Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 201 Military Households
Kuai En had no way out. Judging from his current state, if he refused, his brothers would also scatter. Human hearts are so easily tested.

It's quite remarkable that his men have stayed with him this long.

Kuai En gritted his teeth and said, "If a soldier is not afraid, why should I, a mere commoner, cherish my life?"

"Good brother!" Liu Daogui grabbed his hand.

“Robbing Yandu is no small matter. After it’s done, how will my brothers live?” Kuai En was no fool; he first needed to find a way out for himself.

Liu Daogui thought for a moment and said, "I am the Prefect of Lu Commandery. If you come with me to Lu Commandery, the emperor will be far away and Liu Yi will not be able to find you."

Kuai En, however, seemed unsatisfied, saying, "If I could follow a hero like Liu Yu, my life would not have been in vain!"

"If we can join the Northern Army, we will have someone to rely on, and we won't have to wander around like stray dogs."

"He might even achieve great things in the future."

The others looked on with anticipation.

Liu Daogui smiled bitterly to himself. His elder brother Liu Yu still had more influence. Kuai En was a hero, and they admired each other.

"Sure, once it's done, I'll introduce you to my brother's tutelage!"

"I will send fifty-three men as inside agents. It would be best to make our move tomorrow night!" Once Kuai En made a decision, he was very decisive.

"So fast?" Liu Daogui frowned.

Things happened rather suddenly. If we take action tomorrow night, there won't be enough time to transfer people from Lanling.

The troops sent to conquer the enemy were definitely not to be used. Huan Hong and Liu Yi stared at each other, ready to know at the slightest sign of trouble.

That wouldn't be looting, it would be open rebellion...

Although Liu Daogui did not mind rebelling against the Sima family, the time was not right. If things got out of hand, Liu Laozhi would lead the Northern Army to attack, and Liu Daogui would not have enough heads to be chopped off.

"Liu Yi has offered the salt fields to the Prince of Langya. Three days later, Gao Yazhi's Northern Army will come to take over. Tomorrow night will be the best time to make a move. Moreover, Liu Yi dispatched a force of 500 elite men to the west last night."

Gao Ya was promoted to the position of Chancellor of Guangling, and Yandu was also within his jurisdiction.

Guangling was home to various immigrant prefectures and counties, and anyone could get involved...

"The west?" Liu Daogui was startled.

Liu Huaizhen received Huan Hong's military order in the morning, and Liu Yi's men had already laid an ambush to the west.

These five hundred elite soldiers were clearly not there to deal with him alone, but were waiting for him to rescue someone...

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; one scheme leads to another.

Fortunately, he did not listen to Liu Zun and send men to rob him on the way.

“I’m also being transferred by Liu Yi tomorrow night. This is my last chance.” Kuai En looked at Liu Daogui.

Liu Daogui could only agree for now and think of a solution later. Perhaps he could use the Yuan family's influence. "Alright, tomorrow night it is. You prepare the inside man. My men will disguise themselves as members of the Celestial Masters sect and use the code word 'Acting on behalf of Heaven to restore our land'!"

Upon hearing these eight words, Kuai En was visibly shaken, his eyes growing even more respectful. He cupped his hands in a salute, saying, "The military advisor will surely be extraordinary in the future."

After reaching an agreement, Liu Daogui immediately returned to the military headquarters.

Time was too short, and upon reflection, borrowing troops from Yuan He was not feasible. Even if Yuan He were willing to lend troops, his men might not be willing to risk their lives.

Secondly, the more people involved in such a matter, the greater the risk of leaks.

Distributing the profits will also be a troublesome matter.

After much thought, I decided to abandon that idea.

As night deepened, Liu Daogui was wide awake, and Liu Huaizhen and Liu Zun stayed with him the whole time.

Suddenly, Liu Zun slammed his hand on the table. "Aren't there still more than thirty Tiger Warriors and more than fifty detachments in Guangling? These eighty or ninety people are enough!"

If it were Yandu, which was under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Masters sect, then it would indeed be sufficient.

But now it's Liu Yi, and this small force is definitely not enough.

To be prudent in assessing the enemy, Liu Yi may not be much, but his men are not to be underestimated. This guy has been constantly changing his mind and causing trouble for so long without capsizing, which shows his ability.

"There aren't enough people," Liu Daogui refused.

Liu Zun said with dissatisfaction, "Eighty or ninety elite troops are not enough? Liu Yi only has some refugee troops, which are almost the same as military households. What are we afraid of?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Daogui and Liu Huaizhen simultaneously exclaimed, "Military household!"

Liu Zun was completely bewildered. "What military household?"

Liu Daogui laughed heartily, "You really are a lucky general." The saying goes, "It takes a thousand days to train an army for a single moment," and the military households had been receiving Liu Daogui's allowance for almost a year and a half.

These people were also refugees from the north, and every household had a tradition of practicing martial arts. Although their status was low, their fighting ability was not bad.

With five or six thousand households, it would be enough to easily select eight or nine hundred elite soldiers to work with Kuai En's men.

"What?" Liu Zun was still completely bewildered.

"Let's go, we'll head to Sheyangpo tonight."

Liu Daogui and Liu Huaizhen disguised themselves as soldiers and rushed to Sheyangpo overnight.

Liu Huaizhen, Liu Zun, Meng Ganzhi, and others rode ahead on horseback, while Liu Daogui followed behind, arriving in batches to minimize the disturbance.

The gates of Guangling had been closed long ago, but after Xu Changming announced Liu Daogui's name, the gates creaked open.

The city gate guards were all old acquaintances, and they even gave him a few torches. "Please wait, everyone!"

When they arrived at Sheyang Slope, it was already dawn. The warhorse was exhausted and its legs gave way, causing it to collapse to the ground.

The village was brightly lit, and straw was burned along both sides of the road.

Young and strong men came to greet them, carrying torches.

There were no fewer than seven or eight hundred people in total, all of them honest-looking men, standing motionless in the late autumn wind, as straight as long spears.

Although he didn't say a word, his eyes were full of gratitude.

Several elderly men with white hair slowly walked out, saying, "We will never forget the kindness of being saved by joining the army!"

Liu Daogui quickly dismounted. "Please rise, everyone. I have come here because the world is about to descend into chaos. I wish to organize the military households under the jurisdiction of the General's Mansion into training groups, so that they can protect themselves and also find a way out for everyone!"

Where there is oppression, there will be resistance.

Among all social classes in Jiangzuo, military households were undoubtedly at the very bottom, having endured countless hardships.

The young men and women around them all had their eyes shining.

"In the past year or so, if it weren't for the monthly allowance for joining the army, I don't know how many people would have starved to death. Our lives would have been lost to the army long ago!" The oldest of the group of elders had scars on their faces, a testament to their ruthless past when they were young and had risked their lives for life.

The descendants of refugees are never short of courage.

"I just don't know what the soldier's purpose is in coming here so late at night?"

These people finally got to the point.

Those who came to greet us tonight were undoubtedly grateful people. Taking this opportunity, Liu Daogui bluntly stated, "Your ancestral homes are all in the north, and your ancestors' graves are also in the north. Every family has a blood feud with the Hu people. Don't you want to take revenge? Don't you want to recover your homeland? Don't you want to hold the heads of the Hu people and worship your ancestors?"

The night wind howled, and the torches crackled.

The breathing of those around them grew heavier and heavier, and even the elders became excited, a flame gradually rising in their eyes.

With a "snap," one man threw down his cane and knelt directly in front of Liu Daogui, saying, "If I can reclaim my homeland and return to my hometown, even if my old bones are shattered to pieces, it will be worth it!"

"We've had enough of living as slaves to the people of Jiangzuo!"

"Yes, we're going to die anyway. What harm is there in marching on Jiankang if the commander gives the order!"

These people have more radical ideas than Liu Daogui.

A military household has to hand over 90% of the grain they grow in a year, plus countless heavy corvée labors every year. In the event of a major war, they are also expected to be at the forefront as scapegoats...

Their descendants will repeat this kind of life.

It was even worse than being a slave.

Therefore, they had a greater motivation to change the status quo than the soldiers who were sent to conquer the enemy.

They had been living a life of utter despair, but the monthly allowance Liu Daogui gave them was like a ray of light in the darkness, giving them hope.

So all these years, not a single penny has been wasted.

The Northern Expedition to reclaim their homeland was the long-cherished wish of all the displaced people. The aristocratic families "migrated south in their robes and hats," continuing their decadent and extravagant lifestyles, living even better than they had in Luoyang. Of course, they were unwilling to fight the Hu people again.

These people at the very bottom of society have been living in dire straits for so many years, and no one has ever paid them a second glance.

"There's no need to storm Jiankang. You all must obey my decree. It will take five years at the latest, or three years at the earliest, for me to launch a northern expedition and ensure that every family has its own land and no longer suffers humiliation. But before that, you all need to do me a favor!"

Liu Daogui's current mood is like a raging fire on the ground.

(End of this chapter)