The next day, seeing that the thieves had dispersed, Yuan Mai led his subordinates back to the battlefield to collect the bodies of the dead brothers. In any case, they follow their birth and death, and they must not be allowed to abandon their bones in the wilderness!

On the battlefield, one hundred and ten corpses were scattered all over the place, the blood had dried up, and from time to time there were crows, eagles and falcons and other birds of prey pecking at the dead corpses. Black Mountain thieves don't pay so much attention to it, dead is dead, who will care about you? After the battle, they disappeared without a trace, and they did not know where they had gone!

These thieves who fell into the grass have experienced all kinds of disasters, many of them are thieves from after the Yellow Turban Incident, escaped the encirclement and suppression of officers and soldiers from all walks of life, and survived the plague and drought; Nine deaths and one life, death has long been regarded as an ordinary thing, and no one will have the slightest pity for the deceased.

In a skirmish last night, five officers and soldiers were killed and seventy or eighty Montenegrin thieves were killed. In fact, Yuan Mai could have led his troops to escape, but he didn't want to do this, and often participated in battles, which could allow the soldiers to accumulate battlefield experience and boost morale.

A unit that wants to flee when it sees a thief, what fighting spirit does the soldier have in the long run? Not to mention fighting against the regular armies of the princes of all stripes. Therefore, Yuan Mai knew that he was going to die, but he still encouraged his subordinates to fight against the Black Mountain thieves who were several times his size, in order to hone the combat effectiveness of his troops and accumulate battlefield experience. As the saying goes, "one will make ten thousand bones dry", if you want to achieve hegemony, there are many people?

More than forty people dismounted, used knives and axes as hoes, dug a large pit, buried the dead brothers in it, and piled up a mound, which was considered their final belonging.

Although it is a little miserable, in this troubled world where human life is as cheap as grass mustard, there are many white bones on the road, and it is good to be able to bury a handful of loess. Compared to the Black Mountain thieves who want to become bird delicacies, these officers and soldiers are obviously much luckier!

No one sighed or shed tears among the living soldiers, but they silently looked at the mound and bid farewell to their former comrades. After years of war, drought, and plague, who has no relatives who have died? For death, people in this era have become accustomed to it, and even a little numb.

Yuan Mai bowed down to the mound three times and ordered: "Fan Hu and Fan Leopard, write down the names of the brothers who died in battle, and go back to pay respects!" ”

"No!" The Fan brothers agreed, took out bamboo slips and knives and pens from the package on the horse, and solemnly engraved the name of the deceased.

After burying the fallen soldiers, Yuan Mai continued to lead his troops south along the river to find the place where Zhao Yun's brother was. Carefully probing all the way, walking and stopping, lest I encounter the robbing black mountain thieves again, and I traveled fifty or sixty miles, but the road was safe and sound.

Along the way, not only did he not meet the Black Mountain thieves, but he met several small teams of county soldiers. When I asked, I learned that it was a team sent by the Taishou of Changshan County to clear the Black Mountain thieves. Yuan Mai relieved himself to urge his subordinates to hurry, forgiving these small groups of black mountain thieves for not daring to go out in broad daylight.

After walking forward for more than ten miles, I saw a valley, and the peach trees all over the mountains were blooming with scorching peach blossoms, which was beautiful. It is a mountain village of about 100 households, the land around the river valley is fertile, many farmers are plowing the fields in the spring, women are washing clothes in the river, and children with bare buttocks are playing by the river.

"In such troubled times, it is really rare to have such a place that seems to be a paradise!"

Yuan Mai sighed in his heart, and instructed his subordinates to find a hidden place to wait, and he only took Fan Hu and Fan Bao brothers, and rode lightly into the village.

Coming to the woman washing clothes by the river, Yuan Mai turned over and dismounted, and bent down to the girl on the edge to salute: "Disturb the little lady, it's polite to be here!" ”

The girl looked back and was surprised to find a brightly dressed young man, heroic, leading a horse and two mighty retinues standing behind her to ask questions. hurriedly returned the salute: "Childe is invited, I don't know what to order?" ”

The girl has willow eyebrows, big eyes, fair skin, delicate facial features, about fifteen or sixteen years old, in this poor countryside, she can be regarded as a phoenix in the mountain nest, Yuan Mai couldn't help but praise in her heart, "What a beautiful embryo!" ”

"Huh...... The little lady doesn't have to be restrained, she took the liberty to come here to find Mr. Zhao Qi, I don't know where his home is? Hope for some guidance! Yuan Maiwan smiled and said politely.

The girl was stunned: "Uh...... You're looking for my big brother...... What are you looking for Zhao Qi? ”

Yuan Mai's observation was so keen, the girl's words naturally couldn't hide from his eyes, and he immediately concluded that this girl was Zhao Yun's sister. There was a burst of ecstasy in my heart, it was really "stepping on iron shoes without looking for a place, and it took no effort to get it", the sister of Changshan Zhao Zilong, a cattle man of the Three Kingdoms, is here, and she is also a flower-like girl who stands like a flower!

"Huh...... I'm from Youzhou, and it's not convenient to talk here, can I borrow a place to speak? Yuan Mai pretended to say.

In the end, he was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and he didn't know anything about the world, and after listening to Yuan Mai's words, he immediately believed it, hurriedly packed his clothes, and beckoned Yuan Mai: "Son, please come with me!" ”

Leaving the river, the girl turned sideways and said, "The little girl is Zhao Qi's sister, since the son claims to be from Youzhou, but he is entrusted by my second brother?" ”

"Sure enough, it's Zhao Yun's sister." Yuan Mai muttered in his heart, and said quietly: "I can't hide it, I am entrusted by General Zilong, and I have something important to visit Brother Ling, please quickly lead me to see Brother Ling."

"Since the second brother asked you to come, then come with me to the house!"

Since Yuan Mai said that he was entrusted by Zhao Yun, the girl no longer had any suspicions, led the way in front of the wooden basin, and led Yuan Mai and the three of them towards her house.

"Dare to ask how many brothers and sisters are there?" Yuan Mai followed behind the girl and asked softly, saying that this time it must be served in a pot and all Zhao Yun's relatives will be taken away, so as to increase the bargaining chips for Zhao Yun.

The girl smiled: "I originally had three brothers, the eldest brother Zhao Qi, the second brother Zhao Yun, and a third brother, who died with my father and mother during the plague a few years ago, and I also have two older sisters, but they are both married, and they were separated when they were attacked by moths and thieves a few years ago, and now they are missing." It's just me and my eldest brother's family! ”

Listening to the girl's words, Yuan Mai felt sad for a while. Born in troubled times, even a figure like Zhao Yun who later became a leader could not keep his family safe, his father and mother died of the plague, and his sister was lost.

"It's okay, the world will be peaceful in the future. Your sisters should be reunited! Yuan Mai comforted the girl, and asked, "I don't know what the little lady is called?" ”

When the girl heard Yuan Mai's words, she was very happy in her heart, and said with longing in her eyes: "It would be nice if the world could really be peaceful, I really miss the two elder sisters and the second brother." The little girl's single name is a Zhi character, and she doesn't dare to bother her son to ask. ”

Yuan Mai nodded and said, "It turned out to be Miss Zhao Zhi." He stopped talking, led the horses, took the Fan brothers, and followed Zhao Zhi into the village.

After a lot of effort, when he came to an ordinary farmhouse yard, Zhao Zhi pushed open the door and shouted: "Big brother is at home, there are guests from Youzhou!" ”

Yuan Mai handed over the horses to the Fan brothers, ordered the two of them to wait outside, and followed Zhao Zhi into the yard. I saw that there were four tiled houses and two thatched huts in the courtyard, which were ordinary peasant families.

Zhao Qi is a thirty-five or sixteen-year-old farmer, who is picking up farm tools at home today, and has not yet gone out to farm, when his sister suddenly brought back a stranger, got up and said vigilantly: "Who are you?" ”

Yuan Mai bowed and said: "I am from Youzhou, and I was entrusted by General Zilong to take refuge in Youzhou in the north. ”

Zhao Qi didn't believe it, and said vigilantly: "There is no basis for the words, but there is a letter from Zilong?" ”

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