Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 226 Go

Liu Daogui never wanted to be someone's dog in his life.

Moreover, Liu Laozhi himself was a lackey of the aristocratic families...

However, he has presented a real problem.

If we keep them, the northern counties of Lu and Lanling will likely fall into the hands of others; if we don't, we might lose our title as general and offend Liu Laozhi.

In the power struggle, the concepts of uncle and nephew are all just a facade.

Every choice an adult makes is incredibly difficult.

Liu Daogui's mind raced, and he quickly came up with a solution. He cupped his hands and said, "I would be honored to serve under you, Uncle. However... the Northern Army's base is in Jingkou and Guangling. The court has left a governor to guard the Three Wu regions, which is far from the base. If this continues, I fear the Northern Army will fall into the hands of others!"

Liu Daogui considered the issue entirely from his perspective.

He was not even considered in this rebellion. The court planned to support Xie Yan and Gao Yazhi, one in power and the other in power, to replace Liu Laozhi in the Northern Army.

However, the two were utterly hopeless and were defeated by the demon thief.

Today, Sanwu has nothing left; it's almost entirely in ruins.

Sure enough, Liu Laozhi frowned; he knew best what the court's attitude towards him was.

She was always thinking about replacing him.

After betraying Wang Gong, Liu Laozhi lost credibility and stood in opposition to all the aristocratic families.

It's like a deadly blade that would kill its master; if it weren't still useful, it would have been replaced long ago.

Liu Daogui continued, "The enemy's navy is formidable. If they sail up the Yangtze River and launch a fierce attack on Jingkou and Guangling, our army, being far away in Kuaiji, will be unable to reach them..."

The imperial court left Liu Laozhi's elite troops in the Eastern Palace, which was somewhat like using someone else to do their dirty work.

Liu Laozhi twice went south to quell the bandits, but the bandits turned tail and ran both times.

If we leave him in the Eastern Prefecture now, the thieves will likely attack the Northern Prefecture...

“You’re right. The Northern Army is indeed our foundation and cannot be lost. I will immediately order Zhuge Kan, Liu Gui, and He Qian to return to defend Jingkou. You don’t need to worry!”

Liu Laozhi quickly came up with a solution, but intentionally or unintentionally overlooked Liu Daogui.

"I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

"Speak freely," Liu Laozhi said, waving his hand dismissively.

"If the imperial court were to support one of these three as the Gao family has done, what would my uncle do then?"

The Northern Army was originally an alliance formed by various refugee leaders. Eighty years have passed, and the only change is that the former refugee leaders have become the current Northern Army generals, but the internal structure remains loose.

The Liu family of Pengcheng was the most powerful, but the others were not powerless either.

If Liu Laozhi receives the support of the imperial court and unites with powerful clans, his position will be in grave danger.

These days, whether it's the imperial court or local authorities, people either rely on their clan or their blood relatives.

Liu Laozhi had only one son, who was summoned to Jiankang as a hostage.

Therefore, he only had one choice: he had to send either Liu Daogui or Liu Yu back.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket; this is a principle even the most ordinary people know.

Having said that much, Liu Daogui decided to stop.

Liu Laozhi's expression shifted, and after a moment, he suddenly laughed and said, "Agui is both wise and brave, and can be of great use. Very well, you are originally a member of the Zhenglu Army, so you should return to Guangling. I will not force you to do so."

There was a hidden meaning in those words, so Liu Daogui remained vigilant and said sincerely, "This nephew is doing all this for the Liu family of Pengcheng!"

The implication is that even if you don't trust me, you should trust the Liu family of Pengcheng.

A person may betray their own position, but rarely their clan.

Liu Laozhi nodded with satisfaction, "Don't forget what you said today."

"How dare I, your nephew!"

Having the title of general is fine, but not having it doesn't matter. With Lu County and Lanling as our bases, we don't really need to care too much about these empty titles. If they don't give it to us, we can always get it ourselves later...

Having finally persuaded him, Liu Daogui dared not linger in Shanyin any longer.

Just then, a secret letter arrived from Lu County in the north, saying that the Yan state had amassed 40,000 to 50,000 troops in Gaoping, and it was unclear whether they intended to attack Luoyang or Pengcheng.

After spending a few days with Liu Laozhi and handing over the city defenses and the refugees and prisoners, Liu Daogui didn't even have time to visit Liu Yu, who was stationed in Gouzhang, before hurriedly leading his troops north.

Liu Yu successively conquered Xingpu, Hudu, Jiakou, and Shangyu, sweeping across the land and gaining great fame. He had long since become Liu Laozhi's right-hand man.

After crossing the Qiantang River, they arrived in Wuxing County.

The ground was covered in golden yellow, the four-colored flags were still there, and the grain that had been stored in the fields was ripe and ready for harvest.

"It's Military Advisor Liu!" The people recognized Liu Daogui's banner and rushed to greet him, crowding the official road.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "This year will surely be a bumper harvest, and everyone will finally be able to have a full meal."

Unexpectedly, the elder in the lead smiled bitterly and said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. Military Advisor Liu just left, and the court has appointed another prefect and sent people to inspect the grain. Seventy percent of it will have to be sent back to Jiankang..."

"Seventy percent?" Liu Daogui was both shocked and furious.

The imperial court is really quick.

After a year of hard work, people only get 30% of what they need, which is far from enough to support their families.

The key is that Liu Daogui also put in a lot of effort to get these grains, and the court took away 70% of them with just one sentence... "It would be good if we could get 30%. Before I joined the army, it was 80% for officials and 20% for civilians. Wuxing has two harvests a year. If there are no natural disasters or man-made calamities, we can still make a living if we work hard."

"Only those who join the army care about whether we live or die..."

The elders became more and more excited as they spoke.

At this moment, people from all over came and brought boiled eggs and hot soup, which they handed to the soldiers with great enthusiasm.

For the first time, Liu Daogui experienced the hospitality of being welcomed with food and drink.

I just can't eat any of these things.

"I appreciate your kind offer, but I have military duties to attend to and cannot stay any longer. Please take care!"

Liu Daogui bowed to the people.

The crowd parted to make way, "Take care when you join the army..."

When will you return from the army?

The surrounding people looked on with eager anticipation; if you treat them well once, they will remember it for a lifetime.

The road ahead is long and arduous, and Liu Daogui truly doesn't know when he will be able to return, but at this moment he can't bear to disappoint them. "Please be patient for a while, everyone. Soon, everything will be alright..."

It's happening very soon; both the south and the north are in a state of intense turmoil.

The stagnant waters of Jiangzuo have long since begun to boil.

"What the military advisor said is absolutely right."

A burst of laughter and cheers soon followed behind them. They had been escorting the soldiers for two days straight, all the way across the border...

Jiankang.

The western section of the Langya Prince's Mansion remains bustling with activity.

Inside the mansion, Sima Yuanxian, Zhang Fashun, Wang Dan, Wang Mi, and other newly rich dignitaries sat at separate tables.

On the table in front of Sima Yuanxian was a petition requesting official titles. Liu Yu was listed first, followed by Liu Daogui, and then Liu Xuanzhi, Liu Xi, Liu Huaisu, Liu Juanzi, and others.

They were all surnamed Liu.

Liu Laozhi once again repelled the demon bandits, which relieved Sima Yuanxian. However, he also realized that he had to rely more on the Liu family of Pengcheng.

It wasn't that he didn't want to change the situation, but that all his efforts had failed.

The conscription of "musical servants" to populate Jiankang triggered the chaos within the Celestial Masters sect.

The attempts to cultivate Xie Yan and Gao Yazhi have resulted in utter failure...

“Liu Laozhi has never had any great ambitions, so Your Highness need not worry. The Western Prefecture of Jingzhou is very aggressive. Yesterday, they submitted a memorial, actually plotting to seize the position of Governor of Yangzhou!” The strategist Zhang Fashun shook his whisk, his expression elegant.

Gu Lu Zhu Zhang was one of the four great families of Eastern Wu. After joining Sima Yuanxian's forces, he wielded immense power and helped Sima Yuanxian amass wealth, reaping considerable benefits in the process.

Wang Dan, who was standing to the side, said: "Liu Laozhi is just a dog. Just give him a few bones and he will wag his tail and beg for mercy. Huan Xuan, on the other hand, is a tiger and wolf, ambitious and ruthless. If he succeeds, he will surely follow in the footsteps of his father, Huan Wen."

This man was the great-grandson of Wang Dao and the nephew of Wang Xun and Wang Mi. He was only three years older than Sima Yuanxian. They grew up together and were as close as brothers.

Sima Yuanxian sighed, "Huan Xuan has already achieved his goal, what can be done?"

Zhang Fashun said, "Now that the rebels have retreated, we should transfer the Northern Army back to defend Jiankang, kill Huan Qian and Huan Shisheng, announce to the world that Huan Xuan has committed numerous crimes of recklessly instigating war, and take advantage of Huan Xuan's strength but weakness to launch a decisive attack on Jingzhou!"

Huan Xuan's power and influence greatly increased after he defeated Yin Zhongkan and Yang Quanqi, but he had not yet fully consolidated his internal power.

If, at this moment, the elite troops of the Northern Army are concentrated, and with the momentum of defeating the demon bandits, coupled with the imperial edict and the righteous cause of the world, Huan Xuan will find it difficult to resist.

This is the Sima family's only chance.

Everyone knows the current situation: the Huan family and the Sima family will inevitably have a major battle sooner or later. The feud between the two families is not new; a few years ago, Huan Xuan was even humiliated by Sima Daozi.

However, the risks involved are also very high.

The rebels were only repelled, not annihilated. To the north, Murong Chui has stationed troops on the border, watching with predatory eyes.

If the war goes badly, everything Sima Yuanxian has gained will vanish. "Am I a gambler like Huan Xuan? I cannot gamble with the affairs of the world. Huan Qian and Huan Shisheng's fathers fought to the death for the country and made contributions to the nation. If I kill them without authorization, it will surely chill the hearts of the people. Furthermore, if Liu Laozhi destroys Huan Xuan, I ask you all how you will reward him? Do not forget that this man betrayed Wang Gong and is not trustworthy. To bet the affairs of the world on him is to invite destruction."

Zhang Fashun and Wang Dan had no way to refute it.

The court could give Liu Laozhi benefits, and Huan Xuan could give them as well, perhaps even more.

Liu Laozhi's rise to power is not a good thing for the Sima family either, as it will give commoners and ordinary people the illusion that they can shake the status of the elite families.

With countless people striving for advancement, the power structure of the Jin Dynasty, which had lasted for eighty years, would be overturned.

Therefore, in Sima Yuanxian's view, maintaining the current situation is the safest option.

"Your Highness is wise and insightful, with foresight. However, now that we have defeated the demons, we should reward the meritorious soldiers handsomely to win back the hearts of the army." Wang Mi reclined on the armchair, lazily stroking the jade ruyi.

Zhang Fashun hurriedly dissuaded him, saying, "A generous reward is acceptable, but a large fiefdom is not. Otherwise, the Liu family of Pengcheng will become too powerful and difficult to control. Liu Laozhi may lack ambition, but the Liu family of Pengcheng may not!"

Wang Dan also said disdainfully, "Serving the court is their duty. They are a bunch of lowly commoners. They can't be fed too much, otherwise they won't want to continue serving the court in the future."

Sima Yuanxian didn't pay much attention. It was indeed not a good thing for commoners to rise too quickly. Aristocratic families had always been stingy with commoners, and they paid even less attention to the soldiers below them.

The memorial requesting credit was filled with names of people surnamed Liu, which made Sima Yuanxian wary. "Let's do as Maoshi says."

Wang Mi glanced at his nephew, sighed softly, and said nothing more.

(End of this chapter)