai's anger towards Xiao 13 was less than one-tenth of Ulu's.

Ulu didn't care about what Lao Hu Ligai was thinking now, he was still entangled in his son's loss, "There are so many dead and injured people, when I go back, I will definitely ask Father Shang to give an explanation to all of us!" ”

Lao Hu Li changed his knowledge that Ulu was talking angrily, and he didn't persuade much. When he really went crazy and wanted to get along with the rest of the tribes and Xiao Shisan, it was not too late to think of a way, anyway, at that time, there were also elders in the clan who could stop him.

Lao Hu Li looked back at the city that had been left far behind him, he didn't believe that the disciple of the gods and Buddhas of the Song Kingdom would raise his noble hand and let people go. I sighed in my heart, 'I can go back first.' ’