Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 195 West

"What? Liu Laozhi sent his only son to Jiankang as a hostage?" Huan Xuan's eyes widened in disbelief.

If it weren't for the chaos caused by the Celestial Masters Sect, this wouldn't have been a problem, since the Sima family still had some strength. But now the Sima family's roots are almost being uprooted by others. In Huan Xuan's view, it was utterly foolish for Liu Laozhi to go and fawn over the Sima family at this time.

The Huan family had inside agents in Jiankang and Kuaiji, so Huan Xuan immediately received news of any disturbances in the southeast.

“He’s not a hostage, he’s a military advisor,” Huan Wei explained.

Huan Xuan glanced at him sideways, then suddenly burst into laughter, his fat body trembling. "Oh dear, Liu Laozhi is a formidable figure, brave and invincible. I thought he would be a formidable enemy in the future, but it turns out he's all show and no substance. This man is nothing to fear!"

The only threat to the Huan family is the Northern Army.

Liu Laozhi's naiveté demonstrates his courage but lack of strategy.

Such people are the easiest to deal with.

Huan Wei said, "In this battle, the brothers Liu Yu and Liu Daogui rose to fame, but the court did not bestow any rewards upon them."

“These two brothers are indeed heroes. In the future, they will pacify the country and take control of Jiankang. If we can get these two to lead a northern expedition, the world can be settled.” Huan Xuan’s ambitions are not limited to Jiangzuo.

His father had launched three Northern Expeditions, all of which failed, and he always held a grudge about it.

The success of the Northern Expedition further proved Huan Xuan's great talent and strategy, making it a logical step for him to replace the Sima family.

"They're just two poor, lowly kids. Lingbao is overestimating them." Huan Wei said dismissively.

Huan Xuan's face darkened. "What do you know? Liu Yu can gamble away millions in one go, bankrupting his entire fortune, yet he remains unfazed. He's no ordinary man."

Huan Wen and Huan Xuan were both masters of the game of Chubo, and were so engrossed in it that they developed a sense of kinship with Liu Yu, who was also a gambler.

Since Huan Xuan raised his army, he has recruited heroes from Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and he knows how to use people well. His subordinates, such as Feng Gai, Huangfu Fu, and Guo Quan, are all fierce generals. Even Fu Jian's eldest son, Fu Hong, joined Huan's army.

The rapid rise of the Huan clan was largely due to Huan Xuan's ability to make the best use of everyone's talents.

Huan Wei said, "I'm afraid the two brothers won't work for my family."

"Heaven's mandate is in my hands. Those who obey me will prosper, and those who defy me will perish. What can they do?" Huan Xuan exuded domineering arrogance.

Sima Yuanxian lost his composure, Liu Laozhi bowed his head, and the fate of the world had shifted to Huan Xuan.

Now, all that's left is to take Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and we can recreate the grand scheme of Huan Wen's time.

However, the powerful aristocratic families of Jiangzuo are no longer as prosperous as they once were.

Bian Fanzhi, standing to the side, shook his whisk and said, "Time is of the essence. My lord should quickly eliminate Yang Quanqi and Yin Zhongkan, seize the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and Jiankang will be within reach in no time."

Huan Xuan said confidently, "Yang Quanqi thinks he is from a prestigious family and is too ambitious. He has offended the powerful clans of Jiangzuo and does not know how to restrain himself. If he fights me, he will definitely not win!"

In fact, Sima Yuanxian never gave up on dividing and disintegrating the Western Prefecture.

Two months ago, Yang Quanqi made a wild claim that he would go down the river, capture Jiangzhou, and kill Huan Xuan. Yin Zhongkan dissuaded him, but when this reached Sima Yuanxian's ears, he appointed Huan Wei as the Southern Barbarian Commandant to sow discord among the three parties.

The full name of the Southern Barbarian Commandant is Protector of the Southern Barbarians. He is in charge of protecting the affairs of the barbarian people in Jingzhou, commanding the local troops of various ethnic groups, establishing his own office and appointing officials. He is based in Xiangyang. Although he is called a commander, he actually wields immense power.

Yang Quanqi was indeed furious and once again decided to raise an army to march south.

Huan Xuan, who commanded the most elite navy in the land, remained inactive, but Yin Zhongkan became anxious. Yang Quanqi was heading south by land, and his Jingzhou was the first to be affected.

The strategy of "borrowing a path to destroy Guo" is known to everyone.

Yang Quanqi had a strong and well-equipped army, and when he passed through Jingzhou, it was inevitable that he would have improper thoughts.

The three parties had long been staring at each other warily, each wary of the other.

Yin Zhongkan then ordered his cousin Yin Yu to garrison troops in Dangyang to guard against Yang Quanqi's southward advance. Yang Quanqi was outnumbered and outgunned, so he had no choice but to withdraw his troops, leaving Huan Xuan to watch the spectacle.

Although no fight broke out, the three parties were already irreconcilable enemies.

Yang Quanqi and Huan Xuan were both ambitious men. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. Whoever controls the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River can emulate Huan Wen and achieve great things.

Huan Wei said, "If we raise an army to attack Yang Quanqi, Yin Zhongkan will surely raid our flank. What should we do then?"

Jingzhou, sandwiched between Nanyongzhou and Jiangzhou, could not remain a bystander.

Bian Fanzhi suddenly brandished his whisk, "Yin Zhongkan is weak and incompetent. Jingzhou is the former territory of the Huan clan. We should take this place first, lure Yang Quanqi south, and fight a decisive battle at Jiangling." "Excellent, excellent! Fighting Yang Quanqi in Jingzhou, we have the advantage of timing, location, and popular support!"

Another major advantage of the decisive battle in Jingzhou is that it allows for the utilization of naval forces.

Huan Xuan was radiant. Originally, the Huan family hadn't risen to prominence so quickly; it was thanks to the open and covert struggles of people like Wang Gong, Sima Daozi, Sima Yuanxian, and Liu Laozhi...

Guangling.

Liu Yi was frowning when Huan Hong ordered him to investigate the deaths of Huan Daozhen and Xun Xinzhi, and gave him ten days to hand over the murderer, or else his whole family would be arrested and imprisoned.

This is clearly an attempt to completely eliminate him.

The Huan family is no longer what it used to be. With the rise of Huan Xuan, Duke Huan's status has also risen, and his old friends have returned to his banner.

If it were just Huan Hong alone, Liu Yi could manage to maneuver around and barely hold his own.

However, Jiankang suddenly sent people to Yandu in the past few days to investigate the real culprits who robbed Yandu back then.

People sent by Jiankang were everywhere outside Liu Yi's residence.

It was obvious that Sima Yuanxian was after him.

Although the Celestial Masters sect was pacified, the three Wu regions and eight counties were also destroyed. Sima Yuanxian was so poor that his eyes were red with greed, so naturally he would not let go of Yandu, his money bag.

If anything were to happen to Liu Yi, his entire family would be executed.

"With our strength, why not raise an army, attack Jiankang, and strike first? Perhaps we still have a chance!" Zhuge Changmin said, his face full of malice.

Liu Yi shook his head. "If Liu Laozhi's army returns, how will we stop them?"

"With the emperor and the Prince of Langya held hostage, Jiankang has over 100,000 people, enough to hold them off. Liu Laozhi is a weak and incompetent man who only cares about his own family and has no ambition. A single imperial edict can send him back to garrison Jingkou!"

The worst thing a Northern Army should have is weakness.

Liu Laozhi's act of bowing to Sima Yuanxian was undoubtedly the most unwise move. His prestige, built up over a decade ago, was severely diminished, and it also revealed his lack of ambition.

The room immediately fell silent, and the breathing of the group gradually became heavy.

Liu Yi was not a weak scholar who could not even kill a chicken. He had gathered several groups of refugees from the north who had come south. No matter how brave Liu Laozhi had been in the past, these people were eager to take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself.

Moreover, the various imperial armies sent to quell the rebellion have not yet returned to Jiankang, so the chances are very high.

Back then, Lu Song was able to storm the palace with less than a thousand men, while Liu Yi could easily gather four or five thousand men with a single call to arms.

Just then, Meng Chang calmly said, "Since the Yongjia Rebellion, how many of those who rose up in rebellion in Jiangzuo have met a good end? You must not make a mistake for yourselves. Now that the court is in danger, it is the time for us loyal and righteous men to save the country. In my opinion, we only need to offer Yandu to the Prince of Langya. Firstly, it will resolve the current predicament, and secondly, it will be a stepping stone for advancement. With the Prince's protection, General Huan will not dare to act rashly!"

Yandu is definitely not going to be defended; Sima Yuanxian will not let it go.

By voluntarily handing over the saltworks, one could gain the favor of Sima Yuanxian for their contribution to the restoration of the saltworks.

“Yandu has over 100,000 strings of cash a year! We’ve invested so much money, and we’ve only managed to repair half of it…” Zhuge Changmin’s eyes turned red.

Meng Chang said in a deep voice, "If a person dies, money is useless. General Huan and the Crown Prince haven't made a move yet, so there's still a glimmer of hope. If we hesitate, once someone else's blade falls, it will be a dead end!"

Liu Yi's face was full of bitterness. He had invested all his assets in restoring the saltworks and had also borrowed 80,000 strings of cash at high interest rates.

He still has a group of people under his command, and money is needed everywhere. If the salt fields are gone, the people he has gathered will also scatter...

“Huan Hong and Sima Yuanxian have both come to us; I’m afraid someone is plotting something behind the scenes!” Liu Yi’s eyes blazed.

The group looked at each other, but for the moment, they had no clue what to do.

Liu Yi's constant back-and-forth has offended many people.

"We'll discuss this later. Let's resolve the matter of Yandu first. Panlong must be willing to make a tough decision!" Meng Chang said in a low voice.

The situation is becoming more and more critical each day, leaving no room for hesitation.

Liu Yi said sternly, "One day, I will take back what I have lost, and I will make them pay back double!"

(End of this chapter)