Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 203 Demonstration
It was already noon when we got back to Guangling.

Liu Daogui made a special trip to the general's mansion, but Huan Hong was still unconscious due to a hangover from the previous night.

Liu Yi, Meng Chang, Zhuge Changmin, and others gathered together, seemingly discussing something.

Liu Daogui was relieved as long as those people were not in Yandu.

Although this move was somewhat hasty, haste has its advantages, as the opponent had even less time to react.

With Liu Huaizhen, Tan Daoji, and Kuai En working together from the inside and outside, Liu Daogui can basically rest easy.

The entire military government was like a makeshift operation, delaying everything. They thought someone would investigate Liu Huaizhen's feigned illness, but they couldn't hear a single word about it.

Liu Daogui simply took a nap, and in the evening, Huan Hong sent someone to invite him to a banquet.

"What's the point of living a life of debauchery and living day and night in a daze?" Liu Zun cursed.

“What you find meaningless, others find delightful.” Liu Daogui, wearing a layer of fine armor and accompanied by his men, prepared to attend the banquet.

"Hey, will Huan Hong and Liu Yi do something desperate?" Liu Zun scratched his head, also racking his brains.

"They don't know what we're up to, so why would they jump over the wall?"

Even a cornered dog will do something. The entire military government is under Liu Daogui's control. Although Huan Hong has more than 500 troops, it is still not enough.

Liu Yi had the most men, but they were all scattered outside the military headquarters.

“These people are taking Five-Stone Powder; they might act impulsively at any moment.” Liu Zun put on a suit of iron armor, covering himself completely.

Liu Daogui's heart stirred. Calculating the time, the Yandu side should have already made their move.

At this point, it might be wise to make a show of force, appropriately demonstrating our strength to Huan Hong and Liu Yi. This would both create an alibi and deter them from future misbehavior.

Maintaining stability in Guangling City is in Liu Daogui's best interest.

Therefore, we should give those demons and monsters a good scare, so that they dare not act rashly.

If you always keep such a low profile, others might think you're easy to bully and misjudge the situation.

"Then let Huan Hong and Liu Yi recognize the situation and see clearly who the real master of the military mansion is. Issue an order to gather all soldiers outside the general's mansion."

"Hahaha, is this the start of a fight?" Liu Zun was overjoyed.

"It's not that far yet."

Liu Daogui shook his hand and led his troops toward the general's mansion.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber tonight. The city was under martial law, and armored soldiers patrolled the streets. However, when they saw Liu Daogui and his party, they all greeted them warmly.

They also dispatched a team to escort Liu Daogui to the general's mansion.

This is even more impressive than the oxcarts of those famous scholars.

The general's mansion was brightly lit, and from a distance, one could hear the clinking of glasses and the sounds of string and wind instruments.

Last time, Huan Hong personally came out to greet him, but this time it was cold and deserted.

Liu Daogui chuckled inwardly. Huan Hong's change of attitude from obsequious to arrogant was too obvious. But after tonight, he wondered if he would still be able to enjoy this hedonistic life.

"Please join the army—"

Several gatekeepers of the Huan family stood on the steps, their expressions arrogant.

Liu Daogui glanced at them, and the group shuddered, falling silent as if trembling in fear.

"Why don't you go in?" Liu Zun asked, his face full of doubt.

"He started the feast before we even arrived. Isn't that a clear sign that he's trying to give us a hard time? I'm going to defy their wishes and use Huan Hong's territory to set up a trap for them. Let's see if they can still eat there!"

Liu Daogui stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for the soldiers to gather.

Previously, he was merely a lowly ninth-rank official, so it was only natural that Huan Hong wouldn't wait for him at banquets. But now he was a fifth-rank prefect, the number one figure in Guangling City, whose every move could make the military government tremble. Huan Hong's continued behavior showed that he didn't take Liu Daogui seriously.

One should be low-key when necessary, but one must fight for face when it's right.

Liu Zun blinked, "You're making me really confused."

Liu Daogui was too lazy to say anything more and closed his eyes to wait.

Huan Hong was stubborn as a turtle trying to eat a weight; he was determined not to come out to greet them.

As night deepened, after about an hour, the ground began to tremble slightly, and the clanging of armor grew louder as it approached.

However, the joyful laughter inside the mansion has not yet been felt.

After a stick of incense had burned, the soldiers from both the front and rear units assembled, each clad in armor and wielding a long spear, forming a crescent-shaped formation. They silently watched the brightly lit general's mansion, quietly listening to the sounds of string and wind instruments and the chirping of women inside.

After winning several battles under Liu Daogui, the soldiers were in high spirits.

They are becoming increasingly sharp and elite.

After Xie Yan transferred the left and right wings, Liu Daogui's control over the Central Army of the Expeditionary Force actually increased.

After all, those two units were the retainers of the Tan and Gao families, and Liu Daogui couldn't easily infiltrate them. Now, however, he didn't have so many concerns. The two units, totaling over 1,300 men, were completely obedient to him...

With such a commotion outside, it's impossible for the people inside not to know.

Suddenly all sounds stopped, and a chorus of exclamations erupted from inside.

Then Huan Hong's obese body emerged, surrounded by his retainers. Upon seeing the murderous soldiers, he trembled and hid behind them. "Dao Ze... what does this mean?"

"How dare you! Without General Huan's order, how dare you gather troops on your own? Are you planning a rebellion?"

A young general stepped forward and stood on the steps, looking down at the crowd.

Liu Daogui knew everyone in the military headquarters, but he had never seen this person before.

I couldn't quite figure out his background.

But at this moment, Yuan He, who was standing next to Huan Hong, said, "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding. This is Gao Yazhi, the Chancellor of Guangling."

Liu Daogui looked the man up and down. His face was flushed with a strange redness, probably from the effects of the Five-Stone Powder. His eyes were also somewhat unfocused.

According to seniority, he should be Gao Heng's cousin, but Gao Heng's cousin is not the same as his own cousin. Every family has its own stance, and personal relationships are personal relationships, which will not violate the interests of the family.

The Gao family is currently favored by Sima Yuanxian, who is specifically supporting them to suppress the Liu family of Pengcheng. All three members of the Gao family have been promoted and given titles, so they naturally look down on Liu Daogui.

To some extent, this person was also a competitor of the Pengcheng Liu family in the Northern Army.

Liu Daogui gave Zhao Lunzhi a wink, and Zhao Lunzhi stepped forward with his sword drawn, shouting loudly, "The soldiers of the Conquering Army, please inspect them, General!"

"Kill, kill, kill!"

The soldiers stepped forward, raised their long spears, and thrust them into the night sky with a thunderous sound.

A faint, almost imperceptible killing intent drifted through the night sky.

Those who had experienced bloodshed and those who hadn't had completely different auras; some people were so frightened that their knees buckled and they fell to the ground.

Gao Yazhi also trembled, her eyes cleared a bit, and her face was covered in cold sweat, but she dared not meet Liu Daogui's gaze, completely lacking the arrogance she had just displayed.

Liu Daogui sighed inwardly. Gao Heng was a veteran general in the Northern Army, but a general's descendants might not necessarily be able to serve as generals.

It's truly despicable that they can't even withstand a scene like this.

The elegant Guangling Xiang was not someone who earned his title through real battles.

"Dao Ze is quite grand." Just as Liu Daogui was showing off his power, another person stepped forward.

(End of this chapter)