Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 194

"General Wei has given orders that my troops remain to guard Kuaiji together with Minister Gao."

After Gao Xun became the Sima of Guangling Commandery, he was naturally no longer on the same side as Liu Daogui. He had a better future by following Gao Yazhi and Xie Yan.

People strive for higher positions, water flows downhill, and all good things must come to an end.

"This is a good thing. Brother Gao will surely rise to higher positions in the future." Liu Daogui was genuinely happy for him. After so many years, he had finally found the way.

"What's this talk about promotions? You know General Wei's temperament; he's too difficult to please. It's good enough that I didn't make any mistakes. This great battle has greatly increased your prestige, and your future is limitless. Don't underestimate yourselves; you're like dragons waiting to be unused. They will eventually soar to the sky. Don't belittle yourselves."

Gao Xun, in turn, comforted Liu Daogui.

However, he was right about one thing: Liu Daogui and Liu Yu gained a great deal from this battle.

He rose in status within the Northern Army and became a leader among the younger generation.

Some people even felt indignant on behalf of Liu Yu and Liu Daogui and went to complain to Liu Laozhi.

Liu Laozhi had already sent Liu Jingxuan to Jiankang, so naturally he couldn't take care of the Liu Daogui brothers.

With prestige comes followers.

The Northern Army is a self-contained system, and its usefulness is not apparent now, but it will be extremely valuable in critical moments.

"Brother Gao, you flatter me."

"Farewell. The world is in turmoil, and perhaps we will meet again someday."

Gao Heng bowed.

Liu Daogui returned the greeting and watched him leave with his men.

At this moment, a person behind him said, "Military advisor, I just received General Wei's order to garrison Wuxing."

Liu Daogui turned around and saw Tan Qi, and his heart stirred.

The Conquering Army Command only had so many men to begin with. Xie Yan first transferred Gao Xun away, and then got rid of Tan Qi, losing nearly a third of his forces. It seems he was after me, intending to divide my strength.

These men were all seasoned veterans, and the Zheng Lu Army was significantly weakened.

However, this method is somewhat underhanded, since the General Who Conquers the Barbarians is Huan Hong, not himself.

Moreover, the left and right wings are the retinues of Gao Xun and Danji.

The rear, which Liu Daogui actually controlled, remained unaffected. The transfer of Gao Xun and Tan Qi actually made it easier for Liu Daogui to start afresh, recruit new soldiers, and strengthen his control.

"congratulations!"

"This is my younger brother, Tan Daoji. From now on, I entrust him to you, the military advisor, to command at will."

A man stepped forward from behind Tan Qi and bowed to Liu Daogui, saying, "Greetings, Military Advisor."

Tan Pingzhi was very close to his elder brother Liu Yu, and the two families had a good relationship.

“The Tan family’s children are indeed extraordinary.” Liu Daogui looked at the young man standing in front of him.

With broad shoulders, a sturdy build, and a handsome face, he was clearly a talented young man.

Other members of the Tan family were also skilled in both literature and martial arts, and they rose to prominence in the Northern Army.

Back then, Tan Pingzhi was just an official under Sima Daozi. If the Sima family had supported the Tan family, it would have posed a greater threat to Liu Laozhi. However, the Gao family of Bohai was of high social standing and belonged to the gentry, while the Tan family was from a humble background, so they naturally wouldn't have caught Sima Yuanxian's eye...

"You flatter me by enlisting in the army. My uncle said that the Tan and Liu families are one family, and from now on, the two families will advance and retreat together." Tan Zhi entrusted Tan Daoji to Liu Daogui, which further deepened the relationship between the two families.

Tan Pingzhi was also a clever man.

These days, only by sticking together can poor families go far.

Liu Laozhi, Sima Yuanxian, Xie Yan, and others were short-sighted, but they did not expect that those below them would see further ahead.

With great chaos looming, people from humble backgrounds like Liu Daogui and Liu Yu were not short of opportunities. With the full support of the Tan family, Liu Daogui's power not only did not diminish but increased.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Tanqi withdrew.

Xie Yan was only capable of this much; after transferring Gao Xun and Tan Qi, nothing more was said about him.

The bandits retreated, and the scattered people returned one after another. However, Xie Yan did not comfort them, neglecting them and failing to train new soldiers. Instead, he spent his days either befriending the famous scholars who had come to join him or sending people to invite back the prefects and magistrates who had previously fled, restoring them to their original positions...

Liu Daogui had virtually no presence in Kuaiji. He spent his days drinking with the generals of the Northern Army, and thus got to know quite a few people, all of whom were his fellow townsmen from Jingkou. After a few words, they became acquainted.

After replenishing their supplies, each army retreated to its respective town in turn.

On the day Liu Daogui left, Liu Yu led more than a hundred military officers to see him off, making it a lively occasion.

Even Xie Yan was alarmed and came with his troops, fearing that something might go wrong.

"Jingkou and Guangling are just separated by a river. Let's get together more often, brothers!"

"If any scoundrels bully you, come find us. We, the Northern Army, are of one mind."

Several older generals deliberately shouted loudly.

This made Xie Yan's face turn ugly.

The Xie family originally enjoyed a high reputation in the Northern Army. In this battle, Xie Yan remained aloof and never got close to the generals or comforted the soldiers of other units. He even secretly dealt with Liu Daogui, losing the hearts of the people.

"Thank you all. May our friendship endure forever. Farewell, and may we meet again." Liu Daogui bowed and slowly headed north under the gaze of the crowd.

Liu Yu seemed to have something to say. He escorted him for five miles outside Shanyin City, where there were no outsiders around, before speaking: "The governor is only concerned with his own interests and has no great ambitions. You don't need to put your mind to him in the future."

Sima Yuanxian's summons of Liu Jingxuan to Jiankang was clearly ill-intentioned.

With Liu Laozhi's current strength, he could have easily ignored it, but he still sent his only son away.

This would be tantamount to showing weakness to the court, voluntarily exposing one's own vulnerabilities, and stretching one's neck to wait for someone else's knife to fall.

Back then, Xie Xuan relinquished his military power and submitted more than ten memorials requesting Sima Daozi to show leniency, but in the end, he still died under mysterious circumstances.

At Liu Laozhi's level, there is no room for retreat. If he were to compromise with Sima Yuanxian, he would only expose his weakness in front of the wolves.

It's unimaginable that a mighty general who dominated the world for over a decade could be so naive.

Liu Daogui was exasperated. "During this suppression of the rebellion, the court has already begun to suppress him. Doesn't he know that?"

"He's betting that the court will need him and won't kill him. You should manage Lu County and Lanling well, so that if anything happens to us brothers in the future, we'll still have a place to stay."

"Brother, don't worry."

Liu Yu laughed and said, "If the governor is unwilling to promote us, we have no foundation. Climbing too high is not a good thing. Only military power and public prestige are our greatest support. The Celestial Masters will come back sooner or later. Xie Yan is a rich and powerful man with no real talent and learning. He is no match for us. He will still have a chance to use his skills then. Now the three Wu regions and eight counties are in chaos. The foundation of the court has been broken. It will not last more than a few years."

Liu Daogui was taken aback; he would never have said such a thing before.

It seems that he changed somewhat after giving his advice to Liu Laozhi that day.

"The rise and fall of the Liu family of Pengcheng does not lie with Liu Laozhi, but with you and me, brothers. In such chaotic times, this is the day to rise up. You and I, brothers, should strive together."

Liu Yu raised the reins, and the warhorse reared up, neighing loudly towards the sky, before galloping eastward.

The autumn wind blows gently, sweeping across the vast land.

In an instant, Liu Daogui's fighting spirit soared.

These days, you can't rely on anyone but yourself.

This grand drama has only just begun. Since Wang Gong raised his army, Jiangdong has become increasingly chaotic, with the Celestial Masters sect in the east and the Huan clan in the west.

(End of this chapter)