In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of April, and Yuan Mai's arrow injury had almost healed. In addition to not being able to use too much force, he could move freely.

After receiving the military order from Yuan Shao to go south to help Shangdang, Yuan Mai did not dare to delay and quickly sent a proclamation to order Qu Yi and Wang Shuang to retreat to Yanmen. After the two armies met, they drove south and prepared to go to Shangdang to join Zhang He and the senior officials, and fought a decisive battle with the main army of the Huns.

The three giants discussed and ordered Hao Zhao to lead 5,000 troops and 3,000 troops as vanguards, and went south along the post road. Wang Shuang led 4,000 cavalry, then, Yuan Mai, Qu Yi and Tian Feng led 15,000 troops as the middle road, Tian Chou led 5,000 troops to control the palace rear, and escorted grain and grass.

A team of nearly 40,000 people, except for more than 30,000 people heading to Shangdang and heading south to fight the Huns, Yuan Mai also left 5,000 troops to guard Yanmen Pass to prevent the scattered Hun tribes from entering the country to plunder the people.

Because there are only two thousand guards in Yanmen County, they can only defend the city at most. If the Hun bandits take advantage of Quyi's troops and invade the enemy, they will be unable to expel them by relying solely on the county soldiers. After all, Yanmen is the land of the Yuan family, and as a parent official, Yuan Mai must consider it for the people.

There were two days when the army marched through Mayi.

Qu Yi pointed to a sand dune on the side of the road and said, "Do you still remember this place?"

"I almost died here, how can I remember?" Yuan Maila sighed. More than a month has passed. He calculated with his fingers that the Zhang Qian brothers should have come back from Xia Pi. I wonder if he had any gains when he visited Zhang Liao this time?

"This tomb is the tomb of more than 100 knights who visited the White Horse Pavilion with the young master. Do you want to worship me?" Qu Yi pulled the horse beside Yuan Mai and reminded me.

"They all died for me, how can they not worship?"

Yuan Mai turned over and dismounted the horse, ordered people to prepare incense and offerings, and brought the remaining dozens of people to the grave to worship, recited the eulogy, and then turned over to the horse.

"I have to visit my old place again this time, and I have to visit my old friends at Baima Pavilion. It is still the same rule. Mr. Yuan Hao and General Shutong led his army south, and I will take Zhou Cang for a trip." Yuan Mai pointed to the west, which was about thirty miles away from Baima Pavilion and could be reached in one hour.

Qu Yi rubbed his beard and looked puzzled: "To be brave, Zhang Liao is just a cavalry captain under Lu Bu. What kind of virtue can he have made the prince surrender and visit him repeatedly?"

Yuan Mai smiled slightly and thought to himself that Qu Yi's military ability is indeed good. You are a good player in training soldiers and commanding battles in front of the battlefield, but you are not of the same level as Zhang Liao when you are truly commanding the army and being the only one. Moreover, Zhang Liao is skilled in archery and horse skills, and his martial arts skills are superior to you. In summary, you are a general, but Zhang Liao is a handsome man!

Of course, Yuan Mai just talked to himself in his stomach and would never dare to say it in front of Qu Yi. This guy was so arrogant that he didn't take his cheap father seriously, let alone himself! Moreover, Qu Yi has not been completely convinced by him yet. The reason why he united with him and even obeyed him was because of the situation, and the other was to protect himself. If he listened to what he said in his heart, it would be strange if he didn't turn against him!

"Someone once recommended Zhang Liao to me, saying that he had some skills and should always try to get it." Yuan Mai said goodbye to Qu Yi and Tian Feng with his wrists, took Zhou Cang, led three hundred knights, drove his horse westward, and headed straight for the White Horse Pavilion.

This time, it was much safer than before. Because there were still tricks behind Tianchou and Tianchou's 5,000 troops behind the palace, Yuan Mai was not worried about encountering an ambush again. Yuan Xi had been eradicated, and the Huns' army had already gone south to Shangdang; the black bandits were blocked by natural barriers, and there was no powerful military group threatening him within a radius of hundreds of miles, so he could visit the White Horse Pavilion with confidence.

After more than an hour of running, a group of people came to the outside of the Baima Pavilion. It was still the same small village, but compared to the coldness before, flowers were already competing for beauty and peaches and plums. Green buds had already sprouted from the poplar branches on both sides of the road, indicating that spring was coming.

I remembered that I visited the White Horse Pavilion last time, and the Fan brothers accompanied me. It was only more than a month since the White Horse Pavilion was still the same White Horse Pavilion, but the loyal guards have been buried in the dust forever. How can it not be sad!

"The Fan brothers are in peace in the dark. 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 gate of Zhang Qian's family.

"Here, come..." A man rushed to open the door when he heard the sound. It was Zhang Mao who had just returned from Xuzhou.

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

Yuan Mai smiled, but was a little surprised. He wondered if the two brothers had gone to Xia Pi? Didn’t they ask them to send someone to the military camp to inform him no matter what the result was?

"After a month after parting, I wonder if my two brothers have visited Wenyuan in Xia Pi?" Yuan Mai suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart and asked calmly.

"Hey... don't mention this!" Zhang Mao scratched his head awkwardly, "Didn't this just come back yesterday? My elder brother and I went around for nearly a month, staying in Xia Pi for four or five days. Wen Yuan, a fool, refused to leave Lu Bu... Alas, I feel ashamed of the young master."

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

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

At this moment, Zhang Qian walked out of the main hall and hurriedly greeted Yuan Mai: "The villain met the young master, but he was entrusted by the young master, so he had no face to meet him."

Zhang Qian immediately held Yuan Mai's hand and went straight into the living room. He ordered his servants to serve tea and talk about the situation of this trip to Xuzhou in detail. Finally, he shook his head and said, "Wen Yuan is not wise, and he is favored by the young master. I hope the young master will not blame him!"

Yuan Mai was too happy, so why would he be surprised? Since Zhang Liao had already driven his wife and children back, is it still far from returning to his hometown? People have all kinds of emotions and desires, and family affection is the most concerned. Although Zhang Liao is loyal and righteous, if he makes a choice between his wife and children and Lu Bu, he will probably still choose his wife and children...

Yuan Mai guessed that Zhang Liao did not leave, perhaps thinking that Lu Bu still had a chance to defend Xia Pi. After all, Lu Bu's main force had not yet confronted Cao's army head-on, and his strength was still there, so Zhang Liao planned to gamble. Since he said that he would break through the city and defect to him after the city was broken, it was obviously not just a polite word, but a reserved retreat. As long as Zhang Liao could be avoided being captured by Cao Cao, then this good general in the world would be likely to be taken under his command. But how to do it is indeed a difficult problem!

Zhang Qian ordered his servant to summon his sister-in-law Yang to visit Yuan Mai. Not long after, a young woman of twenty-four or five years old, dignified and graceful figure came to the guest hall and bowed to Yuan Maiyingying: "I'm paying homage to the young master. I heard that the young master valued his husband very much, and I am very grateful. However, for his loyalty, he could not serve the young master, so he still had no choice but to do so!"

"Haha... my sister-in-law doesn't have to be too polite. I have heard of Wen Yuan's name of loyalty and righteousness. He refused to abandon his old master for loyalty and righteousness, which makes people admire him. Why is it strange? If I have a fate with Wen Yuan, I will fight side by side." Yuan Mai smiled and signaled that Yang did not have to be too polite.

Yang has a good impression of the humble and polite fourth son of the Yuan family. He feels that it is a pity that her husband misses such a lord. He secretly plans in his heart to write a letter to his husband and tell him what the Yuan family is good for, so that he must not make the wrong idea.

While talking, Zhang Liao's eight-year-old son Zhang Hu came to the guest hall to look for his mother. Yang ordered him to pay homage to the young master. Zhang Hu bowed and bowed: "Little Hu greeted the young master."

Yuan Mai nodded and praised: "Yes, this son has the style of his father, and he will definitely make achievements in the future." Although he said this, he felt a little regretful. Although Zhang Hu later inherited his father's title and was considered an available military general, his comprehensive ability was hard to defeat his father.

Yuan Mai suggested again: "Since you, a strong and energetic Zhang family, have more than a dozen people returning with Brother Zhang, and they think about making achievements in their hearts. Why not let them serve under my command?"

"It's so good!" Zhang Qian was overjoyed when he heard this. He was afraid that Yuan Buy would not accept it, so he did not dare to propose it. Since Yuan Buy took the initiative to make a request this time, he naturally couldn't get it.

In fact, Yuan Mai was not interested in these "desergeants". He probably had some courageless people when he escaped at the last minute. However, in order to win over Zhang Liao, it is the king to establish a good relationship with his tribe members first!

So, Zhang Qian went to inform him from each house that the veterans who fled from Xia Pi heard that the young master of the Yuan family came to seek talent again, and immediately became energetic and followed Zhang Qian to pay homage to the young master. The elders of the Zhang clan also came to thank Yuan Mai.

Yuan Mai glanced at these people and could see that they were all powerful people. They were probably here for a long time and had a good combat effectiveness, but their behavior of escaping at the last minute was not satisfactory. Although they had the will of Zhang Liao, if they were determined, they could fight side by side with Zhang Liao and advance and retreat together like those who were left behind. Such escaping at the last minute would make people look down upon it.

Among these people, Zhang Kuang was the leader of the village when he was under Lu Bu, and he was in charge of a hundred people. He probably felt that it was not a glorious thing to leave the battle. He bowed to Yuan Mai and said, "Cao Cao's army was approaching and should have lived and died with Wen Hou. However, his family had an old mother and Wen Yuan's fate, so he had to return to his hometown."

Yuan Mai was too lazy to care about this with him, just to contact them with Zhang Liao, and said with a smile: "It's okay, it's me that I asked my elders to compile books to you, so I will naturally understand your feelings. Since you are the chief of the village under Lu Bu, I will appoint you as the military guard. If you make meritorious service, you will be rewarded."
Chapter completed!