At this very moment, in the central army camp of the Song army.

Zhe Yanzhi, commander of the Left Army, Li Chongguang, commander of the Right Army, Shen Yuqing, commander of the Front Army, Li Xiuxian, commander of the Tiger Army, Zhang Yunshan, commander of the Firearms Battalion, and Qin Hui, the military commissioner of the Censorate, were all in the military camp.

Which of these people isn't a big shot in the Song Dynasty army, whose every stomp would cause the ground to tremble?

Their eyes were sharp as knives, and their whole bodies exuded an aura of majesty.

Li Chongguang was eight feet tall and wore a full set of black armor. His right wing was also known as the Black Flag Army, a famous heavy infantry force in the northern Yanyun region.

This man was always arrogant, and he thought that if he could capture Shenzhou City, it would be a great achievement. However, he did not expect that the troops would suddenly withdraw.

Upon hearing that the order to withdraw troops was issued privately by Xie Qian, he immediately flew into a rage.

A voice suddenly came from outside: "Report! The Marshal requests Qin Yusi's presence!"

The generals' expressions softened, and they all looked at Qin Hui, who simply nodded, indicating that they need not worry.

The reason why the generals had such expressions was because they heard that Jie Qian had privately ordered the troops to withdraw.

This violates military regulations, and the Control Yuan will certainly not let it go lightly.

The marshal summoned Qin Hui at this moment, presumably to arrest Xie Qian.

Qin Hui then went out and soon arrived at the marshal's tent.

The central army commander's tent was heavily guarded, with layers upon layers of soldiers. Without the marshal's personal order, no one else could enter.

Qin Hui felt uneasy, having heard that the marshal had suddenly fallen ill, and he didn't know the extent of his illness.

If something were to happen to me here, how would I explain it to the Emperor when I return?

But when Qin Hui went in, he saw Xie Qian standing to the side and Zhong Shidao lying on the bed, and his heart skipped a beat.

Physician Hu, standing to the side, was already covered in cold sweat from fright.

Jie Qian's eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead.

"Qin Yusi."

"General Jie, how is the Marshal's condition?"

"Marshal... the Marshal... he's gone..."

Jie Qian, a man who was eight feet tall, was usually strong and powerful, giving people a very strong feeling.

But at this moment, he felt as if all his strength had been drained.

The news came as a complete shock, and Qin Hui nearly stumbled back several steps.

After a brief moment of shock, Qin Hui quickly regained his composure: "Besides the two of you, who else knows about this?"

"Qin Yusi, no one else knows about him at the moment."

"Alright, keep this a secret. Just say the marshal is tired and needs to rest, and he won't see anyone."

"What should we do now?"

"Where is the marshal's insignia?"

"Here."

Qin Hui took it and said, "Keep the death a secret and withdraw the troops back to Youzhou."

"Qin Yusi, if we go to Youzhou now, will we miss a golden opportunity?"

"An army without a commander is a major taboo. Once the morale of the army collapses, the Jin invaders will realize what is happening and our army will surely be defeated."

"I am entirely at the command of Prime Minister Qin."

This was a temporary measure, although Qin Hui was likely to be impeached by the emperor for arbitrarily withdrawing troops.

But it was a last resort.

Whichever commander of the local army steps forward to temporarily take charge will cause dissatisfaction among others, leading to internal disputes and chaos.

But Qin Hui was different.

As an official in the Imperial Censorate, he was not, in principle, assigned to any war zone.

Apart from Zhong Shidao, none of the current commanders of the Xiang Army are of the same rank as Qin Hui.

Therefore, at this critical juncture, it was most appropriate for Qin Hui to step forward.

What is most important?

Maintaining the stability of the army is of paramount importance.

With victory within reach, if the army were to fall into disarray at this moment, giving the Jurchens an opportunity to take advantage and suffer a defeat, Qin Hui would undoubtedly be the first to be targeted by the emperor upon his return.

Therefore, Qin Hui's decision to step forward at this time was not out of patriotism or a sense of responsibility, but rather out of fear for his own life.

Qin Hui pondered for a moment and said, "Keep this matter a secret for now, and don't announce the death. We'll make arrangements when we return to Youzhou."

"Here you go!"

After the discussion was completed, Xie Qian followed Qin Hui to the camp where the generals were gathered.

When the two entered, everyone stood up simultaneously.

Especially after seeing Xie Qian, his eyes practically spit fire.

Li Chongguang glared at Xie Qian and said, "Xie Qian, we will see the Marshal in person."

"Marshal Li, the Marshal is unwell and cannot see anyone."

"You say you won't see me, but we want to hear the Marshal say those words for ourselves."

Zheyan Zhi said from the side, "General Jie, our army is at the city gates, and the fall of the city is just around the corner, yet you want to retreat? What is the purpose of this? And why does the marshal not see us? Give us an explanation!"

Li Xiuxian, the commander of the Tiger Legion's garrison, said, "If there is no explanation today, we will all go to His Majesty to report you!"

Seeing that he could no longer control the situation, Qin Hui said, "Gentlemen, the Marshal is unwell. Please be patient. I have already ordered someone to ride at full speed to the capital to inform His Majesty."

When Qin Hui spoke, everyone fell silent.

After all, Qin Hui was a member of the Censorate and held the rank of Minister of the Imperial Court.

"Prime Minister Qin, with the troops outside and the enemy's attack imminent, retreating at this time is a cardinal sin in military strategy. Even if it is a personal order from the Marshal, you should give us an explanation."

Left with no other choice, Qin Hui pulled out the marshal's token and, assuming the identity of the supervising officer, declared: "The entire army shall return to Youzhou immediately, and no one shall disobey!"

The generals were slightly taken aback, then bowed and said, "Yes, sir!"

Although the reason is unclear, the fact that even Qin Hui has stepped forward indicates that the marshal's condition is very serious, and this matter has been suppressed.

The generals then led their troops and followed the main force southward.

The Song army retreated very quickly and decisively, so much so that the Jin army did not even have time to react.

Fearing a trap by the Song army, the Jin army only dared to send people to investigate two days later.

Two more days passed before the Jin army's cavalry dared to begin reconnaissance.

Indeed, this time they terrified the Jin Dynasty.

This time, the Song army defeated the Jin army with almost no effort.

Although it is unknown why the Song army suddenly withdrew, the news brought back by the scouts was indeed that the Song army had withdrawn.

The experienced Wanyan Zonghan immediately realized that something big must have happened to the Song army, but he dared not pursue them.

Not only did he not dare to, he also planned to write a letter of surrender to Zhao Huan, ending this war whose outcome was already decided shortly after it began.

He knew that even if he caught up now, he would not be a match for the Song army.

Once the Song state has dealt with the unexpected situation, it will surely make a comeback.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to surrender properly, admit mistakes, cede territory, and pay reparations, at least then we can continue to dangle here.

If that doesn't work, I can always go back to the capital.

The Jurchens originated north of Shangjing, so meeting their ancestral home is a good thing.

P.S.: Happy Qixi Festival everyone!