In the blink of an eye, it was the end of April, and Yuan Mai's arrow wound was almost healed. In addition to not pushing too hard, he has been able to move freely.

After receiving the military order from Yuan Shao to rush south to aid the party, Yuan Mai did not dare to delay, and quickly sent a message to order Lu Yi and Wang Shuang to withdraw and return to Yanmen. After the two armies met, they pulled out the camp and went south, preparing to go to Shangdang to join Zhang He and Gao Gan, and fight a decisive battle with the main army of the Xiongnu.

The three giants discussed and ordered Hao Zhao to lead 5,000 men and horses, and the 3,000 men of Zhenggu as the vanguard, and go south along the post road Keri. Wang Shuang led 4,000 cavalry, Yuan Mai, Liyi, and Tian Feng led 15,000 people as the middle road, and Tian Chou and Zhao commanded the rear of the 5,000 people, and escorted grain and grass.

With a team of nearly 40,000 people, in addition to more than 30,000 people who went to Shangdang to fight the Huns in the south, Yuan Mai also left 5,000 men and horses to guard Yanmen Pass to prevent the sporadic tribes of the Huns from entering and plundering the people.

Because there are only 2,000 guards in Yanmen County, they can only defend the city at most. In case there were Xiongnu Liukou who invaded and plundered after the withdrawal of the Koji Yi Division, they were really unable to expel it by relying on the county soldiers alone. After all, Yanmen is the land of the Yuan family, and as a parent official, Yuan Mai must consider the people.

The march of the army lasted for two days, passing through the territory of Mayi.

Koi Yi pointed to a sand dune on the side of the road and said, "Childe still remembers this place?" ”

"I almost died here, how can I not remember?" Yuan Mai Lema sighed, more than a month has passed, pinch his fingers and calculate, Brother Zhang Qian should almost come back from Xiapi, I don't know if there is any gain from visiting Zhang Liao this time?

"This mound is the grave of the more than 100 knights who visited the White Horse Pavilion with Gongzi. Childe wants to worship? Lu Yi reined in beside Yuan Mai and reminded him.

"They all died for me, why don't they worship?"

Yuan Mai turned over and dismounted, ordered people to prepare incense and offerings, and brought the remaining dozens of people to the grave with Zhou Cang that day to worship, read the eulogy, and then turned over and got on the horse.

"Now that I have to visit my old place again, I have to go to the White Horse Pavilion to visit my old friends. It's still the old rule, Mr. Yuan Hao and General Shutong led the army south, and I took Zhou Cang on a trip. Yuan Mai pointed to the west. It is about 30 miles away from the White Horse Pavilion. It can be reached in an hour.

Lu Yimo rubbed his beard and looked puzzled: "To put it mildly, this Zhang Liao is just a cavalry lieutenant under Lu Bu, how can he be deed." So much so that the son was condescended. Repeated visits? ”

Yuan Mai smiled slightly. Xin said that your ability to use troops is indeed good, and you are a good hand in training soldiers and commanding battles in battle. But the real commander of the army, in charge alone, you are not a grade compared to Zhang Liao. Moreover, Zhang Liao is skilled in arching and horses, excellent in martial arts, and he is also above you in solo combat. In a word, you are a general, but Zhang Liao is a handsome talent!

Of course, Yuan Mai was just talking to himself in his stomach, and he would never dare to say it in front of Koji Yi. This guy is arrogantly tight, even his cheap dad doesn't pay much attention to it, let alone himself! Moreover, Koji Yi has not been completely convinced of himself until now, and the reason why he unites with himself, and even obeys his orders, is because of the situation and for self-preservation. If he listened to what he said in his heart, it would be strange if he didn't turn his face with himself!

"Someone once highly recommended Zhang Liao to me, saying that he has some skills, and he should fight for it no matter what." Yuan Mai said goodbye to Koji Yi and Tian Feng, took Zhou Cang, led three hundred knights, turned his horse to the west, and went straight to the White Horse Pavilion.

This time to the west, it was much safer than before, because there were still 5,000 people behind him, so Yuan Mai was not worried about encountering an ambush again. Yuan Xi has been eradicated, and the Xiongnu army has also moved south to the party; The Black Mountain thieves were blocked by the remote passes, and there was no powerful military group in this radius of hundreds of miles to threaten them, so they could visit the White Horse Pavilion with confidence.

After galloping for more than an hour, a group of people and horses came to the White Horse Pavilion. It's still that small village and town, but compared to the previous Xiao Suo, it is already full of flowers, peach and plum are fragrant, and the poplar branches on both sides of the road have also sent out green shoots, indicating that spring is coming.

remembered that the last time I visited the White Horse Pavilion, it was the Fan brothers who accompanied me. It's only been more than a month, and the White Horse Pavilion is still the White Horse Pavilion, but the loyal guards have been buried in the dust forever, how can it not be embarrassing!

"Although the Fan brothers are blind under Jiuquan, when I become the lord of Jizhou, I will definitely treat your Fan family well." Yuan Mai sighed in his heart, raised his hand and knocked on the vermilion door of Zhang Qian's house.

"Coming, coming......" One person quickly opened the door when he heard the sound, it was Zhang Mao who had just returned from Xuzhou.

"Uh...... Yuan Gongzi? Zhang Mao was surprised and a little ashamed.

Yuan Mai smiled, but he was a little surprised in his heart, I don't know if the two brothers went to Xiapi? Didn't they tell them to send someone to the barracks to inform them no matter what the outcome was?

"After a month's absence, I don't know if the two brothers have visited Wenyuan in Xiapi?" Yuan Mai suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart and asked calmly.

"Hi...... Don't mention it! Zhang Mao scratched his head a little embarrassed, "Didn't you just come back yesterday, my eldest brother and I went back and forth for nearly a month, and stayed in Xiapi for four or five days, Wen Yuan, a stupid person, refused to leave Lu Bu...... Alas, what a shame on the childe. ”

This was not out of Yuan Mai's expectations, if Zhang Liao could be persuaded to surrender so easily, then this person's character was really not good, and he was not worthy of respect. What I want to know most now in my heart is, what does Zhang Liao think in his heart now? Will there be a chance to snatch people from Cao Cao's men in the future?

"It's okay, Wen Yuan's name of loyalty and righteousness, I have heard of it a long time ago, but I don't know what Wen Yuan said?"

At this moment, Zhang Qian walked out of the hall and saw Yuan Mai hurriedly giving a salute: "The villain came to see the son, and he was entrusted by the son, so he was really shameless." ”

Zhang Qian immediately took Yuan Mai's hand and went straight into the guest hall. Ordered his subordinates to serve tea, explained the situation of this trip to Xuzhou in detail, and finally shook his head and said: "Wenyuan is not wise, he has the favor of the son, and I hope that the son will not be blamed!" ”

It's too late for Yuan Mai to be happy, how can he be strange. Since Zhang Liao has brought his wife and children back, is he still far from returning to his hometown? Although Zhang Liao is loyal, if he makes a choice between his wife and children and Lu Bu, it is estimated that he will still choose his wife and children......

Yuan Mai guessed that the reason why Zhang Liao didn't leave was perhaps because he felt that Lu Bu still had a chance to defend Xiapi, after all, Lu Bu's main force had not yet confronted Cao Jun head-on, and his strength still existed, so Zhang Liao planned to gamble. Since he said that he would break through and join him after the city was broken, it was obviously not just a polite remark, but a reserved way back. As long as Zhang Liao can avoid being captured by Cao Cao, then this good general is likely to be taken under his command, but how to do it is indeed a tricky problem!

Zhang Qian ordered his servants to summon his younger sister-in-law Yang to visit Yuan Mai. After a lot of effort, a young woman of twenty-four or five years old, dignified appearance and graceful figure came to the guest hall and saluted Yuan Maiyingying: "Concubine to meet the son." I heard that the son is very important to the husband, and he is very grateful, but the husband is loyal and can't serve the son, and he is still in Haihan! ”

"Huh...... Sister-in-law doesn't have to be polite, I have heard of Wenyuan's loyalty. For the sake of loyalty, he refused to abandon his old master, which is admirable, why is it strange? If I had a relationship with Wenyuan, I would fight side by side. Yuan Mai smiled and signaled that the Yang family did not need to be polite.

For the humble and polite fourth son of the Yuan family, the Yang family has a good impression, and feels that it is a pity that her husband has missed such a lord, and secretly plans in her heart to repair a letter with her husband when she turns back, and listen to the good words of the son of the Yuan family, so that he must not take the wrong idea.

While talking, Zhang Liao's eight-year-old son Zhang Hu went to the guest hall to look for his mother, and the Yang family ordered him to visit the son, and Zhang Hu made a salute: "Xiaohu visits the son." ”

Yuan Mai nodded and praised: "Yes, this son has his father's demeanor, and he will definitely be able to make contributions in the future." Although he said this, he felt a little regretful in his heart, although Zhang Hu inherited his father's title and could be regarded as a usable general, his comprehensive ability was difficult to match his father's back.

Yuan Mai proposed again: "Since more than a dozen people from your Zhang family have returned with Brother Zhang, I think they are already accustomed to a military career, and what they want is to make meritorious contributions, why don't you let them serve under me?" ”

"That's great!" Zhang Qian was overjoyed when he heard this, he was afraid that Yuan would not accept it, so he did not dare to bring it up.

In fact, Yuan Mai has no interest in these "deserters", and he is estimated to be some gutless rats who escaped from the battle, but in order to win over Zhang Liao, it is the king to have a good relationship with his clansmen first!

So, Zhang Qian went from house to house to inform them, these veterans who fled back from Xiapi, heard that the son of the Yuan family came to the door to seek talent again, and immediately got up and followed Zhang Qian to meet the son, and the elders of the Zhang family also followed together to thank Yuan Mai.

Yuan Mai glanced at these people, and could see that they were all strong people, and they were expected to have been on the battlefield for a long time, and it was estimated that their combat effectiveness was good, but the behavior of escaping from the battle was not flattering. Although they have Zhang Liao's order, if they have the heart, they can also fight side by side with Zhang Liao and advance and retreat together, just like those who remain. Such an escape from the battle inevitably makes people look down.

Among these people, Zhang Kuang was the leader, and when he was under Lu Bu, he was a tun commander and was in charge of a hundred people. It is estimated that he also felt that it was not a glorious thing to slip away from the battle, and said to Yuan Maizuo: "Cao Cao's army is pressing, and he should have lived and died with Wen Hou, but he has an old mother in his family, and he has Wenyuan's life, so he has to return to his hometown." ”

Yuan Mai didn't bother to bother with him about this matter, just for them to contact Zhang Liao, and said with a smile: "It's okay, it's that I asked your elders to repair the book for you, so I naturally understand your feelings." Since you are the commander of the tun under Lu Bu, I will appoint you as a military candidate, and if you make meritorious service, you will be rewarded. ”

Zhang Kuang was overjoyed when he heard this, and thanked him repeatedly. The people of the Zhang clan were overjoyed, and it was natural that they could work for the Yuan family and follow Lu Bu, which made the Zhang Qian brothers very envious and sighed in vain. Yuan Mai ordered Zhang Kuang and others to pack up their things, immediately followed him and set off, then bid farewell to Zhang Qian, and led his group to the south to chase the army. (To be continued......)