The first to discover that Cao Jun had the intention of retreating was Lu Meng at the head of Xiangyang City. At this time, it was almost dusk, and if you didn't look closely, you would think that the two armies had temporarily stopped fighting and waited for another battle.

Lü Meng had already suggested that Liu Biao give an order to the Jingzhou Iron Guards outside the city to immediately retreat to the west gate. Seeing that the number of his guards was decreasing in the bloody battle, Liu Biao, who had long been distressed, of course obeyed his words, and quickly let the city ring the gong to collect the troops, and recalled the remaining less than 800 strong soldiers to the city gate.

The location close to the moat and the city gate hole is the key place for the defensive weapons at the head of the city, as long as Jiang Xu and Su Fei dodge, the current Cao Jun has no interest in asking for trouble.

It was the first time for Jiang Xu to show his strength in front of the army, but it had already surprised Liu Biao, who was watching the battle at the head of the city. He only thought that Lu Meng was the person that King Pingxi fancied, and Jiang Xu was just a small character who played the front station, ran errands, and delivered letters, but this time after seeing Jiang Xu's fierceness in the bloody battle with Cao Jun under the city, Liu Biao knew that none of the people sent by Zhao Xing were ordinary people.

Jiang Xu and Su Fei were both carried back to the suspension bridge of the moat by the soldiers, and they didn't know whether they were alive or dead at this time. But there is no doubt that after today's battle, the prestige of these two men in the army will inevitably rise rapidly. Not everyone has the courage to go out of the city with only 2,000 soldiers to face nearly 10,000 Cao troops.

Even if Cao's army retreated, it was not a swarm of routs on the whole front, but an organized and disciplined movement in batches. Although Cao Cao fainted because of the head wind, his generals and strategists were still there, and the deputy marshals Gao Ran and Yang Yi and others were also masters of commanding troops, even if they organized the troops to withdraw from the battlefield, they would not let the Tianyi army have obvious gaps to take advantage of.

Moreover, at this time, the Tianyi Army was basically unable to organize a decent pursuit. Because Zhao Gang, the commander of the Tianyi Army, was already in a coma with serious injuries, he was almost half a catty and eight taels with Lao Cao.

Lao Cao carried it in the position of the Chinese army, because he was angry and angry. Zhao Gang was unconscious in Qianjun's position, but because at the most critical juncture of the confrontation between the two armies, he finally had a close confrontation with Cao Hong, the vanguard general of the Cao army, and was seriously injured by Cao Hong.

Of course, Zhao Gang, who can beat the whole body of Mingguang armor, to be seriously injured, Rao is Cao Hong is a fierce general, so he is also covered in color, and he was carried away when he retreated.

The thoughtful Lu Xun, although he was not standing as high as Lu Menggao, quickly discovered Cao's intention to retreat northward, but at this time, he could only watch Cao Jun leave, unable to organize a large-scale pursuit operation.

The fierce battle that took place outside Xiangyang City today has not been able to say who the winner will be. In terms of strategic intentions alone, it is undoubtedly the Tianyi Army that has achieved its goal of rescuing Xiangyang, and if it is in terms of achieving its tactical goals, the Tianyi Army, which has already suffered more than 10,000 casualties, really cannot be said to have won a great victory.

Lu Xun had previously assisted Guan Yu in the Western Regions to fight against the Hu people, and had never encountered such a well-organized, disciplined, and well-equipped large-scale army as Cao Jun on the battlefield.

No matter how strong the cow is, it will eventually have to be slaughtered and eaten. But Cao Jun is obviously not a stupid cow, but a real opponent. Although there is still a gap between the quality of Cao Jun's firearms and that of the Jin State, it is undeniable that the number of firearms of the Cao Army is close to that of the Jin State, and when used in a centralized manner, it can also pose a huge threat to the Jin State's troops.

If it weren't for the Tianyi Army's decisive adoption of the method of targeted elimination and a quick return fire on Cao's thunderbolts, I am afraid that today's casualties would be even heavier. However, the first time the firearms battalion of the Tianyi Army was put into use, it was able to bring such a remarkable effect, which exceeded Lu Xun's expectations. If it weren't for a round of fierce shots that shocked Cao Jun's thunderbolt formation, I was afraid that these bulky big guys behind would cause more damage to the Tianyi Army.

Cao Cao did feel intimidated by the targeted elimination of the Shenwei cannon, although he didn't know what kind of powerful weapons the Tianyi army possessed at the time, but he keenly noticed that the opponent's artillery was obviously aimed at his own thunderbolts. If you continue to let the Thunderbolt fire, the opponent may be able to deduce the approximate direction and distance of the Thunderbolt along the arc and landing point of the projectile projected by your side, and then launch a more violent attack.

It was precisely because Cao Cao discovered this and decisively ordered the thunderbolt to withdraw from the battlefield that the two armies ignored the ordinary soldiers and fought against each other with firearms outside the city of Xiangyang.

When Cao's army retreated, he carried more than 10,000 corpses from the battlefield, which was more than the Tianyi army. The Tianyi army suffered more than 10,000 casualties, but most of them were wounded. Whether it is a serious injury or a minor injury, as long as there is a breath left, there is always hope of being saved.

From the very beginning of Zhao Xing's formation of troops, he tirelessly pursued how to reduce his own casualties and enhance the lethality of his equipment. This kind of thinking is very similar to the thinking of a superpower in later generations. That is, not only must I have the sharpest killing weapon in my hand, but also the strongest defensive equipment on my body, so that I only need to beat people and not let people beat me.

From this point of view, as a soldier under the command of the Jin State or the King of Pingxi, he is always happy. Although the weapons and equipment of the soldiers of the Tianyi Army were two to three times higher than those of the Cao Army in terms of price, the number of soldiers who died on the battlefield in the end was also inversely proportional to the price of the weapons and equipment.

Zhao Gang and Lu Xun did not hesitate to pay the cost of the casualties of the soldiers, and took the initiative to invite Ying to come to Xiangyang to help in the battle, the purpose was to train the soul of the troops. These large numbers of wounded soldiers will return to the battlefield after being treated, and then they will become a real iron army. Wouldn't it be self-defeating if they all died in the Great War?

The strategic goal has been achieved, and the purpose of training the troops has also been achieved, at this time, Lu Xun naturally will not think about making any immortal achievements, and organize the Tianyi army to follow Cao Jun, trying to tear off a few more pieces of meat from Cao Jun. This kind of ability is only possessed by the ace troops of the Flying Tiger Army and the Blue Wolf Army, which cannot be dragged to death or defeated.

Cao's army had already left the battlefield when night fell, and even the 10,000 people who stayed at the south gate and the 10,000 people who stayed at the east gate also went around the city under the leadership of Pan Feng and Niu Jin, leaving only a majestic and lonely Xiangyang City, standing quietly on the bank of the surging Han River.

The 20,000 troops that Huo Jun brought back from Changsha had already marched into Xiangyang City, and Liu Biao finally soothed his tense nerves. With Huo Jun's 20,000 fresh troops, Liu Biao doesn't have to worry about Cao Jun's return, and second, he is not afraid of the Tianyi Army's dominance, so he can finally sleep peacefully in Xiangyang City.

At this time, even if Lu Meng didn't remind Liu Biao, he knew what he should do as the host. Although he did not invite the Tianyi army to enter the city to rest, Liu Biao still enthusiastically sent his eldest son Liu Qi as a special envoy to carry a large number of grain and grass materials out of the city to reward and comfort the Tianyi officers and soldiers, and welcome the injured Tianyi army brothers into the city for treatment.

Huo Jun is back, there are 30,000 defenders in Xiangyang City, and if the Tianyi army goes in again, it does seem a little crowded.