Zhang Xin was a little agitated.
Almost all the Huayin gentry had followed him.
Including household servants and retainers, large gentry families numbered in the thousands, and smaller ones in the hundreds.
Over a dozen families combined, they amounted to nearly ten thousand people.
If it were just that, it wouldn't be an issue; in fact, it would be a good thing.
After all, when Zhang Xin returned this time, he was definitely going to purge the major clans.
Almost all of those major clans had members serving in the commanderies and counties, and after they were eliminated, the daily operations of the commanderies and counties would certainly be affected.
And these Huayin gentry could very well fill those positions.
The Huayin gentry were forced to migrate to Qing Province; as outsiders, if they wanted to compete for survival resources with the local major clans, they would have to rely on Zhang Xin.
At that time, Zhang Xin could then use them to suppress the local major clans.
It was simply a win-win situation.
But the problem was, seeing that the major clans had all fled, the common people within Huayin City, in their panic, also packed their belongings and fled with them.
The common people at the bottom merely lacked educational resources; they weren't foolish.
What kind of person was Dong Zhuo?
Even when there was nothing going on, Dong soldiers would come out to plunder.
Men would be killed, their heads used as military merits, and women would be captured and violated.
Now that Zhang Xin had withdrawn his troops, the Xiliang Soldiers, in order to release their long-held pressure, would certainly engage in retaliatory plundering.
Huayin, as a city that had once supported him, would inevitably receive special attention.
At that time, losing money was a small matter, but if their own heads were chopped off by Dong soldiers, and their wives and daughters were captured and violated, that would be a huge loss.
The people gathered, found a few representatives to see Zhang Xin, and spoke the same words.
"Lord, are you abandoning us? "
Zhang Xin originally didn't want to bring them along.
The common people, old and young, traveled slowly; walking thirty li a day was considered good.
Yang Biao and the others were few in number and had their own household soldiers, so he didn't need to worry about them.
With the entire city of Huayin's common people following, how could he have so many idle soldiers to escort them?
After all, his withdrawal was not for anything else, but to return and save his old base.
Saving troops was like fighting a fire; at a speed of thirty li a day, by the time he crawled back to Qing Province, even if Pingyuan wasn't lost, Yuan Shao would have scraped off a layer of Qing Province's land.
Zhang Xin had been reluctant to use Qing Province's money and grain during his campaign against Dong, so how could he let Yuan Shao happily freeload off the family fortune he had painstakingly accumulated?
Yet, the reason he had achieved what he had today was because of his persona of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness.
The common people trusted him, which was why they followed; if he abandoned them...
Zhang Xin pondered for a long time, then called Wu Kuang and Zhao Yun over, explained the situation, and then had Wu Kuang dispatch three thousand Luoyang Soldiers to Zhao Yun.
Originally, Zhang Xin had given the Western Liang Cavalry to Zhao Yun, numbering four thousand.
However, after the withdrawal, only about four thousand Xiliang Soldiers were willing to stay, and among them, only over a thousand were cavalry, so now Zhao Yun only had this many men under him.
Zhang Xin transferred three thousand Luoyang Soldiers to him, and then transferred some people from the White Wave Yellow Turbans, making up a total of five thousand, and had him stay in Huayin to guard.
Wu Kuang, being from the Wu clan of Chenliu, a standard aristocratic family, was very much against Zhang Xin's act of withdrawing with the common people.
They were just tens of thousands of commoners; if they died, they died, what impact would that have?
But he had just joined Zhang Xin's command, and all the equipment for the Luoyang Soldiers had been provided by Zhang Xin.
He couldn't disobey the new leader's first order, so he reluctantly allocated three thousand Luoyang Soldiers to Zhao Yun.
"Huayin will be troublesome for Zilong to guard."
Zhang Xin instructed Zhao Yun: "Once the common people have reached Shan County, Zilong can then slowly withdraw his troops."
"Lord, rest assured."
Zhao Yun nodded, "As long as Yun draws breath, I will guard this city well and ensure the safety of the common people."
Zhao Yun fully agreed with Zhang Xin's approach.
What a benevolent Lord!
"Alas…"
Zhang Xin looked at the common people, old and young, outside the city, and sighed inwardly.
"In ancient times, Liu Bei led the people across the river; now, Zhang Ziqing leads the people across the river. I can also be considered to have left my name in history."
"Hmm? No, that's not right, it seems I am the ancient one now…"
Unlike Liu Bei's crossing of the river in history, the Xiaohan Ancient Road had narrow terrain, so as long as Zhao Yun guarded Huayin, there would be no need to worry about Dong Zhuo's cavalry pursuit.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to the common people following.
The persona of benevolence and righteousness was very important, but the lives of his soldiers were even more important.
After most of the common people had left, Zhang Xin led the Yellow Turban Old Guard, the Wuhuan Cavalry, and the remaining Luoyang Soldiers, Xiliang Soldiers, and White Wave Yellow Turbans out of the city and headed north, crossing the river at Puban Ford to go to River East.
Upon reaching Jiangyi, Zhang Xin distributed rewards to the Wuhuan Cavalry.
From here, they would separate.
Zhang Xin would go east, entering Henan via Zhi Pass.
Jishu, on the other hand, would go north, passing thru Yan Gate from Taiyuan Commandery, directly returning to You Province.
The Wuhuan Cavalry had fought with Zhang Xin for over a year, and the soldiers were already homesick and weary of war.
The reason they had been able to persevere before was, firstly, to repay Zhang Xin's kindness, and secondly, because the ultimate goal of executing Dong Zhuo was right before their eyes.
Now that this goal was gone, their morale could no longer be used.
Zhang Xin could not be unsympathetic.
Otherwise, putting aside the issue of morale, it would be difficult to conscript them again if there was a need for them in the future.
Anyway, Yuan Shao and the others did not have much cavalry under their command, and with the Yellow Turban Old Guard and Western Liang Cavalry present, it was sufficient.
The Wuhuan People were not Han people, so there were no rewards like promotions.
Therefore, Zhang Xin distributed reward money equivalent to three years of military pay, an additional reward for those who were injured, and pensions for the deceased according to court custom.
The Wuhuan People were all beaming with joy after receiving their rewards.
It wasn't their first day or two serving as mercenaries for the Han people, but no boss had ever been as generous as Zhang Xin.
"Lord, you are returning to aid, and the Wuhuan People should follow."
Jishu looked at the carts of copper coins, a mix of excitement and apology in his voice.
"However, the warriors have been away from home for too long and no longer wish to fight. I can only take them back to rest for a while."
"Next time, if Lord has a task, just summon me with half a bamboo slip, and I will immediately lead my troops here! "
"Good."
Zhang Xin nodded and smiled, "You have all worked hard this time. Rest well when you return."
After bidding farewell, Jishu led the Wuhuan Cavalry, pulling carts of copper coins, grain, and the bones of their fallen comrades, heading north.
Zhang Xin, on the other hand, ordered the main army to rest for a day, recuperate their spirits, and depart tomorrow.
The next day, just as Zhang Xin woke up, Dian Wei walked in from outside the tent.
"Lord, our camp is surrounded by common people! "
"What's going on? " Zhang Xin was stunned by the news.
The River East common people surrounded his camp?
What a joke!
"Did the soldiers and common people clash? "
Zhang Xin suspected that the Luoyang Soldiers under Wu Kuang had poor discipline, and quickly asked, "Are there any casualties? "
"No, no."
Dian Wei waved his hands repeatedly, "It's the River East common people who heard that Lord was withdrawing his troops and feared that Dong Zhuo would massacre the city in retaliation, so they came to request Lord to take them along."
Like the Huayin gentry, the River East common people had also helped Zhang Xin a lot by providing troops and supplies.
Zhang Xin immediately jumped up upon hearing this, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and ran barefoot toward outside the camp.
It was very noisy outside the camp.
Zhang Xin climbed onto the camp wall to observe.
Countless common people stood densely outside his camp.
The soldiers guarding the camp saw Zhang Xin arrive and quickly shouted to the common people, "The Lord is here! "
The common people instantly perked up upon hearing this and shouted in unison.
The content was similar to what Dian Wei had said.
Zhang Xin looked at the pleading eyes of the common people and clenched his fists tightly.
"Yuan Shao…"
At this moment, Dian Wei walked over, holding Zhang Xin's shoes.
"Lord, you haven't put on your shoes yet."
Zhang Xin bent down, put on his shoes, and said to Dian Wei, "Old Dian, tell them that I will take them, and have them prepare."
After speaking, Zhang Xin hurried away.
Dian Wei shouted loudly to the common people, "The Lord said he will take you, so get ready! "
"Lord is benevolent! "
The common people cheered upon hearing this.
Zhang Xin returned to the central army tent and urgently ordered soldiers to summon all the Generals for a meeting.
After about two quarters of an hour, the main Generals of this army, including Xu Rong, Xu Huang, Wu Kuang, Zhang Zhang, Zuo Bao, Niu Feng, Wang Meng, and Han Hao, arrived one after another.
"Xu Rong."
Zhang Xin wasted no words, his eyes fixed on Xu Rong.
"Can I trust you? "