Zhang Fan returned home, still feeling uneasy. He knew that Guo Mang's arrival was not only to beat him, but also to stabilize the situation in Yanmen County. In such turbulent times, any slight disturbance could cause chaos.
A few days later, the imperial court's reward order finally reached Yanmen County. Zhang Fan was awarded the title of Captain of Cavalry and received a reward of one hundred taels. Regarding this result, Zhang Fan felt both happy and worried. He was happy that his efforts were recognized by the court, but worried that Guo Mian's beating made him understand that this position was not without its hidden dangers.
At the same time, the situation in Yanmen County also began to become delicate. The Xianbei people who had been released by Dou Tong began to regroup and prepare to attack Yanmen County again. With the arrival of Guo Mian, the wealthy nobles in the county began to make moves, as if they were brewing some conspiracy.
Zhang Fan decided to strike first, and began to secretly gather troops. At the same time, he sent agents to the Xianbei tribe to try to find out their movements. However, all this was seen by Guo Yan. He did not immediately stop him because he knew that Zhang Fan was not the real enemy. His target was the wealthy nobles who secretly colluded with Xianbei.
At this moment, a mysterious group of cavalry suddenly appeared on the border of Yanmen County. Wearing black armor and holding long knives, they were obviously not ordinary troops. After receiving the news, Zhang Fan immediately led his troops to the border to investigate, only to find that the cavalry had disappeared without a trace.
He was secretly vigilant and returned to the county governor's house to report the matter to Guo Mian. Guo Yu frowned after hearing this: "The appearance of this cavalry is no accident. I suspect it is a conspiracy of the Xianbei people."
Zhang Fan nodded in agreement: "The general also has this suspicion, but what exactly do they want to do?"
After Guo Mian pondered for a moment, he said: "No matter what they want to do, we can't just sit idly by and ignore them. You should immediately gather people to strengthen the defense of the border."
Zhang Fan took the order and left, but he was still confused in his heart. He always felt that this matter was not that simple, and there must be a bigger conspiracy hidden behind it.
A few days later, the border defenses had just been completed, and the mysterious cavalry team appeared again. This time they did not take action immediately. Instead, they set up camp near the border, as if waiting for something.
Zhang Fan took the opportunity to send more agents to investigate, hoping to find out the true purpose of this cavalry team. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened in Yanmen County.
A wealthy aristocrat named Chun Yuqiong suddenly took action and led his private soldiers into the governor's mansion and kidnapped Guo Mian. When the news came out, the entire Yanmen County was shocked. Zhang Fan was shocked after hearing the news. He knew that Chunyu Qiong had been colluding with Xianbei, and this operation must be related to the mysterious cavalry team.
Zhang Fan immediately gathered his troops and prepared to go to the governor's mansion to rescue Guo Yao. However, before he could act, he received a secret letter. This secret letter came from Guo Mian himself. The letter said: "Zhang Fan, don't be impulsive. I have been mentally prepared for being kidnapped this time. You need to deal with it calmly and not let the conspiracy of the rich and nobles succeed."
Zhang Fan was shocked after reading the letter. He knew that Guo Mian's words were not groundless. He decided to put aside his rescue plan and wait and see what happens. And in this crisis, where will the fate of Yanmen County go?
Yanmen County, an ancient and sleepy border city. In the disputes at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, this place became the front line of war. In the prefect's mansion, Zhang Fanzheng was discussing countermeasures with several cronies.
"We must find a way to rescue Governor Guo." Zhang Fan said firmly, "If he falls into the hands of Chunyu Qiong, there will be no hope of survival."
A confidant sighed: "Chun Yuqiong colluded with Xianbei, and this action may have been premeditated. If we act rashly, we may alert the enemy."
Zhang Fan pondered for a moment and looked at the map. He knew in his heart that Yanmen County at this moment was like a powder keg that could explode at any time. And he must find a glimmer of hope in this crisis.
As night fell, Zhang Fan led his soldiers to Chunyu Qiong's mansion secretly. They climbed over the wall at night and sneaked all the way to the back garden. At this time, Chunyu Qiong was discussing matters with several wealthy nobles, and Zhang Fan was waiting with bated breath for the right opportunity.
Suddenly, there was the sound of horse hooves in the distance. Zhang Fan's heart tightened when he saw dozens of Xianbei cavalry rushing into the mansion and surrounding the back garden. They held long knives and had fierce eyes. Different from the previous mysterious cavalry, this group of people was obviously the real Xianbei elite.
The expressions of Chunyu Qiong and the wealthy nobles changed drastically, and they obviously did not expect the Xianbei people to arrive so quickly. Zhang Fan took the opportunity to rush forward and fought fiercely with the Xianbei cavalry. He was skilled in swordsmanship and strong, and for a moment he was unstoppable.
When the fierce battle was in full swing, suddenly a cold arrow shot out, hitting Zhang Fan's left shoulder. He swayed and almost fell. Seeing this, the Xianbei cavalry rushed forward one after another. Zhang Fan's heart tightened, knowing that there was no way out at this moment and could only fight to the death.
At the critical moment, suddenly there was another sound of horse hooves in the distance. Zhang Fan took a closer look and saw hundreds of Han cavalry rushing into the back garden like divine soldiers descending from heaven. They held long spears, fought bravely against the enemy, and started a fierce melee with the Xianbei cavalry.
Zhang Fan was overjoyed, knowing that the reinforcements sent by Guo Yu had arrived. He cheered up and fought side by side with his soldiers against the Xianbei cavalry. After a fierce battle, the Xianbei cavalry was finally repelled, and Chunyu Qiong and the wealthy nobles were also captured alive.
Zhang Fan hurriedly looked for Guo Yan and saw him sitting in a pavilion nearby with a calm expression. Seeing Zhang Fan coming, Guo Yao smiled slightly: "General Zhang, you did a good job."
Zhang Fan saluted and said, "It's all thanks to the timely arrival of Governor Guo's reinforcements."
Guo Mian waved his hand: "This is just a move made by me." He slowly told the whole story: It turned out that Guo Mian had already noticed Chunyu Qiong's conspiracy, and was deliberately kidnapped to induce the collusion between the Xianbei cavalry and the wealthy nobles. And that mysterious cavalry team was actually disguised as a Han army arranged by Guo Mian in order to create chaos and confuse the enemy.
After hearing this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but be speechless: "Prefect Guo is really a man of God."
Guo Yao smiled: "General Zhang has overrated. Now Chunyu Qiong's party has been eliminated, but Xianbei's troubles have not been eliminated. We must take this opportunity to strengthen defense and ensure the safety of Yanmen County."
It is said that Zhang Fan was caught off guard after learning the news of Guo Mian's early arrival. He thought to himself: "This Governor Guo arrived really early. I thought he still had a few days to prepare, but now he has to deal with it hastily."
Zhang Fan knew very well that this Guo Jian was no ordinary person, he was capable of both literary and military skills, and he was quite scheming. If he arrived early, he would definitely come prepared and beat himself up.
Zhang Fan hurriedly ordered people to tidy up the mansion and prepare to welcome guests. Although he was a little panicked in his heart, he remained calm on the surface. After all, he is also a son of a wealthy Mayi family with a prominent family background. He has received a strict higher education since he was a child. He is not a mediocre person who has never seen the world.
Not long after, Guo Mian arrived at Zhang Fan's residence surrounded by everyone. Zhang Fan hurriedly went out to greet him, cupped his hands and said, "Prefect Guo is here. We are very fortunate. Please!"
The two of them entered the mansion and took their seats respectively. Zhang Fan personally served Guo Mian fragrant tea, but secretly wondered how to deal with the prefect's cross-examination.
Guo Yao picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and slowly said: "Master Zhang, I heard that you led a thousand Han cavalry to attack the Xianbei camp of ten thousand people at night a few days ago, and won a great victory."
Zhang Fan's heart tightened and he quickly said: "That's just a lucky win, it can't be taken seriously."
Guo Yao smiled slightly: "Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. Mr. Zhang does not need to be too modest. It is rare for you to have such courage and strategy. But..."
He put down the tea cup and said seriously: "Although you are brave and resourceful, you do not have a military position after all. If something like this happens again in the future, please inform me in advance to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."
Zhang Fan heard the implication of Guo Mian's words, which was a warning to him not to act beyond his authority. He hurriedly said: "Yes, yes. I understand."
Guo Yan nodded and said: "I came here early this time. Firstly, I want to see the situation of the Xianbei people with my own eyes. Secondly, I also want to understand your defense work here."
Zhang Fan felt relieved and said hurriedly: "Prefect, please rest assured, I will go all out to ensure the safety of Yanmen County."
He immediately reported to Guo Mian in detail the defense situation of Yanmen County, including the deployment of troops, reserves of grain and grass, and joint defense matters with surrounding counties. Guo Yan listened very carefully and asked questions or gave suggestions from time to time.
When the two talked about military defense, Zhang Fan felt more and more that Guo Mian was not an ordinary person. He was well aware of Yanmen County's terrain, troop distribution, and the dynamics of the Xianbei people. He had obviously done in-depth research and deployment in advance. Moreover, his judgment of the battle situation is also very accurate, which is admirable.
Before I knew it, the sun was setting in the west. Zhang Fan ordered people to prepare food and wine for Guo Mian to receive the wind and wash away the dust. During the dinner, the two chatted and laughed happily, and left happily.
Early the next morning, Guo Mian got up and left. Zhang Fan sent him outside the city, cupped his hands and said, "Prefect, you have worked hard on this trip. I am very grateful to you."
Guo Yao smiled and said: "Responsibility is what it is, so why talk about hard work? If Mr. Zhang can stay in peace and contribute to the court, it will be the best gratitude."
After that, he waved his hand and led his soldiers to leave. Zhang Fan looked at the retreating team and thought to himself: "This Governor Guo is indeed a man of great talent in both civil and military affairs and a thoughtful mind."
Since then, Zhang Fan has acted more cautiously in Yanmen County. He knows that although he is talented, he still needs to be humble and low-key in front of people like Guo Mian. And Guo Mian did not relax his vigilance and management of Yanmen County. Although Xianbei's troubles have not been completely eliminated, the situation in Yanmen County has become increasingly stable.
At the same time that Guo Mian arrived in Yanmen County, the Xianbei army was also quietly approaching. This news reached Zhang Fan, who was shocked. He knew very well that although the thousand cavalry he led had the glory of defeating Xianbei, they now had little chance of winning against an enemy several times their size.
