Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 225 Dog

With the help of the navy, the demon bandits in Shanyin City retreated immediately.

A line of demon bandits emerged from the city, orderly and without the slightest sign of panic. Warships on South Lake were lined up, filled with archers and armored soldiers guarding the demon bandits as they boarded.

Meanwhile, over a thousand armored soldiers remained on guard on the city walls.

"What are we waiting for? Let's charge down and wipe them all out, men and boats!" Liu Zun was impatient.

Gao Xun said, "Do not attack a well-organized formation. The demons are most adept at intrigue and trickery. Do not forget the defeats of General Wei and General Sun."

The problem remains the same: the rebels have a navy, allowing them to move freely, while Liu Daogui's forces are mostly infantry. Although he has two hundred cavalry, they are limited in every way in the water towns of Jiangnan, making them less effective than infantry.

Moreover, this band of demons was heavily fortified and had not fled in defeat. Pursuing them would be unlikely to yield any benefits.

If you're not careful, you could easily fall into their ambush.

"Taking Shanyin is already a great achievement. Too much is as bad as too little. We should stop here!" Liu Daogui suppressed his eager impulse.

Looking back at the soldiers behind him, the Central Army of the Expeditionary Army was ready for battle and full of fighting spirit, but the refugees and prisoners stared at Shanyin City with shining eyes.

If we expect them to pursue the demon thieves, they might even turn against us.

Leading troops into battle is like being a person; you must act in accordance with the circumstances.

Everyone remained motionless on Mount Kuaiji, watching helplessly as the demon thieves departed.

One wave after another, the demonic thieves from the city boarded the warship.

Just when Liu Daogui thought it was about time, a cavalry force of seven or eight hundred men slowly emerged from the mountain valley to the northeast. Calling them cavalry wasn't entirely accurate, as they were mixed with many donkeys and mules.

However, they were well-equipped, with everyone wearing armor and carrying long spears.

Liu Daogui couldn't help but wipe away a cold sweat. This "cavalry" was clearly an ambush. If he had charged out just now, this group could have moved quickly, blocked the Kuaiji Mountain to the north, and cut off his retreat.

With fortified cities in front and naval warships behind, they are bound to be surrounded on all sides...

An arrogant soldier will be defeated.

No opponent should be underestimated; caution and prudence are the keys to long-term success.

After waiting another hour, until the demon bandits set sail and disappeared into the distant mist, Liu Daogui led his army down from Mount Kuaiji.

Upon entering the city, the refugees and prisoners became obsessed and began plundering everywhere.

However, Shanyin City has already fallen twice. The demon bandits looted it, then the Northern Army looted it, and then the demon bandits looted it again. Now, there isn't even a feather left in the city.

Even the door frames, wooden windows, and thatched roofs were torn down and burned, not to mention money, food, and women.

The thieves had no intention of defending the city to the death, so they wouldn't leave anything behind.

The refugees sighed and lay in the corner of the wall.

The soldiers who were sent to conquer the enemy occupied the city walls and defended the four gates. After so many battles, their military discipline had improved significantly. In particular, the newly recruited soldiers and households regarded Liu Daogui as a god, and dared not go west if ordered to go east.

The recapture of Shanyin City this time is undoubtedly the greatest achievement, and the imperial court will certainly reward him accordingly.

The situation in Jiankang was becoming increasingly dire. The Western Army was no weaker than the Northern Army, and Huan Xuan openly threatened the court. The Sima family was in serious crisis, and Xie Yan and Gao Yazhi, on whom the court had placed high hopes, were easily defeated and suffered heavy losses.

Therefore, the imperial court has no choice but to rely on the Liu family of Pengcheng.

While we were pondering the situation, Meng Ganzhi suddenly came to report: "Military advisor, we have discovered some things left behind by the demon bandits."

"Things?" Liu Daogui was slightly surprised.

Meng Ganzhi's expression turned strange. "This was specially left for the military advisor by the treacherous bandit..."

Liu Daogui became increasingly curious. He wasn't familiar with the demon thief, unless it was left behind by Yunxiu.

It has been more than two years since we parted ways in Guangling, and I don't know if she is alive or dead.

When Meng Ganzhi arrived at the prefect's mansion, his retainers had already surrounded it, preventing the refugees from getting close.

Upon seeing Liu Daogui arrive, the soldiers dispersed, revealing a row of bright red characters on the wall behind them: "The reputation of the Twin Jewels of the Northern Prefecture is well-deserved. I have long admired them and have prepared a pot of life-extending soup to present to you. There will be many days to come, and we will meet again."

Xu Changming carried out a pot of soup, which was still steaming.

Liu Daogui raised an eyebrow, thinking he would send his own sister over, but instead he only sent a jar of life-sustaining soup. He couldn't help but laugh out loud, "This Xu Daofu is quite a character."

This pot of soup has a double meaning. On the surface, it satirizes Liu Daogui's impending death, but in reality, it implies that the Sima family is only prolonging their lives because of the Liu family of Pengcheng.

Gao Xun said, "This person should be Sun Enmou."

"It smells pretty good." Liu Zun scooped up a spoonful, brought it to his lips, and licked it with his tongue.

Liu Daogui glanced at him sideways. "Are you stupid? What if there's poison in this? Wouldn't you just confess?"

I don't know what's cooking in the pot, but it has a wonderfully fragrant aroma, and there's a layer of white stuff floating on top.

Liu Zun's face darkened, and he quickly threw away the spoon, spitting repeatedly.

"Don't scare him." Gao Xun chuckled.

"Alright, erase the words on the wall and search the entire city carefully. Don't let them leave any secret passages or hidden doors so they can come back and break in again." Liu Daogui was still wary of Xu Daofu.

If all the actions of the thief were his doing, then this person's strategy is quite astonishing.

He defeated the Northern Army twice, but when faced with a strong enemy, he turned around and fled, showing great strategic vision by abandoning Shanyin and escaping back to the sea.

I used to think that Xie Yan, Sun Wuzhong, and Gao Yazhi were defeated by their arrogance, but now I see that it's not just that.

The troops were on high alert, and Liu Daogui deployed various hidden sentries and arranged for cavalry to patrol the city. Surprisingly, they actually found more than a dozen spies left behind by the bandits.

Two days later, the scouts reported that Liu Yu, in alliance with Shen Tianzi, had captured Jiakou, Hudu, Shangyu and other places, but still had not managed to capture the main force of the rebels.

Sun En avoided Liu Yu's military advance and entered the sea from the southeast at Juzhang.

The bandits from the four prefectures south of Kuaiji either went to sea or disappeared into the deep mountains.

The banditry has been temporarily quelled.

But everyone knows this is only temporary.

Five days later, Liu Daogui welcomed Liu Laozhi's army into the city.

The force numbered over ten thousand, with at least three-tenths of them wearing iron armor, and there was also a cavalry force of a thousand men.

Each soldier exuded a faint killing intent, and their steps were steady.

With banners waving and armor clanging, Liu Laozhi rode a magnificent blue horse. It was so hot that he was only wearing a chainmail. He walked slowly, but he exuded a unique majesty that made the soldiers dare not even breathe.

Power is a man's best tonic.

He was the one who had the easiest time in this battle. Liu Daogui and Liu Yu charged ahead, risking their lives, while he basically didn't encounter any major battles in the rear.

However, the reason why the demon bandits retreated was also because they were afraid of his formidable military power over the past ten years.

Without his support from behind, Liu Daogui and Liu Yu would not have won so easily.

"This humble general, Liu Daogui, pays his respects to the Commander-in-Chief." Liu Daogui stepped forward and bowed.

"No need for such formalities, Agui." Liu Laozhi was very amiable. He dismounted, took Liu Daogui's hand, and they entered the city together.

All the Northern Army soldiers shouted in unison, "The Commander-in-Chief is mighty! The Military Advisor is mighty!"

The roar soared into the sky.

"The Liu family of Pengcheng has worthy successors!" Liu Laozhi also looked delighted.

Liu Daogui and Liu Yu were both from the Liu clan of Pengcheng, and this battle brought him considerable prestige.

The Liu family of Pengcheng held an unshakeable position in the Northern Army.

"It's all thanks to the Governor's support!" Liu Daogui flattered.

It's good to take shelter under a big tree. Whether Liu Daogui admits it or not, and regardless of Liu Laozhi's attitude towards them, the two brothers have benefited greatly from his influence.
"You deserve the greatest credit for capturing Shanyin this time. I have already submitted a memorial to the court to request that you and your brother be rewarded. This time, you should at least be granted the title of general."

"Thank you, Governor!" Liu Daogui was overjoyed. Becoming a general with a title meant becoming a general of the Northern Army, officially having a retinue, and thus having the right to share the spoils.

“We are all family. There are no outsiders here. Our two families come from the same clan. According to seniority, I am still your uncle.”

This battle not only made the Liu brothers famous, but also demonstrated their own value.

"Nephew greets Uncle!" Liu Daogui pressed his advantage.

Liu Laozhi took off his sword and handed it to Liu Daogui, saying, "This sword is named Xintinghou. It was obtained by Zhang Fei, the invincible warrior of Shu Han, when he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Xinting. I am giving it to you now. If you serve the court in the future, you will surely be enfeoffed as a marquis and granted a title!"

Liu Daogui naturally liked the knife, but his words sounded a bit unpleasant.

Serving the imperial court, receiving titles and honors...

He himself risked his life and made great contributions in the Battle of Feishui, but was only granted the low-ranking title of Baron of Wugang County. However, after betraying Wang Gong, he rose to become the Governor of the Northern Army.

A poor man who fights desperately on the battlefield will never be granted a noble title.

Moreover, Liu Daogui's ambition was not to serve the court. It was fine if Liu Laozhi wanted to favor the aristocratic families, but he shouldn't have dragged Liu Daogui into it...

However, despite these thoughts in his heart, his face wore an expression of extreme excitement: "This humble general is determined to serve the imperial court, even unto death!"

"Haha, if that's the case, the Liu family of Pengcheng will surely be able to bring honor to our family!" Liu Laozhi patted Liu Daogui on the shoulder.

This was probably his lifelong dream.

In peaceful times, this wouldn't be considered wrong, but now the world is in turmoil, heroes are emerging, and Liu Lao's name is known throughout the land. As the Commander of the Northern Army, to have only this one wish is truly unambitious.

However, everyone has their own ambitions. After all, he was from the previous generation. Two generations of him had served as officials under the Xie family, and his mind was already fixed on the glory of aristocratic families.

Liu Daogui said, half-jokingly, "My lifelong wish is to follow the Governor and bring honor to the Liu family of Pengcheng!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Laozhi stopped and stared intently at Liu Daogui. "The court has already appointed me as the governor of five prefectures, to be stationed in Shanyin to guard against the demons and bandits. How about you stay here as well, Agui?"

Liu Daogui was stunned, not expecting him to arrive so quickly, leaving no room for maneuver.

But it's not easy to take back what you've just said.

But if they agree, they don't know when they will be able to return to Lu County and Lanling.

As the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army, Liu Laozhi didn't actually need to consult his subordinates. The fact that he deliberately brought it up was actually a test of Liu Daogui's true attitude...

Those who have spent over a decade navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom are no ordinary individuals.

From the very beginning, they had set a trap for Liu Daogui, asking him to be granted the title of general and trying to get closer to his uncle, all for that last sentence.

It seems that Liu Laozhi wants to keep him by his side and make him a trusted confidant.

Or rather, be his dog...

(End of this chapter)