Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 224

"Marching!" Liu Daogui gave the order, and the banners waved forward.

The marching drums sounded, but the refugees and prisoners all looked bewildered.

"What are you all standing there for? Get up and move!"

Amidst shouts and the cracking of whips from the soldiers, the "army" slowly began to move, marching southward in a chaotic and smoky manner.

Liu Daogui felt like he was herding sheep, with absolutely no sense of formation.

The refugees and prisoners were too lazy to disperse; some were in front, some were behind, and some had sprained their ankles and were lying on the ground, with all sorts of situations arising.

A real march is more tiring than a battle.

Therefore, only those elite and powerful troops can perform rapid marches, infiltrations, and flanking maneuvers.

After only half an hour of walking, several hundred people had already fallen behind...

To avoid them dragging others down, we had no choice but to give up.

If anyone fell behind, new prisoners and refugees joined them. They had all scattered the night before, fled all night, but failed to reach Shanyin. Instead, they were captured by Liu Daogui again.

They marched southeast in a grand procession, and although they moved slowly, the group grew larger and larger.

As soon as the banner bearing the character "Liu" was raised, the aroma of hot porridge wafted through the air, and the captives and refugees hiding in the mountains and marshes emerged one after another to join his cause.

They'll follow whoever gives them food.

These days, survival is more important than anything else.

However, with more people came greater logistical pressure. Liu Daogui personally took charge of logistics, sending out scouts to explore waterways wherever he went, and having Li Damu transport grain and fodder from the Qiantang River in small boats.

The south side of a mountain and the north side of a river are considered Yang, while the north side of a mountain and the south side of a river are considered Yin. Shanyin is located north of Kuaiji Mountain. Kuaiji means accounting. After Yu the Great successfully controlled the floods, he convened a meeting of feudal lords from all over the world here to reward their merits and bestow titles, hence the name "Kuaiji".

This area features continuous mountains and rivers, crisscrossed by waterways, and has been the site of numerous canals.

Sun En's navy was drawn to Liu Laozhi's large army in the north and stationed itself in Shangyu. It dared not easily move south and could not control such a dense network of waterways, which allowed Liu Daogui to gain a small advantage.

With food to eat, people's hearts are at ease, and the refugees and prisoners willingly followed Liu Daogui to kill their way to Shanyin.

The rebel army along the way already knew that they had suffered a major defeat in the north, that Sun Yi had been defeated, and that Xingpu had been captured by Liu Yu, who beheaded more than 4,000 of them. He also killed the rebel general Zhou Zhou, the prefect of Linhai.

The two major defeats left the demon bandits in a state of panic.

Liu Daogui advanced rapidly, encountering little resistance; all the passes crumbled at the first touch.

"That is Shanyin!" Gao Xun exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the city below the mountain.

Shanyin is indeed a magnificent city, with Kuaiji Mountain to the west, Jinghu Lake to the south, the sea to the north, and the Cao'e River and Qu River to the east.

Not only is it strategically located, but it also boasts beautiful scenery and served as the capital of the Yue Kingdom eight hundred years ago.

Therefore, aristocratic families and powerful clans gathered here to indulge in refined pursuits.

The mountain at Liu Daogui's feet is the once-famous Lanting. Forty years ago, a group of famous scholars, including Wang Xizhi, Wang Tanzhi, Xie An, and Sun Chuo, gathered here and left behind a lot of calligraphy, as well as some weathered stone tablets.

"What...what are you doing?"

As Liu Daogui was reminiscing, he saw the refugees and prisoners dismantling all the stone tablets, pavilions, and wooden walkways.

“These scoundrels are harming the elders of the Wu region, riding roughshod over us, only caring about their own pleasure and not about our lives. Why can’t we tear them down?”

"For eighty years, they have occupied our land, enslaved us, and bullied our wives and daughters. We wish we could kill all of them!"

Several people wore expressions of hatred.

Liu Daogui was speechless for a moment. The so-called elegance and refinement of the literati were built on the blood and tears of countless people.

This kind of hatred cannot be eliminated in a short time.

"I am also from the North, are you going to kill me too?" Liu Daogui's face was full of murderous intent.

The surrounding troops immediately grabbed their weapons and surrounded them.

"I dare not..."

"Joining the army is different from them; it makes you a good officer!"

These people weren't stupid; they immediately started flattering him.

"I ask you, what is the difference between northerners and southerners? Aren't we all descendants of Yan and Huang, children of the Chinese nation?" Liu Daogui approached them step by step.

If this unhealthy trend is not curbed, it will inevitably lead to disaster sooner or later.

"Please forgive us for joining the army..." The men turned ashen-faced and immediately knelt on the ground.

“Every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor. I can’t control your revenge, but you shouldn’t blame all northerners. Without the northerners resisting the barbarians, your fate would have been ten or a hundred times worse!”

The group was so frightened they couldn't speak.

Seeing their submissive appearance, Liu Daogui could not muster any murderous intent. "I will forgive you this time for your first offense, but if anyone dares to incite hatred between the North and South again, don't blame me for being merciless under military law."

Liu Daogui cannot control everyone, but he must not allow his subordinates to become divided between the North and the South.

Even if these people are only following him temporarily.

"Thank you, Military Advisor..."

Several people buried their heads in the mud.

Liu Daogui ignored them and led his troops to inspect the terrain.

Kuaiji Mountain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a good place. The strength and weakness of Shanyin City are right under their noses. These 10,000 troops blocking the way are like a thorn stuck in Sun En's throat.

"Should we still attack Shanyin City?" Liu Zun asked, leading a group of people.

With only ten thousand men at their disposal, it's impossible for them to breach Shanyin.

However, the rebels are now extremely wary. After Liu Yu captured Xingpu, Liu Laozhi's army also crossed the Qiantang River. If Shangyu falls as well, the rebels' sea route will be cut off, and Shanyin will become a death trap. Last time Liu Laozhi crossed the river, Sun En fled in a panic.

Having lost the initiative this time and suffered two consecutive defeats, the enemy's strength is exhausted.

"Let's make a big show of things on all the hilltops, first scare Sun En, and see if he'll leave!"

Liu Daogui had no siege equipment and could only bluff.

The generals led their troops up the mountain, planted banners, and Tan Daoji even had straw figures made and placed on the mountaintop. From a distance, they looked just like real people, and the others followed suit.

In just half a day, tens of thousands of "armies" had been stationed on Mount Kuaiji.

A mountain breeze swept by, causing shadows to sway, and even the grass and trees seemed like soldiers, filling the air with a chilling atmosphere.

Gao Xun led his archers to guard the foot of the mountain, and any demon scouts who approached were shot dead.

As the sun set and the world grew increasingly gloomy, Liu Daogui, seeing that the time was almost right, gave the order: "Beat the drums, shout!"

Boom, boom, boom...

Shouts began to rise from the mountaintops, their thunderous voices echoing through the mountains and rivers, stirring the soul...

Inside Shanyin City.

Sun En had actually discovered this group of people on Mount Kuaiji long ago.

But Liu Laozhi had already crossed the Qiantang River and headed straight for Shangyu, intending to cut off the major sea outlets to the east, making him very uneasy.

If the sea route is cut off, Sun En will be trapped like a turtle in a jar.

Just then, shouts came from Mount Kuaiji in the southwest. Sun En led a few people out of the pavilion to see what was happening. They found that Mount Kuaiji was now full of people and horses.

"Wasn't there only about ten thousand men? How come there are suddenly so many?"

"Could it be reinforcements sent by the imperial court?"

"How can we fight this battle? Liu Lao is invincible. If we fight him in open battle, we will surely be defeated!"

The thief was very self-aware; he knew he was no match for Liu Laozhi.

The deaths of Sun Yizhi and Zhou Zhou, and the annihilation of their 70,000-strong "army," further demoralized them, leaving them with no will to fight.

But Sun En was somewhat unwilling to just retreat like that.

"The army on the mountain is just bluffing; we don't need to pay too much attention to it." Xu Daofu saw through Liu Daogui's true intentions at a glance, and his calm voice reassured everyone.

Lu Xun said, "We need not worry about the troops from Kuaiji Mountain, but Liu Laozhi and Liu Yu's attack on Jiakou, Hudu, Shangyu, and Gouzhang is cutting off our retreat, so we must be on guard!"

"If we don't break through the Northern Army, when will we be able to take over the Sima family!" Sun En's face was filled with rage.

His previous decisive victories against Xie Yan, Sun Wuzhong, and Gao Yazhi had greatly boosted his confidence.

Other generals were also eager to try.

Everyone knows that the Jin dynasty is now entirely supported by the Northern Army.

"If we can defeat Liu Laozhi, the Sima family will be finished, and the world will be ours!"

"Liu Laozhi's forces total only around 20,000. There are 13,000 elite troops in Shanyin City, 20,000 naval troops at sea, and the forces from the four southern prefectures add up to no less than 30,000. Shanyin City is high and its moat is deep. Why not have a decisive battle with Liu Laozhi right here!"

"decisive battle!"

The generals started to clamor.

Their strength is clearly superior to Liu Laozhi's. By using Shanyin City to wear down the Northern Army's morale, and then having reinforcements arrive from all directions, they might be able to destroy Liu Laozhi.

"Dao Fu, what do you think?" Sun En asked with a look of anticipation.

Xu Daofu had long been his strategist, and the defeats of Xie Yan, Sun Wuzhong, and Gao Yazhi were all due to his planning.

Unexpectedly, Xu Daofu shook his head, "If there were only Liu Laozhi, we could still fight. However, the brothers Liu Yu and Liu Daogui have suddenly risen to prominence and captured Xingpu. Our army has lost its momentum. Shanyin is a dead end. Once we are surrounded, how can the various forces be expected to wholeheartedly rescue us?"

Sun En was stunned by those words.

As Liu Yu and Liu Daogui's reputations grew, they also reached Sun En's ears.

The Celestial Masters sect has a large number of followers, but it is also divided into many factions, with a large number of powerful figures from the three Wu and eight counties mixed in. Whether these people are willing to fight to the death for Sun En is another matter.

"Do I have to give up the easy money I'm about to make?" Sun En was extremely annoyed.

Life at sea is no human being; a single misstep could lead to shipwreck and death. Therefore, he desperately longed to have a foothold.
Ideally, he would establish a territory south of the Qiantang River and call himself "General Who Conquers the East," which would be a subtle hint to the imperial court.

But the imperial court completely ignored him and relentlessly pursued and attacked the rebels without any mercy...

"Our army's strength lies in its navy and its ability to operate at sea. This victory over Sun Wuzhong and Gao Yazhi is already a great triumph, weakening the Northern Army's strength. In my opinion, we should not fight Liu Laozhi head-on. Our army should retreat to the sea, and Liu Laozhi will definitely stay behind to guard the Three Wu regions. At that time, the Jiangzuo region will be vulnerable, and we can sail up the river and directly attack Jingkou and Guangling, cutting off the foundation of the Northern Army!"

A murderous intent flashed across Xu Daofu's face.

As long as Liu Laozhi is tied up in the five counties south of Qiantang, the Celestial Masters' navy can drive straight in, penetrate into the heart of the Northern Prefecture, and even take Jiankang directly!

The role of the navy in Jiangnan was equivalent to that of the cavalry in the north.

The heartland of the Jin dynasty was entirely along the Yangtze River.

Unfortunately, the Jin dynasty's navy was destroyed by the Western Army, and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the southeastern coast all opened their arms to the Celestial Masters.

Therefore, staying in Shanyin to fight to the death is the most foolish choice.

"Send the order to retreat immediately and abandon Shanyin!" Although Sun En had a bad temper, he was not stupid.

The fact that they were able to stir up such a huge upheaval shows that they must have some extraordinary abilities.

Given the current situation, staying in Shanyin would be a certain death. His men are not good at defending the city. Their previous victories were due to their ability to move around freely and rely on their navy to avoid the enemy's strength and attack their weaknesses.

(End of this chapter)