Mai Ke waved his hand: "Thank you for your greetings, can you be accommodating and let us enter the customs?"

The man replied, "No, according to the regulations, the border is not as important as anywhere else." However, I have heard your Mai Ke's name to Zhongjiu, I am very good, and I admire it in my heart, so I will take the risk today and reopen the door!"

"Thank you so much!" Mai Ke shook again.

"No need to be polite, even if you are punished, I will also befriend you as a hero. Xiang Zhong said heroically.

"Drop the drawbridge and welcome the hero's triumph!"

With Xiang Zhong's order, the drawbridge fell down with a clatter, lying horizontally on the trench in front of the pass, paving a passage for the expeditionary force to enter the pass.

Mai Ke marched head-on, and the 5,000 people behind him entered the pass in a five-way column.

Inside, Xiang Zhong was still shouting: "Come out! Go down! Line up to welcome the triumphant heroes!"

After entering the pass, Xiang Zhong walked quickly, greeted Mai Ke, and then the two continued to walk forward side by side.

While walking, he told Mai Ke that they had received a notice from Mai Ke a few days ago, and that Li Hongzhang, Lao Chongguang, Xiang Rong and others had all come yesterday and were going to hold a banquet to welcome him.

He also said that the emperor also had a reward for playing well and winning glory for the emperor.

"Brother Xiang, since you are also surnamed Xiang, are you and Admiral Xiang family?" Mai Ke asked.

"Yes, he is my cousin, and he is more distant, and I can't count on his help! ”

Then he said to Mai Ke mysteriously: "I heard about my brother's exploits, which made the dragon in the Dragon Court wide-faced." I want to give you a heavy reward, maybe in a while you will be the Marquis!"

"If that's the case, I won't forget to tell my brother!" Mai Ke was also very happy to hear it, although he didn't attach importance to this, but he was too happy to be a lord, and he still looked forward to having such an experience.

Further on, on the left is a camp with 10,000 troops, which seems to have taken a short break before leaving the customs.

This camp is a natural hideaway. Except for imports. Surrounded on all sides by hills and hills, the camp is enclosed so that nothing can be seen outside.

Xiang Zhong said: "Let your army enter this camp, there is already food and drink prepared in it, and after eating, you can rest." Stay here for the night. Open again tomorrow morning. That's right. There is also wine in it, and it is up to you to decide whether to drink it or not. It is recommended that everyone drink and celebrate.

"All officers above the middle level. I went to attend Lord Li Hongzhang's dinner, and I congratulated you on it!"

Mai Ke replied: "Thank you very much! Let me go and set up the team first, and then go to the banquet." Wait for my brother. ”

"No problem, go ahead, I'll wait for you. Xiang Zhong waved his hand very generously, and then the smile faded into a cold face, and the corners of his eyes inadvertently showed a fierce look.

If Mai Ke saw his look, he would definitely not care about thirty-seven twenty-one, and he would not stop or eat, and he would leave with his feet. It's a pity that this kid is secretive, and Mai Ke is not in the best state, so he didn't notice it.

Mai Ke entered the camp, took a look at it, and felt that there was no big difference from before, but some camp tents, furniture and other things were new, and it was estimated that he heard that the expeditionary force had come back and bought them again.

Next to the large battalion is used by the officers and soldiers guarding the customs, and the scale is less than half of the large battalion, that is, the capacity of three or four thousand people.

Time was limited, so Mai Ke let Shi Dakai take charge of these people, and he himself went to the banquet, and most of the generals above the middle level went with him.

Before leaving, Shi Dakai was especially instructed not to drink too much, at least half of the people should be sober and not drunk, and they should be especially careful with food.

Xiang Zhong outside was still waiting, a little like a year, he was afraid that something had happened in the middle, in fact, the time was less than twenty minutes.

Behind Mai Ke is Ma Lanshi, the captain of the spear team of the Ma family's army, which is equivalent to the commander of the regular army, followed by Shi Dakai's two regiment commanders, and below are the battalion commander and company commander.

Xiang Zhong saw these people coming out, especially Mai Ke was also there, he breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly asked everyone to move forward together, not far in front of him.

As he was moving forward, a group of soldiers ran by and explained to Zhong that this was a routine patrol at the border gate, and Mai Ke did not suspect it except that there was one more person.

The effort was not great, and when I came to the place where the banquet was held, I saw a few people descending to greet them, three who knew and one who didn't know, and they said in unison: "Welcome to the triumphant return of Mai Ke!"

Mai Ke thanked each other: "Hello Master Li! Hello to Lord Lao! Hello to Adult!" and said to the last person: "Hello this adult! I am Mai Ke!"

The man was about thirty years old, with a white face and a slight beard, and a stiff face, and replied slowly: "Zeng Guoquan!"

Mai Ke was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but look at him again, and said in his heart: "How did this guy who was the most ruthless executioner in history and slaughtered the most soldiers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom here?"

Mai Ke couldn't help but increase his vigilance in his heart.

Although this Zeng Guoquan is the first time to see Mai Ke, Mai Ke's name has already made his ears calloused, and the eldest brother Zeng Guofan has said too much!

In addition to the eldest Zeng Guofan, the five tigers of the Zeng family waited until after the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom uprising in history to come out of the mountains one after another, with only one purpose being to suppress the uprising;

Therefore, the five tigers of the Zeng family all regarded Mai Ke as an imaginary enemy and a whetstone to increase their skills and prepare to face the enemy in person.

As soon as I heard that I had the opportunity to meet Mai Ke this time, when I faced him, Zeng Guoquan tried his best to win this opportunity, of course, because the eldest brother Zeng Guofan was in charge of this matter, as long as he nodded, the matter was done, so there was an unexpected encounter with Mai Ke.

Zeng Guoquan's errand was to be a messenger, and the emperor wanted to reward Mai Ke and needed his edict, so Zeng Guoquan became a powerful minister of the Qin, representing the emperor and dealing with Mai Ke.

Zeng Guoquan looked at Mai Ke, and remembered what his eldest brother said: "When you go this time, you must act at the opportunity, think twice before acting, don't take risks, don't take risks, I will give you the authority to act cheaply, use it well, and do it yourself!"

Zeng Guoquan is known as the first of the five tigers of the Zeng family in history, in addition to his commanding talent, his consistent ruthless personality is the decisive factor. This determines that no matter when, as long as he determines that the other party is an enemy, he will want to get rid of him quickly!

Not only will they want to get rid of it, but they will also use the most poisonous methods to get rid of it, never give the enemy a chance to breathe, and never let the enemy resurrect!

So under the leadership of Zeng Guoquan, a conspiracy against Mai Ke and his expeditionary force came out!

The four people who welcomed Mai Ke today were the participants in the plot, and Xiang Zhong was one of the main executors.

Mai Ke is getting deeper and deeper into this conspiracy!.

(To be continued......)