Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 134 Raising Troops
"The fighting has started, the fighting has started!" Gao Xun came running over excitedly early in the morning.

Liu Daogui had just finished washing up when he couldn't help but cheer up. "Wang Gong sent out troops?"

The two sides have been in confrontation for more than half a year, and countless forces have been involved, all looking forward to a fight between them.

"General Jianwu Wang Xin joined forces with former Wu Internal Historian Yu Xiaofu and recruited troops from Wuxing and Yixing counties. Tens of thousands of people responded and slaughtered Sima Daozi's followers, shocking the Three Wus."

"Wang Xin?" Liu Daogui was quite unfamiliar with this name.

"Langya Wang family, grandson of Wang Dao, cousins ​​of Wang Xun and Wang Mi."

After Gao Xun said this, Liu Daogui understood.

Wang and Ma shared the world. Although the Wang family of Langya had lost its power and was no longer as prosperous as it used to be, its influence was still there and it was still one of the most powerful families.

The people of the Three Wus had suffered from the Sima family for a long time. When Yu Xiaofu, a wealthy family from Jiangdong, raised his arm and called for help, people responded in droves.

The Three Wus were the Sima family's base, and Jiankang relied entirely on this place for its supply of money and food.

Doing this is equivalent to cutting off the Sima family's roots.

Sima Daozi suddenly became a tree without roots in Jiankang, and Jiankang became an empty city.

Wang Gong was not good at fighting wars, but he was an expert in internal fighting. With one move, he grasped the lifeblood of the Sima family.

Liu Daogui had no choice but to admire him.

Less than half a month later, news came back from Jiankang that Sima Daozi had killed Wang Guobao and Wang Xu and apologized to Wang Gong.

But things are far from over. Once the fire starts, it is not easy to put it out.

Wang Gong withdrew his troops, but Wang Xin refused to withdraw and even accused Wang Gong of being incompetent and betraying the late emperor's grace...

In just half a month, the number of people under Wang Xin expanded to 30,000.

"Wang Xin has killed so many of Sima Daozi's men. Even if he wanted to stop, Yu Xiaofu and other local Jiangdong nobles wouldn't let him stop. Wang Xin has already dispatched troops and is heading straight for Jingkou."

Gao Xun was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

"Wang Xin marching into Jingkou? Isn't this just courting death..."

Liu Daogui really admired the brain capacity of these noble families. They were experts in internal fighting, but each one was dumber than the other when it came to fighting. More than 20,000 Northern Army troops were stationed in Jingkou, and brave generals such as Liu Laozhi and Sun Wuzhong were in charge.

Wang Xin became arrogant with only 30,000 rabble-rousers under his command. Perhaps he was drunk or took the Five-Stone Powder, but he actually took the initiative to provoke the Northern Palace Army.

Isn't this just sending meat to the chopping block?

Gao Xun said, "Wang Xin has the support of the Jiangdong nobles and is capable of a fight, but the outcome is uncertain."

"Precisely because we have the support of the Jiangdong nobles, we should not rush north. Instead, we should continue to accumulate strength in the Three Wus, train our troops, store food and fodder, and use defense as an offensive strategy."

This is not how a war is fought. The Northern Army is composed of veterans who have fought in many battles, while Wang Xin's troops are composed of newly recruited young and strong men. The strength of the two sides is very different.

"I heard that Wang Xin raised an all-female army in Wuxing and appointed his own daughter as the General of Chastity and Loyalty to lead the troops..."

"This dandy boy... treats war like a joke."

Liu Daogui was completely speechless. Two armies were facing each other, and they were sending out a female army. Was this because they thought the morale of the Northern Army was not high enough?

Wang Gong and Wang Xin, two high-ranking officials, one was too timid, the other too reckless. If they had switched places, Jiankang might have been captured...

"In my opinion, this matter is not that simple. Wang Xin's uprising shows that the Wang family of Langya and Wang Gong are not on good terms." Gao Xun poured himself a bowl of tea.

What he said reminded Liu Daogui.

Wang Xin's behavior was indeed somewhat unreasonable. Anyone with a common sense knew how powerful the Northern Palace Army was. There was no reason for Wang Xin to hit a rock with an egg.

The Wang family of Langya also had influence in Jingkou.

Wang Xun once served as the Chief Clerk of the Conquering the Enemy and was an official of Huan Chong. He married the daughter of Xie Wan, but later fell out with the Xie family. Xie An forced them to divorce, and the Wang and Xie families became enemies... Both Wang Gong and Wang Xun were trusted by Sima Yao, but that did not mean that the two families were united.

The relationship between the noble families was full of intrigue and deception, and the situation was full of twists and turns.

Just like the Rebellion of the Eight Princes, it was not just an internal fight among the eight princes of the Sima family, but all the noble families were involved.

"So, the Wang family of Langya is unwilling to be lonely and wants to replace Wang Gong..." Liu Daogui vaguely understood the key.

War is just a superficial phenomenon. In essence, it is still internal strife and conspiracy.

"The Wang family of Langya has been unknown since Wang Dao. Who wouldn't want to take the lead with such a good opportunity now?" Gao Xun, a descendant of a noble family, saw things more deeply than Liu Daogui.

The water flows to the lower places, and the people go to the higher places.

People are never satisfied, and the aristocracy is even more so. The fifth rank wants to climb to the third rank, the third rank wants to climb to the second rank, the second rank wants to monopolize power, and those who hold power want to be awarded the Nine Gifts...

Huan Wen set an example for all the aristocratic families.

Xie An and Xie Xuan are a lesson.

Once you are at the table, there is no way back and you can only keep going. Anyone who retreats will die inexplicably.

"Brother Gao is only a military officer, which is a waste of his talent." Liu Daogui couldn't help but sigh.

"It's a pity that a man of Dao Ze's military talent can only be a soldier." Gao Xun also praised him.

Liu Daogui laughed heartily.

If the Wang family of Langya had any intentions, this war would not be so simple. This is a case of the noble families deceiving each other, but they will not betray their own family.

Wang Xin's various unreasonable actions must have been supported by the Wang family of Langya.

Liu Daogui suddenly thought of Wang Mi. He often went to Jingkou and made friends with people in the Northern Palace. This might not be a move made in advance...

At this time, Meng Ganzhi came back and met Gao Xun, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Liu Daogui said, "Just tell me what you have to say. Brother Gao is not an outsider."

Meng Ganzhi then spoke, "I found out. Kuai En went to see Liu Yi today."

"Is Kuai En Liu Yi's man?" Liu Daogui frowned and thought carefully. It was very likely that Liu Yi had connections in both the black and white worlds in Guangling.

Yandu is such a big piece of fat meat, perhaps he has been involved in it for a long time.

No, if Kuai En was Liu Yi's man, then Liu Yi would have known long ago that Yandu was his own robbing. Given his temperament, he would have exposed it long ago in order to gain merit.

There must be some other hidden secret behind Kuai En's contact with him.

Liu Daogui became more and more interested in this person. Although he had only met him once, he admired his courage very much.

Without his help in Yandu that day, it would not have been so easy to succeed.

Meng Ganzhi said: "It is still unknown at the moment."

"Keep watching them and don't alarm them."

"Yes, sir." Meng Ganzhi bowed and left.

Gao Xun said, "Liu Yi has a large following and is quite ambitious. He previously joined Sima Daozi and now wants to join Wang Gong's faction. Daoze must be careful."

"This person has great ambitions but little talent. He is indecisive and will eventually get caught in his own trap."

Liu Daogui didn't think much of this fellow clan member. Sima Daozi and Wang Gong weren't people he could just turn to. They might not take him seriously...

When you are out there making a living, the most important thing is integrity. A man without integrity cannot stand. People who are fickle and inconsistent will not go far.

(End of this chapter)