Hongnong went all the way east into Henan County, and Zhang Liao had been waiting for Xu Shu in Xincheng County for a long time.

When Xu Shu left Chang'an, Lu Bu flew a pigeon and passed the book to Zhang Liao.

In addition to asking Zhang Liao to meet the new deputy chief of general staff of the Central Army, who is also his superior, there is also a meaning that Zhang Liao should protect Xu Shu's safety.

Therefore, Zhang Liao waited in Xincheng early, and after meeting Xu Shu, he admired the other party's name for a long time, which meant that he hated seeing each other late.

Zhang Liao's respect for Xu Shu is also from the bottom of his heart, when he went deep into Jingzhou, it was Xu Shu who warned Lu Bu in time, reported the disappearance of Guo Jia and others, and reminded Lu Bu.

Only then did they send reinforcements in time and save Zhang Liao at a critical moment.

With this relationship, the two can talk very well, and Xu Shu has learned a lot of new tactics and ideas from Zhang Liao.

This made him feel that he had not attended the Central Military Academy, that he was still a little uncomfortable with many new things in the Central Army, and that he could not keep up with the development of some tactical ideas and strategic theories.

After he decided to return to Chang'an, he would go to the Army University for further study to make up for his shortcomings.

The two of them chatted while walking, Zhang Liao kept sending Xu Shu and others to the border between Henan and Yingchuan, and he was still a little unsatisfied, waving goodbye.

Even so, Zhang Liao did not relax his vigilance, and he ordered a brigade of the Third Division to be stationed in Liang County, ready to meet Xu Shu and his party at any time.

Xu Shu and his entourage soon went deep into the territory of Yingchuan and went back to the old parents' club first.

What you see is a tragic scene of ruins and bones, and many villages are surrounded by mounds.

At the time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, this was the main battlefield, and the fighting was fierce, and the local people suffered heavy casualties.

Later, after the Dong Zhuo Rebellion and the melee between the Kwantung warlords, the population decreased a lot, and many of the noble clans in Yingchuan had already moved their clans.

Xu Shu only saw a few relatives in his hometown, most of whom died in the war and plague, and several of them only moved back in the past two years.

After Cao Cao occupied Yingchuan, it was finally settled here, and some people could not leave their homeland and moved back.

However, most of Xu Shu's closest relatives had died in the war, and he confessed to the rest of the clansmen that he had become a senior official in Chang'an, and this time he was ordered by his mother to come back to visit his relatives.

He hoped that his people would move with him to Guanzhong, where they would be richer and safer, and that he would be able to take better care of them.

These relatives heard that Xu Shu had become a big official in Chang'an, so they were naturally willing to go with him, of course, these people went to Chang'an, and naturally someone from the Ministry of Intelligence arranged for them.

Xu Shu inquired with them about the whereabouts of several of his classmates and friends, and some people really knew, and they told him that Shi Tao and Meng Jian had gone to Jingzhou for refuge.

Not only Shi Tao and Meng Jian, but also many celebrities and nobles from Yingchuan moved to Jingzhou, and Liu Biao welcomed these celebrities and scholars, and Jingzhou rarely fought and was relatively stable.

Therefore, many people live in seclusion on the outskirts of Xiangyang, but they are also at ease.

After Xu Shu inquired about the address, he took Ma Tie and others to Jingzhou, and he had no nostalgia for this dilapidated homeland.

Anyway, the first thing he did when he went south this time was to look for relatives and friends, and the relatives in his hometown were all settled, and he also went to a heart disease, and the next thing was to visit friends with peace of mind.

He plans to bring these friends of his mine back to Chang'an this time, so that they can serve the court and the lord, and he will be considered a great achievement.

In particular, he thinks that these friends are all people with great ability to ask questions, and they don't come out, they just think that they haven't met the master.

And he also had to take the opportunity to inspect the customs of Yuzhou and Jingzhou and the garrison of the city, and step on the road for the future southward battle.

Leaving Changshe, Xu Shu and the others went all the way to the southwest, because as long as they crossed Lushan, they could directly enter the boundary of Jingzhou.

Although it is the border artery between Jingzhou and Yuzhou, Liu Biao's defense against Cao Cao is far less strict than that of Lu Bu, and the checkpoint check is much simpler.

The personnel of Jingzhou's intelligence department had already waited on the Jingzhou side, changed the guide, and Xu Shu's caravan continued south.

Jingzhou is obviously a different scene, densely populated, and the fields are full of luxuriant farmland, which is obviously more prosperous than Cao Cao's territory.

The damage caused by the Yellow Turban Rebellion has long been gone, after all, the Nanyang Yellow Turban was the first to be pacified, and Xu Shu and Zhang Mancheng took the team away together, and the damage to the local area was much smaller.

Except for the recent time when Zhang Liao went deep behind enemy lines and disturbed Jingzhou, there was no disaster of swords and soldiers here.

Therefore, all parts of Jingzhou are stable and prosperous, which is obviously different from Cao Cao's territory.

Bowang, Wanxian, and Yuyang along the way are all prosperous and lively cities, especially Wanxian, where travelers flow endlessly, and caravans like Xu Shu are not uncommon.

In Wan County, Xu Shu's caravan also encountered Li Yan's investigation, Li Yan was responsible for guarding Wan County, and paid close attention to these merchants who traveled from south to north.

Fortunately, the guide of the intelligence department was well prepared, the road guide and the reported information were readily available, and some bribes were given to the city gate officials, and they easily passed the customs without any mistakes.

Xu Shu also made a special detour to Xinye, and he heard that Liu Bei's brothers were stationed in Xinye.

Liu Bei had seven or eight thousand people under him, and when Xu Shu passed by, he quietly watched their training, which can be regarded as elite.

Listening to the discussion of passers-by, every day there are celebrities and people from Jingzhou's big families who come to visit Liu Bei, Liu Bei also loves the people, military discipline is very strict, and the people of Xinye love Liu Bei far more than Liu Biao.

So when the caravan met the elite of the 20,000 Jingzhou troops led by Wei Yan stationed here in Chaoyang County, twenty miles south of Xinye.

Xu Shu smiled and said to Ma Tie: "Liu Jingsheng made it clear that he didn't trust his fellow sect, he not only wanted Liu Bei to guard the northern gateway for him, but also had to send someone to guard against Liu Bei. ”

Wei Yan's management of the army was rigorous, and the soldiers practiced non-stop, as if they were ready to fight at any time.

Moreover, Wei Yan's military camp was set up outside the north gate of Chaoyang, facing the direction of Xinye.

Xu Shu followed the address he had previously gotten and found Deng County, a rural area in Xiangyang.

Along the way, it is a good pastoral scenery, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, and several thatched huts and thatched huts are hidden between the mountains and rivers, like a paradise.

Xu Shu inquired about the villagers, and finally found Shi Tao, who lived in seclusion here, he left the carriage of the caravan outside the mountain, and he only took Ma Tie and a few personal guards, and entered the mountain village along the path.

Climbing over the bamboo hill, a small stream appeared in front of me, and on the clearing by the stream, several thatched wooden houses were built, and a thin fence wall was built outside.

There were two people in the courtyard drinking each other, laughing heartily from time to time.

(End of chapter)