--late at night

Jiao He was sleeping soundly on the bed when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. He couldn't help but open his eyes and saw that several of his trusted immortal masters and wizards had come in. He hurriedly asked the boy next to him to help him sit up and asked, "Where are you?"

An immortal master came to see me late at night, but there is something urgent?"

Several immortal masters nodded to each other, and one of them said, "Shijun, we have just obtained an elixir, and we are here to offer it to you!"

"Elixir?"

"This elixir is obtained from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and the moon. We have to practice hard for several days to get one. After you take it, you can heal from your injuries in just one day!"

"Oh? Is there such an elixir? Give it a try quickly!"

Jiao He had no doubts about these immortal masters. He took the elixir and water and drank it. He heard the immortal master say, "You just need to rest for a while, and you will know when you get up tomorrow!"

Jiao He nodded and sighed, "Thanks to you, otherwise I don't know how long this injury will be healed. When I retreat from the rebel army, I will definitely cultivate a grand view, so that you can cultivate immortality with peace of mind!"

Everyone thanked him and stepped down. Jiao He also lay down and fell asleep again. After a while, he saw that his breathing was getting weaker and weaker. Before the sky came up, he had already stopped breathing in his sleep.

The next day, as soon as Zhao Yun and Lin Hai got up, they saw Wang Bao and Wang Weng crying outside the camp asking for permission to see them.

"Captain Wang, what are you doing?" Seeing Wang Bao like this, Zhao Yun first raised the corners of his mouth, and then asked with a strange expression.

"Yesterday we got the good news from Ma Pingyuan, and we also reported it to the envoy, but we didn't expect that the immortal masters and witches around the envoy had hidden yellow scarf thieves. Seeing the situation in danger, they actually took the opportunity to poison and kill him last night.

It’s your envoy!!”

As he said this, both Wang Bao and Wang Weng fell to their knees, beat their chests and beat the ground, and howled loudly.

Zhao Yun gave Lin Hai a look, then stepped forward to help Wang Bao up and said, "How could such a thing happen? Has the thief been caught?"

Wang Bao nodded first, then shook his head and said, "I only know that you were poisoned to death, but I don't know who specifically did it. I have arrested all the immortal masters and wizards and are tortured. I will definitely find the real culprit."

!

It's just that the three armies cannot be without commanders. The bandits outside the city are besieging them urgently. If they learn that there is a change in the city, they will definitely attack. I know that I have little talent and little knowledge in the art of war. I would like to ask two of you to be the commander-in-chief of the city temporarily to protect the people of Qingzhou. I wonder if you can agree?

"

Zhao Yun hurriedly refused and said, "Captain Wang is the Cavalry Commander worshiped by Commander Jiao. His official position is higher than ours, and we are guest generals. How can we become guest-generals? Let Wang Captain be in charge of the entire army for the time being!"

Wang Bao and Wang Weng looked at each other, nodded and said, "That's the case, that's fine, but Qingzhou is in chaos now and cannot be left without a master. Although I have no talent or virtue, I have to make false claims for the sake of Qingzhou. I want to unite all the parties."

The officials welcomed Ma Pingyuan as the governor of Qingzhou, and also asked Zhao Sima to give us some advice!"

Zhao Yun thought for a while and said, "This matter is of great importance. I dare not speak lightly. We can discuss this matter after my lord defeats the enemy!"

Wang Bao originally just wanted to express his position, so he handed over the petition and left without further words.

As for those immortal masters and magical wizards, no one cares what these people will say. Their final outcome is already determined.

On the other side, Xu He finally gathered the remnant army of less than 20,000 people, and returned to the camp outside Licheng regardless of whether anyone else ran out.

When the generals who stayed behind in the camp saw Xu He coming back in such a mess, they immediately knew that the arrow book passed down from Licheng a few days ago was true.

"Xu Qushuai, where is Sima Qushuai?"

"Commander Qu, this is the arrow book shot from the city a few days ago!"

"Qu Shuai, what should we do now?"

The swarm of questions made Xu He anxious. He shouted angrily, "Shut up! Our army has only suffered a small defeat. Why are you so anxious?"

As he spoke, Xu He gasped and said, "The officers and soldiers are right. Our army was defeated at the foot of Heban Mountain, Sima Qushuai was captured, and the officers and soldiers have captured Dongpingling and Taixian...our retreat."

It’s broken!”

It is said to be a small defeat, but everyone understands that there are only so many elites who can really fight, and now they have been reduced by half, which can be said to have greatly damaged their vitality.

"Licheng has Zhu'a's reinforcements again. I think we can't get through. The only way is to cross the river directly and go to the north of Jishui!" When Xu He came back, he thought of an escape route and said it immediately.

"Commander Qu, our army has nearly 600,000 people. It will take ten days to cross the Jishui River, even if the army does not obstruct it. What's more, there is a flat river in the north of Ji. If the army pursues it with cavalry..."

Some generals immediately objected. The reason why they fought under Licheng for so long was because it was unrealistic to cross the river directly.

"And further north, there is Pingyuan Country, and there must be heavy troops!"

Xu He stood up, patted the map on the wall and said, "Either go north! Or enter Mount Tai! Do you think Mount Tai can be entered?"

"Even Mount Tai cannot enter. With so many of us, how can Mount Tai feed us?"

"That's right, the Taishan Army is not weak either..."

Just when everyone was at a loss what to do, a sergeant suddenly came in and reported, "Report!! Commander Sima Qu is back!"

"What??"

Everyone looked outside the tent in surprise, and sure enough, Sima Ju, wearing a beautiful armor, walked in swaggeringly.

"Brother!!" Xu He was surprised and wanted to step forward and hug Sima Ju, but when he saw the armor on Sima Ju, he stopped immediately and his eyes became gloomy.

"Commander Sima Qu... you are wearing the battle armor of the Pingyuan Army, right?" Xu He asked with hesitation.

Sima Ju patted the mountain armor on his body and said with a smile, "Yes! What do you think of this armor?"

"Good stuff!"

"How did you get Qu Shuai?"

All the generals around him were ignorant, and their eyes were full of envy.

They are all fighting men, who wouldn't want to get a pair of armor like this.

This is a life at a critical moment.

"Hmph! It seems that Brother Sima is here to be a lobbyist!" Xu He snorted, and the others immediately realized, no, wasn't it said that Sima Ju was arrested? Why is he now wearing the clothes of the Pingyuan Army?

Came running?

Sima Ju sighed first, and then said, "The Pingyuan Army has occupied Dongpingling and Taixian County. Our army is now trapped in this area of ​​less than a hundred miles. Our army is short of cavalry and has no food to raise. It will take at most one month to defeat them."

The food is gone!”

"Even so, are we going to surrender to the government and the army?" Xu He scolded excitedly, "Sima Ju, have you forgotten the great sage's instructions for us to create a peaceful world? Have you forgotten how the government squeezed us? Have you forgotten?

How did our family starve to death! Have we forgotten the brothers who were trapped and killed in Jizhou?

Surrendering to the government is a dead end!"

Saying that, Xu He pulled out his sword, pointed it at Sima Ju and said, "Sima Ju, if you want to surrender, I will not stop you for the sake of our brothers for many years, but I, Xu He, will never surrender to the Han!"

"Yes! You can't surrender!"

"Don't forget what happened in Jizhou back then. How many brothers surrendered and were killed? The officers and soldiers cannot be trusted!!"
Chapter completed!