Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 207 Aftermath
The Huan family unified the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, basically restoring the sphere of influence that Huan Wen once held.

Huan Xuan is only twenty-five years old this year, so it goes without saying what he will do next.

Sima Yuanxian's impulsive decision to recruit "musical accomplices" was a self-inflicted wound, severing his own foundation. He was now like a grasshopper in autumn, waiting for Huan Xuan to march south.

However, he still had one last card in his hand—the Northern Army.

As a backbone force of the Northern Army, the Liu family of Pengcheng naturally rose in status as well.

So it's not that Liu Daogui is afraid of the court now; it's that the court is trying to win over the Northern Army and the Liu family of Pengcheng to prolong its own life.

If we take over Yandu at this point, even if Sima Yuanxian knows that we did it, he will pretend not to know.

Moreover, the Celestial Masters sect at sea is also eyeing us covetously.

Liu Daogui benefited not only from Liu Laozhi's influence but also from Huan Xuan's.

"If the saltworks are restored, but then the higher-ups come after them, wouldn't it all be for nothing?" Liu Huaizhen was not in favor of it, since the saltworks couldn't be restored just like that.

The initial investment was very large.

"That will be several years from now. Will my Liu family still be the same Liu family today?" Liu Daogui looked at him.

The Liu family is just one major battle away from truly rising to power.

These next few years will certainly not be peaceful; there will be plenty of opportunities. Once a major war breaks out, Liu Daogui and Liu Yu will have a chance to prove themselves, and the Liu family will be able to rise to a higher level.

When the time comes, with weapons in hand, anyone who covets Yandu will have to think twice.

Liu Huaizhen smiled wryly, "It seems you've planned this carefully before you acted."

“Since no one is going to help us, we have no choice but to find our own way to grow stronger. These days, those who don’t move forward are doomed.” Liu Daogui had a strong sense of crisis.

Now that you're involved and have offended so many people, don't even think about backing down.

Either become someone else's dog, or go all the way down this path.

If he were someone else's dog, Liu Daogui wouldn't have had to go through so much hardship to open up the mountains and forests.

"Although we come from humble backgrounds, we are not necessarily inferior to the noble families!" Liu Huaisu was encouraged.

Liu Daogui chuckled. He got along very well with this cousin. He took a document from the table and handed it to him.

“This is the list of salt smugglers that Yuan He gave me last time. Contact them and get them involved. We will only take 60%, and the rest can be divided among them. They can’t refuse to give face to the Chief Administrator of the Expeditionary Army.”

"Forty percent?" Liu Huaisu had never done business before and couldn't understand the logic behind it.

"The Great Way is fifty, and the Heavenly Way is forty-nine. Man escapes one of them. This applies to the Way of Heaven, doing business, and being a person. Excessive profits are hard to sustain. Those who know how to do business will always leave a way out. The reason why Sima Daozi and Liu Yi failed was because they ate the meat themselves and were unwilling to share even a drop of soup with others. Therefore, at the slightest sign of trouble, so many people will oppose them."

“Agui doesn’t usually read much… how does he know so much? I’m afraid even those famous scholars are not as knowledgeable as you.”

"Brother, you flatter me." Liu Daogui laughed heartily.

Liu Huaizhen was in charge of setting up eight military headquarters, while Meng Ganzhi led his men to infiltrate Yandu and take the opportunity to expand his power.

After two disasters, no one was willing to take over those salt fields, leaving them in a mess.

However, while others were unwilling to accept it, the military households nearby dared to. With many people, there was great strength. There were five or six thousand households, nearly 30,000 people, with men, women, and children all joining the battle.

As long as two meals a day can be guaranteed, there are plenty of people willing to put in the effort.

Even the local refugees came to help.

Although Liu Daogui was not present at the scene, he was secretly directing operations. He transferred grain from Lanling and had Zhao Lunzhi, under the pretext of suppressing bandits, directly enter Yandu and take control of the entire city. He cooperated with Liu Huaizhen, one openly and one covertly.

However, this left them with a shortage of troops. Without the orders of General Huan Hong, the General Who Conquers the Barbarians, things could not be accomplished.

Even if Liu Daogui recruits them, they can only be private troops, without official status from the imperial court.

Liu Huaisu went to Sheyangpo, and Gao Xun stayed in Kuaiji. For a time, Liu Daogui had no one to consult with, which happened to coincide with his meeting with Yuan He.

So he went directly to him for advice.

Yuan He's eyes darted around, and he immediately had an idea. "How could Dao Ze be so muddle-headed? The Conquering Army is under the jurisdiction of the Northern Commander-in-Chief. Expanding the Conquering Army is in your hands, which will greatly benefit Commander-in-Chief Liu."

Liu Daogui shook his head, "Governor Liu... isn't someone who's easy to talk to."

Actually, I had thought of this path before, but Liu Laozhi had a lot to say about it.

In the past, when I encountered difficulties and sought his help, he always ignored me.

Yuan He smiled and said, “Your brother Liu Jinu is currently a military advisor in the Northern Army. I will write a letter analyzing the pros and cons and have him unite with the Liu clan to persuade Governor Liu in this way. It will surely succeed. Governor Liu is easily swayed, so if you persuade him in this way, he will definitely succeed.”

Father, like son.

Liu Yu was highly valued by Liu Laozhi, and he was well-connected and popular in the Northern Army.

The Northern Army also included figures such as Liu Huaisu, Liu Xuanzhi, Liu Gui, and Liu Xi, making it a force to be reckoned with.

"Sima's brilliant plan!" Liu Daogui was preoccupied with many matters and inevitably overlooked some things.

He took out paper and pen, and in no time at all, he had written a letter.

Liu Daogui blew the ink off the paper and looked at it once.

His literary talent and calligraphy are beyond question. The Yuan family has a long tradition of scholarship, and Yuan He is quick-witted. He begins by analyzing the situation of the world. The Northern Army and the Western Army have become opposing forces. Strengthening the Conquering Army is also strengthening the Northern Army. The Liu family of Pengcheng is the martial clan of the Northern Army. They should consolidate their foundation and revitalize their clan...

Not to mention Liu Laozhi, even Liu Daogui nodded in agreement.

Huan Xuan has already annexed the entire Western Prefecture and will sooner or later march south. At that time, the Northern Prefecture Army will be in the eye of the storm. The most important thing at this time is to expand its strength and make the Western Prefecture Army wary.

The letter also pointed out that the safety of the Jin dynasty rested entirely on the Northern Army; if anything happened to the Northern Army, the Jin dynasty would be finished.

They even urged Liu Laozhi to step forward...

Even an outsider like Yuan He could see the tension in the current situation.

Huan Xuan has only just taken over Jingzhou and Xiangyang and has not yet fully integrated the region, so the chances are still very high.

"The following sentences can be omitted. It's inappropriate to say them now, as it would only provoke his resentment," Liu Daogui had advised Liu Laozhi long ago.

From the day he betrayed Wang Gong, there was no turning back.

Yuan He clearly overestimated his relationship with Liu Laozhi.

"Huan Xuan is ruthless. After taking Jingzhou and Xiangyang, he will not tolerate the generals of the Northern Army. Commander Liu will be the first to be affected and there is no way to avoid it. The Liu family of Pengcheng holds the elite troops of the world and has great potential..."

"It's a pity you're not Governor Liu. Everyone has their own ambitions, and we can't force them."

If it were Liu Daogui, he would have used the pretext of resisting Huan Xuan to lead his troops into Jiankang and take control of the court first.

"Governor Liu has just assumed a high position, so he is bound to be hesitant and cautious. If he is forced by circumstances in the future, he may well launch a counterattack."

Yuan He didn't say anything more, and wrote another letter, much more tactful, without urging Liu Laozhi to do anything. Liu Daogui thought it was about time, so he had Gou Zhong take people to deliver it to Jingkou.

(End of this chapter)