Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 210 A Motley Crew
One should act according to one's ability. Yandu is too vast, and it would be difficult for Liu Daogui to handle it all. He might end up like Liu Yi, overwhelmed and unable to cope, and ultimately have to give it up to someone else.

“You always come up with ingenious ideas, thinking what others dare not think and doing what others dare not do…” Liu Huaizhen was persuaded.

“In this day and age, you need the courage to be a pioneer. If you stick to the old ways and stick to the old rules, where will we ever get our chance?” Liu Daogui was actually forced into this situation.

The hardships and obstacles he encountered, from having nothing to becoming a prefect, are beyond the comprehension of outsiders.

When things reach an impasse, change is necessary; change leads to progress—this is a universal truth.

“I’ll send someone to contact them right away. Their lives have been very difficult since the saltworks were destroyed. I’m not afraid they won’t take the bait.”

Liu Huaisu remained at Sheyangpo, while Liu Daogui returned to Guangling, preparing to head north.

The New Year has passed, and I haven't had time to go home.

However, his mother still sent several fur coats that she had sewn herself, and Liu Daogui, Liu Zun, Liu Zhong, Liu Guangzhi, Liu Zhen, and Liu Huaishen each received one.

Cao Sifei also has her own approach.

She even prepared a complete set for the baby in her womb, all for boys.

The Liu family had never had a grandson, which had always been a source of resentment for the mother.

Also coming from Jingkou were the two sisters, Shen Yuehan and Shen Yuewei. Liu Daogui smiled bitterly to himself. How could Liu Daogui not know his mother's thoughts?
The two sisters had been living in the Liu family's house for several months and now they felt completely at home.

She served Liu Daogui in his daily life, and at night they would warm each other's bed and sleep together under the same quilt...

The saying "love grows over time" is indeed true; after spending some time together, feelings develop rapidly.

Including Yu Nu and the other two women, Liu Daogui now had a large number of wives and concubines.

After enjoying a few days of blissful companionship, he was preparing to head north to Lu County when news from Jingkou struck like a thunderbolt, causing widespread panic in Guangling City.

After lying low for more than half a year, the evil thieves of the Celestial Masters Sect have made a comeback.

Sun En led his troops to capture Jiakou (now Zhenhaikou), enter Yuyao, break through Shangyu, and advance straight into the heart of Kuaiji Commandery—Shanyin.

This time, the demon bandits came with great force, numbering no less than 50,000.

For a time, the Jiangnan region was filled with unease and panic.

Liu Daogui was definitely not going anywhere at this point, so he had no choice but to let Liu Guangzhi, Cao Ji, Wang Yuande, and Liu Zhong take charge of the spring plowing. If there were any difficulties, they could ask Liu Muzhi for help.

Liu Muzhi is now practically one of our own.

After recovering the area south of the Si River, the threat from the three prefectures of Lanling, Langya, and Donghai was greatly reduced. Murong Chui no longer cared about these border areas and focused his attention on Murong Yong. The Yan army split into three groups, sharpening their knives at Western Yan.

Given the current situation, Liu Muzhi even started cultivating the land in Dongguan County, which served as a buffer zone to the north.

Ten days later, news came from the southeast again that Sun En's 50,000-strong army had been easily defeated by Liu Xuan's 5,000 men and retreated back to Shangyu.

Liu Xuanzhi was also a member of the Liu clan of Pengcheng and a cousin of Liu Laozhi, but he joined the Xie family at a young age.

The situation has eased somewhat.

However, it is almost impossible to completely eradicate the demon bandits.

Sun En used the sea as his base and commanded a navy that could come and go as it pleased, leaving the Jin army with no choice but to defend passively.

Xie Yan led 8,000 Taiwanese soldiers to garrison Shanyin, along with nearly 10,000 other guest troops. They were more than capable of attacking, but more than capable of defending.

Liu Daogui took the initiative to approach Yuan He to inquire about information from various parties.

"The imperial court will soon dispatch troops from Guangling to march south," Yuan He said without hesitation.

Liu Daogui frowned. The only ones who could still put up a fight in Guangling were the generals in charge of the campaign against the enemy or Liu Yi. However, the possibility of Liu Yi was very small. His forces were only considered to be a rebel army, and the court would not allow them to penetrate deep into the southeastern heartland.

The mere thought of Xie Yan's face made Liu Daogui feel nauseous.

Working under him was truly unbearable.

"Could it be that the recent commotion has been too great and has attracted the attention of the imperial court?" Yuan He laughed and said, "This is a good thing. If the Liu family of Pengcheng wants to grow stronger, they can only do so by making contributions on the battlefield. Others would beg for such opportunities. The rebels are a rabble and will collapse at the first touch. This is a great achievement that can be easily obtained."

Liu Xuanzhi was not ranked among the top in the Northern Army and his combat strength was not very strong, but for some reason, he was able to defeat Sun En's 50,000 troops.

Sun En has been lying low for so long, and his return should be even more ferocious than before. His troops are definitely not a rabble.

This battle was full of strange occurrences, making it quite perplexing.

"There's no such thing as an easy thing in the world. There are capable people even among the demons and thieves."

Sun En's willingness to withdraw from Kuaiji and take more than 200,000 able-bodied men with him across the sea to avoid the advance of the Northern Army demonstrates a courage and ability that is far beyond that of an ordinary bandit.

"General Wei is renowned throughout the land and participated in the Battle of Fei River. Dealing with a group of demonic bandits is a piece of cake for him, isn't it?"

Yuan He had great confidence in Xie Yan, but his words also revealed his shortcomings in military matters.

The victory at the Battle of Fei River was due to a number of coincidences.

Moreover, the Jin dynasty today is not the same Jin dynasty it once was.

Liu Daogui did not argue with him, but silently observed the development of the situation.

Two days later, the imperial edict to send troops arrived as expected, but it was not for Liu Daogui, but for Gao Yazhi.

Gao Yazhi took over a thousand troops to Guangling to take up his post as the Prefect of Guangling and take over Yandu. Now that Yandu is gone, there is no point in him staying in Guangling.

The Gao family was supported by Sima Yuanxian to restrain the power of the Liu family of Pengcheng. Sun En collapsed at the first touch, so Liu Daogui naturally had no chance to make a name for himself.

When Gao Yazhi led his troops south, Huan Hong specially saw him off, bringing all his musicians to beat drums and gongs, creating a joyous atmosphere.

All the military officers, both high and low, from the military headquarters came, and Liu Daogui was no exception.

"General Gao's journey will surely be a resounding success, and his rise to prominence will be imminent." Huan Hong said with a forced smile.

The farewell he put on was more like an attempt to disgust the refined.

The Gao family belonged to the Northern Army faction and were favorites of Sima Yuanxian, making them inherently at odds with the Huan family.

"General, please wait a moment. Within two months, I will return with the head of the bandit chief Sun En and then investigate the robbery in Yandu!"

He was young and arrogant, and considered himself superior to everyone else.

The armored soldiers behind him were all burly and strong, and they certainly had the right to be arrogant.

Huan Hong said sarcastically, "This treacherous villain is no ordinary person. I advise General Gao not to be impetuous in his youth and to think twice before acting. If you suffer a defeat, not only will it damage the Gao family's reputation, but it will also disappoint the court!"

Liu Daogui's heart stirred, and he stared at Huan Hong. Huan Hong's words clearly showed that he did not think highly of Gao Yazhi.

The Huan family has always colluded with the Celestial Masters sect, supporting them on several occasions. The two sides have been mutually exploiting each other, and their understanding of each other is certainly better than that of outsiders.

The Celestial Masters sect destroyed the three Wu regions and eight counties, which actually did the Huan family a great favor.

"Hmph, General Huan, you should take good care of yourself. There's no need for you to worry about the scoundrels in the southeast." Gao Yazhi mounted his horse and headed arrogantly toward the port.

Huan Hong was not a magnanimous person to begin with, and he laughed loudly, "Guards, play funeral music to send General Gao off!"

A mournful dirge began to play, making the atmosphere even more comical.

Yuan He, Liu Yi, Meng Chang, and others suppressed their laughter.

Her elegant demeanor was flushed red, and she nearly fell off her horse.

Liu Daogui became increasingly certain that Huan Hong knew something, and that this might be Huan's way of weakening the Northern Army through the Celestial Masters sect.

Xie Yan, as General of the Guards and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of the seven commanderies of Jiangdong, had a military leadership ability that was truly hard to describe...

(End of this chapter)